#I wish I was close enough to send this book to my younger cousins but alas... so good though I had a great time

[gigantomachylesbian]

To Shape a Dragon's Breath was very good, it was the rare YA book that didn't overly read like YA fantasy in terms of style and didn't make me feel like I was being talked down to as a reader, but still felt very accessible. It's a book that I both really loved reading as an adult and made me feel connected with my younger self and my consistent passion for dragons, and is a book I would love to share with some younger cousins because I'm sure it could be even more meaningful to them. Just a compelling, touching, enjoyable read :^) I definitely recommend either reading this one yourself and/or gifting it to any teens in your life!

[aebi12]

"Resentment" - Chapter 6 [AemondxRhaena]

Summary

He is the cause of her sufferings. He took her dragon, her betrothed, and her father. Now, he will also take away her future by having to marry him.

With so much history and bad blood between Rhaena and Aemond, their forced union has everything to fail, except that the proximity will make them discover that perhaps they have more in common than it seems.

AU - the Greens win the war.

Masterlist with previous chapters

Tags: enemies to lovers, romance, angst, drama, eventual smut, hurt/comfort

Please remember that english is not my first language, so I'm sorry for the mistakes...

***

 “Did you understand what your purpose is?”

“Yes, brother, for the umpteenth time, I understood you perfectly.”

Aemond narrows his good eye as he watches Daeron's apathetic expression. The prince had preferred to meet his younger brother in his chambers, away from the ears of the council members and the excessive concern that Alicent would surely show upon knowing that he would send him to the Riverlands.

“You must know how to impose your authority”

“You do remember that I led our armies in the Reach during the war, right? Quite successfully, if I may say so."

“Daeron the Daring,” Aemond responds with a lopsided smile, “I hope then that this mission will be a piece of cake for you.”

“It will be, brother, trust me.”

Daeron offers a huge smile on his youthful face and Aemond simply sighs, “When will you be ready to leave?”

“Probably tomorrow afternoon, it is not a long flight,” he responds, “I hope I don't extend my stay too much, I want to arrive in time for the tournament for your wedding.”

The one-eyed prince begins drumming the table with his fingers at the mention of the tournament. A ridiculous thing, in his opinion.

“I do not want you to participate in the jousts, it could become…”

His words are interrupted by the arrival of a messenger boy, who bows to both princes and hands Daeron a scroll. His brother immediately breaks the seal and, as he reads the contents, an expression that Aemond interprets as pleasant surprise appears on his face.

"Good news?" he can't help but ask

Daeron folds the scroll and looks up at him, “It is from Rhaena.”

“Our cousin Rhaena?” Aemond raises his eyebrows, surprised.

“Yes, obviously our cousin Rhaena,” his brother nods, smiling, “She is inviting me for a walk on the beach this afternoon.”

"Hmm"

The prince maintains his mask of neutrality, although internally he wonders why his betrothed contacts his brother and dares to invite him to spend time with her.

"Does it bother you?"

“Of course not,” he replies coldly, “Attend if that is what you wish, you will be the one who must endure her presence.”

Daeron's infuriating smile widens a little, and he even dares to chuckle, “You must be the only one in the castle who finds her unbearable.” When his older brother does nothing but glare at him instead of answering his comment, Daeron sighs, but continues, “She is a beautiful young woman and she will be your wife very soon. It wouldn't kill you to give yourself the opportunity to get to know her, and enjoy her company. Unless you prefer to be miserable sharing your life with someone to whom you barely speak a word”

Aemond makes an indeterminate noise with his mouth and stands up, “Focus on your mission, that is what is expected of you.”

***

“Aren't you planning on reading the books?”

Marianne's skillful fingers move along the long row of little buttons on Rhaena's back, bringing them together to close her dress. The young woman's gaze briefly wanders to the heavy tomes that Aemond had given her the night before and that remain on the table in the anteroom, where she had left them when leaving the Tower of the Hand, "No."

“But maybe they will be useful now that you will have to attend the Festival with him”

“Maybe,” she admits, “But they are huge. "I am not going to spend my days cooped up here memorizing books about the Faith," Rhaena clicks her tongue, "Besides, I know enough and doesn't the High Septon do most of the work? Above all, I will have to stand and endure the sermons, right?”

“I guess so,” Marianne nods, “It is done.”

“Thank you,” Rhaena admires her figure in the mirror, “Have you ever attended the ceremonies?”

“Yes, but not all of them. I usually go only the last day to the Major Ritual and then to the fundraiser and the banquet”

"What is that about?" she asks, curious, turning to Marianne.

