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smilingformoney · 6 months ago

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For the Love of Books | Sinclair x OC

XII. Forgiveness and Love

Summary: The truth finally comes out - but Sinclair's got some work to do before he and Betty can move forward.

Read now on Ao3 or below the cut:

Despite Lionel’s very unsubtle attempts to set her up on dates, Betty was still nowhere near ready to date again – not least because she barely had time. Between managing the shop, looking after Goldie, looking after herself, housework and being dragged by Lionel from art exhibitions to charity galas to opening nights at the theatre, Betty had hardly any time to think about dating, let alone find time to actually do it.

But the other reason was, she just didn’t know how to shake Sinclair from her head. Everything reminded her of him, particularly the ever-growing golden retriever who she was now solely responsible for. Although Sinclair had seemed eager to visit Goldie, the call never came, and Betty suspected Natalie was to blame.

Knowing that Natalie was due to pop any moment, Betty braced herself every time she saw Lionel for the news that the baby had come, but if it had he kept mum.

The news came finally on a Friday night; Betty was just putting the dishwasher on after dinner when she heard the doorbell chime.

Goldie immediately began barking, running to the door to protect her from the stranger, and Betty had to coax him into the living room and shut the door before she could attend to her visitor.

On her doorstep was a sad, wet puppy, soaked from the summer storm raging overhead.

“What are you —? Get inside, you numpty!”

Betty grabbed Sinclair’s arm and pulled him inside, quickly closing the door behind him so he could shiver on her carpet.

“Th - thanks,” Sinclair said through chattering teeth. “That rain came out of nowhere!”

“Look at you, you’re soaked!” Betty admonished him as she poked at his clothes, which looked like they’d just been sat in a full bathtub. “There’s towels in the bathroom, go get yourself dried off. I think I have something you can wear. Then you can tell me what you’re doing here.”

Soon enough, Sinclair was mostly dry, although his hair was still damp, and he was wearing the pyjamas he’d kept in a drawer at her flat… before. Goldie was ecstatic to see his dad again, and despite everything, when Betty entered the living room with a cup of tea for Sinclair, her heart warmed to see her two puppies reunited.

Sinclair thanked Betty for the tea, although with Goldie on his lap he had little space to hold it, but the pup soon calmed down enough to settle on his dad’s lap while Sinclair held the warm mug like it was his life source.

“I really like your house, Betty,” Sinclair said, his eyes darting around as they always did in a new place, as if he needed to absorb every detail of it. “It’s cozy. Very you.”

Betty sat down at the opposite end of the sofa, her legs tucked underneath her. Spoiled for choice, Goldie decided to settle between them, his head on Sinclair’s lap and his bum curled up against Betty’s thigh.

“Thanks. I got it with the money Lionel paid me for the shop.”

“Yes, how is the shop going? If Lionel gives you any trouble…”

“He’s been nothing but good to me. But I don’t think you came here to talk about Lionel, or the shop.”

Sinclair bowed his head sadly.

“Um, no. I came here because… I didn’t know where else to go. I don’t want to go home right now. I thought about going to the office and getting some work done but I don’t think I could focus. I needed somewhere I feel… safe. And so I thought of you. I’ve always felt safe with you, Betty. I think that’s what drew me to you from the day we met. You’re my safe place.”

He gazed into his tea thoughtfully.

“Why do you need a safe place right now, Sinclair?” Betty asked softly.

“Natalie had the baby,” Sinclair said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “The doctors said he has, um, carma cramlica. Which only occurs when…”

He hesitated.

“The parents are siblings,” Betty finished for him.

“…Yeah.”

Sinclair closed his eyes and shook his head.

“God, Betty, I am so sorry. I’ve been such an idiot. To think I - I broke your heart because I was stupid enough to believe her. I’m not… I’m not asking for you to forgive me, or take me back, or to ever see me again. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d left me out in the rain. But I… I needed to see you. I needed to say I’m sorry.”

He looked up at her at last, his puppy dog eyes brimming with tears.

“I am so, so sorry, Betty.”

There was a long pause, the silence broken only by Goldie’s tail wagging excitedly, apparently oblivious to the tension between his parents.

“Losing you killed me, Clair,” Betty said quietly, her hands busying themselves with stroking Goldie’s back. “It killed me over and over again. Every time I woke up alone, every time I ate lunch alone, every time something reminded me of you. My heart broke every day. But still, every day I had to get out of bed, I had to eat, I had to keep living. Alone, like I’ve always done. But this time it hurt.”

“But you’re not alone, you have Goldie! And Lionel, he’s clearly been a good friend to you.”

“That’s not the same, Sinclair. Goldie’s a dog, he’s not you . And Lionel - he is a good friend. But he’s still not you. I wanted you. I fell in love with you. Your dog, your cousin - they’re wonderful, but they’re still remnants of you. You haunt me, Sinclair.”

“I never meant to haunt you.”

“I know.”

“Letting you go was the biggest mistake of my life.”

Betty sighed, closing her eyes as she tried not to cry.

“Sinclair, why are you here? Do you want me back?”

“Yes! I - well… yes, of course I want you back. And if you turn me away, I’ll want you back until the day I die. But that’s not why I came. I came because you’re the only thing that’s right in this world, the only person I can trust. I’m not asking you to get back together with me, Betty. I know I don’t deserve it, and if you hate me, I understand. I just need your company, just for tonight. Please.”

Betty laughed incredulously, her eyes still brimming with tears.

“I don’t hate you, Sinclair! How can I? I love you. That’s why it hurts so much. That’s why I let you in without question, why we’re sitting here now. Because I need you tonight as much as you need me.”

She sighed.

“But… I think you should leave.”

The disappointment on Sinclair’s face couldn’t have been more obvious.

“…Oh.”

“You hurt me, Sinclair. Really hurt me. I can’t just forgive you like that —”

“I’m not asking you to!”

“Then don’t ask me to comfort you because your wife cheated on you again. I just - I need time, okay? And so you do. You can’t keep jumping from relationship to relationship. Do you even know who you are without a girlfriend or a wife?”

Sinclair looked hurt, but he couldn’t argue, because she was right and they both knew it. Before Natalie there was Laura, before Laura there was Amiee, before Amiee there was Alex, before Alex there was Emily… he’d hardly ever spent more than a few weeks single before jumping into another relationship. Truthfully, that was partly why he’d married Natalie - because everyone told him he had to settle down eventually, so he did. He hadn’t considered that he wasn’t settling down with Natalie - he was settling for her. He had no idea that he’d meet the love of his life two years later.

“I… I still want you in my life, Betty,” Sinclair said, his voice almost a whisper. “But I know - I know we can’t go back to being just friends. How can we, when we both know I still love you?”

Goldie contributed to the conversation with a fart.

Betty snorted with laughter, and Sinclair laughed too, the tears in his eyes disguising themselves as tears of laughter.

“I really missed you, Goldie,” Sinclair said, scratching the dog behind his ear. Goldie panted happily.

“Do you want him back?” Betty asked. “Now that Natalie’s gone?”

Sinclair looked up at her, wide-eyed. “No, he’s yours! I mean - I would like to see him, if that’s okay. I know we talked about visitation before but…”

“Natalie wouldn’t let you, I know. Of course you can visit him. Maybe you could come by after work on a Friday and take him out for a walk?”

Sinclair’s eyes lit up again. “Yes, I’d love to! I miss bringing him on my morning runs. Maybe I’ll take him on a run around Hyde Park, then I get to spend time with him and get an extra run in! What do you think, Goldie?”

Goldie wagged his tail. Sinclair grinned, then remembered his situation, and his heart sank.

“I don’t want to go back home tonight,” he sighed. “She’s still in hospital, but I don’t know if she’ll be discharged tonight. Although I’d hope she’ll stay with Richard if she does…”

“Why don’t you stay with Lionel?”

“Hmm, maybe…”

Sinclair was clearly struck with indecision, so Betty decided for him and stood to pick up the phone that sat on the wall. She pressed the speed-dial button for Lionel’s office; when there was no answer, she tried his London home, hoping he hadn’t gone to his country home for the weekend.

“Lionel Shabandar speaking.”

“Hello Lionel Shabandar speaking, it’s Elizabeth Bennett speaking.”

“Ah, Elizabeth Bennett speaking, wonderful to hear your voice. Looking forward to the exhibition tomorrow?”

“The —? Oh, right, yes. Look, Sinclair’s here and he needs a place to stay tonight. Can he stay with you?”

“Sinclair’s with you is he?” Lionel asked, clearly scandalised. “Well, you have a bed, don’t you? A lovely double bed for two people to cozy up in. Unless you’re planning on fucking in my guest room?”

“Lionel, shut up, it’s not like that.”

Betty glanced at Sinclair, who was watching her nervously from his seat on the sofa, still scratching Goldie’s ear.

“I’ll let him explain. Just - let him stay tonight. Please?”

“Oh, alright. I suppose it’s my brotherly duty, isn’t it? But I want full details from him, and don’t think I won’t be grilling you tomorrow too. I have methods for getting information out of people, you know.”

“If by ‘methods’ you mean getting people drunk, then yes, I’ve experienced that firsthand. Thanks, Lionel. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow it is. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Betty hung up the phone, then walked back over to the sofa to scoot Goldie off Sinclair’s lap.

“Come on, you, let dad up so he can go.”

Betty waited for Sinclair to stand up, but he sat there glumly before looking up at her with those big, sad eyes.

“You have Lionel’s number on speed dial.”

“Yes, because he’s my boss and my friend. Come on, Sinclair, I need to go to bed too. Are you okay to drive?”

Sinclair nodded, then pushed himself to his feet. Goldie spun around excitedly, thinking daddy was taking him on a walk, and barked his protestations when Betty shut him in the living room as she saw Sinclair out.

“I’ll see you next Friday, then,” Betty said. “You can pick him up around six, I’ll be back by then.”

“Alright. I —”

Sinclair hesitated, his words caught in his mouth.

“Thank you,” he said at last, and Betty watched him go as he stepped back into the pouring rain to drive away.

When Sinclair arrived at Lionel’s high rise apartment, he had during the relatively short drive over ran every possible scenario through his head, naturally coming to the worst conclusion - that he’d lost Betty forever.

But who could blame her? He’d not want anything to do with him either, not after the misery he’d caused her.

Sinclair entered his cousin’s apartment with a dark cloud looming over his head, and Lionel knew immediately that something was very wrong. They’d known each other their entire lives, and Lionel could probably count on one hand the amount of times Sinclair had let him see him sad.

He took one look at his cousin’s face, announced it was time for the emergency wine, and retrieved from the kitchen the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay he’d been saving for just the right moment. He brought the bottle and two glasses into the living room and poured a glass for each of them.

Sinclair just sat there glumly.

“Come on, spill,” Lionel demanded. “What happened?”

Sinclair sighed and sank back into the sofa.

“Natalie had the baby. And it’s not mine.”

“Well, I could have told you that,” Lionel said with a shrug.

Sinclair shot his cousin a dark look. “You did tell me that. I just thought you were being a prat.”

“So are you done with her for good this time?”

“Yeah, she - she agreed not to contest the divorce if I don’t tell anyone that Richard’s the father.”

“And how does that lead to Betty calling me asking me to put you up for the night?”

“I - I went straight to hers. I didn’t know where else to go. I didn’t even think about it, I just… needed somewhere I felt safe. And I ended up on her doorstep.” Sinclair sighed. “God, she was so kind to me. I was going to ask if I could stay the night - just on the sofa - but she asked me to leave. Which I completely get – just because I realised how much of an idiot I’ve been, doesn’t mean she doesn’t hate me for it. And I was such an idiot! I thought I was doing the right thing, and now look at me. I’m all alone.”

“What am I, chopped liver?”

Sinclair’s mouth twitched with the ghost of a smile.

“I mean it, Sinclair,” Lionel said firmly. “I know I never say it, because I’m terrible at these things, but I am here for you. We’re genetically brothers, as you love to remind me, so as your brother I have no qualms in telling you to stop convincing yourself that Betty hates you. She’s madly in love with you. You know, I tried to set her up with some very impressive friends of mine, but she wasn’t interested. She was too hung up on you.”

Sinclair sniffed and wiped a tear from his eye.

“Did you really not sleep with her?”

“This again,” Lionel muttered with frustration. “No, I did not sleep with her, Sinclair. I suggested it, she said no, that was the end of it. I understand what you see in her, but we really are only friends. In fact, aside from you, she may well be my best friend. So I’d really like it if you two could stop pining over each other and just fuck already because it’s driving me insane.”

Sinclair shook his head. “No, she - she said she can’t forgive me. She needs time. And I’ll give her all the time she needs. If I have to wait forever for her, I will. And if she never forgives me…”

A tear rolled down his cheek as he contemplated the thought of it.

”…then so be it. Because I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive myself.”

---

The next few months were some of the hardest in Sinclair’s life.

Natalie kept her word and signed the divorce papers without fuss, agreeing to a clean break with no demands for maintenance. When they met up in the solicitor’s office a month after the birth to sign the papers, she brought the baby with her. His name was Peter, she told him, and although his condition left him with some physical abnormalities, he was overall a healthy boy. She brought the birth certificate to prove that she’d listed no one as the father, leaving her the only one with responsibility for him. Between that and the divorce finally settled, Sinclair felt oddly empty to know he no longer had any links to her or the baby.

They said an awkward goodbye afterwards, and she drove away.

Two weeks later, Sinclair received a postcard from Amsterdam. Richard had been offered a job there and they’d had to move quickly.

With Natalie out of the picture, Sinclair felt a sense of relief, and he admitted as such to his therapist. A few days after the birth, he’d called the same therapist he’d seen with Natalie, and she was happy to see him on a one-to-one basis.

He almost didn’t go back after the first session. It was difficult, telling her everything - even about Richard and Natalie - and he left feeling more exposed than ever. But the therapist promised it would get better, that they had to expose the wounds for them to heal, and week by week, it did get better.

He was beginning to understand himself, something he’d never stopped to think to do, and after the third session, the therapist asked if she could speak to Lionel on the phone, then sent him home with a list of questions to consider. He didn’t really understand why she was asking them or why she wanted to talk to Lionel until his next session, when another doctor sat in and asked him some more questions. He’d read Sinclair’s answers, read the notes from the call with Lionel, and after meeting him, the doctor came to a conclusion and sent Sinclair away with some pamphlets.

Sinclair felt guilty going to a bookshop other than Betty’s, but he didn’t want her to see him buying books on ADHD. Not that he was ashamed - the more he read about it, the more it made complete sense. But he wanted to understand it himself before he asked her to understand it.

The best part of Sinclair’s week was always Friday after work, because he got to see her. He also got to see Goldie, who he’d missed almost as much as he missed Betty, and taking him out for a walk was his favourite thing to do.

