#And the nice italian guy and his husband and one of his kids is dead

[obituarybug]

JJBA Part 5 is so funny cause like. Imagine you work in the Mafia and it's Sunday and you're lying in bed thinking about how much you don't want to work tomorrow and how you're gonna meet your boss who is this really nice Italian guy and his husband and his three kids. Except you go there and he has a new kid which is this blonde kinda aloof twink but you don't think much about it because you still have to go to work. So you're lying in bed next Sunday after a full week of work thinking again about how you don't want to work tomorrow and you wake up on Monday and the blonde kid is the fucking president

[pekoamv]

Present Past And The future

Warning: curse words and season 3 spoilers!! 

Sparrow Ben x Reader Part 1

Your powers and abilities include telekinesis, energy manipulation, and some form of neuroelectric interfacing that allows y/n to both read thoughts and also give your targets waking nightmares. (Just like Wanda’s powers (if you don’t know, she’s a Marvel character). (Before Y/N became Hargreeves she was Y/n Quinn) Length: 985 words

When the Umbrella Academy prepared for their fight with the Sparrow Academy, Y/N Comes inside the living room with a confused look and asks “Wtf is going on?!” A mysterious young man with many knifes all over his clothes calls your name. Jayme, Bens sister, replies by saying “she is Ben’s wife you perv”. That’s when things took an odd turn. Marcus turned around and he responded with “you got 30 seconds to leave or we’ll beat the shit out of you”. It seems like they were going to leave until the member with a hat faced towards  Ben and you saying “you look way better alive Ben and Y/N, they’re in life and dead together isn’t that adorable’’. Ben replied to him by saying ‘’shut your mouth’’. Ben walked over to him and punched the guy in the face, which made the guy with the hat take a hit on the ground. At that moment a fight started between the Sparrow and the Umbrella.

‘’Hey you didn’t have to do that!’’ shouted the biggest one at Ben.

‘’Um yes he did” you responded facing him. It didn’t take long before everyone started to fight. Marcus was fighting the big one, Fei the pretty one, Christopher fought the man with the knifes, Ben and…the little kid? Alphonso, Sloane, Jayme and you watched Fei kick the pretty girls ass. Until she said something that made Fei freeze, that’s when Alphonso and you joined the fight.

‘’Hit me. C’mon, hit me in the face.’’ Alphonso said just before she hit him as hard as she could, the punch reverberating back to her face. Walking slowly towards her you kick her and before you could kick her again she disappears. When everyone had been thoroughly dealt with you meet back up with the others in the living, watching Marcus kick the big guy his ass.

‘’Thai food for dinner?’’ Fei asks to mixed opinions. ‘’What about fine Italian? They ask, annoyed at everyone’s indecisiveness. ‘’Marcus stop’’ you say. ‘’Not yet’’ Marcus responds and starts to finish the called out sibling of the big guy. Making Marcus look up let the big one go. Focusing on the one that escaped you go after him, hunting him like a cat and dog. Stopping to hear his footsteps you track down where he is.

‘’Where are you going?’’ you say standing about 5 feet away from him. ‘’we were just starting to have fun.’’ You said jokingly. ‘’Look I don’t want to hurt you Y/N. I mean we both know I could’’ he says laughing

‘’Oh fuck you’’ you say not taking your eyes off him as he tries to go around you. Circling him you reveal your knife. ‘’Nice knife too dangerous to play with though.’’ he says while walking to you. C’mon we both know this isn’t you, you were so kind sweet and wouldn’t dare to hurt a soul,’’ he gets closer, close enough to touch you. Becoming freaked out by what they all said about you and your husband being dead. Deciding that you won’t hurt him, and saying he should ‘’Go,’’ He runs to a different part of the house. Resuming where you were with the rest of your family, you stand over the person who distracted Marcus. Just as you were about to punch them, they sent a powerful blast that threw everyone backwards. Hitting your head on one of the many ornament things in the room. You started to see everything blurry. Ben is saying something to you but understand nothing and then drops to the floor.

‘’Y/n Past Before she became a Sparrow 2017 12 January”

Y/n just came in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, She always stayed at one place and decided  it was nice to finally see the world.

She needed to go to the bank to take cash. Everything was peaceful until some robbers came with weapons. Y/n didn’t know about the Sparrows back then, she was scared and used her powers to make them all fall. The doors opened and Y/n and many other people ran for their life while the sparrows were being in shock. ‘’Wtf happened!’’ Ben said ‘’Idk let’s check the cameras.’’ Marcus responds. They watched the camera footage and were in surprised  to see someone with such strong powers. ‘’Fei find her and lets go home’’ Marcus said. Jayme nods and replies with ‘’Maybe she is one of us?  Marcus shrugs, ‘’Maybe let’s find out and make a plan at home.’’

“Did you find anything at the academy’’ asked Sloane. Fei shook her head. ‘’We are going to need a plan if we find her.’’ Ben said ‘’Let’s just talk to her before we do anything.’’ Ben nods his head you’re your direction ‘’oh fuck I hope no one saw that.’’ You said to yourself walking back and forth while being worried.

The next day Ben walks around the streets and sees you walk around like a lost puppy. ‘’Do you need help?’’ Ben asks while looking friendly at you. You looked up at him and nodded replying ‘’yea I’m kind of lost.’’. Ben puts his hand on your Shoulder, ‘’Well, where do you need to go?’’ he asks while looking around. ‘’I am actually looking for a clothing store, I need new clothes.’’ You responded shrugging while staring embarrassed at the floor.  Ben grabs your hand and got your attention.  ‘’I’m Ben, are you new in town’’?

This was part 1 I’m making part 2 right now please tell me if you like it and want more

[earnestly-endlessly]

kind of an odd request — do you have fics where erik is grumpy with everyone else but a ray of sunshine with charles?

Hi anon, thank you for the ask. First and foremost, I'm so sorry for how long this took me but I've been searching for all the fics that come to mind that fit your request. Second, this is not an odd request because I love this trope so much. I mean, it's basically canon that he's grumpy with everyone except for his Charles, right? Anyway, I might add to this list later on, but I can't sit on this any longer and hope that you have found some fics that you enjoy!!

Fic Recs Where Erik is grumpy with everyone but a ray of sunshine with Charles

Twice as Blind – Darksknight

Summary: Erik is probably the biggest asshole on the face of the earth, and because of this, he'll probably die alone. Charles is a complete flirt and playboy and, probably, will never commit to anyone ever.

(The lesson here is that when you have two friends who are BOTH secretly seeing someone, well, it's probable that they're seeing each other.)

In the moonlight, on a joy ride – scarlettblush

Summary: Librarian AU. Charles is the young librarian and Erik is the college student who is completely besotted with him.

The Proper Care of Actors – Clear_Liqueur, Clocks, Etherei, afrocurl

Summary: Erik is an A-list action star who is notoriously difficult to work with, until the day he gets cast alongside Charles Xavier, rom-com darling who can charm the pants off movie audiences the world over and apparently even one Erik Lehnsherr. The paparazzi catch them out and about soon enough, and their real-life Hollywood movie romance becomes instant tabloid fodder.

Rumor Mill – ikeracity

Summary: Erik is the grumpiest, most foul tempered worker at Stark industries. His grumpiness is the stuff of legends.

So it's obviously the talk of the office when Erik is being made to go to the company party and he's bringing his husband. There's rumors flying round about how much of a masochist or equally antisocial bastard Erik's husband must be to put up with him. Others think he must be a meek mouse perhaps bullied by Erik.

What they weren't expecting was the confident, charming, adorable and unbelievably nice Charles that turns up on Erik's arm. What they certainly weren't expecting was how much Erik obviously adores his husband and how happy he is to let others see this.

Work/Life Balance – pocky_slash

Summary: Alex is pretty sure his weird, anti-social boss is a robot. Right up until the guy's adorable husband shows up. His adorable husband who happens to be a famous actor. His adorable husband who happens to be the very same famous actor who was the source of many of Alex's teenage fantasies.

Terrifying Domesticity – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is the most dangerous and notorious mafia boss around for miles, and yet the strangest things terrify him.

For example: his children, and his very pregnant mate.

Of kittens and teacups and love – Ren

Summary: Modern AU in which Charles and Erik are flatmates. Charles studies psychology and likes tea and chess and keeps bringing home stray kittens, and Erik lets him because he's maybe perhaps a little bit sort of in love with him.

Fools Rush In – LoveSupreme

Summary: Erik owns a cafe on the edge of campus and accidentally starts maybe-stalking a Biology Professor there.

Growing Pains – ikeracity

Summary: Twelve-year-old Erik Lehnsherr is an angry, closed-off foster kid with trust issues and a bad temper. Ten-year-old Charles Xavier is a lonely kid in boarding school who just wants a friend.

Logan pretends he doesn't think they're both fucking adorable.

Series

Home Together (The Finding Our Way Remix) – significantowl

Summary: Erik is not the sort of person other students strike up conversations with. His expression, his posture, every part of his manner say: Don’t talk to me. I don’t want to talk to you. But none of that stops the boy ahead of him in line with the collapsible white cane, and nothing can stop Erik from falling for him, like it or not.

Melted Ice Cream and Macaroni Art – pocky_slash

Summary: Everybody likes Charles. Nobody likes Erik. And that's really the source of Erik's doubts. Also, there's ice cream and a baby. Part of ‘the Daycare’ verse.

Walling in or Walling Out – stlkrchck

Summary: Erik stifles a sigh. Of course this is Mr. C. F. Xavier. Of course.

For the prompt: Charles and Raven are throwing a holiday party. Erik is the grumpy neighbor who is annoyed by how loud they are being. So he goes to complain, and Charles makes it up to him.

(Wise Men Say) Only Fools Rush In – wildelybroken

Summary: After reading a fic where Erik and Charles are super sluts, meet at what is presumably Raven and Emma's engagement party, and end up sleeping together, I made the following comment and just inspired myself.

"They start casually texting each other throughout the day, maybe while they’re bored or frustrated at work, and start out meeting up and sleeping together semi-frequently. And eventually they accidentally start dating without noticing it at first, not until Raven and Emma get them alone and are like “wtf you two super sluts are actually dating??” And at first they deny, but then they’re both like “holy shit, we are!” And they meet back at one of their places and they don’t have to say anything, they just look at each other and come together immediately, kissing passionately and ~making love~. In the middle of it they realise that’s what they’ve been doing for a long time now and they confess their love to each other and they live happily ever after because they deserve all the good in the world."

For Charles – Shigai

Summary: Tired of being told he has to find his 'heart', classical piano graduate Erik Lehnsherr decides to travel to Italy and drink from the famous Italian passion for music. While searching for it, he meets Charles Xavier, a graduate in Fine Arts who is basically travelling around the world perfectioning his technique, and who will turn his world upside down.

Together they will discover that, sometimes, what you thought you didn't need is what you needed the most.

Erik Hates People – Anonymous

Summary: Erik hates people- it's his rule, a way of living.

Sugar – humanitys_cutest

Summary: Erik glances at the clock for what feels like the tenth time in less than half the minutes. It feels like he's been in some meeting or other since the day started almost 10 hours ago, and he's had just about enough of listening to these pompous old men discuss what would be the best design for his building like they know anything about it. He tries as subtly as possible to massage his temples to assuage the building migraine, but he knows it's no use.

He just wants to go home.

Everyone Likes Charles – Rosawyn

Summary: '“Everyone who's met him likes him.” Cain's grin was even stupider than before. “Once you meet him, you'll see.”

It was almost like a challenge then. And damn. Erik hated saying no to a challenge.'

Still Going Strong – JackyJango

Summary: Speaking of forty-eight, Erik hates it. Hates it even more that others are aware of it. While he’s pragmatic enough to know and accept that aging is inexorable, the increase in number gives the people around him the freedom to pounce at him with questions, opinions and advice he'd fought to keep at bay all year.

Besides, Erik believes that youth is a state of mind, not a phase in one’s life.

You have a child’s mind in a man’s body, Charles constantly tells him.

But despite his age, Erik is healthy. He works out daily. His muscles are steel and he can dead-lift four hundred pounds. He can break bones without breaking a sweat. Most importantly, he can still carry Charles to the bedroom and fuck him senseless. And as long as Erik can do that, he’s perfectly happy.

All I know is pouring rain and everything has changed – hllfire

Summary: Charles meets Erik, the man he had heard about many times from his sister and some friends, on a rainy Sunday morning. The stories about Erik paint him as a distant and intimidating man, but Charles finds out that maybe the stories had been wrong.

How to Successfully Ruin Your Life – humanveil

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Charles Xavier accepts a job at his local café, expecting nothing more than a fun, new pastime. What he gets is a mysterious customer and a schoolboy crush.

Stolen – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is a miserable, grumpy, cantankerous bastard, and he has every fucking right to be. He drew the short end of the stick when he got the Underworld as his domain, and there isn't very much fun to be had in judging and governing dead souls who would rather be anywhere else but with Erik in the depths of Hell.

So when he meets Charles, brilliant and lovely Charles who is more popularly known amongst the mortals as Persephone, and feels the promise of something wonderful that could make his eternally doomed existence infinitely more bearable... you can bet all your drachmas Erik's not going to let Charles go any fucking time soon.

Erik Lehnsherr's Guide to Saving the Universe By Meeting Your Soul-Mate and Falling in Love in Less than 72 Hours – magneto, pangea

Summary:Army Pilot Erik Lehnsherr is just trying to enjoy his day off when a mostly naked person crashes through the roof of his car. Even more alarming, the strange falling naked person—who goes by Charles Xavier when he's not speaking an ancient dead language—brings tidings of the apparent potential end of the world, and begs Erik to help him put a stop to it.

Well. His mother has been nagging at him to go out and meet new people.

The Theory of Partnership Dynamics – Pangea

Summary: “Detective Lehnsherr, how wonderful to see you out on the job!” The fed in the front greets him as they draw nearer. He’s shorter than the other two by a full head, and he’s beaming at Lehnsherr as if completely undeterred by Lehnsherr’s paint-peeling scowl.

“What do the feds want?” Lehnsherr asks bluntly.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” the fed answers cheerfully. Then his gaze lands on Alex, and, impossibly, his grin gets even brighter. “Did you get a new partner?"

“No,” Lehnsherr says through his teeth while at the same time Alex says, “Yes.”

[falcor-thee-luck-dragon]

Klaus x Powered Reader

Summary: Reader is part of the umbrella academy but came when they were 12 due to parents needing help for them, ya know controlling powers and whatnot. They can shapeshift into any animal and their senses are heightened n such.

Warnings: bloody, fighting bad guys, bit of Klaus fluff

You know that moment in a movie where they freeze frame and then the character says something like “you’re probably wondering how I ended up in this situation.”

Yeah with Klaus you have those moments more times then you could count. In fact, if you had a dollar for every time Klaus has gotten you into a freeze frame moment. (And you’ve thought about this often.)

You could probably afford a real nice apartment with actual food in its fridge. Instead of living at the Academy with some apples and Klaus’ latest alcoholic beverage.

But alas, here you are in a back alley as Klaus’ bodyguard waiting for some Italian mafia members to come get their money that he owes them. Well that’s what you’re assuming but Klaus insists they’re just some moody tough guys. Okay sure.

You watch Klaus as he paces back and forth in front of you counting his cash for about the 50th time in the past 10 minutes.

Klaus stops abruptly and turns to you with a smile, “You know what I love about you, Y/N, every time I think things could get worse I look at your pretty face and I know you got me.”

Sighing in knowing annoyance you look up at him, “Are you short.”

Klaus snorts, “No actually I’m pretty long.” He says with wink.

You look up to the sky trying not to crack, you couldn’t give him the satisfaction even if it was funny, not the time or place. Especially considering his dumbass is short some cash he definitely owes very soon.

You look over to Klaus again and raise an eyebrow.

“Alright how much?”

He twiddles is fingers while avoiding your curious gaze. “Oh you know...a couple hundred or so.”

“So that’s why I’m here, emotional support my ass”, You say rolling your eyes a bit amused nonetheless.

Klaus may be an idiot but he’s funny and kind and you love him. Also you do enjoy beating up gangsters or whoever these thugs of the hour are.

Folding your arms while giving Klaus a smirk you tell him, “Well your friends better get their asses here cause when they do. I’m gonna knock their teeth in for making us wait in this shit ally. I’ve been suppressing the urge to vomit for 10 minutes.”

He nods in agreement, glad you’re not about to rip him a new one for his latest antics.

“Wait, does it really smell that bad, I mean the dumpster is at the other end of the ally.” He says in confusion.

You put your hands on your hips glancing at the dumpster and then focusing on Klaus.

“I’ve got the whole animal kingdom inside me Klaus, I know you can kinda smell that dumpster from here, but listen. For me it’s 1000x worse and let me tell you it doesn’t smell like a bath and body works around here.”

Klaus laughs scratching the back of his head, “Right, right, sorry.”

Suddenly a sketchy looking black car rolls into the ally, coming to a halt as three angry looking men walk out. Clearly hiding something within their coats, the “leader” it seems steps up and speaks.

“You betta have that 1,000 you owe us right fucking now you little theif, I don’t appreciate you takin’ my mother’s gold necklace, rest her soul.” He growls.

Klaus raises his hands up, “Listen buddy, you stole that from your own mother at her funeral...and let me tell you she’s not to happy about it.” He says looking to his left where you assume this guys dead mother is standing.

The bald guy behind him shakes his head and says, “So fuckin what? We needed that shit for other important purposes raccoon eyes.”

Klaus now lost as to where this situation is about to turn looks over at you clearly needing assistance. While mouthing “help me”.

Walking past him you hold your hands up showing you have nothing to hide, “Now that’s not very nice, a real shit personality, your mother would be very disappointed in how you’ve turned out. Cause let��s be honest it’s not like your looks are doing anything for you either.” You say snickering trying to see how they’ll react.

The first guy smirks reaching into his coat to pull out a nasty looking knife. “See this right here, I’m a good old fashioned man, I don’t believe in guns.”

You raise your eyebrows at him, “Oh well in that case we should all be quite relieved then.”

Looking behind him you notice as his two friends pull their own weapons out, which consists of a hammer and some type of meat hook.

“Klaus couldn’t have picked an easier bunch of idiots to fuck up then these psychos.” You thought.

The bald one begins to move brushing past the first guy looking like he’s seeing red.

“Jesus, man I didn’t mean to offend, I’m just making friendly conversation.” You muse.

Baldy begins to charge holding up his hammer ready to strike. “Come here you bitch, that’s my husband you’re talking to.”

He swings as you side step him, tripping him as he falls directly onto the concrete. Conveniently dropping the hammer in the process. Klaus being the ever troublesomely fantastic sidekick, picks up the hammer and throws it at you.

Gripping the hammer tightly, baldy rises from the ground faster then you’d expected mouth bloody and boiling with rage.

But in a hot second his bearded buddy in crime sprints towards you with his meat hook seemingly out of nowhere.

Klaus yells for you to watch out but you didn’t even need to look, this guys heart beat is louder then a firework and you’re faster then a viper, your senses on overload. As you turn around in record time to grab the guys right arm with the meat hook.

With your left hand tight around this guys beefy one you hold on and push his assault giving him more power. Effectively fulfilling your plan and leading the hook right into baldys chest. Who was fortunately running towards you.

A split second later with the hammer in your right hand you swing it forcefully into the guys shins. Hearing a sweet sickly crunch sound and the wild howls protruding from your assailants throat.

“Sorry I didn’t know you were married.”

“Fuck you!” He screams.

You look up hearing the sting of metal being swung in the wind, to see a knife heading straight for your throat.

With lighting reflexes you grab his wrist, the knife inches from your vulnerable skin.

Klaus gasps in the background terrified and relieved at not getting your throat slit.

You turn your fingernails to sharp cat-like claws that dig dangerously into his flesh, causing hot blood to drip out. The man drops the knife and grimaces in pain.

“I don’t know about you but I don’t think my boyfriend owes you three motherfuckers shit.” You growl, eyes beginning to glow an electric blue while the whites of your eyes shift to black, something that happens when you start to use your power.

“Fuck you, and fuck that thieving piece of junky shit crying in the corner.”

Your mood darkens, “Wrong answer.”

Letting go of his bloody wrist you grip his throat with your left hand lifting him off the ground. He begins to choke and struggles against your tight grasp.

“I know you’ve heard of me from other friends of yours, so listen very closely. If you touch Klaus again or anyone else around here who’s just trying to survive in this city. I won’t be so generous next time. Or maybe I should rip your fucking face off right now.” You squeeze tighter drawing blood.

“Y/N.”  Klaus says softly.

“Let’s go home.” He asks with pleading eyes and you snap back to reality smelling the iron scent of blood on your hands.

Sometimes you can get carried away feeling the rush of the hunt, a taxing side affect of your power, one you’ve always struggled to control.

Letting the man go he slumps to the ground coughing and sucking in straggled breaths.

“ Alright, me..me and the boys...won’t do nothing....you have my...my word....no bullshit nothing....I swear.”

“Good cause your friends are gonna need more then some stitches.”