“Ah, you know, basically a dinner to allow the Court to clear their conscience before the gods by making donations to the Faith,” she responds with a giggle and a mischievous look.

“Marianne Westerling!” Rhaena exclaims with false reproach.

"What? I'm just repeating what I once heard my aunt Johanna say."

They both laugh and Rhaena applies drops of her rose perfume before looking at herself one last time in the mirror, “Tell me more about that fundraiser.”

“Well, this year Lady Blackwood is in charge of organizing it. I imagine it will be a grand event, I heard that she had hired a company of puppeteers from the other side of the Narrow Sea to liven up the afternoon.”

"Really? Puppeteers? That doesn't sound very...religious."

“Oh, the high septon loves that kind of spectacle,” Marianne assures, “Anyway, it will be something more exclusive this year. Lady Blackwood will invite only a few select members of the court.”

Rhaena smirks at him, “I hope she doesn't send Aemond an invitation.”

“Even if she does, I doubt the prince will attend,” Marianne replies, “Not even Queen Alicent makes an appearance. She usually fasts after the celebrations."

"Good. It will be the perfect occasion to put some distance after all the days I will have to spend next to him,” Rhaena laments, shuddering.

Morning suddenly flies across the room and tangles around her neck, growling as she slams her tail into Rhaena's shoulder, clearly impatient to leave the room.

“Okay, okay, calm down,” the girl is quick to say, calming the dragon with her touch, “We are leaving now”

The dragon roars again, and Rhaena and her lady go in the direction of one of the exits of the Red Keep.

“This was a bad idea,” Marianne comments, visibly pale, rubbing her hands and looking at the empty courtyard, “I don't know why I let you talk me into this.”

“No, it is not a bad idea,” Rhaena assures, taking her friend's hands to stop her from moving them and suppressing a grimace when she finds them cold and sweaty, “Just breathe and be yourself.”

“Yeah, right,” Marianne huffs.

"I mean it. You are lovely, Marianne, my cousin would be a fool if he didn't see it.”

Whatever her lady is about to respond is cut short when Daeron rushes in, heading straight up to them and smiling politely, “I am sorry for the delay, cousin, Lady Marianne.”

“No problem, cousin, we've barely arrived, shall we?”

The three get into a carriage that transports them through the crowded streets of the city towards the beach.

“I am glad you could join us,” Rhaena says after a short silence, “Marianne and I are very excited to leave the palace.”

“Thank you for inviting me, it is always good to get some fresh air.”

The young woman makes a subtle signal to her friend, raising her eyebrows and inviting her to speak.

“Indeed, my prince,” Marianne says after clearing her throat, and when Rhaena subtly squeezes her hand between the skirts of her dress, she adds, “Are you… are you excited about the festivities of the Faith?”

“Not particularly,” Daeron admits, “Besides, I won't be able to attend the Festival, I'll be flying to the Riverlands tomorrow.”

"Pleasure trip?" Rhaena asks, curious.

“Crown affairs, boring matters to your ears, surely”

“Surely,” Rhaena nods and looks at her friend, “Did you not visit Riverrun on the way to King's Landing?”

“Oh yes, briefly…”

The conversation continues until the carriage stops and Daeron helps them out.

Rhaena smiles as she feels the sea breeze full on her face and takes a few steps away from Daeron and her lady, who continue their conversation.

“Come on, fly and be free,” she says to her dragon, who makes a satisfied noise as she untangles from Rhaena’s neck and spreads her wings, “Just don't get too far away.”

“I remember when Tessarion was this little,” Daeron comments.

“It must have been very exciting growing up with a dragon,” says Marianne, looking at Daeron enthralled, her honey color eyes fixed on the prince's every gesture, who smiles at her frankly, as if thinking about the words she just said.

“Well, yes, I remember that I had a hard time learning the orders in High Valyrian. It was very natural for my siblings, but for me…”

Rhaena tunes out their conversation as she watches Morning walk further away than she deems necessary.

“I'll go after her,” she announces, although Marianne and Daeron are already several steps ahead of her and don't seem to hear her.

“Morning, wait,” Rhaena asks, almost running to where her dragon flies. A smile appears on her face as she watches her so relaxed. Although the creature had flown between the halls and gardens of the palace, it must definitely feel much better to be in an open-air environment. The girl gives the order again and this time Morning returns to her side, “I know, I know, I am very happy too,” she tells her in a low voice, “It is good to be able to go out for a while, right? I was already bored in that palace as well”

Morning lets out a flare next to her and Rhaena sighs. At times like this, she really missed the Vale more than ever. She had had so much freedom in the Eyrie that she had taken for granted the most routine activities like taking a simple walk outdoors that now, in the capital, were so rare.