Three weeks after his diagnosis, Sinclair asked Betty if she’d like to join them on their walk.

He expected her to make an excuse, or to just plain say no - she was direct like that, and he loved that about her.

What he didn’t expect was for her face to light up and her coat to be in her hands before he’d even finished his sentence.

“It’s funny, I was gonna ask you if I could come today,” Betty said as she closed the door behind her, having to speak up to be heard over Goldie’s excited barking when he realised he was getting a walk with mummy and daddy. Betty put her hands in her coat pockets, partly to warm them from the chilly autumn air, and partly to stop herself from instinctively taking Sinclair’s hand.

“You can come with us any time! I’m sure Goldie’ll love it. It’s been ages since we last walked him together, do you think he even remembers it?”

“We walked him together once, when he was still a puppy,” Betty reminded him. “I doubt he remembers it. I do, though, it was… it was nice.”

“Yeah, it was,” Sinclair said, blushing when he remembered it was the morning after their first time.

“I’d like to come with you more, if that’s okay.”

“Yes!” Sinclair nodded eagerly. “Yes, of course it’s okay! Look how happy it makes him!”

Sure enough, Goldie was barking happily even more than usual, and Sinclair had to keep tugging on the lead to stop him jumping into the road.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, both unsure how to make conversation when their relationship was what it was.

“I’m seeing a therapist,” Sinclair blurted out.

“Oh! Oh, that’s - that’s good.”

“She’s been really helpful. It’s really hard sometimes, but… I’ve made a lot of progress. You know, understanding myself and that sort of thing.”

“Right.”

They passed through the gate to the park, and Goldie started bouncing happily, making it difficult for Sinclair to take the leash off his collar.

They watched him bound away into the park, barking excitedly as he greeted his doggy friends, and Betty laughed.

“He really is just like you.”

Sinclair smiled.

“Like father, like son. Hey, do you want to get an ice-cream? There’s this really nice stand over there - I’m sure you know this, you take him here more than I do - but I love their mint chocolate chip.”

“Sinclair, it’s freezing!” Betty laughed.

“It’s never too cold for ice-cream,” Sinclair said seriously.

“Oh, alright, only because their chocolate is amazing,” Betty conceded. “And I think they’re closing for winter soon.”

“Nooo! It’s even more important that we have some now! Come on, I’m paying, no arguments.”

Sinclair bounded over to the ice-cream stand, ordered a mint chocolate chip and a chocolate, and the two of them sat down on a bench in the 7 degree weather to eat their ice-creams.

“How’s things with the shop?” Sinclair asked, mindful of his therapist’s advice to ask other people about their lives, and also genuinely curious how it was going since Lionel had bought it out.

“Really good, actually. Lionel was a godsend - don’t tell him I said that, though. But I’ve got staff now, some really lovely uni students, so I get a lot more time to spend doing the back office stuff. I’m making a decent wage, enough to support myself and Goldie, and Lionel says at the end of the year I’ll get a bonus based on the profits.”

“That’s amazing! You really deserve it, Betty. You’ve put so much into that place. I see it when I go to David’s for lunch, it looks so different than it did a year ago!”

“Crikey, has it been a year already?”

“Almost! It was the end of October when we met. I can’t believe it was only a year ago. I feel like I’ve known you forever.”

Betty smiled.

“Yeah, I think that sometimes. Even though - even though we were only together for a few months… you changed my life.”

Sinclair looked down at Betty, butterflies erupting in his stomach as if they were on their first date all over again. He wanted to kiss her, to tell her he still loved her, to take her home and make love to her, to hold her close and never let her go.

Her hand moved towards his face, and he thought maybe she was about to cup his face and kiss him - but instead, her thumb wiped the end of his nose, and she giggled as she showed him the blob of green ice-cream.

“I think this is yours.”

“Hey, I was saving that for later! I guess you can have it now.”

“Eiw, no, I hate mint ice-cream. You have it.”

She moved her thumb towards his lips, but at the same time he moved his lips towards her thumb, and where he intended to simply lick the end of her thumb, he ended up taking her thumb into his mouth.

Instinctively, he closed his lips around her thumb and sucked, their eyes locked on one another, and Betty felt a tingle she hadn’t felt in a while as Sinclair’s amber eyes glowed with some intensity she’d only ever seen in him.

She withdrew her thumb from his mouth, blushing, and Sinclair realised suddenly what had just happened.

“Oh, god, sorry,” he apologised profusely. “I didn’t, um - I don’t know why I did that.”

“It’s okay,” Betty replied quietly. She looked up at him again, fighting the urge to kiss him. God, why did he have to be so irresistible?

With an excited bark, Goldie bounded up to them, as if he knew he needed to stop his parents before they did something stupid like admit they still loved each other.

“Oh my god, he’s done a shit,” Betty groaned, noticing the familiar stench of dog poop nearby. “Have you got the bags?”

“Yeah, I’ve got them here - hold this —”

The moment well and truly broken, Betty held both ice-creams in her hands as Sinclair dug out the poo bags to retrieve the remnants of Goldie’s dinner. The sun was beginning to set, so with a stranger’s shoe saved from stepping in something unpleasant, Sinclair and Betty finished their ice-creams as they led Goldie back out of the park, both of them silently pondering the moment that had just passed between them.

---

Betty came along on the next walk, and the next, and when she met Lionel at the National Portrait Gallery one evening for the unveiling of their latest exhibition, he immediately started questioning her.

“So I hear you’re dating Sinclair again,” he said by way of greeting as he approached her with drinks in hand.

“I - what - no I’m not!” Betty spluttered in protest. “We walk the dog we’re co-parenting once a week. We’re not dating.”

Lionel sighed. “Sinclair said that too. I was hoping you’d be more honest with me. So going for a walk in the park and eating sweets together isn’t a date?”

“No! Not in this context. I want to spend time with him and Goldie, that��s all. Why, what’s he been saying?”

“Oh, no, I’m not gonna be your go-between,” Lionel said firmly. “If you two want to communicate, you do it together, not through me. Frankly, I’m getting a little sick of the two of you and your pining. You’re clearly mad for each other, what’s stopping you?”

“You know what’s stopping me,” Betty said quietly.

“Well, I think you’re both complete morons. Now, can we focus on the art and not your self-inflicted heartache, please?”

“Hey, you brought him up!”

Lionel waved aside her protest and put a hand on her back to guide her to the first corridor of the exhibition.

“This way, there’s a Monet piece they’re showing down here I really want to buy…”

At some point in the evening, Lionel and Betty lost each other, but that was usual - Lionel got talking to someone, Betty wandered off, and they’d find each other again in the end. So when Betty ended up at the bar on her own, she wasn’t perturbed, and she bought herself a glass of wine while she waited for Lionel to catch up.

“And just what would a beautiful woman like you be doing here on her own?”

Betty looked up from the spot on the ground she’d been absentmindedly staring at when she heard an unfamiliar American drawl. The stranger was a little older than Lionel, and handsome too, with a moustache and a confident smirk on his face that said he was used to approaching strange women and was rarely told to piss off.

“I’m waiting for a friend. We got split up in the gallery. What are you doing here on your own?”

“Also waiting for a friend, though I’m hoping I’ve made an even better one.” He put his hand out to her. “Dr Eli Michaelson.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of you. Betty Bennett.”

She went to shake his hand, but instead he took it softly and kissed the back of her hand. What was it with these uppity white men and kissing women’s hands when they met?

“You’ve heard of me, have you? Are you an enthusiast for chemistry?”

“No, Lionel told me about you,” Betty replied as she took her hand back. “He said you were visiting from the States and you’d meet him tonight.”

“Did he say anything else?” Eli asked with faux modesty.

“About you? No. But I suspect you can speak for yourself.”

“I sure can,” Eli said proudly, his back straightening slightly. “I’m a scientist; some might say a renowned scientist. I specialise in chemistry, of… all types.”

Eli’s eyes flashed dangerously, and Betty suddenly became very aware that he had very little concept of personal space as he leant against the wall next to her.

“Do you know much about chemistry, Betty?”

“I was never much for science at school,” Betty admitted. “I much preferred English and Humanities.”

“Is that so? Well, when I’m not researching, I’m also a chemistry professor. Maybe I could teach you a thing or two?”

Betty gulped and glanced around. A few people were milling about, but none were paying them any attention. Where the hell was Lionel?!

“Thanks, I - I think I’m good.”

Eli looked her up and down, not even trying to hide the fact that he was checking her out.

“Something tells me you’d be a quick learner. C’mon, what d’ya say we ditch Lionel? I can teach you more than you ever imagined in one night, and you’d still have only scratched the surface of my… expertise .”

Betty was frozen to the spot. She had no idea what to do or say to get herself out of this. He was taller than her, almost definitely stronger, and if she made a scene she knew from experience she’d be the one getting kicked out.

“I’m sorry, I have to go and find Lionel,” she mumbled, ducking under Eli’s arm to quickly scurry away back into the gallery, leaving her half-drunk glass of wine on a table.

She didn’t dare look back, worried Eli would follow her, but if he did then she didn’t hear him. She finally located Lionel in a room on his own, looking thoughtfully at a portrait of some king or another.

“Ah, there you are - what’s wrong?” Lionel turned to her, a frown forming on his face when he saw how uncomfortable she was.

“I met your American friend. You didn’t mention he’s a complete cad.”

Lionel sighed in frustration.

“I’m sorry. He’s the worst. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, just - I needed an excuse to get away. Um, in fact, I might just go.”

“Are you sure? I can tell him to piss off instead. I’d much rather have you around.”

“No, it’s fine, honestly. Can I use your driver? I’ve had some wine.”

“Of course, let me just call him.”

Ten minutes later, Betty was in the back of Lionel’s Range Rover, wondering why the hell one of Lionel’s friends flirting with her was making her so uncomfortable. She’d gotten used to it, or so she thought - whenever she met another of his important friends, if Lionel didn’t try to set them up himself, they’d usually try and flirt with her anyway. At least, she supposed, they weren’t baulking when they saw her.

But this time it was different. It was as if, were she to accept Eli’s advances, she’d be breaking some sort of rule. Like it was cheating.

Which was preposterous - she was a free agent. She had no one to cheat on. She’d made it very clear to Sinclair that they were taking some time apart. Only that very evening she’d told Lionel that her weekly walks with Sinclair were not dates.

So why did she eagerly wait all week for them?

Betty was so lost in thought that she didn’t glance out the window the entire journey. When the car came to a stop, she absent-mindedly thanked Lionel’s driver, then climbed out of the car.

It wasn’t until she closed the door behind her that she peered through the darkness of the evening to see that she wasn’t at her house at all.

It was Sinclair’s.

“Oh, fuck you, Lionel!” Betty hissed.

And yet, she didn’t get back in the car. Instead, her feet carried her forward. She was cold, and like a moth to the flame she was drawn towards the warmth of the house, enticed by the thoughts of central heating, the fireplace, and Sinclair’s arms.

She rang the bell, but there was no answer. She could see a light on in Sinclair’s reading room. Maybe he knew it was her at the door and was ignoring her. Or maybe he was so wrapped up in a book he hadn’t even heard the bell. Or, quite likely knowing him, he was tucked up in bed and had forgotten to turn the lights out.

The driver had already driven away, so Betty had little choice but to go inside. She took the spare key from its hiding spot and let herself in, treading quietly so as not to wake Sinclair if he was asleep.

She slipped off her shoes and tip-toed to the reading room to find that, sure enough, Sinclair was splayed out on the sofa, mouth hanging open, and an open book laying face-down on his chest.

Betty smiled at the endearing sight. She saw the remnants of the takeout he’d ordered were still on the coffee table, so she gathered up the pizza boxes and consolidated the leftovers into one box to put in the fridge, then threw the rest in the bin. She wiped down the table, then picked up the book from his chest to mark his page and put it aside.

She paused, curious, looking at the cover of the book.

Adult ADHD and Navigating Relationships

She had no idea what ADHD was; was it some kind of condition that Sinclair had? She looked at the blurb on the back, which read:

For adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, navigating relationships - whether romantic, family or friends - can be difficult. Our book is designed to help you and those you love to better understand your functioning and build healthy relationships.

“Attention-deficit” and “hyperactive” were certainly words Betty would use to describe Sinclair, but she wasn’t so sure about “disorder.” Still, if it was something his therapist had advised him to read, she certainly wasn’t qualified to question it.

She slipped the bookmark Sinclair had dropped on the floor into the page and closed the book. Although she was tempted to see what it said, she felt that might be a little too invasive.

“Betty?” Sinclair mumbled from the sofa, his eyes squinting against the light of the lamp he’d left on. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello, sleepyhead,” she said with a smile, placing the book down on the table and sitting on the sofa as Sinclair sat up. “I see you’re still falling asleep mid-book.”

“Just resting my eyes,” Sinclair replied with a yawn. He stretched, and when he lowered his arms, his hand instinctively fell on her knee. “I’ll do it more often if it means a beautiful woman will appear by my side.”

Betty blushed.

“I hope you don’t mind I let myself in…”

“Of course not. I’m so glad to see you — but, um, why are you here?”

“I, erm… I was at an art thing with Lionel. I wanted to go home early so he called his driver and apparently told him to take me here.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s desperate for us to get back together.”

“I know he is,” Sinclair replied cautiously, trying not to make it too obvious that he was desperate for the same thing. “But you can stay here anyway if you like. I’ll make up the guest room for you - or I’ll sleep in there and you can have my bed, I know you like the mattress.”

“No, Sinclair, you don’t have to do that —”

“I insist!” Sinclair said stubbornly, pouting a little to emphasise his point, and Betty fought back the urge to kiss his cute lips. “If you don’t, I’ll sleep on the sofa and no one will have the comfy bed.”

Of course, they could both sleep in the bed - they’d done it plenty of times before. Betty couldn’t stand the idea of sleeping in that bed with Sinclair in another room, as if she’d kicked him out. Sinclair was right, his mattress was amazing… and even comfier with his chest as a pillow.

She became suddenly aware that his hand was on her knee. She tentatively placed her hand over his, and when he glanced down, both of them surprised at the electricity of her touch, Betty leaned forward and connected her lips to his.

There was no hesitation, no surprise. They just melted into each other’s touch immediately, both so relieved to finally taste the other again after far too long. Sinclair placed his hands on Betty’s hips and lifted her side-saddle onto his lap before wrapping his arms around her torso to hold her close. He felt her tongue pressing against his lips and was more than happy to part them for her, allowing her to taste him again.

She wanted to straddle him, but her skirt was too tight, so she pulled it up around her waist to expose her legs and allow them to sit either side of his hips. Sinclair immediately reached for her exposed skin, hands grabbing at the flesh of her thighs as she released his lips to kiss his neck, teeth grazing at his skin, making him whine in that beautiful way she’d missed so much.