You quickly leave the ally and start walking down the street towards the Academy.

Breathing heavily, you look up at Klaus who’s at your side as you start to feel a bit embarrassed that he saw you lose it a little.

He holds onto your arms stopping you, “Don’t worry, we’ll have a bath and watch some movies...hey you like that Museum one?”

“The Night at the Museum.” You say smiling still feeling off.

Klaus’ face lights up, “Yeah that one, with the big T-Rex skeleton and President Roosevelt on a horse.”

He links your arms together and you both begin walking again.

“Y/N, I’m not afraid of you, you know. I never have been, I actually find it pretty sexy of you to beat up bad guys for me and keep the neighborhood safe-er. Ben thinks so too, minus the sexy part of course. Only I get to enjoy that.”

You relax more into his side and once again start to feel a bit more at ease with yourself.

“Oh wait a second, here put these sunglasses on, your eyes are still playing mood rings with us. Don’t wanna freak out the civilians” He laughs.

“Thanks, I did wonder why that kid back there looked like he just saw a ghost.”

Klaus winks, “Maybe he did, cough cough..Ben...cough cough.”

“You’re an ass.” You say while rolling your eyes

“Yes indeed my love but remember I deal with the supernatural of all sorts, from ghosts to monsters, nothing phases me.” Klaus states proudly.

You laugh, “ Okay Van Helsing, this monster wants a bath with her hunter then.”

Klaus kisses your cheek, “That can be arranged my dear.”

Smiling up at him you hold him tighter and think to yourself how weird your life is, but you wouldn’t change it for anything.

- okay wow alright, first story ever I hope it’s good or at least some people like it. It was honestly fun to write ngl.

[everlarkbirthdaygifts]

Happy Birthday, jbsaucy!

Happy belated Birthday, @jbsaucy​! We hope you had a wonderful day back on the 16th, and that you celebrated in style! To bring your party back around, the lovely @mega-aulover​ has written a story just for you!

For this year, I am recently divorced and trying to get the nerve up to get out there. So I would like to request a 30/40s Everlark, post divorced meeting

Jbsaucy

Dear Jbsaucy I hope you had a wonderful birthday. I apologize for the lateness, and I hope you had a wonderful day. This prompt BTW was amazing and I had a great time writing it. It was a blast. Thank you to Norbertsmom for Betaing 

Rated T 

Title:  OFF THE MARKET

-kpkpkpkp-

Divorce sucks. SUCKS.

Getting divorced sucks, being divorced sucked.

But nothing, not the tedious nature of dividing unwanted movies, the fear of root canals, or getting a speeding ticket, compared to dating. Dating, ladies and gentlemen, after being married for ten years sucked royally. 

ROYALLY!

After my divorce, my attorney suggested I get a hobby or join a club. I really wasn’t a social person. Not much of a talker, and avoided any and all spotlights. It was this fear of the spotlight that originally brought me in contact to my now ex-husband, Darius.

My best friend Gale pushed me to do one of those karaoke nights. I panicked and ran straight into Darius. He thought I was cute, and I was grateful he went up with me to the karaoke microphone. He sang and I laughed. The rest is history; the marriage only lasted ten years. But I knew we weren’t right for one another, partially because Darius was a very sexual person, for me sex wasn’t important. I got more enjoyment out of getting my teeth cleaned. He found someone who revved his engine and I got the fica and dates. 

Yup Dates.

How did that happen you ask?

Well, I’ll tell you I followed my divorce attorney’s suggestion. Preface-OUTSIDE OF A COURTROOM NEVER EVER FOLLOW YOUR DIVORCE ATTORNEY’S ADVICE.

With that warning sign, I digress. Taking a deep breath, I pinch the bridge of my nose. Wait for it... I joined a book club. 

It was the only natural course of action. After our divorce I got all of the books. You see one of the things Darius and I loved to do was go to bookstores. We’d buy all of these books with the intention of reading them, and we never did. We had bookshelves filled with books from the 100 Must-Read Classic Books by Penguin. So after my divorce, I sat in my newly minted apartment with a box of wine and all of these books. 

I was looking at the boxes, my divorce papers jutting out. Amongst them there was a note - with the name of a book club, the real 451 book club, with an address. I called them the Squad 451 or the Squad. The women were a hodgepodge of personalities; the right blend of sweet and crazy. There is Mags, the motherly type. She has boatloads of grandchildren. Then there is her neighbor Greasy Sae  who runs a diner in town. I used to go to her diner as a kid and consume her mystery meat soups. The older woman is bawdy and half of the things she says makes me blush redder than a red bean. Next is Annie, a shy, slightly mad girl who is a librarian. Delly has the personality of the southern bell who wears pink and believes in romance. I’ve known of Delly forever; she and I went to the same high school. 

Foxface,  has one of those names with multiple consonants and vowels but prefers to go by Foxy or Foxface. She is freakishly smart and sometimes, I think she has blackmarket dealings because she’s so secretive. Then there is Effie, the middle aged, tightly wound woman whose book choices are as repressed as she is, like Jane Eyre. And last, but not least, is my divorce lawyer, yes the very same one who suggested I get a hobby, Johanna Mason who is, well, a sex fiend. 

I started meeting up with them, and six months after my divorce, that’s when the ladies conspired against me and set up my profile on one of those dating websites looking for men, for me. I had no idea, and on my birthday, they presented me with their “gift.” 

It was the gift you didn’t want, like a pimple on your wedding day or the runs before an important interview, or bad breath before a first kiss. 

Greasy said that if I didn’t use my, well, feminine - looks around - petals. That they’ll dry up and turn into ugly petunias. I announced sex wasn’t important, and even friged Effie said a lady needed to literally, figuratively, and metaphorically, occassionally let her hair down. 

 I said NO.

I demanded.

I scowled.

Nothing helped.

They created a profile based upon themselves, and yet through describing themselves they pegged me. I was nurturing. I had a sexy edge. I was introverted, and yet mysterious. I was smart, honest, loyal and a closet romantic. But if you tell anyone that, I’ll hunt you down, even after I’m dead. 

They split me up like a kid of divorced parents being schlepped from one house to the other. They set themselves up in teams and each team got to pick my dates. And everytime we met for a book club meeting, I was to dutifully report on the date. Based upon their success, a second date would be permitted. 

It was a simple proposition. 

I was naive. A stupid idiot, or as Bugs Bunny say’s, a maroon. 

Because I hadn’t really ever been out there. 

To be honest, I met Darius right out of high school, at my first college party, and we were married - okay it wasn’t a big wedding. It really wasn’t a wedding at all. It was a spur of the moment, we got drunk and ended up at one of those Elvis chapel impersonators. Annnnd bada-bing. 

I never really dated, so I agreed with the book club’s plan, because how hard could dating be?

 And thus began my nightmare.

I must state, or emphatically note, not all of my “dates,” were catastrophically bad. To be fair, most of the time I wasn’t interested. Delly said I wasn’t romantically pulled. Johnna said my engine wasn’t revved up. Greasy said if the man didn’t make me want to orgasam with a look, then he wasn’t worth my time. I posed this question to the universe: How in blazing blue inferno does a man make a woman...well you know, with a look? Was that even possible?

A hazy yellow fuzz enters my head and my mind wanders. I conjure up blue eyes and translucent lashes that never tangle.  

Sigh.

…. (my brain just short circuited at the thought of large hands)

Earth to Katniss. 

Okay sorry, I spaced out for a little bit, and their words spurred me on to continue my journey. And one year after my divorcce I had stories, no I have battle scars.  To prove my point, the following are my top three worst dates. In no particular order.  

Date Disaster # 1 was with an artsy type at a chique Italian restaurant. He arrived late, and was drunk, high, or both. Then fell asleep on his plate of bolognese. Yup, in his plate of spaghetti and meat sauce. I paid for my half, tucked my tail between my legs and left.

Date Disaster #2 was with a small man with glasses and a massive intellect who didn’t stop talking about flamingos. FLAMING PINK FLAMINGOS. My brain shut down. I didn’t hear the music in the jazz themed restaurant. I didn’t even taste the heat in the gumbo. The only factoid I remembered when we said goodnight was that flamingos were gray when they were born. I couldn’t even tell you how they became pink. The man was the human form of anesthesia for my soul. 

Date Disaster #3 was a nice man. We laughed. And everything was going well. We ordered drinks, a cranberry and soda for me, the bartender special for him while we waited for our table. Turns out he has a milk allergy and the bartender special had milk. When we sat down at the table and we were talking about our hobbies, his stomach began to grumble loudly. He became pasty and then as the waiter brought out our appetizers, he threw up all over the place. It was a good thing that throwing up didn't bother me, but it bothered our waiter who gagged. Needless to say, I burned the outfit I was wearing.  

Those were the top three...but there were more, just simmering to become the top one. And for a time I thought I wasn’t made to date.  But the ladies had faith and they were really trying to choose nice, interesting guys. However, nothing, nothing that I could ever imagine could top my latest date. 

I’m rushing along the sidewalk. I don’t want to be late, but at the same time, I don’t want to tell them how much of a calamity my latest date was, but to be completely honest, I don’t want to miss it. Tonight is also the night the group meets at Mellark’s. The friendly cafe style bakery with its rich and yummy pastries, both savory and sweet. It is my favorite place to meet. Squad 451 meets twice a month in different locations, including one of the two meeting rooms in the library, one of the community rooms in the Justice Building, and on our birthdays, we meet in a restaurant, but the bakery on Main Street is our favorite location. The Mellarks owned several locations. The flagship store was always managed by one of the original family members.  

If George Senior, or the middle son Ryan Mellark is at the helm of the bakery, they allow us to cavort in the shop until close. When his older brother George Junior or their Mother Muriel was in charge, we tended to be quiet, relegating our conversations to the books. When Peeta is in charge, there are free cheese buns and chaos. 

Please, stomach gods, let Peeta be there. I skipped lunch today because I had a deadline. I also forgot my wallet at home. Thankfully, my license was at the bottom of my backpack. I need food before my stomach eats itself. I am starving when I walk into the bakery. When I see Peeta, I stop. His blue eyes meet mine and my stomach flip flops. He gives me a slow sweet smile, before his eyes slide back to the customer who is ordering.

“Katniss,” Delly squeaks, waving frantically.

Somehow, my feet carry me over to the table and there is a plate of cheese buns and I thank every celestial being in the universe. His buns are heavenly. Sitting down, I take a napkin and snatch one.  My mouth waters and my lashes close as I bring the cheese bun to my mouth.  The smell of melted cheese, fresh bread, and the hint of dill, assuage my nose, before I bite into one of Peeta’s coveted flaky concoctions. The combination of the oozing cheese, the herbs and the buttery bread elicit a moan from deep within my being. These freaking cheese buns will be the death of me. 

“Wow.” Peeta’s voice causes my lashes to fly open. 

Peeta is standing near me with a cup of tea; his face and neck splotchy and red.  

My mouth is full of delicious food, but I forgot how to chew. 

Delly is looking between us. Her pale blue eyes quizzical, like when she’s trying to understand a concept or theme in a book.

 “Okay, bitches,” Johanna says, slamming her brief down. “Where’s the rest of the motley crew?”

“Mags and Greasy just arrived,” Delly answers absentmindedly. 

“Hey, Peeta, I need a strong black coffee.” 

“Sure,” Peeta says, all the while staring at me. I finally remember to chew. “Here Katniss, your tea.”   

Taking the paper cup, I can’t help feeling bashful. “Thank you.”

“Peet,” the girl behind the counter calls. 

Whenever Peeta is here, the business is brisk. He is charming. He was always charming, even back in high school he was the most popular guy, not only because of his looks, but because he was genuinely nice. I, like all of the other girls, had a mini crush on him. 

Looking over his shoulder he says, “I’ll be right back with your coffee, Jo.” 

Now Jo is looking between him and me, but hers is a wicked grin, like right before she nails a sleazebag who doesn’t want to pay for his children. I quirk an eyebrow, clueless as to what has Johanna showing off her predatory gleam. 

“Oh, it’s chilly outside,” Mags says.

“It’s colder than Rudolph’s balls outside,” Greasy says, her gruff voice is booming. Several patrons look at her. Greasy does not care. She’s well past her sixties and it’s her motto that she should live each day as if it was her last. 

In walks Effie, Annie, and Foxface, and they all say, “Hello,” in unison. 

The book of the month is actually a YA fiction called, The Fault in Our Stars, about teens with a terminal illness. I cried when Gus...I tear up once more...at the memory. But I know we aren’t going to discuss Hazel’s predicament with her parents. 

“So,” Delly says, bouncing in her chair.

I can’t help but grimace.

“How did it go?” Foxface says. She has an accent, but I can’t place it. 

“He looked like he belonged on one of those erotic books Johanna loves to read,” Greasy says, grabbing a cheese bun.

She’s not wrong. Gloss was a blond adonis, with slate blue eyes. And abs that have a flipping twelve pack, I ought to know, I counted them. The words are out of my mouth before I am aware of what I am saying.  “He really does with a twelve pack,” I say drinking my tea.

“Did you say twelve pack?” Johanna sat up. 

My eyes widen. 

“Wait, why are you blushing Katniss?” Foxface narrows her eyes.

“Did you and he…” Annie trails off. Her doe eyes are wide. 

“Did you have your first sleepover?” Effie leaned in. 

“Or did you dry hump him like a horny-toad dog?” Greasy’s voice bounces in the bakery.

Peeta’s pauses , wiping down the counter and looks directly at me. 

“NO!” My voice sounds half strangled.

Jo and Delly exchange a look. “Peeta,” Delly calls him over. 

Oh, no, no, no, I say to myself, eyeing how quickly I can get from the back corner to the exit. It is one thing to tell the squad, it is another to have Peeta know. I think I can sprint around the chairs and clear the table near the door like an olympic hurdle jumper. 

Peet walks over. “Hey Dells, can I get you ladies anything?”

“Katniss was going to regale us with her latest date,” Delly says.

“She’s going to tell us how she knows her date has Thor’s body.” 

“You’re dating?” Peeta asks, looking at me intently.

He doesn’t know I am dating or rather, being raked through hot coals.

“Oh,” Foxface chortles. “She’s dating.”

“Remember the guy who was texting with his mother during the entire date,” Effie said.

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Mags saids grinning.

“Only the part when he had Katniss talk to her, and it turned out she was psychoanalyzing her to make sure she wasn’t an ax murderer,” Annie said laughing.

“Or what about the guy who kept on mentioning his ex and cried through the crème brûlée,” Greasy slaps her knee, laughing.

I can’t help but laugh. 

“Man, those are pretty bad,” Peeta says.

I hold up my finger. “No, those are tame.”

“Tame?” His blue eyes are sparkling. “You mean there are worse dates?”

Delly snorts. “Oh there are worse. I am so glad I am out of the dating pool.”  

“Yeah, Gale just loves you,” Annie sighs. 

Delly and Gale met when I joined the book club. And while I floundered, they fell in love and now Delly was pregnant.  

My eyes shift to Annie. “It’s so much easier when you fall in love.”

“Oh?” I say.

“I met someone,” Annie says softly. “He wants to meet all of us.”

I wonder what type of guy would date quiet, shy, introverted Annie who sometimes says things that remind me of that song from those Freddy movies from the 80’s. I shake my head.  Then I narrow my eyes. “Bring him to the next session,” I hear myself say. I want to meet this man, and make sure he will take care of my friend. 

“Really.” Annie clasps her hands.

I nod, but I notice Peeta is looking at me with this strange gleam in his eyes.  “Ah...yeah.” My voice sounds breathy. I frown, wondering why the heck I sound like one of those girls. You know the ones that always appear in the music videos washing cars and dancing on super yachts. Darius was fascinated by those girls, heck, his new girlfriend looks like one of those girls.

The women are chatting with Annie about the new guy in her life.  

“We'll discuss Annie’s beau later,” Mags holds her hand in the air. “I want to hear about Katniss’ date.” Her white hair spills over her shoulder as she fixes me with a look. “So tell us, how do you know Thor has a twelve pack?”

Somehow or another I knew the scrutiny on Annie would be short lived. My time to shine would come, but when I open my mouth to speak I can see a conspiratorial glance between Mags and Annie. And it hits me that they chose this man, because he looked like Thor. I scowl at the women who set me up on this one. Mags and Annie both have a pink tinge to their faces. I would have expected this from Jo or Greasy, but Mags and Annie, well it’s INCONCEIVABLE! 

I begin to speak. “He asked me to meet him at the edge of town, near route twelve.”

“Isn't that where Ripper’s place is?” Effie questioned, and she couldn’t hide her revulsion. 

“Yup,” I said, popping the ‘P’, thinking of the bar that disguised itself as an eatery. It was a seedy diner with cracked linoleum floors, yellowing formica, booths that had patches, blinking lights, and rickety chairs. 

“That’s where he asked you to meet him?” Mag’s sounds outraged. “That place is…is-”

“- a bedhaven for unsavory characters,” Foxface finishes. 

“You're brainless,” Jo mutters darkly. "Ripper's isn't the type of place you can go to Katniss. You should have called me."

As protective as I am about my friends, so is Jo. She's tough on the outside but has a really soft center. It's what makes her a perfect shark in the courtroom. Not that Darius was a jerk during our divorce. He actually wasn't. Johanna was present at the restaurant where he announced he wanted a divorce. Johanna later said it was my face, the vulnerability I tried to hide was why she took my divorce pro-bono. 

“I drove and brought my bottle of mace.” I know what everyone was thinking. The area in town where Ripper’s is located at, made the bad side of town look like a tourist destination. I didn't mind meeting my date there. I was looking forward to a basket of fries. Ripper's had amazing beer-battered fries. 

I've been to Ripper's once. I was with Gale and Thom who needed to score fake IDs. I ordered the fries, since I wasn't there for an ill gotten identification. But let me tell you, those fries. Oh! Holy mother of fries, no other fries can compare. 

Shivers!

I love food; it's why I'm a food critic now. What's so funny is that it was those fries that began my career as Buttercup, the elusive food critic. Back then I was Buttercup, the fussy eater. I blogged about them, no, I lavished them with love. I love my job. I can go into any restaurant, order anything on the menu, blog about it and get paid handsomely. And, most importantly, I can do it anonymously. Not even Darius knew I was Buttercup. He thought I was a boring housewife. Getting back to the fries, I wasn’t deterred from getting my fries.

“So then what happened?” Annie asked.

“He was there waiting for me. He stood up and smiled. And he's massive-"

"Just like a book cover," Foxface mutters.

 "He said his name wasn't Anthony, it’s Gloss.”

“Gloss?” Everyone said at the same time.

“Yup.” I sighed. “It was a sign. I should've left." Damn those fries! 

“So Gloss…" Peeta's sparkling eyes are on mine, his are an amazing hue of blue, like the indigo milk cap mushrooms. "Looks like Thor."  He frowns. "Thor with the long hair or short?"

"Long." The women around me answered as one.

Peeta turned those gorgeous eyes back to me.

Thor isn’t my cup of tea. I shrugged to show my indifference. "Gloss was sporting the Ragnarok look, short hair with facial hair."

 I swear I watch Peeta mouth, "short hair."

"Anyway, we sat at a booth. It was packed, actually." That should've been clue number two. Men at a joint like Ripper's at 8:30 on a Friday night, it was by the highway, plausible. But packed with just as many women. "The waitress who took our drink order could barely hear me."

"Was he nice?" Annie asks.

"He was sweet." Truthfully Gloss was a sweet guy.  He talked about his mother in a positive way, even if she gave him the name that was another descriptor for shiny objects. "He was attentive too. He told me his mother worked in the makeup industry. "

"That doesn't sound too awful," Delly says.

"He sounds delightful." Mags pushes her reading glasses up the bridge of her nose.  The gang is getting tired of the story and I hope they will move on to the reason we are  gathered, discussing the book we were reading. I begin to reach into my backpack because I really hate purses.

"If he's so delightful, why did he ask you to meet him at Ripper's?" Johanna says in her cross examination voice.

I wince as I take out my book.

"Yes, you must explain." Foxface demands.

"It's not nice to leave us dangling." Effie levels a look at me that has me squirming, feeling like I was being summoned into the principal's office. 

"I wanna know how you know Gloss has a twelve pack," Greasy says.

Peeta looks at me expectantly. 

Anndddd were back. I sigh. Will he run for the hills when I tell him? Most likely.

"We were talking about dancing.” My voice loses all it’s warmth. “I don't dance."

This causes a rumble of laughter and giggles amongst the women. Peeta looks confused. Finally Delly wipes the tears from her face and gasps, “You should never dance. Ever!” 

"That poor man’s toes,” Mags says, her shoulders shaking.

“Do I need to know?” Peeta looks between them. 

“I don’t dance!” I growl. The group erupts into another bout of laughter. 

“It was a scheme, a dirty underhanded scheme,” Effie says. 

