#I was in 16th place how did I jump the line so fast??

[gracejones]

just got Elliot Page’s book on Libby App and I’m so f’n stoked to read it!!!!

[jvnghxope]

jamais vu; memory

part one;

◦ pairing: Hoseok | reader | Taehyung

◦ genre: vamipire au, smut, angst

◦ word count: 13.9k+

◦ warnings: dark themes; mentions of blood and death; vampire compulsion and manipulation; blood consumption; alcohol consumption; hallucinations; strong language; dry humping (sort of), this chapter doesn’t have smut but the next one will!

◦ abstract: In a time when vampires are the most despised creatures in the world, Jung Hoseok finds himself falling in love with a human. Would his love be enough to protect her from the war that is about to begin?

⇥ Sequel to Dalliance; part of the In the Shadows universe.

  ↳ chapters: prologue | memory | remedy | melody

Jung Hoseok stared at the invitation far too long. 

The reason? It had his name and his name only. Which was surprising. He is used to standing behind the shadow that is the Jung Family. He is the youngest son after all, with only 215 years old. 

He has a mission. A mission that was assigned to him by the Elders, which is a great honor. There is a rumor flowing around the Shadow World: a group of humans knew about the existence of vampires (if they knew about the existence of other shadow folks, it was a mystery) and they are slowly uniting to hunt them down. The Elders didn’t give it much of a thought at first. Vampires are stronger and faster than any human after all. There was nothing to worry about, they thought. Not until they found dead bodies of their kind. That is concerning. There are more humans in the world than vampires. Now that they knew how to kill them, their chance to win a fight was not impossible. 

His mission is pretty simple: infiltrate inside the organization, investigate their plan and ruin them from within. How? The rumors say Lord Kim was behind all of it. It is his job to know if that piece of information is true and get to the good side of his younger daughter.

The journey to the Kim Manor from his Family's old home is relatively short, as both of the families lived in the same area of the city. The moment his carriage clattered into the ground of the entryway of the manor, his eyes widened. The Victorian building is surrounded by beautiful Italian gardens and greek gods in statues. 

The vehicle stops with a jolt.  A well-dressed servant opened the door to ease Hoseok out of the carriage. He thanked the peon with a nod. The main entrance is displayed before him. Enormous marble stairs led to a hallway, illuminated with lights made of silver and glass. The natural light of the sun was going down as the dawn took place. It is a beautiful sight, he has to recognize that. 

The carriages drove away, led by a horseman, to a place they could wait for their masters. 

Hoseok follows the people towards the entrance. The excited whispers of the attendees arrived in Hoseok's ears. A ball at the Lord’s Manor is something worthy to remember and the event of the year. Everyone is wearing their best clothes. Dresses made of taffeta, silk, and velvet, and tailored suits. 

It’s the first time he is surrounded by a big crowd of humans. All their emotions come colliding towards him. It took a little while for him to shut them down. His powers are one of the main reasons he enjoyed being in solitude every once in a while. For some reason, human emotions are stronger than any other shadow folk. Being surrounded by a big quantity of humans is exhausting, to say the least. 

Two corpulent men opened the big wooden doors and one by one, the guests entered the manor. In the entry, a group of men is slowly forming a line near a small room, where two young men received their coats, hats, and canes and gave them a label with a number. 

A beautiful lady with a red dress led the guests through a corridor to the ballroom. It is the biggest room in the manor. Big golden chandeliers illuminated the room, giving it a golden light. Three of the four walls had large tables with white silk tablecloths, full of delicacies and the most exotic drinks. 

Upon his arrival to the city, he made some of his peons spread the word that a new wealthy bachelor was in town. That’s how he got his invitation. As he strolls around, Hoseok could hear how the people are whispering about him. They don’t recognize his face, but they know who he was. The town is not relatively small, but wealthy people knew each other. Hoseok is a foreigner in their world.

A round of applause sounded when the Lord made his entry, his beautiful wife clutched by his arm and his firstborn, Kim Namjoon, walking behind them. The Lord gives a speech, thanking the attendees at the 22nd birthday of his daughter, the smallest of his children. To be honest, Hoseok didn’t pay too much attention to the Lord, instead choosing to finish his tasteless champagne and let his eyes wander around the room, rather bored. Then, his eyes fell on you, and wow. 

And he’d be damned. You are the Lord’s daughter. 

The Elders mentioned something about your beauty, but seeing it with his own eyes is something else. It is impossible to believe you are a mortal. Any in the Shadow World could easily mistake you for a vampire. Maybe even a fairy too. You are standing there, with your head held high as all the eyes in the room are laid on you. A smile bright enough to illuminate an entire city and a beautiful green dress hugging your frame. Hoseok couldn’t help but stare in pure awe at you. And he was not the only one. You had the power to draw the attention of everyone in the room. Subconsciously, he notices you opening your mouth. You are saying something. Words that don't reach Hoseok’s ears, too immersed in you.   

Hoseok shakes his head the moment he saw people approaching you. To clear his mind, he takes one of the snacks that looked somewhat tasty and ends in one gulp of the contents of his glass. 

“Jung Hoseok.” 

He is surprised to hear his name and surprised even more to see a familiar face behind the voice. 

“Taehyung," he greets.

His old friend grins, “I know I will hate the answer, but I’ll ask anyway. What are you doing here?” 

“I’m guessing I am not the first one the Elders sent, right?” 

Taehyung chuckles. “They sent me a month ago,” he confesses. 

“What did you use as cover?” 

“I used compulsion. They believe I am the son of a distant family friend that just returned to the city,” Taehyung replies with a sly smile. “I suppose I am not doing a good job if they sent you.” 

Hoseok snorts. “They are getting desperate.”

“And they should. Things are worse than we’ve imagined.”

“Did you discover something new?” Hoseok asks, taking another cup of champagne. 

Taehyung scans the room as he feigned drinking from his cup, making sure there was no one in ear-shot. “They have new allies,” he informs. 

“Who?”

Taehyung turns to his friend. Hoseok doesn’t need to use his ability to understand how bad this. He can perceive Taehyung’s worry behind his perfectly collected smile. “Werewolves.”

With his eyes, Taehyung points to one of the guests. Hoseok follows, only to find a young man talking to no other than Lord Kim himself. Hoseok’s jaw clenches, “The Jeons.” 

One of the oldest werewolf families and an enemy to vampires. 

“Have you informed it yet?” Hoseok asks. The Jeon boy is now talking to Namjoon. 

“Not yet. I am close to being invited to the group. My every move is being monitored.”

“The dog didn't recognize you?" Hoseok mocked. 

At that, Taehyung laughed. “We haven’t crossed pads. But he is young. I don’t think he could recognize a Pureblood if he wanted to.” They share a laugh. 

Hoseok manages to keep his eyes out of you for almost an hour, talking to Taehyung, making fun of werewolves, and catching up. It is like a little escape from the reality they are currently living. Like the old times, when things were less complicated. But you are a magnet and his eyes can’t help but look at you every once in a while. 

"Should I introduce myself?" Hobi asks his best friend out of nowhere. He takes his 15th cup of the night (or was it the 16th? He can’t tell) as he waits for an answer. Human alcohol is not supposed to affect him, but he feels a little tipsy. 

With cheeks flushed, Taehyung turns to look at him, “Who?”

“Ms. Kim.” 

“Ahh,” Taehyung nods. “If you want to… Be my guest. But be careful. There are eyes and ears everywhere. But there’s something a need to tell you first-" 

"Mr. Jung," a voice says. 

His heart jumps at the sound of his name, and when he turns around, you are standing in front of him.

Hoseok never stood up too fast (humanly possible, of course), "Ms. Kim."

Wow, you are more beautiful up close. Your eyes look so bright the stars would be jealous. The color of your dress and the candlelight make your skin glow beautifully. Then, your scent fills his nostrils and his throat goes dry. Intoxicating and addictive. It makes his head spin. He gets why Taehyung wanted to warn him: you are dangerous… and somehow he doesn’t find himself to care at all. 

“I believe we are not properly introduced,” you add with a smile. 

“My apologies,” Hoseok bows slightly and outstretches his arm. Taking your hand in his, he gives it a little peck. Your skin feels so soft against his palm. “My name is Jung Hoseok.” 

“Is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jung. Thank you so much for coming to my ball.” 

“I guess I should thank you instead, for inviting a total stranger.” 

You giggle and it is a melody he doesn’t want to forget. “There are a lot of strangers here.” 

Hoseok opens his mouth, the perfect retort in the tip of his tongue and-

“___?” Kim Namjoon interrupted. “Father is looking for you.” Namjoon didn’t bother to look at Hoseok’s way, which he finds incredibly offensive. But wait, why does he care?

You nod at your brother but your eyes never leave Hoseok.

“Well, Mr. Jung, it was nice to meet you. I hope we can talk again sometime. Maybe over a cup of coffee.” 

“It will be my pleasure,” Hoseok replies with a bow. 

And you disappear with your brother through the crowd. 

You hate these types of parties. They are full of shallow people. They give you the attention you didn’t want and being your birthday is the cherry on the cake. People are there more because of your father rather than because of you. It is something you are used to. People surrounding you because of your father’s power. 

Your brother isn't of help, either. According to the girls your mother made you drink tea two times a week, he is handsome and the best gentleman they could ask for. And as much as you believe every word, you are also sure they only wanted him because he would inherit the royal title of the family and a couple of millions. They are nice to you only because you were his sister. 

"Are you using your mountain ash necklace?" Is the question of your father the moment you arrived where he was and you reply with a nod. "Good. Those bloodsuckers could be anywhere." 

“Dad...” 

“Also,” it is like you didn’t talk at all. “I made some pawns fill the champagne with mountain ash, too. Open your eyes for the symptoms.” 

“What symptoms?”

“This is like poison to all the monsters out there. If you see something suspicious –” 

"–Honey, we're celebrating your daughter's birthday,” your mother grimaces. “Keep that stuff to your reunions." Then, she turned to you, "Sweetie, it's time to open the dance floor." She delivers a kiss to your cheek and urged you to enter the dance floor, where the guests are waiting with inquisitive stares. 

It is a tradition in the royal families when a lady turned 21 to dance with all the bachelors. Like a greeting to society, the part you are anticipating the less. You are about to dance with a bunch of strangers you are not interested in at all. 

With a forced smile, you compel yourself to walk across the room to the center of the circle the guests just made for you. A man is already waiting for you. The heir of the Jeon Family: Jeon Yongmin. 

Great. He is currently the favorite of your parents to bethrow you into marriage. You can't complain, though. He is attractive (really, really attractive), he will inherit a fortune of his own and he is nice to you for being you and not because you had "Kim" attached to your name. He praises you and says how beautiful you look tonight. It is safe to say you enjoyed the few minutes you danced with him. You are finally enjoying the ball. 

But the pleasurable feeling doesn't last. The other bachelors made you feel like you didn't matter, like you were a simple object, asking questions related to your family or not talking at all. 

Dizzy and in desperate need of an escape, you fantasize about kicking some of them and run for dear life. But before you could put your plan into action, a familiar warmth spreads inside your body when no other than Kim Taehyung takes your hand. The smile of your best friend is enough to alleviate the pressure in your chest.  

"You look gorgeous today. I didn't have the opportunity to mention it earlier." 

He always knows how to soothe your nerves. 

"Thank you. You look handsome today." 

A smirk rose on his face. "I always look handsome." 

"Oh, yeah. I forgot. The girls in here are either drooling for you, for my brother, or both." He giggles. “I didn’t know you were close to Mr. Jung.” 

Taehyung clears his throat, “Yeah. Our families have a business together. I haven’t seen him in 5 years.” 

You hum. “He seemed… nice.” 

Taehyung raised a brow. He couldn’t comment on your statement and the next bachelor arrives. The next two gentlemen are just as boring, with nothing to say and lacking a good personality. You wonder how many more you need to dance with. Then, a tingle runs down your spine as the other man grabs your hand. You are face to face with Jung Hoseok. 

“Mr. Jung,” you greet, suddenly out of breath. 

“Milady. We meet again.” He looks stunning. Dark brown hair parted effortlessly over his forehead, dimpled smile, and honey skin. He holds your body tightly against his chest and your cheeks flushed. Even when you have danced with at least 20 men in the course of the evening, no one has held you like this. So…intimate. Not even Yongmin, whom you'd soon are to become his fiance. Not even Taehyung, who you already knew and have a friendship with. 

To distract yourself, you attempt to make conversation with the man. “What brings you to our little Hylia, Mr. Jung?” 

“My family has some properties here and I wanted some fresh air,” he responds, all his attention devoted to you. His eyes are intense and alluring. He smells like sandalwood and musk. He dances effortlessly, not paying attention to the steps. You? You are repeating the steps in your brain so you wouldn’t screw up in front of everyone. He is that distracting. He swirls you again and when your eyes return to his face, his eyes are red. You blink and it’s gone, a pair of chocolate eyes looking at you. 

You smack yourself internally. Your dad is driving you crazy. Just because he sees vampires everywhere he goes, you don’t need to follow that path. 

“I hope we made a good impression,” you say before you embarrass yourself further. 

“You did,” he smiles and squeezed your hand, reassuring you. 

The music is slowly fading, coming to an end, both relieving and disappointing. You wish you had more time to talk to him. A round of applause echoes in the room and you and Hoseok bow to each other. Before you could leave the dance floor, a new song starts playing. Panicked, you observe how other couples enter the dance floor, and if you desire to get out of here, you have less than 10 seconds to run or -

“Do you want some fresh air?” Hoseok whispers against your ear, stopping your meltdown. Without so much thought, you agree and let him lead you out of the crowd. He intertwines his fingers with you so naturally. Like they belong together. Your hand and his. You giggle all the way to the hallway. 

“I don’t know where to go,” he turns to look at you, embarrassed. You can't help but laugh at that. He looks cute, all flustered. 

“Follow me.” 

It is your turn to draw him through the maze of rooms, doors, and corridors you call home. There is a series of small balconies facing the backyard and protected from sight by a large curtain. The moment you step outside, you let go of his hand and take a deep breath. It is nice to feel the chilly air against your skin. You relax both arms in the cold metal of the fence and watch the stars that are slowly rising in the sky as the sun fades away. 

"I hope the ball was not boring to you, Mr. Jung,” you mumble and when you look at him, his eyes are already on you. 

"Of course not. It was… pleasant." 

There were very few candles on the balcony and most of the light is provided by the moon. The moonlight makes his features sharper, especially the curve of his jaw. Then, your breath hitches in your throat. His eyes are glowing. Perhaps you drank more than you remember, because the next time you blink, the glow is gone. 

It is official. You are slowly losing your mind. 

“So beautiful,” he murmured. 

“P-pardon?”

He clears his throat, “The view of the garden is… quite majestic.” 

Your cheeks flushed. For a moment, you thought he was talking about you. “Yes. It is my favorite place in the whole manor.” 

He takes the final steps and stands next to you. 

"Excuse me if I am noisy, but you don't seem to enjoy the ball that was made especially for you, Ms. ___." 

“What made you think that?” You raise a brow, waiting for his answer. 

“Well, there’s a bunch of people that came for you and you are here, talking with a stranger.” 

A dry chuckle leaves your lips and you shake your head, “It may be my birthday, but it is just another ball with the same people, the same food, the same music and most of the guests are here because of my father. I don't tend to sound like an ungrateful child, but sometimes I get tired of this world. Does that make sense?" 

You play with your fingers to avoid looking at him. You feel really comfortable around him. Like you can tell him anything and he won't judge you. 

"I don't have many friends. Taehyung is one of the few to be around me because of me and not because I am the Lord's daughter. I have known him for a while now." You finally summon the courage to look at him. He gives you a sympathetic look, "I am sorry. I didn't mean to burden you with my problems, Mr. Jung." 

“On the contrary, I am glad you trusted in me,” he says with a smile. “I hope that from now on, you can consider me as a friend, too.” 

He leans closer, making your heart beat a little faster.

“Then, we should drop the formalities. Don’t you think?” 

Something unreadable crosses his expression, but it is gone before you can pinpoint what it was. Instead, he beams at you. “You must call me Hoseok, then.” 

“Well, Hoseok,” you enjoy the way his name rolls off your tongue. “I enjoyed our little time together. But I must return. My mother is probably already looking for me.” 

“I hope we can meet again sometime.”

You walk to the entrance of the manor but before you get in, you turn around. Your heart jumps inside your chest. His eyes are still fixed in you, the air ruffling his hair in the most endearing of ways. He is breathtakingly beautiful. 

"Good night, Hoseok," you murmur and open the door to get inside. 

"Good night, ___," he whispers back. 

You don't see the soft smile that stretched across his lips. 

Hoseok never understood humans. 

They are weak and fragile yet they enjoy living their lives to the fullest. They don’t care. Some vampires despise humans. They are shallow, greedy, and easy to compel. They only served for two things: make them do your dirty work and feed on them if necessary. But not all vampires are bad. Some of them chose to be in the world, surrounded by humans. They understood they needed them to survive. They make subjugates and sometimes turned their couples into vampires. 

Love is not a common word to vampires. Blood is the most important thing. Blood means power. 

Some vampires have 'special' abilities and they got stronger generation by generation. For example, his father has enhanced speed and was stronger than a normal vampire. His mother can feel other people's feelings and emotions and manipulate them in some way. He and his brother inherited both abilities, but the increased speed and strength are stronger on his brother, and the ability to feel emotions is stronger in Hoseok. 

Hoseok never understood humans and was never interested in them.  That changed when he met you. 

You are different. He doesn’t know how to explain. You are like a magnet and he will happily follow you around. He is intrigued. He never met someone who felt as strong as you. He remembers the annoyance and the sadness you felt when you trusted him with your thoughts. It was like the emotions were his. Not even the shield is enough to keep them away from him. He was surprised by the force of them and he found himself wanting to make you feel better. The mission and the reason behind his presence in that ball forgotten since the moment he touched you the first time. 

And he wants to see you again. 

Dear Ms. Kim ___ 

Ever since we met, I'm not able to stop thinking about you. I hope this doesn’t seem too presumptuous, but I would like to see you again. I'll take a walk at the park on 5th Avenue this Friday. I'll be honored if you join me. 

I'll wait for you at the fountain at 4pm. 

JHS 

His desk is full of balls of paper and letters stained with ink. It's a mess. He had been writing the same message for the past hour with no good results. He has never sent a message to a beautiful girl before. He is well known inside the Shadow World and women approached him first many times. He is relatively new at this. What he is supposed to write?

His main manservant is with him all the time and he has been laughing at his expense rather than being of any help the entire morning. After an hour or so, he managed to write a decent enough message. He lets out a sigh in satisfaction. The letter seems perfect. He reads it again a couple of times before placing the family seal in one corner and hand it to a servant that will deliver it as soon as possible.  

That Friday, Hoseok arrives at the park a little early. He feels a little uneasy, his stomach churning, his palms are sweating and he can not standstill. These sensations are what humans describe as butterflies in their stomachs. Why they enjoyed it so much? It feels awful! 

And then you arrive. Looking as gorgeous as the last time he saw you. You are wearing a light blue and pretty day-dress. Four men accompany you, not living your side for a split second. Guards. 

His heart may or may not have stopped the moment your face illuminated when you see him. 

"I must say, I was surprised by the invitation," you murmur when he was at ear-shot, stretching your gloved arm that he happily receives and kissed in welcoming. 

"Would your guards let you take a walk with me?" 

You grin. 

"So, tell me more about you,” you ask, clutching your arm around his. He can feel the excitement pumping through your veins.  

“About me?” 

You nod.

“I feel like we only talked about me at my birthday ball. I want to know more about you." 

Hoseok remains quiet for a while, pondering on what he could tell you. As you keep walking, the trees start to be closer to each other and the sunlight is slowly fading. The darkness on this part of the park adds a mysterious aura and it is a little chilly. You hug your shawl closer as you wait for his answer. 

“I used to live with my parents and older brother. We left Hylia a long time ago, but I wanted to come back. I have good memories of this place. The manor we used to live in is not so far from yours, actually. I've been preparing to take over the… family business. You know, appointments with business associates and clients.” 

You hum, “And all your family is a vampire or just you?”

Hoseok chokes on his spit and stops on his tracks. You eye him curiously, a hint of a smile on your lips. You know his secret and you don’t seem to fear him. You were blunt about it and asked him directly. That takes courage. You are not nervous. Not even scared. That confuses him by no means. He can’t tell if that is a good sign or a bad sign. 

“What?” you ask, a little impatient because he hasn’t confirmed your suspicions yet. “Do I need to pretend I don’t know what you are?” 

Hoseok had three options: one, feign ignorance and take it as a joke (even when he was sure it is not); two, use compulsion to make you forget this day; or three, go with it. 

“Since when do you know?” 

Yep, he chose the third. 

“The day we met,” you confess, leaving Hoseok surprised. If you already knew what he was, why you accepted his invitation? Why not send men to catch him and lock him down? You were not walking anymore but your arms were still clutched together. You don’t seem uncomfortable and your emotions are anything but negative towards him. It is so confusing. 

“Can I ask how you figured it out?” He says after a while. 

Your eyes narrow. ���I don’t if I can trust you. You could be the enemy…” 

He is the enemy. At least to your family. 

“Yet, you are still here,” he points out with a smile.

He now sensed the uncertainty –and fear?– slowly creeping inside your body. He can hear how rapid your heartbeat is. A part of him is relieved you were having a normal human reaction after all. The other part of him is… disappointed. 

“I am not going to hurt you,” he says, wanting to place his hand over yours to assure you but choosing to not doing so. 

“I-I know,” you manage to say, eyes glued to the ground to avoid looking at him. “If you wanted to hurt me, you already would have.” 

He raises an eyebrow. You are smart. He never doubted it. 

He is not proud of what he is about to do, but he has no other choice. 

“Come,” he calls and leads you to a bench so you could sit down. You follow his lead without much trouble. As subtle as he can (so you don’t notice your sudden behavior change), he eases your nerves, listening to how your ragged breath slows and how the erratic thump of your heart decreases to normal levels. 

“I’ll answer your questions if you answer mine,” he offers. “Deal?”

Then, you finally turn your face to him, “How can I know you would not go and tell our secrets to your vampire friends? We are not entirely hopeless…” 

“Fair enough,” he concedes, “I guess you just need to trust me, ___.”

He does what he does best: being charming. It is not a difficult task as allure practically drips from his pores. Being a Pureblood, the allure is twice as strong. He doesn’t need to use compulsion to get what he wanted from a human. At least most of the time. His natural charming personality, incredibly good looks, and vampire-allure aura doesn’t do the trick with you. So, he does a little cheating: he enhances all the good feelings you have for him. Trust, comfortableness, all the emotions that could make you trust him. 

It passes several minutes before you take a deep breath, your mind made up. 

“Ok,” you agree. You fidget on your seat and chew on your lower lip. Hoseok can sense the uncertainty. It is still there, but not as strong. You take your time. That story had been in your family for generations. It is hard to tell it to someone from outside. Foreign. It is prohibited. You take a deep breath. “My family… Well, specifically my grandfather, formed a group with the sole purpose to eradicate the evil of this world. He was attacked by a vampire and left for dead when he was 20 years old. A warlock saved him. Since then, he decided to study your kind and hunt them down.

“On his studies, my grandfather found something vampires were weak to mountain ash. Since then, my family has built an entire business from it. They created jewelry with it so vampires couldn’t use their mind control on us. 

“That day, at my birthday ball, my father sprinkled some mountain ash over the champagne in hopes it would reveal vampires within us.” 

Hoseok frowns. That would explain the buzz he felt during that night. Oh, he is in trouble. Humans know way more than they expected. Humans have leverage against his kind. He needs to find out how strong this leverage is. 

“Are you wearing a mountain ash necklace right now?”

You nod, “I always wear one.”

He hums. He could use his powers a moment ago just fine. Maybe the amount of ash is not enough to shield you from his powers or it doesn’t work with Purebloods at all. Is he going to reveal that information to you? No. It is not the end of the world. Yet. 

“So, how did you notice?” he urges.

“Your eyes. When we were dancing, they turned red. It was just for a second. I thought I was hallucinating. But it happened again when we were on the balcony. My father a long time ago told me that vampires have crimson eyes as the color of the blood that runs inside our veins. That is how you recognize a monster.”

You definitely are smart. “You are something else, Ms. Kim,” he praises and your cheeks feel warm. “If you knew already what I was, why didn’t you tell your father?”

You shrug. “I don’t know. I was curious about your kind. My father always says vampires are bad, but when we met, you had an opportunity to hurt me and you didn’t. Curiosity got the best of me,” you laugh, embarrassed. “It runs in the family.” 

Hoseok can’t help but smile. Is it wrong to feel honored because you trusted him enough to come? “To answer your previous question,” he says after a while. “I am a born vampire. All my family is.” 

You look at him with wide eyes but there are no signs of fear in them. Only genuine curiosity. “How old are you?” 

“I stopped physically aging when I turned 24. I am 215 years old,” he confesses with a tiny grin, watching carefully for your reaction. You do not disappoint. Your eyes bulge out of your orbits and he let out a soft chuckle. 

You clear your throat, "That is a lot…" 

Hoseok wonders how you would react if he tells you his parents have been alive for over millennia. 

"Do you have more questions?" He teases and you pout. 

"I have a lot. Can you handle that, Mr. Jung?

"I thought we agreed to call us for our first name, ____." He leans forward, looking directly into your eyes and enjoying how you flush.  

“Fine. Do you sleep in covens?” 

He lets the loudest laugh you have ever heard of and you do your best to not look beyond offended. 

“Is that really your question?” 

“Well, excuse me. We don’t know much about your kind and I am sure what we know is wrong,” you pout and his heart flips. He can feel your embarrassment and frustration. 

“No, we don’t sleep in covens,” he responds at last. 

“Do you sleep at all?” 

“Yes, in beds where you can do more than sleeping," he flirts shamelessly.

You ignore him.

“What about mirrors, garlic, and holy water?

“Do you people really believe that?”   

You nod and start chuckling because if he put it that way, humans were not that clever. It is the first time he heard you laugh and he is fascinated. 

"My bathroom is practically made of mirrors. Garlic is my favorite condiment and Holy water is just… water."

You snort, "See? What we know is all wrong…" 

He wants to take your hand, but he knows it won’t be appropriate. 

“What about the sun?” you continue. “You are literally under the sunlight and unbothered. Does it affect you at all?" 

Hoseok grins, "No." 

The rest of the evening you keep asking him all your doubts and he is happy to respond. By the end of the evening, you know more about vampires and the Shadow World than any of your family or the Association. 

"I believe I have kept you long enough, Ms. Kim. Your guards are probably worried." 

"Oh, dear," you notice for the first time how dark this part of the park is. "Time goes by so fast when I talk to you, Mr. Jung." 

And you giggle. 

He leads you to your carriage and is funny the look of relief your guards have the moment they see you. 

Before you get inside, you turn around. "Will I see you again?" 

He nods, "Soon."

You are used to your life. Is all kinds of boring. Every part of your daily life is a routine, a schedule to follow. You can't make decisions concerning yourself by yourself. They always have told you what to do, what to wear… and there were tons of rules on how to walk, stand, eat and talk properly. It is exhausting. 

Not everything is bad. You have your brother, Namjoon, Taehyung, and your friends. Their presence made your life easier and a lot more bearable. But they don't always provide the break you needed and craved. They are still part of the world you sometimes hated. They have their own schedules and rules to follow. It somewhat consoled you (and you hated yourself for that) that it seemed their lives were not under their control either. At least you are not totally alone. 

The first breath of fresh air was when you first met Taehyung. He was new, funny and so, so charming. He is the first man to notice you. He is different. 

And then, you met Jung Hoseok. 

He is a vampire. In the words of your father, a monster. He can suck your blood and leave you dry. He can corrupt your soul. 

Then, why do you feel more alive since you met him? 

With him, you were not Kim ____, the daughter of Lord Kim, with tons of responsibilities to fulfill. With him, you are just ____. A normal girl hanging out with a normal guy. A normal guy who also happened to be a vampire. 

And you are in trouble. 

Behind closed doors, the members of your family are self-proclaimed vampire hunters. They built a secret association with their ideals. They reunited at least once a month to talk about weapons and the best way to kill vampires. At least that’s what Namjoon told you one day and he refuses to tell you more because you're a woman and you don’t need to know these things. 

You may or may not have told him a couple of words that are inappropriate for a young debutante. 

“What color of dress would you want for tonight, Mrs. Kim?” Lisa, your lady in waiting, asks as he finishes the last touches on your hair. 

Looking yourself in the mirror, you sigh. “I think I’ll go with the blue one, with details in silver.” 

Lisa nods and motions the other ladies to bring the dress. It is still inside the box, newly designed for you. 20 minutes later, you are waiting for your family in the hall near the staircase. 

The Social Season started a couple of weeks ago and tonight the Lovelace family is throwing their annual ball. All the elite in Hylia has an invitation. A part of you hopes you’ll see Mr. Jung there. 

Your brother arrives 5 minutes later. 

“Father won’t come with us,” he says, using one of the mirrors on the left wall to adjust his already perfectly styled hair. “He has matters to attend.” 

“You mean matters of the Association.” 

He turns to you with a tight smile, “Yes. Mother is on her way and we can go.” 

“Ok.” 

The Lovelace Manor is not that far from yours, so the moment your mother is ready, the ride doesn’t take long. It is still early, but there are already a lot of people in the entranceway. Namjoon leads you inside. All the eyes are on you the moment you enter. You know your brother is handsome. He is. You resist the urge to laugh when almost all the debutantes at the Lovelace ball room break their necks to have at least a glance of your brother. He is a good match. He will be the next Lord Kim. All eyes are on him. 

And you? Besides being under Namjoon’s shadow, the pins holding your hair place are stabbing your scalp, you can’t endure standing on those heels any longer and your face hurts from the fake smile you were taught to always wear in public. 

But other than that, it can be worse. 

“Would you be okay if I leave you for a while? I want to have a dance with Mrs. Lovelace,” your brother questions and he has these sparkly eyes that make it really hard to say no. 

“Go.” 

He grins, showing his killer dimpled smile. He gives you and your mother a quick peck on the cheek and disappears through the crow, with a couple of eyes still glued to his frame. It seems that Ms. Lovelace is the lucky girl. She is nice. A year older than you. Her family meets all your parent’s standards and she is beautiful. The perfect sister-in-law. 

You spot a red-head near the dance floor. You wave your mother goodbye and walk toward your best friend. 

She beams at you the moment she recognizes you. She is wearing a white dress with gold details. 

"My father wants me to marry that Lightwood kid. Can you believe it?" She says in greeting. 

"Joseph? He is cute." 

She scoffs, "Please. We grew up together. He is like my brother," she dismisses with a flick of her hand and takes a cup of champagne from one of the trays. "What about you? I heard the date of your wedding with Jeon Yongmin is already set." 

You snort, "He hasn't proposed yet. Our parents are still… talking." 

"Your wedding is going to be pretty. Big and pretty." 

"Shut up." 

She giggles. She has the perfect retort ready, a retort that dies on her tongue when someone clears their throat behind you. Joseph Lightwood is standing behind you, with a lopsided smile tinting his lips but he looks a little nervous too.

“Would you join me for this dance, Ms. Carstairs?” He offers his hand. 

Despite all her rant and ‘he is like my brother’ thing, she blushes. You gnaw at your lip to avoid the smile. They would look cute together. You observe them walk to the dance floor. 

You don’t get to spend much time in solitude after your friend’s departure, as one bachelor asks you to dance too. Mr. Morgenstern (or was it Morgentain?) is a tall man with hair so blonde it is almost white and rigid facial expressions. Like a statue, chiseled by the best artist. He is attractive, but he is not your type of attractive. 

When you know the steps like the back of your hand, it is easy to get lost in the dance. You don’t need to put all your attention on it to do it right. You flutter your eyes shut. You get lost in your thoughts. You imagine that the skin of the hand that twirls you around is softer. The shoulders where you place your hand are a little less broad. You can imagine that the man dancing with you is not blonde, but brunette. The eyes crimson as the color of blood… 

You open your eyes. 

Hoseok is here and he is watching you. 

The world stops. You can no longer hear the music. The people around you disappear. It is only you and him. You both stand there, watching each other. He is so captivating. You have the urge to go to him, to touch him but he is so far. 

Inhale. Exhale. 

Once. Twice. Three times. 

The next time you blink, he is closer. Looking at you with his crimson eyes and a tiny smirk on his lips… Are those... fangs?

The world resumes and it is turning upside down. You are falling but before you touch the ground, a pair of arms grab you by the waist. 

“Are you okay?” Mr. Morgenstern asks as he helps you on your feet. He looks worried and you offer him a smile. 

You are still on the ball. The music is still playing. People are still around you but they stopped dancing. Now, they are watching you. 

“Yeah. I guess all the twirling and the champagne are not a good combination,” you laugh awkwardly. "Thank you." 

With a smile, he leads you out of the dance floor to a chair. You look around, searching for Hoseok, but you don't see him. Was he a product of your imagination? 

"You okay?" Namjoon appears out of nowhere when you sit down. 

You nod, "I am just a little dizzy." 

There is no point to try to calm your brother. He is already worried. 

"I have arranged a room for you if you want to lay down and rest for a bit," Ms. Lovelace is behind him. "You look a little pale…"

You open your mouth to deny the offer because you are fine but before you can say something, Namjoon is grabbing you by the hand and sliding an arm around your waist to help you stand up. 

"Come on," he says and there is no room to fight. 

He leads you through the ballroom and you want to comment on the fact that he knows his way through the house pretty well. He opens then one of the many doors in the hallway and urges you inside. The room is pretty, with a single bed and a small couch in the corner. 

“You can stay here until you feel better,” Namjoon states. “If you feel worse, call me and we will go home.” 

“Okay. Thank you.” 

With that, he leaves you alone and sends you a smile before closing the door. Once you are alone, you let out a sigh. After some deliberation, you choose to sit on the couch instead of the bed. Your legs feel weak and you are not sure why. You go over the events of the night. Does some vampire use compulsion on you? If so, why you? You are the daughter of the leader of the organization that will fight against vampires, but you don’t know anything. You can’t go to meetings and Namjoon barely tells you anything. You will be no use if they try to use compulsion to get information and you are supposed to be protected by the mountain ash in your necklace. But someone is trying to mess with your mind and is working. Doesn’t the ash work as your family always thought? Does that mean that you don’t have protection against them anymore? 