Sinclair wasn’t sure what had changed, but he wasn’t going to argue. He was too intoxicated by her, by her touch, her smell, the taste of her skin on his lips as he kissed whatever part of her head he was able to get access to as she mapped a trail along his neck, as if she were determined to leave him a chain of lovebites.

He could feel his cock growing between his legs, because how could it not when she was on top of him, both of them in their underwear from the waist down, leaving only two small pieces of fabric between them.

He wanted to be inside her, but the part of him that still screamed with guilt at the way he’d hurt her refused to let him. He didn’t deserve that, he didn’t deserve her — but she deserved everything she wanted, and he’d do anything to give it to her.

Sinclair reached between their bodies to push his hand under Betty’s underwear, and he let out a groan of desire when he ran his fingers through her hair, the hair he loved to bury himself in as he brought her pleasure any way he could.

“Please,” Betty gasped, speaking for the first time since their lips had connected. “Clair… I need you.”

“You have me,” he promised, his eyes burning into hers with a fierce amber glow.

He slipped a finger and then a second inside her, her wetness easily letting him past her entrance. God, she was dripping, and he could hardly believe it was all for him.

Betty grabbed onto Sinclair’s shoulder with one hand and the back of his neck with the other as he thrust his fingers inside her, reaching up to her sweet spot with practised ease. She pulled on his hair a little, knowing he liked it, and he let out a whine that sounded almost like her name.

As if his fingers weren’t enough, Sinclair pressed his thumb against her clit, circling it in rhythm with the thrust of his fingers, and Betty groaned hungrily.

“Oh, god, Clair… Clair, that feels so good…”

“I love you, Betty,” Sinclair blurted out, unable to keep it inside any longer. His heart was full with love for her, and his cock full of lust, and he knew one of them had to burst.

“I - I love you too, Sinclair,” Betty gasped between moans. “So - so much… I couldn’t resist you anymore…”

“I’m glad you didn’t, because I’ve been dying to touch you again. To kiss you - hold you - fill you up… I missed you so fucking much…”

“How about we both take that bed tonight?” Betty said mischievously.

“Mmm, yes, please…”

“Come on, then.”

Betty pulled away from him and stood up, adjusting her hitched-up skirt to fall down her legs again, looking as if she hadn’t just had Sinclair’s fingers inside her a moment ago - he, meanwhile, had the clear evidence of their escapades glistening on his fingers, not to mention the obvious erection underneath his boxers.

Eager to touch her again, Sinclair stood up and scooped her into his arms bridal-style, causing her to yelp with surprise.

“Hold me a little higher,” she giggled as he navigated around the sofa, and Sinclair obliged, lifting her up so her head was level with his.

“Wow, so this is what it’s like to be tall.”

Sinclair laughed.

“It does get dizzying. Mind your head.”

He turned slightly to the side to carry her through the doorway, then up the stairs to his bedroom, all the while trying not to get distracted by the way Betty was working on the lovebites she seemed determined to leave on his neck.

“Are you trying to eat me up?” Sinclair asked.

“Yes,” Betty replied as she nibbled on his collarbone. “Do you think your coworkers will notice?”

“Definitely.”

“Good.”

Sinclair laughed as Betty continued feasting on him, and when he leant down to lower her onto the bed, she kept a firm grip on his shoulders and pulled him down with her. They both fell onto the bed, giggling, and Betty felt a sense of relief wash over her as she sank into Sinclair’s mattress, with Sinclair on top of her, both of them battling to give each other the most neck kisses.

“Nooo, come back,” Betty whined as Sinclair kissed his way past her collarbone and down her partly-exposed chest, but he just looked up at her and grinned mischievously.

“You’ll like what I have in mind,” he promised.

He pulled down her knickers as he moved down her body, tossed them aside, then settled into his favourite position: kneeling between her legs, face between her thighs, his tongue lapping up her heavenly taste.

“Sinclair…”

God, he’d missed this. The taste of her arousal, the sound of her moans, the feeling of her thighs twitching against him with each flick of his tongue. All he wanted to do was to please her, to give her everything she wanted — and, for reasons he couldn’t understand, she still wanted him.

And boy, did he want her. His boxers were bursting at the seams trying to contain his throbbing cock, and each time he adjusted his position slightly, just the slightest bit of friction threatened to set him off. But he ignored it, focusing entirely on her.

He could honestly stay there for hours between her legs, feasting on his favourite snack, but after he’d elicited a third orgasm from her, she called for a timeout.

“I was enjoying that,” Sinclair whined teasingly, although of course he pulled away as soon as she asked him to.

“Me too,” Betty panted, her breaths heavy and her skin slick with sweat. “Just… just need a break.”

“Of course, darling.”

Sinclair wriggled back up the bed to lay next to her, and although he was much taller than her, he naturally curled into her, resting his head on her shoulder as she absent-mindedly played with his hair.

“Betty?” Sinclair mumbled after a few minutes.

“Hm?”

“I just want to be clear. Are we - is this - um…”

He looked up at her, eyes wide.

“Does this mean I get to be your boyfriend again?”

Betty laughed. If she didn’t know Sinclair so well, she might have been offended at the suggestion that this could be anything casual.

“So long as you promise not to go back to your wife again,” she said, half-joking.

Sinclair propped himself up on his elbow and nodded sincerely.

“I promise. There’s no one else for me, Betty. There never will be. I regretted what I did as soon as I did it. But I… I really thought I was doing the right thing. I know now that even if the baby was mine… better to be raised by happy divorced parents than miserable married ones.”

“Finally, he admits it!” Betty cheered. “Took you long enough.”

Sinclair glanced away, embarrassed.

“I know. I’m sorry. For all of it. For leaving you, for believing her… for dumping Goldie on you without even asking. And I’m sorry I was so suspicious of you and Lionel. I broke your heart and he helped you put your life back together, and I paid you both back by making my own jealousy your problem. You’ve done so well without me, Betty. I’m so proud of everything you’ve done. I - I want you to know that. Whatever becomes of us… I’m so, so proud of you.”

Betty smiled and reached up to stroke his cheek. He smiled and melted into her touch.

“Clair… all I ever wanted was to be enough for you.”

“You’re everything to me,” Sinclair confessed, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I just hope I can be good enough for you. I’ll do anything for you, Betty. I love you.”

“Make love to me, Sinclair,” Betty begged. “Show me just how you feel.”

Sinclair whined with desire, his still very much erect cock twitching with the need to be inside her.

“I don’t have any condoms left,” he admitted. “We ran out last time you were here and…”

“You’ve not - you and Natalie never —?”

He shook his head.

“Not since you. Have you —?”

“No. There’s no one else for me, Sinclair, you know that. And I - I trust you. If you say you’re clean…”

His eyes widened.

“I am, but… what about —? I won’t last long, Betty, I don’t know if I can pull out in time…”

“I’m still on the pill. I trust you, Clair… but only if you want to…”

“I do! God, yes - yes, I do!”

He fumbled with his boxers, eager to get them off, and Betty pulled her dress over her head, both of them laughing as they fumbled with their clothes.

“Look at you, Clair, you’re fit to burst,” Betty teased, taking a gentle hold of his cock to feel its hardness in her hand. “Is that all for me?”

“Yes, all for you… fuck, you have no idea what you do to me, Betty…”

“Then show me.”

She guided him to her entrance, and when he pushed forward, the remnants of her three orgasms combined with the precum he was leaking for her let him slide into her with ease.

Betty let out some garbled sound that might have been words, or maybe it was just a groan - she didn’t even know herself. All she knew was that the feeling of Sinclair’s raw cock sliding up her walls was beyond anything she could have imagined, so much better and more intimate without a condom between them, and the room was filled with the sound of both of them moaning with pleasure as they savoured the feeling of one another with no barriers, no tension, no guilt and no anger. It was her, and him, and nothing but the love they had for each other.

“I love you, Betty,” Sinclair murmured in her ear. “I’ll say it again and again until I’ve made it up to you. I love you, I love you, I love you…”

Betty wrapped her arms around his shoulders and embraced him, holding him as tight as she could, kisses ghosting the side of his head as she savoured the feeling of him, his smell, his presence… the love that radiated from them both as their hearts overflowed.

“I forgive you,” Betty said softly.

Sinclair let out a sob. His body shuddered, and he buried his head in her neck, ashamed to let her see a tear fall from his eye.

They rolled over so smoothly, neither of them could really say who instigated the movement, but their hips stayed connected, and with Sinclair on his back, Betty sat up and smiled as she looked down on him.

“You’ve been through enough, Sinclair. Let me take care of you.”

The tears rolling down his cheeks did nothing to put her off. As she gently moved her hips, slowly so as not to overwhelm him or make him finish too soon, Betty took Sinclair’s hand in hers, their fingers intertwining as she rocked her hips back and forth with small, precise movements. Neither of them chased their orgasm; they both knew they could do that any time. But being together here and now, sharing the connection they had — it was something neither of them had thought they would ever have again, and they weren’t about to rush it.

When he could sense she was getting tired, Sinclair gently moved Betty onto her back, and he took over thrusting. She knew just how to angle her hips to drive him crazy, and when she wiggled her hips beneath him just right, Sinclair knew he wouldn’t last long.

“I - I’m so close, Betty,” Sinclair groaned, his voice hoarse. “Where…?”

“Inside,” Betty replied with a high-pitched whine to her voice Sinclair had never heard before. “I trust you, Sinclair. Please… I want all of you…”

“I’m yours,” Sinclair promised, and as he let his peak wash over him, Betty felt him twitching inside her as he filled her up, his seed filling her just as much as his love did. He mumbled something that sounded like her name, and when he collapsed on top of her, she wanted nothing more than to hold him close forever and never let him go.

For a few moments, that’s what she did, both of them breathing heavily as they recovered, and once they’d begun to cool down from the exertion, Sinclair reluctantly unstuck himself and rolled off of her.

“You need to —”

“— use the toilet. I know.”

The diligent way he always ensured she avoided infection was nothing short of adorable. Betty went to the bathroom, and when she sat down to pee, she saw not just her urine but his seed too, and she gave it a little push to be sure. She took the pill every day, and Sinclair could probably tell her the exact percentage chance of her getting pregnant while taking it, but she couldn’t be too careful.

Strangely, although the idea of a man finishing inside her had always filled her with dread, she felt nothing of the sort. She’d wanted Sinclair to finish inside her - begged him to. And while her feelings on pregnancy hadn’t changed, she trusted Sinclair implicitly. So long as she stayed on the pill, she’d happily let him fill her up again and again.

Betty emerged from the bathroom after taking a quick shower to wash off the sweat, and to her disappointment Sinclair was gone - but on the bed was a set of pyjamas she used to keep in a drawer and, apparently, still did. Her heart leapt at the thought that he’d kept her stuff; it made her feel a little better about the fact she’d kept his.

Sinclair backed into the room holding a tray, and Betty quickly finished pulling her bonnet over her hair before rushing to his side to help him.

“Thanks,” Sinclair said as Betty took the jug of water from the tray and placed it on the dresser. Of course he’d gone to fetch some water for them - as well as his book and some snacks.

“I see you kept my nightie,” Betty said teasingly.

Sinclair blushed as he went to pour some water.

“I couldn’t bring myself to open your drawer. I guess part of me hoped you’d need it again one day… but I knew if I opened it, I’d have no reason to leave it there. So I didn’t touch it. Here, make sure you drink some water. I brought snacks, too, if you’re hungry.”

“You’re too good to me, Sinclair,” Betty chuckled before popping a grape in her mouth. “I missed our after-sex snacks. Somehow food always tastes better after sex.”

“We’ve worked up an appetite!” Sinclair said happily through a mouthful of grapes. “I forgot how exhausting it is.”

“Hmm, and after-sex cuddles, I missed them too.”

Sinclair nodded in agreement, his mouth still full of grapes, and he took her hand to lead her back to the bed.

He swallowed, then said, “Do you mind if I read my book for a bit?”

“Of course not. So long as you don’t mind if I cuddle up to you while you read it.”

“Definitely not!”

Sinclair put an arm around Betty as she got herself into a comfortable position, her head on the pillow and an arm over his waist as he sat up and reached for his book.

“Just one chapter,” he promised.

“As much as you want, babe,” Betty replied sleepily, her eyelids already drooping, and she was asleep before Sinclair had even finished a page.

#alan rickman #sinclair bryant #close my eyes #sinclair x oc #sinclair x betty #for the love of books

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archivesatnight · 8 months ago

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give us the explanation !!!!

Without further ado—

the list of reasons that I wholeheartedly believe the Buckley siblings are, in fact, just a torti and a goldie in disguise as humans:

Maddie is so spunky. We may not see it when we first meet her, still reeling from her experiences and the escape from her ex-husband, but it is so abundantly clear that she has this lovely, quirky, fire-y attitude that is, coincidentally, often a trait seen in tortoiseshell cats! Many call it a tortitude! Tortoiseshell cats are often hailed by vets and cat owners alike as super spunky, independent, and occasionally feisty. Sound familiar? (Josh and Maddie’s friendship is one very stellar example of it in action!)

Buck’s often blind loyalty, even when it turns toxic, is so quintessential golden retriever. From his trust in ex-partners to his trust in Bobby, the 118, his parents, Buck has had SO MANY INSTANCES of his trust being broken, of his blind faith and loyalty being used as a shield, leading to Buck himself getting ruined mentally and occasionally physically as a result. Many breeds of dogs are known to be loyal to a fault, but golden retrievers are on another level. One of the reasons that a decent portion of service dogs are goldens is due to their temperament, their ability to focus on a task for the purpose of helping their person out, while still being social enough to handle large crowds of people.

Maddie values her own space and independence while also being close to a select few, sometimes finding herself drifting far away from those she cares about for longer periods of time but always. coming. back. Much like a cat and their people, Maddie spends a solid portion of her time separated from the rest of her family (and extended 118 family), between her job in dispatch, where it is almost always her alone on each call, and her yearning to have her own place, her own stuff, her own memories after moving to L.A, I’d argue that Maddie is one of the most solitary characters in the show, but that does not make her cold or rude, but instead highlights how happy she is when she gets those moments with Chim or Buck or Josh or the many MANY members of her new west coast family!

Buck is task-oriented and “trainable”, for the lack of a better word. This one doesn’t need much explanation— look at his history of rehabilitation! Buck wants to get back to work? He will break records doing so. He found a structure and a skillset in firefighting that he loves and genuinely continues to improve upon. You can also insert here Clipboard Buck, the ultimate malicious compliance, task-oriented, trying to be helpful golden retriever in a man costume. Many Goldens are renowned for their technical abilities, and some are even known to take advantage of their knowledge to open doors they shouldn’t open or game their owners for extra treats.