The guy I was supposed to date was a dance instructor. He used the dating app as a way to drum up business. When the women meet him, he pairs them with guys who were there for a lesson. He paired me with a poor man named Harry. My nerves got the better of me, because I don’t like to be touched. Harry’s hands were sweaty. Harry tried to dip me as per my date’s instructions. I tripped, and in the process his toes were crushed, and I ended up with a sprained ankle. 

When I arrived in crutches to the next book club, well, that was one of those dates that simmers at the surface vying to be in the top three. 

“Gloss didn’t believe me. He said anyone can dance. I told him no, and explained that there are people who are predisposed to fly in airplanes, and some who get motion sickness in a car. “

“What happened next?” Foxface asks, moving to the edge of her chair.

“He went to the jukebox.”

“Oh no,” Johanna mutters. “Did he end up in the hospital?” 

“Is that how you know he’s got a twelve pack?” Greasy questions. The ladies, and Peeta are all staring at me. 

I shake my head. Why couldn’t there be a rush of customers right now? It is calm and I know the odds are against me. 

“Spill it!” Johanna demands. 

“Well, he queued up a song and waited a beat, and then Lenny’s Kravits’ American Woman started blaring. Gloss started sauntering and spun and did the splits on the floor. Next thing I know, the women in the place go nuts. They surround him, like a rabid pack of wild dogs.”

“Wait, what!” Delly exclaims her pale eyes bright, she grips the book in her hand. 

“That doesn’t happen,” Peeta says.

“It does to her,” Foxface said, her eyes shining with ferocity, like the eyes of those women at Rippers.

“Shut it blondie,” Johanna orders. 

“Yeah,” Annie says.

Taking a deep breath I continue. “He started dancing...hips…” my brain flashing to his hips gyrating. “...jutting out and…”

“Ohhhhh yeah,” Greasy cackles.

“Gyrating, his hips gyrating,” Foxface gasps.

With eyes closed I nod. “His hips were doing that all over the place. He then jumped on the table and proceeded to rip off his shirt. He shouted my name and told me his next move was his favorite. He spun onto his knees and slid up in my face before dropping his drawers.” I lower my eyes. 

“What,” Delly squeaked. “His pants?”

“It’s like Magic Mike,” Mags whispers.

I know the movie Mag’s is referring to. I’ve never seen it. “Yes.” 

“Was he naked-” Foxface began.

“-or was he wearing-” Annie cut Foxface off only to be cut off herself. 

“A G-String!” Greasy shouted excited.

I shook my head no. He wasn’t wearing anything, I can feel the heat burning my ears.

“Well don’t stop! What happened next!” Even Effie has lost her sense of propriety. 

“As I looked for an escape. It’s then I noticed  the poster on the wall, for the Slag Heap.” I pause and sigh, “Men’s Magic Friday Night Extravaganza, and Gloss was the headliner. I realized he’s a stripper.” 

And the place erupts in laughter. 

“What did you do?” Peeta asks.

My eyes connect with his.

“I slunk down to the floor and crawled my way out...drove to the hospital and made my sister administer a tetanus shot.”

 “Can I have his number?” Johanna says laughing but her eyes are dead serious. 

Peeta is smiling at me and I grab a cheese bun because they are as delicious as the man staring at me. 

Eventually we do get to the book, and it’s a pretty good discussion. Peeta let us stay until closing. Mags and Greasy are the last of the ladies to leave. It’s just me and Peeta since he let the staff go home. I’m loitering because I feel like I need to explain to Peeta why I let the ladies talk me into dating. 

I’m putting up the chairs on the tables when Peeta comes out. 

“You’re still here?”

“Yeah.” I look down at my feet.

“Katniss.”

“Peeta.” We both say at the same time, followed by a nervous chuckle.

“You first,” Peeta insists, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Dating wasn’t my idea.”

“It wasn't?” He raised an eyebrow.

I shake my head. 

“So what happened?”

“The ladies, they got me a year long subscription for my birthday, and knowing I wouldn’t go through with it, they choose who I date...until I find someone,” I can feel the heat rising from my neck and reaching my cheeks, “I like.”

“Really?”

I nod, incapable of speaking.  I cannot stop watching the way he blinks, those darned translucent lashes that never tangle. 

“Dating is pretty brutal.”

“Yeah,” I snort because dating is horrible. 

“My family is constantly setting me up. I went out with a girl who sang through the entire meal. She chose the pasta and sang On Top of Spaghetti.”

“What?” I laugh.

“That was my dad’s doing. My mom’s choice was a lot scarier. She made me do an obstacle course and made me do it three times until I beat the time she wanted me to reach.”

“Wow.”

“I was dressed in dress slacks, a nice shirt, and a tie.” He deadpans, “I even had on dress shoes.”

“I am so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he shrugs. 

I couldn't help but smile. 

“Dating sucks until you find someone who makes you laugh, someone who makes dancing easy.”

He approaches or maybe it’s my own feet that carry me to him. But it doesn’t matter because when his arm slides along my waist, and the other cradles my hand, I have no fears. There is something familiar with him as I dance with him. A slow shuffle, that has the room spinning but none of it matters because I feel at home.

“Will you dance with me Katniss?” His voice rumbles in my ear and my heart is pounding in my chest.

His scent is a warm heady mixture of spices, dill, vanilla, and cinnamon. 

“Would you go out with me Katniss?”

“Yes,” I answer, and just like that my dating profile goes up in flames. Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially off the market.

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

Can you explain the characters of Violetta for me?

ABSOLUTELY. Though, not all of them, only the important ones

Violetta:

Character development from shy girl who likes to sing to confident extroverted girl who likes to sing

Gets hotter every season (because she dyes her hair blonde and curls it and also wears lipstick and somehow that works)

Probably had a crush on Bridgit Mendler (who was in an episode once)

Dreams about songs, then makes the songs irl

Sometimes shares dreams with her soulmate

The most perfect girl on the planet

MANAGED TO HIDE THE FACT SHE WAS ATTENDING A SCHOOL FROM HER DAD FOR A FULL SEASON

Her diary is her best friend and it has like 1000 pages I swear

SHE WAS APPARENTLY GOING TO BE NAMED TINI BUT THE NAME LAWS DIDN’T ALLOW IT-

Leon:

Violetta’s soulmate

Likes motorcross

Wants to quit school like twice every season to pursue his motorcross dream or simply to focus on his singing career

Thinks every boy is in love with Violetta (because... they are...) and therefore kinda doesn’t trust anyone

Overprotective boyfriend™️

One time called Violetta’s dad “future father-in-law” and ran away before her dad could reply

Germán:

The father of Violetta

Very fucking overprotective

Completely changes how he feels about music over the course of the show

Dates a lot of psycopaths

Has a crush on his dead wife’s sister

Loses all his money all the time because someone stole them or smth

Sees Violetta hold hands with a boy = assumes they are making out and flips the fuck out

Angie:

Violetta’s aunt

Doesn’t tell her she’s her aunt for like 70 episodes because drama

Has a crush on her dead sister’s husband

Master at keeping secrets 

Randomly moved to France for a while

Gets into drama with her coworkers a lot

Is also Violetta’s governess 

Ludmila:

The stereotypical school girl rival™️

Talks about herself in third person

Always sabotages for Violetta until she is nice for a while and then is mean again

Her mom is a psychopath

Is obsessed with astronomy

Probably had a crush on Violetta because she had some weird dream sequence where she and Vilu danced super closely and sang about what love is. Though, because of what happens in season 3 it’s best if we can say she probably is not anymore...

Francesca:

Italian girl

Dresses very fancy

Dates Violetta’s exes

Misunderstands everything because she doesn’t listen properly

Has a brother that just vanished after a season

Always meets agents who wants to make her big in Italy but she always declines

Camila:

Never quite listens except for gossip

Dyes her hair a lot so in the end you don’t know which is her real hair color

Kissed her friend once and they never discussed it again

Has flowers in her hair sometimes

Probably bisexual

Judges all of Violetta’s boyfriends except for Leon

Cannot speak english, but in some dubs she instead cannot speak french

Tomas:

Is only relevant in season 1

Kinda whiny

Nice guy™️

Is having a hard time at school 

All the girls are in love with him yet he wants the girl he can’t have

Diego:

The boy they told you not to worry about™️

Is childhood friends with Ludmila

Kinda manipulative

Honestly I will never forgive him for that thing in 2x20

Is kinder in season 3

His dad is not a psychopath but he is... not very sane

Ok there is... a LOT of other characters. But honestly these are the most important ones. I could talk about all of Germáns crazy exes, Olga and Ramallo, the other kids like Naty, Maxi and Andres... or other love interests of Violetta and Leon, named Gery and Clement, but yeah, these are the ones you could talk about if you don’t know much about the show. 

[the-cult-of-russo]

Push and Pull (part 7)

Pairing: Matt Murdock x OC

Warnings: cursing.

----------

Later that day, Daphne was trying to distract herself from her jumbled thoughts. Between Matt and whatever the Italians were planning, she just wanted to chill. She had Breaking Bad on her laptop as she leisurely lay on the couch in sweatpants and a t-shirt. It would be dinner time soon and she was considering ordering take out so she didn't have to cook. She was pretty sure she didn't have much in anyway. Halfway through an episode, there was a knock at her door. She groaned as she stood, stretching her arms over her head until her back made a satisfying pop. Glancing out the peephole, she saw Foggy standing there. She groaned again before swinging the door open. 

"Daphne!" He grinned like he was surprised to see her in her own home despite him clearly coming here to see her. Her eyes drifted to his right hand which was holding a plastic bag.

"Can I help you, Foggy?" She asked patiently. 

"I was just… you know… in the neighbourhood and figured I'd swing by… with burgers," he flashed her a toothy smile and she folded her arms over her chest.

"Did Matt send you?" She asked suspiciously. She really hoped not, she wanted him to believe she was a grade A bitch and leave her alone.

"No, I just wanted to talk. But maybe when I did mention the possibility of me dropping in, Matt maybe seemed semi interested which may have made me more determined," he said vaguely. 

Foggy was almost as tiring as Matt but in a different way. She waved her hand to signal he could come in as she padded back over to the couch. He came in seeming more relaxed than the last time he was here and plonked himself down with ease into the armchair. 

"Look, I just wanna say that I'm sorry about Matt’s attitude," he started. She held a hand up right away to stop him.

"Stop. Don't apologise on his behalf when you've not done anything wrong. That's shit and means nothing. It's not your job to be apologising for him… besides, I haven't exactly been great either," she admitted reluctantly. He gave a tentative smile and nodded as he took out a burger from the bag. She took it with a grateful smile and started munching on it since she was so hungry. 

"I get it. I mean kind of. Matt's weird with you, obviously I'm his best friend so he's much nicer to me. He can still be an asshole at times though. But seeing you guys at the office was really something. Your personalities are a lot alike, I think," he mused as he bit into his own burger. Her jaw dropped, offence coloured her features.

"I'm nothing like him!" She argued with a scoff. He chuckled and gave her a lopsided grin.

"Mhm… sure. Either way, as much of an ass he can be, he's trying okay? Maybe… maybe you could also try a little harder to be nice," he suggested gently. She wanted to throw her burger at him but he wasn't completely wrong. She hadn't been making it easy but it was simply because she didn't like how she felt when she was around him.

"Can't make any promises," she retorted vaguely as she took another bite. Foggy just nodded, seeming to realise that was the best he would get from her.

"I do wanna say thanks though. For helping him when he really needed it. It means a lot to me that he has someone other than me who he can count on," he murmured softly. She glanced at him at the sincerity in his tone as she finished off her burger. 

"Can I ask you a personal question?" She asked curiously. 

"Only if I can ask one after," he bargained with a cheeky grin. She fully expected it though and nodded. It was only Foggy after all. She doubted it would be anything too crazy.

"Great, then shoot," he said confidently. 

"Do you ever just get sick of it? Being friends with the Devil of Hell's Kitchen? I mean if he goes down, you go down too. And not to mention the constant worry of him getting hurt or winding up dead," she said carefully. She remembered the tension between the friends at the office earlier. She wondered if they'd argued about Matt getting shot. 

Foggy looked conflicted for a second as he shifted in his seat. After a moment, he levelled a steady gaze at her.

"Matts like a brother to me. Sometimes I wish it was different. I didn't even find out about his secret until not too long ago. Sometimes I wished it was easy like it was back then. But it's not. And as hard headed as he is and as much as I worry, he's a good man. He wants to help people and make a real difference. So if I have to stress out about him getting hurt then it's the least I can do. He saves lives out there, more than the cops do. He genuinely makes a difference and I believe in what he does," he didn't falter in his speech and she found a pang of envy at how much Foggy seemed to care for Matt. There was such a strong loyalty there. 

She just nodded, accepting his words. There wasn't really a follow up to it; she was just curious about it. She guessed they could argue about Matt's safety until the world stopped rotating, but in the end Matt would always be Daredevil and Foggy would always back him up.

"What about you? Do you have any family or friends?" It was a simple question that he'd chosen but it made her uneasy nonetheless. She blew out a sigh and leaned back more on the couch.

"I've got family. My parents and an older sister and brother. My parents live in Hawaii now and my brother is a fancy brain surgeon. My sister Lisa lives in the suburbs. Two kids and a husband, living the housewife life," she snorted softly.

"Are you close to them?" He prompted curiously. She shook her head softly.

"Not super close I guess. I'd always been the odd one out growing up. Liked to use my fists, got in trouble a lot. Not really what my parents wanted from me and I didn't exactly live up to the reputation of my brother and sister. I'm closest to Lisa out of all of them but… we live very different lives. I don't get to see her or the kids too much," she admitted softly. Honestly it made her sad to think about. She'd never been super close with her parents or brother but Lisa always tried. Tried to be there and to understand her no matter how vastly different they were. She hadn't seen her niece and nephew in almost 6 months which felt like a lifetime. 

"What about friends?" Foggy asked cautiously. The pair were well aware this was more than the one personal question they'd agreed on but she allowed it anyway since it was connected.

"Does Brett count?" She snorted sheepishly. Foggy barked a laugh at her answer and shook his head.

"Oh no. That's so sad," he laughed. She found herself chuckling with him despite the fact he was right. 

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit abrasive. Not the best way to make friends," she smirked. He just shook his head ruefully.

"Well we need to work on your people skills. But for what it's worth, you've got a friend in Foggy Nelson," he grinned at her. She smiled and lowered her head.

"I don't know, Foggy. You're way too cheerful to be tainted by my darkness," she teased. He tossed his burger wrapper at her but she caught it.

"Now see, that just means we balance each other out well. I mean, you have seen who I'm best friends with, right?" He smirked. He wasn't exactly wrong. 

"Can't argue with that," she snorted. 

She found she didn't mind Foggy's company as much as she thought she would. He wasn't confusing and he was easy to be around. And she didn't have the urge to be a complete bitch to him like she did with most people. 

"Alright, I need to head back to the firm. We’re working late tonight on a case," he said as he stood. She followed suit and walked him to the door. 

"Thanks for stopping by and for the food," she murmured gratefully. She meant it too. He gave her a bright grin and nodded.

"Anytime. Thanks for letting me in and saving my best friend," he chortled. Rolling her eyes good naturedly, she pointed to the hallway. He laughed as he stepped outside. 

"Hope to see you soon, Daphne," he smiled before disappearing down the hallway. 

She blew out a breath before walking back to her trusty couch and flopping onto it. Foggy seemed like a good friend and he wanted to be friends with her. She found herself naturally trusting him and it didn't even bother her. The only issue was who he was best friends with. How could she be friends with Foggy and avoid Matt? It wasn't practical. But she enjoyed having someone to talk to like Foggy and the feeling of companionship he brought her. Now her brain hurt again. She decided on cleaning up the rubbish from the food and tidying up a little to clear her mind.

-------------

Foggy felt good as he strolled into the office. He felt like his trip had gone well. He really didn't know why Matt and Daphne seemed to butt heads so much, she was always pleasant to him. Then again, he was Foggy Nelson. He had the bag with the one remaining burger and as he walked inside the office, he tossed it on the desk in front of Matt.

"It's cold," Matt muttered with a frown as he got it out. Foggy didn't even feel bad, snorting as he sat in the seat on the opposite side of the desk.

"Yeah. I went to see Daphne and we ended up talking for a bit," he said casually, keeping his eyes on his best friend. He saw Matts eyebrows raise slightly before he forced himself to look neutral. Matt cared. He cared about everyone in this city, it's why he did what he did. He even cared about the welfare of the girl who pissed him off and confused him.

"Really? And uh… was she… alright?" Foggy almost snorted at how not nonchalant his friend was being. 

"She was fine. It was nice really. We ended up talking about her family and stuff," he replied, still watching Matts reactions. Matt actually looked stunned by that revelation as he started to eat his cold burger.

"I would have thought that was too personal to ask about," he said flippantly. 

"Yeah well, it's amazing what she's willing to talk about when you're not an asshole," Foggy teased, causing Matt to roll his eyes. He knew Matt was dying to know what he found out but that he was stubborn enough not to ask. He decided to just tell him anyway. It wasn't anything overly personal so he didn't feel like he was doing anything wrong by sharing what she'd told him.

"Her parents moved to Hawaii. From what she said it sounds like they don't really talk. Her brother's a neurosurgeon and I don't think she talks to him much either. Then her older sister, Lisa I think, lives in the burbs with two kids and a husband. She said she gets on with her sister the most but how they live different lives. But I don't know, man. She seemed… lonely. It was sad. I mean, when I asked if she had friends her only response was Brett," he explained sounding mortified.

"Jesus," Matt muttered, eyebrows raised as he set the wrapper down after finishing his burger.

"Exactly. But I let her know that I'm willing to be a friend if she needs one. And maybe if you were a little nicer then you could be too. Being isolated isn't a good feeling, Matt. She needs friends. She might not go out and kick ass like you, but she's still into some heavy shit. She needs support," Foggy lectured. 

Matt huffed a little and rubbed his temples as he looked over the desk at him.

"Why are you so set on this? We butt heads and I don't think it's going to change. Even when I'm nice to her, she flips like a switch. She's confusing and infuriating and there's no point in me trying," he insisted firmly.

"Fine, I'll leave it for now. But just try to keep it in mind. She might be the PI but I like to think I'm good at reading people. I don't think she's used to people really caring about her and maybe that makes her defensive and lash out? I'm not a psychologist, I don't really know. But maybe next time she goes all bitch mode, you just try to be patient with her," Foggy suggested carefully. Matt pursed his lips and just nodded stiffly. Foggy wasn't sure he was even listening at this point but at least he tried. He honestly thought the pair of them could do good things together if they got their heads out of their asses and worked as a team. 

[jennsmischievousmind]

Fucks not Found

Ghosts

Summary: You hack, that's what you do. Dying to do so freely, wasn't what you had expected. Meeting the weirdest fucking squad; losing the best part of you; falling for a thief : was not planned.

Pairing : Four/Billy (Ben Hardy) - You

A/N: The story goes through the all movie, so I suggest you watch it before reading.

I don't own any characters other than Eight.

English is not my native language, I'm trying to get better at it, please be indulgent.

Tried my best to match Ryan Reynold's level of sass aha

Ch1 Ghosts | Ch2 Florence | Ch3 A Matter of Seconds | Ch4 I need a Backdoor | Ch5 Die Hard | Ch6 White Flag | Ch7 Haunt the Living | Ch8 One, but not done [end]

This is how you die.

"So you're the one who hacked the wrong guy" You swiftly turn around gasping at the sudden voice in your apartment

"Depends, you’re his hitman?" You were ready to run even if it means jumping by the window.

"Nooo, I'm an angel.” You snort at his sarcasm, unknown to you at this moment that he was full of it.

"Wanna disappear?" he asked taking a seat at the kitchen table eyeing your bags at the door.

"In a body bag? Slowly you make your way to the knives, just in case.

"You are a funny one, aren't you? I know the man you stole from, you won't get far until he got you. But, he emphasized, if you’re willing to do what's right.."

"I've already done my part for the flag." Assuming he was American by the way he talked.

"I'm not talking about shitty drug dealers. But evil war-lovers, genocide perpetrators, that kind of shitty so-called human. Those ones that are above the laws with governments' balls in their hands, ready to squish them.”

"That's gross" your brother appeared from the adjacent room. You let your mind consider the stranger’s offer as soon as you look at your confused brother, knowing he was in danger because of you.

“You two look at lot alike.” The guy leaned in, screwing his eyes at you both.

“We’re twin dumbass” your brother answered glancing at you wondering.

“What’s the deal?” you asked considering the offer

The guy smirked, “Well, to be short you die, and then you take down evil motherfuckers without governments’ backlash on you.” He tapped his fingers against the Formica table.

It took 5 minutes.

"One condition, my brother comes to!"

"What's he good at?" he crossed his arms.

"I can drive…Hold on what? Die? Who the fuck are you!?”

"Already too many questions” he rolled his eyes

"He's a hell of a driver, it got him under surveillance when he got chased by 6 police cars after an illegal race back in the States."

"So they caught up Muttley” the guy clucked his tongue

“Hey!”  

"No, you interfered almost ashamed, I told him to stop the car...I got motion sickness."