You don’t get to dwell on the matter much longer, because someone is knocking on the door. With a sigh, you stand from the couch and open the door. 

You gasp. It’s him. With messy hair and slightly agitated, Jung Hoseok is standing in front of you. To make sure it is really him, you take a step forward and place your open palm against his chest. It feels solid and warm. 

“Are you really here? Is it really you?” you ask, in a trance.

“Are you okay? What happened?” he looks concerned and that calms you a little bit. 

“Nothing, I…” you start, and then you notice that your hand is still pressing against his chest. You remove it immediately. “I’m sorry.” 

He chuckles, dismissing the matter like it's nothing. “May I come in?”

You nod and move from the door. 

“Are you feeling better? I saw you faint earlier.” 

Your eyes grow wide, “You saw that?” 

Then you didn’t imagine it. He was there. You start to giggle, relieved. You are not losing your mind, after all. “I’m fine. My brother exaggerated. I had too much champagne to drink and danced a lot. That’s all.” 

He raises his brow, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Are you sure?” Out of nowhere, he takes a step forward and cups your head with both hands. “You still look a little pale…” 

He is so close you lose the ability to think, talk, or breathe. His fingertips caress the skin softly. Before you know it, he is pushing you inside the room again and closes the door behind him. All without taking his hands from your face. Your eyes are glued to his. At some point, his eyes stopped being the chocolate color you know, and started to morph into a crimson color. It is both exciting and terrifying. Then, his eyes fall to your lips and your heart jumps. 

“What are you doing to me?” he whispers. 

You are about to ask him what he means, but suddenly you are knocked off your feet and your body is pressed between his body and the nearest wall. 

“You are distracting me. I have a responsibility to my kind. I had a mission and the only thing I can think about is you.” He emphasizes his words with a gentle caress to the skin of your neck, earning a gasp from your lips. He uses one of his arms to hug you by the waist and pull you closer (if that is even possible). "Your scent is intoxicating. Your skin is so tender," he murmurs last words with his lips pressed against your jawline. 

Your body feels like it is in overdrive. Every fiber is on fire. He takes his time to worship both sides of your jawline with kisses, licks, and nips. You rest your head against the wall to give him more access. It is clear where he wants to go but he moves slowly, taking his sweet time with you, nibbling at your earlobe and moving through your cheek. He is giving you the time to ask him to stop if that's what you want. But your mind is full of him, full of the feeling of his lips against your skin. You want more. 

With his free hand, he raises yours to rest them on his shoulders. 

"You are so beautiful," he murmurs. "Can I kiss you?" 

You nod and he presses his lips against your own. 

There is a moment when everything stills as time stopped. He is allowing you to push him away and when you don’t, he cups your face with his free hand and deepens the kiss. This is new territory for you. You only have kissed a man in your life and it was nothing like this. It was a year ago, with a man you thought you loved. It only lasted a second. It was just a press of lips and nothing more. 

This is different. 

Hoseok is kissing you with slow, languid strokes, taking his time to savor you. Fingers digging your skin, he presses his body tightly against yours and you hug him, not wanting to let him go. He tastes like champagne and something inherently his. It’s the sweetest thing. He swipes with his tongue your lower lip and you grant him entrance. He explores the crevice of your mouth as a man starved. 

You have never felt like this, so overwhelmed and full of emotions you can’t comprehend. He bites your lip and tugs it with his teeth and you gasp in pain. With his tongue, he licks the wound and when the only droplet of blood reaches his taste buds, he groans. 

“You taste divine,” he murmurs against your mouth and proceeds to kiss you fiercely, almost bruising. And then, he stops. He rests his forehead on yours as you both regain your breath. “You don’t understand how much I want you, how much I desire you…” 

He takes your left hand that is comfortably resting on his shoulder and kisses your knuckles. When your eyes flutter open, it's like a bucket of cold water washes over you. His eyes are crimson red and his fangs are exposed. He is staring at your wrist like it holds all the answers. He is lost in his bloodlust and desire. He leans in, his fangs just mere millimeters away from piercing your skin… 

“Stop,” you say and he does. His crimson eyes meet yours and you hold your breath. “Please, don’t.” Your voice is just above a whisper. 

The next ten seconds of your life are the longest, but he finally puts your hand down. 

“Don’t worry. I promised I wouldn’t hurt you.” 

He caresses your cheek with his thumb. If he notices the shiver when he touches your skin, he doesn’t mention it. In a blink, he is on the other side of the room. 

“I think we should return to the ball,” he says while arranging his suit. His perfectly styled hair is a mess now and you blush. It’s because of you.  

With a nod, you walk to look at yourself in the mirror. You don’t recognize yourself. Cheeks flushed, messy hair and lips swollen. Even your dress is untidy. Now that you are not distracted with Hoseok’s lips on yours, you notice the sting of the pins against your scalp. It takes you a few minutes to look decent again. When you finish, you turn around. 

“Do I look okay?” you ask him. He is laying on the couch, with his eyes fixed on you. 

“You always look beautiful. Should we go?” he stands from the couch and offers his hand. You hesitate for a few seconds but take it anyway. He leads you out of the room to the ball, where you will dance all night, drink more champagne and have the best night of your life. 

Time's perception is something different for vampires than it is for humans. Ten years for vampires are 1 year for humans, and as time goes by, the longer you live the less you care about the simplest things.

Hoseok has traveled all over the world, read thousands and thousands of books, met all kinds of people… and yet, he hasn't fallen in love at least once. He doesn't know how it feels. 

He has had partners, yes, but only for feeding or sexual releases. There was not any type of intimacy and he didn't care.

And you? 

You are the first human he feels attracted to. You are the first thought he has every morning when he wakes up and the last he thinks when he goes to bed. You are the female lead on every book he reads and he finds himself daydreaming about you all the time. He wonders every day what are you doing or if you are doing okay. All those nights, when he holds you close as you dance all night, are graven inside his mind for all eternity. 

It has been a little over a month since the incident at the Lovelace ball. The night when he first tasted your blood. It was just a tiny droplet and still, it drove him mad at how divine it was. But as good as that was, it is still printed in his mind the way you flinched when he touched you after. He almost lost control and you were afraid of him. For the first time in a long time, he felt embarrassed to be a vampire, the monster you and your family proclaimed he was. He didn’t want you to fear him and as selfish and shameful it was, he used his powers again to take your fear away and make you feel better. At first, he was using his powers to get on your good side for the sake of the mission. Now, he wants to be on your good side because he is slowly falling into you. 

"Excuse me, my Lord," his main butler interrupted his thoughts. "Mr. Kim is here and wants to talk to you."

One of his favorite books of all time is resting on his lap, but he hasn't been able to concentrate enough to understand a single word, so he closes it.

"Let him in," he replies with a sigh, placing the book on the table as he stood from the couch he was comfortably seated. The butler nods and disappears through the door.

Ten minutes later, Kim Taehyung enters the room. 

“Long time no see my friend,” Hoseok greeted him with a smile he didn't return. 

“I think we can skip the formalities.” 

Hoseok frowns. "Okay, then. What are you doing here?" He walks to his mini bar and places two ice cubes inside two glasses. “Do you want something to drink?” he asks his friend as he pours a dark gold liquid. Maybe a drink will ease his nerves a little. 

"No, I am okay. Thank you,” he dismisses with the back of his hand. “I came to ask you to stay away from ____." 

“Straight to the point, I see.” 

He turns to look at him. His face is impassive, not letting anything slide. He tries to read his emotions with no luck. A long time ago, Taehyung learned how to hide his feelings when he was around him. He hates it so much, especially when he is uncertain of the situation, which only concerns him further. 

“Why?” he asks, annoyance slowly growing inside his chest. 

“It is best for her not to be caught up in the middle of a war.”

Hoseok downed the content of his glass in one gulp and stared at his friend in confusion. “She is the daughter of the leader of the association. She is already in the middle of it.”

“Yeah, but how do you think her father would react if he knows his daughter is courting with a vampire?” 

“He won’t know about…-”

Taehyung snorts. “He is already suspicious and we are this close to getting caught.” 

“How do you know?”

Despite his angry exterior, Hoseok can tell Taehyung is really worried. He patiently waits for his friend to continue, seated on the same couch he was before he arrived. Hoseok can feel his mortification. It is faint, but it is there. He watches with amusement how Taehyung approached the bar and poured himself a drink. 

“I thought you didn’t want something to drink…” 

“After I told you what I know, you’ll want to refill yours,” he says and takes the contents of his glass in one gulp. 

Hoseok raises a brow but stays silent. After a few minutes, Taehyung speaks. 

“I’ve been using compulsion with servants to figure it out if they know or have heard something about the Lord’s anti-vampire group.” 

“And?” 

“Werewolves are not their only allies," he confesses. "The Lord managed to find a warlock willing to help them.” 

Hoseok frowns. “A warlock? I thought we had a peace treaty with the magic community.” 

Everyone thinks being a vampire is full of benefits and perks but they are all wrong. Vampirism brings along a lot of enemies. 

Taehyung chuckles dryly. “Theoretically? Yes. But this one is obviously in favor of humans.” 

“What would they want with a warlock?” 

“Well, they know how to kill us now and that’s not the worst of our problems.” 

“What could possibly be worse than that?” Hoseok asks. 

“They are trying to empower a human with magic to match our strength and speed during fights,” he gulped loudly and Hoseok’s heart drops. 

This couldn’t be happening. Taehyung lets the information sink in and takes another drink. Hoseok rubs his temples with his fingers. That’s definitely bad. Humans had a slim chance to fight against vampires because of their higher number and vampires still had leverage: their power. Now, if humans have powers of their own, vampires are screwed. He is screwed. 

“Any results?”

“Not yet.” 

Taehyung’s worry was so strong that he couldn’t hide from Hoseok anymore. It was exhausting and the feeling hit Hobi with the force of a truck. Now, his body was full with the worry of two individuals at the same time and his stomach churned painfully. 

"I need to inform my father. If humans want to fight, he will fight back." 

Taehyung nods, "I know. Now, do you understand why I want you to stay away from her?” his voice sounds hoarse and Hoseok doesn’t remember the last time he saw pain glistening in his friend’s eyes. "Something could go terribly wrong." 

Hoseok understands. He knows things are messed up and not for the first time he wishes you were a vampire. Things will be simpler like that. 

Would you want that? If he offers you a life of eternity with him by your side, would you take it? 

“I can’t,” and the words are like punches to Taehyung's gut. "I don't want to. I will protect her. I want to protect her." 

“Do you love her?” 

Taehyung closed his eyes as if he feared what his answer might be. 

Hoseok never realized until then, too caught inside his own world, fears, and hopes, that Taehyung has feelings for you, too. He couldn’t blame him for it, either. Hoseok himself was falling for you. Fast. You were extraordinary, beautiful and the most selfless person he knew. It was too obvious, actually. The way Taehyung’s face illuminated when you were in the same room as him; or the way his eyes helplessly followed your frame wherever you went. 

Taehyung was one of the good ones. 

He had never killed a human to feed. Enjoyed surrounding himself with humans because he wanted to be as normal as possible. He didn’t like being a vampire, but he was born like that and couldn’t change that. He took suppressors to weaken his ability to manipulate others' will. His power was so strong he even could use compulsion on other vampires –something no other vampire could do– but he respected the vampiric hierarchy and didn’t want to use it to his convenience. 

He is that kind. 

"I don't know," Hoseok answers. "I might."

As if he didn’t want to act like a normal human anymore, Taehyung moved in the blink of an eye and seated on the couch, burying his face between his hands in the most vulnerable state Hoseok has ever seen him. 

“Hobi, she is human. Mortal. She can die. You understand that, right?” His voice was muffled but to Hoseok's ears was loud and clear. 

Of course, he knew that. The last few days, he has been having nightmares. Horrible dreams where you die between his arms, bleeding out. Your blood smearing his hands and clothes as he desperately tried to keep you alive. Every time, he woke up with shallow breathing, his heart hammering furiously against his chest and the biggest lump on his throat. He had never felt that type of agonizing pain in his 200 years of being alive as he felt it at the mere thought of you being ripped off his side… 

...and Hoseok is surprised by the nth time by how quickly you managed to get under his skin. 

"I know," his voice sounds strained. "I will stay away from her." 

Maybe it is for the best. He would hate himself if something happened to you because of him. 

Taehyung stands up from the couch with clenched hands, "You better because if something happens to her, I'll personally kill you with my bare hands."

The Jeon's annual party is one of the most important and biggest events of the year during the social season. The invitation made of lush paper and gold is personally delivered to every guest. If you were invited, that meant you are important. 

It is also the event Hoseok had chosen to say goodbye to you. He wants to have one last dance and give you a final kiss before he disappeared from your life. 

Weird thing but what you loved the most about this world are the parties. Ironic, I know. Those parties are the perfect excuse to display the family fortune and elicit other’s envy. You hate that. No, what you love the most is when the hosts, to impress the guests, order the most exquisite pastries and drinks that make your taste buds tingle in pleasure. You love food.

There are also clothes. Despite yourself, you enjoyed dressing up in those dresses that are made especially for you and getting your hair and makeup done for the occasion. It makes you feel like you are inside a fairytale. 

Tonight, your only companion is your brother. Your father had something to do and your mother is kind enough to not come without him. 

This time, the Jeon ball had a theme, Fire and Ice, where the gentleman comes in white and the ladies in red. Lisa excelled herself with the makeup and the hair. You look absolutely stunning. 

Since you arrived, you made a beeline to the food. Shrimp canapes and diverse seafood in appetizers are displayed before you. You are not a big fan of seafood but the canapes are pretty good. You are about to take your second one when you feel a hand being pressed against your lower back. 

"Did my mother choose the appetizers well?”

Jeon Yongmin is behind you with an amused smile on his face. 

"O-oh! Mr. Jeon,” half of the canape was already inside your mouth, so you are struggling a little while you swallow it. 

"Please," he sends you a boyish smile and hands you a cup with bubbly golden liquid, "I told you to call me Yongmin." 

You smile back. “Yongmin,” his name rolls off your tongue and his smile widens.

Well, you guess he will be a good husband. He is kind and attentive. He comes from a wealthy family. You will be taken care of and will not have to worry about anything for your entire life. Plus, he is really handsome. Your kids will be pretty. Yet, you can’t picture yourself with him. When you imagine yourself in the future, another man is standing beside you.  

"The appetizers are really good," you finally respond. 

Strangely, he is here talking to you. Even when he is around your age, he spent more time hanging out with your brother and his friends than you. Thus, you are not close. 

"I'm glad you liked them. My mother was really nervous about it," Yongmin says as he takes one for himself. 

"How is the training going?" You ask him and giggle at his confused expression. "My father is the leader and my brother an active member. Of course, I know about your little group of vampire hunters." 

“It is weird to talk about it with someone out of the group,” he chuckles nervously and rubs the back of his neck. Then, he leans in closer to you so no one can hear what he is about to say. “We’ve been training with a warlock. He is giving some the power to fight against them. The other night, we went hunting and your brother killed one. It was impressive.” 

Your blood runs cold. Namjoon killed a vampire. You stare at Yongmin horrified but he is too busy telling you the epic story of your brother to notice the change in your expression. He seems excited and why not? This is what your family has been looking for: a way to eliminate vampires from the world. You should be happy. Instead, you feel nauseous. You can't help but imagine Hoseok being tortured by Namjoon. 

"We may kill some tonight. You can see if you want. I'm sure your father would let you," he adds casually. 

What? 

"H-how?" 

"They added a bigger dose of mountain ash to all the food and champagne. If a bloodsucker comes to the ball, we'll know." 

No. You need to tell Hoseok. 

"Has it ever occurred to you that not all vampires are bad?"

He turns to look at you, surprised.

"Are you kidding? They only want one thing. Blood. They'll do anything to get it," his tone is stern and you wonder if he has a story with vampires that made him hate them so bad. 

For the past few months, you have wondered if he was a vampire, like Hoseok. There is something odd about him. But now you are certain he is not. No one hates his own people that much. 

You excuse yourself, telling Yongmin that you need to go to the dresser. You can't be around him any longer. He offers you a smile that you no longer perceive as charming. You start walking as fast as you can. You need to warn Hoseok–

Suddenly, you bump into someone’s chest, too caught up in your thoughts to notice where you were going. 

“I am so sorry. I didn’t see you there… Oh, Hoseok.” 

All the concerning thoughts vanish from your mind the moment you meet his eyes. 

“Ms. Kim,” he greets you with a grin. “You look stunning tonight.” 

He takes your hand and kisses your knuckles. 

You blush at his words. “Thank you.” 

He looks really handsome too. The white of his suit accentuates his dark hair. 

Hoseok leans in and whispers against your ear, “Red is my favorite color.” 

You try so hard not to react to his words but your heart bumps hysterically inside your chest and you know he can hear it. It is clear by the smirk that tugs the corner of his mouth. 

There’s something you need to tell him, but right now you can't remember what it was. Maybe it is not that important. You'll remember later. 

At that moment, the string quartet started playing, filling the room with music.  

"Can I have this dance?" 

With a small bow, he offers his hand. With butterflies flying in your belly, you take his hand. 

He tugs you towards the dance floor where more couples are gathering and preparing themselves to dance. The steps come easy to your mind as you place your right hand over his left one and your left hand over his right shoulder. You feel warmth spread across your body as his right hand snaked around your waist and pulled you closer, his cologne filling your nostrils. 

Every time you dance with him, the world disappears. It is just you and him. Nothing else matters. You lose track of time. You dance until your legs feel weak and your feet hurt. You dance until your mind is dizzy and your throat is dry. Unbeknownst to both of you, a pair of eyes follow you through the crowd. 

The current song finished and a round of applause filled the room as the dancers bowed to their partners. 

"I have something to talk about with you," Hoseok says as he draws you out of the dance floor with a playful smile. Giggling, you follow after him. 

Then, something really weird happens. Hoseok stumbles over his feet. Hoseok, a vampire with enhanced reflexes, fell to the floor. He groans in pain and you let out a gasp. Something is wrong. 

“Are you okay?” 

He looks paler than he was just five minutes ago. Almost all the golden glory that distinguished his smooth skin is lost, leaving a pale, almost sick, color behind. But this is not the most shocking thing. His eyes fluttered open, a bright, crimson red has almost overtaken the chocolate brown of his irises. 

“Your eyes…” you whisper. 

“I don’t feel so good. Please, help me out of here.” 

With a nod you help him to his feet, urging one of his arms around your shoulders for support. A small crowd has gathered around you, their eyes observing with interest. 

“Is he feeling alright?” a woman, Lady Penhallow, asks. 

You offer her a tight smile. “Yes, thank you. He just drank a little too much,” you giggle awkwardly. 

You take Hoseok away before she could formulate a reply. You manage to make it out of the ballroom without much trouble, the people around them too busy to notice something out of the ordinary. However, when you arrive in the hallway, someone is waiting for you. 

Hoseok’s grip around your shoulders tightens as you recognize the man standing in front of you. 

Jeon Yongmin. The same Jeon Jongmin who was also an active member of your father’s Association and knows how to kill a vampire. The same who told you they were using mountain ash to hunt vampires at the ball… 

Suddenly, everything comes back to your mind. How could you forget something so important!?

“Is everything alright? What happened?” Yongmin asks, perfectly collected and face inscrutable. His eyes fall to Hoseok’s arm around your frame and he clenches his jaw. 

Perfect. 

Just perfect. 

You open your mouth to give him an answer, but Hoseok beats you. 

“Everything is alright, Jeon. I sprained my ankle dancing with her and Ms. Kim is kind enough to help me get into my carrier. Do I need to explain myself further?” To your surprise, Hoseok looks somewhat normal again. His eyes are brown again and he is doing his best to not use you for support to stand on his feet. Hoseok holds Yongmin's stare like he is challenging him to say something. The tension is palpable. 

"Okay…" Yongmin says after a while, his eyes glossy. He turns to you. “Come to see me when you finish. I need to speak to you.” 

You nod and watch him re-enter the ballroom. What just happened? 

The moment Jongmin leaves you two alone, Hoseok sighs in pain, and his body weight falls on your shoulders. He can’t stand on his feet anymore. With all your strength, you lead him towards a small balcony. Hoseok lets himself fall against the nearest bench once the door closes behind you. 

“I don’t know what is happening,” he musters between gritted teeth. He looks worse than before, small puffs of air coming out of his lips and beads of sweat all over his face, his hair sticking to his forehead.

"Hoseok, I am so sorry! They put mountain ash on the champagne. They are looking for vampires!" 

You run towards him, on the verge of tears. 

“But… the mountain ash doesn’t… affect me,” he breathed out. His loss of breath was what concerned you the most. 

"Yongmin said they increased the dose." 

Hoseok coughs, “Well, that explains it.” 

“What does the mountain ash do to you?”

He coughs again and you wince. “It only weakens me. It suppresses my powers and my strength. I wouldn’t be able to defend me if someone attacked me.” 

Of course. It is the only way they have to fight against them. 

"What can I do? Let me help." 

"I just… I just need to recover my energy. I need blood. I have some spare at my manor…"

He makes the attempt to stand up but he is too weak and fails. 

"If blood is what it takes, then take mine." 

Hoseok raises his head, his wide eyes meeting as if he couldn't believe the words that came out of your mouth. Yeah, you are offering your blood to a vampire. Something you were taught to avoid at all costs. It is something you never imagine yourself doing. But it was Hoseok, a vampire you've been developing feelings for. And now that you put it like that, if you could save his life, you don’t mind at all.

"No, of course not," he quickly dismissed your idea. “I wouldn’t ask that of you.” 

“How much time do you think you’ll last like this?” 

“I… don’t know…” another cough. “Probably not much longer.” 

“Then you need to feed fast. Your manor is not close enough,” you try to reason with him.

"I'm not strong enough to resist the blood lust. I could kill you," he sounds tired. 

"You won’t, I trust you.” 

He groans. 

"Don’t. I don’t even trust myself." 

"Hey," you say, taking his head with your hands to make him look at you. He looks… sad. 

The chocolate brown of his eyes had faded away almost completely, now a pair of crimson eyes staring at you. It doesn't freak you out as much as it did just moments ago. Now that you understand they were a part of him, it is easy to leave the uneasiness behind. 

You press your mouth against his. The kiss is barely a peck but charged with emotion.

"Let me help you." 

The last words are practically whispered against his lips. He squeezes his eyes shut. It feels like an eternity passed before he replies...

"Okay. But not here. This place is full of hunters looking for me. It's not safe." 

You agree. "Let's go to my place." 

"Yeah," he deadpans. "It would be safer in the House of the family that put me in this position in the first place." 

You offer him a smile, "We don't have much of a choice, do we?" 

He sighs, "I guess not."

--- 

Helping Hoseok out of the Jeon manor is a challenge itself because of two reasons: one, it is full of guards; two, you need to carry Hoseok’s weight all the way. Still, he managed to act as normal as possible. Once outside, he loses his energy again. His chauffeur looks concerned when you arrive at Hoseok’s carrier and helps you get him inside. 

The ride to your manor is quiet. Hoseok doesn’t have enough energy to talk and you don’t know what to say so you don’t say anything. He is resting his head on your lap and you gently caress his hair. You are anything but calm. Adrenaline is pumping inside your veins and your palms are sweaty. The ride only lasted 20 minutes. At this time of the night, the road was almost empty. Two maids are waiting for you at the main entrance. They help you take Hoseok inside. 

"Hello Sophie," you greet one of them. "Are my parents home?" 

She bows at you, "No, miss. They went out a couple of hours ago." 

You nod. "I'll take mister Jung to my room. He is not feeling well… Can you prepare us something to eat?" 

"Of course, miss." She disappears through the hallway. 

You help Hoseok walk towards your room, which is located upstairs on the left-wing. The moment the door is closed behind you a new wave of nervousness washes over you. 

"Are you sure you want this?" he asks as you help him to take a sit on your bed. You place your purse on your night table. "I could feed on one of your maids… They would not remember a thing…" 

"No, I'm fine.” You reply quickly. For some reason, the idea of him feeding on someone else isn’t appealing. Hoseok, who is practically dying on your bed, dared to smirk. “Now what?” 

“Come here.” 

His voice suddenly smoother, like honey. You gulp loudly, fidgeting on your spot. You take a step towards him, your heart pumping inside your chest furiously.  When you are at his reach, he takes your hand.

“This is your last chance to say no.” 

“I-I won’t.” 

He hums before tugging you closer with a last spike of energy. With a yelp, you fall over his lap. He caressed the skin of your neck with the tip of his nose and you shudder. 

“Hmm, you smell amazing,” he whispers against your neck before sinking his fangs on the flesh. 

You gasp and out of instinct, your arms are placed over his shoulders for support. It is not what you have imagined. It definitely hurt. You feel like your skin is burning. You whine and try to push him, but he is too strong. Hoseok’s arms snaked around your middle to pull you tighter against his body. And then you felt the bliss. It was not something you’ve experienced before. The burn fades, leaving a warm feeling behind. You hear yourself humming in content. It is like nothing bad could ever happen in this world. If this is what happiness feels like, you don’t want it to stop… 

Your hazy mind merely registered when Hoseok pulled off your neck- You don’t know how, but his lips find yours. 

The kiss is gentle and slow, both of you moving your mouth lazily. 

You stay like this for what it seems like hours, kissing and nipping until your lips bruised. There is no rush. Both are content just kissing each other’s lips until your lungs hurt due to the lack of oxygen. Hoseok pulls you tighter against his body that earns him a gasp and he takes the opportunity to slide his tongue inside the seam of your lips. Every brush of his lips, every swipe of his tongue is driving you crazy. 

He groans in impatience when he tried to make you straddle his lap with your legs around his hips but failed in the process. Your gown was obviously an impediment to do so. You chuckled against his lips. 

You lift your dress so you could slot your legs around his hips and straddle him the way he wanted to. He groans in approval and pulls you for another kiss, his hands cupping your face. This time, it was sloppy and more passionate than before, the desire and tension between you growing with each passing second. Tugging his hair, you make him crane his neck so you could kiss him there, nibbling and licking the soft skin. 

“What are you doing?” he asks, clearly affected. His hands fall to your hips, fingers digging your skin. 

“What do you think I am doing?” 

“Ughh, you’ll be the end of me…” 

You can’t help but smile at that. When you found the soft spot on his neck, his hands around your hips tightened, causing your body to squeeze harder against his own. You gasp. It is the first time you feel his already hardening member pressing against your clothed core. You rock your hips again, out of curiosity, and a soft moan leaves your lips. It feels so good. You set a rhythm, slow but strong, as you keep exploring the skin of his neck. 

Soon, you feel that it is not enough. You need to feel more of him, so you try to take off his jacket but his hands stop you midway. 

“Baby,” your heart flutters at the pet name. “I don’t think this is a good idea.” 

“Why?” you whine.

He smiles at your pouty lips. “You are intoxicated with endorphins and you just lost blood. You are not in your right mind to make decisions. I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret tomorrow.” 

“But I want you.” 

“And you’ll have me, tomorrow.” 

He brings your face to him to give you a kiss. “Besides, I think you need to sleep,” he says as he looks intently into your eyes 

You yawn. Suddenly, you feel very tired and you are having a hard time trying to keep your eyes open. 

“I think I should sleep,” you say, agreeing. 

He helps you lay in your bed and you sigh. This feels so comfy and soft. 

“Don’t leave me,” you mumble. 

“Don’t worry, love. I’ll be here when you wake up. We still need to talk.” 

You nod, your eyes already closed. 

He admires your sleepy form for a few minutes, deciding that maybe is not a bad idea to get some sleep, too. He stands from the bed to leave his jacket on one of the chairs you have around the room. 

Then, out of nowhere, his breath hitches in his throat and he's having trouble bringing oxygen to his lungs. His chest hurts again and he starts coughing violently. There is blood in his hands. 

What is happening? 

He just fed. The mountain ash shouldn’t be affecting him anymore. Then why he feels like shit again? 

The energy leaves him completely and he stumbles over the floor. 

Then, the sound of the room’s door being opened reaches his ears. Footsteps. 

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” a man’s voice asks. 

Hoseok raises his head to look at the newcomer and it shouldn’t be surprising to find your brother, Namjoon, standing before him. No, what is surprising is that Taehyung is standing behind him. 

Son of a bitch. 

“I took you long enough to find me,” Hoseok says, mockingly. 

Namjoon only smiles sardonically. His eyes find your frame lying on your bed and his jaw clenches, the smile disappearing. 

“It was not a good move to feed on her, vampire. My sister has mountain ash in her system. We’ve been consuming it every day for the past month.” 

Well, that explains a lot. Hoseok looks at Taehyhung but his former friend is avoiding his gaze. Instead, he is looking at you. 

Hoseok coughs again and Namjoon is enjoying his suffering a little bit too much. 

“Don’t worry. We will take good care of you,” Namjoon informs him. “Gentlemen, get him out of here.” 

Two corpulent men enter the room and walk directly towards him. They pull him off the ground and use ropes to tie his hands behind his back. The moment the material touches his skin, he winces. It is probably enchanted with some anti-vampire spell. He doesn’t see the point though. The mountain ash has weakened him enough to keep him docile. 

The men tug him out of your bedroom. With the last strength he has, he tries to look at you. But Namjoon is blocking his view. The last thing he sees before the door closes behind him is Taehyung’s bottomless expression and the hem of your dress in the bed. Red, as the color of the blood that ruined everything. 

TO BE CONTINUED.

Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think!

[honesthammie]

From my prompt list:

4) After reaching your 16th birthday you gain the ability to see everyone's red strings of fate and on your 18th you finally get to see yours, except yours dissappears into the ground/sky.

Fandom:Doctor who

Pairing: 13 x gender neutral reader

This is my first fic on tumblr. I know its hella long and not all of my fics will be like this. This came to me from a dream I had recently. I love Jodie and I decided to write the spider episode from a different perspective. I may have change the episode slightly to fit the reader. I am thinking of doing a part 2 but it may be a while before I do as I have deadlines and stuff to keep up with. The next part may be more fluff between 13 and yourself. I know this didn't have much but it's something. I'm also sorry to any Americans reading this, I love yas but its just the personality I put to go with the readers personality. I'm also sorry for any spelling mistakes as I'm doing this on my phone.

Summary: spider episode with a small change I'm plot to accommodate your beautiful self in this fic

Warnings: slight description of a couple of panic/anxiety attacks, swearing and a bit of angst. Long intro for small fluff. And it's a part 1 do I guess a small cliffhanger is a warning?

Beep beep beep. Your alarm starts blaring in your ears, waking you up with a start. You glare at the interrupting machine before turning it off. After such a crazy night, you did not want your sleep so rudely interrupted. Why did you have a crazy night? It's your 18th birthday today and your friends decided to visit your place for a little house party, last night, to celebrate and now you have a pounding headache.

You groaned as you realised, you would need to take some pain meds before you even think about going back to sleep. Slipping out of your bed, you walk to the bathroom and find the cupboard with all sorts of medicinal and bathroom bits and bobs. You then grab the glass that you placed there in preparation for the definite hangover. The glass was a little cold to the touch but you filled it with some cool water from the sinks tap.

You took two, just so you could have a longer sleep. You waddle back into your bedroom and just as you get comfy, you widen your eyes at the memory. You needed to see your mother today, she said she had a gift for you but she would only be at home until 11. You looked at the machine that you hated for the time. It was currently 10:05. You jumped to your feet and rush to get ready.

As you walked outside, you saw the regular red strings that you saw everyday. Why do you see strings? You honestly didn't know, but you knew their purpose, it helped match 2 soulmates together. But something seemed a little off, there was no one on the street anymore, so why could you still see one line of destiny? You decided to follow the string south, down to your own (s/c) hand which was now slightly shaking at the sight.

"Fuck. Fuck,fucky fucking fuck. Why now? Why me? What the shit is going on with me?" You curse to yourself. You could feel your breath getting rapid and your head started spinning slightly. You quickly unlocked your car and sat down to help calm you down. You took a few deep breaths and focused on your senses.

When you eventually calmed down, you decided to look at where the string led. Oh, how you shouldn't have looked. It didn't go in any way of a compass, it went straight up and past the clouds. How? You had so many questions but you had to focus on the day ahead.

You had been to your mothers house and collected your new (fave game series) and your card. You were incredibly thankful as you have been saving up to buy it for yourself one day. You had played the previous games and loved every one of them and to say you were excited was an understatement. You almost ran back into your place if it wasn't for needing the key to access the gates.

Living in a gated community helped you feel a lot safer but it did also make you a big target for thieves to practise picking locks. No one had figured out where the hidden camera that kept alerting the authorities was though. Even you have tried put of plain curiosity but you got stumped after the 10th day of searching. You were sure you looked in every possible hiding spot, yet the camera always seemed to evade you in the pointless game of hide and seek.

As you unlocked the gate, you felt a twitch on your finger. The string was moving down and at a very fast pace, almost falling speed. You looked up and saw a small black dot heading towards the ground, if thats your soulmate, they would certainly be dead the second they meet their fate. When you could no longer see the dot, you kept your eyes glued to the string, waiting for it to disappear like everyone else's did when a soulmate died.

After five minutes, the string was still there and was still as red as ever, like no harm had come to them. But thats not possible. No creature could survive that especially from that great a height! You were beyond curious and quickly went into your living room and searched on all your social media for anyone else that may have spotted the dot in the sky, yet no one had but you knew (b/f) had another massive fight with their roommate, Stella, over whose turn it was to do the dishes again.

If you didn't know that Stella was in a relationship with another, you would have sworn those two were in a relationship. You giggled at the silly thought, "if Stella ever goes through a break up with her, I'm totally gonna set those two up."

You give up on finding anything out today, maybe it'll be on the news tomorrow and you set off to go on an online shopping spree, you had a few codes and now, thanks to your wonderful mother, had a little cash to spare and you did see that gorgeous top on sale. Once you had spent the day either shopping or gaming you decided to head to bed but you couldn't stop thinking about that dot and what the red string meant for you.

When your alarm had went off, you hit it and got dressed for your new job at some hot shot posh hotel run by an aspiring American with High expectations and little experience with Sheffield. You had been told you wouldn't get to meet him much and you were beyond fine with that, you hated Americans, simply because you hated violence and guns were the big no on your weaponry list of avoidance. You didn't mind weapons in video games, those were harmless to the outside world. You didn't mind verbal violence though, it was all you had to defend yourself with and in Sheffield, that was better than nothing. You were very short tempered when it came to your anger but you found that it was either verbal or physical, you chose to be verbal.