Here are some rapid fire extras as well:

This is not the case in every house, but with every cat/dog house I have been in with bonded animals, the dog is always enthusiastic and ready to play but tries to respect the cat’s boundaries (sometimes the dog forgets and they get into spats but they always somehow end up playing or napping nearby by the end of the night anyway). Buck and Maddie may have their moments of upsetting one another but at the end of the day, they will always be there in each-other’s corners.

Color-scheme wise, it tracks.

Siblings who would go to war for their loved ones would of course be some of the most loyal yet often underrated protectors (cats being prone to sensing mood shifts and often moving to comfort and stand by their side while dogs will get defensive and physically fend off any who wish their people harm).

Buck and Goldies both being eager to experience anything and everything while Maddie and Tortis are more cautious and selective, more likely to stick to what they know (Maddie hopping jobs to dispatch to continue helping people in dire situations like when she was a nurse, for example)

I have more, honestly, but this list ALREADY got away from me. ,:))

(special shoutout to @kinkley-are-adorkable-flirts and @operator-please-take-my-call for requesting more!!)

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kiwi-but-the-bird-not-the-fruit · 1 year ago

Text

Raven queen x gn! Reader

Prompt- the reader is Apples sibling and the two get it a argument and so reader finds Raven to comfort them and feel safe and Raven helps tremendously

(i did it a little differently but I think It's still good)

I'll be using they/them pronouns and [name] as substitute for (y/n)

Nickname used for the reader from Raven -Dove or my little dove

Angsty/ comfort

Art not mine found on pinterest

____________________________________________

It was afternoon in the school in ever after high,and the two siblings Apple and [name] white had been avoiding eachother since the beginning morning.

The students all around the school simply couldn't help but notice this strange behavior coming from the two, there where whispers and gossip, people where trying to figure it what wa going on between them but no one was brave enough to do so.

Not Briar oh no she was closest to Apple and she knew better than to even try to pick at what Apple was putting down "she was frowning the whole time in princess 101" Briar said to goldi who was interviewing her gasp where heard all around the schoola s everyone was intently watching

On the other side there was [name] they were more quiet than usual,and that was saying something since they were a person with a Bubbly personality much like their sister,but today seemed like a dark day for them, not a peep,not a sound the whole day

They would avoid anyone who would ask and stay silent if anyone tried to talk to them, totally mute and it terrified everyone

Then by the end of the day the two siblings had crossed paths and all of a sudden by the blinknof an eye they started a shouting match between the two

It was fiery, it was hurtful, oh godmother was it bad

And it ended up having [name] running in the middle of it tears ran down their face they couldn't hold it any longer, all this for something so dumb they had

disagreed the night before bed

It was about their destiny's,and how it was unfair that Apple had to be the one having the happy ending ulile [name]-s girlfriend Raven who they have been dating the summer before school started ,[name] loves Raven more than anything more than status they would give anything up to make her happy, they surly would at the snap of a finger

[Name] now was curled up next to a tree sobbing uncontrollably they couldn't help it the tears just cane down by themselves like unwanted guest atnyour own home, inside [name] felt hopeless could they truly even give Raven the happy ever after she deserved?

"[name]!!" A voice called out from the forest a voice [name] new very well, it was Raven coming to heir rescue like she always did for them no matter how small the issue

[Name] raisd their head from the ground and saw her, her gorgeous Purple and black hair, those confident yet loving eyes that held a secret meaning of longing for something greater, her dark lipstick that looked flawless on her and only her truly a rare beauty in [name]'s eyes "Raven" their voice was raw and weak barely able to utter their partners name

Raven rushed to their side and quickly held them in her arms, imediately they melted into her touch,her warmth was always so inviting " hey,Hey its okay dove I'm here" [name] felt a sigh of relief as if though she was right everything would be okay,but only if Raven was there to care for them "i-i don't know why she doesn't get it" they sniffled, Raven by instinct started to gently pet their head trying to eas that pain...and it did

"[Name] look at me please" they did as she said (e/c) staring into her purple ones "you don't have to say anything now okay? We can just cuddle till you have calmed down" once again they nodded and then position themselves into a more comfortable position

Raven held them on her lap and put her arms on their torso the tears that once where there seemed to have completely vanish now that she was her holding onto them as the two whee the only people in the woods just the two, Raven said nothing but sweet nothings into their ear "your amazing, I love you, you deserve everything good, I'll always will be here"

Gently Raven keep one hand on the waist and the other up to their hair which she adored, actually not just that Raven loved every single part of them, how sweet and Bubbly they where how bashful they could get how their fashion was different from her own.

All of it, all of them

Raven then kissed their cheek, a slight smile came from [name] "thank you Raven" they said in a wisper "no problem my little dove" [name] chuckled the Nickname was cute they loved it since the beginning of the relationship even before when they started as friends.

There the two where cuddled up in eachothers warmth Raven decided a litte hum wouldn't hurt, and she was right, sometimes staying in eachothers embrace is what [name] needed today and hopefully it would be one of the many things that the two would do for their happily ever after.

#ever after high x reader #raven queen x reader #fanfiction #x reader #character x reader

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justkeeponsimming · 2 months ago

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Dahlia Weaver is so proud of the family she was lucky to join! Following a slew of unlucky and unhappy relationships, Dahlia had given up on finding love! Her siblings all had families of their own, but she remained single. Her family kept telling her that she was picking the wrong sims, but a sim desperate for love doesn’t always listen. So, when she upped sticks and moved to Chestnut Ridge for a fresh start, she didn’t expect to meet her soulmate! For a laugh, Dahlia headed to the local bar for singles night. She was in a better headspace and wanted to meet new sims, not looking for anything serious. Well, she accidentally bumped into a quiet sim who was sitting at the bar, spilling his drink all over him! Vaughn Weaver actually apologised for being in her way, when the accident was her fault! From that moment, the pair were inseparable. They confided in one another about their pasts. The years together with no expectations led to confidence in the future of their relationship. The couple married a year before their daughter, Bronwyn, married her wife, Kacey. The biggest honour in Dahlia’s life is becoming a mother to her step-children, Bronwyn and Honour, as well as the family pets, Moon and Goldie. After everything they’ve been through, hearing her children ask to call her ‘mum’ is one of her most treasured memories! Dramatic nights wondering where Vaughn’s ex-wife, Hex, was turned into cozy nights in with his new, beloved wife - Dahlia. Vaughn is so grateful to have found his happily ever after!

#ad #the sims 4 #ts4 #sims #simblr #sims 4 #differences in the family tree #ditft #quick legacy gen 9 #mercy quick #legacy challenge

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fullscoreshenanigans · 11 months ago

Note

What if uh...what if Michelle and Olivia? W little Ray

And AU with post canon Olivia and Michelle w Ray:(

Going to preface this with how amazing it is people will send me asks on topics I've had vague drafts of for ages but for whatever reason never published them.

(Evidence of my drafts and queue being fucking messes)

But yes, I'm still really attached to the idea of young sister candidates who still have siblings alive old enough to remember them being able to reunite with said siblings upon the farm system being dismantled, and one of the things that's most appealing about the Emma and Ray & Goldy Pond Resistance kids dynamics for me is them regaining that type of older sibling relationship after they had been the oldest siblings of their family for months if not two years since Susan was shipped out (this is also applicable to Norman with Vincent, Cislo, and Barbara post-imperial capital battle).

It's also a bit funny how CloverWorks provides a bit of foundation for this AU, saving Michelle from death because they wanted to save time and resources by reusing her model for one of the sisters that shows up in S2 episode 10.

Arguably one of the best changes they opted for, though they do nothing interesting with it. There's so much melancholic and healing potential upon a reunion with the younger siblings who still remember her and Olivia after spending years in a cutthroat environment that fostered division and systemic exploitation.

With Ray specifically, there's the belief he failed them by letting them walk off to their fate without lifting a finger to stop it or even just provide them with a warning, anything to give them an advantage and show he loved and cared about them, but in his pragmatic planning, he prioritized Emma and Norman over them, and that old regret and shame resurfaces.

And they're left with that dawning, muted realization of "ah, that explains why he'd get so sad every time a sibling left."

(Chapter 181.1)

Knowing he suffered in silence for so long and having been unable to provide him with a true sense of safety like an older sibling should, a new layer of sorrow tinging the memories of attempting to comfort him, sometimes with him maybe briefly lashing out due to something they said being unintentionally hurtful (e.g., "I'm sure they're happy with their new parents" because no they're not they're not they're not they're dead) but always ending with him curling in on himself and wanting to be left alone. Even during the few times it seemed like they were successful (though looking back, Susan and the collective efforts of Emma and Norman probably held the higher success rate), that ache is still present.

Again, lot of healing potential in that initial reunion hug between them and subsequent late night talks of mutual support where tales of their respective horrors slip out and worries over the search for Emma ebb and flow. (You could also go the route of him opening up about the full extent of his relationship with Isabella, though I'm firmly of the "there is no way in hell he is ever bringing that up until his 20s at the earliest unless prompted by an outside force" camp).

I would extend this out to all the older Grace Field kids from Ray through probably Nat though, if only because the first light novel already highlights Ray has a special attachment to Susan that it feels like he's taking up a disproportionate amount of spotlight without inherently offering a more unique spin on such a relationship, and we see Michelle and Olivia interacting with Emma and Norman a bit too, which is also precious.

(TPN Light Novel 1: A Letter from Norman - “The Ghost Incidents at Grace Field House;” the younger siblings listen to Olivia recount her sighting of a ghost with rapt attention.)

(S1 Ending 1 & Ending 2; some younger children sitting around Olivia as she reads them a story.)

(Chapter 12 Bonus Comic; Michelle and Olivia being won over by Emma and Ray to push for being able to see a sick Norman.)

(Minerva Confidential Report Key Animations for S1 Ending 1 & Ending 2; Michelle having a lively conversation with Emma and Norman as they walk through the first floor hallway of Grace Field. There's an argument that this isn't Norman because we can't see a hint of his shark fin cowlick, but unless this is when they're all walking to to push to see a sick Norman, I default to it being Norman since Ray is in the full shot so there's a complete trio babies snapshot.)

(Chapter 181.1; Michelle and Olivia trying to help ease the distress Emma and Norman are going through at seeing Ray cry.)

(Chapter 181.1; Michelle and Olivia with Norman wishing one of their young brothers well on his shipment day.)

(Chapter 17 | Chapter 32; Don and Ray fondly remembering Michelle and Olivia among their siblings who were shipped out, respectively, and interestingly both deeply internalizing how close the two were with each other by each remembering them in a side hug, though this might have just been for Demizu's drawing convenience.)

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hell3bound · 8 months ago

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Ever After High

Gender Neutral / Male / Female - OC/Reader/Y/N = ___

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___ J. Cupid is the eldest child of Eros, while C.A. Cupid is their younger sister.

___ doesn't usually stay in one place like Cupid. ___ comes back to school or acts as a teacher's assistant to the Pied Piper because they can do whatever they want.

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___ tours around, performing shows and hearing about True Hearts Day (because, duh, Cupid). Being a bit of a rebel (and playing Cupid for Cupid), ___ helps organize the party, ordering cakes, pastries, party streamers, etc.

However, Principal Grimm notices some of the party items and questions Cupid, who is taking them. ___ quickly uses magic to take the cakes and other supplies, putting on their best face.

"Party supplies?" Principal Grimm questions suspiciously. "Uh, yes, party supplies," Cupid replies hesitantly, trying to think of an excuse. "They are, uh, for—" ___ cuts in with Briar, "For my new show premiere." Briar adds, "Yeah, it's on the down-low, if you know what I mean. Very exclusive. Very hush-hush."

___ gathers the items with magic while Briar pushes Cupid along. "Now, if you don't mind, we're very busy and would love to chat more," ___ says, already hovering the supplies away. "But I'm sure you have a speech to write, correct? Or did I hear wrong?" ___ raises a brow, smirking mischievously.

"Then carry on," Principal Grimm says, waving them off.

As they walk away, feeling mischievous, ___ adds, "You know, Principal Grimm," pausing and looking back with a cat-like grin, "I hear that [comment about unicorn figures]." Principal Grimm stops mid-step, while ___ catches up with Briar and Cupid.

"What was that about?" Cupid or Briar asks. "Oh, nothing, just having a little fun," ___ laughs, and Cupid and Briar shrug it off.

Later, as they bring the supplies to the theater for safekeeping, they see Ashleigh and Hunter holding hands. ___ whistles with their fingers and cheers them on.

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Goldie interviews ___ and Cupid about Ashleigh and Hunter's relationship.

"Bringing here our love experts, the Cupid siblings ___ and, well, Cupid! Thanks for being here, both of you." ___ sits more relaxed while Cupid maintains proper posture.

"Thanks for having us, Goldie," Cupid says.

"It's no problem. Now, from what I hear, Ashleigh and Hunter are in a relationship. We're here to hear from the love experts how you feel about it."

"That doesn't matter," ___ answers immediately. Goldie pauses, looking for the next words. "Could you explain?"

"Love is love. It's precious and easy to break but hard to build," ___ says, straightening up. "If they want to date, they can date. If they want to hold hands and share each other's company, they can do whatever they want." ___ gets up, bringing their pink heart-shaped glasses to stare at the audience/camera. "Just mind your own business." Black mist or smoke almost emanates from ___, something slightly changing in them.

Cupid quickly intervenes, knowing what's happening. "Well! It was so nice to be here, Goldie, thank you, but we seem to be running late, and we really gotta go. Don't want to keep the fans waiting, right? Right!" Cupid then ushers ___ out of there.

Some question what had happened, but Goldie regains her composure and continues her report. "Well, you heard it—the Cupids clearly have a positive outlook on this royal-rebel relationship. Now onto..." Goldie finishes her video/interview.

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When ___ gets mad or angry, black ink starts to crawl from their arms, and a dark mist emanates from them.

___ cools off and talks with Cupid about how everyone is stupid for making a big deal out of something when anyone should be happy for them (though ___ is clearly projecting/talking about their own past experiences).

They talk, and ___ thanks Cupid.

"Thanks," ___ says sincerely. Cupid nudges them slightly with her shoulder. "I'm always here for you."

"Ah, yes, your oh-so-wise sage advice," ___ mockingly replies. Cupid feigns hurt, "I will have you know, brother of mine, that I have brought plenty of couples together."

___ laughs. "Yes, yes," they wave off, and both get up from the bench.

"Now, how about we go prepare for that party of yours?" Cupid smiles comfortingly. "Let's."

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The cakes arrive, this time delivered to ___'s studio. ___ sets up all the equipment and sound checks, with a little help from fellow music lover Harper Piper.

"Thanks, girl."

"No problem. A little rebellious party here and there is just what this school needs."

"Of course, a little rebellion is good, healthy even!" They both laugh, and ___ leaves Harper to the DJ set, setting up the food and drinks, storing extras in the back room.