The guy erupted in laughter, you two watching him unamused.

_

“I’m more like Peter Perfect.”  Your brother mumbled as the guy left.

You look by the window discreetly, catching a glimpse of the guy mingling in the crowd. “You’re Muttley bro.”

A week later you got a text. The guy who called himself One had planned your fake death. A random trek in Italy’s mountains, an assumed fatal fall, no bodies recovered.

It was never supposed to be your life. But we all know nothing happens as it should.

Papà went to fight a war and disappeared, you were forced to move in America when you were 6.

Mammà never cope the loss of her motherland and husband. She died of a belated broken heart syndrome when you were 16. 

Both you and your brother were placed in a host family. It wasn’t a crappy family like it’s always the case in some tv show, they were nice and wealthy. The father was a tech engineer, somehow you took interest in his work and start learning to code, soon reading about hackers: white hats; black hats; “We are Legion”, you were hooked and skilled in a matter of time.

When you turned major though, things turned difficult, the host family had to let you go and Internal Affairs of your state caught you looking in their network. Which led to you working as a C.I for them, it was that or prison. Not thrilled by the idea but obliged to cooperate was your new motto.

Your brother had some job here and there but nothing steady, so money from the IA was welcome.

After a year and a half, I.A ditched you, it was rather good news in a way, they’ve erased your past mistakes but said they’d keep a distant eye on you.

So you moved on from your shithole that was the 1 bedroom apartment you and your brother shared and went to your parents’ hometown in Italy. Your brother was reluctant at first as he couldn’t even say hello in Italian, you taught him as your mamma had done it with you but he wasn’t that interested.

Working with people was not your forte, you were too bossy, so you got fired ... plenty of times: from a coffee shop, a rental bike shop and a tourist city tour bus thingy. So you started doing what you were good at, hacking for money, it went well for a few years, never being too greedy - until you hacked the wrong person and got in trouble.

That's how you became a Ghost and ended up in the middle of the California Desert.

_

One had built a squad. No names, only numbers to identify each other. Not calling your brother by his name was a challenge, same for him.

There were 7 of you.

One, the “boss”, a mysterious sassy billionaire who decided to fund his own strike team.

Two, a French blonde woman, pretty cold, a spy apparently

Three, a crazy hitman who couldn’t shut up

Four, a young parkour master and reformed thief

Five, a Doctor, but you heard she was actually working at a Dentist

Six, your brother, the annoying driver.

And then Eight, you, the Black Hat somehow becoming a hacktivist.

Why not Seven? Long story short, it was one more condition you’d submitted to One.

_

_SICILY

"Your focus determines your reality.”

“Oh for fuck's sake One, quit your Jedi bullshit!” you loosed your temper typing on your keyboard angrily. An entire week, an ENTIRE WEEK quoting Star Wars!

Four and Five laughed in the comm. One braced himself on the other end of the line. Three cut the heavy silence.

“Eight, Chiquita please stop yelling”

“I’m not a Chiquita stop saying that!”

“Ok ok chi…Eight, damn you’re stressful” 

“God, why do I have to team you up!!” One facepalm

“Now what?” Five asked

Radio silence

“Oh so now no one’s talking! What are you, 4?” One angrily called out to you 2.

“Yeah, uh high, literally.” Four answered One, you snorted.

“No ..  damn not you!”

“You called me Mate!” Four said offended

“No, shush – Eight are you done with the system?” he was about to lose it.

“I’ve been done with it the second Three called me Chiquita!” you crossed your arms in front of your laptop.

“Hey ..” “We’re not talking about that again!” One cut Three

“Can we get going now?” Two interfered, you heard her bike roaring.

“Finally, some sensed words.” One said wrapping it up.

Four entered the place you’d hacked the system of. Six and Two were not far in case of trouble.

“Four, the hard drive is in the main office. Second floor.” One enunciated, you followed Fours progression with the security cameras.

It was enlivening, stressful, but oh so exciting. When you worked with I.A you were never there when they’d go down in action, it was nothing but boring data researched and dealer’s MacBook.

“Freeze Four, guards coming east.” Switching cams you gave him a safe path.

“Ok, you’re clear. Now to your left, third door then turn right.”

Four got his hands on the hard drive containing all you needed to know about the next target.

“Well done.” One congratulated the team

“Thanks, thanks, It helps to have a sexy voice guiding you” Four chuckled, you blushed, sexy voice? is that even possible?

“Great, kid. Don’t get cocky.”

You rolled your eyes at the endless use of Star Wars' quotes.

“Hum that’s my sister, remember?” Six growled tightening the wheel

“Luke grab Solo, meet up in 15minutes at the hotel. Everyone move!” One instructed you smiled at the thought of being Leïa. Gosh, you were as much of a nerd as One.

Climbing down the jeep Three had rented, you laughed seeing your brother holding Four in an arm lock for a few seconds anyway, Four reversed the lock, pining your brother’s arms behind himself.

You passed by them “Easy with my twin please.” Four wasn’t releasing his hold so you stopped, turning back you lift an eyebrow at Four insisting he let him go.

“Oh!” he lifted his hands in defence taking a step back.

Grabbing your brother by the sleeves as he was about to jump on Four “Come on piccino” you made your way in the hotel laughing.

_ 

Your first big mission started a few weeks after, everyone gathered in The Haunted House as One called it, an old bunker, cheesy name for an HQ.

“You don’t get it, I need a CAR!”

“That’s a car, Six.” Three argued back.

“No that’s a heap, that thing won’t get us through the paved road of Italy, believe me.”

Four and Five were amused by the situation, Three had rent a truck and an old Volvo for this mission.

“Alright, shut up, we’ll get another car!” One declared, Six flicked to Three.

One resumed the mission’s details. Giving everyone their own missions. A simple mission, retrieve a lawyer’s smartphone.

In the midst of it, your hand flew to your brother’s head next to you. The smacked resonating between the walls of the unfinished bunker.

“Why ..why’d you hit him?” One asked confused, your brother was rubbing the back of his head frowning at you.

“Cain’s instinct.” You replied wriggling your fingers for him to continue. Four snorted, Six nudged him in the ribs.

In a few months, you had learned a lot from this weird squad. Learning to shoot was an obligation, Three was insane but a good teacher.

You’d asked Four to teach you some parkour in case of a chase. Six and Four became close friends in a matter of time. Five was nice, but you were never one to be good at making friends. Two was not a big talker and frankly, she scared you a little.

So you spend your free time hacking and reading, on the hammock installed between a dismantle plane and a dead tree. Not far from there you could hear Four skating in the empty pool and three at the makeshift shooting range.

Suddenly,

“EIGHT!”

Groaning you closed your book “WHAT!?

Your voice boomed against the caravan and lost itself in the desert, but you still hoped Four had heard. It was his thing, screaming your name instead of coming to you directly. At his silence, you wriggle out the hammock and strode to the pool.

“What’d you want skater boy?”

He was lying in the pool his board by his side. “Four?” you made your way to the ladder, “hey” you gently nudge him with your foot but he didn’t move.

“Four? you called out worried, “shit” knees hitting the vinyl liner checking if he was breathing, he wasn’t.

“Hey wake up, seriously dude don’t make me do CPR on you, I suck at it!” suddenly laughter erupted in your ears. Six appearing on the edge, Four chucked on the floor.

“Pranking you..he tried to breathe in, is always the best sis!” Six laughed even harder at your confused face. Still kneeling at Four’s side, he was looking at you laughing, until he wasn’t, catching a glimpse of worry melting with anger in your eyes.

Punching his left shoulder, you hurried out the pool. He stayed on the floor watching you go.

“Don’t make me do CPR I suck at it!” your brother was still laughing his brain's out.

_

“What was that?”

Four leaned on the dead tree near your head, his shadow offering some shade.

“A real bad joke?”

“No I mean, why’d you hit me?”

Sighing you clasped your book closed for the second time today “you really got me worried, happy?”

“No, you propped up on your elbow at his answer craning your head to him, I didn’t mean to scare you.” His warm hand slide in your hair at the base of your neck, he leaned in, letting you enough time to push him away if you wanted.

"Sorry" he whispered, his lips pressing in your temple gently, warmly for a few seconds. Catching yourself leaning in you almost fell off the swinging' hammock as he released his hold, he grinned and left not saying anything more.

"What the hell Four!!" you yelled at him, an ounce of laughter in your voice, a blush creeping into your cheeks, his own laughter filling the desert's silence.

FLORENCE

A/N: don't forget to double tap if you liked it. 🙏

[vtmb2s]

Past 1, 3, 6, 8 for Jason my beloved and Present 5-8 for Jenny annnd Future 2, 5, 7 for Helena! 😏

─ JASON

1. Briefly describe the way their parents grew up, and how it affected the way they raised them.

Both his parents were two regular middle class new yorkers, Frank (his dad) grew up in New York's suburbs and had a very conventional upbringing, he was the middle child of three siblings and thus kind of ignored so he usually just minded his own business... that very much carried over into adulthood, he was very reclusive and didn't really bother spending much time with his family -_-

Jason's mom, Gina, was a 2nd generation italian-american who grew up in a huge family with a billion siblings and cousins who are all very different from her husband. She liked it in the beginning but she became more and more unhappy and kind of underwhelmed. She really projected all her dreams of ever becoming someone on her kids that failed with her because she was stuck in a boring marriage with the most unambitious and boring man ever 😑

3. Describe their family. Who raised them, and who had the most impact on them? Did they have any siblings? Who were they closest to? What were the family dynamics like?

This ties in with the previous question but Frank was a bit of a loser, not particularly attractive and more timid & shy.. he was a very unambitious guy who worked a boring office job all his life without any intention of climbing the ladder. He really spent most of his time off work with his boring little loser hobbies :/

Gina was a much more spirited and lively person than her husband, Jason takes a lot more after her than his dad. She wasn't a great mother by all means due to the fact that she was unhappy in her marriage and with her life and kind of took that out on her kids, in a way where she placed certain expectations on them which Jason never really met. They weren't particularly close due to Jason's more.. rebellious nature he had as a kid, which in turn made him cause more trouble because that was the only way his parents gave him any attention at all :/ He also has an older brother, Richard, who their mother very obviously favored. Frank didn't really give a fuck about either of his sons -_-

He had a very close relationship with his mother's family though, particularly with one of her brothers. Carlo (said uncle) was a lot like him and never had any kids on his own so he became somewhat of a father figure to Jason :-)

6. Did the location they grew up in affect them significantly? Do they still go there?

He grew up in some little house in New York's suburb, not the prettiest house there because they didn't make enough for one of the nicer looking ones. He's not that fond of the boring suburbs (even in Boston), he spent more time in the city with his relatives and preferred that over his actual home. Other than that it didn't affect him much 🤷‍♀️

8. What was their childhood/teenage bedroom like?

A small little room with an ugly sports wallpaper that his parents never bothered to replace as he got older. It always looked a little messy and had a few mismatching mid-century decorations and furniture in there. As he grew older he started to cover the walls with random posters he had, to hide the ugly baseball wallpaper.

─ JENNY

5. What kind of people do they usually interact with? Who are their friends, the people they look up to/trust, and who are their “associates”?

She interacts with all sorts of people in New Bordeaux' criminal underworld - if you do anything illegal chances are you'll know Jenny. As for her actual friends, she's friends with the 3 other criminal 20 year olds in town, Danny, Lincoln, Ellis, unfortunately Giorgi (frenemies would be more fitting) and Lena. Her closest and best friends would definitely be Gavin (of @dannyburke fame)and Juliet (of @jennystahl fame) though, they're also pretty much the only ones who would fall into the "people she trusts" category... they're the only ones she'll have long weed induced therapy sessions at 1 am while the monkees are on tv.

6. What is their current relationship with their family?

Complicated... the love is there and all that, it's more of a business relationship though rather than a parent-child thing, especially with her dad. It's nothing that she ever questions (until aforementioned therapy sessions with her friends), she grew up in an environment where affection isn't really something she sees often and almost all her friends have messed up relationships with their parents too so while there is some resentment she never really questions that the way they raised her might not be ideal :c

The relationship with her siblings is complicated as well, especially because they're both a LOT younger than her. She was an only-child until the age of 13 and moved out of her childhood home when they were eight and six years old so there's this weird disconnect but there's a relationship nonetheless, which is weird. Eldest daughter AND only child disease 😓Not to mention that her parents are looking to make her little brother head of the family because he's a boy or whatever.. drama!

7. Do they have a partner? How did they meet, and what’s their relationship like now?

Yes.. she and Ellis met on some random job in the Hollow in 1963 that her dad was taking her along with (he and Sammy did random deals together and were also good friends 😌) and Jenny was like wow how boring. What if I just talk to this this guy's sons instead.... she thought he was some annoying teenage guy and only really talked to him whenever necessary (when her dad's business trips to Sammy's got REALLY boring). She forced herself to hang out with him more after Lincoln went to Vietnam and realized he's not so bad so they became friends :)

In actual game canon nothing really happens because he dies, Jenny just becomes sad that her friends were killed (him, Danny, Sammy and maybe Michael too because of Juliet connection.. she doesn't give a fuck abt Giorgi anymore that little rat can die) and wonders if she liked that goofy little guy with the ugly shirts, but in any case it's too late now.

We're doing au's here though (also this is as of '68) so in the good timeline they get together in 1968.. sort of. It's not a friends with benefits thing, more that sort of relationship that you know will end sooner or later for various reasons, so you're kind of living in the moment and have fun while it lasts. It IS genuine and not just about hooking up from time to time of course, it's just not the kind of thing that was built to last because it's based off of a dumb 20 year olds friendship and one of them (Jenny) doesn't really plan on sticking around in New Bordeaux. But well, who knows what will happen 😏

8. What hobby or pastime of theirs do they consider most important to them and why?

Well, she's big on making music, she plays the guitar and sings (she has a pretty nice voice c: ), she grew up in a pretty fucked up environment so that was her sort of escape in her youth, to be a normal kid who's playing the guitar very very badly. She doesn't play it badly as a 23 year old anymore of course and it's a little thing she shares with her best friends so that means a lot to her 😳

─ HELENA

2. Are they content with their future situation? Is there anything they would change?

Well, she's certainly not happy with the whole vampire situation - her dreams of becoming famous for acting were pretty much ruined, now she's legally dead and nothing more than a photo on true crime blogs and conspiracy theory websites... Famous but for the wrong reasons, in a way she's more bitter about "dying" before she had the chance to become famous than about the whole vampirism thing herself. There would have been something incredibly poetic about a beautiful young actress dying at the height of her career, now she's just some random nobody :/

It could be worse though. She's known among L.A. vampires for her lack of loyalty to any of the factions (despite her working for the Camarilla earlier) and her just helping whoever she feels like which is fine to her, most of them will just leave her alone. In any case, she's not in Los Angeles anymore after the events of Bloodlines!!

5. Did they get married or have a family? Why? If otherwise, why not?

See she would like to get married eventually, making a promise to love someone and be with them for eternity (literally... because... vampires) is incredibly romantic and she would love that (THIS is her wedding... not really because she's not that cringe but also.. yeah), so who knows what might happen.

Family though, no!! Starting one isn't possible, at least not with biological children since she's a vampire. It doesn't bother her that much, she always did envision herself with one child in the future but she's not desperate to be a mother anyway so she doesn't beat herself up about it. She does wonder what it might be like to have children and laments it from time to time (she's a little overdramatic) but overall she doesn't mind that much.

7. Are their friends still a part of their life? Are there people they are no longer in touch with, or newly important people?

Yes, sort of! As I mentioned before she's not in L.A. anymore post-bloodlines and she never had many friends there to begin with so she keeps in touch with the few she has there. She miiight make a few new (or old) connections once shes out of Los Angeles too, who knows!

[cap-ironman]

Captain America/Iron Man Remix 2020 Masterpost and Creator Reveal

Here it is: the final masterlist and the creator reveals for Captain America/Iron Man Remix 2020! Below you'll find all 56 remixes created, with 13 written for Remix Exchange, 25 for Remix Relay, and 18 created for Remix Madness. If you haven't checked out the works during the reveal period, please take a look at all of the wonderful remixes and leave some love for all the creators!

TREE CHAIN

1. what it takes to talk (a courthouse steps remix) by navaan (616, T, 3494 words)

Canon divergence sort of fix it for CW/Death of Captain America with hints of all the bad that went on around the two of them at the time.

2. For Now (A Remix Before the War) by sophinisba (MCU, G, 3299 words)

Tony isn't sure it's a good idea for the idea for the Avengers to return to Sokovia, but he's off the team now. It's not his decision to make.

3. upsetti spaghetti by starksnack (MCU, E, 3000 words)

“Is that a Foccacia loaf in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” Basically Steve tries to cook an Italian birthday dinner for Tony.

4. for the love of (spaghetti remix) by Lets_call_me_Lily (3490, T, 1281 words)

Natasha Stark: Iron Woman, genius, inventor, philanthropist, billionaire, married. And, though not commonly known, an accomplished cook.

5. Dinner Plans (Food is Love Remix) by Neverever (Avengers Assemble, T, 1335 words)

Steve has had a long hard day. It doesn't get better.

6. He Lit a Fire (and Now He's in My Every Thought) by EachPeachPearPlum (MCU, T, 1578 words)

It probably says a lot about his friendship with Natasha that the first words out of her mouth are, “What did you do this time?” "Nothing!” Clint argues. Tasha arches an eyebrow at him, sceptical in the extreme, which Clint is so not having. “Swear to god, I was playing that Lego game they made about us, no way I could have caused a fire.” “Uhuh,” Tasha ‘agrees’, then goes for their usual means of resolving arguments that take place in the tower. “JARVIS?” “On this occasion, Agent Barton is quite correct, Agent Romanov,” their resident ceiling-deity answers. “The fire began in Sir and Captain Rogers’ kitchen.”

7. A sweet Moment (Remix) by Caw_caw_MotherF (MCU, G, art)

8. Stolen Moments by navaan (Noir, G, 860 words)

Tony seems a little off when the group is on the way back to camp. Like his mind is somewhere else — or on someone else.

FRUIT CHAIN

1. Ocean Cold by MiniRaven (616, G, 2384 words)

Tony Stark; billionaire, hero, merman, goes on a swim after a long day at sea. He finds something in the ice and, upon closer inspection, discovers not all is as it appears.

2. Fractured Moonlight on the Sea by EachPeachPearPlum (MCU, G, 1623 words)

As the mysterious object grows nearer, it becomes clearer but no more explicable. There’s flashes of red and gold, both washed out by the blueness of the light, moving with the light but not always in the same position in relation to it, and- It’s a man. The thing travelling in Steve’s direction from below the water is a man. Those are hands, cutting through the water, and a face, a bare torso, the light not attached to the man’s clothing (as Steve first assumed) but actually in his chest. It’s sort of a man, anyway, if Steve doesn’t look any lower than waist height. Below that, the flashes of red and gold are slowly resolving themselves into scales. Scales. The thing heading towards him is a mermaid. Man. Person?

3. The Rescue of Captain America (The Bedtime Story Remix) by navaan (616, G, 2972 words)

There's a lot of material you can adapt into bedtime stories when your lives are larger than life.. ...or Tony tells the story of Captain America's rescue with more mermen.

4. rewrite the past by avengersincamphalfbloodstardis (Marvel, G, 1021 words)

Steve can still feel the ice sometimes; his daughter chases it away.

5. Drawings from School (Hearts and Ice Remix) by Neverever (616, T, 1222 words)

Tony and Steve's daughter Sarah comes home with her drawings, which hits Steve a little hard.

6. Simple by hollyandvice (hiasobi_writes) (MCU, T, 3504 words)

From the moment Tony offers him the ring, Steve promises himself he'll never wish for more than this. Steve wants kids, but doesn't want to pressure his husband into something he doesn't want.

7.  Not a hard-knock life (the adoption remix) by Lets_call_me_Lily(MCU, Art)

8. Drawn to be Something More by MiniRaven (MCU, G, 1272 words)

Morgan Stark shows off a picture to Steve Rogers, daddy's special friend. Tooth rotting adorableness ensues.

ART/FIC CHAIN

1. mine by starksnack (MCU, M, art)

2. Worth by hollyandvice (hiasobi_writes) (MCU, E, 4838 words)

Steve returns from the benefit to a Tony just as naked as he'd left him hours ago, still sprawled out on their bed in that effortlessly beautiful way he has. The only difference is that now it's the pale blue light of the arc reactor that illuminates his form, not the afternoon light that had kissed his skin earlier that day. Feelsy smut. That's it. That's the fic.

3. Let Me Help You with That (the knock 'em dead remix) by Lets_call_me_Lily (616, T, art)

4. Feeling blue (Remix) by masterlokisev159 (616, Not Rated, 6072 words)

When the Superhero Registration Act came into play, no one knew what the consequences would be, least of all Tony. And from what he's heard, he didn't deal with it well. Or at all. Following the events of the Civil War, the Skrulls and Tony's recovery after Osborn, Steve and Tony no longer speak to each other, having fallen out after Tony woke up from his self-induced coma. Now, at this party, all Tony can think about is Steve.