You looked at your phone for any messages from (b/f) and had a good luck message. You replied with a smiley face and a "ill need all the luck I can get. I've heard from a few employees that he can be a real asshole for no reason and fires people just because they made eye contact for too long. It's like he suspects someone is out for his blood."

After 2 minutes you received a reply from from them. "You better be on your best behaviour then, young lady!"

"That's the problem. I wonder what the record is for the quickest a person has got fired? Because I may break that, you know me! I don't exactly do as I'm told, that's why finding a job has been so hard. Anyway, I best get ready, gotta look the part! First impressions and all!" You replied with a nervous face. What you failed to notice was the red string no longer pointing towards the sky and you were making it shorter with every step you took. You did give up on finding out about the strange dot and came to the assumption that it fell in a lake, there were plenty of them around.

You walked into the swanky looking hotel and noticed the cobwebs that definitely were not there two days ago when you had your interview, yet they looked like they had been there for weeks. You would have put it down to Halloween decorations if it wasn't for the fact that it was June. You decided to not ask in case this was some sort of strange new American trend that your boss was following to help bring in the youth. It does help make it fit into Sheffield a lot more with the run down and abandoned look. It would need some rust, water damage, mold and cracks to finish the look but it was a start. If you had to be honest, the spider webs helped bring the place together. It was way too posh for Sheffield but you had to lie and say you love it in order to get hired. Just from that lie alone you knew exactly the personality of your boss, arrogant, vain and ignorant.

"Hello, you must be my new helper! I'm Najia, your second in command here. As you can see, there are loads of spider webs so they should be priority. If you could start cleaning in the south west second floor and continue that floor, that would be amazing. Now here's your cleaning trolley and if you happen to finish the floor early, send me a little message through the walkie talkie and I'll give you another room or floor. Do you have any questions?" Najia spoke softly. She seemed lovely and it was shame that she had to be in a place that would get more damage than its worth.

"Just one question: why so many spider webs?"

"I don't know, they just seemed to have appeared, I thought it was silly string from some teenagers that managed to break in somehow but it is actual spider web. It wasn't here when I left last night. I guess I'll have to ask someone about that."

And with that you separated and got to your floor when you finally noticed a slight burning sensation on your finger, it wasn't hurtful. It was like putting the finger in a really hot bath. You looked down and noticed it now pointed downhill and seemed to be glowing a shade of gold ever so gently that you would miss it if the weird sensation didn't make you look.

You left your trolley outside a toilet to make it seem like you were in there when really you had wondered off to follow the string. You would probably lose yourself in the maze of hallways that all looked the same as the last if the string didn't help lead you to a ballroom. You opened the door and instantly screamed. A giant spider was walking towards you, however you couldn't get out, you had used a staff door which needed a key card to use from this side as the other side still needed to be fitted and you left yours in the trolley, near the toilets. And the massive spider seemed to be blocking the other way out so you were trapped.

You weren't scared of spiders but seeing them at the size of a van did intimidate you. You started shaking from fear of what it would do to you. Out of pure instinct, you put your hand out to protect yourself and the sound of 8 legs against wooden flooring had ceased. The only sound was your laboured breathing. It stayed like this for what seemed like hours but in actuality was only 5 minutes. You opened your eyes slowly to see 8 more stare right back. 8 eyes that showed fear but no intention of harm. Instead the spider gave you space to breathe by walking back a few feet. Then it seemed to be watching you, studying your next move to see if you were a threat and whether or not it should kill you.

You stayed still for a moment, wrapping your head around what had just happened before gently walking towards the creature with both hands forward to show them clean of weapons. You decided to try and speak to the spider to see if it can understand you.

"Hello. I'm new around here, I'm sorry if I'm trespassing on your area, I wasn't aware of you being here to be honest. I mean you no harm, if anything, I want to help you but unfortunately, I'm stuck in here aswell." You spoke carefully as if it was a child that was afraid. You gently put your hand in its head and it seemed to understand your good intentions and your situation as it let you pet it. Now you were close, you started to admire it and realised it wasn't poisonous or venomous, it was just a regular house spider. But you couldn't figure out how or why it got this big but it did explain the cobwebs everywhere.

You had been with the spider for hours and it seemed like Najia either didn't care or has gotten fired as she hasn't asked about you. You had spent the time talking or singing to the spider. She, as you found out after looking it up, seemed to put her body around you to protect you. You had even met a couple of her children as they gave you food from the cafeteria to nibble on when your stomach growled.

Eventually the burning on your fingers turned up massively and was causing you pain. The spider seemed to sense this and wrapped her web around your finger to help cool it down a little. It didn't help but you showed gratitude anyway as she was only trying to help in anyway she could. You gave her a small smile and her eyes seemed to show sympathy in return.

Then the doors opened again and the sound of several feet walked in. "Oh thank god. I thought I was never going to be found in here." You thought to yourself as you heard the voices mumble to each other and probably about Betty and what's the best way to get rid of her. You would have paid more attention if your finger didn't feel like it had caught fire and was tight as if your soulmate was amongst those that had walked in.

Now you were nervous. How would you introduce yourself? What did they look like? Were they male or female, not that you really cared? So many questions made you feel lightheaded so you grabbed onto Betty to keep yourself planted.

Then the door opened again and a familiar voice echoed in the hall and you knew exactly how he'd want to deal with Betty and after your bond today, you would rather die than her. She was obviously innocent here and maybe the others could see it. Then you heard the familiar click of a gun safety being taken off and your body reacted before your mind did and you jumped in front of her to stop him, although you had a feeling it wouldn't, but it was worth a shot for the others to stop him.

"Don't you fucking dare shoot that gun Dickhead! Not without going through me!" You spoke with fire in your eyes and maybe a slight mix if fear aswell. That's when you looked over at the new group of people. They all seemed trustworthy enough.

There was Najia, who welcomed you here earlier and she looked sad, so she had definitely been fired. Then there was another woman who looked a lot like her, you guessed she was a daughter or something and she was pretty and definitely somone with authority with the way she stood and held herself, maybe she is a police officer? A man who looked as though he was in his 50s and definitely did not belong in this weird group. A young man who looked of a similar age to the police woman, maybe they are friends.

Then you laid your eyes on one of the most beautiful woman, no, human, you had ever seen and would probably never see again. She had short blonde hair in a bob. They seemed to be brunette at the root. She had beautiful chocolate honey eyes that glimmers with so much emotion and age well beyond her years, like she had experienced thousands of years before this moment. You also noticed her odd sense of style but you admired her boldness and it did look amazing on her. You decided she could only be described as sunshine and rainbows.

Then you noticed her hand And a familiar red string that was also glowing a beautiful subtle gold. Like millions of tiny golden stars circled around the string in a beautiful dance of love. Your eyes started to follow the string down and back to your own. She was your soulmate. That goddess that stood before you, was to be yours forever some day.

Then you looked into her hypnotic eyes before you remembered where you were and what situation you were in. And you realised everyone was staring at you for your previous action towards a spider.

"If you want to keep your job, I'd suggest you move out of the way silly girl!" Your boss grumbled in a threatening tone.

"Nope. You are about to hurt an innocent creature that is stuck and terrified. You built on top of landfill and didn't bother to check and thought of no consequences. This is your fault. Is this how you would treat a child that was a mistake after a one night stand or something? Would you shoot a child that had no choice?" You spoke with confidence yet more nerves now she was there listening to every word. When he didn't answer you shouted "Answer me! Would you shoot your mistake of a child?"

He glared at you. "This is different. This is an animal. A pest. It needs to be killed so more can't be born! I made my mistake and now I'm fixing it!" He bellowed just seconds before a shot was made from his gun. You had expected pain but instead you heard a horrible shriek from behind you.

You quickly turned around and petted her whilst whispering sweet words as she took her last breath. You stood up and made your way over to the murderer. You couldn't stand him and you were so tempted to take his gun and shoot him with it, but you didn't. With fire in your eyes and pure hatred, you slapped him hard enough to leave a mark and maybe a bruise as a reminder of his shitty choices. "You can't fire me because I fucking quit you arrogant dick! She had caused no harm to you or I and I'm sure if you would have sorted it sooner, so many more lives could have been saved as she only had humans because flies didn't fill her anymore! She was so kind and just so afraid. I hope you lose everything you pathetic sad sack of boiled shit! You are truest one of the lowest excuses for a human I have ever met and if we meet again please be very afraid, because next time, it won't just be a slap you have to worry about! It'll be your balls as I cut them off beacuse men like you shouldn't repopulate the planet! You horrid scum! I hope your empire fucking collapses!" You spoke with venom lacing every word. You were seething and boy did his face look punchable. Instead you walked away with your middle finger proudly being the last thing he sees as you walk out the normal doors.

Once you were outside, you sat in the steps and finally let out all the emotions. You cried so hard, over your loss of yet another job and a newly found friend. You screamed at him with a string of curses that would offend just about anybody. You suddenly felt somone sit at the side of you. You knew who it was when the string was burning more than ever before and yet you couldn't feel it over the pain your heart.

"You did brilliant back there. You chose, not just your job, but your life over a creature you barely even knew! If you wouldn't have jumped in when you did, I don't think her children would've had a chance to escape to my TARDIS because he's going on a hunt right now for the rest of them. Sure, you didn't save her but you saved so many more lives than you think. And I know each one is eternally grateful for what you did. I know I would be." Her words were certain and sympathetic. They seemed to calm you down instantly. Or maybe is was the way she talked that helped with her soft but strong voice and you knew you already couldn't get enough like it was the best drug ever. You could listen to her all day and yet, she had said very little to you. It was a strange effect but you liked it.

She fell into a silence for a while just keeping you company as you came to terms with had happened.

[elysiashelby]

In Another World - T. Shelby Imagine Ch. 12

Paring: (Eventual) Thomas Shelby x Aliena Welsh (OC) 

Fandom: Peaky Blinders 

Word Count: 10,468 

WARNINGS: Angst, Alcohol Consumption (borders abuse), Cursing, FIGHT SCENE (Detailed), Existential Crisis, Mentions of Blood & Bones Breaking

Summary: Aliena’s 18th birthday has arrived, but her mental health isn’t doing so well. She’s feeling more distant from the Shelby’s and in her role in their universe. Aliena has been partying a lot, drinking a lot of alcohol. How is that affecting her? 

MASTERLIST  CHAPTER 11  CHAPTER 13

A/N: This chapter has a fight scene. It’s mildly detailed, but be warned. Thomas does interact with Aliena in this chapter, however; it’s not a huge part of this chapter. Along with the previous chapter, this chapter centers on Aliena. Also, she’s still very depressed. BLACK LINE BREAK INDICATED START AND END OF FIGHT SCENE!!

Me nose was runny and tears slipped out of me eyes. Cassie was holding back me hair and rubbing me back as I vomited me guts out. I sniffed as I fell to me side. I got a hold of the handle and flushed the toilet.

“Tank you.” I said.

Cassie nodded with her squinted eyes and her lips pursed. “I got you, honey. I got you, Ali.” She was rubbing me arm now and didn’t let go of me hair. 

Slowly and not steadily, I stood up. Cassie followed me and didn’t let go of me hair. I turned on the faucet and rinsed me mouth of the taste. As I bent down to spit out the water, I felt a familiar tug on me hair. I raised me hand and tried to whack her grip away. She finally fuckin’ let go.

I gasped for air, looked to me side, and reached for me toothbrush.

Cassie cackled while walking over to the toilet. She put the lid down ‘n sat on it. “Not regretting leaving that here now, are you?”

I rolled me eyes as I brushed me teeth. “Nevah did, ya divvy.” I spat out the excess before going in and brushing me tongue as well. 

Anyway after all that, Cassie and I walked out. There was people asleep across the floor, on couches, on chair, ‘n even tables. Me hand flew to me mouth and I felt nauseous again.

“Cassie, we’re not fucking home!” I turned ‘round and clutched her forearm with a fury.

Cassie had the same flabbergasted look on her face.

“We fuckin’ fell asleep in the loo!” 

Cassie started gagging and I tsked as I stomped me foot.

“You brushed your teeth with somebody’s else’s toothbrush!” Cassie whispered-shouted.

I whimpered while stomping me feet. “I know I did.” I marched over to Angie and smacked her shoulder. “Angie, wake up! Wake up, we have to go!” I began shaking her.

She protested in her sleep, but eventually she couldn’t take it anymore and shot up.

“All right!” She yelled. “All right, I’m awake.” 

“Thank you.” I said with some snap in me tone. I looked over to Tina and luckily, Cassie saved me the trouble of waking her arse up. 

“Thank ya Jesus! Let’s fuckin’ go!” I shouted. Some people fucking whined in their sleep while others glared at me. I fucking glared back. The four of us stumbled our way ‘til the front of the house. 

“Wait!” Cassie shouted. 

I looked back at her and contorted me face in confusion.

She trailed off to the phone while saying, “I have to call Simmons .”

Collectively, we all groaned. 

I cradled me head and then let it drop limply. I must have stood there for .5 seconds before I huffed. “I’m waiting outside. Join me if you want!” So, I walked outside and sat down on the steps. 

It was fucking freezing! I really hafta to start bringing coats.

“Fuck, Ali! Aren’t you fucking freezing?” Angie asked me as she sat beside me.

I scoffed while rubbing me arms up and down furiously. “Yes, of course, I am.” 

Angie opened up her fur coat and ushered me to get in. I did so without hesitation. She shivered as I stole her warmth. Then, we started giggling. 

“Fucking London winters!” I shouted. This caused Angie to chuckle.

I could hear the doors open and close at the same time as a car engine did. I looked back to see Cassie and Tina walking out, heels in hand. 

“He’s here.” Cassie announced while walking past us.

Angie and I got up and followed suit. I don’t remember the drive because I fell back to sleep. Once we got to her place, we all decided to take a shower. I was made to go last since I had just flopped on the bed and closed me eyes.

I wasn’t asleep, but I didn’t want to be awake either. Tina came and shook me awake when it was me turn. I rolled up, grabbed some towels, and walked into the bathroom. 

I turned on the water ‘n made sure it was scalding hot before I stepped in. I sighed in pleasure as I was enveloped in its heat. I ran me hands over me hair and down me neck. 

Tommy’s been busy as was the whole family. Finn’s abar to turn twelve, but he’s growing fast. His baby fat is going away and he’s stretching out. 

God, was I teased when I came back bladdered the first night I went out! They all had a laugh. Arthur’s booming laugh made me wince which made more snickers go ‘round. Tommy even teased me abar calling him pretty.

“Me eyes still pretty, Aliena?” He asked me.

I tried smacking him, but he swerved and ran off. As much as me head was pounding, we- I was still happy. 

I sighed as I lathered me body with soap.

I still feel lost. I’m stuck cleaning and collecting payments from families. I only did that gig every two week, though. So, I took up another job and started helping Polly with the finances. I just double checked her math and did some of me own. The latter was only if we were swamped, though.

I wasn’t getting paid for that either. Two pound was enough, Polly warned me. I didn’t fight it. I saved up a lot of money. I just wasn’t out enough to spend it on much, but now that I am— it’s slowly decreasing. 

I huffed as I washed out the shampoo from me hair.

Finn is ‘aving trouble reading, finally. That coupled along with his growing desire to be apart of the family business, he’s getting even more discouraged abar school. Been hanging ‘round with Isaiah Jesus, who was five or six years older than him. Isaiah is a nice enough boy. Honestly, I don’t care what they do. They’re not me own children, after all.

I looked down at the water spiraling into the drain.

That’s a blag. I care deeply with what happens to that kid. Poor thing.

I sighed while turning off the shower. I wrang me hair multiple times to get out as much excess water as I could before bunching it up in a towel.

I didn’t like feeling like a freeloader in that house. It was just wrong. But I couldn’t deny that I loved the days like this where I knew I had no responsibilities because I already took care of them.

I would just sleep in bed. Or, like last night— party ‘til I blacked out. I also started writing again. Some original fantasy story. It was more for the 2000s, so I didn’t dare let anyone read it. After all, they wouldn’t understand some of the jargon I used nor the types of technologies. 

Once I was done drying off me body, I began to lather me legs in lotion. 

I was partying a lot! Like a lot. I can’t tell you how many times between December 16th and now, that Tommy had carried me off to bed. 

I kept telling him that he didn’t have to do that, but he insisted that he was doing it so I wouldn’t get sick. I’ve never not slept with blankets before, so I couldn’t disagree. I mean I did it when I was a child, I’m sure. But, I don’t remember if I got sick over it. I was sick a lot as a child.

I tucked in me towel and walked out. “I’m still alive.” I announced while walking over to me backpack. 

“Good. I was afraid you died in there.” Cassie chuckled at her own joke, which made me smile. 

I just yanked whatever I could out of it since it was holding everything I needed. New undergarments and clothes. Once I put on me panties, I dropped me towel so I could put on me bra. 

I finally looked up and watched as they talked amongst themselves. I tugged me hair towel off and patted me hair dry. 

“Hey, Ali. Your birthday is coming up. How do you feel about a party?”

With me back bent as I was drying me hair, I asked. “Where at?”

They collectively began to hum as I began me fight with jeans. I always had to jump once they got to me thighs. 

“Well, I wanted to throw you a party at my house.” Angie said as her hands joined in on the conversation.

I froze, instantly. I literally stopped putting on me shirt. “You mean at your mansion?”

She nodded with a sheepish smile on her face. 

I let me shirt stay stuck above me bust as I rushed to Angie. I hugged her as she giggled.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I chanted.

“Um, you’re welcome. I guess. I mean, I’m not doing this for a thank you. I want to throw a big party, that’s all. You’re one of my best friends.” 

I squeezed her tighter before letting her go. “Still, thank you. ‘Cause you don’t have to throw me a party at all.”

I gave her a big-toothy smile before I launched to kiss her cheek.

I went home the next day, fully sober. Don’t worry, yesterday was a rest day for me liver. Didn’t exactly want to die of a failed liver so soon. What am I talking abar? It’ll catch up to me later in life like with the boys.

Knowing me own luck, its gonna catch up with me sooner. Just watch.

I walked through the door and locked it behind me. It was seven, so I knew that Polly had to be up.

“Polly, I’m home!”

“In the kitchen, love!”

I walked in the room and there she was sitting with Ada and Karl. I cooed at the sight of him. I made grabby hands which made Ada chuckle. She passed him into me arms and I sighed.

“Hello, little one. How are you? Oh, you’re getting heavier. Mummy’s been feeding you right!”

I began to pepper his face in kisses which made him smile. 

“So, Ali. Polly’s been telling me that you’ve been to the big city with your friends. How are you liking it?”

I slowly took a seat before answering her. “Um, it’s not bad. I mean, during the day it’s beautiful. Perfect for people visiting, but at night-!” I scoffed while laughing. “It’s like everybody’s morals are gone with the light.”

Polly chortled. “So, like here except you get the same during the day too.”

 I rolled me eyes before blowing a raspberry. Karl giggled so I did it again. I looked at Ada and asked, “So, you and Freddie have any luck finding a flat?” 

She looked down, picking at her nails. So, that’s a no.

Ada scoffed. “It’s just so much harder than we thought. Things are really heating up within the group and Freddie’s friends can’t take us in because money is tight right now.”

I furrowed me eyebrows. “It is?”

It seems that I stepped on a landmine ‘cause there was a sparkle in Ada’s eyes. And so, she went on a rant abar communism. I only half paid attention, to be polite. Though Polly and I shared multiple judgemental glances at each other.

Karl, eventually, started to get fussy and I gave him back to Ada. Said he was probably hungry.

Polly cleared her throat when Ada stopped talking. “So, Ali, your birthday is coming up. What do you want to do?”

I hummed in thought. “Well, um, one of me friends offered to throw me a party at her place. So, I’m not sure. Plus, everyone is so busy. I don’t want to impose on anything.”

“Well, then. Guess a little celebration at the Garrison the day before wouldn’t be so bad, right?” 

I whipped ‘round to see Tommy leaning against the entrance of the kitchen, taking a drag from his ciggie.

I stopped getting after him abar them a while back. Didn’t see the point anymore. Especially now since I smoke too from time to time.

“No, it wouldn’t.”

He nodded. “We can see you drink in action. Wonder how many glasses of whiskey ‘till you feel a buzz?”

I felt me cheeks heat up as Polly and Ada snickered. I went to strike him ‘n he just lifted his arm.

I sighed and leaned on me head with the support of me hand. 

“Where am I needed today?” I asked, slightly already exhausted.

Polly hummed as she quickly swallowed her sip of tea. “I’ll be needing your help in the shop. Come on.”

I bit me lip, in order to stop the sigh that wanted to escape me mouth. I looked over at Tommy one last time, who was still looking at me. 

I spent the whole day running ‘round for Polly. Counting up money, retrieving money from the boys, and putting it away in the safe. I didn’t know the combination. I was just tossing it in. 

When she didn’t need me help, I was to go and make dinner. I did, in fact, make lunch as well. 

As I was doing that I went and called Cassie.

“Hello!” Cassie answered with a sing-song tone.

“Hello, Cassie.”

“Oh! Ali, what’s going on?”

I shook me head, even though, she couldn’t see it. “Is nothing. So, the Shelby’s are throwing me a little gatherin’ at the Garrison. You know the bar that Arthur owns now. And I was wondering if you and the girls can make it?”

I heard Cassie hum. “Well, I don’t see why we couldn’t. I know I’ll be there, but let me ask them and I’ll call you back.”

“Okay.”

We hung up and I refocused on finishing dinner. She called me back a little later saying that they agreed to come. Now, all that was left was for the day to come.

Today we were celebratin’ me 18th birthday. I’ve been with the Shelby’s for a year and 11 months. On me first 18th birthday, I was given a car. I wonder what I’m getting this year. Prior to the whole Kimber operation, I had been drawing a lot— but since, I stopped. I still have loads of paint and a single canvas left. 

I just hoped that they don’t give me the same thing. 

I wasn’t woken up the same way like last year either. It was the sun that woke me. I opened me eyes and laid in bed. I looked at the door in silence then turned away.

I could feel it in the air. Today was not going to be a good day.

I huffed while shutting me eyes close tightly. I slowly got up and turned ‘round so me feet where almost touchin’ the floor. I took a deep breath and let me feet touch the ground. 

I figured since we weren’t gonna be at the bar ‘til late at night. I was expected to still do me regular duties. I mean, after all, tomorrow was me birthday. I threw on a simple dress and boots then headed downstairs. 

I started working on breakfast. For who? I don’t know. Maybe just for me. I could hear the bustling of the shop. Men shouting. 

This empty room. This empty, vacant room with only me filling it. 

I closed me eyes and clenched me fists. The stinging pain of me nails diggin’ into me palm distracted me from crying. I shook me head and quickly plated me omelet. The chair scraped against the floor as I pulled it out and then I sat down.

I stared at it and stared. 

I’m not that hungry.

“Ali, what’re doing?” 

Me head snapped up and I locked eyes with Tommy. I blinked furiously before shaking me head a little, ‘n it really was just a little. 

I gulped before taking me fork, cutting a piece, and placed it in me mouth. “I was thinking.” I said with a little scoff, a goofy smile on me face. “Didn’t realize I was thinking that hard.”

He tipped his cap at me with furrowed eyebrows and squinted eyes before he walked off. 

I watched him and then dropped me fork. It didn’t taste of anything. 

To avoid causing up a stir, I scarfed down the rest of that omelet and then went abar me way. 

I went outside and pulled down the laundry. I tried keeping me head clear of everything and anything. But it was impossible. I kept making up plots in me head. I was just so bored without anyone to talk to.

‘I miss the kids.’ I caught meself thinking. I sighed while I clutched the basket closer to me body. I looked away before looking back ‘n walked back into the house. I had to start folding. 

Once I folded the clothes, I placed them in the room of their respective owners and then went back downstairs to clean up the place. I was in the middle of sweeping when lunch came ‘round. 

I did the usual and brought the boys and Polly their meals. Esme was at home today. However, there was one odd man out, Tommy. He was probably overseeing the designs of his office. They were going to start building soon. He said it would take anywhere from four to seven months. 

So with me basket like little red riding hood, I had to go on an adventure to take Tommy his lunch. When I got there, he dismissively thanked me. He literally didn’t even pick up his head, just took the bloody sandwich.

I didn’t even roll me eyes as usual. Didn’t see the point. I just went on me way. 

There was this pit in me stomach. It was making itself known more and more by the second.

I gasped in pain and leaned on a wall for support. I started smoothing me stomach by rubbing it harshly. But then I could feel the stares, so I stood up and began on me way again. 

By the time I got back, it was already late afternoon. I had to hurry up with the sweeping, dusting, and then beginning to polish the silver. I was not going to be able to finish that today!

I bought meself a type of curling iron and was dying to try it out. It was Tina who suggested it to me. Well, it was curling tongs but I was willing to burn meself to curl me hair. 

I picked out a pale-blue, dyed Burberry lace dress for tonight. I’ve been dying to wear it! I had a pale blue undergarment set to match. I put on said undergarments and dress, then worked on me hair. 

I got burned a couple of times, but it was worth it. The waves I’d get from having a bun just weren’t the same. I decided against makeup today. I just put on some chapstick and waited for night to roll ‘round. 

I kept meself busy by writing. I was on a sex scene for me story. It just kept me mind busy and away from negative thoughts. I didn’t stop writing ‘til there was a knock at me door.

“Ali, dear, are you ready?”

I slammed me journal shut and shoved it in its drawer. “Yeah!” I called out. “I’ll be right out!”

“Okay.” 

I got up from me seat and rushed out. I guess from the way I opened me door, Polly flinched. I gave her a sheepish smile.

“Shall we head out?” I asked.

She nodded while giving me a smile back. “Let’s go, love. I suspect the boys are already there. Starting without us.”

I scoffed. “Oh, Pol. I wouldn’t doubt it.” We shared another smile before we headed down the stairs arm in arm. 

“Aliena, have you met a boy in London?” Polly asked.

I shook me head. “Nah.” I took me coat off the hook, put it on, and managed to tug out me hair.

“Why not? I’m sure there’s hundreds of men out there that want to talk to ya!” She asked as we walked out the door, locking it behind us.

I tucked a piece of hair away from me face. “I mean, yeah. I have talked to men at the clubs.”

“But none of them worked out.”

I shook me head. “They all seemed to want one thing, you know. The ones that did seem sweet, fuckin’ turned ballistic on me at some point in the night. Then the real gentlemen just-!” I sighed. “There was just something missing.”

Polly sighed while patting me forearm that she was holding. “Yep, that’s men for you. Dogs that think with their cocks.” She sighed. “Well, there’s no rush. Take your time. Find someone you’ll want to spend the rest of your life with. But not too long, I want to be around to see that little one.”

A genuine smile and giggled let me lips. “I promise, Polly.” 

She pinched me cheek as we walked. 

“Is Ada and Freddie coming?” I asked.

She shrugged. “No idea. Last time we talked Ada said she wanted to come. But, with the new baby and the fact they’re practically still newlyweds because of all that’s happened— they probably would rather stay in.”

I half rolled me eyes. “You mean Freddie suggested that Ada stayed home.”

“Most likely.” 

We both grumbled at that. 

“Is that how married life is, Pol?”

She looked at me then looked away. “It’s not everything. It’s a part of it. Compromise. Ada can’t very well expect to go out whenever she wants. She doesn’t have a babysitter to take care of Karl, and you can’t bloody well expect the father to help.” She scoffed again.

Sounded like she was reminiscing.

I hummed and said. “True.”

We arrived at the Garrison, soon enough, and I opened the doors for her. It was just polite. Right?

We immediately went into the snug where the whole family was excluding John’s kids and Ada. So, really. It was just Arthur, Tommy, John, Finn, and Esme. Yes, Esme was here.

While it did irk me that she was here instead of taking care of the kids, it was not me decision to make. They had their own parenting style. And, Esme was not a bad person.

They cheered as we walked.

“Oi!”

“There’s the birthday girl!”

“Happy Birthday, Ali!”

I smiled while taking of me coat. Arthur came ‘round and helped me. I quickly thanked him and then found a spot to sit in.

Tommy stood up from his seat and reached over to me. “No, come on.” He said while pulling me up. “Up you get. Finn, go and get the cake.”

Finn was actually smiling rather than grumbling abar being made to get the cake. I covered me mouth with me hand in embarrassment. But went along with it, nonetheless.

Finn came back in balancing the cake in one hand as he had to close the door behind him. Polly took it from his hands and set it down on the table. Arthur and John were working on lighting all the candles.

The air was somewhat awkward yet filled with excitement at the same time. It was weird. 

As Arthur lit the last candle, they started singing. It was happenin’ all over again. I was covering me mouth with me hands and doubling over. 

“Happy Birthday, dear Aliena. Happy Birthday to you!” 

“Blow out the/your candles.”

I leaned down and thought abar it. ‘I wish I find happiness here soon.’ Then, I blew them out. They cheered and Polly was the first to hug me.

She whispered me a happy birthday in me ear before pecking me cheek and moving out of the way. Finn was next to wish me a happy birthday. I squeezed him tight while swaying us side to side. John stole me from Finn’s grasp, as always.

“Happy birthday, Ali. Is that a wrinkle I see?”

I gasped horrified and smacked his arm just as fast. He fucking cackled as he flinched. 

“Don’t listen to ‘em, Aliena. Happy birthday, Songbird!” Arthur roared as he brought me in for a hug. He shook us with made me make the sounds to match. I wasn’t expecting him to shake me.

Esme squeezed her way over to me and she wished me as well. We exchanged a quick peck on the cheek before I was left with the last one. 

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” I teased while leaning back, me hands on me hips.

Tommy rolled his eyes, a small smile on his face. “Happy Birthday, Ali.” He hugged me and as I went to part from him, he kept me there. I felt him lean into me ear and I bit me lip harshly so I didn’t flinch. “For your present, I-!” He sighed into me ear, and I couldn’t help but flinch. “I, for lack of better words, added a headstone for your father. Happy Birthday, Aliena and I’m sorry.”

This imaginary romantic atmosphere was instantly shattered by the mention of me father. Great job, Thomas!

I smiled and thanked him as we parted. I made me way back to me seat. 

“Right!” Arthur shouted. “I say we get to opening these bloody presents. Get it out the way and drink Aliena till she drops!” He raised his mug to me while taking a drink of his bevvy.

I squinted at him while titling me head. “Fine, let’s get them out of the way!” I slid a box over from the middle of the table and began ripping it open. I shimmed the lid off of the box to reveal shoes.

“You’re gonna need a good pair of dancing shoes, if ya expect to be dancing ‘round clubs all the time, Ali.” John said with a cigar between his lips. 

I plastered on a smile and thanked him. I set in under the table and dealt with the rest of them. Arthur bought me more canvases. Something abar that made me laugh. I should expect canvases for all of me birthdays.

Once I sobered up, I opened up the last big box on the table. It was a coat from Polly. I faked a squeal, hugged her, and thanked her incessantly. It’s not that I didn’t like the coat. It’s just I never asked for one, either.

Then, there was this little box. I tugged on the ribbon and shimmed the lid off of it to reveal a rather expensive looking necklace. The snug quieted down and we collectively tried to find the culprit. Our eyes locked on the boy who was smiling the brightest.

Without a care in the world, Finn wished me a happy birthday. Cue Polly smacking him upside the head. 

“Finn, where’d you pinch that from?” Tommy asked while rubbing his bottom lip.

Finn, who was shielding himself from the last of Polly’s blows, answered. “Some jewelry store in London. Think it was called Madison. It’s not a big deal.”

All us shouted that it was indeed a big deal. I covered the box and pinched the bridge of me nose. 

Polly sighed. “No point in worrying now. I’ll be reading the papers in case people are looking for it. For now, give it to me. I’ll hide it away. It’s no good to be wearing that around here or right now.” She held out her hand for me.

I instantly gave it to her. I looked over at Finn who was looking rather ashamed. “You better beaut, you.” I shoved his face away, playfully. 

A small smile graced his face.

After that debacle, I ate a piece of me own cake while drinking gin. It’s been the first time in a long while that I’ve managed to get the chance to talk to everybody like this.

Made me really think abar how much I matter and how much I don’t. How much doing over Kimber changed this family. They were all busier. I wasn’t. They wouldn’t have done this if it hadn’t been me birthday. Well, they wouldn’t have invited me and Polly. It’s a fucking boys club in this family. Well, they did invite me in the past— but that’s all it is now, the past.

I downed a glass of whiskey and felt it burn me throat. I was getting used to it. I mean I started to drink at least twice a week. I could only limit me vices so much. It’s torture enough as is that I’m holding down the urge to smoke a ciggie right now. But, I am exposed to all the second hand in the air. 

“So, Ali. How are you feeling?” Arthur asked me as he was leaning close to Tommy. As if they had a secret bet or something. I knew what he meant by the question.

I shrugged me shoulders as I smiled. “I feel fine. Warm and fine.”

He scoffed and nodded before turning his head toward Tommy’s ear.

I rolled me eyes and went back to me conversation with Polly. We were talking abar how we were gonna get a grip on Finn. It’s sad that it took that child to do an actual robbery before anyone decided to listen to me. But, at least it’s happenin’ now.

After that I went on a conversation with John, who also asked abar me love life. It was getting so annoying to repeat the same damn things! Then, Esme had to add her two cents in and I couldn’t “snap” back in fear of getting on the wrong foot.

“I think you should experience life as is. Settling down is something you do later.”

I widened me eyes and put on a polite smile, but still had to bite me lip. Didn’t she have an arranged marriage ‘cause she was too wild. I nodded and then moved back to where me seat originally was.

One minute turned into five which turned into ten. 

Were these bitches really not going to show up? 

I looked ‘round to see everyone engaged in some kind of conversation. The boys were playing a card game while Polly and Esme talked. I was the odd man out. Just nursing me fucking bevvy. 

I don’t want to admit it, but this set up right here was hurting me feelings. Never liked feeling excluded. 

I took another glance at them again as I trailed me finger ‘round the rim of the glass.

I didn’t mean to do it, but I began thinking abar how it would be if I wasn’t here. Would they still have met up today? Under the circumstance of a nice day to relax after work. Did me presence actually affect anything? Why was I here? What was me purpose here? Am I supposed to help someone in the Shelby family? 