They dress the Billy Goats in simple tuxedos, inventory count of drinks and food, etc.

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It's True Hearts Day now. Early birds arrive, and more come when the evening hits. The party is really hitting off, people mingling, and ___ playing host, greeting guests as they come in and testing the dance floor.

Raven arrives, and Briar calls her over. "Wow, Briar, you really know how to throw the most hexellent parties," Raven says. Briar smiles, "Well, I had some help," she puts her arm over Hopper, who stutters. ___ cuts in from nowhere, "I think what he means to say is, thank you, and it was no problem." ___ looks to Hopper, who just nods.

___ then has an idea. "And that he would really like to dance with you, Briar." Hopper looks shocked, and Briar looks surprised, glancing from ___ to Hopper. Raven, joining in the mischief, says, "I mean, Briar, you do throw good parties, but can you party that well?" "I guess you're just going to have to test those dance moves," ___ says, magicking Hopper and Raven onto the dance floor. The stunned royals both start dancing, with Briar motioning for them to dance, and so they do.

___ and Raven see this, bumping and clapping hands to show teamwork and success. "I didn't know a Cupid could be so mischievous," Raven comments.

"All is fair in love and war, my dear," ___ replies with a satisfied smile. "You could say I enjoy playing Cupid," ___ laughs at their joke, and Raven just smiles, rolling her eyes.

Maddy pops up. "Hey, you guys, do you know who's DJing tonight?" ___ smirks, "I only get the best. Speaking of which," ___ summons a microphone, "Greetings, everyone! What a great True Hearts Day we're having, huh?" The crowd cheers. "And as a little special treat, I've got some great entertainment for the night. So please, ladies and gentlemen, and everyone else in between, give a round of applause to our leading lady, Melody Piper!"

"What up, Ever After! Ready for me to drop some True Heart tunes?" Melody shouts. Everyone cheers excitedly. "Then follow me!"

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___ is getting some food and drinks when they see Dexter with his poor little heart broken and Cupid looking hopeful. ___ makes a tough decision, knowing what they have to do.

___ brings food over to Cupid and Dexter, sitting next to them. "Why does my brother always get the girl? It's not fair," Dexter laments.

"Well, maybe you should stop thinking so much about your brother and concentrate on someone else," Cupid says, fluttering her eyes.

"Uh, who?" Dexter asks.

"You!" ___ and Cupid both poke him gently. "You spend so much time comparing yourself to Daring that you forget how great you are just the way you are," Cupid continues.

"Really?" Dexter looks hopeful.

"If someone can't see how great a guy you are, then they are blind because you are, forgive my pun, charming in your own way," ___ snickers, and so do Dexter and Cupid.

___ puts his hand on Dexter's shoulder. "I'm serious, dude. You have plenty of strengths that Daring doesn't."

"Strengths? Me?" Dexter asks, surprised.

"Yes, you," ___ continues. "You're a great listener, you're insightful, and most importantly, you care." ___ pats him on the shoulder. "And you don't look at your reflection more than others, being narcissistic," ___ jokes. "If I can see all of that after just having met you for a week, then I know you'll find someone."

___ gives Dexter a comforting hug. "Come on, friendship hug. Cupid, come on," ___ nudges with their head. They comfort Dexter for a bit, and they eat the food that ___ brought over.

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Cupid gives her story about the history of True Hearts Day.

"And so, to encourage all of us to follow our true heart," she pauses to whistle for fairies, who gather Heart Blossoms to give one to each person, "make sure to give yours to someone special to you," she motions to everyone.

Ashlynn steps on stage beside Cupid. "Can I?" Ashlynn excuses herself and goes up to the mic. "Hunter, when I listen to my true heart, it tells me that you're my prince charming." Hunter, feeling touched, awes at her statement to everyone.

Blondie pushes Hunter back to get the scoop of new news. "But how can you be a Royal and date Hunter?"

"I don't know. But if writing our own Happily Ever After means I can't be a Royal, then call me Ashlynn Ella, the Rebel!" She steps offstage and walks over to Hunter, embracing him in a heartfelt hug.

The crowd cheers, and ___ cheers as well, adding some flower petals to fall on the lovebirds with a heart sparkles effect. "Match made," ___ softly comments. Then, seeing Raven in the corner of their eye, ___ says, "And part two begins," setting another plan in motion.

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___ brings Dexter and Raven together to exchange hearts, aka talk about their feelings and the poem he gave to Raven.

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littlemoneytoes · 10 months ago

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What are all the animatronics sexuality/identity?

alrighty :D first sexuality Chica and Dottie: unknow probably either lesbians or straight Freddy, Foxy, Goldie, Bonnie, toy Freddy, and toy Bonnie, Shadow Freddy too: gay just straight up gay that is all I can say for now Pete and toy Chica: bisexual mari and B.B: straight as heck Finn: straight and for Mangle, Agender P.B: asexual now onto personailties :D Freddy and Pete: both strict but have few things in common like being a leader, singing with siblings, and have to be a bit harsh but they do butt heads sometimes and have lovers that will break them up if they fist fight each other introverts but pretend to be extroverts when its showtime Chica: is the most chill chicken in the entire pizzeria that no one is sure if it is just her personaly or if she is on something ( she's not don't worry), as a big sister vibe and will use a southern accent when someone touches her spices or tries to burn down her kitchen ( she is like Tina but has a chill pill) amboverts Dottie and Finn: both are sweethearts and are very cautious but love bugs they don't trust Pete to be around Shadow a lot and will do antthing to make sure their big brother doesn't fall in love with a " bad boy" amboverts toy Chica and B.B: little rays of sunshines that are full of energy and love to make new friends animatronics and humans alike, also loves to give Mike a bit of a jumpscare whenever they feel like it, extroverts toy Bonnie: has a punk like attitude and will call anything lame except toy Freddy, extrovert toy Freddy: the scaedy cat and shy bean of the toy group, likes to follows rules for everyone's safety and tries to get along with both Goldie and Freddy and try to find things common with them but he just a shy and introverted bear but loves to spend time with toy Bonnie mangle: is very quiet but like chica they are also very chill with anyone as long as you don't do anything stupid or attack their friends then it will get ugly fast, introvert Foxy: loves kids and wants kids of his own ( but don't have the right parts to do so), is always loyal to Freddy and is a huge snuggle bug softie behind that big scary tough pirate act he does during the day and is very good at telling stories and keeping kids active when they have too much ants in their pants ( thanks to all the sugar parents don't bother to keep their kids away from =^=) extrovert Bonnie and Goldie: introverts and love to snuggle each other, Goldie is a very mischief bear and Bonnie is kind of the voice of reason for him, they love to prank others and sometimes each other ( as long it is not being taken too far) Shadow Freddy: introvert, is a manic, is very possive over Pete, and will kill anyone that tries to steal his " soulmate" and he has tried time and time again to try to go aftrer Pete's ex but Pete always seems to know what he is thinking, and hates his swap self a lot and doesn't like him touching Pete P.B aka swap shadow Freddy: ambrovert, worry papa bear, cares about others, is kind and gentle, is a good story teller, is bigger then his orginal self, but shorter then Chica, wears modest clothes, is like a healer but with food and snuggles, is a very good father figure to those of the fatherless or fathers that are absents from their children's lives, is an amazing cook, and he is just a big old love bug and doesn't smoke, and is his orginal self's voice of reason sometimes and tries to get him out of his comfort zone to try new things ( he does it one step at a time of course)

#ask goldie anything #ask me anything #ask goldie #aga #ask goldie anything au #fnaf #fnaf au #five nights at freddy's #headcanon aga #papa bear shadow freddy #aga personalities #who could be Pete's ex :O??

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someone-took-lost · 1 year ago

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it’s the rainbowshy kids turns~ i’m very excited for this batch. they all really kind of took their own shape in some very unexpected ways. particularly canis, who started out a more vibrant brown, and then became this rocky blueish. still proud of his design tho!

golden hour [she/they|bisexual|oldest]

one moment she may be wild a rough, the other she’s gentle and sweet. goldie is truly the duality of her parents, as her flare for the dramatics conveys that very goal oriented and driven fire instilled in her by her mom. her explorative personality with the world around her leads to her having quite the adventures when no one’s looking. seeking out new and undiscovered, untouched places. and when she does find them, she feels a desire to convey that beauty through canvas. painting all that she adores of the space. that of the colors she sees before her, and all their grander beauty. though on the other hoof, this tends to be an issue when those closest to her realize she’s been missing for several days. and they have no idea where she is-

canis [he/him|androromantic?|middle]

intimidating at first glance, this brooding lump of feathers is the grumpy middle sib of the rain kids. he’s inherited his mothers sharp gaze, and all the intimidation that comes with that. and true, his personality outwardly is very much what it looks like- but really he is truly a softy. admittedly, it takes some coaxing through many, many, many,,, layers of stoic expression, and grumbles, and threats of biting--canis is really a sweet pony who loves dogs, and wants to take care of them. he’s very observant of others, and has had a past of seeing through kind intentions. so he’s incredibly mistrusting, and protective of his family, especially of his mother, fluttershy.

sun streak [she/her|lesbian|youngest]

wildly competitive, this little spark is easy to find zipping around as she tries to constantly break world records. she’s a wild spirit, who takes on any challenge as not just a stride to improve, but also as a chance to destroy and decimate all to be the best. she is very sweet, she just get caught in her own head sometimes. and that can result in some boasting sounding like bullying.

orchid bright [they/them|unlabeled|younger middle]

much more refined, chilled out, and a little arrogant- orchi is the farthest from similar to their siblings they could be. well, at least that’s what they’d say. orchi is a specialist in meditation, and takes great pride in that fact too. they frequently seek to center themselves in a way that makes them feel distant from those who ground themselves with worry, and so orchi seeks to embrace the disharmony and unity of nature. and look to being above all else,,, because they’re just better than everyone in that way.

#art #digital art #oc #artwork #ocs #illustration #horse #horses #pony #ponies #fluttershy #rainbow dash #pegasi #pegasus #mlp #my little pony #my little pony next gen #my little pony fan art #fan art

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chidoroki · 1 year ago

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182 Days of TPN - Day 182

Epilogue: "Dreams Come True"

I'm gonna be honestly with y'all, no matter how many times I've read through this chapter over the last couple days to try and prepare myself, all my thoughts and comments are still so similar to what I originally wrote two years ago. I doubt anything I say now could top it but I'll apologize in advance if I really do sound like a broken record this time since my feelings regarding this beautiful finale really haven't changed since then. I'll start off with saying that I am a tiny bit bummed that we never got the chance to see the children explore the large city they arrived in, but the second season's ending slideshow sorta filled in that need for me. While the city is definitely a complete contrast to what they were used to living in back in the demon world, I love they all decided to create their own little village around where Emma lives. That'll definitely make her feel more at ease with being somewhere she's familiar with and I'm sure a majority of the kids fancy the wildlife surrounding them too, especially Ayshe and the dogs. Let's not forget how impressive it is that these kids were able to build so many houses on their own as well! And the idea of them taking turns to visit Emma so she doesn't get overwhelmed with so much attention at one given time makes me so happy. Speaking of our girl, she looks so pretty! She definitely looks like the Emma we've come to know and love with that big smile on her face (even if seeing her without her iconic 63194 still upsets me a little) while looking fondly at new photos of her large family. Sure, anyone in this world could've taken the photos, but of course I headcanon that it was Ray who purchased a new camera to do so.

Emma's face here is damn hysterical and Phil looks so proud of himself for surprising her. Seeing these young kids casually riding on top of a plane that large is truly quite a remarkable sight, but she had to at least hear that thing flying closer, yea? No way something that huge can sneak up on someone.

It is so darn cute how the younger kids act like buying a plane that size and flying it everywhere they go is totally normal. Their chill attitude has poor Emma completely speechless. I'm so proud of her for learning everyone's names though, not only by recognizing their faces but their voices too as she knew it was Phil calling to her from outside. Seeing Violet become a pilot is surprising but the job fits Oliver very well since he was typically seen holding onto a plane toy during numerous Goldy Pond flashbacks. Looks like he achieved his dream and I'm happy for him!

I'm even more excited to see Chris feeling 100% better and finally reuniting with Emma! It's sweet how he still loves her so much regardless her lost memories. I'm only noticing now but it appears Jemima even brought flowers for Emma? Ahh, these kids are too precious for words!

It's crazy how they're able to visit so many different places and experience countless new things all in the span of one single day, but I suppose traveling is pretty simple with a plane like that, not to mention how this world doesn't have any national borders to worry about. Seeing Yvette get inspiration and sketch everything she sees is adorable and of course you have Ray being the strict older sibling who makes sure everyone else behaves while out in public. I still wish more of the Goldy Pond kids were invited to join the trip, but I understand how meaningful it is to see all the GF escapees finally live out their dreams which they shared with us at the very beginning of the story.

One of the most ridiculous and funniest things this extra chapter reveals to us and Emma is how Norman became the leading man behind some huge multipurpose company. I know his motive was to act independently from the Ratri clan (which is fair because I wouldn't wanna rely on those bastards either) but at least have the company be a fresh idea in his mind or a little new, not hit us with his total success right outta the gate! I can accept this life for him further into the future for sure, but not at 15/16 years old! You're still a child sir! Dude must have really loved hearing others refer to him as "boss." Vincent would obviously be okay with that and I imagine Ray making fun of Norman each time, or jokingly calling him "emperor" like he did in one of volume 15's extra pages. Speaking of my boy, he looks way too chill and perhaps unbothered about this whole idea, or maybe he's just so used to his friends having crazy idea that he's become immune and knows deep down there's no way he can change their minds once they get this passionate about something. Even though this chapter is primarily focused on the GF children, it's nice to learn more about what Nigel and Sony are up to nowadays with their new roles.

Hearing how Norman was capable of skipping grades and essentially graduating is the most believable thing about this page. I'm sure the schools in the human world were nothing compared to the difficult tests he passed with ease at GF and Lambda. I'm relieved he and the rest of the Lambda crew are healthy as well, but I can't imagine him recovering while simultaneously constructing a large company from the ground up. Perhaps he focused on getting better first and then started on his career path, but then I'd have a harder time believing this boy managed to do so in less than two years, depending how long it took for him to fully recover beforehand. Norman is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Moving onto everyone's wishes now and ooohhh my, the girls look simply gorgeous!! I love each of their outfits so very much! I especially like how often Anna has her hair up in that ponytail too. It suits her and she's beautiful! And it's adorable how she and Gilda pull Emma along with them so they can all take advantage of the 3-for-1 deal. Emma looks great in her new outfit too but I very much prefer her previous one, only because it's reminiscent of her GP out a little bit. So happy our little musician was able to witness an opera too. I've been to several Broadway plays and musicals before but seeing an opera is still on my checklist for sure.