Silently he wonders if Steve even notices him anymore.

5. safe in your arms [REMIX] by wingheads (616, T, Art)

6. Reunion Gone Bad (Don't Drink That Remix) by Neverever (Avengers Assemble, T, 1894 words)

Tony is surprised to see Steve at the fundraiser, and he sure is surprised with how the rest of the evening goes too.

7. Unexpected (Remix) by jayjayverse (Marvel, G, art)

8. Thank Goodness for Shields & Husbands by avengersincamphalfbloodstardis (616, G, 1178 words)

After a rude politician hurts Steph's feelings, her husband comforts her when she needs him.

9. rub a dub dub by starksnack (MCU, M, art)

REMIX EXCHANGE

★ A Moment of Peace (Steve is a Mystery Remix) by Neverever (AA, T, 1713 words)

Steve is in denial about having a migraine and the frenetic energy of the Tower isn't helping.

Remix of The Mysterious Case of the Migraine Helper by Sadisticsparkle

★ A Place for the Desperate (A Timely Remix) by navaan (1872, M, 1701 words)

Steve thinks Tony has escaped from his cell and won't be back, so he gives in to a little fantasy...

Remix of A Farm for the Horny and the Desperate by HogwartsToAlexandria

★ accidents never happen when a room is empty (remix) by (616, E, 4999 words)

Remix of navaan’s Love Me (Not) - Steve and Tony fall into a friends with benefits relationship and Tony is completely okay with that. Right? This is my take, with Steve's POV.

Remix of Love Me (Not) by navaan

★ Breaking Through (The Caving In Remix) by DepressingGreenie (616, T, 2108 words)

All he needed to do was move all the rocks out of their way and they will be fine. They can get out of here and go home. Everything will be okay. Right?

Remix of Caving In by Cathalinaheart

★ Equivalent Exchange (The Bottled Genius Remix) by Cathalinaheart (616, T, 2267 words)

A new master changes everything for Tony.

Remix of Genius in a Bottle by Neverever

★ Even After All Those Years? (The We Keep Meeting Like This Remix) by Sadisticsparkle (Noir, Not Rated, 2500 words)

Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, from their first goodbye to their last nice to see you again.

Remix of Even After All Those Years? by DepressingGreenie

★ Fantasies by SweetFanfics (616, M, 1355 words)

When Steve asks Tony if he’s got any sexual fantasies he wants to explore with Steve, he’s mostly curious but he’s also got some expectations lined up behind the question. Tony’s the more experienced guy between them. As such, Steve expects Tony to share something kinky like, whips, chains, heat play, stuff like that. Intense things, you know? But what he doesn’t expect, is Tony to blush and look away mumbling, “Your suit.”

Remix of What Suits Your Fancy by wynnesome

★ Kinky suits (Remix) by masterlokisev159 (MCU, Not Rated, 7300 words)

Steve is so confused. He's never felt this way before. There's just something about the way Tony looks in the gloves... Something's wrong. Tony shouldn't look that good, not even in Steve's gear. There's only one solution. He has to find out more. A.k.a. Steve has a kink and Tony is on the receiving end of it. Sexy times ensue.

Remix of When We by firebrands

★ Mundane Bliss, Remix by HogwartsToAlexandria (MCU, G, 1043 words)

"What is perfect happiness? Steve Rogers could tell you."

Remix of mundane bliss by only_more_love

★ sorry about the blood in your mouth; i wish it was mine by only_more_love (MCU, E, 3500 words)

Afghanistan, never more than a handful of memories away, rears up, ugly and dissonant. His heart begins to race in anticipation of drowning. Muscle memory: it’s there, so easily accessed. Tony is kidnapped. It costs him and Steve. Dearly. Set in the nebulous period after Captain America: Civil War and before Avengers: Infinity War

Remix of Kidnapped by masterlokisev159

★ Soul Searching (The Hop, Skip, Jump Remix) by navaan (616, m, 5445 words)

Tony lives a peaceful live in Irondale and then Steve Rogers drifts into town. It's the beginning of a romance — and not all is what it seems.

Remix of a hop, skip, and a jump by SweetFanfics

★ Splintered by jellybeanforest (MCU, M, 9029 words)

Following the events of Endgame, Tony’s soul is in torment. Fractured across time and space as a result of the snap, he is doomed to relive his failures, his shortcomings and traumas, in a terrifying limbo, flitting unpredictably between different planes of existence. Natasha does her best to hold the pieces together as he crumbles, but only one thing can mend his tattered self and make Tony whole again: an undamaged template – the other half of his soul. Meanwhile, in the land of the living, Steve struggles with Tony’s death, plagued by missed opportunities, lingering what-if’s, and guilt. The Avengers send him on a final mission where he has one last chance to make it right.

Remix of This Terribly Tempered Soul by Padraigen

★ We'll Make Our Own Tradition (The Cap and Gown Remix) by wynnesome (616, E, 11,000 words)

It’s Steve’s and Tony’s anniversary. They have a date for dinner, but the workday comes first. Steve’s includes a very important business lunch. But the person who makes a beeline for him as he waits at the bar is not who he thought he'd be meeting...

Remix of A Traditional Type of Guy by jellybeanforest

REMIX MADNESS

★ And All of Our Yesterdays Will Be Forgotten (a None of Our Tomorrows Can be Saved remix) by athletiger (616, M, 1335 words)

He’ll never know if Tony heard him confess his love. He’ll never know if Tony loved him back because he destroyed that. He destroyed everything.

Remix of None of Our Tomorrows Can be Saved by Ironlawyer

★ baby, please come home by only_more_love (MCU, T, 1484 words)

Months after Siberia, Tony reaches out to Steve in an unexpected way.

Remix of Sunshine by XtaticPearl

★ Bar is Open (The Last Barman Poet Remix) by DepressingGreenie (MCU, G, 641 words)

Steve finds himself attending the same wedding as his one night stand from the night before. He takes a chance, hopping to get to know Tony better.

Remix of The Last Barman Poet by nativemossy

★ Drawn to You by jellybeanforest (MCU, M, 15,989 words)

In a world where what one writes on one’s own skin appears on their soulmate’s body in exactly the same place until it’s washed off or fades, no one has ever responded to Steve’s questions written in pen. Who are you? Where are you? And once, out of sheer desperation: Wer bist du? He has tried writing up and down both arms then across his stomach in pictograms when he reckons that perhaps his soulmate is a double amputee and illiterate, but nothing. No response. He is uncertain why he is so surprised. Everything else about Steve is broken, so why not his soul? But when he points the Valkyrie downwards to crash into the deep, knowing he is about to die, he spares a few precious seconds to scribble one last message to his possibly-nonexistent, potentially-blind soulmate. Twenty-five years later, Tony Stark is born with a single phrase on his left forearm written in messy old-fashioned script. And as he grows up, the words never change: “I love you” It is both a blessing and a curse.

Remix of the words written on our skin by Cathalinaheart

★ For You I Will (A Thousand Times Remix) by ishipallthings (MCU, T, 3573 words)

During Hope and Scott’s wedding reception, Tony asks Steve for a dance. Steve turns him down, but not for the reason Tony thinks.

Remix of A Thousand Times, Once by sheron

★ Hold Hard, Then, Heart (the poetic declaration remix) by Lets_call_me_Lily (Noir, T, 2044 words)

Steve has learned to keep his feelings in check over the course of his friendship with Tony, and he thinks he's doing fine. Until he and Tony open up a curios shop together, and suddenly things become a little too much. This is much harder than that time they'd had to share a sleeping bag while adventuring out in the desert.

Remix of gripping the ledge of unreason by firebrands

★ Holding You Like Every Moment Shared (The Every Whisper That I Keep Remix) by DepressingGreenie (MCU, G, 700 words)

There couldn’t be a better time, he thinks, to give Steve the gift he brought him a few weeks ago

Remix of every whisper that i keep by Padraigen

★ i choose: me, you, us by only_more_love (MCU, T, 2753 words)

In which Tony and Steve marry, but Tony hasn't let Steve see the arc reactor—and the scars around it. Yet.

Remix of Ugly by Lacrimula_Falsa

★ Intrusive Thoughtsby jellybeanforest (MCU, M, 2471 words)

When Steve is hit with a spell that gives him temporary telepathy, Tony figures he can hide his mortifying crush on the good Captain by thinking dirty thoughts featuring each of the Avengers in turn. After all, if he’s objectifying everyone, Steve will never figure out Tony is in love with him. That’s the theory anyway.

Remix of Before you jump, Tell me what you find (When you read my mind) by Fluffypanda

★ James, Divided by jellybeanforest (MCU, G, 1390 words)

Steve and Tony are dating. Their best friends, Bucky and Rhodey, agree it’s a terrible idea, absolutely disastrous, and can only end in heartbreak. That’s about the only thing they agree on.

Remix of I'll be watching by DepressingGreenie

★ journey to the past (the things my heart used to know remix) by hollyandvice (hiasobi_writes) (MCU, T, 2316 words)

"You seek to forget the past," she whispers. "You will learn how important the past can be." In which Tony loses his memories and only a remnant of his past can restore them.

Remix of things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember by Fluffypanda

★ Public (In)Decencyby jellybeanforest (MCU, T, 1391 words)

Steve is a big, big boy, and Tony is dickmatized.

Remix of Pool Day by Neverever

★ Seven Minutes by jellybeanforest (MCU, T, 1795 words)

When Bonnie refuses her turn in the closet with a shrimpy Steve Rogers during a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven, popular lothario-in-training/class whore Tony Stark gladly takes her turn.

Remix of Seven Minutes in Heaven by Politzania

★ Shining through the leaves of the old oak tree (the blank spaces remix) by Fluffypanda (616, Not Rated, 717 words)

Tony falls asleep during movie night

Remix of Blank Spaces by only_more_love

★ Stretch Out Your Hand and Strike All He Has by jellybeanforest (MCU, M, 6902 words)

In the aftermath of Civil War, the Avengers who sided with Tony Stark leave him one by one, until it’s just him and Rhodey ('and Honeybear is paralyzed, so it’s not like he can run,' Tony thinks, a touch hysterically). Peter is fourteen; he doesn’t count. So, when Tony calls Steve Rogers to warn him about an impending attack and realizes that Steve still holds a torch for him, can anyone really blame Tony for exacting a little payback?

Remix of The Ruins of Babel by WhenasInSilks

★ Survivor by jellybeanforest (MCU, G, 3606 words)

In 1918, Steve’s father, Joseph Rogers, dies of the Spanish flu while serving in WWI. In 1936, Steve’s mother, Sarah Rogers, dies of tuberculosis while confined to a sanatorium after contracting the disease from her job as a nurse in a TB ward. In 2014, Steve’s boyfriend, Tony Stark, contracts the flu and quarantines himself in their room, refusing to be seen until he’s presentable and not a contagious, feverish snot-monster. Steve is worried but understanding as he tries to allay his own fears about Tony’s condition. It’s the future, after all. Modern medicine has made many advances in disease management. But then on a video call with Cap, stuffed up and miserable, Tony rather dramatically declares he’s on death’s doorstep. Needless to say, Steve Rogers, the unflappable Captain America, loses his shit.

Remix of (rest assured, baby) you're adored by sheron

★ Take a Breather by jellybeanforest (616, T, 363 words)

Steve needs a break from Tony. Tony joins him.

Remix of Tokens of Appreciation by Ironlawyer

★ Trust me (“Pickle” remix) by masterlokisev159 (Ults, M, 6167 words)

Tony happens to like Steve. He likes him a lot. And sure, Steve doesn't feel the same right now, but maybe with a bit of luck and some successful sessions in the bedrooms, Tony can turn this thing around. Maybe Steve can give him a chance. Remix of "Pickle" where instead of Steve wanting bondage, he doesn't. But he wants Tony to understand and bondage is involved.

Remix of Pickle by jellybeanforest

Don't forget to leave kudos and comments on the works you've enjoyed! You can either browse through the individual links above, or go through the Remix collections on AO3: ★ 2020 Captain America/Iron Man Remix Exchange ★ 2020 Captain America/Iron Man Relay Remix ★ 2020 Captain America/Iron Man Remix Madness And with that, we've wrapped up Captain America/Iron Man Remix 2020! Thank you to all of our participants, and we hope everyone had fun! Participants, feel free to share and crosspost your work! If you're posting your work onto Tumblr, please use the #capimremix tag among the first five tags of your post so we can spot it and reblog it to the community Tumblr.

[365days365movies]

February 11, 2021: The Bridges of Madison County (1995)(Part 1)

Y’know, if you were going to tell me that one of the most famous American romances of all time was directed by this guy...

I would be very surprised. And surprised I am, because The Bridges of Madison County is indeed directed by Clint Eastwood, who also acts as one of its leads alongside one of the most famous actresses of the time. That, of course, would be Meryl Streep, who’s going to get yet another Best Actress nomination for this role. Believe it or not, this is going to be her 8th for BA, and 10th nomination overall, with only 2 wins included (one for Actress and one for Supporting Actress).

Finally, this is another period piece, also taking place in the 1960s. I guess historical romances were real popular in the 90s to 2000s. Go figure! This will probably be the last, as I have a hankering to move onto another subgenre. So, shall we? SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap

At a home in what I can only assume is Madison County, Iowa, siblings Carolyn (Annie Corley) and Michael Johnson (Victor Slezak) arrive at their now deceased mother’s home for the execution of her will. They learn that she has wished to be cremated, and for her ashes to be scattered over a local bridge, which they are...NOT happy about, goddamn! Respect your mother’s wishes, guys, dear Lord!

They uncover an envelope containing photos from 1965 that they’ve never seen, all of which show her posing near various The Bridges of Madison County. Upon looking at them, Carolyn has a realization, and asks Michael to come along. They ask the lawyer and Michael’s wife to leave them, and they go through it in private.

The letters

See, they’ve found letters to their mother from Robert Kincaid, a photographer for the magazine National Geographic, seemingly confessing to an illicit secret love affair. However, he’s also dead, and has asked for his ashes to be scattered off of the same bridge. Michael (whom I REALLY don’t like, by the way, he’s an ABSOLUTE dick) believes that he influenced her to do the same, but Carolyn’s not sure. Also amongst the letters is a key.

The key opens a chest, within which is a camera and a collection of other items, as well as a letter addressed to them both. Written in 1987, it’s addressed to Carolyn because she knew that Michael would be a little pissbaby about it (look, I REALLY don’t like him, he’s being an ass). In the letter to them, she confesses to them the affair, which took place when Robert Kincaid went there to photograph The Bridges of Madison County. The entire affair is documented in three notebooks, which they begin reading.

1965! Italian immigrant Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep) is cooking dinner for her husband Richard (Jim Haynie) and her two teenaged kids, all of whom are on the way to the Illinois State Fair to exhibit Carolyn’s prize steer. The marriage is passionless, and the kids aren’t exactly opened up to her mother. 

It doesn’t seem like a bad life, but it is kind of a dull one. Or, y’know, complacent and stable because not every relationship has to be a sequence of whirlwind passion and glory, and one shouldn’t abandon a good loving situation for a WEEKEND-LONG FLING GODDAMN IT I AM SICK AND TIRED OF INFIDELITY IN THESE GODDAMN MOVIES HOLY SHIT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE LAST FOUR FILMS HAS FEATURED IT AND I AM SICK OF IT

For the record, I’ve never been cheated on, nor have I cheated on anyone, but this trend in romance movies...troubles me. Seriously, I get that the last few, especially In the Mood for Love, have looked at infidelity as a serious issue, but...just one. Just one great romance movie that doesn’t require infidelity for its main couple to get together. Please? I mean, if you include the never seen Rosaline or betrothed Paris in Romeo + Juliet, that movie also had infidelity in it, meaning the only ones WITHOUT ANY FORM of infidelity in 11 DAYS have been Dirty Dancing and Pretty Woman. Guys. C’mon.

Yeah, yeah, OK, moving on. Sorry, that rant’s been building for a bit.

Anyway, the kids and Richard take off, leaving Francesca by herself at the house. As she’s doing chores, who should pull up but photographer Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood), who’s looking for Roseman Covered Bridge to photograph it. But, he’s lost, and he asks Francesca for directions.

However, the directions there are pretty complicated, and even Francesca seems to get them mixed up. She agrees to show him there in person, and the two take off in his car.

In the car together

The two get to know each other a bit over the course of the drive. Robert notes that he’s been to her hometown in Italy, having been there once because he considered it pretty. She’s fascinated by the decision, but I’m not sure if its because she thinks he’s crazy, or because she thinks he’s intriguing

They make it to Roseman Bridge, where Robert takes some preparatory photographs and Francesca walks along the bridge itself. I will say, I live in a place with some covered bridges, and is it weird that I feel like visiting a nearby one tomorrow? Honestly, I think that’s exactly what I’ll do. Maybe do some birdwatching nearby, contribute to the Great Backyard Bird Count, something, y’know?

Out of appreciation for her help, he picks her some flowers, which she claims are poisonous. The two bond over this, and he drives her back home. And that SHOULD be it, as the two part and introduce each other by first name. But, she offers him some iced tea, and he accepts. HERE we go.

In the house, the two continue to bond, and Francesca begins to reveal some frustration with her home life, as well as her life in Iowa as compared to what she had dreamed of. To that, Robert says the following, which he claimed he wrote one day on the road.

The old dreams were good dreams. They didn’t work out, but I’m glad I had them.

That is...that is a nice line WAIT. Am I buying into this coupling? ALREADY?

So, here’s the thing thus far about this month. Some couples have had great chemistry, and some haven’t been perfect. On the top for me so far are Richard and Vivian from Pretty Woman, Johnny and Baby from Dirty Dancing, Emma and George from Emma, Yuri and Lara from Doctor Zhivago, and the highest being Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan from In the Mood for Love (although, that one amounts to wishful thinking). But all of those took a little bit to build up. so HOW IS IT that I’m already shipping these two (despite the infidelity, of course)?

Francesca seems to agree with me as she watches Robert wash up outside, after having invited him to stay for dinner. He helps her prepare dinner, then charms her (and me, incidentally) with charming stories and dinner jokes. Real talk, I like Robert, he’s a charming guy.

After dinner, she notes that she was once a schoolteacher, but her kids and husband didn’t approve of her working. 1960s, after all. She brushed this off, and asks the location of the most exciting place he’s ever...been...shit, this is an example of excitement being introduced into a boring life, huh?

That trope is one of the most annoying to me in these movies. The Notebook had a bit of that, and I wasn’t a fan, but this is the first time that it’s a straight-up example of that trope. And...I’m buying it? WHY AM I BUYING THIS

Francesca becomes a bit conflicted at this point, and the two share some brandy together. But we’re shot back into the present day, where Michael (UUUUUGH) accuses Robert of trying to get her drunk to take advantage of her. However, Carolyn sympathizes with them both, citing her own currently faltering marriage.

Back in 1965, the two have a slight disagreement about how they live their lives. Robert leaves for the night, and they surprisingly don’t do anything untoward. However, I’m ore than willing to bet that Francesca’s now thinking about it. She gets a phone call from Richard in Illinois, but begins to tear up as Robert leaves. She steps outside in a bathrobe and flashes the wind.

That night, she writes a message to Robert, and drives out to the bridge, where she leaves it for him. She tells him to give her a call, inviting him over the following day. The next morning, he sees the note while taking a picture of the bridge, then calls her afterwards and accepts the invitation. He also invites her to come along with him to take pictures of the bridges, which she accepts in turn.

OK, let’s go for a Part 2! See you there!

[talesofstyles]

Half A Heart II

Here it is, folks! Thank you for all the love for the first part. Hope you like this one as well!

“What the fuck are you on about, exactly?” Harry snarled. You could tell that he was raging by the vein that popped out in his neck. Harry had come a long way of controlling his temper so it was rare for you to witness him in that state. A little part of you was scared but you didn’t let it show.

“Not once I ever said a word whenever you’re being a dick to me because I know that you’re just overwhelmed with work. You’re stretched too thin. I know that you’re stressed but you just crossed the line by coming after my children.” You went on.

Harry’s voice kept rising in volume. “Yes, I yelled at them but I’ve got my reasons why. I’m not a nutter who goes around yelling for nothing.”

“Then why?” You challenged him.

“Your daughter was being a brat. You’ve failed to teach her to listen to others. She’s got absolutely no patience at all. She always has to have her own way and-”

You cut him off mid-sentence. You just simply couldn’t bear to listen to more. “Oh God is that how you talk about your own child? Listen to yourself Harry, she’s bloody three for fuck’s sake!”

“It doesn’t mean that she can act like a spoiled brat. I know a lot of three year olds who’s got better manners than your dau-”

“Stop saying your daughter as if she wasn’t yours!” You yelled in frustration.

His face crimsoned. “You literally just referred to them as your children,” He let out a huff before he continued. “Besides, you do it all the time!”

“Yeah, but I always say that in a playful manner. It’s usually when I’m joking or I’m teasing you about the kids taking after your habits or something like that but this,” You let out a harsh breath. “This doesn’t sound anything like that.”