Am I supposed to prevent the second war from happening? Was this a blessing or a curse? Was this a curse?

“Ailena! Aliena, hun, we’re here!” Cassie shouted from outside the snug. 

I shot up from me chair, whipped back the door, and threw me arms ‘round her. We both laughed and swayed a little.

“You came. You fuckin’ slags. I thought youse weren’t gonna show.” 

Cassie laughed while petting me hair. “We thought you were home then we had to ask around where this bar was. We’re not from here idiot.” She knocked on me head as if she were knocking on a door. “We weren’t going to find this place if no one showed us it before.”

I pursed me lips. As I dropped me hip to the left while knocking me own head. “Oops, my bad.” I took Cassie’s hand in mine and ushered her into the snug. Angie and Tina followed suit. “Shelbys, meet my friends. This is Cassie Johnson, Lady Angelica Sallow, and The Honorable Christiana King. Friends meet the Shelbys. That is Arthur, Thomas, John, Finn, Esme, and Polly Gray.” 

Cassie uttered a “hi,” while waving with a smile. Tina just waved and smiled. 

Angie pushed her way through and greeted Polly. “Good evening, it’s so nice to meet you all, finally. Aliena has said all good things.”

Polly shook her hand, but I knew that face. She was studying her. I cleared me throat and clapped me hands. 

“Well, I wouldn’t want us to be all cramped up in the snug. So, we’ll be out there! Okay? Okay.” I grasped Angie’s hand and dragged her out of the snug.

“It really was nice meeting you all!” She shouted before I slammed the door shut. “What the ‘ell, Ali? She didn’t even get to say anything.”

I rolled me eyes. “Believe me, that was probably a good thing.” ‘She was sizing you up,’ was left unsaid. I flicked her forehead before leading them to the bar top. 

I waved Harry over who looked like he was stammering for words. He leaned down to the men sitting and said something to them that made them leave. I smiled and took a seat there.

“Anything I can get for you ladies? On the house. I know it’s our special Aliena’s birthday.” Harry said as he leaned against the top.

I smiled and said. “Can we get four gin and tonics, Harry? Thanks.”

“Coming right up.”

I turned ‘round so me back was against the top. “Thank God, youse came when ya did. I was dying of boredom in there.”

Cassie scoffed. “Maybe you should just-!”

I held up me finger, effectively shutting her up. “I literally just said that I was bored. I didn’t say I was being abused.” 

Cassie tsked while rolling her eyes which made me smirk. Tina cleared her throat before she spoke.

“So, that was the Tommy, you’re always talking about?” 

Me eyes widened to the size of saucers as I shushed her while me head did a full 180. “Don’t go announcing it to the whole fucking bar, Tina!” I looked ‘round a bit more before I leaned over Cassie and whispered. “But yes, that’s him.”

“He looks really intense. Is that your type?” Tina asked, unfazed.

I looked away before answering her. “Yes and no. He’s my type, obviously, since I have a crush on ‘em. But, the only thing he and the other men that I’ve been enamored with is high cheekbones.”

She oh-ed and nodded.

“Here you ladies are!” Harry said as the glasses clinked against the bar top. 

All four of us grabbed our drinks.

“Toast!” Angie shouted. We held our drinks in the air. “Today, we celebrate our little Aliena turning 18 a day early. Let’s try not to not drink too much ‘cause we are gonna party like it’s the end of the world tomorrow! To Aliena.”

“To Aliena! To me!”

Then, we drank as much as we could before having some sort of reaction. After that we paired off, I was talking to Angie.

“So, what happened to that guy you left with some nights ago?” I asked Angie as I took a sip of me bevvy.

She sighed as she used the straw to stir her drink. “It was a complete waste of time. In all honesty, I’m beginning to lose hope. I might as well just give up and let my father match me off.”

I shook me head furiously. “No! No, Ange. Don’t give up. What are you? 19, 20, you still have time to look. If you were 30, I’d be saying otherwise— but you’re not. You’ll find a guy when the time is right.”

Okay, I’m not bashing 30-year-old single people. Angie is expected to marry off at an early age in order to comply with the societal norms of the 1920s. Besides, she and her father have this arrangement that if she doesn’t have anyone she wants to marry for love by that age— then he has the right to marry her off.

She groaned while supporting her head with her hand, her elbow on the bar top. I rubbed her back up and down.

“You’ll find your Mister Right, Ange. I just know it. Hey, maybe, you have already met him.” I attempted to lighten her mood. “Either way. I think it’s too early to call it quits. Maybe we stop trying to find the love of our lives in clubs, eh? Try a cafe or a country club, instead?”

Angie turned her gaze to me and we shared a giggle.

“Eh?” I tried again.

“Yeah.” She whispered. “Yeah. You’re right.”

I smirked as I put me hand down and used it to bring me drink to me lips. “I know I am.”

I had two more gin and tonics before I felt that I was out of it. I was shoutin’, for sure. I was borderline slurring yet me sentences were still understandable. I had, technically, pre-gamed ‘cause the boys were trying to drink me under the table. 

I had stumbled out of the loo when I was attacked by me friends.

“Aliena! Ali!” They shouted.

I shook me head as I gripped their arms as they did mine. “What?” I shouted, confused.

Tina shoved Cassie forward who was cradling her cheek, but her lip was bleeding too. Me eyes widened and I immediately started inspecting it.

“What the fuck happened?”

Cassie looked away before looking back into me eyes. “I was talking to some guy. He came up to me at the bar. Then, this girl came up to me and just slapped me. She said that I should go to hell for being a homewrecker. That she bets that I’m nothing but a prostitute.” Cassie choked on a sob while rubbing her eyes. She smeared her eyeshadow ‘n mascara, making her look like a raccoon. Just like how I first met her. “Seems like they’re together or something. But I didn’t know. He came up to me. I swear. He came up to me. I would never flirt with a taken man, Ali.” She hiccup and whimpered.

I looked back to see Angie arguing with the girl. I could feel me blood boiling. I was filled with rage. That bitch made me Cassie cry. 

“Ali, she was wearing rings.” Tina pointed out, her voice strained. She motioned toward Cassie’s busted lip.

I titled her head down to get a good look at it. Then, I began to shake me head softly before I muttered, “I’ll take care of it.” She should’ve known who she was hitting before she’d done it. Should’ve hit her unfaithful man instead of slapping me best friend.

I grabbed a drink that was idle at the bar top. Angie and the girl’s arguing got louder. I saw as the woman began to raise her arm, her fist clenched.

“Oi!” I yelled. The girl twirled ‘round and I threw the drink in her face before punching her straight on the nose. She gasped in pain as she went to cradle her nose. I gave her a moment to recuperate.

Let’s have a fair fight now.

She looked up at me, her nose bloody. “You crazy fucking bitch.”

“A fucking bitch who’s friend you messed with, dumb cunt.” 

She growled before she launched herself at me, rather pathetically. I grabbed the hand that tried to slap me and gave her one instead. I managed to get both of her arms in me hold, I titled me head back, and head butted her.

Fuck did that bring tears to me eyes.

She fell to her knees as I let go of her arms. Instead of cradling her head, she wrapped her arms ‘round me legs and forced me down. 

I groaned on impact, but quickly shot up and punched her. She yelped and went to clutch her face.

The fact that she managed to make me fall pissed me off even more.

I grabbed a wooden chair that nearby, raised it in the air, and started beating her with it. She whimpered with each hit and started wailing. 

I didn’t care. This felt good. This felt cathartic. Why was me heart beating so loud? Why was I fighting off a smile? There was this cracking sound and before I knew it, the blood from her nose splattered across the floor. 

Her arms finally came up to protect her head, but that didn’t deter me. She turned over on her side, but I still didn’t stop. I gave one good strong swing and she left out a blood-curdling scream just as there was an audible crack in the room. Did I manage to break her arm?

“Ali! Aliena!” 

Me head shot up and I didn’t raise up the chair again. Thomas stood there with his hand out, signaling for me to stop. 

“Enough.” He breathily pleaded. “Enough now.” He took a hesitant step toward me, as if I were a fucking animal.

How fucking insulting! 

I couldn’t help it. I was just so mad. I raised the chair and slammed it against the wall of the bar top. I could hear people gasp. All that was left in me hand was one of the chair’s legs. 

I panted for breath. “There. Now that’s enough.” I ran a hand through me hair, effectively getting all me hair out of me face. The girl was whimperin' incessantly. It was so annoying. I kicked her softly as I  stepped over her body and told her to shut up.  

“Come on. Let’s go.” I called out to me friends. I could hear their shuffling behind me as I continued walking on.

Just as I was abar to pass Tommy, he caught me arm. 

“We’re gonna talk about this at home.” He whispered. His tone stern and chastising. 

I tsked and yanked me arm away from him. I marched on and caught the eyes of me employers. The look in their eyes were mixed with astonishment and disapproval. 

I rolled me eyes, hard before I opened the doors with bang.

“All right! Show’s over. Go back to what you were doing.” I heard Tommy yell.

I started walking faster. When I realized me friends’ heels were clacking behind me, I turned ‘round and waited for them. I rushed to Cassie and hovered me hands over her inflamed cheek.

She caught me wrists and held them tightly.

“We need to get some ice on it. We can’t have it bruising.” I muttered while inspecting her face again.

Angie scoffed. “What the fuck was that, Aliena?” Her face was contorted in some weird mixture of anger and disbelief.

“She got what she deserved. The dumb-arse raised a hand to Cassie expecting no repercussions. I decided to give her some.” I said with a booming voice. 

Cassie shook her head. “What about your hands?” She asked as she gently took me hands in hers and started to inspect them. “You punched her good. Are your knuckles swollen?” 

I shrugged me shoulders. “Don’t know. I feel quite a bit of pain, though.”

Angie groaned loudly. “Of course you would feel pain. You broke her nose, Ali! You headbutted her and then beat her with a chair.”

Me head snapped toward Angie. “Thank you for the play-by-play! What’s your deal?” I asked.

She scoffed again as her hands began to join the conversation. “What’s my deal? Aliena, YOU BEAT THAT GIRL WITH A CHAIR!”

“IT WAS AN OLD WOODEN CHAIR! Look at the end of the day, I would have done that for any one of youse. She fucking busted Cassie’s lip over a man. A man, Angie! So, I busted hers.”

Cassie sniffled loudly. “Thank you.” She whispered. “Thank you.” Cassie hugged me tightly and hid her face in me neck.

It has something to do with her past. But, I wasn’t going to out her to the rest of the girls— just because they couldn’t understand.

Tina waved her hands between Angie and I. “Angelica, I’m sorry but I’m with Ali.”

Angie scoffed as her eyes bugged out of her head.

Tina continued. “Maybe the chair was excessive, but we’re all drunk. We’re drunk! That fucking bitch just straight up slapped Cassie while she had her rings on, and...and-! Belittled her! That’s not right!”

“Tina just because we are all a little drunk does not excuse violence. I was handling it!”

I scoffed and ran me hand through me hair again. “Sure, you were handling it alright! Then, why did I have to stop her from hitting you?”

Angie averted her eyes. “She wasn’t-!”

“Yes, she was and you know it. You must have seen her cock her arm and/or at least see that her fists were clenched.”

Angie looked down at the cobblestone. “It just felt a little excessive.” She whispered as she hugged herself.

So, the leader of this pack has a little bite.

I sighed while pinching the bridge of me nose. “I admit the chair was a little over the top. I just got so angry and…” Me voice trailed off. “I’m sorry for, I don’t know, upsetting you. But what I’m not sorry for is defending you and Cassie.”

We left it at that and regrouped at the house. We talked abar it a little more before I poured everyone some water and distributed the bread. Cassie insisted on icing me knuckles, so I let her. When it was ‘round two in the morning, Cassie called Simmons.

I was hugging me arms as I watched them pile into the car. 

Angie’s head popped out as she said. “Remember I’m picking you up at four tomorrow, all right!”

I nodded. “Yeah, I got it.” I laughed as her head disappeared back into the car. I faced Cassie. I couldn’t help the pitiful gaze on me face. 

“Thanks again for, ya know, fucking her up for me.” Cassie whispered as she picked under her nails.

I winked at her. “We’re crazy together, remember.” We shared a laugh and then a hug. But after, she climbed into the car and I waved them off. I looked ‘round and then ran back into the house.

I already had a plan. I was just going to go to sleep to avoid a very uncomfortable conversation that I did not want to go through again. It was too unpredictable. 

Was I going to be confronted by just Tommy or is Polly going to be there too? Would it be a fucking family meeting? Might as well be, they’ll probably just harass me individually.

Oh fucking well!

I raced up the steps and slammed me door behind me. Me chest heaved up and down as I tried to catch me breath. I realized that I didn’t put makeup on tonight. 

I’m a fucking genius!

I ran to me bed, jumped in, got comfy, then closed me eyes. 

“Oi! Wake up! There’s no avoiding this, Ali.”

I jumped awake. Me heart was in me fucking throat and I threw a glare at Tommy. 

“Leave me alone!” I sluggishly demanded as I went to turn ‘round in me bed.

“Aliena, there’s no avoiding this so let’s get it over with, yeah.”

I shut me eyes tightly before letting out a big sigh. I rubbed me forehead before I yanked me blankets off me body. I heard Tommy walk out rather than see it. I got to me feet and walked after ‘em. 

As I extended me right hand fingers’, they throbbed in pain. I’m sure if Cassie hadn’t hounded me to ice them, they would be in much worse condition. 

We walked all the way into the family meeting room that was in the betting shop. Lights were lit, people in their usual spots. Esme wasn’t here, though.

That’s nice.

Polly with hands on her hips walked ‘til she was at Tommy’s side.

“You wanna tell us what that was all about?” She pointedly asked me.

I sighed while I rubbed me forehead again. “The woman hit Cassie. This man came up to her and started chattin’ her up. Turns out the fella was taken. The woman directly confronted Cassie as the problem. Called her names. Called her a homewrecker and said she was a prostitute. That’s when she slapped Cassie with rings on her hand.”

They all just stared at me blankly.

Well, fucking say something! Say it wasn’t me own fight! Say that they could’ve started this and not the woman. Say that I did a good job, or I had no right doing what I did! Say that I was out of control. ASK ME WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME!

I looked down at the floorboard. “I knew it wasn’t me own fight, but Cassie is me best friend. And I wasn’t thinking clearly. I had tossed back like three gin and tonics after drinking all that whiskey in the snug. It won’t happen again.”

Tommy sniffed, flicked his nose, then spoke. “Right, guess that’s it then. Don’t let it happen again, Ali.”

Me head shot up and I blinked a lot. 

That was it?

I just nodded and headed up the stairs. As I gently closed me bedroom door behind me, I slid down it with me hands hiding me face. Me body shook violently as I inaudibly sobbed.

I woke up with a headache. Not a hangover, but a headache. Luckily, I had a day off today. Afterall, today was me actual birthday. So, I turned ‘round and shut me eyes. I wasn’t going back to sleep, I knew that wasn’t happening— but I just didn’t want to get up yet.

Me hand was throbbing. I tried clenching and unclenching me hand as a way to soothe it. Just like the day before, I took me time getting up. But, I didn’t start getting ready.

I took off the dress I fell asleep in and picked out me fuzzy black sweater and grey joggers to match. I ran a hand over me face before sighing and dropping me hip to the side. I racked me hand in me hair, pushing it away from me face, and then walked over to me desk. I opened the drawer and pulled out me art book. 

I tossed it on me desk and flipped it open to a blank page. I just sat there and pondered abar what I should try drawing. I blew a raspberry before I snapped me fingers as the thought came to me. 

I was gonna try and draw Tommy using watercolours. 

I spent the whole morning working on it ‘til I couldn’t stand the ache in me stomach anymore. I sighed while racking me hair back again. I got up and walked downstairs. 

I was fairly greeted by the shouts of men coming from the betting shop. I walked to the kitchen and grabbed the bread nonchalantly. I cut meself two slices, kept the knife in me hand, then grabbed the jam with the other. 

I sat down with one leg tucked into me thigh on the chair while the other was bent. Grabbed the knife ‘n began to spread the jelly ‘round as I yawned. I took two bites before I decided I desperately needed water to wash it down.

I strolled over to the cabinet and pulled out a glass. We drank from the tap, so that’s what I did. As I was drinking me water, the front door opened. 

For fuck’s sake. 

I silently prayed to God that it wasn’t who I thought it was. And sure enough, Tommy Shelby came into view. I mouthed, “Fuck,” before sitting back on me chair. I could feel his eyes on me. I kept me gaze locked on the table. 

Tommy cleared his throat ‘n I instinctively raised me head. Tommy grabbed his cap off of his head ‘n held it in one hand as he pulled out a chair. He groaned softly as he sat down. 

He tsked. “So, Ali. You wanna tell me what yesterday was really about?”

I blinked. “I already told you what it was abar.”

He titled his head and his lips pursed a little. His eyes flickered to mine. 

Was he trying to say something with his eyes? ‘Cause it felt like it. It was like he was begging me to tell him me troubles. But, I didn’t want to.

“Are you sure, Ali? You’re tellin’ me you did all that because she roughed up your friend.”

I rolled me eyes as me tongue prodded the inside of me cheek. I kept quiet before scoffing. “She just caught me on a bad day. I was already drunk ‘n agaited. Angie said something that ticked me off earlier. And I think me Aunt Flo is abar to make a visit, so yeah.” I smiled at him mockingly before I took a big bite of me scran. 

He studied me face for a little more before he tapped his finger on the table and rose up suddenly. “Right.” He muttered before he left the room. 

 After that interaction, I scarfed me scran down and went back upstairs. I worked on me painting ‘til it was four. I heard that familiar honk and cursed in surprise. I was lost in painting. I scrambled ‘round to collect me things. I was going to stay over the weekend. 

Her incessant honking was raising me blood pressure and I fought back the urge to shout at her. I was zipping ‘round me room gathering everything. I slug me backpack on and flew out the door.

Just as I was grabbing me coat, a voice caught me. “Aliena, love. Are you sure this is a good idea?”

I stilled and looked at Polly. “How do you mean?”

She looked at me with a concerned face. “Should you be partying with what happened yesterday?”

I averted me eyes. “It’s me birthday, Pol.” I whispered.

She didn’t say anything in response.

I looked up at her before taking me coat hurriedly off the hook and running backwards. “Love you, Pol! Bye!”

As always, Cassie was waiting for me outside the car. We hugged and then climbed inside of the car. We brought up what happened again ‘n really cleared the air. 

I just wanted it to go away, ya know. Be forgotten. It literally happened yesterday night. It wasn’t going away anytime soon.

When we got to the flat, the girls wasted no time pushing me into a chair. 

“What are youse doing?” I asked through me laughter. I noticed there were other women in the room as well.

“I hired these women to do our hair and makeup. I want you to look your best! I even hired a photographer. But first, the dress you will be wearing!” Angie divulged as she walked over to the closet. She reached inside and pulled out a silk green dress.

It looked exactly like the one Kiera Knightly wore in Atonement. Me own gasps were not the only ones heard throughout the room.

Tina came into me view and took the dress out of Angie’s hand slowly. “I showed my family’s dressmaker the drawing you drew of me in this dress. I asked them to make one just like it. I wanted you to have the real thing.” She walked over to me and I took the dress into me hands as she held onto the hanger.

I stroked the fabric, silk. “Oh, Tina. It’s so beautiful. Just how I-!” Just how I remembered it. I hummed with a painful smile on me face. I hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.” I whispered in her ear. 

Cassie clapped her hands. “Alright. Let’s get dressed before we get our hair and makeup done.”

We did as she suggested. Once we were all done changing, we sat down on the chairs where the cosmetologists were standing patiently. In a very movie-esque fashion, the cosmetologists flapped open their smocks and draped it over us, simultaneously. 

Angie was sitting in the chair beside me.

I looked over at her. “Angie, you didn’t have-!”

She held up her hand, effectively shuttin’ me up. “I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. So, let’s all just enjoy this.”

The cosmetologist began by curling me hair in loose waves and then proceeded to give me a faux bob. Something I could never achieve if I did this by meself. I struck up a conversation with her and she was happy to give me some tips. 

I looked at meself in the mirror. I couldn’t believe how me hair looked. I looked like I finally belonged in this era. I couldn’t stop the Cheshire-cat grin on me face. But I had to relax it as ordered by the cosmetologist. 

When it was all said ‘n done, they women left and I opened Cassie’s present. She got me an amethyst earrings and necklace set this time for me ma’. When I started to tear up, the girls rushed to me and begged me to stop before it could even begin. That got a laugh out of me.

The earrings were Long Cluster Gemstone Earrings and the necklace was silver with an amethyst teardrop. I rushed to put them on and then it was time to go. 

God was Angie’s mansion intimidating. Even more so that it was filled with people from high society that were unfamiliar to me. I knew I was going to meet with a lot of people tonight. 

The party was in a light swing when we arrived. I stuck to Cassie like gum on a shoe. While I desperately wanted to find a table and stand ground there or find some secluded place so that I could relax, I was stuck with Cassie— greeting her other friends and acquaintances. 

It was so embarrassing when they asked abar me family. Only to tell them that I’m an orphan and I met Cassie when I was giving her directions. I didn’t miss the faces. The faces of people who sneered at me. Teased me for me status behind me back. Made stories up abar why they were keeping me ‘round. Maybe even for the dress. It was a 1940s style dress, I think.

I didn’t expect to feel this way. I thought I could move past it, bury it all down. But, I was finding it harder to do than expected. Still, I kept a polite smile and dug me nails into me palm. 

When the mansion was packed, Angie ushered me to the stage where the band was playing. She made a big spectacle of it.

“Everyone, I gathered you all here to celebrate my good friend, Aliena Welsh’s 18th birthday.” She clapped which was mimicked by everyone in the crowd.

For pride, I suppressed the need to cover me face and spazz out. I kept that tight, polite smile on me face.

“Bring out the cake.” Angie shouted. On her orders, men in tuxes— the stewards or butlers or manservants— rolled out a cake and left it in front of us. Angie guided me where to stand. “We’ll sing Happy Birthday on three, everyone. One, two, three!”

A whole crowd was singing happy birthday to me. It was absolutely mortifying. I kept me gaze as Cassie, who was singing with a thumbs up. She knew I was freaking out. 

When the whole singing was over with, I made the same wish I did yesterday. I walked off the stage with Angie. I rushed over to Cassie and hide me face in her neck.

“They were all looking at me.” I whimpered.

She rubbed me back. “I know. I know, honey. How about we get a piece of cake, eat, then get fucking drunk. Huh? Sound alright?”

I looked up at her and nodded. So, that’s what we did. We ate a piece of cake and marched over to the bar. 

“Oooh!” I exclaimed. “Let’s play a drinking game!”

Cassie furrowed her eyebrows. “What game?”

“I think it’s called blowjob.”

She gasped while slapping her hand over her mouth. “Oh my god! Ailena!”

“Look we order three shots each and whoever drinks it the fastest without using their hands wins. You game?”

Cassie looked hesitantly. Her hand covering her mouth to hide her smile. “Fine! What the hell, right? You’re the birthday girl, after all.”

I cheered and called over the bartender.

We could only play one round of that game. I got buzzed fairly quickly since it was vodka. But we settled for beer. 

We danced, sat down, drank, smoked, and eventually I got so drunk that I started dancing modernly. I was swaying me hips while holding a bottle of whatever, dancing to the music in me head.

I felt hands wrap ‘round me arms. I turned ‘round to see Angie. 

“Angie!” I squealed before going in to hug her. She giggled before titling me head back.

“Aliena, you need to slow it down.” 

I blew raspberries. “I’m ‘aving fun. ‘Ave fun with me.” I kept her hand in mine as I leaned away and started dancing again.

Angie sighed while clutching her forehead. “Fine, I’ll have fun with you. Just! Stop dancing like that!”

I shrugged me shoulder and stilled instantly while a piece of hair fell into me eyes. “Okay.” Then, I pulled her to the bar where we chatted and drank.

I don’t know where I was. I was just extremely nauseous. I used the walls to support me as I stumbled along. The entrance doors were in me sight. I walked faster and felt me mouth water. I immediately doubled over into a plant and vomited.

When I was done, I stood straight while wiping me mouth. I gathered what was left in me mouth and spat it out. I whimpered as I clutched me tummy. 

I stumbled down the steps. Me legs were shaking like leaves. I groaned and plopped down on them. I bent over and started taking them off.

“Fucking devil shoes.” I grumbled. When I was done, I wobbled me way back up to me feet and walked further out in the backyard garden area, place, thingy.

I chortled at me thoughts.

When I got tired of walking, I sat down on some undistinguishable patch of grass. I was surrounded by acres of sophisticatedly cut grass.

I used me arms to support me as I leaned forward. I picked at the grass for a while ‘til it hit me.

I just threw up in one of Angie’s plants... 

Stutteringly, me arms gave up on me and I was laying down. I raised me arms to cover me face as it started to contort. A sob escaped me lips. Me shoulders shook violently.

I’m turning into an alcoholic. I drank ‘til I threw up in me mate’s flowers.

What’s wrong with me! 

TAG LIST: @amirahiddleston @nemesis729​ @salvatoreitmeanssaviour @tlfshelby1 @halepea @lilymurphy03 @marsfireeyes @masumiyetimziyanoldu @i-love-superhero​

[itsmoonphobic]

☁️ Clovers & Blades under the moonlit sky

A birthday gift for a special person that stumbled into my life a year and two months ago. We have been through alot together and they mean so much to me :) @raggedy-dxctor !! Cipher,I know that we have a love-hate relationship and that I'm way cooler than you but I'm still usin' my precious time to write you a lil story.

Happy birthday you dumb bitch,love you /p <3 [I will never forget how you compared George in a suit to Voiceoverpete and we randomly crashed eachothers dm's when I threatened to block you over it] Enjoy your 16th birthday to the fullest and I hope u have a blast with your family & friends <3

[Btw,I expect a birthday gift back /lh]

• ● • ● •

There was a soft humming that filled the dimly lit space of the silent library. A gentle tune and soft words danced through the bookshelves,colorful covers of old written literature lined the royal yellow walls. Chestnut locks peaked over a pile of stacked books, short hair ruffled and a mess sprinkled with dust. Closing a newly discovered novel,Cipher curled their palms and rested them on their knees. The young librarian swiped across their forehead,a thin layer of sweat coating their smooth skin. They gazed up, ember colored eyes twinkling brighly gold in the early noon sun. The open ceiling window casted rays of glittering honey and stardust down on the large room. Cipher closed their eyes,inhaling slowly through their nose and stretching their arms above them.

Getting fully lost in thought and completely enjoying the comfy waves of warmth,Cipher hadn't even noticed the creaking of a opening door. Jumping lightly at a sudden touch on their shoulder, Cipher cursed quietly under their breath. There was a soft chuckle behind them as they placed a hand over their chest,a firm grip on the woven material of their apron. If it weren't for the extra pair of hands holding their upper body,Cipher was sure they would have fainted right then and there.

"It's just me dear,no need to get jumpy."

Recognizing the voice,Cipher instantly calmed down and relaxed their muscles. They smiled,a genuine and simple gesture. They threw their head back,pyrite eyes meeting emerald ones- the deep green color shined with pure,undeniable love and care. Giving Cipher's shoulders one last reassuring squeeze,the white haired avian let go. White and downy feathers draped themselves over their form,a large wing cradling them tenderly. Cipher glanced next to them,their eyes exposed with interest and curiosity. The older guild leader sat with them,knees brushing and quills shuffling while they desperately tried to find a cosy position.

Finally settling down,Goose kindly shot Cipher a petite tug of their lips. The human felt heat crawl up their cheeks,they always felt happy when Goose was around - they were pretty much the reason the guild even exists in the first place. It was always a sign of good luck when Goose would spend time with you alone,they were like an old book: Filled with endless stories and experiences. It never got boring with them,always knowing what and how to talk to each guild member - like they were their children. The familiar scent of lavender and fresh soil never failed to make Cipher feel at home,safe.

"Shouldn't you be upstairs celebrating?" The question caught Cipher off guard,eyes widening and back straightening. Giving up on trying to find a quick,bullshit answer that Goose would look through anyways,Cipher honestly shrugged. "Don't feel like it." Now it was time for Goose to be taken aback by the answer they just received. Normally Cipher wouldn't even think about leaving the citadel when there was a party,especially not their own 16th birthday one. Pushing back their silver rimmed glasses,Goose patiently waited for Cipher to get their scrambled thoughts back on track. Sometimes it was scary to see how well the avian could read their family,and so fast too.

"He didn't come did he?" Goose watched as Cipher played with the laces of their boots,untangling and tying them together. With a hung head and a frown decorating their thin lips,the librarian adverted their eyes to the other side - away from Goose. Letting their empathy get the best of them,Goose slowly but surely dragged them in for a hug with the help of their wings. Cipher couldn't do much,a protest against a hug from their caretaker was useless and they would only end up in a tighter embrace.

"No." Before Cipher could insult him,Goose interrupted: "You know how he is dear,always on the run and barely here." With a roll of their eyes and a annoyed huff,Cipher pushed themselves up from the floor - startling Goose.

"That's no fucking excuse Goose! I don't give a shit where he is most of the time or what he does - but the time I do care is on my fucking birthday!" Gripping their wild hazel locks and tugging at them harshly,Cipher stomped back and forth - their laces still freely being dragged across the floor.

"For once in my life I thought,I actually believed he had the heart to drop his ego act - but what do I get? This fucking shit,and that on my 16th birthday!" Goose's features softened,the keen ability to understand Cipher's feelings coming in handy. Observing how Cipher's breathing increased and how their eyes began to water - Goose debated on letting them ramble and let their emotions run free or to interrupt them and stop the bursting vulcano of anger and disappointment. Settling on the first choice,Goose continued to sit in silence and listen.

"Like seriously - are you seeing this shit Goose? I'm so fucking done with his selfish behavior!" Slumping down on a cussion filled rocking chair,Cipher curled up on themselves- arms coming to hug their knees closely to their chest. Goose eyed him carefully,mind racing on what they should do next. A single,stray tear escaped Cipher's eye and they swiftly wiped it away with the back of their hand. A silent,barely audible sniffle was picked up by Goose. Obviously the older leader expected this outcome,they knew about the complex yet meaningful friendship between the two, and him not showing up to Cipher's special day really bugged them aswell. They noted to have a serious and long talk with the assassin when he returned - and god knows when that will be.

Before Goose had the chance at a comfort attack and the invitation to a cup of tea by the greenhouses,the heavy door of the library opened up. Small hands gripped the side of the dark oak surface and a mop of curly,chocolate hair poked through. The small mage was accompanied by a blonde female that trailed after him with cautious steps. She glanced ahead,over the male's head and her eyes filled with confusion at the sight infront of her. She shared a look with her lover before letting him walk ahead of her into the library. Attentively closing the door behind her,Stella steadily made her way to Goose.

"What the hell happened?" With her rough and silvery voice Stella shot the question a little too abruptly - earning herself a smack on her arm. "Ow-!" Glaring at her partner,she apologized to Goose who gave her a dissaproving shake of their head. Near benevolently walked up to Cipher,crouching down to their level and giving them a soothing beam. Only getting a small huff as a reaction,Near turned back around - pulling at his bleached denim overalls: "Is everything okay with them Goose?" And for the second time that day,Goose gets cut off:

"You can ask that your son."

The last word was spat out rudely,clearly meaning to strike a chord in a aggressive way. Near gasped as Stella crossed her arms over her chest. She scoffed,rolling her eyes and swiping over her teeth with her tounge before retorting: "That little bitch only causes trouble around here,it's nothing ne-!" Again Near had smacked his lover,this time harder to get the point across that she had hurt him. "Don't talk that way about him,you know that all of this 'family' stuff is new to him - he is just misunderstood." This time it was Cipher that let out a scoff,the small sniffle indicating a runny nose echoed through the room.

"Misunderstood my ass - either he learns how to understand basic human nature or he can leave becouse I'm done with his bullshit."

"Cipher!" Goose scolded,giving them a disheartened look. They sighed deeply,massaging their forehead and pinching the bridge of their nose. "I-I don't understand, what exactly did he do to cause such a bad reaction from Cipher?" Near puzzled with genuine interest,a fear lacing the words. Grabbing him by the arm and pulling Near aside,Goose explained what had happend to the crystal loving mage. Slapping his hands over his mouth,Near glanced back at Cipher and Stella who was calming them down apologetically. "Oh dear - that's not very nice of him at all."

Goose nodded: "They didn't take it easy. I'm not suprised anymore that they aren't interested in participating at the celebration." Near seemed to be lost in thought,his index fingers and thumb tracing circles into his jaw and chin. A small giggle filled their ears and Goose's mood shot up after seeing Cipher happy again. Stella seemed all too proud of herself by making them smile,placing her hands on her hips and standing with her chest puffed up. Goose placed their hand back on Cipher's shoulder like they did earlier today when visiting them in the library. Taking their hand gently in their own and intervening them together,Goose pulled Cipher up. Smiling down at them and hovering their outstretched wings over their two forms. Nodding towards the door,Near and Stella guided Cipher towards the stairs up to the loud citadel filled with laughter, music and chattering.

"Thanks guys - I don't need Moon afterall to have fun tonight."

• ● • ● •

"It was a good decision to go upstairs again." Cipher smiled while carrying away the last of the ceramic plates from the dirty table. The whole thing was a mess - sticky and greasy from the variety of food and drinks that got demolished within seconds. They were feeling good about the final choice to join the rest of the guild in the citadel,that was decorated just in their honor,and enjoy some good ol' quality time together. Though,they must admit - they constantly kept throwing a sneaky glance at the open window on the highest spot,the one Moon always came swinging through. After their past together,Cipher had hoped Moon would keep his promise to not hurt them again but it looks like they were left disappointed and alone once again. Not allowing another wave od sadness to wash over them,Cipher concentrated on helping Dis and Mcpe clean up. Goose and Near had carried a drunk Stella to bed,both of them holding her hair while she threw up.

Cipher could only imagine where the rest of the guild went- they saw Caddie and Mono run outside earlier,probably sneaking out past their curfew now that Goose was distracted and occupied. Callie had their nose stuck in her book the whole party long,and Cipher couldn't blame them one bit. The two introverts usually find themselves sitting together in silence at the library,just relaxing and enjoying eachother's calming presence.