I gotta give kudos to all the children because while it's certainly insane how they're hitting everyone's dreams all in one day, not once do they ever look exhausted. They're having the time of their lives and are beaming with excitement no matter if they're fulfilling their wish or someone else's. Some of their wishes are really simple too if ya think about it, like a handful are things us readers could try out for ourselves, but after all the drama they fought through in the demon world, they absolutely deserve to enjoy everything this world has to offer them. I'm once again loving Ray being that caring older brother who makes sure his younger siblings don't exert themselves. Not to mention how damn hilarious it is to see him not even flinch while touring the haunted house. After the traumatizing childhood he lived through and the wacko world of the Seven Walls, nothing should frighten my boy, so I'd like to imagine he only entered the haunted house to look out for the younger child like Rossi and Alicia who are absolutely regretting their life choices. What matters is that Yvette is loving every moment of her wish and possibly laughing at her sibling's expense.

Despite mentioning how we could visit such places ourselves, I have yet to actually go watch an official soccer game, visit a hot spring or eat lunch in such gardens. I mean, I visited such botanical gardens down in the city but not once have I ever had a fancy picnic there! These young kiddos are out here making me jealous for real. I still find it so amusing that Rossi, a child who had fled from actual demons before, is amazed by dinosaurs. I guess it would be interesting to see such creatures whether they're alive or not. As of this previous weekend I can say I finally rode one of those old style trains as well, but Phil is way more excited about the adventure than I could ever be. So glad this moment of his was sorta animated, though he wasn't bouncing in his seat as wildly as he is here.

Everyone has these grand experiences in mind for their wish and Norman is over here just vibing with his two favorite people. It's real definitely simple compared to everything else but with how often the trio was forcefully separated throughout the story I know how much he doesn't wanna feel that pain ever again.

While I love how excited Emma was upon seeing the giraffes, I'm certain her reaction was due to seeing these animals up close for the first time. Of course I'd be ecstatic if our girl would slowly gain back some of her memories over time, they choose to show us the anxieties she probably feels every day about whether or not she's really Emma deep down and if she should act like the girl her family loves so much or just be her new self.

Phil being that one good boy who chooses to focus on Emma and her sudden mood switch while she's battling herself in her head.

I wanna say "oh sweetheart, you're anything but alone," but I know her amnesia makes her feel as if she's isolated from her family by not being able to remember every detail about them, the experiences they shared, or her true feelings. She can imagine this giraffe wish would've made her old self happy, since everyone else's wishes brought such big smiles onto their faces, but that's because they all wished for these kinds of moment their entire lives. New Emma is hearing about this dream for the first time and has no clue on how to react to a wish that isn't truly her own. She's probably even feels a little scared that she won't come across as genuine about the idea and she doesn't wanna disappoint her family by not living up to their expectations of what the original Emma would've done in her situation now. It really breaks my little heart to see her doubt herself so much when she literally has the greatest family in the world who would accept her regardless of what she acts like or feels.

One might think that Emma yelled so loudly to try to convince herself and her family that she's really excited about this wish, but to her surprise, she's rewarded with beautiful laughs. Once they arrived, Emma asked if her dream was to see a giraffe but no one bothered to correct her about how original Emma always wanted to ride one instead. To see this Emma reach deep down into her heart and shout with such confidence about what she really wanted to do is perfect in every way, so little does she know that her reaction was exactly what her family expected of her and they couldn't be more delighted to hear such words come from her again.

I'm in love with her adorable, surprised face and how she's in complete awe to learn that perhaps she and the original Emma are more alike that she's realized.

Aahhh it thrills me to no end that this little joke from all the way back from the first chapter is exactly how this series ends. We're coming fill circle baby!

Favorite panel/moment:

Oh no way, Ray's wish as my favorite? Wow, who could've possibly guessed that? Not to show any dislike towards the Mona Lisa or anything, but I'm very glad the story chooses to show us the kids visiting the Sagrada Familia way better. The architecture of this damn thing is impressive and it's insane how it looks this breathtaking despite it not being completely finished yet.

More importantly, this smile of Ray's is the most precious and beautiful thing I've ever set my eyes on! He's probably filled with so much emotion just by standing in a place he never imagined himself to be. He believe he was gonna die a long time ago but now that all his trauma is behind him and he fought his way to freedom, he's so grateful he's alive to actually see this gorgeous structure actually in front of him and realize that all the hardships he fought through alongside his family was truly worth all the effort. This face of his has absolutely lived rent free in my head these past couple years.

BEST GIRL!! I am so incredibly happy and proud of you that you achieved your dreams!! Truly inspirational and she undoubtedly keeps her top spot as my favorite shonen protagonist.

And with all that, I can finally say: End of series.

Seriously though, thank y'all so much for reading through all this, whether you were here from the very start back in April or ya caught interest somewhere down the line, I appreciate every single one of you! I dunno exactly when these posts went from a couple short comments to full length chapter reviews, so I apologize for all my rambling since I honestly didn't intend to write out such long posts. I literally couldn't help it. The love I have for this series is as strong as ever and I'm very surprised that even after these last couple years I still somehow manage to learn or notice new stuff about this world and these characters. One of the many benefits to reading through this story at a slower pace I suppose, and wouldn't you know it? Today is the perfect day to experience it all over again from the beginning.

(Yes, having the project end today was 100% planned from the start.)

#the promised neverland #tpn manga #182daysoftpn #chidoroki used chatter

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littlewildfeathersworld · 2 years ago

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Okay, here's the thing. Since I've discovered that Jennika and Venus were supposed to be in the next seasons of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I can't help but think to a lot of headcanons. And I really wanted to share with you.

HAMATO Jennika

• Leopard turtle.

• Her color is gold.

• She is 17 years old. The second largest with 5' 8".

• Her nicknames are Jee/J, Jen, Jenny, June, Gold One, Miss Goldy, Big Mama's Daughter, Big sis, Pretty One, English girl, Miss British, Golden Needles, Gold Queen, Heart of Gold, Miss Sunflower.

• She is Big Mama's assistant. Also raised as her daughter.

• During the first moments with her family, she had some conflicts with Leonardo and Splinter because of her connexion with Big Mama. It took her some time to finally have a good relation with them.

• Tough girl but really sweet and caring when she is with family and friends.

• According to Leonardo, she is Big Mama's weakness.

• She and Venus are aware of all the gossip. In New York and the Hidden City. Including the ones about the bad guys.

• The smart brawn of the team. And the one of her family who has the best hand-to-hand combat skills. Extremely proud about that.

• Her favorite brother is Raphael. Then it is Donatello.

• At first she was jealous of April's relationship with the turtle brothers. And a little contemptuous of the human. But they ended up getting on after a heart-to-heart talk. Now they're the badass girls of the family.

• Her favorite music song is rock. Big fan of AC/DC.

• Not a morning-person.

• She drinks tea. Her favourite tea infusions are jasmine, hibiscus and cinnamon.

• She loves to write. If the boys want to read fanfictions about Jupiter Jim, they ask her.

• She had an history with Loathsome Leonard.

• One of her favorite expressions is "Bloody Hell". But because Raphael doesn't want her to be vulgar in the presence of their younger siblings, she just says the word "Bloody" in her sentences.

• She has a british accent. But she can flawlessly impersonate an American accent.

• She speaks spanish and japanese.

• She uses tekki & tekko and a sasumata as weapons.

HAMATO Venus

• Carey Sea Turtle.

• Her color is silver.

• 15 years old, she called herself "Mikey's self-proclaimed twin".

• 4'7" is her height.

• Her nicknames are Vee/V, Silver One, Baby Girl, Miss Silver, Vinny, Cute One, Cutye, De Milo, Lovenus, Detective Love, Silver Springs, Silver Bird, Silver Pawn.

• Her headband is braided.

• Her favorite brother is Michelangelo. Then it is Leonardo.

• When she met Jennika then April, she was so happy to have two big sisters. But it took some time before Jennika really accepts Venus as her little sister. Now, they are really close. And Jennika believes in her skills.

• She lived in the Hidden City as one of the best students of the Conservatory of the Mystics.

• She was raised by the family of Mona Lisa.

• You can thank her for the RaphLisa. They are together thanks to her.

• She and Jennika are aware of all the gossip. In New York and the Hidden City. Including the ones about the bad guys.

• She is the mysticism specialist of her family. She can be very energetic on the subject. Because of that, she had some conflicts with Donatello.

• She speaks french.

• One of her favorite expressions is "Lovely".

• She often meditates. Really close of the ancestors of the Hamato Clan.

• A party-person, she knows the best places to have fun. Also extremely lucky.

• Her favorite music song is pop. That includes J-Pop and K-Pop. Big fan of BlackPink.

• She has an australian accent.

• She uses fans as weapons. Including a giant one. Venus' fighting style shares similar qualities with "Cai Li Fo", a Chinese martial art that uses a metal fan for defensive and distraction purposes.

• Her ninpo is related to the wind and the light.

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt jennika #rottmnt venus de milo #rottmnt venus #tmnt venus de milo #tmnt venus #tmnt jennika #headcanons #rottmnt headcanons #rottmnt hamato clan #jennika and venus in the hamato clan

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smilingformoney · 11 months ago

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For the Love of Books | Sinclair/Betty (OC)

X. The Lion's Den

Summary: Betty and Sinclair attend a party.

AN: Now with added Lionel :D

Read now on Ao3 or below the cut:

Betty had never been one for adventure. She preferred to stay in and read about other people having adventures. Moving all the way to London from Falmouth to open her own bookshop had been a terrifying prospect, and certainly the most daring thing she’d ever done.

Learning to drive, being in a relationship, having sex - these were all things that most people did as a normal part of life, but they’d passed Betty by. Then came Sinclair, bringing all these adventures into her life, showing her new ways to experience the world. She loved the adventure that was being with him, and she happily agreed to any crazy idea he came up with.

But even so, his latest idea had taken some convincing and a lot of puppy dog eyes. For there was no way Betty could ever understand the appeal of rollercoasters, yet eventually she caved and agreed to go to Thorpe Park with him.

Leaving Goldie in Mei-Li’s care, Sinclair drove the two of them in the Accord to the theme park, which was only a 20 minute drive away but it felt like an eternity to Betty, especially when the tallest rollercoasters loomed on the horizon as they got closer. Sinclair, of course, told Betty all about the theme park that had opened 13 years ago, and he assured her that the rides were safe.

Sinclair practically bounced out of the car and Betty had to jog to catch up with him at the park entrance. His enthusiasm was admittedly infectious, and Betty thought that some of the rides might be fun, so long as they weren’t too fast or too high.

Somehow, Sinclair convinced Betty to go on the ‘Flying Fish’ ride. He was practically vibrating with excitement when they got off, ready to go another five times, and he turned to Betty to suggest that they go again when she dashed off into the nearest bush and promptly vomited.

“Betty!”

Sinclair quickly ran to her side and gathered her hair in his hand to hold it back from her face. With his other hand, he rubbed her back soothingly as she vomited again, then after a few moments she straightened up and Sinclair offered her his handkerchief.

“I’m never doing that again,” she mumbled as she wiped her face.

“Definitely not! Come on, let’s get you cleaned up and have a sit down.”

Ten minutes later, Betty emerged from the toilets feeling as clean as she could having used a public toilet, and found Sinclair at a picnic bench, tucking into some no doubt overpriced food.

He swallowed his mouthful of hotdog and said, “I bought you some fries in case you’re hungry but if you still feel sick and you don’t want to eat that’s okay. How do you feel?”

“Better. When we have kids, you can take them here, I’ll stay home with Goldie.”

“…When we have kids?”

“Well, I fully intend to get married and have kids and grow old with you. You’d better tell me now if you don’t want to, before I get invested.”

Sinclair smiled and wriggled happily in his seat. “I’d love that. Let me just get divorced first, though. Speaking of how much I love you - it’s a lot, by the way - Valentine’s Day is next week.”

Betty popped a fry into her mouth. She was hungry, but she didn’t want to upset her stomach again.

“Yes, it is. Did you want to do something for it? I’ve never had a Valentine’s Day before. What do we do that’s so different to every other day?”

“Well, I was going to offer to take you out somewhere nice to eat, but last night my cousin called me, he’s having a party on Valentine’s Day. He’s no romantic but he’ll take any excuse to throw a party. Would you like to go? He always throws the best parties, he’s got a huge manor in the countryside and all the food and drink is free!”

“You want me to meet the family already?”

Sinclair waved a hand. “It’s only my cousin. Neither of us had siblings and we’re the same age so we’re the closest either of us has to a brother.”

“Big manor in the countryside? Is he rich too, then?”

“Oh, very. Much richer than me.”

“Richer than you, eh? Is he single?”

Sinclair’s eyes widened as he bit into his hotdog, and Betty laughed.

“I’m kidding, Sinclair! Your cousin could be the richest man in the country and I’d still rather be with you.”

“Goo’cuseis,” Sinclair replied with his mouth full of hotdog.

��What?”

Sinclair swallowed, then repeated, “Good, because he is!”

“He is what?”

“The richest man in the country. He’s a billionaire, I’m just a humble millionaire. Only the Queen is richer than him.”

Betty thought back to last year’s Sunday Times rich list for a moment, then dropped a chip in surprise.

“Your cousin is Lionel Shabandar?”

Sinclair nodded, as if he hadn’t just dropped a huge bomb on her.

“So do you want to go? It’s okay if not, we can stay in or we can go to a restaurant —”

“No, no, I’ll go,” Betty said quickly. “I’d like to meet your family. I want to hear all the stories about what baby Sinclair got up to. I bet you were so cute!”

“What do you mean were?” Sinclair asked in mock offence.

“Well, of course you’re still cute now. What do you want to do for the afternoon?”

“Oh, don’t you want to go home? I thought you might not want to go on any more rides.”

“No, I don’t, but I don’t fancy a car ride either. I’m happy to watch you go on the rides. Plus there’s other stuff we can do. I’d love to go to the petting farm!”

“Yes, let’s do that! But don’t tell Goldie we’ve been petting other animals, he might get jealous.”

Betty decided not to mention that Goldie couldn’t understand English, and if he did he probably wouldn’t be jealous, and instead she fished out the park map to find their way to the farm while Sinclair started listing all the animals the farm had.

“I heard they have ponies, do you want to pet the ponies? And sheep and goats too, but I don’t think I’ll pet the pigs, although they are still very interesting so I’d like to see them.”

“I want to see all of them, and maybe once you see how sweet pigs are, you’ll stop eating their brothers and sisters,” Betty said with a smirk, looking up at Sinclair, who had finished his hotdog and was now licking the mustard from his fingers. He looked at her with alarm.

“Do you think they’ll be able to tell?”

“Well, I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out if one of them jumps at you.”