“Argh!” Harry groaned in frustration. His nostrils flared and his pupils dilated. You were certain that that was the most cross he had ever been at you, but frankly, you weren’t much better. Your jaw clenched and if look could kill he would’ve been dead for fifteen minutes by then. “I’m never right with you. Being with you is so hard sometimes, it’s not worth it!”

As soon as his lips snapped shut, you left the room without saying another word. You were too cross to even form a sentence. You were boiling with rage that you swore that if you spent another minute in the same room as your husband you were going to poke his eyeballs out. Or whack him in the dick. Whichever more convenient. You didn’t realise your eyes swam with tears until you felt something cold rolling down your cheeks. You wanted nothing more than just to take a shower and cry your eyes out in there or curl up under the blanket and cry on your pillow. But you promised your littles for a little outing to the park and surely you could use the fresh air. You needed to step away from that cactus of a husband of yours for a second to breathe. You needed to calm yourself down because even though those words still hurt nonetheless, you knew for sure that deep down he didn’t mean anything he said.

You knew George and Eleanor had been listening to the whole exchange when they ran to you to give you a hug as soon as they spotted you walking into the kitchen. You looked down and smiled at your children, your fingers running through their hair.

“Don’t cry, mummy. S’alright, you’re alright.” George mumbled on your hip. You let out a wet chuckle realising that that was the exact same thing you usually tell your littles when they cry. It hit you that the way you talk to your children becomes their inner voice, and the fact that Harry just yelled at them made you feel worse because you didn’t want your children to think that was acceptable. But in that moment, knowing how much empathy they’ve got at such a young age made you realise that you did a good job raising your little ones, and if Harry couldn’t see that then it was his sodding loss.

And you were smarter then than when you first got together with Harry, or even than in the beginning of your marriage. You knew it was best to just let things go unsettled for a time sometimes, and you realised that space without resolution wasn’t a bad thing. In that moment, space was taking all three of your littles to Kensington Garden so they could get their wiggles out and enjoy the fresh air before stopping by your favourite Italian restaurant for dinner. You relied on your littles to distract you because they are the sweetest distraction until things at home settle back down, which you know they always do. You knew taking three children aged five and under on your own to a restaurant was going to be tricky but you weren’t ready to come home yet. Besides, after all the tears and shoutings and harsh words that had been said, your children (and you) deserve a nice stone baked pizza.

The deafening silence at the empty house finally knocked some much-needed sense into Harry’s head. He had been craving the silence so that he could work, but when he finally got what he wanted, he didn’t even last more than five minutes on his chair let alone to actually work. He paced around the house like a bloody nutter, it was as if he was lost and he just didn’t know where to go. His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. He couldn’t stay still for longer than a minute because he felt like someone just punched him in the gut if he did so. After nearly half an hour of that walking around nonsense, he finally chose the kitchen as his safe place and sat down on the floor, before he broke down and cry.

He recalled everything he said and felt even sicker as the words went around his head. How could he yelled at his little girl just because he couldn’t be arsed to just get up and walk to the kitchen to make her some tea and give her some bloody biscuits? Who was that twat back there in the kitchen who acknowledged the mess in front of him, yet failed to see his children who were trembling with fears? Who was that scunner who talked about his own daughter like she was the most terrible human being on earth? Didn’t he promise her when she was born, to always lift her up? Didn’t he promise her to always speak to her as if she’s the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical human on earth, because he knows that what she believes is what she will become? And who was that prick who told his own wife that she wasn’t worth it? Honestly, he was surprised that she just left the room instead of whacked him one.

He knew that crying on the floor wouldn’t help anything, so he got up and began to prepare dinner so you wouldn’t have to. He thought that was the least that he could do. Whilst he was waiting for the lasagna to bake in the oven, he cleaned the entire kitchen and didn’t stop until it was spotless. He was doing his best to make it up to his wife and children the way he knew how.

But it was already half seven and he began to worry. He immediately ran upstairs to check on yours and the kids’ clothes just to make sure and sighed in relief when he found everything was still there. He fished his pocket to grab his phone and just when he was about to call you, he heard the front door being opened and a fit of giggles came from downstairs.

“Hey!” He greeted you and the kids as he walked down the stairs. “Did you guys have fun at the park?”

You couldn’t believe that he was acting like nothing happened. You gave him a dirty look and began unbuttoning the kids’ coats and hung them. On any other day, the kids would run to him and tell him every little detail of their outings because they knew how much he loved to hear it. The little details made him felt like he was there and that he didn’t miss out much, but in that moment none of them seemed to care.

Harry walked towards you and the kids but the kids hid themselves behind your legs instantly. He frowned at the sight of the kids hiding away from him, hurt clouded his features. He crouched down in front of them so he could be on the same level as the kids.

“Daddy’s sorry, yeah?” He spoke softly. “T’was really mean of ’im t’yell like tha’.”

Eleanor hid further behind you, tightening her grip on the hem of your jumper as she whimpered “mummy” and George was fidgeting, playing with his fingers impatiently and didn’t even spare his dad a glance. None of your kids paid any attention to Harry. You knew that must break his heart, but you also knew that you couldn’t blame your children either for reacting that way. Not once had they ever heard their parents raised their voice at them before that day so it was shocking for them.

You looked down at your husband before you cleared your throat to get his attention. “S’almost past their bedtime,” you reminded him. Your tone was flat, not showing any hint of emotion. You were just exhausted and you wanted to bathe your kids and put them to bed as soon as possible so you could go to your own bed too. “C’mon my loves, let’s get you in the bath.”

“I can help with the baby,” he offered, knowing that his nine months old was the only one who wouldn’t scream bloody murder if he tried to come close.

But you shook your head. “No need. You were busy, right? Need t’get things done?” You were just being petty but you couldn’t care less.

So you went upstairs to Eleanor and George’s shared nursery. You put the baby down to wiggle around on the rug for a bit whilst you got the water running in the ensuite for your kids and took out their pyjamas and put them on the bed. You disappeared for a second to the baby’s nursery next door to get her things before you came back to put all three of your children in the tub. You don’t usually bathe them together because good lord your bathroom looks more like a water park when they’re done, but that night was an exception. The day sucked and you just wanted to get into your bed as quickly as possible.

You sat on the wooden little red chair next to the tub, keeping an eye on the kids as they played a bit in the water. The sound of giggles filled the room as the kids made a beard on their faces with the bubbles, even your littlest let out a proper belly laugh at her silly big sister and brother.

Suddenly you heard a footstep coming closer before Harry appeared on the door frame. You glanced at him for a second before turning your head away and looked at your children instead, taking one of the coloured cups that were floating in the tub and pour the water on your baby.

“Hey,” he greeted and the kids looked up to him for a second. “Daddy just put your PJs and blankets in the dryer so they’ll be warm for you.”

George turned his head to his littlest sister, completely ignoring Harry as he raised his hand and ask for a high five, something that the baby had just learned to do a couple weeks prior so it was still exciting for everyone.

Meanwhile, Eleanor tensed. She immediately looked at you and you could see fear crossed her face. She whimpered for you again. She raised her hands, asking for you to pick her up.

“Hey, hey, you’re alright.” You rubbed her cheek and tried to calm her down without picking her up because she wasn’t done yet.

But her little body trembled in fear and she yelled “no!” repeatedly as Harry walked closer to the tub. Her yell got louder with each step that Harry took towards her. You could see her breath getting heavier before you fully noticed that she was hyperventilating.

“Harry, get out!” You yelled at your husband when you realised that your three year old wasn’t just throwing a tantrum, she was having a panic attack. Harry ran out of the room like a bat out of hell and you quickly took her out of the tub before wrapping her in the towel and brought her close to your chest. You kept whispering “mummy’s here,” in her ear to help her to calm down, which thankfully she did within minutes, but that was without a doubt still the scariest three minutes of your life.

After Eleanor had calmed down, you drained the water in the tub and quickly rinsed off your other children before herding them back to the nursery. When you were back, you found their PJs and blankets piled on George’s bed. The warm PJs reminded you how much Harry truly loved your babies and that’s the kind of father he is. He’s the kind of father who pays attention to the littlest detail that doesn’t even cross your mind sometimes, like warming up their pyjamas and blanket and triple checking their shoes to make sure that they’re wide enough not to crush their pinky toes. He never forgets to make sure that there are no monsters under the kids’ bed every night after he kisses them goodnight. He always makes sure that the baby’s nighttime soother, the one that glows in the dark, is clean before bedtime. You swore that the amount of dummy your baby has cost you could pay a small country’s debt, so it never really matters to you which one she uses but Harry thought the one that glows in the dark would be easier for her to find it in the middle of the night.

After you put their lotion and put their PJs on, you read them stories on George’s bed and tucked the big kids into their own bed. You cuddled Eleanor extra tight before you kissed her goodnight.

When you exit the nursery, you found Harry sat on the floor outside of their door. His back leaning against the wall, his head hung low. He jumped up when he saw you, you could see clear as day the sadness that clouded his features and you couldn’t help but feel bad for him.

“How is she?” he asked. You had known the man in front of you for a little over eight years and you could count with your fingers how many times you had seen him cry. He was never the one to wear his heart on his sleeve, so you were quite surprised when you saw that his eyes were glistening with tears.

“She’s alright now.” You mumbled as you walked towards the baby’s nursery with your littlest on your hip.

“Can I put her down?” He murmured before he went on. “Please?”

As much as you wanted to whack him one in that moment, you also knew that you couldn’t say no to that. After what happened he just needed his baby. “Sure, but she needs to nurse first.”

“I’ll wait for you to finish.”

***

Harry furrowed his brows when he entered your bedroom and found it empty, but then sighed in relief when he heard the sound of hairdryer from the ensuite. On any other day he would just waltz in without even thinking twice, but this time he knew he better wait for you to finish.

His heart thumped loudly when the ensuite door was opened and you appeared from behind it. When you walked into the bedroom, it was the first time both of you being in the same room after your fight earlier. The tension was so thick it was suffocating.

Harry hated the silence because he knew it wasn’t the good kind of silence. Both of you quickly learnt early in your relationship that silence isn’t always a bad thing, so you quit trying to always fill the quiet gap and embrace the silence. You loved knowing that you were comfortable enough with each other to just sat together without the pressure of having to entertain one another.

But this silence was nowhere like that. Harry felt like he could cut the tension with a knife. You could feel his eyes glued on your every move, staring at you intensely as you took a clean white nightdress from the wardrobe and slip into it. Your creams were left untouched on your dressing table, you simply couldn’t be arsed to put them on, knowing you would just mess it up anyway with Harry staring at you like that. You knew that he was desperately trying to come up with something to say. You caught him from the corner of your eyes opening his mouth like he was about to say something but he quickly sealed his lips tight again. It was when you took your pillow and began walking towards the door that he finally said something.

“Where are you going?” He rushed to stop you from going towards the door. You were certain that he knew exactly where you were going but you answered him anyway.

“Spare room.” You replied coldly.

He shook his head. “Absolutely not. You’re sleeping here tonight, with me. Not once in nearly nine years we’ve ever slept apart under the same roof.”

“I can’t stand you right now.” You could feel your expression hardened and you began to get frustrated at your husband who just wouldn’t let you go. To be honest, you were doing him a favour there, because if you slept with him on the same bed you were almost certain that you would kick him off the bed at some point in the middle of the night.

“I’ll sleep on the floor. Just… please, don’t leave this room. I’m sorry for everything I said.” He pleaded.

You looked down, twisting the wedding band on your finger instead of looking at him because you knew the second you looked into his eyes, you wouldn’t be able to stand your ground. “I can’t do this anymore, Harry.”

Harry felt as if someone just knocked the air out of his lungs. That was the five words that he never thought would hear from you. “W- what?” He choked a response.

You went on. “It really pains me to say this but I don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t think I’m worth it.”

“Love, don’t say that.” He begged you to stop. He couldn’t hear more of that coming from you.

“No, don’t love me and I will say whatever the fuck I want to say.” It’s rare for you to curse so when you do, he knows that you’re really upset.

“You know it isn’t true.” He spoke lowly. “I didn’t mean anything I said.”

You seethed. “No, I don’t know. I hope it isn’t but I can’t shake the thought that it might be true. The way you said it, it was just very conv-”

Harry cut you off. “It isn’t true. Please don’t let that idea get into your head. I was a complete twat, I didn’t even know what I said. M’sorry.”

You still refused to look up into his eyes, not only you knew it would melt your heart in a second, but you also did it out of pettiness because you knew how much he hated it when someone didn’t look at him in the eyes when they were talking to him.

“Love, say something.” He pleaded again. The silence was killing him and he couldn’t bear it anymore.

“What d’you want me t’say?” Your tone was flat and it sounded cold but he was glad you still at least spoke to him.

“You’re not leaving me, are you?” You were still upset at him, but you couldn’t ignore the pang in your chest at the vulnerability of his tone.

You sighed. “No, but I’m fuming at you right now.”

“I know, I was horrible. M’surprised you haven’t put me in the bin yet.”

Your brows snapped together. “That’s not funny, I’m really pissed.”

“M’sorry.” He apologised again. “Got panicked for a second when you hadn’t come home around seven. I thought you left.”

Knowing that he wouldn’t let you sleep in the guest room, you turned around and walked towards your side of the bed, placing the pillow that you’d been holding back to where it belonged. “Went for dinner.”

“Where did you go?” He asked. You knew that he was trying to make a small conversation, hoping it would distract you and made you forgot that you were pissed at him because most of the time it worked. “I made lasagna. Even put extra cheese because I know the kids love it.”

“Tha’ pizza place in High Street.”

He mused. “Oh, tha’s really nice. They’ve got the best pizza.”

You didn’t reply. You turned your back and closed your eyes whilst he took a pillow and placing it on the hardwood floor. “Night, love.” He mumbled before he closed his eyes. He was dying to give you a proper goodnight kiss but he knew you wouldn’t like that. Not in that moment at least.

***

“Ow, ow ow ow. Ow…. ow ow,”

The sound of your husband groaning in pain woke you up from your deep slumber. You tried to close your eyes again to go back to sleep but it didn’t work, so you sat up and looked down at him. “What’s wrong with you?” You sounded a little annoyed.

“I can’t get up. M’back hurts.”

You tried not to laugh at the sight of him wiggling around the hardwood floor and moaning in pain with his every move. “Come up here and get tha’,” you tilted your head towards his bedside table, referring to the bottle of almond oil in the drawer that you usually use for massage.

The thought of getting a back rub was enough to motivate him to hold onto the bed and finally pulled himself up. He opened the drawer and blindly looked for the bottle and took it out and put it on the bed when he found it.

“No, not the lube you prat!” You scolded him. “The oil!”

“Sorry sorry! Didn’t see it. It hurts.” He moaned again as he looked for the right bottle.

You mumbled, trying to bit your lips to keep yourself from laughing. “Such a baby.”

When he finally found the right bottle, he got up and sat on his side of the bed before laying down on his stomach. “If this doesn’t prove my love for you I don’t know what will.”

“Shut up, m’still ticked at you.” You deadpanned.

He let out a moan, a good moan this time, but not that kind of moan when you began rubbing his back. “I was going mad when you left with the kids yesterday.” He started.

You furrowed your brows. “We left for three hours.”

“Felt like there was half an arrow in my chest.” He went on.

You tried to stifle your chuckle. “Did you just quote your own song?”

“Oh shoot, you still remember. But s’true.” He replied.

“Course I remember,”

“Tha’ was your jam, wasn’t it? 15 year old you must be so cute singing around to tha’.” He was bashful and you loved the shift in the mood.

“Ha. You wish.” He was right but there was no way you would admit that. Absolutely not.

“Oh no, I know your favourite. T’was the other one, hold on-” he hissed as he took a second to think. “Ah, Through The Dark! Oh I will carry you over, fire and water for your love.” He began singing.

“Yeah, go on, keep taking the piss. Tha’ really helps me to dissolve my anger towards you.”

He ignored your comment and kept on singing. “And I will hold you closer hope your heart is strong enough.”

You tried to control the 15 year old girl inside of you who wanted nothing more than just to scream because who would’ve known that even after three babies later with one of the singers, the song still had that effect on you.

He reached for your arm and pulled it down. You squealed as you fell on your stomach next to him.

“I love you,” he blinked. “M’completely besotted. Absolutely enamoured. Hopelessly in love wi’ you. Best thing tha’ ever ‘appened t’me, yeh are. T’is Harry talking, your husband, so y’av to believe me. The pillock yesterday wasn’t Harry.”

“Oh, was tha’ Henry?” You joked.

“Thought Henry was m’cock’s name?”

“Exactly.”

“You’re right. The bloke yesterday was a cock.” You cackled and he continued. “M’sorry for what I said about Eleanor too. I’m disgusted at myself. Can’t believe I said those words about m’own baby girl. I don’t deserve her, I’m a shit father.”

“You were a shit father yesterday, but you’re a great father any other day, H. Always have been.” You affirmed him.

“You’re just saying that cause y’av to.”

You shook your head. “No I don’t. If you’re a shit father rest assured I’ll tell you that on your face. But you’re not, I’m telling you the truth. Just please don’t ever take it out on the kids and I again if you’re stressed or frustrated with work.”

“I promise. I’m sorry.” He apologised again.

“You need to apologise to them.” You reminded him and he nodded.

“I will. Absolutely. I’ll try to make it up to them today.”

***

George and Eleanor ignored Harry all morning. Thankfully Eleanor was better, she didn’t want to talk to Harry but at least she didn’t freak out whenever he was close. Harry tried to get on their good side by offering toast and nutella for breakfast, which rarely happens in your house because you don’t normally allow chocolate for breakfast. They munched on their toast happily but they didn’t say a word to Harry except a simple “thank you” when he handed them their plates. You chuckled because they might be pissed but they were still polite.

After breakfast, you put on some Sunday morning cartoon in the living room for the kids. You were sat on the sofa, sandwiched between your two babies whilst Harry sat on the armchair with your littlest on his lap playing with his wedding band because George and Eleanor didn’t let him sit on the sofa.

“My loves, do you wanna make some choquettes for snack later?” Harry asked the kids when Fireman Sam finished on the telly. George shook his head but Eleanor completely ignored him.

“Daddy’s asking you a question, poppet.” You turned to your little girl. “S’not very nice to ignore someone when they’re talking to you, is it?”

She mumbled. “No, thank you.”

“Alright.” Harry sighed. “I’ll make them for you, I know how much you like it.”

Harry stood up and placed the baby on your lap before he went to the kitchen to make the kids’ favourite pastry. Cooking had never been his forte but you knew your husband could bake even though he only worked as a cashier in a bakery years ago.

The kids still pretty much ignored him during lunch and you could tell that Harry was getting a little frustrated. He tried everything but the kids hadn’t warmed up to him just yet. They’d been glued to you nearly all day so you knew you had to leave for at least an hour so they could warm up to Harry. You took the opportunity to leave when they were napping so they, especially Eleanor, wouldn’t throw a fit when you left. You needed to go shopping anyway because now that it was getting warmer, you needed to get some new spring clothes for the kids and your littlest baby had outgrown most of her onesies and bodysuits.

Again, Eleanor was the first to wake up from her nap and she immediately went looking for you but when she went down, she only saw Harry in the living room with his laptop on his lap. Harry smiled at her as soon as he saw her.

“Ello, poppet. Did yeh av a nice nap?” He greeted her. The little girl hesitated a bit before she walked into the living room, which took Harry by surprise because he was almost sure that she would just run back upstairs.

The three year old nodded before climbing up onto the sofa and plopped herself down next to her daddy. Harry wrapped his arm around her instantly and brought her to his lap after he put his laptop away. “Daddy’s really sorry, poppet. I didn’t mean to scare you yesterday. I was very mean, wasn’t I?”

She nodded again. “You weren’t nice, daddy. You need a time out.”

“A time out?” Harry chuckled.

“Uh uh.” She insisted. “Y’need to sit on the stairs.”

The last step on the stairs had always been the designated spot for a time out for the kids whenever they’re being cheeky in your home. If they don’t listen to you or Harry or if they fight too much they’d have to sit there for three minutes. Harry never knew that would come to bit him in the arse.

“Alrigh’,” Harry agreed. “But will yeh forgive me when I’m done?”

She nodded vigorously. “Of course! But three minutes, daddy.” She held up three of her fingers.

So Harry sat there on the last step of the stairs whilst Eleanor stood in front of him, holding his phone as she waited for the timer to went off. Before Harry finished his time out, George appeared from the top of the stairs.

“George! M’puttin’ daddy on time out!” Eleanor squealed excitedly, making Harry chuckled. “No, don’t laugh, daddy! S’not funny. Y’need to think about what you did.”

Harry bit on his lips trying not to laugh at his little girl’s stern face. She might be a carbon copy of himself but goodness she did sound like you. “M’sorry, m’sorry.”

“We don’t yell, daddy. S’not nice.” George chimed in.

“I know. M’really sorry.” Harry apologised again and the timer went off.