"I'm gonna get some shut-eye for tonight,night." Mcpe waved lazily while throwing a used cloth on one of the acacia stools surrounding the table. Dis picked up the dirty piece of fabric, soaking it up in the prepared rose water. Cipher placed their chin on their open palms,as they leaned their elbows on the kitchen counter top - watching as Dis cleaned the last of the mugs and glasses. Drying her hands,the short haired druid observed her friend with thoughtful attention. Cipher hadn't noticed the intense gaze burning holes into their head at first,only to meet a pair of slightly concerned,yet bemused,quartz colored orbs. Cipher chuckled nervously,the piercing look they were receiving made them shuffle.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that - creepy?"

Dis bursted out laughing at that,having to hold her stomach to refrain from stumbling over. Cipher had not gotten the memo why she randomly started breaking out into fits of ragged breaths and shallow wheezes - but here they were. Finally having stopped her unexpected laughing fit,Dis dramatically wiped at her eyes.

"You're upset he didn't come am I right?" Cipher twitched on the spot,not moving a single muscle as they looked away.

'Man I seriously need to start getting better at hiding my expressions.'

"So? I totally hit the bullseye-" Dis circled them,ducking down to meet their hidden features: "You know nobody blames you for being angry that he didn't show up right?" Cipher still hadn't answered and Dis started worrying they should have dropped the topic to begin with. Before she could apologize for making them talk about the uncomfortable topic,the librarian pushed past her lightly - making sure not to bump into her. Dis watched as they grabbed their hung coat,the fuzzy lynx fur on the hood brushing their rose tinted cheeks. There was a chill breeze outside and Dis figured they must be going for a walk,like Cipher usually did to clear their mind from unnecessary imaginations and thoughts.

"I'm going on a walk,I'll be back soon I promise - please don't worry about me like last time when you called Otie all the way over here Dis." The playfull remark was coated with faux annoyance, making Dis smile: "You got it," and before Cipher could leave through the half opened door,Dis added "be careful."

"I will."

• ● • ● •

The air outside was fresh,a cold late summer night wind picked at their exposed face and neck. Goosebumps slowly rose over their body,snuggling their face closer into the warm fur of their jacket. Cipher dug up what Dis asked them earlier before they left:

'You're upset he didn't come?'

They gritted their teeth,eyes tightly pressing together. Of course they were upset,they had every right in the whole entire world to be upset in a moment like this. Moon wasn't around alot in the first place,but missing out on his best friend's birthday? A shit move that made Cipher want to crawl in a whole and just stay there forever. They were at least hoping to get sent a present over a phantom or a letter with some sort of message,but nothing at all? Letting their emotions get the best of them,Cipher let their tears fall as they pleased - not caring that their hiccups and sniffles filled the quiet atmosphere of wild nature. The stars shone brightly tonight,like diamonds and broken ice sprayed on a indigo canvas - and like every night he was gone,there was a full moon.

Cipher didn't have the energy to look at it for too long,it reminded them too heavily of their asshole of a friend. As much as they knew how Moon was and how he acted around other people,it was hard to witness that cold facade still being there on such a special and meaningful day in Cipher's life. Turbulent clouds swirled in the sky,tiny balls of light danced on invisible strings of fog.

Cipher stopped in their tracks. They arrived at their destination, a place where they could shut off and just gaze up at the endless wonders of the night sky. It was the time of the year where it was the most pleasant to visit the old ruins. Wisterias bloomed on every corner,the vibrant purple shades brought life and joy to the dull and old gray stone. They climed up the broken cobble walls, sitting at the edge and letging their feet dangle from the ledge. They leaned forward,eyes closing gently this time - letting the welcoming breeze hit their face.

The distant flapping of wings made Cipher's hairs stand up. Goose doesn't know about this place - they couldn't have possibly found them here.

Ah.

Cipher heard something,or better said someone,hit the ground. The rattling of hollow bones being dragged across bricks,fuzzy leather shambling together. They should have moved away,should have screamed in his face and tell him how absolutely shit he made them feel - but they didn't. Instead Cipher continued to sit on the cold concrete,small pettles of lilac and periwinkle falling in their hair and gliding through the air. They watched him from the corner of their eye as he nonchalantly sat down next to them,his piercing blue eyes never once meeting their golden ones. Cipher didn't know what it was,the pure self confidence and control of his emotions or the sheer stupidity and ignorance towards other people around him.

Cipher watched as Moon rested his boney wings on his back, the dark blue leather illuminating under the moonlight. He swayed his tail behind him carefree,not caring about the fragile bones scraping against the rough surface. He really was an idiot. Cipher didn't say anything,they were afraid if they did start talking it wouldn't stop. The last thing they wanted was to start crying and whimpering like a mess infront of him. The exposed spine on his back used to freak Cipher out,but now he just wants to snap it in half like a twig. They were upset and it was completely justified.

No words were shared,until Cipher felt a new weight in their lap. Quickly darting their eyes between the hybrid next to them and the neatly wrapped package on their thighs,Cipher's eyes widened. They saw how Moon's gloved hand fidgeted with one of his knives: his favorite knife,Simon. Twirling it around in his hands like it was a children's toy,and basically that's what it resemble to the winged assasin. They hesitantly pulled at the black lace, taking apart the neatly tied bow on top of the package. The wrapper itself was plain brown,a coffee stained paper that smelled like cold air and pine. Classic Moon.

They shot him one last look,only to see him staring ahead of him, not a thought behind his glowing eyes. Cipher continued to unwrap the secured belongings in the bundle.

Oh. Wow.

Inside was a dagger. Beautifully crafted and designed. A silver blade shone brightly,curved edges smooth and sharp - Cipher glided their fingers along it only to feel Moon's hand remove it from the sharp corners. They looked at him,all previous anger towards his dissapearing on their birthday gone. Moon only smirked,sharp jawline moving as he cracked his teeth. Cipher carried on with admiring the stunning piece of metal. It was absolutely perfect,the handle was comfortable and the weapon itself was light in their palm. They switched it from one hand to the other,casually throwing it from side to side - not failing to miss the way Moon would twitch when it nearly fell out of their grip.

Ingraved leaves,clovers and vines - peridot and moonstone magically glistering under the stars. It looked mesmerizing. Something small,a petite and cursive lettering running across the bottom line of the blade.

Cipher ☘︎

Before they could properly inquire him about it and thank him,aswell as scold him for missing the celebration - the spot next to them was empty. It never fails to amaze me how he does it - that sneaky little bastard.

Cipher couldn't stop looking at it from every different and possible angle,it was simply too pretty - and the thought that Moon did it himself made them smile. They couldn't stay mad at their best friend if this was the reason he missed out on their party back at the guild. This truly was the highlight of Cipher's birthday. As they were about to throw away the packaging,something else caught their eye. A small note crumbled and folded together. Furrowing their eyebrows in confusion,Cipher gently opened it:

Hi loser,

Sorry I missed your party.

Happy birthday :)

-Moon

P.s - you better like your gift becouse it was made by yours truly ;)

• ● • ● •

When they returned to the guild,Cipher was exhausted. Their feet were burning and basically swollen from the long walk - not to mention the climbing. Expecting to be the last one awake at this time of hour was a mistake,Goose was sitting at the citadel's living area by the campfire - a mug of hot liquid as given away by the curling steam in their hand. A smile tugged at the corners of their lips when they saw Cipher enter the room and fall onto one of the many sofas.

"Want me to bring you some honeycomb and warm milk?" Goose questioned as they took a sip from their tea. Cipher only silently nodded,their face pressed into a cushion - earning themselves a snicker from the elder avian. "I'll be right back you sleepyhead."

Not having any energy left for a snarky remark,Cipher slowly sat up. Rubbing at their face tiredly and messing up their hair further. Goose came back with a plate of gooey honey and delicious milk. There was a lemon tart on a second plate and a single piece of birthday cake from the party before. Cipher only watched in confused interest as Goose placed down the honey and milk infront of them,taking the other plate somewhere else.

As Goose started climbing up the ladders to the highpoint window,Cipher picked everything up. The guild leader placed down the porcelain plate,not before opening the window. They came back down,sitting back in their usual seat. Goose shot Cipher a wink,gesturing with their head towards the window they just visisted.

"I had to leave some for him too,he's family after all."

And once again Cipher was both amazed and annoyed at the phantom hybrid. Becouse when they looked at the plate:

It was empty.

• ● • ● •

:) I hope you enjoyed this little [actually pretty long] story! I wasn't sure about alot of things and it was hard to not make myself the main character for once,but here we are! /lh

Jokes aside: I wish you a wonderful 16th birthday,one day closer to becoming a official boomer - so proud rn ;) ANYWAYS: I'm so proud of you and you mean alot to me,we have left the past behind us and I'm so happy we stayed close [even became closer] <3 /p

P.s I'm way cooler than you but its your b-day ig /lh

[I'm so fuckin' sorry that everyone is out of character in this whole ass au but I'm still very proud of how it came out!]

[lukatheselkie]

HMC - Pirates and Mermaids AU

@hetaliamondaychallenge

The amount of research that went into the thought “What if Sweden is (selectively) mute and uses sign language?” is just UGH. Europe’s recorded use of sign language is very lackluster until the 1750′s, and honestly it’s still sparse then. Because I wrote the beginning of this to be at the end of the Golden Age of Piracy, I needed time-appropriate sign language. I spent roughly an hour trying to find it. On the bright side, I now know that Swedish Sign Language likely descended from Old British Sign Language, which is why I use (a form of) it in this. Technically, its use wasn’t recorded until 1760, but I imagine they were using a form of it before then. Cited: “...there is solid evidence that deaf people in Britain were signing as early as in the 16th century...” So, I just gave it a (probably inaccurate) name. I had to. You’ll see why. I do not claim this is the name used at the time. I also used time-appropriate measurements.

Fun Fact: Swedish Sign Language didn’t exist until 1800. And it’s currently an endangered language, which is really sad. It’s so beautiful. (Seriously, go look up Swedish Sign Language on YouTube. I recommend watching song translations. They’re captivating. Try Tommy Krångh if you go the song route.)

Ship: SuFrUk (Sweden/England/France)

I’m most definitely turning this into a longer story! This is just highlights, I’ll be adding in more detail as I create chapters.

    Arthur grimaces when his ship creaks, shifting in the direction of the net his crew cast moments ago. It isn’t an uncommon occurrence, being this far from shore. They often catch larger fish with the net they had stolen from a fishing boat. It feeds them well for a few days, so it’s worth the mess, but the ship tilting and moving everything that isn’t tied down is always obnoxious. “Pull it up! Now!” He doesn’t even give them a second before snapping at them again. “Faster! Don’t let it get away!” There’s not much of a chance of it getting away though. Not unless it has sharp teeth, like a shark. Even then, they panic so much it’s difficult for them to escape. But his crew doesn’t know that. And if any of them do, they don’t dare defy his orders. The net comes out of the water, and he frowns. That’s not a fish. That’s…

    “Move! Don’t let its stingers touch you!” Everyone in the line of the moving net runs as far away from it as they can. Thankfully, no one gets stung. Once the net is mostly done swaying, Arthur storms up to the knot holding it and unties it quickly. He’ll wait for the stupid jellyfish to die before tossing it back into the ocean to be eaten by something stupid enough to try. There’s no good meat on it. He steps up next to it and pokes it with his foot, careful not to let it touch any of his skin. It’s huge. The tentacles are roughly three fathoms (18 ft/548.64cm) long, from what he can tell. They’re in a tangled mess he doesn’t envy. They remind him a bit of a lion’s mane.

    The creature moves, forcing him to take a few steps back or risk getting stung. Incredibly, a man sits up from within the tangle, not an injury on him. He blinks, looking around in confusion. His face goes pale and he reaches out for the tentacles frantically, pulling them up around himself. He doesn’t appear to be hurt by them. Arthur takes a cautious step closer, intrigued. “Who are you?” He can feel the eyes of his crew on him. The man drops his armload, and his shoulders move up and down in what appears to be a sign, though there’s no noise paired with it. Or maybe he’s not close enough to hear it? There’s not a single mark on him, despite what he did. It becomes apparent to Arthur he’s part of the jellyfish. But how? “What are you?” The man starts moving his hands at an incredibly fast pace, eyes darting around frantically. “I can’t understand you. Can you speak?” He shakes his head, then goes back to moving his hands.

    It takes Arthur a few minutes of watching closely to realize it’s sign language. The… jellyfish is repeating the same phrase, over and over and over. He focuses harder on the signs, recognizing some. It’s been a few years since he used sign language, so he’s a bit rusty. But what are the chances this creature would know his?

    “Want… let… go.” Ah.

    “You want us to let you go? I can’t do that. Look at you! You’re a wonderful discovery. No one will believe us without a specimen. And that’s you.” He wiggles a bit, and some of his tentacles lash out at Arthur. He steps back in time for them not to hit his face, but they do manage to hit his hands. He clenches his jaw at the pain, wishing he was wearing his gloves. He hears swords being drawn behind him. “Put them away,” he growls out, glaring at the jelly-man. “No one is to touch him unless told to. We want him alive. Now leaves us alone. Go to the lower decks and prepare a place for him.” His crew hurries to do as they’re told. He looks back at the man. “What’s your name?”

    “B-E-R-W-A-L-D.” He signs out the letters begrudgingly.

    “Thank you for cooperating. If you keep doing that, I will promise you no harm will come to you. But only if you aren’t difficult.” He fumbles around in a barrel for a moment for something to wrap his hands with. “If that happens, I will not sell you like I currently intend to. I will protect you.” He wraps his hands in some bandages he finds, then glances up at Berwald. He’s signing again, still frantic in his movements. “It has been some years since I last practiced. Go slower.”

    “...Going with you? Where will… stay?” It’s still difficult to make out everything, but there’s enough for him to be mostly confident in what he’s saying.

    “I’ll have something made for you.” He racks his brain quickly for ideas. He could always use the Roman way. “I’ll have a large pond made for you, supplied with fresh seawater anytime you wish. But that’s only if you aren’t troublesome. Keep that in mind before you do anything.” Berwald nods, then looks around the ship calmly. At least he’s accepted he’s not leaving. There’s so many unanswered questions though! Perhaps he’ll answer some. “As long as we’re answering questions, I have a few for you. If they make you uncomfortable, you do not have to answer. I do not have to know. I am only curious. Answer slowly, if you do. I am still recalling some signs. What are you? Where did you come from? Did you have a home? A family? How come you don’t sting yourself?” Berwald furrows his brows, then lifts up his hands hesitantly. After a moment, he starts signing.

    “...A version of what humans call merfolk. ...Came from the coast of Sweden. Where… now? ...Didn’t have what humans consider a home. Just the ocean. ...Drifted from my family years ago. We don’t keep in touch. Would it make sense for a jellyfish to be able to sting itself? That’s why… don’t. ...May be human in appearance, but… not.” Arthur frowns slightly at his answers. No family? What a lonely existence.

    “You are close to England. That’s where you’ll be taken back to. If you’re from Sweden, why do you know British Sign Language?”

    “It’s the only thing I could learn.” Finally Arthur recognizes all of the signs.

    “I suppose that makes sense. Sign Language isn’t very well distributed. Why did you learn it though? You aren’t deaf. You can understand me too well.”

    “You are correct. I am not deaf. However, I am mute. I do not wish to speak of why, so please do not ask.” That’s curiosity-inducing. But he’ll obey his wish.

    “Alright. You do not have to tell me, but if you ever wish to, I will listen. Watch?” Berwald laughs quietly, a noise that startles Arthur enough for him to jump, which makes him laugh even more. He must be selectively mute, then. It makes him even more eager to learn his story, but he won’t push it. A thought comes to him, and he feels ashamed for not realizing earlier. “Do you need water to survive?” It’s a question he should have asked much sooner.

    “Absolutely. I am made mostly of water. But I can breathe your air, so I do not have to be submerged. I do wish I could have my tentacles flowing in the water again, but I know you will not allow that until I am away from the ocean. After all, I could easily swim away. Well, float away. It is very difficult to swim without the assistance of the current.” Arthur furrows his brows slightly.

    “It’s not entirely out of the question. If you are willing to be in the net, I can have my crew lower you into the water again. If not, I will personally bring you plenty of water below deck. I do not trust anyone on my crew to. They fear you. However, being afraid of a giant jellyfish is reasonable.” Berwald scrunches up his nose slightly.

    “I am not a fan of this net. It tangled me up. I would rather wait until we get to your home. At least I can untangle them while we travel. How long do you think it will take?”

    “I understand. It will take a week, at most. Usually it would be shorter, but there are a few more stops I wish to make before returning home. I won’t be returning to sea. I’ll have you to take care of.” Berwald turns his head away, hiding his smile. He was worried about the selling comment, but now he knows it’s not true. Not if he’s already planning on taking care of him. He looks back at him, eyes wide.

    “What is your name? You know mine, but you have not told me yours.”

    “My apologies.” He bows his head slightly. “How rude of me. I am Arthur.”

    “Like King Arthur?”

    “Indeed. I am a bit surprised you have heard that tale. You know sign language and of our stories. How often do you watch humans?” Berwald flushes crimson.

    “It is a guilty pleasure of mine. I get lonely very easily. I miss having others to interact with. I suppose that is why I was so close to your lovely ship. It seemed so lively. I did not expect to be captured. Though it isn’t entirely bad I was. I got to meet you.” He gives an almost mischievous smile. If Arthur didn’t know any better, he would think the jellyfish is flirting with him. Perhaps he is. But it’s not obvious enough for him to comment on it, lest he be incorrect and embarrass himself.

    “That is true. As strange as it has been, I rather enjoyed meeting you as well.” He smiles slightly at him. “Ah, give me a moment. I will get my gloves, then I can help you to where you’ll be staying.” He hurries off, hoping his sleeves won’t ride up while he’s helping.

~ (Five or so days later)

    Arthur practically throws himself into Francis’ arms when he opens the door to his house. “Mon dieu! Arthur, you startled me! I’m happy to see you, of course, but you didn’t have to nearly give me a heart attack the moment I opened the door. You could have at least let it register in my mind that you were here.” Despite his condescending words, he wraps his arms around him lovingly.

    “I’m sorry. I’m just excited. I have something to show you. Come with me.” He pulls out of the hug gently, hands lingering on his wrists. “On my ship. I’m retiring from pirating because of him. We can finally be together without worry.” He presses a kiss to his lips, then runs off. Francis smiles, shaking his head as he follows. That man.

    “Alright. What is it you wanted me to see? You show up in the middle of the night and drag me to your ship, it better be something interesting!”

    “Oh, it is! I promise.” He turns around to press another kiss to his lips, then disappears below deck. Francis rolls his eyes, and opens the door carefully, being quieter than Arthur. He chases after him, laughing at his energy. When he stops, Francis does as well. A subtle movement drags his attention away from his love, and he gasps. There’s an at least partially naked man laying on top of a beautiful jellyfish in a wide but shallow trough, filled with water. Upon closer inspection, he’s part of the jellyfish.

    “How…? What?” Arthur grins at him.

    “His name is Berwald. He wound up in our fishing net when he got too close. Look at him! Isn’t he beautiful?”

    “Oui, and dangerous! How did he get down here?” His love smiles sheepishly.

    “I sort of dragged him here? With his permission. I was covered, don’t worry. Clothes are enough of a covering to not be stung.” Francis sighs dramatically.

    “I knew it was a terrible idea for you to be pirating this time. You’ve done it twice before, what on Earth was a third time going to do for you?”

    “Apparently, give me a giant man-jelly.” Francis groans softly.

    “Oui, I see that. Whatever are you going to do with him?” The man shifts again, and his eyes open. They’re stunning. Like stormy sea waves. Their beauty knocks the breath out of him. Berwald’s hands start moving, too fast for Francis to comprehend what’s happening.

    “Who is this? I thought you decided not to sell me? I do not want to leave you! You are my friend! Or so I thought. Why would you sell me without telling me? And in my sleep too!?” Arthur slings his arms out.

    “You’ve got it all wrong, Berwald! I’m not selling you. I already promised I wouldn’t. I won’t go back on my word. This is my lover, Francis. I wanted you two to meet. I’m sorry for waking you. I didn’t know you were asleep. I should have spoken to you before leaving to get him, instead of just looking at you. That is my fault. We are friends. And I was hoping you two could become friends as well. I did not mean to worry you. I apologize.” Francis watches a bit of colour return to the jelly-man’s face and hears him sigh, presumably in relief.

    “Thank goodness. Your lover, you say? Humans are strange creatures. Though I must admit, this intrigues me. Do humans ever have more than one lover at a time?” Arthur stares at Berwald for a long moment. What an interesting question.

    “I suppose they can. It is uncommon, but I do not see why they couldn’t.” Francis tugs on his sleeve lightly.

    “How are you communicating with him? What did he say?”

    “Ah, right. You don’t know British Sign Language. That���s what he’s using. He’s selectively mute. Don’t ask him why, he doesn’t want to tell the story. He may change his mind in the future, but for now, that topic is off limits. Is there anything else you would like to ask him? And he wanted to know if humans ever have more than one lover at a time.” Francis releases his sleeve, and steps closer to the trough. What a fascinating question.

    “Berwald, was it?” A nod. “Strange that you have a human name. What are you? Where did you come from?” The jelly stares at Arthur expectantly.

    “He’s a version of what humans consider mermaids, and he’s from the coast of Sweden.”

    “You two aren’t humans, are you?” Arthur mentally scolds himself. He separated himself from them one too many times in his speech.

    “No, we aren’t humans,” he says slowly, making sure to include the topic for Francis’ sake. The Frenchman tenses up, but doesn’t say anything. “We’re actually personifications of countries. I’m England, and he’s France.” His eyes widen slightly.

    “I am Sweden.”

    “Sweden…?” He’s heard about the countries that were mer-creatures, but he never expected to come across one!

    “Sweden? Are you Sweden? Now you having a human name makes sense.”

    “So your family…?”

    “Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Iceland.”

    “Wow. What are the chances we would meet?” Francis clears his throat quietly. “I’m going to have to teach you British Sign Language, aren't I?”

    “If you wish for us to be friends, oui. I do not want you to have to translate everything he says.” He gives Arthur a polite smile, then pecks his lips. “Please teach me.”

    “Of course I will. Would you like to come visit? I’m on my way home now. I just had to visit you and tell you the news before going.” Francis laughs.

    “Oui, I’ll come visit. Would you be alright with me moving in? Not immediately, of course, but after a few months? Maybe a year? Give you some time to settle back in.” Arthur’s eyes light up, and he hugs his love close.

    “That would make me the happiest man in the world!” He laughs, picking Francis up to spin him around. He places him back down, and kisses him again.

   “Mmm, as much as I would love to keep doing this, I must return home. You interrupted my beauty sleep! Have a wonderful trip back. Please be safe.” He kisses him on the forehead, then runs off.

~ (Two months later)

    The moment Berwald is in his large sea ‘pond’, he shakes his sore muscles out. He looks up at Arthur, and smiles thankfully at him. He propels himself through the water, doing his best to twirl around so he can see him in full. He struggles to the surface, grabbing the edge to keep himself up. Arthur smiles, taking note of the jellyfish bell flaring out around him. That’s something he hadn’t noticed on the ship. It’s maybe a yard and a half in diameter, including where his torso joins with it. “I see you’re enjoying yourself.” He nods, unable to sign because he’s holding himself above water. “Good. It was hell getting that made, and getting you in it without anyone seeing you. Thankfully, no one did. I will admit, at first I wanted to sell tickets for people to see you. But now, I want you to be a secret. I would have offered to release you back into the sea, but I didn’t want you getting lonely again. And… we’re friends. Don’t tell anyone, but I actually care about you. And I would hate to lose you. So don’t ever scare me by disappearing!” Berwald smiles fondly, and reaches out for Arthur’s hand. He squeezes it, then kisses the back of it. He pulls away, and looks him in the eyes.

    “I promise, friend.” The relief in Arthur’s eyes is overwhelming. He waves awkwardly at him and sinks back down into the water, just as Francis comes out of the house.

    “There you are! Did he make it in okay? He’s not hurt, is he?”

    “He’s fine, love. And no one saw. He’s safe here.” He motions at the tall fence surrounding the yard.

    “Good. I’m glad.” He glances at the water, giving a small smile to Berwald. “I made us some food. All three of us. Can we have a picnic? Then you can teach me some signs. I’m more than ready to learn.”

~ (1800)

    For the past few weeks, Berwald’s signing has gradually gotten harder and harder to interpret. Arthur always manages to figure out what he’s trying to say, but it’s incredibly concerning. He’s not entirely certain why it’s changing, though he has an idea. Instead of trying to figure out discreetly, he decides to outright say it one day when he goes to feed him. “Is Sweden developing its own sign language? Yours has gotten harder and harder to understand, and that’s the only thing I can think of.” He frowns, brows furrowed. He stays like that for maybe five minutes, before carefully lifting a hand to sign.

    “Perhaps. I am a bit upset it is changing. When it is done, will you teach me British Sign Language again? I will know both then.” Arthur chuckles.

    “You don’t need to ask. I am glad you want to know both though. Waiting until it has developed is probably the best idea. You won’t get them confused then.” Berwald nods, and slips back into the water. He lifts a hand up to sign at Arthur.

    “That is exactly what I was thinking. Now excuse me, I saw a fish. It must have gotten mixed in with the water when you changed it.” The Brit laughs, watching him chase after the fish. Maybe he’ll start gathering live fish to put in there with him. It might make him happier.

~(1850’s)

    “Arthur! Arthur, look!” Francis stumbles out the back door, newspaper in hand. “It’s possible to make larger aquariums than we previously thought! Perhaps we could have one made for Berwald? That way he doesn’t have to lift himself out of the water to communicate with us. We’ll be able to see him anywhere! Doesn’t that sound exciting?” Arthur places a hand on either shoulder, and kisses Francis’ nose.

    “That does sound exciting. I’m sure Berwald is tired of communicating with one hand. It is a good idea. I will look into it tomorrow. However, won’t you sit and have a nice meal with us?”

    “Oui! I would never pass up a meal with my two favourite boys.” He kisses Arthur on the forehead, then kneels to do the same thing to Berwald. A question the jelly-man asked years ago is brought back to Arthur’s mind. Do humans ever have more than one lover at a time? After a moment of thought, he lands on a similar answer to what he gave last time. They can.

~ (A few months later)

    Arthur tilts the barrel with all his might, nearly falling into the newly-filled tank when Berwald slips out. He heaves a huge sigh, unsure if it’s from relief or lack of oxygen from the nerves. He makes his way back to the ground, grateful for the solidness of it. He doesn’t look at the huge tank quite yet. “Francis.” He loops an arm around his waist, closing his eyes as he turns toward the glass.

    “On the count of three?”

    “One.”

   “Two.”

   “Three!” They say it together, and open their eyes. Both of them gasp, finally seeing Berwald surrounded in water from the side for the first time since making his acquaintance. His tentacles are billowing out around him, moving slightly with the gentle current they decided to have installed. His torso is stockier and chubbier than they thought, but neither is complaining. His shoulders are broad, and his arms long and toned. His blonde hair shimmers in the light refracting through the water from the ceiling of the building. He’s an absolutely stunning sight.

    “Goodness, Arthur! He’s beautiful!” Francis steps closer to the glass, placing his hand on it gently.

    “He is.” He walks up next to his love, but doesn't touch the glass. Berwald lets himself sink to the bottom, and places his hand where Francis’ is. He smiles brightly at them, eyes crinkling at the edges because of it. “Very beautiful. Berwald, can you hear us?” He laughs, a sound that, surprisingly, reaches their ears.

    “Yes! I can hear you better than I could before! It’s like I’m back in the ocean! Except I have friends to keep me company! And human food to eat! I couldn’t be happier! Thank you!” His expression is full of excitement as he signs.

    “You’re very welcome, dear. It’s the least we can do. You’ve been so wonderful and understanding. I’m glad we can bring you company.” Francis replies, placing his other hand on the glass. Berwald eagerly mirrors that as well. “You mean a lot to us.” Arthur smiles, nodding his agreement.

    “You do. Francis, is it time?”

    “Oui, I think so!” Berwald tilts his head slightly, obviously confused. He doesn’t pull away from Francis to sign though.

    “Do you recall asking me if humans ever have more than one lover at a time?” He nods slowly, confusion still dancing in his eyes.

    “Arthur and I have decided we both love you very much, and would like to ask if you will be our lover?”

    “It can be the three of us in a relationship. We’ll be more than friends. It might be a bit strange, but we’re willing to try. We love you enough to try.” The confusion finally falls away, and he pushes himself back from the glass. He grabs two of his tentacles, and focuses on putting them over his head in a shape of some sort. Oh! It’s a heart!

    “I love you both too. My answer is yes.” He smiles at them, bottom lip trembling slightly.

    “Please don’t cry! Even if they’re happy tears. You’ll get me going too.” Francis dabs at his eyes as if he’s already crying. Then, he grabs Arthur’s hand and presses his palm flat against the glass. “Show your love, Arthur. I already have. It’s your turn.” The Brit rolls his eyes, but places his other hand on the glass nonetheless. Berwald matches him, grinning. After a moment, he scrunches up his nose and sticks his tongue out.

    “Hey! Put that back! No fair! I can’t kiss you until you stop out here.” Not even that is enough to dampen his mood though. He’s over the moon with joy. Judging by the expression on Francis’ face, so is he. And Berwald, too. He moves his arm over a bit, motioning at Francis to put his hand there. He does, and Arthur takes his other hand. In their own way, they’re making a circle of love.

~ (Early 1960’s)

    Arthur never thought he would be thanking Alfred for anything, but here he is. Incredibly grateful to one of his inventors, for making a suit he and Francis can actually visit with Berwald in without fear of getting stung. Well, mostly. Their faces will still be exposed, and they need gloves and boots, but those aren’t too difficult to get a hold of. “Berwald! We’re coming!” Francis laughs, grabbing him by the waist.

    “You’re too excited, mon cher. You might startle him. Take a few deep breaths to calm down before entering the water with him. I’ll count. Let’s start with five. One.” Arthur takes a deep breath, holding it in for a few seconds before releasing it. “Two.” He feels himself relaxing slightly as he holds this one. “Three.” His muscles untense, though he was unaware they were. “Four.” His excitement becomes a dull ache. “Five.” Now it’s no longer an ache, more like a happy memory. “Better?” He nods, then kisses him in thanks.

    “I’m sorry. I’ve just wanted to be close to him for so long.”

    “As have I. But he is still part animal. He has those instincts. We should try our hardest not to spook him, oui?”

    “You’re right. I should have thought of that.”

    “Nonsense. You’re excited. That’s completely fine. I just didn’t want you to be disappointed. Are you ready?” He nods, and starts climbing the ladder up to the top of the tank. Francis follows close behind. He doesn’t get in the water yet, despite drawing Berwald’s curiosity. He sits on the rim, smiling down at him.

    “We’re coming in. Finally, we get to be by your side. We’ll have to come to the surface for air quite often though, so could you stay near the top? If that’s possible. I know the current circulates the entire tank.” He nods, looking just as excited as Arthur feels. Francis sits next to him, and squeezes his hand.

    “Ready?”

    “Ready.” They look at each other, count to three together, and slide into the water after taking a deep breath. The goggles were a good call. They may not be perfect, but they’re much better than without them. Berwald struggles against the current to swim toward them, desperation in his eyes. They meet in the middle, and practically melt into one another. By the time Francis goes to pull away for a breath, they breach the surface. Apparently Berwald got them closer without either realizing.

    “Merci,” Francis practically whispers, lost in his eyes. Arthur nudges him lightly. “Ah, oui! Berwald, may I kiss you? You’ve seen Arthur and I do it bef-” He presses his lips to Francis’ tenderly, effectively silencing him. The Frenchman closes his eyes, wrapping his arms around his neck. After maybe two minutes, they pull away from each other. Berwald looks at Arthur with a questioning expression. He rolls his eyes, pecks a pouting Francis on the lips, then kisses the Swedish man lovingly. Berwald must be counting, because he pulls away at nearly the same time as he did from Francis.

    “You are both wonderful at that. I am very grateful to have you. You have taught me so many things, and with those clothes, you can teach me more. Thank you so much. I love you.”

    “I love you too,” they say in sync. Then, looking at each other, “And you!” They laugh, and kiss each other. Berwald presses his nose to Arthur’s cheek when they part, and kisses him again. He does the same to Francis when their kiss is over. His heart is so full yet so light. He’s never felt this way before. He loves it. Almost as much as he loves Arthur and Francis.

[doof-doofblog]

"Say "Hello" To Caleb, Grass!"

Tuesday 16th March 2021

Part Two

Hello again everyone! I'm back with the second episode of Tuesday evening, I have to admit I am super excited about this second episode, there was so much that happened in Part 1 that I am super excited to see what happens next. But before I dive into it, EastEnders have announced a new character is going to be arriving to Albert Square. Gwen Taylor will be joining the soap in the role of Violet Highway, Callum and Stuart's Grandma! It's been revealed that she'll be arriving later in the Spring. Something is telling me with Callum and Ben's recent engagement, is Ben interested in meeting the rest of Callum's family? Surely he's going to want to more than just Stuart at his wedding? I hope this will be the start of Callum and Stuart's family arriving to the Square. What do you guys think? Are you excited about EastEnders' new arrival. Does she know about Callum's sexuality? Is she going to be the beloved Grandma that we're hoping for, or maybe some kind of evil Granny? Please let me know what you're thoughts on this reveal!

Now focusing on the second episode of Tuesday evening, there's a hell of a lot more drama going on! The first thing I'm going to mention is Ash, it appears to be the day of her hearing. Understandably, the poor the girl is feeling nervous as her career hangs in the balance. As she sits in her pyjamas contemplating the day ahead, her brother Kheerat tries to lighten her up by suggesting that if things go to pot during her hearing, she can always come and work at the family business. However, the is something that Ash clearly doesn't want to do, she's her own person and has can look out for herself, she doesn't need to be given a job by her brother when she can simply find one for herself, although it was just a kind gesture. Plus she hasn't trained her whole life to be a nurse to then start making calls about pest control, right? Suki tries to persuade her daughter that she needs to do all she can at the day's hearing to make sure she keeps her job! 