Betty stood up and Sinclair followed her, eyes wide with worry that an angry pig was going to tackle him.

“Can pigs jump? I have no idea if pigs can jump. Maybe we should ask someone there, just in case —”

Betty laughed and took Sinclair’s hand as they meandered through the crowds towards the ferry station for the farm. “Relax, Sinclair, they’re not going to be able to tell you’ve eaten pork.”

“Do you want me to stop eating pork? I can stop if you want, although I’ll miss the pork sandwiches that David does, but your halloumi burgers do look really nice.”

“Just pork or other meats too?”

“All of them! I’ll stop eating meat from right now. That hotdog was my last meat ever! Oh, no, but I have some chicken in the fridge… well, I’ll finish that off, then I’ll stop.”

Betty stopped walking suddenly, and Sinclair skidded to a halt when he realised she’d stopped, her hand in his preventing him from moving any further.

“You’d give up meat for me?” she asked with a frown.

“Of course,” Sinclair said with a shrug, as if it was a trivial thing. “It makes you uncomfortable so I’ll stop. Besides, when one of us cooks we always eat vegetarian so it’s not like - mmhm!”

She interrupted him with a kiss, which he happily reciprocated, and when they separated Betty was looking at him with such sweet adoration in her eyes that Sinclair wanted to melt.

“You never cease to amaze me with how sweet you are, Sinclair,” Betty smiled.

“I just want to make you happy, Betty. I love you.”

“I love you too. Now, come on, let’s go pet some ponies.”

---

The following Friday, Betty stepped out of her dingy London flat feeling like an absolute imposter, dressed in a gold dress and heels to go to a party at the home of the richest man in the country. Not only that, but she was attending as the date of said richest man’s also very rich cousin, who had managed to avoid mentioning in the last four months of knowing her that his cousin was Lionel Shabandar.

Sinclair was waiting outside, and they both equally gaped when they set eyes on each other.

”Sinclair - a limo?!”

”Betty… you look amazing.”

She blushed. She’d closed the shop early and spent all afternoon and far too much money at the salon getting her very curly afro straightened and the money she had left after that had gone towards her dress. She knew that the type of people she’d meet tonight were the type who could tell if she wore a dress from Primark, and would judge her hard for it.

”Thanks,” she said with a smile, fiddling with her hair nervously. “You look even more handsome than usual. Have you combed your hair?”

”Have I —? Never mind my hair! Look at yours! I almost didn’t recognise you! Oh - before I forget - since it’s Valentine’s Day…”

He produced a bouquet of roses from behind his back with a grin, and Betty blushed even harder.

”Sinclair! You didn’t have to go to all this trouble…”

”But it’s Valentine’s Day!” he said with his best puppy dog eyes. “And I have the best date in the world!”

”You’re so cute.” Betty leant up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. Let me just put these upstairs —“

”It’s okay, there’s a vase in the limo! It’s so much fun, there’s a mini fridge too, and a TV, and —“

”Are we going to a party at a mansion or in the car?”

”Both! Come on - here, let me help you in.”

Sinclair opened the door for her and helped her in like a proper gentleman, then he tucked the roses into a compartment and instructed the driver to take them to his cousin’s mansion.

”Clair, be honest, do I look okay? I don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb among all these rich people…”

”You look so beautiful, Betty! I mean it. How did you get your hair so straight? That must have taken ages.”

”Oh, it took all afternoon. Straightening an afro isn’t an easy task, I wouldn’t dare to try it myself, I had to get someone to do it. It’s why I don’t straighten it often, it’s far too much effort.”

”It looks amazing. So beautiful. I’d love it if you were able to magically straighten it so you could have it like this more often. Not that I don’t love your curly hair, I adore your curly hair, but I love this too. You’d look good with any hair. Or no hair! Please don’t try that, though. And the dress is amazing! Gold suits you. Any colour suits you, but I really, really like this one. Do you want to see what’s in the mini fridge? I had a little peek on the way over, but I haven’t had any of it yet. Only the snacks. There’s still some crisps left, I think, but I ate most of them, sorry. There’ll be loads of food at the party, and loads of drinks, and they’re all free! Lionel really goes all out for his parties. He goes all out for everything. You think I’m rich, wait until you’ve seen his place. He has artwork worth millions of pounds, just sitting there!”

”Is that any different to your cars just sitting there?” Betty interjected.

”My cars aren’t worth that much!” Sinclair insisted. He was pouring the champagne into glasses now, and shooed Betty’s hand away when she tried to help. “Okay, a few of them are worth millions, but not nearly as many. Natalie always said I had more money than sense, but if anyone does, it’s Lionel. Here you go!”

He finally stopped to breathe as he handed her a glass of champagne.

”Happy Valentine’s Day to the best girlfriend ever!”

Betty laughed. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Clair. I love you.”

His eyes lit up as if she hadn’t said it a thousand times before. ”I love you too!”

They clinked glasses and drank, and Betty swore it tasted just the same as a £20 bottle from Somerfield, but she was sure the price tag was significantly higher.

”So, you just kind of dropped the bomb on me the other day that your cousin is Lionel Shabandar,” Betty said as she leant back into his arms on the double-wide seat. “Do you know him very well? I barely know my cousins.”

”Yes, we’re the same age, so we grew up together and went to Winchester at the same time. We were both very interested in business, and obviously we’re both rich and successful, but he’s even better off than I am because he invested a lot of his money whereas I’ve always loved spending. Then he bought all these media companies and put them into one big company so he owns most media companies in the country now and he can afford to spend even more than I ever did.”

”Yeah, I know he’s got a huge publishing house. Most of my stock is published by Shabandar Books.”

”Not just books! He owns TV channels, magazines, newspapers. I keep telling him he needs to invest in the internet, all my research at work says it’s the next big thing.”

”What’s internet?”

Sinclair’s eyes widened in the excited way they did when he realised he could explain something new to her, and so Betty spent the rest of the trip listening to him explaining some miraculous technology that let computers talk to each other even when they were miles apart. She was so focused on listening to him that she almost didn’t notice the limo slowing to a stop as they approached the mansion, and she almost jumped when the driver got up to let them out.

”Wow.”

It wasn’t eloquent, but it just about summed up Betty’s feelings when she stepped out of the limo - aided, of course, by her very gentlemanly boyfriend - and saw the mansion before her.

She clung onto Sinclair’s arm and let him guide her down the path. The gardens were packed with partygoers, and Betty didn’t want to get lost in the sea of people.

Sinclair was narrating as they walked down the path, pointing out stories behind statues, most of which seemed to be, “Lionel likes lions because of his name so he buys anything with a lion on it.”

“Oh, there he is!” Sinclair exclaimed. “Lionel!”

A man turned around, around the same age as Sinclair and bearing a strong family resemblance. He smiled and went to greet Sinclair with a handshake, but instead Sinclair pulled him into an embrace.

”Good to see you, cuz!”

”Ah - Sinclair. Good to see you too,” Lionel said with a restrained smile. He endured the embrace until Sinclair let him go. He turned to Betty and smiled very differently - warm, welcoming, and his eyes looked her up and down. “And who is this lovely lady?”

“Elizabeth Bennett,” Betty said, holding out her hand to greet him. She blushed when, instead of shaking her hand, Lionel took it gently and kissed the back of her hand as if the sound of her name immediately turned him into Mr Darcy.

”A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Lionel Shabandar.”

”Yes, I… know who you are.”

Sinclair wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side. Lionel raised an eyebrow and dropped Betty’s hand.

”Betty’s my date for this evening,” Sinclair said firmly. “And every evening.”

”Oh, is that so?” Lionel replied, though he didn’t take his eyes off Betty for an instant. “You’re not tired of my cousin talking your ear off yet?”

”Of course not, I love listening to him talk.”

”Well, someone has to, I suppose,” Lionel shrugged, then turned his attention back to Sinclair. “What happened to that wife of yours? Natasha, was it?”

“Natalie. We’re divorcing. Didn’t your mum tell you?”

”Oh, probably, I don’t really listen when she starts talking about family drama. Well, I’m glad for you, Sinclair. She was such a bore. I’m sure you’re much more engaging, aren’t you, Elizabeth?” Lionel said, turning to Betty once again.

”I hope so.”

”She’s amazing!” Sinclair gushed. “She’s so smart, she owns a bookshop that she runs all by herself, and she used to be a librarian so she’s read almost as many books as I have, and she’s great at memorising things like the Dewey decimal system, cooking recipes, and she can recite most of Shakespeare by heart!”

Lionel chuckled. “A literature lover, I take it? I’m quite partial to paintings myself, and they do say a picture can paint a thousand words.”

”A thousand words isn’t actually all that much. Especially not when you’re dating Sinclair. He can say a thousand words in one breath.”

“She’s right, I can!” Sinclair grinned. “And she’ll listen to every one of them. Or at least pretend to. Say, Lionel, why don’t you show Elizabeth some of your artwork? She didn’t believe me when I told her you had paintings worth millions.”

“Yes, of course I will! But it’ll have to be later, I have rounds to do. Excuse me.”

Lionel took Betty’s hand to kiss it again, then sauntered off to speak to some other important rich white man.

“Well, he’s… charming.”

Sinclair sighed and shook his head. “That’s one way to put it. I should have known he’d try to flirt with you - he loves beautiful things, and you’re the most beautiful thing here. Not that you’re a thing - I mean because you’re beautiful. More beautiful than anything or anyone here.”

Betty laughed and leaned up to kiss Sinclair on the cheek. “You said the food here was free. Shall we go feast?”

Sinclair’s eyes lit up. “Yes, let’s!”

It soon became evident that getting some alone time with Sinclair was going to be impossible. He was constantly running into people he knew, greeting them like seeing them was the best thing ever, then proudly introducing Betty as his partner. The reactions were mixed - some were surprised or confused that he was with someone other than Natalie, some seemed happy to see him rid of her, and one or two looked at Betty like she really shouldn’t be there. Those people, as soon as their faces fell, Sinclair quickly turned cold to and made an excuse to get rid of them.

Sinclair was deep in conversation when Betty finished her food, so she excused herself to get some drinks. On the way back, she saw from afar that Sinclair was already chatting to someone else and was nearly finished with his food, so she stopped at the buffet table to grab him some more as she knew he’d be torn between continuing his no doubt very interesting conversation and eating more food.

She arrived at the table with a plate of food in one hand and drinks on a small tray she’d borrowed from the bar in another. She placed the drinks tray down first, followed by the plate of food, and Sinclair looked at the plate in surprise, then up at her, and his eyes lit up when he realised she’d brought him some more food.

“Ah, more drinks, excellent,” said the man Sinclair had been talking to, an older man in a suit as fancy as everyone else’s there. He helped himself to one of the drinks, and Betty frowned at him.

“Hey, that was mine!”

The man frowned at her, as if surprised she’d said anything. “Excuse me, young lady, these drinks are for guests.”

Betty froze. She didn’t want to cause a scene, not in front of Sinclair. It was their first fancy event as a couple, and she didn’t want to embarrass him. But she knew exactly what the man meant - he thought she was a server.

Sinclair, it seemed, had clocked too, because he straightened up and shot an icy glare at the man.

“I think you’ll find there are three guests at this table, Mr Benson. I did say my partner had gone to get drinks.”

“Well, then, she’ll have to fetch her own, won’t she? Rather than sending a server to bring them over.”

“I am the partner, dickhead!” Betty hissed.

The man looked at her with shock, as if the concept of his fellow rich white man dating a black girl was unprecedented.

“I’ve changed my mind, Mr Benson,” said Sinclair coldly. “I don’t think I have capacity to take you on as a client after all. I think you should leave now.”

“Well, I never!” Mr Benson spluttered, before standing up and storming off.

Betty felt her shoulders relax and she took her seat next to Sinclair.

“I’m sorry,” they both said in unison, then laughed.

“Don’t be sorry, Betty, you handled that very well.”

“I called a potential client a dickhead.”

“Well, he was being a dickhead. Besides, I don’t want someone like him as a client. You’ve just saved me a lot of trouble. I’m sorry you had to go through that at all."

Betty shrugged. “It’s okay, I’m used to it.”

“You shouldn’t be used to it!” Sinclair insisted stubbornly. “People like him are morons. I can’t believe anyone would look at you and think anything other than, Wow, she’s so beautiful, I can’t believe how lucky Sinclair is.”

“Yeah, well… I can’t believe anyone would be married to you and think, Hey, maybe I’ll fuck my brother. There are some strange people out there.”

Sinclair laughed. “We must be the only sane ones!”

“We must be.”

She kissed him chastely on the lips, not wanting to be too affectionate in public, and he responded by squeezing her hand under the table.

“I can’t believe you brought me more food without me even asking!” Sinclair said with a grin when their lips parted and his attention turned to the food in front of him. “You’re so amazing. Here, why don’t you have the drink Benson didn’t touch?”

“That’s okay. Actually, it’s getting a bit crowded in here for me. Do you mind if I go for a wander? You can stay here and mingle, I just need a bit of quiet for a bit.”

“Mmm-hmm!” Sinclair replied, his mouth already full of sandwich. He swallowed, then said, “Of course you can, Betts! Maybe see if you can find Lionel and get that tour from him!”

“Good idea. I love you.”

“I love you too!”

She kissed him on the cheek and left him to his mingling, and she was barely on her feet when he was already waving over someone he recognised.

The crowd thinned when Betty managed to squeeze out of the gazebo, but with so many people she didn’t know it was still quite overwhelming, and she was relieved when Lionel emerged from the crowd and greeted her.

“Elizabeth! There you are. How would you like to have a look at my artwork now? I’m desperate for a break from all this chitchat.”

“I was just looking for you to ask that myself.”

“Perfect timing, then. Come along.”

Lionel offered her his arm and she took it gratefully, glad to have someone to anchor herself to in the busy crowd, and she felt like she could breathe again as they left the chattering people behind and approached the front doors to the manor.

Betty followed Lionel inside, eyes wide and mouth agape as she stared at the incredible architecture - and this was only the reception hall. The walls were adorned with painting after painting, and Lionel steered her into a hallway, where more paintings stood proudly on display between lion statues.

”You certainly seem to like lions,” Betty commented.

”Well, they’re the kings of the jungle, aren’t they? And the business world is a jungle in itself.”

”And you fancy yourself the king of it, do you?”

Lionel smirked at her. “I am the king. Come along.”

He placed a hand on the small of her back, guiding her down the hall, naming each painting and its artist as they passed it, and Betty wondered how much he’d paid for each one of them. The insurance alone was probably more than she’d make in a year.

”You know, king of the jungle is a misnomer,” Betty commented as they turned a corner to be greeted with yet another lion statue. “Lions don’t live in the jungle. They should be called the king of the savannah if anything.”