“Time’s up!” Eleanor shrieked. “Y’can get up now, daddy!”

“Can I get a hug?” Harry opened his arms wide for his babies.

“That depends, daddy. Can I get some choquettes?” George gave him a cheeky smile and Harry nodded.

“Wha’ a cheeky lad!” Harry squeezed him tight before pulling Eleanor closer to his chest to wrap her into a hug as well.

***

Eleanor and George were glued to Harry for the rest of the day, even after you and the baby got home. They were his sous-chef when he prepared dinner and insisted for Harry to bathe them. After you put your littlest to bed, you peeked inside Eleanor and George’s nursery and saw Harry sandwiched between his babies on George’s big boy bed. You could see the pile of books on the floor and you were certain he read them not less than ten books. You could feel your eyes welled up as you listened to the things Harry was telling your babies.

“Daddy loves you so much, both of you. I’m so grateful that you are my son and that you are my daughter. You both make me and mummy SO happy. You’re a good boy and you’re a good girl and you’re the best big siblings for your baby sister. You two are smart and funny and kind and I wouldn’t want anyone else to replace you. You make mummy and I very proud every day.”

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P.S. Tumblr didn’t let me tag a lot of blogs, I’ve got no idea why so sorry if I didn’t tag you!

[ironwoman18]

The Worst Third Date Ever part 29

Chapter 29: Relax and Pompeii.

Max and Spencer started their tour less day making love two times, one in their bed and one in the shower.

They decided to spend the day at the pool area so she put on a two piece blue swimsuit and on it a white dress while Spencer was wearing a green short and a shirt.

They went downstairs from breakfast. They ate the typical Italian breakfast, caffè latte with bread for Spencer while Max preferred rolls, butter and jam, and add some fruit. Then they had cookie-like rusk hard bread, called fette biscottate.

Later they went to the pool, Max was sitting in a deck chair sunbathing while Spencer was reading.

The pool started to fill with families, children playing and swimming. Max looked at Spencer.

"Spence, do you want to get in the pool?" She asked looking at him.

He looked back at her then the pool "do I have to?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Please?" She said like a little kid "I thought you said you were cure of being a germophobic"

"I am..." he said and this time was her turn to raise an eyebrow "...with certain things"

"Nothing will happen if we get into the pool Spencer" she pouted at him and he sighed.

"Ok let's go" she smiled big and he took off his shirt and stood up and also did Max.

She held his hand and they got in the water. It was a little cold but soon they got used of it the water temperature was great.

They swam around the pool, it was big and with a lot of kids with their fathers or mothers playing with them.

"Did you ever think about having kids?" She asked looking at him.

"I did. When he held Henry I thought it could be nice to have on my own but this job was all my life and my first time out of work was after getting out of prison. For every 100 days in the field I had to stay 30 out" he said as they swam "then Maeve's stalker killed her and I lost my faith in finding someone" she held his hand gently and kissed his cheek "then I met you and in months I found what I couldn't in 14 years. So my hope's of being father are there" he smiled and looked at her "what about you?"

She sighed "well I once did... when Sammy was born but as I said I didn't want to get married but also didn't believe in having kids without getting married" he looked at her confused "don't look at me like that Spencer... I'm a contradiction, but anyway... I think that I accomplished my first goal. Which was getting married I think my next step will be having kids" he smiled.

"So we are both agree about being parents" she laughed and nodded.

"Yes, we are" she hugged him. Then she saw some people playing volleyball in the pool "did you ever play volleyball?"

"No" he shook his head "I'm not good with sports"

"Ok I understand, not all people were born to practice a sport" she looked at the game "so if you want you can go back to our table and I will play here for a while"

"You sure, have fun" she smiled and kissed him "yeah babe I'm sure, you go back to your book. I will be right here" he nodded and swam back to their table while she joined the team.

Spencer walked out of the pool and on his way to their table a kid called him "sir... excuse me sir..." he turned to see the kid. He has a cast around his leg "do you know how to play chess? It just... I broke my leg at the Coliseum and now my vacations are doomed" he sighed.

"Umm yeah I know how to play but where are your parents?"

"My mom is doing pilates with "Mr. Handsome" and my dad is playing volleyball. My sister is flirting with a guy 5 years older and my brother is playing with his friends so I'm alone"

Spencer looked around. He was unsure but at the same time felt sorry for the poor kid "sure I can teach you" the kid smiled big.

"Thank you! I'm Steve and you?"

"I'm Spencer. Nice to meet you Steve" Spencer sat down "ok do you know the basic concepts of the game?" He nodded but Spencer to make sure explained again everything.

How every piece moves around, the main goal of the game and some rules.

When Steve could say everything correctly Spencer decided to play with him to teach him some basic strategies.

The kid was a quick study and after some games it was getting harder for Spencer to checkmate him.

After almost an hour Max and Steve's dad were going back to their tables when they saw Spencer and Steve playing with some kids behind each of them.

Max walked to her husband "um... Spence, what are you doing?"

"I'm playing with Steve. He made a good play and I need to protect my king"

She laughed and looked at the kid then his father "so this is your husband?" He asked and she nodded "I'm glad my son met him. He is so clumsy that he broke his leg yesterday at the Coliseum" he looked at his son "so my wife and I bought him a chessboard and he found someone who could teach him" he laughed.

"And he found the best. But I'm worry I may lose my husband for the day" she laughed looking at Spencer so focused on the game he did not say anything to her.

Spencer finally made his move and after some more minutes the game was over and they decided to stop right there.

"Maybe tomorrow?"

"I can't. My wife planned something for tomorrow and I have no idea what it is" Steve nodded "but maybe on Saturday we can play, if you want" he smiled.

"Sounds great! thank you Spencer" they shook hands and the man walked back to their table. Max was drinking some water and reading a book.

"Hey baby, what are you reading?" He asked sitting next to her.

"Inferno by Dan Brown. I never have time to read it so everytime I went to a pool I brought it to read it but I found something more interesting" she put down the book and smiled "how was the game?"

"It was nice. I won but it was harder. He is pretty good" he explained how everything happened and she laughed gently.

"I think kids love you after all" she laughed remembering what he told her about the Reid effect with kids and animals "the curse was finally broken"

He laughed and nodded "could be. And how was your volleyball game?"

"Awesome. My team won the first game but the other team won two games and we had to move so another team could play. That's where I met Steve's dad, Salvatore, he said they were from Virginia and came here because his mother died and of course they decided to bring their children with them"

"That is terrible. Have to travel across the Atlantic to see your dead mother" he sighed.

"Yes it is. I always was scared when I got a call from the nursery house my mom was in back in Vegas. And it was in the same country" Max held his hand and kissed it.

"What about we order something to eat? I saw pizza. I bet pizza in Italy must be better than anything we ever ate"

Spencer laughed and looked at her with thankful eyes. He got used to the idea of losing his mother at any moment but still the thought hurt him.

"Sure I will call the waiter and order" he did it and after some minutes they were eating pizza. They were small so he ordered two and after a few more hours they went back to their room.

They took a shower and then lay in bed to watch a movie.

"so what did you plan for tomorrow Max?" He asked curious.

"Well I decided to give you an especial day. I bought a tour to Pompeii" she looked at him "you were so excited about going so I thought we could visit it"

"I love you Maxine" he said seconds after she finished then he placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her gently before she complained about her full name "thank you" he smiled and rubbed her cheeks.

"You are welcome" they kissed again. It escalated into something more and they ended up making love again.

They decided to skip dinner and just sleep early because their trip would leave at seven in the morning the next day.

The next morning they decided to buy something on their way to the place they will meet with their guide and the other people.

When they arrived it was six thirty so they bought something to eat and met with some other people, they talked to them until the van arrived, they hopped aboard and travel south in air-conditioned comfort to Italy’s Campania region.

As they traveled, they listened tales about the colorful southern Italian area and Mt. Vesuvius.

"After the volcano’s infamous AD 79 eruption, lava and volcanic ash destroyed the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. Evidence of those ancient streams of lava is still evident in the area" said Spencer and their guide looked at him surprised.

"He loves the history" said Max smiling and everyone looked at them, then the guide showed them some pictures in their LED screen.

"Pompeii was once a thriving Roman city; today the town is best known for its UNESCO-listed archaeological digs, which are home to a wealth of relics" said the guide.

When they arrived they saw incredibly preserved fossils and other ruins, plus plaster imprints of the town’s victims who were buried for years.

There you can see the remains of the Forum and Teatro Grande, where some 5,000 people could once be seated.

The tour guide told them about day-to-day life for the Pompeii locals as they wandered streets where ancient shops, cafes and even brothels could be found.

Their guide let then some free time for sightseeing, and after that they had a Neapolitan pizza lunch.

They stood in front of them and said "Normally we could hike the Mt Vesuvius but from November 20 to March 31, the Mt is unacceptable" a lot of people sighed and cursed softly, the man continued "So the hike is replaced with a visit to the iconic City of Naples, where we will take a panoramic bus tour and have some free time to walk around the city center"

The city was beautiful and Max made sure to take photos of everything they saw. Then they returned to Rome.

Spencer and Max slept on their way back to Rome. When they arrived the guide woke them up and they took a taxi back to their hotel.

They spent their Saturday in the hotel with their new friends. Sunday was their last day so they decided to buy more souvenirs for the others left.

When they have it they used their night putting their things in their suitcases, then lays in bed and fell asleep hugging each others.

That was the best week they had and they will keep this amazing city in their mind, hoping to return some day.

OOooOOooOO

Hope you liked this. The next one will be their return to Washington.

Read you later.

[imaginesmai]

Arthur Shelby-B for Baby

This was requested by an anon, I hope you like it!

Plot: For being a Shelby, having twins was one hell of a lucky strike. Arthur couldn’t be any more happy and exicted about it; yet as always, luck is not very common in a Shelby’s life.

Warning: I’m not going to spoil anything, but angst and blood.

When you discovered you were pregnant, you were more than surprised. Some years ago the doctor told you that it was very unlikely for you to get pregnant; it didn’t matter if it was for Arthur’s lack of sperm or for your problems with your uterus. As a couple, you had accepted that you wouldn’t have children, yet in the tenth year of your relationship you discovered that you were pregnant. You hadn’t really noticed until it started to show; you were used to your period delaying even for two months and you mistook the morning sickness with just a flu. Once you knew, the next thing you needed to do was to tell Arthur. So you waited for him sitting in the couch, physically shaking from emotion.

-          Darling! -Arthur shouted as soon as he closed the door. -Y/N, I’m home!

Everytime he came back from work, or from a meeting with his brothers, he made himself heard in the house. Arthur was a pretty nosy man, yet you were okay with it.

-          In the living room! -you shouted, and waited for him to appear. -Hey baby.

-          There is my beautiful girl. -he smiled, and bent down to kiss your forehead. -How has been your day? Are you feeling better?

-          Yeah, a lot better. Didn’t do much, actually. I went to the market, visited Polly, the usual. And your day?

-          Tommy’s being a prick. -he sat down on the couch besides you, enjoying the warm from the fire. -He thinks he can control everything, and don’t listen to me half of the time. Besides that, I missed you a lot.

-          I missed you too, Arthur. -you pecked his cheek. -I have something to tell you.

-          So do I. Who goes first?

-          Let me tell you this before you say anything. -you took his hand in yours. -You know how I have been feeling ill lately? I talked to Polly today.

-          Did something happen? Was she rude? I swear, that woman-

-          No, baby. -you chuckled. -She was nice to me, she always is. I think she likes me.

-          It’s hard to dislike you, darling. -he winked at you.

-          Back to what I was saying. -you smiled. -I have discovered something with her help. I’m pregnant, Arthur.

There was a moment of silence before the words sank in his heart, and when they did a big bright smile appeared behind that moustache. With him, you knew you didn’t have to be worried when talking about anything, because he had proven to be a very supportive man. What you didn’t expect was the hug that knocked you out of the couch.

-          Baby! -you laughed. -Oh God, Arthur, you’re crashing me!

-          I’m sorry, I’m sorry. -he got up, offering you a hand. -It’s just-we are having a child, Y/N! Our baby!

Arthur let out another laugh, and that time hugged you with a little more care. He squeezed you between his arms, putting his head on your neck.

-          I’m so happy Y/N, and I love you so much. -he mumbled in your hair. -How long are you?

-          Two months, Arthur.

-          Al-already? -he looked at you surprised.

-          I thought my period was late as always. -you sighed. -I’m sorry, baby. Maybe I should have gone to the doctor sooner.

-          I don’t care, love. -Arthur smiled, and pecked your lips. -We know now and that’s enough.

Moving your head a little higher, you kissed his lips slowly and with love. His hands were placed at your hips, and yours moved to his hair. For being a Shelby, it was one hell of a lucky strike.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Turned out, the surprise Arthur had for you was a trip to a house outside the city. He knew how stressed you were, even before the baby, so he decided to surprise you with some relaxed holydays, just the two of you. And the baby.

You had wanted to leave as soon as possible, because time flew and you didn’t want to give birth between cows. But your husband was a Shelby, and they were always in trouble. That time, it was Sabini; the Italian man wanted something from the Shelbys and wasn’t going to stop until he got it. Arthur was having some crazy months, and he told you that he couldn’t leave his family when things were like that. So you decided to wait, and two months turned shortly into six. When the business with Sabini was finally calmed down and you could leave with your man, it looked like if you were ready to pop at any seconds. Your dresses were long forgotten in the closet, and the new ones didn’t even last a week before they were too tight. After talking to a doctor about your alarming rate of growing, he told you that it was very likely that you were having twins.

Not one, but two little things that were making their father already crazy. As soon as Arthur heard the news, he became ten times more protective. He tried to work from home, begged to Tommy until he got two men at your door every hour in the day, and always wore a bright smile on his face. You weren’t expecting any children at all, so the news of having two little children was more than good. However, not everything in the life of a Shelby was good luck.

-          Have you packed the blue dress?! -you shouted from the room, looking at the suitcase in front of you. -Arthur?!

-          Yes, darling?!

-          Have you packed the blue dress?! -again, you shouted, looking for the dress without moving the clothes too much.

-          It’s in the bigger one, Y/N. -Arthur said, appearing at the door. -I put it with my back suit.

-          We’re going to a field, baby. -you looked at him. -You won’t be needing that.

-          Well, it’s already done so we can’t do anything about it. -he laughed.

Arthur walked towards you and took your face in his hands, kissing you softly. Then, one of his hands found its way to your big belly.

-          Daddy’s going out, don’t give trouble to momma today. -he kissed it. -I’ll be back after lunch, little beans. And we’re going to a fantastic house were your mommy and I can make love all day.

-          Arthur! -you smacked his head and laughed. -You can’t say that to our children!

-          They aren’t born yet, darling. Besides, when they are, they will probably have to grown used to the strange noises in daddy and mommy’s room

-          You’re the worst. -you smiled and pecked his lips.

-          Have everything ready for when I come back. I’ll give the papers to Tommy and I promise we will be on our way. There are two boys outside, if anything happens you call them.

-          You’ll be gone for just an hour, baby. -you said. -Nothing is going to happen.

-          Still. -he scoffed. -Sometimes I can’t believe Tommy. Making me go there the day we’re leaving.

-          The sooner you get it done, the sooner we will arrive to our little paradise. Come on, go.

-          So bossy. -Arthur rolled his eyes playfully. -Okay, love you!

When the door closed, you returned to your tasks in the suitcase. Packed a few books and two more blankets, in case it’s too cold. Also, you took your favourite soap; because, honestly, you weren’t thinking about leaving that house for a while.

For the next few hours you sat next to the fire, waiting for Arthur to come back. The guys that he placed in the door weren’t a great conversation, and you were bored out of your mind. Just when you were thinking about calling your husband, one of them fell to the floor. You got up and walked towards him, thinking that he fainted or something like that. What you found, was a man with a hole in his forehead and a gun pointed to your face.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three hours, that’s how much Tommy kept Arthur at the officed. He was red as a tomato and with a raw throat from screaming at him so much. The only thing he wanted was to get in the car and drive away from that madness. As he drove, he thought that, lately, good luck had been on his side. First, he found out that the love of his life was pregnant; then, you discovered you had twins; than now, you were leaving to a relaxed holidays until the kids were ready to meet their parents. For a Shelby, it was one hell of a lucky strike. That proved to end as soon as he put a feet on your house.

-          If she is mad, I’m blaming it all on you. -he muttered as they parked the car.

-          Me? If you can’t do a damn thing right it’s not my fucking fault. -Tommy said.

-          You’re the one who can’t appreciate a good thing when it’s done.

-          I can’t wait for you to go, Arthur. -he rolled his eyes, getting out of the car. -I’m just coming because I want to see Y/N before she goes. The only one I will miss.

-          I would have gone earlier if you wouldn’t have been such an ass, Tommy.

-          Go and don’t fucking come back, I swear.

The first thing he noticed was that the two men at the door weren’t there. It was not unusual, because sometime you coerced them into helping you with something; one time, he found the two and a half meters bloke building a crib. Arthur called your name a few times while Tommy took his coat out. They walked into the house, seeing the fire nearly worn out and your book on the floor. He was going to shout again when he saw the second thing that made him understand something was not right; one of the men supposed to protect you was laying on the floor dead.

-          Tommy. -he said with a rough voice. -Tommy, look at that.

-          Arthur. -Tommy put a hand on his shoulder, taking out his gun. -Keep calm, we-

-          Y/N! Darling, where are you?!

-          They could still be here! -he half-shouted. -Shut the fuck up!

-          Y/N?! Answer me, fuck!

Ignoring Tommy’s warnings, Arthur kept shouting your name and looking for you. He could hear Tommy behind him, gun raised and eyes alert. Yet, for what they found, they didn’t need the gun. You were laying in your bed on your back, with your hands in your stomach and you head rolled to the side. It looked like a normal morning for Arthur, when he would wake up to you sleeping by his side. What didn’t look normal was the blood staining the sheets and the hole in your abdomen. Tommy was the first one to act; he moved you a little and placed his hand on your neck, trying to look for a pulse. Meanwhile, Arthur stood by the door, supporting himself with one hand while the other one tried to muffle the sobs that left his mouth. Your eyes were looking at him; yet he didn’t find the love he usually found, just a dull look empty of any emotion of life.

Tommy didn’t dare to look to Arthur after he took his hand away, yet your husband didn’t need any words to know the true. He knew who, he knew why and how. What he didn’t know was how he was going to live when your dead eyes would follow him everywhere. When the life of his two precious and unborn kids had been taken away. It seemed, that no good luck strike is long enough for the Shelbys.

[clownsgobeepbeep]

ethereal: (adj.) extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world

A bit of Mafia AU~

I hope it’s good uwu

Pink was no doubt her color.

It was not her favorite, quite close in fact, yet it was still not at the top of her list.

Either way, Coraline adored the color pink. She knew it was perfect on her, or her home, or her anything. It was...

Ethereal.

Coraline gazed upon the sight that was the bathroom in her bedroom, a small and soft smile adorning her features as she hummed to herself. Her hands ever so gracefully pulled down the robe she wore, allowing it to fall to the ground into a puddle of pink as she stared down at the bathtub before her.

In a careful move, she stepped into the tub that embraced her figure with clouds of bubbles, more and more as she sank deeper into the sea. Coraline gave a satisfied hum as she fixed herself, then closing her eyes to relax in her bubbly heaven as soft music played and she could smell the wonderful scent of the candles surrounding her.

However, Coraline sensed that something was off.

This feeling made one of her closed eyes slightly twitch; it would not leave her and she could not cease thinking about it.

“How do you do it?”

Ah yes, there it was: the reason for this annoying yet knowing feeling.

“You are interrupting my bubble bath.”

“So this is what you call this giant bucket of cotton candy?” came a voice, Coraline still not bothering to open her eyes whilst her head was leaned back on a bath pillow. “You know, I sometimes wondered to myself what a lady like you did during her spare time. Guess I now have my answer.”

“And what is that answer?”

“You spend your time,” the other person started before sitting on the ground beside the tub. “Treating yourself like some Greek goddess.”

“Do I now?” Coraline questioned, finally fluttering her eyes open to look over at who she knew was her friend. “And what makes you say that?”

“You’re right here looking like some kind of Aphrodite.” Maggie motioned to the entire scene. “Bubbles, nice scents, rose petals? A seashell bathtub! Pink!? What even is that smell?”

“Pink Sands.”

Maggie squinted her eyes for a bit, then shrugging away Coraline’s words before moving over some of the candles on the tub, making space for herself so she could sit closer to Coraline who slightly furrowed her eyebrows at the candles.

“So, how do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Look all pretty all the time. Like I mean, it’s the bubbles, right?” Maggie loomed towards Coraline before scooping up a handful of bubbles. “Anyways, I gotta say that it was way too easy getting into your house. I would have expected you to have a big security thing going on.”

“I do.” Coraline brought a hand out from under the foam, everything sliding off her smooth skin and joining everything below. “I just made sure to tell my men to only allow those I trust into my home. They just let you have some fun sneaking in.”