Once again Peter feels like he needs to step in and help Ash at the hearing, he tries to lighten the mood by joking that they wouldn't let Ash lose her job because of her smile. As much as he's trying to be nice, Ash (and both I) feel like there's no time to be making jokes, I don't think he truly realises the extent of his actions have caused her. If he was to just wait and let a normal nurse on duty tend to him instead of pleading for Ash's help, this wouldn't have happened. But also I guess you could say that Ash should've stuck to her guns and not given him the pain relief whilst not on duty. As Ash agrees to let him accompany her to her hearing, it seem that that would be her huge mistake. Later as she comes home, she seems completely and utterly devastated and she reveals to her Mum that Peter made out that they were a couple, and as soon as he said that, nothing she said for herself was taken seriously in the hearing, meaning Peter could have potentially ruined her changes of getting her job back. As much as I hate to say it, I hope this makes Ash realise that Peter isn't the one for her. She can do SO MUCH BETTER than him! Even though Peter tries his best to apologise, even insulting Suki claiming that at least he's tried to do something to help whereas she has just stood and watched from the side-lines. Does this mean that Ash will lose her job for sure now? Or will Suki take it upon herself to somehow help get her daughter's job back?

-- The next thing I have to mention is Mitch and this adorable new doggo! After seeing it out again on the Square after Rainie shoos it away, he informs her that he's wanting to try and catch it to make Bailey happy, considering she's been so down as of recent, with it being Mother's Day and then losing Bronson, he wants to see his daughter smile again, and it seems the little pup is the one to do that. 

I have to say I do love Rainie, I love how she just volunteers Stuart on his behalf to help Mitch capture the dog. Of course Stuart has no idea what he's been roped into, as far he knows, he's being "Ace Ventura" for the day! I also just want to briefly mention how brilliant and comical the scene between Mitch and Stuart was as they were trying to catch the dog! As they slowly try to corner it, the dog has other plans and scurries from side of the park to the other, causing mayhem for both of them! I absolutely howled at the moment when Stuart suggested to Mitch that he buys his daughter a rabbit instead! It was brilliant comedy gold of grown middle aged men trying to outrun a young fast pup! 

Eventually the dog becomes distracted by some left over fast-food that's been thrown on the floor. Mitch grabs the opportunity to catch him, without any disruption he successfully catches the pooch! As he takes the pup home, little Bailey is over the moon to see a potential new family member, she becomes absolutely besotted with the dog in her life and names him Banjo (CUTE!) , however as soon as Karen appears the dog scurries away and Karen voices her concern to Mitch that they simply cannot afford another canine. Is it just me or did Karen say that family dog was Bronson? Meaning that they can't replace him? Again, being a dog lover and a dog owner myself, just because Bronson has passed away doesn't mean that shouldn't get another dog, they've given one day a life a happiness, why can't they give that to another dog? Bronson will never be replaced, he'll always be a part of the family. I can't understand Karen's negative response towards it, I'm hoping eventually she will come round and they'll be able to keep the new dog. What do you think? 

--

Meanwhile, inside the Vic, after finding out that she has a long-lost brother out there, Sharon is alone in the Vic slowly packing her things away for moving out. It's here that Kathy decides to pay her a visit after they both found out the identity of the man they met at Gavin's memorial. The fact that Sharon has half-brother she's never heard of or met seems to be main focus of Kathy's mind right now. However, Sharon informs Kathy that at this moment in time, she's not really interested in tracking him down or reaching out to him, for all she knows he probably has no knowledge of her also, so why would she want to  jump the gun approach him? She makes it perfectly clear that she doesn't need any more men in her life, Albie is all she needs and no one else. 

Kathy seems a little disheartened by her decision, but deep down feels that maybe if she was to help get her Zack's number, it would be there for her if she was to change her mind. What harm could it do? As Kathy calls up Sally without Sharon's knowledge, elsewhere Kim is still trying to convince Sharon to have a leaving do for when she moves out of the Vic. As they have a brief discussion in the Vic, Sharon opens up revealing that there are still times she feels very lonely, she lost her son, her husband, her best friend - there really is no one else she can talk to except for Albie, and he's a baby! That's a point, do you guys think that Sharon and Linda will ever be able to rekindle their friendship? We know that Mick and Linda will be back behind the bar any time soon, so will Linda be able to forgive her friend and will they be able to build bridges? Who knows? With plenty of wise words from Kim, and a bit of goading as she's informing everything will be sponsored by her new business "The Foxcatcher!", Sharon agrees to hold a leaving party at the Vic. Just then, at her surprise, Kathy appears with a small piece of paper with a phone number, informing her that she's managed to get hold of Zack's number if she ever thought on contacting him. Do you think Sharon will reach out to her half-brother? Will he be interested in building a relationship with her?! 

--

Finally, the main event of the episode, after the shock of Lucas's actions at the airport, the Fox family are eager to hear any updates that the police might have on Lucas and/or Caleb. However, it looks as if the mysterious phone call between Lucas and Jack from the previous episode has been revealed. Lucas gave Jack some information on where he could potentially find Caleb. As this episode begins, Jack is waiting to hear some news about a potential drug raid that the police have gone to, unfortunately to his disappointment, Caleb wasn't at the scene of where the drug raid took place. Did he escape or was he simply not there? Either way, Caleb remains out on the streets and wanted man. Jack of course is eager to catch him as he knows he's a threat to the Fox family and he knows he needs to keep them safe. 

Knowing that he has to face the music, Jack makes a visit to Lucas informing him that somehow Caleb got away. Of course Lucas is just as disappointed as Jack is, claiming that he pretty much handed him over on a plate, but unfortunately it didn't work out that way. It's here that Lucas claims that he actually had trust in Jack to keep his family safe whilst he was behind bars, it doesn't help however that Jack has been made suspended so his hands are pretty much tied. Meanwhile at home, Denise is fretting that her family are no longer safe, she voices her worries to Chelsea that she promised Phil that Raymond would be safe living with her and her family, but since Chelsea has returned, she has put all her family in danger, she also voices her concern that her relationship could be falling apart, due to Chelsea making a move on Jack. I actually did feel sorry for Denise at this point, I do hope that eventually Chelsea will see the error she's made of meeting Caleb. Interestingly, suddenly Chelsea gets a message from Caleb, but for what?!

Unbeknown to them, Caleb appears to be walking around the Square with his hood up as not to be recognised, he is a wanted man after all! As he approaches the salon, it's clear that he's looking for Chelsea, but before he can act upon entering or breaking in, Mitch catches him unaware and walks off in the other direction. Knowing that he's sent a message to Chelsea informing her to meet him somewhere, you can't help but think "Will she?, "Won't she?" - perhaps it may have been best for her to just ignore the message? But eventually she ends up meeting him in a secluded spot, as she confronts him she warns him that she's not scared of him anymore, suddenly Caleb attacks her by punching her in the stomach, for a moment I feared Chelsea was going to be in big trouble, but what happened next really took me by surprise! Out of nowhere, police rush onto the scene, surrounding Caleb, pushing him to the floor, handcuffing him with Jack making the arrest. It becomes known that when Caleb informed Chelsea to meet him, she actually decided to inform the police so they could finally catch him and arrest him, clever girl! The only concern on Chelsea's mind now though is that her Dad is going to be stuck in prison with Caleb and potentially some of his mates, could Lucas's life be in danger whilst he's in prison?!

Jack once again takes it upon himself to tell Lucas the good news about Caleb's arrest, informing him that his family will now be safe now Caleb has been captured. But he also voices his concern about Lucas's safety, proposing that he could pull some strings and get him moved to another prison, but interestingly Lucas informs Jack that he doesn't feel threatened by Caleb. He sounds reassuring as he states that he'll be fine knowing his family are safe. The one thing he does ask of him though, is to look after Denise. This conversation between the two really touched me in a way, Lucas admits his regret of not treating Denise right when they were together, he recalls how he made her life a misery. He informs Jack that Denise truly does love him and that he'd be happy to give them this blessing if they were to continue being together. With this, they both seem to have a mutual understanding and respect for one another as Jack leaves and tells Lucas to look after himself. Maybe Lucas's words began to repeat themselves in Jack's head? As he arrives back to the Square, he opens up to Denise admitting that he can't carry on the way they have been, almost making Denise believe that he's about to call things off with her again, but he makes the romantic move of actually proposing to her! I don't know about you, but I am super happy for the couple, they've been through so much together and they both deserve some happiness! 

The final scene of the episode however was deeply harrowing, didn't you guys think? Lucas is sat alone in his cell, privately praying. Suddenly he's interrupted by two inmates, one with a phone that seems to be recording. They inform to say "Hello" to Caleb, but as Lucas slowly puts away his bible and looks up to the prisoners, we get that sinking feeling that something horrendous is about to happen. I have to point out that the only thing we see is shadows, but the sound of violence. Has Lucas actually been attacked and left for dead?! I know there has been some speculation that Lucas is going to be killed off whilst in prison, BUT - I have to voice my own opinion, we didn't specifically see Lucas get harmed, we saw shadows and heard punches being thrown at someone, but with Lucas's history, I think he know that he is capable to look after himself. Even though he has worked hard to lead a better life, who's not to say that he won't be able to defend himself and potentially kill someone whilst in prison? I believe that Lucas will survive, after everything that's happened and such a huge character development, it would be devastating to see him killed off. Don't you think? 

Once again a brilliant episode, with a huge cliff-hanger! I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen next! Thank you all for reading, please feel free to send me any comments or messages about EastEnders and I'll be happy to respond! I'll be back very soon! Love you all xXx

[a-lonely-ass-hoe]

December 16, 1991

*GIF is not mine all credits to the owner*

Pairing: Tony Stark x Reader 

Warnings: death, sadness ,and some cursing, and alcohol

Word Count: Roughly 1,500 

A/N: Sorry I’m not really good at summaries and writing either lol but enjoy this small blurb that I had written a longgg time ago but the story is basically what happens on December 16th, 1991

December 16, 1991

Tony had said goodbye to his parents, thinking he would see them soon. As they left, he laid on the couch and began to watch t.v. he was falling asleep, but the doorbell rang. You stood there, wearing a coat and the adorable smile Tony had begun to fall in love with. You guys had been together for almost six months.

You were always the type to buy Christmas presents early, having a specialized gift for each important person in your life. Tony on the other hand got his gifts the morning before Christmas. Tony let you in and you gave him a peck on the cheek and began apologizing.

"Sorry for not calling, I just so happened to be walking around the area and remembered you lived here, and since I know you're always stuck in here, I wanted to ask you to come shopping with me. You know to spend more time together, unless you don't want to, I completely understand."

Tony smiled, grabbed your cheeks, and roughly kissed you. He grabbed his coat and keys. "Shall we?" You giggled and walked past Tony. You both walked the streets of New York, mostly window shopping. Tony loved the fact that you had quickly brought his mood up. He loved the way your hair moved with the breeze, the way your eyes and smile shone.

Tony had never really had anyone in his life give him as much love, affection, and attention as you did. He was always amazed at how much love you had to give. You brought him back to reality when you pulled on his arm and pointed toward a small ice cream shop. He smiled and nodded, you ran pulling him into the ice cream shop.

The ice cream shop was warm, weirdly enough. It had a small variety of ice creams along with some hot drinks. You order your favorite ice cream, and Tony orders some hot chocolate. You both sat a small booth, you smiled at Tony and begin to lick your ice cream cone. Tony sipped his hot chocolate. You guys sat at a comfortable silence. He reached his hand out, for you to grab. His thumb rubbed against your hand and you both smiled as you squeezed his hand.

"Why were you so serious when I came by?"

"Oh nothing, my parents were going on a business trip."

"Are you mad, they didn't take you?" You giggled.

He smiled and chuckled, "Yeah, I was incredibly mad."

"Hey, we should have a movie night. I would suggest my place but you always complain about how crappy my movies are and t.v.'s shitty quality."

"Yeah, let's go to my house, you like my couches better anyways."

"You know me so well."

Tony and you walk back to his home. You begin to prepare popcorn and order a pizza. Tony grabs some beer from the fridge. You and Tony decide on Die Hard for the first movie. You also decided on Beauty and the Beast as the second film.

As you guys ate pizza and drank beer, you both cuddled together. Tony laid down with you between his legs, he twirled a piece of your hair in his hands.

"(Y/N) guess what?"

"Hm?"

"I also have a copy of The Last Boy Scout."

"You're fucking with me, are you serious?"

"I am fucking you, but yes I'm being serious."

"What! How!?"

"I have lots of friends." He shrugged.

"You know I'm a sucker for Bruce Willis."

"I know." He laughed and got up to put the new movie in. This time he was between your legs and you played with his hair. For the first time in a long time he could say, he felt happy and filled with love.

You both fell asleep in each other's arms. It was very early in the morning, when Tony got a call. He didn't want to answer and he let it ring. The phone started ringing again. This time you woke up and hit him with your elbow to answer the call. He ignored you and cuddled you harder. After the third time the phone rang, he annoyingly got up and answered the phone.

"Hello is this Anthony Stark?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"Mr. Stark, your parents Howard and Maria Stark have been in a vehicular accident."

Tony felt his heart stop. "Wha--whe--where are they!?!"

"In Long Island Hospital."

Tony hung up the phone and began to get dressed. You got up and stares at him confused.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

He didn't answer as he grabbed the keys and ran to the garage.

"Tony!" No answer. "Tony where are you going? What happened?"

His breath was jagged, he could barely breathe. His hands were shaking and his heart skipping beats. "M-m-my parents...they got in a c-c-car crash."

"Tony I'm coming with you, where are they?"

"L-l-long Island."

"Let's go."

Tony would have argued with you, to not come with him but he couldn't think straight. You drove as fast as you could to the hospital. Tony was still shaking and fidgeting. You held his hand and squeezed it. He calmed down and squeezed your hand back. He looked at you and he knew he was in love with you. He had known ever since you guys had hit the 3-month mark. He would confess his love for you right now, if his mind wasn't so focused on his parent's well-being.

When you had reached the hospital Tony jumped out of the car and ran to the entrance. You ran after him, locking the car. After Tony asked for his parents and he ran through the halls, everything seemed to go in slow motion. All the lights felt blurred, all the noises were just loud beeps in his ear. He saw his parents' bodies laying on the cold hospital operating doors. All he noticed was the flat-line sound and his parents' lifeless bodies.

He sat outside the room, tears didn't run down his face. Nothing. He felt nothing. He felt as if the world just went dark. He felt a void.

Weeks after he had stayed home alone, he had not eaten, bathed, done anything. If it hadn't been for you coming every day, he would have died. Today, was the day of their funeral. You had organized most of it, due to Tony not being mentally prepared for any of it.

You made Tony breakfast and made sure he ate. You told him to bathe, while you got his suit ready and cleaned his bed-sheets. Beer bottles, and other alcoholic beverages laid on the floor around the room. You ironed his suit and you left it on his bed. He sat on the floor, his head on the toilet seat. You grimaced and began to run the bath. You helped him out of his clothes and into the bathtub. You changed into an old t-shirt of his and boxers to bathe him. He closed his eyes and laid in the bathtub. You massaged his scalp and his shoulders. You could hear him sigh, you washed the soap off and drained the bathtub. You dried him off and helped him into his shirt and underwear. You sat on the bathroom counter, and had him between your legs. You began to shave the little bit of scruff he had on his face. When you finished you helped him get dressed and gave him food you had ordered earlier. You then finished getting ready yourself.

Tony was now sitting on the kitchen stool staring at the couch you had both fallen asleep on the night he got the call. You rested your chin on his shoulder and hugged him from behind. You gave his hand a squeeze which he reciprocated.

On your way to the funeral, it was just like a movie. The clouds began to dull and then the rain began to fall. Tony held onto your hand the whole event. He had said his eulogy first, then other friends of Howard's and Maria spoke. You always squeezed his hand to make sure Tony was doing okay. As the event ended Tony didn't bother talking to other people, he wanted to go home.

When you got to his house, he hugged you. You rubbed his back and kissed his cheek. You squeezed his hand one more time and began to walk towards your car. Tony grabbed your hand and squeezed it. You smile sadly and pull him into a hug again. This time he began to cry. It was the first time he had cried in front of anyone after the incident. You cuddled with him all night, you made him tea and played any happy movie you could think of.

Tony regrets not saying goodbye to his parents probably and he knew he would for the rest of his life. He also knew that he had you by his side and that's all he would ever need. You had fallen asleep in his arms again, he finally smiled again.

“I'm in love with you (Y/F/N)”

“I'm in love with you too Anthony Edward Stark”

[youarejesting]

BTS365 Prompts

[Masterlist] Please tag me in your work if you use my prompts. I want to see your work. Ever your Jester.

Tell me your birthday and I will tag you on your special day!

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          April 16th - 22nd

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Kim Seokjin: Simile 

Dressed in his best suit Seokjin entered the classroom. It was a parent-teacher interview and he was seeing you, Jungkook’s English teacher. He heard from Jungkook that you were weird-looking, all lumpy sweaters, long skirts, messy buns and big bottle-shaped glasses. Squeezing his tall frame into the desk he looked to the front of the class where you told all the children about what and how you teach their children. He thought Jungkook must have been so totally wrong to think you looked like that. You were stunning. Seokjin was almost glad for your baggy sweaters and long skirts, every now and then he saw the ghost of your figure hiding underneath. After that, you went around and discussed quietly with all the parents how each student was individually in class.

You got to him last after some major side-eyeing, I mean he was seriously handsome and you were dreading getting any closer. But everyone else had gone. “Mister Kim was it?” You asked and he held out the name tag each parent wore. “Your son is brilliant and very good at most things but he is a little bit of a prankster. And I don’t think he is applying himself seriously. I mean I asked them to write about their weekend and to include a simile and a metaphor and he only wrote one sentence. This weekend I saw a girl named Simile, but I don’t know what I metaphor (met her for*)” Seokjin started laughing. The sound was so high pitched and you felt yourself blushing.

Jin was proud.

Min Yoongi: Lookalike @anoesjkaax

Walking through the music store he saw you, dressed super cute at one of two registers. He liked that your short dark hair was in a half-up style and atop your cute little nose were a pair of black circular sunglasses. You looked cute sitting next to another young girl who was talking animatedly about her weekend. He was strolling through the aisles and was a little weirded out for a music store. It was so quiet.

“Hey, can I help you?” You asked he shook his head 

“No, I am just looking?” Your coworker was quick to jump right back into her storytelling. He came back every day for a week trying to find something that piqued his interest. He learnt that every day you weren’t there the music was unbearably loud. But when it was silent you were sitting at the counter. Talking animatedly with your coworkers and customers. He had spoken a few words to you every time he came in asking where he could find certain genres and you would smile and gesture to certain parts of the store. He finally found something he thought he might like.

“Hi, just this one?” He smiled nervously hoping he didn’t seem weird for being in there all the time. He had made sure to style his hair and was wearing his nicest pair of jeans and hoodie. 

“Hey have I seen you somewhere before, or do you have a lookalike” You smiled up at him causing his cheeks to grow pink if you noticed you didn’t point it out. Your coworker laughed saying that it was a terrible pickup line. He seemed to freak out some more when your coworker left you two alone going to fetch the cd. Paying with a card as you were at an EFTPOS only register. “Tell me what is that cologne you are wearing?”

“Uh can’t remember the name I got it as a gift” 

“It smells like patchouli and really woodsy while still being fresh” an old man sighed

“I just want to buy this cd why aren’t you serving me? There are two registers, maybe if you weren’t sunglasses inside you would know I was waiting”

“My apologies sir, I only work the EFTPOS register as I can’t count money quick and accurately enough without a few minutes. And I promise you even if I weren’t wearing these sunglasses I still wouldn’t be able to see you as I am blind” pulling off your glasses to reveal your cloudy eyes. Yoongi laughed in relief this whole time he tried to look cool but you didn’t even care. 

Jung Hoseok: Fun

“Come on, it will be fun”

“Hobi I don’t want to go on a group date it’s not my scene” he was trying to convince you to come out tonight to meet some guys because you apparently needed to get out more. But after arguing on the phone you gave in. Getting dressed, styling your hair and getting out of your casual clothes and searching in the back of your wardrobe finding a beautiful red dress and black heels. You put on makeup, something you only did for weddings. Arriving at the restaurant everyone was ordering chicken and beer. 

Hoseok was late; he probably wanted to force you to talk with some of the guys before he got there, knowing you would only talk to him if he showed up early. Getting to know the guys you were drinking pretty well. They began a drinking game and you lost, they handed you a tall glass of beer but as you went to grab it a hand snatched it away you looked up to see Hoseok standing above you drinking the whole cup. He placed the glass down, grabbed you by the wrist and led you away.

“Hey what’s going on, why are we leaving you said I had to get out more” You whined getting annoyed from being dragged around you ripped your arm from his grip and stopped “I don’t understand”

“I didn’t mean like this, do you know how freaking amazing you look right now” He turned to face you he was towering over you even though you were in heels.

“What is your problem this was your suggestion”

“My problem is this” He kissed you full on the mouth pressing you against the wall, his hands in your hair.

Kim Namjoon: Good

With a hand over your heart, you took a few steps into the warehouse. His nickname was the monster and from the stories you had heard, it was a fitting title. He had a nasty habit of killing people, but that was literally his job so what did you expect? You were hiring a hitman, you had the money in a bag and you had no remorse. Walking into the warehouse you were led to an office upstairs by some of his henchmen, they patted you down looking for weapons and opened your bag to see the money before sending you up.

Namjoon leaned forward in his seat, he knew he was meeting with a woman who was asking him to do a job but he didn’t expect someone so… Colourful. You had a sky blue dress and you looked absolutely stunning. Like the daughter of some rich suburban father. You didn’t look like you had seen any struggles. 

“To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“I would like you to kill someone for me” You gestured to the bag his henchmen took it and began counting out stacks. Before nodding to him to say it appeared all there.

“Tell me why would a nice young lady like you, come to a guy like me?”

“Look I just want the job done?” You hissed, “Can you do it?”

“Of course there ain’t no one better?” He smiled “Who is the unlucky fellow?”

You handed him an image and he sat up straighter confused. “Do you have a twin?”

“No.” You said “I am paying you to kill me, it’s your job to get it over with. I paid”

He pulled out a firearm from the top draw of his desk and cocked it aiming directly at you, he walked over to you watching you watch him. You were tense, eyes glassy, lip trembling. He frowned you looked so helpless and he hated seeing you scared. Pressing the gun under your chin, pushing your head up and kissing you slowly. “Sweetheart why would I kill someone who tastes so good”

Park Jimin: Chance 

What are the odds that two babies were born in two adjacent rooms in a hospital? Those two children went to the same daycare. That they were friends in primary school and enemies in High school. That their desks were right beside one another. That they both applied for the same university. She wanted to study music and he wanted to study dance. That they both got approved to live in the same apartment. What is the possibility that during their time in university they never once addressed their growing love and desire for one another? The day they went their separate ways felt like the whole world was crumbling down around them. With their careers taking off they never thought they would meet again. 

You were the music producer for an upcoming performance. It was going to be huge. And after a year of making show-stopping numbers, you were coming to see how it was going. Working beside the conductor explaining how each piece should feel. “This one should be like your running out of time; it's about not wanting to lose the one you love and being desperate to hold on. So the violins will run fast, getting faster and faster until they falter it falls silent and then it picks up on the cello, deep and rising bringing all the instruments back.”

“Hey, that was perfect, do you think you can do it again but this time with the ribbon in your hand. You are supposed to be clinging on to love here and that’s the symbol”

You watched the dancer and smiled, they weren’t facing the audience so you couldn’t tell much about them but they moved so elegantly and familiarly. Leaning back you headed over to the choreographer Hoseok who smiled.

“Everyone meet the music producer for the show, we have to make her proud because it is such a beautiful score.” Your eyes met and you couldn’t help his name slipping past your lips and he couldn’t stop his feet from striding forwards until you were in his arms. You went in for a hug but were surprised by his lips on yours. He held your face sweetly in his hands and moaned ever so softly into your mouth. “Jimin what are you doing, I am sorry about him he is a little flirtatious, he is sorry” 

Hoseok had tried to pull Jimin away and you grinned at Jimin’s love-struck face, rushing forward to pull him into a kiss of your own. What are the chances the two of you fell madly in love? That you got married. That you had children and grandchildren and lived happy long lives. 

Kim Taehyung: Pyjamas

Your roommate was holding a house party, you weren’t particularly fussed with the festivities preferring to lock yourself in your room. There had been multiple attempts at your door by drunk couples but you called them through the door to leave. The problem was, you were getting hungry. Sliding out of your room making sure to lock the door behind you, you didn’t want to return to horny young adults going at it on your clean sheets. Walking through the party you dodged people until you arrived at the kitchen. 

Everything had been raided from the fridge. About to complain you saw a young man looking bored. He was super handsome, you ordered pizza-making specific requirements to deliver it to your bedroom window. Sending through an exact map of how to get to it from the driveway. The handsome man was cornered by a girl who brought him a drink, he looked super uncomfortable and after she had turned away he tipped it down the sink. He politely tried to refuse her and you laughed walking over. She eventually left him alone when her favourite song came on. 

“Hey you look miserable” you laughed “You look really comfortable for a party”

“Thanks, these are my pyjamas, I am not at this party, I am just the roommate, I have been hiding in my room, I came out to get something to eat but everything is gone so I ordered pizza,” You said still trying to search for any of your hidden snacks. “You look like you're pretty popular with the girls, is that why you come to parties?”

“No, My friends they drag me here” he sighed

“You want to eat pizza with me, it will be quieter and I got a small tv we could probably watch a movie until the party is over” He nodded following you and as you stepped into the room together he hummed.

“You wouldn’t have a spare set of pyjamas, someone spilt beer on my pants earlier and it smells really bad?”

Jeon Jungkook: Astronaut

“Jungkook, I got to take your daily observations, come on” he sighed, following you to the tiny infirmary he sat on the seat and you took his blood pressure, his heart rate, respiration rate, the oxygen levels temp and more. He removed his shirt and you paused staring at his chest raising the stethoscope. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Good”

“Is Everything going well with sleeping, eating, toileting and emotionally and mentally?”

“Yes, yes, yes, no and no”

“What’s up?” You listened to his breathing up and down his back and then his chest. 

“It’s lonely up here but I am just really frustrated and there is nowhere to vent you know?”

“You can vent to me,” you said and he choked and you heard his heart skip a beat. Noticing his bright red ears it clicked “oh you mean to vent, vent gotcha, okay well I mean do you need help?”

“Y/n!’

“I meant we could request a facetime call with like a stripper or something maybe in their next supplies they can send up a toy or something, why does it feel like I have walked in on you masturbating but I am like your mother”

“Oh god don’t say that, you're making it weird, now I really can’t vent”

“I’m sorry how can I help, I know it’s a little unorthodox but I did part of my internship at a sperm bank, I can help you if you need, it would be one hundred percent a medical procedure it would mean nothing and it would release some happy endorphins”

“What if I want it to mean something” you paused for a second before kissing him without a care.

[creepy--pasta]

This is my own Creepypasta. It's called "Lacrymosa"

Her name was Lacrymosa Tea. Just as naming your child "Candy" predicts their future stripper career, her name almost guaranteed she'd be depressed. Lacrymosa is Latin for weeping/ sadness. Her father had run out on the family years ago and her mother was an alcoholic. Every night, she'd get drunk and beat her... that is unless her mother was on the phone with her sister all night. Lacrymosa cherished her aunt for that reason. They didn't live in the same state so the only way she could save her was to stay on the phone taking verbal abuse so that her niece wouldn't suffer physical abuse. She had no idea why she'd never reported it. Understandably, Lacrymosa was depressed. Her black hair hung limply around her face and her blue eyes once so bright had dimmed. She preferred to stay in the shadows. She preferred... to be away from people. By the time she was 13, she began cutting. It started when she was shaving her legs in the bathtub and the cheap razor broke. It cut a gash in her leg and at first, she swore under her breath cupping water in her hand to wash off the blood. However, as the blood oozed down, she felt satisfaction watching its path. The next day, Holly Hebert was teasing her again as usual in English class and she had a thought... the razor. This was a girl that sat behind her on the bus and cut her hair so it hung unevenly, put gum on her seat in class then pointed out the giant spot on her butt to everyone so they'd all laugh at her, threatened to beat her up daily, and often "accidentally" hit her with baseballs or volleyballs in gym class. She hated Holly. She didn't know who she hated more though...Holly or her mom. After school, she rushed home to dig the broken razor out of the trash and brought it to her room. She didn't hesitate. She placed the razor against her thigh and ran it in a long line. It bled just a little but it was enough. The sensation was hard to describe. It was like she was a balloon about to pop and the razor had let out some air. Just enough for her to function again. From then on, whenever she felt stress, anger, or any kind of unpleasantness, she would cut. Four years later, she was 17 and the cutting had all but stopped. Her thighs had visible scars from the years of cutting but so now did her upper arms and stomach. The scars were a reminder of the horrible things she'd done to herself. Sure she thought about doing it again, but she'd learned new ways to deal with her feelings. The one thing that helped most was the presence and attention of her little pug Evan. Her mother had gotten him for her and it was completely out of character, but Lacrymosa didn't question it at all. The dog meant the world to her. Shortly after she'd gotten Evan, her aunt had visited and seen the cuts on her body. She didn't deny it when her aunt had asked if her mother had done it. She couldn't admit she'd done it herself. In the end, her mother had gone to jail... and she'd been placed in her grandparents home. She felt bad she'd blamed her mother for the cuts but she'd done far worse to her for years. Bruises and broken bones her mother had gotten away with but now she was paying for her crime... even if it was technically the wrong crime. But that was years ago and she was able to sleep without fear now. One night she went to bed more exhausted than she'd ever been. So tired in fact that when a noise awoke her from a deep sleep, her eyes only fluttered open and barely registered a shadowy figure before falling deep asleep again. The next morning, Lacrymosa woke up to the sight of blood. There were cuts on her legs, stomach, arms, and wrists... just like the cuts she'd made herself for years. But she hadn't done these! She'd never even cut her wrists before. Why hadn't she felt any of it happening? Why hadn't Evan barked? She rushed to the bathroom to tend to her wounds then dressed in jeans and a long sleeve shirt to cover each bandage. She dashed out the front door ignoring her grandfather's greeting and rushed to school. She thought hard about the cuts. Had she done them herself? That's when she remembered the figure she'd vaguely seen the night before. Was it her mother? It had to be right? The next morning, she woke up and again... there was blood. Her cuts were deeper and the were more of them. She was scared now. She had to do something. Seeing the cuts was stirring something inside of her. She had the urge to cut again but no! She couldn't! She held Evan close and pushed the thoughts away. If it was her mom, she had to catch her. That night, she set up the camera on her computer to record while she slept and went to bed. The next morning, she awoke to the same cuts as usual. They were really getting deep now. Rushing to her computer, she stopped the recording and began fast forwarding through the footage. She watched herself sleeping covered only in sheets and moving slightly. She skipped through hours seeing nothing until she suddenly noticed something. Blood was seeping through the sheets. It was just a small spot at first but it grew quickly. Lacrymosa paused the playback. This wasn't possible. She'd watched closely and seen no one. She rewound the footage and watched again. There was no one there and yet there were cuts being made and blood pouring from them. The next night, she drank a ton of coffee mixed with caffeine pills. She was scared to sleep. It was like she was living a Freddy Kruger movie without the scary man and glove with knives for fingers. Trying her best to stay awake, she googled her problem. None of the results came close and she was about to move on and watch some videos on YouTube when a message popped up on her Facebook messenger. It was from a user with just the letter "D" for a name. She opened the message. It read: "We need to talk". Lacrymosa sat still a moment before responding. She had all but a dozen "friends" on Facebook (mostly family) and this was not one of them. "Do I know you? " she typed. "No, but we need to talk. It's about the cuts. Can you meet me? We can go somewhere public " She thought a moment. The cuts? How could anyone possibly know about that? Intrigued, she responded "How will I know who to look for?" "Meet me at the 24 hour McDonald's in town. I'll find you" Lacrymosa opened the window of her second story bedroom, pat Evan goodbye, and stepped out onto the porch roof. She then jumped onto the front lawn with a thud and got in her little beater car (a silver Neon her grandfather had gotten her for her 16th birthday) . When she got there, she looked around. She didn't know who she was looking for so she went to the counter to order coffee. As she stood there waiting for an employee to take her order, she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Hey" said a man. Lacrymosa turned around. Before her stood a very tall pale boy about her age. His long shoulder length hair was black and his eyes were a beautiful grey. If he didn't look so tired and worn out, he might actually have been attractive. "Are you..." she tried to ask suddenly remembering she didn't know his name. "Draco... yes" he replied. "Draco? Your name is Draco? Like Draco Malfoy?" Lacrymosa said realizing she was probably saying the wrong thing. He rolled his eyes. "Yes... my parents are really big Harry Potter fans " he said almost sarcastically. "Your name isn't any better. Lacrymosa... like the song Roman Catholics play at funerals" "You're right. Fair enough. Why haven't I seen you in school? " she asked. Before he could respond, a McDonald's employee interrupted. "Can I help you? " she asked. They turned to see a smiling woman behind the counter waiting patiently. Draco ordered and paid for 2 large coffees and started walking to a booth in the back. They sat down in silence for a few moments before Draco responded to Lacrymosa's question as though there had been no interruption. "I'm homeschooled." He said simply. "So..." she said "how did you know? " Draco looked up from his cup. Then he rolled up his sleeves to reveal his arms full of bandages with blood seeping through. "You and I... are in trouble" he said. She tried to respond but he held up his hand. "Let me explain something first. Then we'll discuss it". Lacrymosa nodded quickly "I had a dream last night. In it, my sister who passed a year ago... told me to find you. I thought at first that she was talking about some drink... sorry. She said we could figure this thing out together." He paused. "Have you tried to record it?" Lacrymosa nodded. "Me too. It doesn't show up on camera. Ive never seen it..." he leaned in closer "but I think I know why it's happening. Before it started, were you a cutter?" He asked. She nodded, "but I'd stopped! It's been a year! " he smiled. "I think I'm right then. I was a cutter too. There has to be a connection". They sat in silence for a few minutes. "So how do we figure this out? How do we stop it? " Lacrymosa asked. Draco shook his head. "I don't know but we've got to try. Let's keep in touch. Call me if you figure anything out and i'll do the same" he said. They talked for a long time that night about their problem as well as other topics before going their separate ways. Lacrymosa found out he'd been homeschooled because of horrible bullying. They had that in common but he lived with two very supportive parents so they didn't have that. They seemed to instantly bond united by a common problem and goal. It felt nice to finally have a friend. They spent every free moment together for the next month. They barely slept and it got to the point that Draco would sneak into Lacrymosa's room at night and they'd sleep in shifts with one of them awake at all times keeping watch. They were becoming very close now. One night Draco didn't come over. He'd fallen asleep on accident and around 2 am, Lacrymosa was woken up by her phone ringing. It was him and he sounded terrified. "Can I come over? " he'd asked. She agreed of course and within 20 minutes, Draco was on her porch roof tapping at her window. Lacrymosa let him in and he rushed into her arms. "I spoke to it" he whispered. She pulled away quickly to look at his face. He was serious. "What?!" She asked. He nodded closing his eyes. Lacrymosa guided him to her bed and they laid beside each other. She held him in her arms as he explained. "I caught it in the act" he said. "I woke up when I felt a presence beside my bed so I opened my eyes and...I heard a laugh" Lacrymosa held her breath as he spoke. She wanted him to explain and feared he'd stop if she made a noise. "I'll spare you the details but it said that hurting yourself is an unspoken contract with it. Whatever this is... it doesn't like that we stopped cutting ourselves. It's trying to renew that urge inside of us to make us start up again and the only way to make it stop is to continue cutting...or cut someone else" He stopped and looked into Lacrymosa's face. "Each life we take..." he whispered "will give us 2 weeks". They lay there in silence for what seemed like an eternity. "I can't cut myself again. I can't. I'm already too cut up" she finally said. "Me too" "But I can't kill someone else! " "Me either" "So..." "So... what now?" Silence again. "Who would you off anyways? You know... if we did it" he asked. Lacrymosa thought a moment." Oh she knew who. She knew 2 people actually. Draco was homeschooled but he had a few names as well. "I know who" she said. "But let's think on it. Sleep here from now on. That should keep us safe for now". They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before their lips touched. That's when they realized... they were more than friends. They'd come to love each other very much. It had happened quickly but neither of them had ever had someone they cared about as much as they cared for each other. Together they could get through anything. "I love you Lacrymosa Tea" he whispered. "I love you too Draco Riley". Every night for the next six months, Draco snuck into Lacrymosa's room not to keep watch but to sleep beside her... and all was well. No blood. No cuts. They thought they'd found a loophole. For those six months, they were the happiest they'd ever been. This had to be why they were being left alone by the entity that cut them. Love was stronger than whatever it was. They did everything together now. They'd even met each others families and Lacrymosa felt that one day they may be joined. She shared this thought with Draco and he'd laughed, hugged her, and said "wait for me will you? That's my job to ask you". They both graduated High School and celebrated their 18th birthdays (which were only weeks apart). They made plans for the future and even began to forget about their ordeal. They shouldn't have forgotten. One morning at the end of the six months, Lacrymosa woke up beside Draco as usual. Her eyes still closed, she smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder and snuggled up closer to him. But something was wrong. He was cold. She opened her eyes and immediately saw blood. All over the walls. All over the ceiling. She sat up and looked down at herself. She was full of blood but it wasn't all hers. She turned to Draco. She would have thought he was just sleeping except that he was an ugly shade of blue and he was covered in blood. His shirt was ripped open and carved into his stomach was "no loopholes" The next few days were a blur. Her grandparents were confused as to why he'd been in her bed, the police interrogated her about how he'd died beside her and she hadn't noticed, but they didn't ask about the message carved into his body... it was as though they couldn't see it. She didn't say a word. She didn't know what to say... she became catatonic. She was checked out and after seeing her cuts, she was stitched up and taken to a mental hospital. She missed Draco's funeral of course but that hardly mattered now. The thing... whatever it was... had taken Draco from her. For days she was in that hospital. Waking up with fresh cuts that were immediately stitched up. The staff were clueless as to how she was getting them and by the end of the week, she was covered in ugly black stitches... she now resembled Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. Even in her face. Draco's parents visited her. Pleading for information... asking if she'd done it. She didn't speak. All she could do was cry and shake her head. They eventually left empty handed. Lacrymosa hadn't spoken a word since the morning she lost Draco. One day she was sitting in her room staring at the wall when she noticed a brick that was loose. She pulled it out and found that someone had hidden a knife inside. Suddenly she heard footsteps and quickly hid the knife under her mattress. She had a visitor... her mother. She strode into the room and sat down in a chair. "I got out" she said. Something in Lacrymosa snapped. Draco was put in the back of her mind for a minute and all she could think of was the things her mother had done. Everything Holly had done. All the reasons she started cutting in the first place. "They said you wouldn't speak...I hoped you'd talk to me at least. " she sighed. "You look awful". Lacrymosa stayed silent as her mother continued to talk. She yelled at her for not talking, blamed her for "that boys" death, and of course for putting her in jail. Lacrymosa couldn't stand the look on her mother's face. She was getting angrier and angrier the longer they sat there. She stood up and so did her mother. She probably thought her daughter was going to hug her or something but as she took a step closer, Lacrymosa swiftly made a move for the knife and slit her mother's throat. Dropping to her knees, her eyes pleaded for help. But her daughter just stabbed each eye... and walked away. Lacrymosa walked through the hospital slashing the throats of patients and staff alike. She swore she heard the chords of a Lacrymosa playing and began to hum along. How she walked all the way home in a now bloody hospital gown is a mystery. No one was home when she got there and she went straight up to her room... to where she'd last seen Draco and began to cry. For the first time in weeks, she spoke. Just one word. "Draco". Two weeks after the Greenleaf City post reported on the New Hope Hospital Massacre, it reported on the death of a recent High School graduate named Holly Hebert. Her throat had been slashed just as the victims at the hospital had but the word "bully" was carved into her arm. She wouldn't be the last.