A roar-like noise brings Rhaena out of her thoughts. Her dragon coils tightly around her neck as the girl examines her surroundings looking for the source of the sound.

"What do you think…?"

Her question dies on her lips when the noise is heard again and this time accompanied by a movement of what Rhaena had taken to be a dune near the beach.

“Vhagar”

The girl whispers the name into the wind and takes a few steps back, alarmed, before realizing that the enormous dragon is not moving or following her. In reality, she realizes after a few seconds, Vhagar seems to be sleeping and the sounds she has heard are probably her snoring or her labored breathing.

Rhaena turns in the direction of Marianne and her cousin, but she can't see any of them. She apparently had gotten further away from them than she thought.

“We should go back,” she tells Morning, although her feet don't move.

Her eyes return to Vhagar, who sleeps peacefully among the sands of the beach, to the magnificent creature that had once been Laena Velaryon's mount. Rhaena closes her eyes for a few seconds and tries to remember the time when her mother had taken to the skies with her, the power of her flames, her roars that could be heard throughout Pentos when Laena rode on her back.

Vhagar had been part of her household. And then she had become an enemy of her family. The old dragoness had destroyed her allies and changed the course of the war. Although now, she realizes, there is almost nothing left of that.

She agrees that it is a bad idea, but unable to help herself, she takes a few steps towards the dragon, wanting to examine her. Her wings, even from a distance, look more broken than they had ever been, and her body riddled with more scars than she remembered. Maybe it had been her...

"What do you think you are doing?"

A hand closes tightly around her arm, slowing her progress and turning her so violently that she staggers and it takes her a few seconds to find her balance again.

“What do you think you are doing approaching my dragon?” Aemond asks once again.

"Why are you here?" Rhaena asks in turn, bewildered.

“Do you think Vhagar is like the pet you like to show off and will let you get close to her?” The prince ignores her question, his good eye fleetingly turning to Morning.

“I am not a fool, cousin,” she replies, moving her arm, trying to get out of her grasp, “I wasn't going to get close to Vhagar, I know her temperament very well, I just wanted to see her closer. It took me by surprise to find her here and…”

“Come, we shouldn't bother her, she does not like to be interrupted when she sleeps,” the prince cuts her off.

“I know, I remember,” she replies, annoyed, “I knew her long before you did.”

She knows she's struck a chord with the prince when he tightens his grip on her arm, forcing her to hold back a pained moan, and his icy gaze focuses on her.

“Do you think because she was once linked to your mother that you know her well enough?” he asks in an almost terrifying whisper, “How about we test her loyalty to you? Maybe I should wake her up and find out if she still remembers you.”

Rhaena can't help but wince and Aemond lets go of her arm, although his gaze remains fixed on her.

“I know well that Vhagar's loyalty is yours,” she finally responds, “As I said, it just took me by surprise to find her so…” Rhaena bites her tongue to hold back her words, “Different from the last time I saw her.”

Aemond, however, seems to understand exactly the girl's comment, because his gaze goes to his dragon, who spreads her wings in her dreams, further evidencing her deteriorated appearance. Rhaena seems to notice a hint of sadness in his expression, though it passes too quickly.

“I imagine that the war also left its scars on Vhagar.” She knows that perhaps it is not wise to insist on the subject, but she really wants to know, “Is she like this because of… because of the Gods Eye?”

Had it been Caraxes and her father who caused such a level of damage to the creature?

Aemond stops looking at his dragon, and looks at his cousin for a few moments before lowering his face, “She just needs to rest.”

But Rhaena knows that is not true. She hasn't seen Vhagar fly over the city even once since she arrived in King's Landing. And besides, her cousin's somber expression says it all. For a moment, just a brief moment, the girl feels sorry for the clear pain that the prince is experiencing at seeing the state of his dragon.

“Come, I don't think I can deny Vhagar dinner if she wakes up and finds you and your creature here.”

Rhaena rolls her eyes and starts walking in the opposite direction of her cousin, who, to her surprise, follows her.

“You shouldn't be wasting your time on walks on the beach when you should be catching up on the reading I gave you.”

“Oh, your books,” Rhaena smirks, “They were such an inspiring reading that I finished them just yesterday.”

Aemond makes a disdainful noise and glares at her, but Rhaena just keeps walking. Morning leaves her shoulders and flies a few meters away from her.