“Huh.”

“With an ex-husband and a deranged ex-brother in law, you didn’t really think I would make my security that low, did you?” Coraline placed her hands on her cheeks, gently massaging herself. “I have my children to look after, you know.”

“Speaking of look after,” Maggie then blew the bubbles out of her hand, these landing on Coraline who slightly frowned. “My boss is a jerk.”

“How nice.”

“Has me under house arrest.”

“I heard.” Coraline nodded before finally turning to Maggie. “I assume this is about...them?”

“Did I mention that despite being a jerk the boss gives a good pay? Like, really good pay?”

“Hm.” Coraline nodded once again, already knowing her answer. “Maggie, dear.”

“Yeah?”

“Cupcake?” Coraline presented a silver platter with beautiful, pink cupcakes.

“Fuck yes.” Maggie immediately took a cupcake before taking a bite into it, her eyes closing in pleasure before she finished the first piece. “Oh my god. Oh my god.”

“What is it?”

“This cupcake…” Maggie breathed out. “It’s too good to be true.”

“Speaking of too good to be true,” Coraline took the platter of cupcakes, placing it on the opposite side of her tub to make sure the rest were not taken just yet. “How are things with Billy-Boy?”

“Billy-Boy? Oooh I want to see you call him that to his face.” Maggie quietly snickered to herself before giving a shrug. “Like I said, he’s been a jerk; keeps me in because things aren’t look too...pretty at the moment.”

“Is that the only reason why he keeps you in?”

“What do you mean?” Maggie turned to Coraline after finishing her cupcake, then seeing as Coraline gave her a smirk. “Hey, no, no, no!”

“I mean, it’s almost like he cares about you.”

“It’s business!” Maggie exclaimed before hearing a small chuckle come from her friend. “Bosses ‘care’ about their workers, can’t have them dead!”

“I know.”

“So don’t be assuming anything.”

“Alright, alright.” Coraline then closed her eyes, once again leaning back in her tub before reaching out to her side where she grabbed a glass of pink champagne. 

“Enough about me though.” Maggie cleared her throat, then reaching over the tub to grab one of the other cupcakes which made Coraline open a single eye. “What have you been up to?”

“Not much, other than that party I had the other night.” Coraline shrugged, then opening both of her eyes once she felt Maggie much closer than before. “Business has gone as usual. Children are alright.”

“Hey now that I think about it,” Maggie giggled to herself. “Why do you keep hiding this business stuff from those kids? I’m almost positive they know something’s up.”

“Even if they did, it’s best they not be involved in any way.” Coraline huffed. “But then again, there is not much I can do. This business pulls everybody in, no matter who you are.”

“Guess you’re right.” Maggie nodded, glancing over to the bathroom door where she heard some quiet whispers. Once she looked, she caught sight of four pairs of eyes that eventually disappeared after she smiled and waved at their owners.

“So, Coraline,” Maggie now remembered something else. “How have the kids been?”

“Now that you mention them, they insist on going out with me. Everywhere, anywhere.” Coraline ran a hand through her hair before putting it up. “I don’t understand why.”

“Maybe they’re scared?”

“No, no. Never. Besides, I always have Abraham by my side so they are safe, no matter the situation.” Coraline gave a bit of a sigh. “It started a while ago, ever since that lunch with...whatever that man’s name was.”

“Lunch?”

“We went to a fine Italian restaurant once and we had a run in with a police officer I met at Blueblood’s party.”

“Wait,” a smile crept onto Maggie’s features. “An officer...at Blueblood’s?”

“Yes…?”

“Short, blond guy with green eyes?” Maggie described while once again leaning close to her friend. “Possibly named Officer Green?”

Coraline stared at Maggie for a moment, giving her quite the look before finally blinking.

“I suppose you’ve met him then.”

“I have.” Maggie nodded with a grin. “Saw him at your party. Even saw you chatting with him.”

“Well, it’s polite to chat up those who are making sure your party is safe.” Coraline sipped from her glass, avoiding Maggie’s gaze which proceed to be a difficult task with how Maggie continued to loom over her.

Maggie thought to herself some more, but it didn’t take her long to connect the dots.

She knew how protective the kids were over their mother even without her knowing about it.

Coraline was quite friendly with Officer Green.

“Oh Coraline.” Maggie’s grin widened. “Oh, Coraline.~”

“No.” Coraline shook her head, even lifting a finger up at Maggie. “No, do not go there.”

Maggie smirked at Coraline who continued shaking her head, her eyebrows wiggling before a laugh escaped her.

“I can’t believe it!”

“Maggie-!”

“He is a very nice man, especially compared to all the other officers.” Maggie laughed as she looked at Coraline’s frown. “What happened to your whole ethereal goddess look?~”

“Stop it.”

“Coraline,” Maggie then poked the woman’s cheek. “You’re pink.”

“What are you talking about-”

“It suits you.~”

[juminsmysticmc]

RFA+Minor Trio meeting MC's badass and overprotective Mother (a Mafia Boss) and Father (Yakuza Boss) along with her also overprotective assassin brothers?

RFA + Minor Trio meeting MC’s badass and overprotective Mother & Father  along with her also overprotective assassin brothers

LOL here you are sweetie! I never thought about something like that but I kind liked the idea! Enjyo!! BTW,  I’m sorry that the HC didn’t turn out how you expected it….

Jumin 

,,Jumin…“ you mumbled as he was dressing himself. 

Today the two of you would go to meet your parents, you were really excited. 

,,Yes?“ he answered and looked at you with lovely eyes which made your heart melt in an instant. 

,,The thing is that my parents and my two brothers are special.“ you began. 

Jumin Han looked at you and smiled. 

,,I will do my best.“ he promised. No, he really didn’t understand….

,,My mom is the…Mafia Boss and my Dad is…the Yakuza Boss while my brothers were raised as killers….“ you mumbled. 

,,Oh is that so? I can learn a lot from them then.“ he told you with a firm nod, leaving you surprised. 

You told him that you went away from home since you didn’t want to live like that. 

Jumin understood and promised you a good life. 

When the two of you came to your parents house and Jumin saw the whole bodyguards, he called his own bodyguards. 

,,Stay around my future wife!“ he commanded, leaving the bodyguards in a surprised stage. 

When your parents saw him, you saw in their eyes that they were going to tease him but then Jumin did something incredible. 

,,Don’t worry Sir.“ Jumin said as his eyes got darker.

 He rolled up his sleeves and sat down and looked at his future family. 

,,If something should happen to my future wife, I will take care of her myself. I will crush everyone with my money. By the way, I‘m Jumin Han, the CEO in line of the most well known industry.“ he chuckled and bowed his head making your whole family bow in an instant and you chuckle. 

,,You took yourself a good man, Mc“ you dad praised you and he looked at the man in front of you. 

,,Yeah, I agree with your dad. Nice.“ you mom nodded as she looked at the bodyguards behind him and all the people serving him. 

You sat on his lap and smiled while he hugged your body. 

,,He‘s the one who took me…“ you mumbled with lovely eyes. 

Jumin was amazed by your families strength and your beauty. 

Yes, he was going to protect you forever. 

He meant that. 

Zen

Zenny began to choke when he heard that you were the only girl from seven children.

But it wasn’t the fact that you had so many brothers what made him shiver but the fact that they were actually killers, raised by a Yakuza dad and a Mafia mother. 

He didn’t believe you….

,,The Japanese Mafia….omg“ he whined. 

You chuckled at his reaction. 

,,Don’t worry. I‘m the boss there.“ you told him what made him even more concerned. 

And really, when you entered the big mansion everyone bowed in front of you.  

,,Zenny, these are my brothers“ you told him as you told him their names. 

,,Boys, dare to do anything to him and your little sister will be devastated.“ you warned them. 

They all reacted to your words. And Zen knew, there was a part he didn’t know. 

When the two of you meet your parents finally, the first thing they did was hugging you and asking about your well being. 

,,I‘m really well! I came because I wanted to introduce you my fiancé.  Dad, Mom, that’s Zen. Please be nice to him.“ you told them, letting them nod. 

,,Which group are you in?“ your mom asked him, glaring at him and trying to check him. 

She looked really like a queen.

Zen didn’t know what to answer. 

,,I was in a motorcycle gang. And now I‘m in the RFA.“ he told them with a trembling voice. 

,,I understand….Mc, go with your mother and look at the rooms. I would like to talk with Zen.“ your dad requested. 

,,Yes okay but remember that I love him.“ you told him which sounded more like a warning. 

He nodded, you kissed Zen and went out. 

In the next moment your brothers entered the room and kneed in front of him. 

Zen was perplexed at their action. 

,,Please take care of our sister!“ they all requested. 

Zen didn’t understand. 

,,In the past our Mc had a really good friend, but we had to kill her and her family when we found out that she was an enemy.  

To protect her heart we told her that we killed her because we wanted to…. Since then we do everything to make her happy…’’ 

Zen was sad to hear about this but thanks to this story he promised himself that he would give his best to make you happy. 

Because he knew that if he would dare to make you cry, he would be a dead man…

Yoosung 

You didn’t warn him because you knew, if you would have told him, he would have died out of fear. 

You didn’t want him to become nervous either and so you decided to shut up about the truth. 

Well, but you were a bit concerned about him, you were afraid that your brothers could hurt him, your mother do something mean and your dad…..

You began to shiver when you thought about it. 

,,Yoosung.’’ you began. 

,,Mh?’’ he asked you happily. 

,,Well’’ you began. 

,,Please stay by my side while we go over there.’’ you requested. 

Yoosung smiled at you and asked you if you were afraid. 

You didn’t answer but yes you were afraid for him. 

When you finally arrived, Yoosung didn’t say anything. 

You wondered if he already noticed that you were the daughter of two mafia bosses. 

,,MC!’’ one of your brother called you and hugged you. 

,,Hiii how are you?’’ you asked him and hugged him back. 

,,I missed you so much, my sweet sister…awee you look even prettier than last time!’’ he told you and cupped your cheeks. 

Yoosung didn’t say anything and watched you guys, he thought that the two of you should enjoy the time. 

But then two more boys came, hugged you and kissed your cheeks. 

,,Who’s that?’’ one of them said, probably the older one and looked at him with angry eyes. 

,,Huh?’’ the second one said and hid you behind his body. 

Out of the blue the three boys looked at Yoosung with angry eyes, ready to fight him. 

,,Oi….’’ you mumbled. 

,,Don’t worry, sweetie, we will kill him right now.’’ they laughed and - 

,,OI!’’ you screamed. 

,,That’s my future husband!’’ you told them. 

They all looked at you, their eyes totally surprised. 

,,Are you sure?’’ they asked you. 

You just rolled your eyes and took Yoosung’s hand. 

But you still noticed that your brothers were glaring at Yoosung. 

While the two of you entered the house, you noticed that your dad called even more mens. 

The mens with the colorful tattoos bowed in front of you. 

,,Mc…’’ Yoosung whispered as he hold your hand even stronger. 

,,I think…..I saw this in the TV….they look like the Yakuza….’’ 

,,I know.’’ you answered and smiled at him. 

,,I’m sorry….could you bear with it a little bit?’’ you asked him. 

,,Mc, my daughter!’’ a woman stepped down the stairs with and Italian accent.

,,Mom!’’ you laughed and hugged her. 

,,Please, behave, he’s my future husband!’’ you whispered in her ear while she cuddled you. 

,,Va bene….(Okay in Italian)’’ 

,,Hi, you must be Yoosung. I’m Alessia Castellano.’’ you mother gave him her hand. 

Yoosung stayed stunned. 

But when your dad stepped down…..his face got pale in an instand. 

,,Are you sure that you want to marry this baby?’’

Yoosung heard a voice when he opened his eyes. 

He was laying on something soft. 

,,Shut up, Giuse. I love him and he loves me….he saved once.’’

Yoosung smiled ,,Don’t worry, even through I’m not strong I will protect her with all I’ve got. Me and my friends…We will take care of her.’’ 

Something in his voice made your dad approve him because two seconds after his words your dad welcomed him as son in law. 

Jaehee 

,,What? Are you kidding me?’’ she asked you when you told her that your brothers weren’t just overprotective but also killers. 

,,And your parents….?’’ she asked you. 

,,Well….my mom is the daughter of the most powerful Italian Mafia Boss and took over his work and my dad is the Yakuza boss….’’ you mumbled

,,Wow…’’ she moaned. 

,,This will be hard.’’ she nodded and took your hand. 

,,But surely not impossible.’’ she gave you hope. 

When you two arrived, everything was so silent…. 

,,Mc!’’ the four boys approached you. 

,,Hello!’’ you greeted them 

,,Woah, you brought a beauty chick here….’’ the casanova boy smiled. 

,,Nice to meet you, I’m her girlfriend.’’ Jaehee told them and bowed in front of them. 

For a few moments the boy didn’t dare to say anything. 

Jaehee knew that they were overprotective but she didn’t care because she loved you too, she would fight for you i it was necessary 

,,Fight me. I need to see if you’re worth of her.’’ the elder boy said. 

And then he attacked. 

Jaehee thought he would attack her but he attacked his own sister. 

But still, Jaehee reacted quickly enough to save you. 

,,You’re good.’’ another man clapped his hands as he stepped down with a woman. 

,,Daddy!’’ you giggled. 

Jaehee looked at you, this was your dad? She didn’t believe it…. 

,,Nice to meet you.’’ your mother greeted her. 

You were happy that your parents weren’t against it and truly hoped that your brothers could change their minds too. 

After all Jaehee was the woman you loved the most. 

Saeyoung 

,,LOLOL’’ he giggled as you told him. 

,,I went through a lot more hardship. Your badass mother and dad won’t hurt me.’’ he laughed. 

You glared at him. 

,,Woah, now I understand why your glare makes me shiver sometimes!’’ he laughed and kissed you. 

,,My overprotective killer brothers are there too.’’ you told him. 

,,Yes yes….’’ he nodded and prepared everything. 

,,What are you doing?’’ you groaned when you saw him with the toys. 

,,Going to defeat your family.’’ he responded. 

,,Idiot…’’ you mumbled. 

He drove over to your families place with the latest car, of course way too quickly. 

That’s why when you arrived, everyone, really everyone of your family ran out. 

,,HOLY SHIT ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY TO DRIVE SO QUICKLY WITH MY SISTER IN THSI FUCKING CAR?!’’ your older brother yelled at Saeyoung who laughed. 

,,What the hell is wrong with this ass?!’’ your second brother asked you. 

,,Amore, perhaps we should give him a lesson…’’ your mother laughed. 

Your dad stayed quiet. 

,,You guys….know what?’’ Saeyoung laughed and looked at them. 

,,My dad is the prime minister who’s a really bad ass….you won’t slow me down.’’ he laughed.

,,Dad, which pistol should we take?’’ your brother asked while your mother chuckled. 

,,Guys-please!’’ you begged. 

,,Saeyoung!’’ you snapped trying to figure out your dad’s face who was still silent. 

,,You all know that I always wanted your sister to stay away from this life. Treat this idiot well, he will keep her save.’’ he said. and while he hugged Saeyoung, he whispered 

,,Don’t dare to drive like that once again….my people will follow you, if you do something wrong, I won’t hesitate to let them kill you…’’ but except Saeyoung none heard. 

,,Of course, Dad!’’ he laughed, accepting the challenge. 

Saeran 

You loved him the way he was-sweet and innocent but also aggressive when he had to. 

And that was one of your worry too…You knew that if he would feel offended, he would surely attack your family and your family would attack back… 

You wanted to prevent this situation and so you tried to tell him. 

,,You know, Saeran….I was missing for a long time when you-‚‘’ 

,,when I kidnapped you?’’ 

,,Yeah….’’ you responded and tried to tell him more ,,My family didn’t really like the-‚‘’ 

,,Situation? I know. That’s why I took you. Your mom is a mafia boss, your dad a yakuza boss, your two brothers killers. I took you because they couldn’t go to the police. And I also know that they are pretty angry.’’ He told you before you could even breath. 

,,Oh…’’ you mumbled and stayed silent. 

Saeran smiled at you and took your hand and walked towards your house. 

Two young boys in a suit were waiting, both of them smoking. When they saw you, they got rid of their cigarette and approached you. 

,,You fat ass were the one who put her into danger?!’’ one screamed and took out a knife. 

,,Oi! We said we would do it inside!’’ the other one yelled back. 

,,Are you crazy?! That’s the welcome we get?!’’ you asked them. 

But they ignored you. 

Instead they were ready to fight Saeran. 

,,Boys! Come on! Let me see him first!’’ your mother called. 

And so you entered the mansion. Your dad glared at Saeran, his people behind him while your mother smiled with her cigarette. 

,,That’s my boyfriend…’’ you mumbled, knowing that they were aware of the situation. 

,,Now, you. Tell me, how could you-‚‘’ 

,,Mr, before you say anything to me, I would like to ask you, how come that I could take your daughter like that? How come that you couldn’t find her? Isn’t that a sign for you that you aren’t that great? Isn’t that a reason for you to stay nice to me? Just think about the fact that someone else could come to your daughter and take her, imagine he’s as skilled as me, I don’t think that the person will be as nice as me.’’ Saeran told them, making them all surprised. 

Your mom’s cigarette even fell. 

You hugged Saeran’s arm ,,I love him, daddy! Be nice to him!’’ you beggged. 

,,Okay….’’ he mumbled and began to talk to him, trying to stay normal.  

Jihyun 

,,Do your parents know it?“ he asked you out of the blue while you were driving. 

,,Know what?“ you asked him. 

,,Well, that you were in danger because of me and that I disappeared for a long time….“ he asked you. 

You stopped the car at a secure spot and looked at him. 

,,To be honest Jihyun, my parents aren’t that ordinary. 

They are something like….well….they are the Yakuza Boss and the Mafia Boss…“ you told him. 

He looked at you. 

,,How do your brothers feel about it?“ he asked you. 

,,Well….“ and so you told him that they were actually professional killer. 

,,Ugh…Luciel told me that they haunted him once…“ he confessed making you chuckle. 

,,I wonder if that’s true since they really don’t give up.“ you told him. 

Without wanting it you made him gulp. 

When the two of you arrived he tried to act strong but it was really hard. 

Your brothers glared at him, trying to take him away from you. 

,,That’s my boyfriend, let him be.“ you told them. 

,,Amore di Mamma!“ you mother shouted as soon as she saw you. You took your mothers beauty, that was for sure. 

Jihyun was about to say hello when she took out a pistol and held it at his head. 

,,I heard that you let her wait for a few years.“ she said. 

,,Let him be.“ a man said from behind and approached you and your mother. 

,,Dad! That’s my boyfriend!“ you told him happily. 

The defense he took a moment ago fell apart immediately. 

,,You…?“ he asked him. 

,,Mhm…“ Jihyun nodded and hoped to stay alive. 

But luckily you could protect him for a long time and everything ended well. 

Well, in the evening he had heard a lot of threats but he could bear with it. 

Vanderwood  

,,I don’t give it a fuck.“ 

That was your boyfriend‘s reaction. 

You looked at him, surprised and scared. 

What would happen if he would talk like that to your family? 

They would surely kill him! 

But he still didn’t pay attention to you. 

The worst thing was that he didn’t even try to look well in front of your family! 

,,Oi, clumsy idiot! You’re dirtying everything!’’ he yelled at you in front of your oldest brother and dad while you were eating a cookie. 

,,Don’t, you will get fat and beside, you won’t have space in there for the food later on!’’ he snapped again now that your mom was listening too. 

,,Vandy! I want to enjoy this cookie! You don’t let me eat at home (stuff like that)-‚‘’ 

,,WHAT?! YOU DON’T LET HER EAT?!’’ your brother yelled at him while your mother glared at him. 

,,Mc! Come here, you will get bloody!’’ your mother yelled at you, ready to tell your brother to kill the love of your life. 

,,What? No, Vanderwood is a nice person!’’ you tried to explain. 

,,Mc, how come that you love this man?’’ your dad asked, who already had his pistol. 

,,Dad…Dad, please! PLEASE DON’T!’’ you cried. 

,,No, I don’t like him.’’ your dad said and pointed at his chest. 

Vanderwood chuckled, sure about his ability to avoid the bullet. 

But he couldn’t react that quickly and in the next moment you laid in his arms, ready to shield him. 

,,FAT ASS GO AWAY FROM HERE YOU DIRTY-‚‘’ Vanderwood yelled at your and tried to shield you. 

And so he ended at getting hit at his arms for shielding your body. 

,,AMORE MA CHE CA-‚‘’ your mother cursed (Dear, what the f- are you doing) as she saw you. 

,,Vandy….’’ you sobbed. 

,,Are you stupid?! I won’t be able to use my arm for a long time! That means you will have to tidy up the place! We both know that you can’t!’’ he yelled at you. 

,,I just realized! Please get better! I don’t want to scrub the bath!’’ you cried. 

,,Wait-you’re not the one who does the house chore?!’’ your brother asked you surprised…

MASTERLIST 1MASTERLIST 2

21.01.’19// 20:48 MEST

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