[imaginetonyandbucky]

Nothing like the present

Wizarding World AU please? Famous tattoo artist Bucky is doing his best to keep his secrets safe. The first being he is madly in love with Tony the baker in the little steampunk bakery across the street, who sings beautifully when he thinks no one is listening. The second being he's a wizard. Who may sometimes do magical tattoos for the magicking community. Little does Bucky know is that Tony is also a wizard who happens to be a very startling animagi. Please and thank you?

A/N: There is a lot going on in this prompt and I didn’t manage to fit everything in. I hope the prompter doesn’t mind.

Click here if you want to see what kind of animal Tony’s animagus is.

Chapter 1 /2 (on AO3 )

The harbingers of spring were already coming to the small town of Rosendale in upstate New York but the nights in early March were still icy cold and Tony felt like his paws were about to turn into ice clumps as he traversed the street and hopped gracefully on top of a garbage container. It was time's likes these that he wished his animagus would have taken a more cold-resistant form, something with thicker fur under his paws to protect his sensitive toe beans. ‘Toe beans’, Tony snorted - a weird sound when done as a cat - muggles and their memes. He didn’t know where that thought had come from and he pushed it aside, cold paws or not, he was on a mission.

Bucky Barnes’ birthday was on the 16th and Tony needed a present, a good one, a great one, a spectacular one even.

And he only had 10 days left.

Bucky was Tony’s neighbor who owned the small but popular tattoo parlor across the street from Tony’s bakery. Tall, dark, broody turning into shy once you got to know him and incredibly handsome with long brown hair and silvery eyes Tony could get lost in. Scratch that, had gotten lost in. Tony was utterly in love with his sweet and caring neighbor, had been since he had first heard Bucky laugh and those silver eyes had lit up with mirth. Unfortunately, it was a sound that was rarely heard in the town of Rosendale and Tony wanted to change that.

Unfortunate was also that fact that Bucky was a muggle and so Tony couldn’t just invite him into his bakery and put on a magic show, dish up some of Bucky’s favorite baked sweets for him on his birthday and make it a grand event with a cake that baked itself as the main course. He had to find a muggle present.

Maybe it was just the way Tony’s brain worked or maybe Bucky wasn’t just shy but also secretive but even though they’ve known each other for months now and talked almost daily, he couldn’t remember Bucky mentioning one thing that he liked, no hobbies, no TV shows, books, sports, all these muggle things that Tony knew off (and he knew a lot, partially due to the fact that he lived as the only wizard alone in a muggle town and you tended to stick out like a sore thumb if you didn’t know what the Super Bowl or an iPhone was and partially due to, well, being Tony and being naturally curious about absolutely everything).

So here Tony was, trying to figure out what hobbies Bucky had by sneaking into his house in his animagus form because who gets mad at a kitty walking around your house, right? It’s what cats do after all.

He spotted a small basement window that was maybe a foot tall and not much wider, certainly not big enough to fit an adult human through, but cat Tony would certainly fit and as luck would have it, the window was slightly ajar. Eager to get out of the cold and into the house Tony wasted no time to stick his head through the gap and wriggling the rest of his body after it, thanking evolution for the lack of collarbones. Gravity seemed to work differently for cats as well because he landed lightly on his feet on some dusty surface but that’s where his luck ended.

A subconscious flick of a tail and something tumbled to the ground producing a deafening crash and not a moment later the room was suddenly flooded with light and Bucky was standing in front of him.

Pointing a wand at him. —— Bucky had just finished his talk with Steve at the fireplace, one of the reasons he had never wanted a fireplace when moving to Rosendale in the first place. The thought of Steve or any of his other wizard friends trying to take the bus or -god forbid- an Uber to his place had convinced him, however. Anything to keep his friends away from the general Muggle population, or else he’d had to move again, and he didn’t want that, not after he had finally managed to settle. So Bucky put up with the calls and the occasional visit having a fireplace brought with it and it did have a few advantages. If he really needed to go to a wizarding shop he could do so easily and the few magical customers that wanted a tattoo from him had it easier as well.

Now he was getting ready for bed, massaging his left shoulder before throwing back the covers. Talking to Steve was exhausting, not as much physically - though sitting on the ground in front of the fireplace was getting to him too - it was the mental exertion that drained Bucky’s energy. Steve rarely showed interest in Bucky’s day to day life, his work or the friends he’s made in town, or his recent fame on Instagram. (”Instagram? Is that one of these weird metric measurements those Europeans use?” Steve had asked him when he had mentioned it, but what could you expect of a guy who thought muggles were only able to produce smartphones because they had imprisoned a wizard or witch somewhere.) It’s always the past for Steve, stories from before when they had both been Aurors, before Hydra.

Bucky shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts out of his head lest they turn into nightmares again.

When he heard the crash all of that was instantly forgotten as he apparated into the cellar to face the intruder. —— Tony blinked against the harsh lights and almost missed how Bucky put the wand away. It happened so fast that Tony wasn't even sure Bucky had been holding a wand at all. One moment he was moving his right hand like he was about to put his wand in his left sleeve, like lots of wizards and witches do, and the next moment it's gone. Except, Bucky isn't wearing a robe or anything with sleeves for that matter. Bucky was wearing a tank top that was showing of previously unknown tattoos on Bucky's shoulders and revealing the whole expanse of Bucky's muscular arms to Tony.

"It's just a fucking cat, Barnes, get it together." Bucky cursed and pushed his hair back with one hand, visibly shaken. He stood still for a moment, just breathing and staring at the floor, his eyes betraying the internal struggle his mind was fighting. Tony didn't even dare to flick his tail. After a while, he looked up and eyed Tony and then the open window above him.

"You squeezed through that, huh?" Bucky shook his head in amazement. "Were you looking for someplace warm? You don't look like you are made for the cold, you're someone's pet, huh? You're a graceful thing, though, quite adorable." Bucky took a step closer and before Tony knew it his cat instincts made him jump off the table and away from Bucky. The rational side of his brain protested once it had realized the mistake. Being petted by Bucky would have been amazing.

"Woah, didn't mean to scare you. Just wanted to open up the window a bit more so you could get back out again if you want to." Bucky didn't come any closer, instead, he rested his chin in one hand and his elbow in his other and put on an adorable thinking face. The one he often wore when Tony went on a rambling streak too fast to follow. That face did things to Tony, plus that pose put Bucky's biceps on display like Tony would a particularly fancy cake in his bakery window.

Tony started to drool.

Literally.

It was a cat thing, nobody could blame him for that, but he did wonder why Bucky didn't wear sleeveless tops more often. It was a delicious sight. "You should probably stay indoor anyway in this weather. Don't want you freezing to death somewhere. This your first time outside?" Bucky looked at Tony like he was about to answer him then shrugged. "Probably better you found your way inside then..." He trailed off and looked around the room at the various shelves and cupboards. " I gotta have a box for you around here somewhere. You can hang out with me tonight and then I'll make some calls in the morning, see if anybody's missing you." Bucky walked over to an old antique wardrobe and stretched to get one of the boxes off the top, giving Tony a good view of his back. He noticed a fine silver line running across Bucky’s left shoulder that he hadn’t seen when he had been ogling Bucky’s biceps. Some kind of scar he reckoned, it looked unusual though as it appeared to be shimmering as Bucky moved about.

The most striking feature of Bucky’s back, however, wasn’t his muscles, despite being quite impressive, it was a tattoo that stretched over Bucky’s back and right shoulder. It was partially obscured by his tanktop but nevertheless, it was clear what it portrayed.

A white wolf howling at the moon.

Tony was mesmerized. It was so detailed it looked almost real.

If he weren’t in his cat form Tony would feel bad for staring but right now he was just enjoying the sight, memorizing every little detail as Bucky moved about and peered into boxes.

Bucky had never mentioned liking wolfs so it came as a surprise to see him having such a big tattoo of one on his back. It stood in stark contrast to his other tats which were mostly small and kept almost exclusively in black ink, like the scrawly handwriting on the inside of his right wrist that read “Till the end of the line” or the black widow spider dangling on a string on the inside of his elbow. Not to mention the tattoo sleeve that covered his left arm in gears and metal plates, while those also looked realistic and well done it was nothing compared to the wolf on Bucky’s back.

Tony decided to get a better look and sneak a little closer. To not make it too obvious that he was watching Bucky and that he wasn’t quite a normal cat, he padded around the room in a circle. He stuck his head into a few things to add to the illusion (and damn those cat instincts) and suddenly he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.

He glanced back to Bucky but the man had a box in his hand and was staring into it, mumbling something to himself before he closed the box back up and put it back on the wardrobe and took down another one. Bucky really was taking this box things serious but Tony did love a good box when he was a cat so he appreciated the effort.

But if Bucky wasn’t looking at him, why were was the fur on his back standing on edge? Tony was starting to get creeped out and that’s when he noticed it.

It was the wolf.

The wolf was looking at him. The wolf - the wolf tattoo was looking at him. He could have sworn the wolf had been howling at the moon. Tony seriously started to doubt his sanity right about now and wondered if he had drunk any hallucinogenic potions lately that still had an effect on him, but he had sworn off that stuff after he had accidentally turned Rhodey into a platypus while at the Academy and it had taken the headmaster and three high-ranking wizards from the Agency of Magical Mishaps two weeks to figure out how to turn him back. That couldn’t be it.

Except then the wolf tilted his head and regarded him curiously and yeah, the tattoo is actually moving. Of course, it is. It's not the first moving tattoo Tony has ever seen, he was a wizard for fuck's sake, and then it finally clicked in Tony's head.

Bucky had a magical tattoo. Bucky was a wizard.

BUCKY WAS A WIZARD! His mind was screaming at him. It hadn't been his imagination then earlier, Bucky really had had a wand. This was like winning the lottery as the muggles would say and he wasn't even consciously initiating the shift or thinking about any consequences. All he was thinking about was how he didn't have to keep his biggest secret from his best friend and secret crush and then —

"STUPEFY!"

Everything went black.

[leelee10898]

Fast cars & Freedom: turn back time (10/?)

Ellie and Luca spend the day with Logan, and things heat up... catch up HERE. If you would like added to the tags, drop a line.

Pairing: Logan x Ellie, Colt x Ellie

Rating: Mature.. nsfw content inside.

Ellie mindlessly drove the streets of LA, nothing but the faint sound of Baby Shark playing in the background. Her immediate consciousness on the road and her surroundings, her mind anywhere but. It had been two weeks since her hook up with Colt, she could still see the the glimmer of hurt that spread across his face when she told him that it didn't change anything. She was lying to herself if she really truly believed that, it did change something, she felt even more torn. She met with Darnell the following Monday, he was confident that he could speed up the divorce process as his wife was a Judge, and Ellie agreed to it. The faster she got it over with, the less time she had to change her mind. Her head convinced it was the right thing to do, give them all a fresh start.  maybe later down the road it could lead to something more with Logan or Colt, but right now she needed to focus on Luca and how this was going to affect her. Her heart on the other hand, told her to hold out.

She pulled into the track  giving her name to the attendant. He gave her directions and she parked making her way towards a back entrance. “Mommy is this where uncle Logan works?” Luca whispered as they walked through a dimly lit tunnel. “Yeah, one of them. He races at all different places baby.” at the end of the tunnel they noticed a figure standing, which they soon figured was Logan. “Uncle Logan.” Luca went running into his arms “Lulu, I've missed you.” he enveloped her in a big hug, spinning her around before sitting her down. “Hey Ellie.” He hugged her, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

Logan walked them around the entire facility, showing them everything.  They got to see the different race cars,and meet a few of the drivers. Luca was in awe, she loved cars. Ellie tried to teach her a few things, but really she didn't know nearly as much as Colt or Logan would. “Where's your car uncle Logan?” Luca questioned as they left the garage. “Well it's on the track right now,  you ready to go see it?” He beamed “Ah yeah! Lets go.” She grabbed his hand pulling him along.

They walked out to the track where a yellow stock car sat. Ellie shook her head “You really like yellow huh?”

“It's my lucky color.” he gave her a lopsided grin. “I hope you don't mind, I invited some friends.” He motioned towards the pit are, to see Her dad, sally and Stacie sitting. They joined everyone as Logan headed off to get his gear on. “Uncle Logan, are you an astronaut?” Ellie quirked her brow upon his return.  “No, this is my gear. But that would be cool to be an astronaut.” He chuckled.

Ellie watched as Logan climbed into the car and head onto the track. Something about the yellow car flying around the track took her back.

***

Logan shuffled the flash cards. “Ok,  when did the cuban missile crisis take place?”

“October 16th, 1962.”  Ellie smirked, knowing she got it right. “Ok that was an easy one.” Logan said pulling off his work shirt. “Next question.”

He asked her two more questions until he stood before her in his underwear. Ellie bit her lip, her drive for knowledge and the want to see him in nothing fueling her. “Ok. Just one more question to go.”

“Hey! I am not a piece of meat.” He chuckled.

“You said, you'd help me study.” she batted her lashes “Ok. Ok fine. One more question.” he was putty in her hands. Ellie squealed as she handed him the flash cards again. “who led the soviet union from 1922 to 1953?” Ellies lips twisted up into a devilish smirk. “Joseph Stalin. Now, take em off.” Logans jaw dropped and she shook his head “Ok. Fine, damn Ellie you are super smart.” He hooked his fingers in his boxers ready to slide them off when Ellie stopped him. “Wait. Give me a show.” she winked as she sat back on the bed. “What? You're serious?” he cocked his brow at her. “mmmhmm, go on now.” She motioned for him to continue. He shrugged his shoulders as he gyrated his hips, slowly pulling his boxers down his legs. Ellie bit her lower lip as she set eyes on his already stiff length. She stared up at him with lust blown eyes, hooking her finger in a come hither motion. Logan complied as he mindlessly crossed the room,  almost like he was being pulled by and imaginary string.

He climbed onto the bed next to her, pressing his lips to her full soft ones. “I could kiss you forever.” She moaned out. His face falling at her words “if only we had forever.” she reached over cupping his face. “Then kiss me tonight.” she smiled as he found her lips again, this time harder as if he stopped she would disappear. She shifted around to straddle him, her hands softly roaming the contours of his body. She could feel his hard length pressed against her, a flood of warmth spread through her body making her grind against him. Ellie lifted her blouse over her head revealing her bare chest. “You are so incredibly beautiful Ellie.” she stood inviting him to sit up, his legs on either side of her. She grabbed his hands placing them on her hips “Touch me.” her voice almost a whisper. His hands slipped up under the hem of her skirt, grabbing the globes of her ass and roughly caressing them.

He gripped the fabric of her skirt on each side and firmly ripped the material in two. She gasped out, the force of cool air hitting her skin. His lips trailed lazy kisses up her stomach until he reached her perky breast. His tongue swirled around the pink nub before taking them each one by one into his mouth, softly sucking and releasing with a pop, leaving firm peaks in his wake.  Her breathing becoming erratic, she closed her eyes, trying to stay focused on the sensation he was giving her. He hooked his fingers into her lace panties, and slid them down. He stood gripping the back of her thighs and lifting her and laying her down on the bed.

He slid his hands up the inside of her legs, pulling them apart, kissing her inner thigh, niping it gently. She watched him as he settled between her legs and licked a wide strip between her folds, her breath hitched in her throat as his tongue flicked against her clit, a loud moan escaping her.  A smile played on his lips, he was the luckiest bastard in the world right in that moment. Ellie was more than just a pretty face, she was smart, funny, talented, compassionate, and honest to a fault. She deserve to be treated right, tonight she chose him, and damn if he wasn't going to disappoint.

He swirled his tongue, wrapping his lips around the sensitive bundle, applying light pressure until she moaned out gripping his chocolate locks tightly. He slowly released the suction, flicking against her swiftly. “Logan, oh god.” she screamed out her legs shaking, heart pounding in her chest. She snapped her eyes shut, seeing stars.

Logan stood wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “God Ellie you are so fucking sexy.” she kept her eyes locked on him as she calmed herself. “Logan..” She breathed out. He joined her on the bed, his body pressed against hers as his lips claimed her mouth again in a hungry kiss.  She bucked her hips against him, the need to feel him becoming to great. He read the signs well, as he lined himself up and sunk slowly into her.

Instinctively she dug her nails into his shoulders as he stretched her, letting out a soft cry. “Hey, its ok I got you. Just relax.” he assured her, giving her a moment to adjust. He set a slow pace, taking his time building her up. His lips softly nipping her neck and shoulders. Soft moans falling from her lips. He needed to hear her, he wanted to see her fall apart under him. He picked up the pace, thrusting faster he began to feel her flutter around him, her moans becoming louder as she neared her climax. He slipped his hand down quickly rubbing her already sensitive clit and that was all it took.

“Oh, yes. Logan.” she moaned his name as a surge of wetness crashed against his cock. “Fuck Ellie, thats..” He couldn't finish, he thrust faster, harder finally spilling himself inside her. He collapsed on the bed next to her,  both panting.

“Now that's how you study.” Ellie giggled.  

*******

“That was great Logan, great times.” She heard her dad say. Pulling her from her daydream. “It still scares me watching you drive that fast.” Sally squeezed him tight. “I'm fine mom, I used to do this all the time on the streets.” He gave a nervous chuckle meeting Frank's less than amused gaze. “So, you ready for your turn?” He turned towards Ellie who looked at him bewildered. “What? Who, me? Logan, no I can't drive that.”

“Sure you can.” he dropped his voice so only she could hear “I can see it in your eyes Ellie. You're a driver, and you're craving the speed.”

He was right, she longed for it. “What the hell, let's do it.”

“No. Absolutely not.” Frank protested. “Daddy, I'll be fine.” she giggled.

“Yeah, Frank. Ellie is a great driver, trust me I've seen her in action.” Logan grinned, but quickly averted his eyes and Frank's still less than amused gaze. Luca jumped up and down in excitement.

Ellie got changed and climbed into the car. Logan stuck his head in showing her her all the different controls and showing her had how work everything. “You understand?” he asked she quickly nodded her head, trying to calm her nerves. “Hey, you got this. You're an amazing driver, Ellie, trust me I know from experience.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He fastened the netting on the window and stepped back, grabbing a headset.

“Can you hear me Ellie?” she heard Logan's voice in her ear.

“Yeah, I can hear you.”

“Ok good. Go ahead and start the car up. Your gonna head out that long stretch before getting onto the track.”

“Ok.” Ellie complied turning the engine over.

“You got this Ellie, just relax and do what comes naturally.”

She smiled at his words, he always told her she was a natural, like she was born to be behind the wheel.

Ellie started to roll forward, making her way onto the track slow and steady, her nerves a wreck. “You can go faster than that.” she heard Logan chuckle. She sucked in a deep breath, slowly exhaling, like she was releasing all her inhibitions, pressing on the gas. Her back slamming against the seat as she felt the speed consume her. In that moment she was reminded of Kaneko, when he installed the NOS in her car. Being behind the wheel, flying around the track ignited something within her, something she suppressed for so long.

She grew more comfortable, more confident as she accelerated, whipping the car around the track. A smirk spread across her face as she approached the curve, flawlessly drifting around it, her thoughts on Colt in that moment. “Okay show off, last lap.” she heard Logan chuckle on the other end, making her giggle. “Nice and easy Ellie, just pull off just head of you.” he coaxed her into the pit area and helped her out.

“Mommy! Mommy, that was so cool.” Luca squealed throwing her hands around her.

“Damn Elle. You could be like, a getaway driver if you ever took up a life of crime.” Logan and Ellie shared a knowing look. “Hell yeah.” She nervously chuckled.

“Ellie, where did you learn to drive like-” Fank trailed off, realizing that she learned quite a few tricks during her time with the MPC.

“Ok. Let's get you changed Ellie.” Logan interrupted. “Dad, can you keep an eye on Luca a minute?” He nodded “Sure thing. Come on kiddo, lets see what we can get into.”

“Ellie that was amazing.” Logan bounced as He walked Ellie down to get changed. “Oh my god. That was such a rush. It's been so long.” she couldn't wipe the smile from her face. Logan held the door for her as she stripped the racing suit off. “You could seriously give racing a go. You'd blow all these suckers away.” He grinned. “All of them? Even you, Logan Rider?” she batted her leashes at him playfully.

“Oh, no. No, not me.” he pressed his hands to his chest “No see, I taught you everything you know. I know all your tricks.” Logan waggled his eyebrows, sauntering over to her. “Not all my tricks.” She bite her lip. In an instant they were on each other, lips crashing together with force. He cupped her face with both hands, his tongue sweeping her lips, deepening the kiss. She moaned out. She lifted his shirt pulling it off, her hands rubbing his toned chest. He yanked off her tank top, his hands weaved  through her mocha locks as he backed her against the wall. The sound of their ragged breathing and soft moans filling the room, they were lost in the feeling of it they didn't hear the door open.

  “Oh. Oh god. Im sorry.” they pulled apart to find Stacie averting her eyes.

   “Stacie, what are you doing here?” Ellie pulled her tank top on.

  “I was just seeing what was taking so long.”

Logan noticed the tense standoff between the two. “Maybe I'll give you two a minute.”  he pulled his shirt on and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

  “Is there something going on between you and Logan?” Ellie cut right to the point. She had a nagging feeling that something was up.

  “What? Nothing. Nothing is going on with us.” Stacie looked at her bewildered.

  “You sure? Because I see the looks you give him.”

  “Seriously Ellie? You're one of my best friends. Yeah he's cute, anyone with two eyes can see that. And yes he's nice, and thoughtful. But I couldn't do that to you.”

Ellie wasn't sure she believed it, she stood there arms folded across her chest.

   “And what's going on with you? You sleep with Colt and then you're making out with Logan?”

  Ellie's eyes went wide. “I didn't. That didn't. I didn't sleep with Colt.” she denied it. She hadn't told a soul, how did she know?

  “Oh please,  I'm not dumb, Ellie. You've had that I got fucked look on your face for two damn weeks. Riya said the same thing. And now you're down here making out with Logan. What's going on?” Stacie stood, hands on hips.

Ellie slumped down in a chair. “Ok, fine. I slept with Colt. It just happened, and it won't happen again.”

  “And the divorce? What about Logan? That looked like it would have ended with the two of you naked.” Stacie arched her brow.

  “The divorce is being sped up. And Logan? I don't know, I think it was the adrenaline.” Stacie came and sat down next to her. “I don't know what to do. I care about them both.” Ellie sighed.

  “Yeah, but you can't string them both along.” Stacie said, just before Logan walked in. “Ellie, did you get the call?” he rushed.

“No, my phone's in my bag. What call?” Logan sighed, “That was Doctor Adams, the lab caught fire, the DNA samples were contaminated.  We have to do it again.”

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[manyshipsinoneithink]

Bechloe prompt: olden days au kinda thing, Chloe is a princess or something and pays Beca, well known artist at the time, to paint a nude painting of her. Take it wherever you want and thank you!

Well, thanks for the prompt! I had fun googling things from the 16th century :D

The Princess and the Painter

Beca stood in front of the castle, a paper slightly crumpled in her hand. When she received the letter, she couldn’t believe her eyes. She had read the piece of paper a million times, so much that she knows it word for word.

Dear Ms. Beca Mitchell,

I write you to ask a favor of you. It has always been a wish of mine to have a painting done of myself in my truest form. When I heard you were going to be in town, I was delighted. I do not under any circumstance want the painting to be done by a man. Men tend to be more unprofessional in this field due to… temptations. If you could come on the 16th of March, it’d be my great pleasure of having you. You’ll be granted anything you want to eat or drink, and since it takes more than one day, you are also allowed of staying in a bed chamber in my castle. I will pay you as well. 4000 pieces of gold.

I look forward to having you.

Kind regards,

Chloe Beale, Princess of England

She took a deep breath before strutting towards the huge entrance where a few uninterested guards were standing about. She approached what she believed to be the gatekeeper.

“Uhm, hello. I’m Beca Mitchell. Her highness Miss Chloe Beale requested me to be here.” The brunette ushered out, handing the blonde man the letter. He skimmed over it and looked at the royal seal before nodding.

“Jesse!” He called out, making a guard who was obviously dozing jump. “Bring that young lady to the princess.” He handed Beca the letter back and she took it, stuffing it in her bag full of utensils.

“Yes, sir.” The guard, Jesse, responded before walking ahead. “Come with me.” He called over his shoulder.

Beca, a little intimidated, chuckled weakly before following the man, not missing out to look around the castle the whole way to the princess. The castle had a huge inner courtyard, and a few servants and craftsmen were running around or fixing things around the courtyard. Some farmers brought in new vegetables, meat and hay, lastly surely for the royal horses.

They left the busy area to enter the castle itself through a huge door, Jesse greeting the guards next to it. The brunette was in awe of the hall they had entered, there were armors lining up next to them, huge paintings of the royal family had been hung up on the walls and a lot of flowers were standing about. She almost forgot to follow the guard as she was taking everything in.

“Wow, the king must really like flowers.” She chuckled softly as they rounded a corner.

“No, it’s the princess who is obsessed with them.” Jesse denied.

“Do you think I should’ve brought some?” Beca panicked. What if Princess Chloe wouldn’t like her just because she didn’t bring anything?

“No.” The guard laughed. “You’re not trying to woo her.”

“Right.” The brunette chuckled uneasily. This was also something that made her stomach flutter and her heart jump. It was no secret how beautiful the princess was. And the thought of seeing her full beauty, with no barriers, gave her a really hard time the first time she read the letter. It wasn’t only men who couldn’t work professionally upon seeing a woman naked. It could also be women. Especially, herself. It was no secret to her that she was different. Most people turned up their nose when they found out she was never going to marry a man, but she didn’t care. She had found quite a few women who were also in the same boat as her.

She had really thought about politely declining the offer, she did. But there was something there, holding her back. Maybe it was hope that something would happen. Maybe it was fear of what would happen if she turned down a royal offer. Maybe it was all the shit talk she’d have to endure. But maybe it was also about letting the princess down.

Princess Chloe was known for being kind. Always. Word has it that she was always there to help out someone in need, to make sure her folk was taken care of. And the thought of declining her offer, of not making her wish come true, it would feel like kicking a puppy. And Beca might be tough, but she could never kick a puppy.

The brunette had been so deep in thought that she didn’t realize they were about to enter the dining hall where the royal family was having breakfast. She caught herself in time though and the doors opened, revealing the princess first, standing by the table. Beca was mesmerized by her beauty and her breath got caught in her throat.

“Miss Beca Mitchell, as requested, your highness.” Jesse announced, bowing and pointing at the brunette. Beca’s eyes widened and she panicked, bowing so fast she fell face first in front of the royal family, her bag of utensils falling open and scattering everything over the floor.

“God damn me.” She cursed just loud enough for the redhead to hear, who immediately brought her hand up to hide a chuckle. The brunette gathered everything up quickly before standing up again. “I apologize.” She ushered out. “I swear I’m not this clumsy in my work.”

“Worry not.” Chloe replied, now showing her smile. “From now on you don’t have to bow in front of me anymore. More to friendly than to safety reasons.” Beca looked down to the floor in embarrassment which made the redhead laugh more, again raising her hand to hide it. “Now, I’m glad you could make time for me.”

“Well, I can’t exactly say no to a princess’s wish.” The brunette replied, glancing at the king and queen watching the conversation with amusement.

“Well, please follow me. I will show you to the room you will work in.” Chloe gestured back towards the hall, to which Beca nodded.

“Of course, your highness.”

“Please, drop the title.” The princess requested once they were out of earshot of the others. “It makes me feel like you are lower than me, which I dislike. I want everyone working with me to address me with my name.”

“Of course, Chloe.” The brunette replied, a smile playing her lips. “So, excuse me if it might sound a little forward, but why do you want to have yourself painted in your truest form? Is there anyone you want to woo with it or do you just want it in your chamber to look at?”

“It is a little forward, but I don’t mind.” Chloe replied as they took the stairs upwards. “I just felt like having it around. It will always remind me how young and pretty I looked.”

Beca nodded and they fell silent as they strolled down the hall, the big windows letting in all the sunlight and lighting it up.

“I must admit.” The redhead broke the silence. “I assumed you were a little bit taller.”

The brunette cocked an eyebrow at that, her eyes squinting a little. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The women I’ve met in my life were always taller than me. So you’re the first woman to not be taller than me.” Chloe replied as she opened a door. “Here we are. This will be your chamber and also your work space.”

Beca stepped inside, eyeing everything carefully. There was a huge bed against the wall to her left. A seating area with two long sofas were placed by the window which let the sunlight stream in. A huge deer carpet was laid out on the floor. A few shelves filled with books were off to the side, and there was also a door, leading to a washroom. “Wow.” The brunette finally let out, turning to face the redhead who went to stand by the window. Her breath got caught in her throat as the sunlight fell on the princess’s soft face, making her eyes even more blue.

“I’m glad you like it.” The other girl smiled softly. “Do you want to start already?”