“The festival is not a joke, it is a solemn occasion, I think I was very clear when I said that…”

“I will know how to live up to it, my prince,” she cuts him off.

Aemond clicks his tongue, “Where is Daeron? I thought you came here with him.”

How the prince knows that his brother is here, Rhaena neither knows nor asks. She simply turns her face towards the place where Marianne and Daeron had left, “I did, but I kind of lost them while following Morning. Oh, there they are,” she points to the two figures beginning to approach in the distance.

“Who accompanies my brother?” Aemond asks, frowning.

“My lady-in-waiting”

Rhaena tries to mask her excitement at observing how good they look together and how pleased Marianne seems.

“Hmm,” Aemond tilts his body toward his cousin, “Are you returning the favor to your lady by being her chaperone today?”

"What do you mean?" Rhaena blushes and looks at him.

“You are not subtle at all,” Aemond responds, “Did you get bored so quickly with Court entertainment that you are now trying to find a wife for my brother?”

“And what if that were to be the case?” She retorts defensively, “Marianne is more than suitable to be a prince's wife.”

“What is her name again?”

“Westerling. Marianne Westerling,” she replies, annoyed, “I introduced her to you yesterday before dinner.”

“Niece of Lord Tyland Lannister,” Aemond seems thoughtful, “Her house was an important and loyal ally to us during the war,” he doesn't give her time to reply, “I will consider it.”

“It is not like they need your permission to marry,” Rhaena retorts, “And I didn't ask you to intervene in any matter”

The girl is cut off when Daeron and her friend arrive next to them.

"Brother!" The young prince seems genuinely surprised to see his older brother, “I didn't know you would join us.”

“I had some business to attend here,” Aemond replies, “You should be preparing for your mission. You don't need distractions right now."

Marianne blushes violently and Daeron simply smiles, looking at them both, “Excuse my brother's abruptness, my ladies. “Aemond thinks of nothing but the kingdom these days.”

Rhaena bites her lip to keep from saying something that might upset her betrothed, and Marianne simply nods.

“I assure you, brother, that I am well aware about my commitments and responsibilities.  I was just telling Lady Marianne that we should go back because it's getting late and the sun is starting to set."

Aemond nods and they return in silence to the carriage. The trip back to the castle is nowhere near as entertaining as before now that the one-eyed prince sits next to them and his presence seems to discourage any hint of conversation. Rhaena simply ignores him as she watches Morning fly out the window, very close to her.

When the carriage stops in the castle's entrance courtyard and they get out, the girl is surprised to find Queen Alicent waiting for them.

“There was no need to come here, mother,” Daeron immediately approaches her, hugging her affectionately, “You could have waited for us in your chambers.”

“I thought it would be a good idea for Lady Rhaena and Lady Marianne to join us at dinner tonight.”

“We would love to accompany you, Your Grace,” her friend is quick to respond, clearly excited by the invitation and not waiting to consult with Rhaena, who simply smiles and nods.

“My son will take on his first official role as a member of the royal council,” Alicent explains, her voice full of pride.

“It is just an errand in Riverrun,” says Aemond.

Rhaena looks up at him as she hears the clear note of bitterness in his voice.

“He will represent the Crown. And I know that he will know how to fulfill his duty and honor his house."

For some reason she doesn't fully understand, the queen's words seem to have an effect on her eldest son, who tenses beside her and clenches his hands into fists.

Rhaena looks at her lady, searching for her knowing look, but she seems oblivious to everything, her eyes fixed on Prince Daeron who has linked her arm with that of his mother and escorts her into the castle.

Aemond, however, does not move. His gaze is still fixed on Alicent and his brother. And Rhaena, who does not fully understand the tension between the dowager queen and her eldest son, manages to recognize the emotion that Aemond's face reflects because she had seen it reflected in herself the numerous times that her father had preferred her twin, leaving her always on the side.

Pain. Rage. Envy and resentment.

____________________________________________________________

I'm so so sorry for just basically disappearing but life was just too much... and I needed time. Anyway I still love this story, I have evertyhing planned out and I will be updating soon, so... I hope you give this story a chance :) *Second chance* lol

@ammo23 @qyburnsghost @niocel @ithoughtulikedme @avidreader73

Please let me know what you think! And if you would like to maybe be tag in the next chapters :)

[believinghurts]

Their Daughter

Chapter 5

Author’s note: I use Grammarly to fix my mistakes, but there could still be some so sorry for that. Also, I am getting back into writing and am hoping to have a few more works out soon! Please reblog, like, or comment feedback is appreciated.