”Actually, jungle is a Hindi word for a place uninhabited by humans - such as savannahs.”

Betty glanced at him, surprised, and he shrugged. “Sinclair isn’t the only person who knows things. So what do you think of my collection, Elizabeth? Quite impressive, don’t you think?”

”There’s certainly a theme,” Betty said, glancing between two of the many paintings that depicted naked women.

”Well, I also have a collection of landscapes, but I must admit that I have a penchant for the feminine form. This one seems to have caught your eye.”

She felt more than heard him come up behind her as she examined a painting labelled Otahi .

”What is it about this one that intrigues you, Elizabeth?” Lionel asked softly. “Is it the way she sits? You know, this particular painting was considered rather controversial when it was painted. The way she sits… ready and waiting… exposed. Do you feel an affinity to her, Elizabeth? Does this particular painting arouse something in you?”

When had he got so close? Betty suddenly felt very aware of Lionel’s breath on her neck, his hands on her hips - when had they got there? - and when he pulled her back slightly to press against him, she felt a bulge on her lower back - just where —

“Lionel —”

”Hmm?” Lionel replied absentmindedly, his lips by her ear, the gap between them growing ever smaller as he leant his head down towards hers —

“I’m here with Sinclair.”

”Are you? I don’t see him anywhere. He seems to have abandoned you.”

”You led me here…”

”You were all alone.”

”He was talking to someone…”

”He’s always talking to someone. Gets distracted so easily. But don’t worry… my attention is solely on you, dear. Let me kiss you, Elizabeth. I sorely want to kiss you…”

Can I kiss you? … I’d really like to kiss you now … Can I have another kiss?

Sinclair’s voice rang in her head, and Betty felt as if she’d just been jolted awake from a hypnotic state. She tried to pull away from Lionel, but his arms were wrapped around her torso tightly - when had that happened?

”No, thank you,” Betty whispered, her voice hardly audible. She could hardly believe she was turning down the richest man in the country, but as much as he looked like Sinclair, he wasn’t Sinclair, and she only wanted Sinclair.

Lionel only chuckled. “Must you play hard to get, darling? It’s Valentine’s Day. A day for lovers… for making love…”

“Thank you for the advice. I’d really prefer to make love to my boyfriend.”

”And who says who that has to be? Hm?”

”Lionel —”

”Betty?”

Lionel let go of her as if her skin had burnt him. Betty took a sudden, deep breath, as if he’d been suffocating her. Maybe he had been. She turned to see Sinclair standing at the corner of the corridor, looking between them both.

”Sorry, I interrupted,” he said in a cold, detached voice, unlike anything she’d ever heard from him. “Don’t mind me.”

Sinclair turned and left, and Betty followed him as quick as she could.

”Sinclair, wait!”

He left through a side door that led to a quieter part of the grounds, and she jogged as fast as she could to catch up with him.

”Sinclair - come on! I can’t catch up to your long legs in these shoes - ow!”

She hissed as she stumbled, twisting her ankle to the side, and she grabbed onto a nearby lion statue to steady herself. She hopped to a bench and sat herself down to take her shoes off, but before she could do so, Sinclair was suddenly on his knees in front of her, unstrapping the shoe from the ankle she’d rolled.

”Thanks. I don’t think I’ve twisted it. Sprained, maybe.”

”You shouldn’t be running in these,” Sinclair muttered, not looking up at her as he eased the shoe from her foot.

”I wouldn’t be if you hadn’t run off like that.”

He looked up at her, his eyes full of anger and hurt, and it broke her heart to see it.

”What was I supposed to do? You clearly needed your privacy —“

”Sinclair, stop it,” Betty snapped harshly. “I’m not Natalie. Okay?”

”Am I supposed to believe that was innocent?”

”From him? No. Maybe I should have told him to back off more firmly, but… I didn’t know what to do. We were just looking at art and suddenly he’s got his hands on me and I can’t make a scene, not with someone like him, not in his own house, so I just… froze. But I said no. He asked for a kiss and I said no. Then he said it’s a day for lovers so I said the only lover I wanted was you and…” She sighed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have let it get that far. Maybe I should have seen it coming when he pulled me away from the party and started showing me his collection of paintings of naked women, but I’m an idiot, okay? I thought he just wanted to share his art. I forgot men are pigs.”

Sinclair didn’t say anything at first. He just held her ankle gently, looking at it as if it held all the answers. Then he looked up at her meekly.

”Not all men are pigs,” he muttered. “You always said I was more of a puppy.”

Betty smiled. “Yeah. You’re my puppy.”

”You know, dogs can get very possessive. They growl at people who try to take what’s theirs. And what’s a little puppy compared to a great lion?”

”Hey.” Betty stroked Sinclair’s cheek softly. “I’d choose my puppy over a lion any day.”

Sinclair’s eyes shone a little more hopefully then. “Really?”

”Yes, really,” Betty laughed. “I love you, Sinclair. Do you really think I’m gonna sneak off to shag your cousin?”

Sinclair shrugged dejectedly. “Better my cousin than your brother, I suppose.”

”Oh, god, don’t even joke about that,” Betty gagged. “Will you get up here and cuddle me already?”

Sinclair got up from his knees, ignoring the grass stains on the knees of his very expensive suit, and sat next to her on the bench. She wrapped her arms around his waist and cuddled up to his warmth.

”I’m sorry,” Sinclair mumbled into her hair.

”Don’t be. At least now I know you don’t want to lose me.”

”Never! I never want to lose you, Betty. You’re everything to me.”

She leant up to kiss him, and he finally smiled.

“I love you, puppy.”

”I love you too, kitten.”

“Do you wanna dance?”

Sinclair’s eyes lit up. “You said you hate dancing!”

“Yeah, well, you have a way of making me see things in a new light. I think I might like dancing if it’s with you.”

“What about your ankle?”

Betty gave it an experimental flex. “It’s okay. I think I was just being a bit dramatic.” She leant down and slid her shoe back on, then stood up, cautiously putting weight on it. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she concluded. “Come on, Mr Bryant, ask the cute girl to dance.”

Sinclair immediately stood and straightened his posture, and Betty laughed when he gave her a little formal bow.

“Miss Bennett, would you do me the honour of accompanying me in a dance?”

“Why, Mr Bryant, I’d be honoured!”

She took his proffered arm and let him guide her back towards the party, which was still in full swing, with plenty of other couples already dancing, but Betty was pretty sure none of them were as in love as she and Sinclair were.

“You’ll need to lead me, I have no idea how to do anything other than the robot,” Betty admitted.

Sinclair spun her around suddenly, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her up against him, their noses almost touching, and Betty felt a blush rise to her cheeks.

“Focus on me,” he said softly. He was quiet, and the music was loud, but Betty still heard him, because to her there was no one else in the world.

She looked at him, his sweet amber eyes alight with excitement, and nodded.

Betty hated dancing because it made her self-conscious, but for the first time, she felt she could move without fear of being watched. Maybe she was being watched, maybe her dancing was terrible, maybe people were laughing. What did it matter? She was with Sinclair. She was holding him, being held by him, their bodies moving in tandem, perfectly synchronised and so clearly made for each other.

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world,” Sinclair murmured in her ear. Betty blushed, shrinking in on herself slightly, and Sinclair gently lifted her chin back up to look at her. “I mean it, Betty. I think you’re even more beautiful than…” He thought for a moment. “Julia Roberts.”

Betty laughed. “Julia Roberts?!”

“She was voted People Magazine’s most beautiful woman last year. And she is beautiful, I suppose, but she’s nothing compared to you.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s your favourite thing about me?”

Sinclair, whose hands were currently around her waist, reached down for a cheeky butt grab.

“This!”

“You can’t say my bum! Or my boobs. Or my heart, that’s such a cop-out.”

“Okay, okay!” Sinclair returned his hand to her waist and grinned down at her. “I love your eyes. I love how they sparkle when you laugh or smile, and the way your pupils dilate when you look at me. And I love your smile too, you have so many different smiles, but I think my favourite one is when you’re trying not to laugh. And your nose is so cute too - and I love your hair, of course. Can I just say everything?”

“Sinclair, saying everything is your whole thing.”

“That’s true! If you think I don’t shut up now, just ask me to list everything I love about you, I really won’t shut up then!”

“If we ever get married, you might well set the record for longest wedding speech ever.”

“If I was on Mastermind, my specialist subject would be you.” Sinclair gasped. “I should go on Mastermind! I’d be great at it! I don’t need the money, I’d probably donate it to charity, or just spend it on you. Not that there’s anything I wouldn’t buy you anyway. Anything you want, I’ll get it for you, Betts.”

Betty bit her lip thoughtfully. “Well… there is one thing I’ve always wanted to do but I’ve never been able to afford it.”

“Anything!”

“I’ve never been abroad.”

Sinclair was so shocked that he stopped moving, and Betty almost stumbled.

“Never? Surely not. Not even to France?”

“Devon’s the furthest we ever went for holiday.”

Sinclair shook his head stubbornly. “Devon’s not a holiday when you live in Cornwall! That’s just going up the road! No, that’s it, we’re going on holiday. Let’s find a travel agent tomorrow and book somewhere. We could go to the Caribbean, the Maldives, Hawaii… what kind of holiday do you like? I suppose you won’t know, will you, if you’ve never been away… do you have a passport?”

“Yeah, I needed one to get the shop set up. I don’t need to go somewhere fancy, Sinclair, but it’d be nice to go somewhere just the two of us, no work or Natalie in the way —”

“We need to bring Goldie!”

“Can’t Mei-Li look after him?”

“Well, yes, but she deserves a break from us too. Think about where you want to go and we’ll go! Somewhere dog-friendly with lots of fun things we can do!”

“I can think of some fun things we can do wherever we go,” Betty said suggestively, her eyes alight. “We wouldn’t even need to leave the hotel room…”

Sinclair blushed and glanced to the side, as if checking for anyone who might have overheard. “Betty…”

”Mmm?”

“Be careful what you say… you’ll make me want to whisk you off to one of Lionel’s many spare rooms.”

“Is that such a bad thing? I don’t think he’d mind…”

“I’d much rather get you home where we can cuddle and sleep afterwards.”

Betty laughed. “Sinclair, if we wait until we get home, it’ll be another hour before we leave while you say your goodbyes to everyone.”

“I… don’t have any condoms with me.”

“I bet Lionel does.”

“You’re determined to have sex in my cousin’s manor, aren’t you?”

Betty grinned. “What can I say? I waited a long time for you. I’m gonna savour every moment.”

She trailed a hand down his chest, stopping just a few inches shy of his waistband, her fingers teasing at the buttons on his shirt.

“What d’you say?”

Sinclair glanced around. No one was paying either of them the slightest bit of attention. He grabbed Betty’s hand and led her away from the dancefloor, away from the crowds, and no one noticed them slip away into the manor.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Betty giggled five minutes later as Sinclair hastily unwrapped a condom he’d snuck out of a drawer in Lionel’s study.

“It was your idea!”

“I thought we’d go to a bedroom, not Lionel’s personal art gallery!”

Sinclair grinned cheekily, a twinkle in his eye. “I thought it’d be more fun. We can go somewhere else though if you want —”

“No, here’s good, I don’t wanna wait.”

Betty hitched up her skirt around her waist as Sinclair unzipped his trousers and pulled his cock out to roll the condom down.

“You don’t wanna go on the bench?”

“No, wall’s good. C’mon, Clair, I need you —”

“I love it when you’re desperate.”

Sinclair gently pushed her thighs apart, then tugged the fabric of her soaking wet knickers to the side and began teasing her entrance with his tip.

It was easy to forget their height difference when they were in bed, but it was glaringly obvious now as Sinclair loomed over her, and though she knew he’d let her go if she asked, she liked feeling enveloped by him, as if there was nothing else in the world except the two of them.

“Arms around my shoulders,” Sinclair instructed her. She obeyed, and he lifted her thighs up with his large hands, wrapping her legs around his waist to allow him to slip inside her.

“Fuck , Clair…” Betty sighed with relief as he sandwiched her against the wall, pushing himself past her walls and settling in comfortably.

“Sinclair, please… please fuck me…”

He kissed her cheek and smiled.

“Since you asked so nicely.”

Betty had never in a million years expected this, yet here she was, getting fucked against the wall of a rich man’s personal art gallery, in the arms of her best friend, the sweetest and most loving man she’d ever met, who apparently had a daring sexuality with a bit of encouragement.

She felt completely safe in his arms, physically and emotionally, knowing he would never do anything to hurt her, that he loved and accepted her even with all her flaws.

“I love you, Sinclair,” she murmured against his ear, and Sinclair whined in response.

“I… I love you too, Betts,” he panted. “Mhm - fuck - this is really hot, but can I put you down?”

She giggled.

“Yes, I know I’m probably quite heavy. Wanna move over to the bench?”

“Yes, please.”

Sinclair put her down and pulled out of her, but he was back inside her within seconds when she bent over the bench and spread her legs for him.

He gripped her hips firmly as he thrust into her, and though he preferred to see her face, he did love the sight of her arse jiggling with each thrust, and he could see her hands holding on to the edge of the bench, trying to hold herself steady as he thrust inside her.

Betty knew that if either of them put a finger anywhere near her clit, she’d be done for. The sound of Sinclair’s moans, the slapping of his flesh against hers, filled the large, empty room, echoing back to them, and neither of them cared much that at any moment someone might decide to have a break from the party to have a look at some art.

They were so lost in the moment that they didn’t even notice the door open partway, only to close again as soon as Lionel realised he’d found where Betty and Sinclair had snuck off to.

Sinclair leant forward, his torso pressing against Betty’s back, and with her hair straightened he was able to pepper the side of her neck with kisses, alternating between kisses and murmured words of adoration, reminding her how much he loved her, how happy she made him, how much she’d changed his life in just a few short months.

“Clair… Clair, touch me, please, I need you…”

“Yes, yes, of course, anything for you, Betty…”

He reached around her body to rub at her sweet spot, and his expert fingers quickly had her cumming hard around him, her shouts of his name echoing around the gallery, and he came with a garbled cry soon after, the feeling of her walls shuddering around him too much for him to endure.

Some deranged part of Betty’s brain wanted him to cum inside her, to fill her up completely, and when he pulled out and lifted his weight from her, she felt like a part of her had pulled away with him.

She caught her breath, then let him pull her to her feet, giggling incoherently as she pulled her dress down.

“We really ought to get out of here before someone realises what we’re up to.”

Sinclair wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, smiling.

“Mmm, cuddles first though. Then how about we get cleaned up, say our goodbyes, and we go home and cuddle some more?”

“I’d like that. Can we fuck some more too?”

“Definitely.”

Sinclair had never left a party so quick.

#close my eyes 1991 #sinclair bryant #alan rickman #lionel shabandar #sinclair x betty #for the love of books

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