“I… uhm… Y-yeah. Let’s start.” Beca nodded, gripping her bag tighter. “Uh, I think it would be great if… if you lied down on this sofa.” She pointed at it. “And uhm, if you looked out of the window. Full of thought or in admiration, I don’t know. It’s up to you really.”

Chloe looked at her amusedly, something mischievous in her eyes. “Am I your first nude model?”

The brunette, who had begun to set up, froze. “What?” She asked, staring at the princess. “Isn’t this your first time modeling nude?” She managed to shoot back.

“Touche.” The redhead replied. “When you’re done setting up, would you be so kind to help me out of the dress?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” Beca nodded, though internally, she was freaking out. Whenever she took off someone else’s dress, things got dirty. Really dirty. She shook off a rising blush and continued setting up, trying to ignore the princess’s watching eyes. “Good, all done.” She took a deep breath and stepped towards the other girl.

“Alright. Untie me?” Chloe asked sweetly. The brunette nodded and with shaky hands, she loosened the string, opening it up before helping the redhead out of the heavy fabric.

“How do you not fall over with all this weight?” Beca asked as she carefully placed the dress on the other sofa.

“Practice.” The princess winked which made the brunette almost pass out. “Help me with the corset, please?”

“Y-yeah.” Beca replied, swallowing to get rid of the sudden lump in her throat.

Together they removed the corset and the undergarments, the brunette trying her hardest not to look too long at the redhead’s breasts, the curve of her hips, her slightly trained stomach, her lower area or her perfect legs, knowing fully well she had to look at them when she had to paint them. “So.” She tried her hardest to keep her eyes on the other girl’s face. “When you’ve gotten comfortable I’ll start with the sketch.”

“Alright.” Chloe smiled. She walked down to the sofa and lied down, trying out a few positions before settling on one arm prepped up, her head resting on her hand and her looking out of the window with a soft, blissful smile. Her body was stretched along the length of the sofa, one of her legs prepped up to steady herself. All in all, a comfortable looking position.

Beca on the other hand tried her hardest to keep herself under control. In situations like these she was really glad she was not a man, otherwise a little friend would’ve popped in to say hello more than once. “Are you done?”

“Yes. You may sketch away.” The redhead replied.

The brunette nodded and started with the outline of the sofa and the redhead, making sure to not rest her eyes too long on the princess’s private parts. Once she was done, she sketched in a little more detail, like the pillows and the carpet on the floor. But also wrinkles of the skin and details of the breast. She tried her best to focus on her work and not her pretty client.

“So tell me a little about yourself.” Chloe broke the silence once again.

“Uh… There’s not much to tell I’m afraid.” Beca replied, erasing a small mistake.

“There always is.” The redhead replied. “What motivated you to become an artist? It’s not usual that a woman paints.”

“My dad was a painter himself. But he didn’t really put his name out there. He let me paint when I was a kid and I guess I never stopped.” The brunette answered. “Sadly he died too early.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Chloe shot the other girl a sympathetic look. “What gave you the reason to put your name out there, though?”

“His death. I didn’t want to become a housewife and have kids and sew all day. So I decided to do what he didn’t. Become a professional artist. It kind of helped that I was a woman. Word got around quicker and my work was also not that bad.” Beca shrugged.

“Well, you sure must have a lot of admirers.” The redhead said in a teasing voice.

The brunette snorted. “Yeah well, they certainly don’t last very long. A night maybe.”

“Oh, are you a heartbreaker? Those poor men.” Chloe chuckled, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

Beca just laughed at that but decided to not elaborate on it, instead focusing back on her work. They fell silent again, the occasional muffled voices from outside the door coming through. “Alright, I finished the outlines. Do you want to see it?” She spoke up.

“Yes!” The redhead squealed excitedly before jumping up, rushing to the brunette’s side. “I apologize for my poor behavior.” She added, scanning the canvas.

“Hey, you don’t have to be royal around me. I’m just a simple woman.” Beca shrugged. “Do you like it?”

“Like it? I love it! I can’t wait to see it in color!” Chloe replied, grabbing the brunette’s charcoal stained hands, getting some charcoal on herself as a result. “Thank you for doing this for me.” She looked the other girl in the eye intently, making the painter’s breath hitch.

“Don’t worry about it.” Beca squeaked out. This was too close for her liking.

A knock on the door interrupted them, and the brunette was quick to throw a nearby blanket at the redhead to cover up before answering the door.

“The king requests the princess and her painter for lunch in the dining hall.” A servant announced.

“Alright. We’ll be there soon. Thank you.” Beca replied before closing the door, turning to look at the princess. “I hope you know how to put everything back on. I have never helped a lady get dressed before.” She chuckled weakly.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Not even a friend? Or yourself?” She cracked out a grin, tightening the blanket around her.

“Well, I don’t put a corset on.” The brunette shrugged as she handed the princess her undergarments. “Plus, I don’t really have friends. It was always just me.”

“That’s sad.” The redhead shot her another sympathetic look, dropping the blanket to get dressed.

After their team effort, they joined the king and queen for lunch, making small talk. Beca couldn’t help but feel like the king had a close eye on her, almost as if he was analyzing her. But she let it slide, brushing it off that he was just checking how well-mannered she was, seeing as that she was from the simple folk.

After lunch, the girls went back to the brunette’s chamber where the princess undressed again with the painter’s help, and Beca started mixing a few colors to start the painting. She really had to concentrate now, one wrong brush and the whole painting was ruined.

“Tell me.” Chloe started again after some silence. “Is my family doing a good job?”

“Good job of ruling the kingdom? Yeah, I think so. I mean, the prices are fair, the…” The brunette trailed off to paint the sofa a little more. “The crime rate seems to be more down than usual and I feel like everyone’s getting paid enough.” She cleared her throat. “Plus, the beer tastes better now.”

The redhead chuckled. “What does the beer have to do with anything?”

“I feel like the quality of some things just improved.” Beca shrugged. “Could you keep your hand still?” She asked, referring to the hand which the princess used to tap on the sofa.

“Oh, I apologize.” Chloe replied embarrassedly. “Sometimes I just do that. It’s a quirk of mine.”

“Are you a musical person?” The brunette asked.

“Yes I am… Why?” The redhead shot back with a question, her eyes glancing to the painter with interest.

“I thought I saw a familiar tune being tapped out with your hand. I believe it was King John and the Bishop?” Beca replied, a smirk growing on her face.

“How in the heavens did you get that?” Chloe asked surprised.

“I’m a very musical person myself. I know my songs.” The painter shrugged, going back to painting the redhead’s skin.

“That is impressive.” The princess nodded. “You must join me at the ball tonight and dance with me.”

Beca froze, the paint brush close to the canvas. “Don’t be silly, I don’t belong on a royal ball.”

“I was planning on inviting you nonetheless, so you have to come. Pretty please?” Chloe put on her puppy eyes, and the brunette sighed.

“Fine. But don’t be surprised by my two left feet.”

“Stop painting.” The redhead shot up.The brunette froze again. “Put the brush down and stand up.”

“Alright.” The painter chuckled nervously and stood up. The princess walked over to her and grabbed her hand, her other arm snaking around the other girl’s waist. “What are you doing?” She asked Chloe, trying to ignore her hammering heart.

“I’m teaching you how to dance, silly.” She replied with a laugh. “Just follow my lead.”

Beca wanted to pinch herself. This is surely some weird dream where she just thinks about dancing with a very naked, very pretty princess. None of this is really happening. But when she accidentally stepped on Chloe’s foot, making them both stumble and crash onto the floor hard enough to knock the air out of her lungs, she’s sure it’s not a dream. “Are you alright?” She asked the redhead worriedly who had mostly landed on top of her.

“Yes.” Chloe reassured her with a soft smile, enough to make Beca gasping for air again. “Are you? I hope I’m not too heavy.”

“No, it’s alright. I’m fine.” The brunette composed herself. “I told you I have two left feet.”

“Two left feet that didn’t kick in until you seem to have been ripped out of something.” The princess replied. “What were you thinking about?”

“Nothing!” Beca replied a little too quickly. “This whole situation.” She gestured to both of them. “It’s a little funny.”

“It’s not every day that you have a naked princess on top of you after you danced with her, is it?” Chloe laughed, which made the painter laugh a little as well.

“Yeah no, it isn’t.”

They fell silent, looking into each other’s eyes. “Is it true?” The redhead asked.

“What is?” The brunette inquired, curiosity picking up.

“I have been advised from a few people not to hire you since you’re no better than a man.” Chloe replied, her voice dropping low. “They say you don’t lust after men.”

Beca started to wish it was a dream again. “I…” She looked into the other girl’s searching eyes. “If it bothered you, why would you continue lying on top of me?” She finally asked.

The redhead simply hummed. “You know, they say humans lust after forbidden things. How thieves want to steal the gold from others. How some men murder others to get their wife. How the child wants to climb the tree even though his mother told him no.” The brunette scrunched up her eyes in confusion, trying to understand where the princess was going. “I have always wondered what it was like.” She moved her hand to cup Beca’s cheek, her thumb running over her lower lip. “To kiss a woman.” Their eyes met again. “So, maybe I hired you for more than the fulfillment of my wish. I was hoping you could fulfill my second, secret wish.”

The brunette’s mouth was slightly open due to the shock of finding out about the princess feelings. She couldn’t help but chuckle, making the girl on top of her look at her in confusion. “Wow. I apologize, but this whole situation is a bit surreal. Here you are, lying on top of me, naked, and you’re asking to kiss me so you know what it’s like to kiss a woman.” She blew out a breath, trying to gather her thoughts. “What will happen after it?” She asked.

“We will never speak of it again.” Chloe replied. “This will have never happened. Think of it as an item on a bucket list.”

“What if there’s a rare chance that you… you know, like it?” Beca asked shakily. She just had to know.

But instead of an answer, the princess leaned down to capture the painter’s lips. It was slow and careful at first, like people meeting for the first time. The brunette knew to let the redhead lead so she wouldn’t overwhelm her. Chloe’s grip on the side of her face tightened as she sunk more into the kiss, deepening it slightly. Beca carefully brought up her hands to rest them gently on the other girl’s bare back, pulling her a little closer. An action the princess seemed to appreciate because she adjusted herself and went all in, making the brunette’s knees weak. She was glad they were lying down. As soon as the redhead’s teeth found her bottom lip and gently pulled on it, a small moan escaped her throat. She froze slightly, hoping the sound didn’t scare the girl on top of her. She almost whimpered when Chloe pulled back. She wanted to open her mouth to apologize, but looking at the redhead’s darkened, lust-filled eyes and swollen lips, she knew she didn’t do anything wrong. She barely registered the soft thank you that left the princess’s lips. What she did register was Chloe pushing herself up to get off of her and then picking up her undergarments.

Beca pushed herself up with her hands, looking at Chloe in disbelief. “What are you doing?”

“I need to get ready for the ball.” The redhead replied. “Would you be so kind and help me get dressed?”

The brunette knew better than to start an argument now. She helped the princess and followed her to the door.

“I’ll see you at the ball.” Chloe whispered, leaning in to press a kiss on Beca’s cheek. Then, she left, leaving the painter at her door in a daze, her hand running over the spot she kissed.

I can continue if you want :D (Even if you don’t wanna, I might :p)

[dailyaudiobiblechronological]

1/16/2020 DAB Chronological Transcriptions

Genesis 12 - 15

Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible Chronological, I'm China. Today is the 16th day of January, welcome. It is so great to be here with you guys today. Today we are in Genesis. We jumped back into Genesis. We're in chapters 12 - 15 today. And we continue on with the Christian Standard Bible. Commentary

So the Lord reveals Abrams call of his life today. And we see really just kind of like Abram's response. And, uh, I love this story because it's one that I've heard for so long. And so it's one of those like, Oh, I know this one and I love this one. Uh, and, and so we read about the Lord telling him and proclaiming to him, look at the stars, count them. Your descendants will be as numerous as those. And I think for anyone that would be so overwhelming, especially because the Bible talks about Abram's age today, which was in his seventies, in his mid seventies. And so I'm sure that he kind of was like, okay, Lord, like, sure. You know, not really sure how or what this looks like, but I'm in. And I think that that's kind of like the majority of our heart responses when the Lord reveals his calling and his plan over our lives is, I have no idea how that's going to come to pass, but okay. Lord. I think that that's a good heart response to have is, I'm not really sure how or what this looks like or how this is going to come to pass, but okay Lord, like I trust you. Prayer

And so father, would you just help us to have the right heart attitude for the calling of our lives? Even in the small things, even in the big things. Lord would you just prepare our hearts regardless of what age we may be, whether we're a teenager, a young adult, a full adult, or anything beyond God, whatever our age is. I thank you that you have not disqualified us because of our age. I thank you Lord that you have a specific place and a purpose for all of us regardless of our age, regardless of our qualifications, regardless if we have a degree or not. God, I thank you that you are the one who equips us, that you are the one who gives us the, the steps, the moves, the whispers, the go in Jesus. We just thank you that we aren't left to do this life alone. And so Lord, we thank you. We honor you, and we love you. And it's in your son's name we pray, amen. Announcements

Dailyaudiobible.com is our website. That is our place of connection. It's where you can see what's happening in the community and how to get connected and stay connected. And we have an online store, so be sure to check that out. We have our first piece of DABC merch in the store that launched the first of this year. And so I'm super pumped about that. And uh, yes. So that's, that's our home base. That's our, that's our place of connection is our homepage, our website. How are you guys doing in the fast? How is it going? Are you getting tired? Are you ready for it to be over? Could you keep going? Are you going to keep those, those habits broken or keep those habits that you've created? I'm uh, I'm just so proud of each and every one of you, regardless of where, where you've been, what you've done or what you haven't done. Um, just your heart attitude is really what counts and what matters. And, um, I've heard so many of your guys's hearts and your heart attitudes and they're all so good and I'm so proud and you should be proud of yourself. But that is all for today. I'm China, I love you. And I'll be waiting for you here, tomorrow. Community Prayer Line

Good evening family. This is Victoria in the beautiful rolling Hills of Northwest Missouri. I wanted to call and talk a little bit about the fast, which I did start on the fifth with China and hopefully many more of you. But first I want to reach out to EZ in Georgia, and say I'm going to Double DAB with you. And I had made a note to tell you about that and then I heard just the other day that you've quit. And I went, no, because um, I know it's tough. This is the first year I'm going to try to Double DAB, which, um, I had to laugh when I heard China say that term. I hadn't heard it before, but anyway, so EZ, I want you to maybe consider it again and you asked originally for some ideas about how to do that. Um, I usually listen in the morning. And so, um, I listen in the morning. I listen sometimes when I commute. I listen sometimes when I walk, or jog for exercise and I've started since I'm Double Dabbing, listening in the evening as well. And so I would encourage you to anytime you have a few minutes, um, turn it on and listen to, you were talking about getting through the community prayer, which can be long. Um, but I'm actually getting through it, um, every week now and I look forward to it. Uh, even though it is long, I just listen whenever I can. So, um, I would suggest, like I said, if you have a commute, um, other times, anytime you have a few minutes, turn it on. Maybe your lunchtime, maybe in the evening when you're winding down for the day, uh, or in the morning. And I hope that that encourages you. I didn't get to my fasting talk, so maybe I'll call back anyway EZ, hope that you can make it and look forward to Double Dabbing with you some more, goodnight. Holy Lord, you are father, spirit, son, high and lifted up. You are worthy of all whole praise. So I give it all to you, my prayers and my song. For freely Lord you gave, and freely Lord I come to kneel before your throne to worship you alone to give you all I am, until your work in me is done. Father God, I just thank you for China and DABC and I thank you for the word that you've given China for us. Um, the word of promise. And Lord, I thank you for the promise that you've laid on my heart over the last year and may it continue to flourish within me and with all of the DABC over the coming year of promise, the word in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 which says, may the God who gives you peace make you Holy in every way. May he keep your whole being spirit, soul, and body blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes, the one who calls you is faithful and he will do this. How beautiful. The one who calls us is faithful and he will do this. And for my sister Treasured Possession who called and admitted that she's on the spectrum, which implies a separation. Um, my sister, I just pray over you that you would see yourself and that others around you would see you as a beautiful rainbow complete and not just one color of that rainbow separate. And I just pray that over you and may his promises for you come true in Jesus name. Hey, what's up everybody? This is a new Dabber, Ken from LA. And I'm doing the DAB Chrono's so call me a DAB Chrono. Anyways, China, you have a great voice, it's very soothing and it's great and you have such a great soul. Anyways, I just wanted to say, I love being part of this community now. I just started in January 1st this year because I'd never heard of this before, but some friend introduced it to me on Facebook. So Hey, I'm in and so far so good. Here's the deal, I just, you know, been doing a lot of fasting all my life and I just wanted to say all you guys, people fasting, keep going. It's great. And here's the best thing about fasting. I talk a lot about appetites, and we have good appetites, bad appetites, neutral appetites, but we are humans and humans are full of appetites. And so the appetites, we feed grow and we grow cravings for those things. So the more we consume or the more we feed an appetite, the more we want. When we starve an appetite, that appetite goes down and it begins to cease and it loses control over our lives. To me, fasting is all about increasing my appetite for God, increasing my appetite for his word and time with him, and it's decreasing all my other appetites, good, neutral, bad, just decreasing them. Let them dissipate. Let them go silent. Let them go away. So I just pray in Jesus' name for all you fasting that your, your competing appetites would settle down, would stop demanding attention, and your appetite for God would take all of it, in Jesus' name, amen.

[far-cry-all-the-time]

Take My Place, IV

Pairing/s : Staci Pratt x OC Deputy Lila O’Cain, Jacob Seed x Deputy Lila O’Cain.

Warning : angst... so much angst.

A/n : I’m sorry I keep hurting them.

Two more weeks passed during which Lila completed her second trial. She was stronger. Not only because of the exercise Jacob put her through, but also because he gave her much more food than he normally did. She was, more or less, healthy.

“Only one more to go, pup,” he had cheered when she’d woken up in one of the cages. She would never admit this, but the soft smirk on Jacob’s face had actually made her smile as well... Something about his praises made her feel good. She knew it was crazy, but at the same time not many people had complimented her the way he had...

Sitting on her cot, she couldn’t stop replaying the night they had spent smoking and drinking silently together. It disgusted her. Not the night itself, but the fact that she had actually enjoyed Jacob Seed’s company. She also thought about Staci and, just like that, she started to sob uncontrollably, burying her face in her hands. She missed him. She missed him so much... And not knowing if she would ever see him again was driving her insane.

A callous hand patted her shoulder and Lila froze. She know whose it was. She knew and she just couldn’t cry in front of him. All the respect she had slowly gained would’ve vanished and he probably would’ve put her back in one of the cages... So she froze, swallowing her sobs as best as she could, drowning in her own tears.

“Unhealthy to hold back,” he breathed.

When she looked up, she saw a new man. The terrorizing Jacob Seed, Red Herald of the Project at Eden’s Gate, was gone... And had left behind him a handsome man with kind eyes and gentle hands. Her jaw dropped and, in an instant, she was crying so hard her throat actually hurt. Jacob sat down next to her and she fell against him, her hands unconsciously grabbing the front of his shirt. It took him a second, but he eventually wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her close to him. She hated feeling this weak, she hated crying... Weak, weak, weak. But the pressure of Jacob’s hands on her back made it all a little better. She couldn’t recognize the man who had tortured her and her best friend for more than a month... But maybe it was for the best.

“It’s not,” she shakily answered. Even her was shocked by how desperate she sounded. “I’m gonna did here.”

And, even if she couldn’t be sure, she was almost certain she felt Jacob pulling her even closer, his fingers digging into her back. His beard scratched her forehead and, in the lowest whisper manageable, he assured, “You won’t.”

———

“Another nightmare ?” whispered Wheaty in the darkness. Staci nodded even if the teenager probably couldn’t see it. But his silence was enough for Wheaty to turn on the little bedside light. His hair was messy and he looked tired, but genuine worry glowed in his eyes.

“About Lila ?”

Staci couldn’t answer, his throat getting tighter at the simple mention of her name. He nodded again.

“Come with me.”

Wheaty jumped out of his bed and dragged Staci behind him. He knew the Wolf’s Den like the back of his hand and, even in complete darkness, he walked around the place effortlessly. When they arrived in Wheaty’s favorite spot of the Den, he turned another light on and started to rampage some drawers. Staci waited next to him, occasionally rubbing his neck to try and relax a little.

“Found it !” the teenager finally cheered before turning around. He was handing Staci an envelope with « Lila’s stuff Important » written on it. “She left this with me when she started to search for you in the Whitetails ; she wanted it to be safe. You should take a look.”

Wheaty left the room before Staci could stay anything less. He was left in a silence so overwhelming he actually had to sit down on the ground. When he opened the envelope, it felt like someone was punching him in the gut. He hadn’t seen her face in so long... And here she was, on her favorite picture of the both of them. It was her first day as a cop and she was smiling like a little kid while Staci had a smug grin on his face, both in their Deputy outfits... It was a beautifully painful picture to look at. When he put it aside, he found another picture of them. And another. And he quickly realized about 99% of the documents in the envelope were pictures of them. Tears rolled down his cheeks without him even noticing. He laughed when he found the picture of Lila in a hot dog costume on her 16th birthday ; rolled his eyes when he saw one of himself with obscenities drawn all over his face at his 22nd birthday ; cried even harder when he saw one of them hugging at their high school graduation...

And just like that, he cried himself to sleep.

———

When Lila woke up the next morning, she was alone. She rubbed her eyes and remembered falling asleep in Jacob’s lap... Her whole face turned red and she stood up to search for her weed in the drawers, in desperate need of a way to relax. Nothing. Then, she realized the door of the office was open. She tip toed towards it and looked in the hall. No one. The whole building seemed quiet and deserted. Unsure of what to do, she left the room and started to walk down the stairs of St-Francis. When she arrived at the ground floor and saw the big door, she scoffed. Was it really going to be that simple to get away ? Nah, it couldn’t. She peaked outside and noticed the lack of guards around the gates... Fuck it.

Once she was out of the Center, she just couldn’t believe it. But, scared that the damn song will start playing again, she started running. In less than a minute, she was hidden behind the trees. She stopped to look back at the grim building ; she could’ve sworn she saw a familiar figure in one of the windows. Her lips pressed into a thin line and, without an ounce of hesitation, she kept running.

Lila knew the Whitetails like the back of her hands and, in less than 20 minutes, she found an abandoned car. She had no weapons and would be completely vulnerable if she ran into any peggie ; she decided to take the less travelled roads.

“Fuck this,” she muttered when one of the cult songs started playing on the radio. Normally, she actually liked Build A Castle. Listening to it was her guilty pleasure... But now, it was the last thing she wanted to hear. She changed the radio to another station and, soon, she was greeted by a chilling voice.

“Well done, Deputy.”

She almost stopped the car, but did her best to stay focused on the road.

“Enjoy your weekend. Don’t worry, I’ll see you soon. Only you, remember ?”

Somehow, Jacob didn’t sound angry. His voice was almost playful and Lila could practically see the stupid grin on his face. She turned off the radio and kept driving as fast as she could manage without fainting from anxiety.

———

Staci woke up with Eli’s hands shaking his shoulders. He sniffed, looked around, and finally focused his gaze on the man in front of him.

“Finally ! Pratt, it’s almost time,” Eli cheered while he helped him up. Staci gathered the pictures scattered on the floor and put them back in the envelope in his hands, hiding them as best as he could.

“What ? What do you mean ?” he asked in a husky morning voice. His lips were chapped.

“Lila went through her second trial. Which means that...”

“Soon she’ll go through her last,” Staci continued, his pupils widening.

Eli nodded, an excited smile stretching his lips. His grip tightened on Staci’s shoulder.

“We need to get ready ; she’ll be here soon.”

—

A/n : I’m not a fan of how I wrote the end of that chapter but I need to get to this point... And a reunion might happen next chapter !!!

Tagging @casifer-fan and @onl-you as always.

[poppyknitt]

ERROR 404- A JSE Egos fanfic: Winter Holidays special pt. 1

Recap: Our Marvin has finally returned from the dimension he was hiding in, and he regrets every single bit of his prior actions, however, he is forced to spend the next few months in the hospital for while his severe injuries heal. Meanwhile, however, it was discovered that another, much stronger Anti, from a separate universe, has found his way here, and allegedly plans to conquer ours, in his attempts to conquer as many worlds as he can. But, all hope is not lost, as his world’s version of Marvin- whom goes by the name ‘Merlin’ as to not cause confusion- has also come to this universe, in attempt to stop him, and bring him back to the pocket dimension that they apparently came from.

Previous chapter

Next Fic

[December 25th]

Marvin opened his eyes, and let out a short scream as he realized where he was. He was in yet another vision, and this time, he was falling very fast. He flailed around desperately for some sort of way to catch himself, but to no avail.

After a few solid minutes of falling, he was suddenly picked up by the talons of a bird, and quickly flown somewhere, only to be flung forwards, as the bird turned away and the world dissolved to darkness.

“Marvin, thank god I found you!” The child’s voice from his previous visions spoke.

“You again? What- What’s going on? Who are you?”

“My name is Liam. I’m a different version of your Jackie’s newborn son. It’s a long story.”

“Wait, newborn son?! When- When did Jackie have a kid?!”

“Two.”

“What?”

“I have a twin. We were born almost an hour apart, but on separate days. I, the 15th of December, and him, the 16th.”

“... On the anniversary of Overnightwatch, no less..”

“Yes, but for my universe, that would not happen for a fair amount of time.”

“Well, anyways... Why are you contacting me? What do you want?”

“... To warn you.”

“Warn me? About what?”

“About him.”

“Him? Who’s ‘him’? You’re not making any sense, kid!”

“... My Anti. Currently, you are in stasis. He captured you quite a while ago. He.. replaced you with a false. You were the first to go. Now, only Seán and your universe’s version of my father remain untouched by his strings.”

“What?! Wh-How?! Why?! Why tell me?!”

“You’re the most important factor to work against him. It is your kindred nature and determination to fight for the others that will ultimately prove most vital if we plan to save your universe, or at least you and the other egos. Wake up, Marvin! You have to wake up! We need you now, more than anything else! Merlin needs you!”

“Wait-!” He began, but it was too late. The vision had already begun fading.

~~

Marvin shot up, eyes snapping open as he gasped for breath. He looked around. Oh god, it was true! The other egos..! They were here, too! He stared in horror at the sights before him- Schneep hung from an unseen object, green strings wrapped around his wrists tight enough to keep him suspended. JJ was lying on the floor, his movements completely hindered by strings, too. Robbie was partially dismembered, with his body sort of spread across a small area on the floor. Worse yet, Chase was propped up against an unseen wall, a small line of blood trailing from his mouth. The vlogger’s shirt had a fresh patch of blood in it, and he knew in the back of his mind that Chase had been the most recent one to suffer. Then, he saw the children, and his heart sank with dread. Grayson and Samantha were cuddled up against each other, their faces stained with tears and blood, while two little baby boys, whom he assumed to be Liam and Brandon, were huddled in their lap for warmth. This Anti... went after the children?! Oh, how it pained to even think about what he could possibly even have done to them. He looked around more, and his heart sank more and more as he took in all of his surroundings.

He got up after a while, and attempted to shake the egos awake, one by one. He didn’t bother with Schneep, though, because he knew it was probably too late for the doctor. Schneep’s chest was almost entirely covered in blood. He slowly approached the kids, and shook each of them. Only Grayson stirred, but he just shifted. The poor boy didn’t have the energy to open his eyes, and it hurt Marvin to know this.

He sighed dejectedly, and turned, going over to where his now partly bloodstained mask rested on the floor, picking it and his cape up. Opening a portal, he looked back one final time, feeling his heart on the verge of shattering as he gave one final goodbye to his real family, and stepped through the portal, silently praying he had managed to get the coordinates perfect this time.

As soon as he exited the portal, however, he tripped, and smacked into the ground with a loud thump!, sighing in annoyance as he realized he’d put it a little bit too low this time.

~~

Merlin could feel the world shifting, and, despite his hopes, knew this was the final hour for his new friends. He swiftly ran back to Jackie and Ava’s place, his heart racing as his mind spiraled into a mad flurry of not-so-positive “what if”s. If he was going to save someone, he knew, deep down, that it had to be Jackie and his family. He couldn’t let them down! Not like this!

The thought only made him run faster, and, not even bothering to go inside, he used a few trashcans and the outcropping over the entrance to the apartment complex to jump up to their balcony, and opened the door quickly, yelling for Jackie and Ava to “Get ready for shit to get really fucking bad in a few minutes!”

~~

Seán sensed something in the world change, but he couldn’t place exactly what. He quickly went to one of his windows, trying to see if he could tell what it was from there.

A yelp of surprise, followed by a slightly quieter crash and a loud thud, caught his attention, and he turned to see Marvin on the floor behind him.

“Marvin?!”

“Oh, hey Seán. Didn’t know you’d be here.” The magician stood up, rubbing his head.

“What the hell are you even doing here?! I thought I told you I never fucking wanted to see you again!” He spat.

“Wait- Wh-What?!” Marvin stuttered, backing up a bit as his eyes widened. Seán stared at him, as he realized the shock was genuine.

“How do you not remember?! It- It happened right after you forced Jackie to nearly kill Anti!”

“Wait, what?! I-I never did that! I-I’ve been stuck in another dimension for ages! I don’t even know what day it is!”

“What?! But- Then- Who have we been chastising for betraying our trust this entire time?!”

“I-I don’t know-“ The light sound of a foot hitting the floor interrupted his speech, drawing both adult’s attention.

“A copy. You’ve been interacting with a copy of him for several months now.” Seán looked to the source, shocked to see what looked like a hologram projection from one of those old sci-fi shows of a child. Not to mention that the kid looked a bit like Jackie, too.

“Liam?! What are you doing here?!” Marvin exclaimed as the kid stepped closer, the hologram effect fading as he seemed to cross into their world.

“Liam- Wait, what’s going on?! Marvin, what the hell-?!”

“We don’t have any time to discuss this! My world’s Anti is going to kill you all if we stall any longer!”

“Shit, you’re from his world, aren’t you?!”

“Come on!” Liam yelled, as he grabbed Marvin by the sleeve, and gestured for him to follow as he practically dragged Marvin back through the portal he must have used to get into Seán’s house. Seán sighed inwardly as he followed, not wanting to risk getting killed because he didn’t listen to the kid with obvious superpowers.

~~

Chase woke up, and groaned quietly in pain. His wounds still ached, but the blood on his shirt was drying. He wiped as much of the blood on his lower jaw away, and shakily sat up, trying to remember what all happened. All that he knew was he had been ambushed by two Anti’s on his way back home. Raising his gaze to look around himself, he froze, horror wrenching his gut as soon as he saw the scene before him.

Schneep hung from above, his body limp, eyes closed, and work scrubs covered in blood. He looked... He looked like how Robbie had described him looking after Anti almost gutted him, back on the glitch’s birthday! Oh god, how long had he been here, like that?! His eyes finally managed to break away from the doctor, and with each new ego he saw, his heart shattered more and more. JJ was on the ground, his head bloodied and partly cracked open, like it had been after Marvin attacked him. He shuddered at the memory, which was still freshly scorched into his mind. Robbie was nearby, his arms and a leg detached from his torso, with his right arm being in three pieces.

Chase checked the area for signs of either Antis’ return, and when he saw nothing, took his chances, and made the agonized dash to JJ’s side. He had planned to take the mute back to where he had been prior, but his eyes fell on his and Jackie’s kids as he looked up, and his heart stopped.

Making sure he didn’t drop Jameson on the ground as he made his way to the kids, he practically dropped to his knees by their side, and, placing JJ on his other side, checked to make sure they were still alive.

To his relief, he could definitely feel their hearts beating, and, despite the circumstances, began to cry in relief. He hugged his poor babies, wondering why Stacy hadn’t told him they were missing. As he sat where he was, his biological children and nephews held closely by one arm, his dearest brother Jameson hugged by the other, while tears slowly fell down his cheeks, he smiled faintly to himself. Something, almost like an instinct of some kind, inside of him told him that this was it. The world was ending. But, yet... He didn’t care. As long as he got to spend his final moments with JJ and his kids, he would be happy to die.

~~

Marvin had no clue what the hell was happening anymore. Everything was a blurry mess at this point. Liam was cowering fearfully behind him and Seán, as they used a protective spell to hold back the out of control glitch before them, who was too focused on trying to break down the spell to realize he could probably just warp behind them and attack from there.

Their magic briefly faltered, and the terrified look on Seán’s face confirmed that they had detected the same thing. Not a moment later, the world started quaking, and he could feel their reality beginning to break. A bright light erupted from somewhere in the distance, and the last thing he heard and saw as the world was enveloped in white and he slammed painfully into the ground, was Liam shouting his name and running to him.

~~

Merlin was using his magic to put a barrier between his Anti and Jackie, Ava, the babies, and himself. He knew it was probably game over, since the glitch had them cornered, with no visible means to escape anywhere between them and their attacker.

Then, a flash of red streaked past his barrier, as he felt the world beginning to crumble, and he screamed for Jackie to come back. The world began to go pitch black as the last thing he saw was this world’s version of his oldest brother getting brutally cracked in the face by his greatest enemy, while all he could do was trip while attempting to run after him, forgetting he was supposed to be protecting the hero’s family, screaming for him to turn around. The last thing he heard was Ava shrieking in pain-

...

You blink, wide-eyed. Oh, god, what the hell happened?! Where was the universe?! Why were you cut off from it? You bang on your monitor a couple times in confusion, attempting to see if it’ll reboot. The monitor just glitches briefly, and presents you with the dreaded Blue Screen.

You sigh, and turn your attention to the WorldView monitor. Blank. Nothing of importance was happening right now. Shit.

Swiveling around to the only other monitor in the room, you turn it on, and access the Error Logs.

[...]

[....]

[.....]

[Error... Camera Viewpoint connection lost.]

Damn it.

[<Attempting to reconnect...>]

[...]

[...]

[...]

[<Attempt failed. Try again?>]

[Yes]

[No]

You put your hand on the mouse, and swivel it over to the option you intended to click.

Now, it’s up to you, dear reader! Which do you choose to do- Sacrifice your ability to view more stories from World Initiative, or do you try again, hoping desperately to restore what you’ve lost? Respond with your choice via an ask, a comment, or a reblog!

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