Word Count: 4,400

Warnings: None? Sirius being a d*ck? Maybe language, but I don’t think so.

Regulus wasn’t sure how much time had passed as he stroked his niece's hair. He was mad at his brother for basically throwing away the only good thing that had ever come from the Black family. Sirius was too blinded by the past to see what was right in front of him. As children, Sirius often told Regulus that he was their family's favorite and that it bothered him, but if he knew what it was like to be less loved then how can he love Harry more than Ali? He understood that Harry was Sirius's Godson, but couldn’t he love Ali and Harry equally? If Sirius made the effort maybe Ali and the other children could even be friends. His heart ached from the emotional battle that Ali was going through right now. Even if Sirius didn’t see it, he and Remus did. Ali’s light was dimmer than before and when she was lighting up again after finding out Sirius never came for her, Sirius just had to go and snuffed it out.

Carefully sliding out from under Ali and placing a pillow under her head Regulus left the room. He shut the door behind him casting a locking spell so she wouldn’t be bothered. He needed to speak with Remus first before doing anything. They needed to decide what to do about Ali. As much as Regulus wanted to spend time with her before she went back to school he didn’t want her to be this upset anymore. He walked into the study to find Remus and Nymphadora sitting near the fireplace.

“How is she?” Nymphadora blurted the question as soon as she saw her cousin. Remus had owled her after Ali had gone to her room. The older sister in her wanted to go up to Sirius and give him a piece of her mind, but she knew that it wouldn’t do any good.

“She’s asleep for now. All the fighting has exhausted her. I honestly don’t know what to do. I want her here, this is her home, but if Sirius doesn’t stop acting like the brut that he is it is going to hurt her more. Speaking of Sirius, where is he? It’s quiet.” Regulus flopped down on the chair across from Remus and Nymphadora raking a hand through his hair. His worry for Ali was causing him a headache. On one hand, he wanted to send Ali to stay at the Malfoy Manor for the remainder of summer, but on the other, he wanted to hold her close and have her stay in her home where she belonged.

“Sirius left with Harry after you went upstairs. He hasn’t been home since. The Weasleys stepped out to Diagon Alley to get the kids stuff for school.” Remus replied. He was secretly thankful that the house was mainly empty. This way at least Ali could come down if she felt like it without the chance of someone bothering her. Remus was having the same thoughts as Regulus about keeping Ali at home virus's sending her to the Manor. He just wanted his niece to be happy. The hope that he had of Sirius and Ali having the father/daughter relationship was gone. If only Remus could get Sirius to open his eyes to the pain he was causing to the girl, but Sirius was nothing if not stubborn.

“I think I am going to write to Cissa and see if she can keep Ali for the rest of summer. If that’s what it takes for her to be happy then so be it. We can see her off at the -“

“I don’t want to leave,” Ali’s voice interrupted. “I want to stay here with you. Please don’t make me leave. I can handle it, I promise.”

Ali knew that she and Regulus were going to have to talk about the fact that she called him dad, but that was a private conversation. Right now she needed to convince the adults in the room that she didn’t need to leave. She could take Sirius. Yes the words that he had said hurt her and the actions he did tonight furthered that hurt in her heart, but she was done. She didn’t owe him anything, and it was clear she knew that he didn’t want to be her father. She had meant what she said to Regulus. He was her father in all the ways that counted. He loved her unconditionally, was always there for her, and protected her.

She went and sat on the couch in between Nymphadora and Remus who wrapped an arm around her pulling her close to his chest. “It might be best if you went and stayed for the rest of the summer at the Manor, Al. This isn’t good for you mentally. We all can see how drained you are.”

“No, this is my home. I can handle it. I have you all plus the older Weasleys and Fleur. You'll protect me and if I need to get away for a little bit I’ll owl Blaise or Draco to go to Diagon Alley or something. I want to spend time with you. Times are hard right now and you never know when you are going to lose someone and I would like to have as much time with each of you just in case.”

Regulus leaned forward taking Ali’s hand in his, “Nothing, and I mean nothing is going to happen to us. I love you more than you could ever imagine and if you want to stay here you can.” Ali smiles brightly at that before Regulus cut her off, “but you have to tell me, Remus, or Severus, if anything happens. And you have to come out of your room. I am not having you locking yourself away again. Got it?”

Ali pounced on Regulus, hugging his neck tight. She was excited to spend some more time with her family. She had meant what she said about never knowing when something was going to happen. Wizards had been disappearing all over London and she was genuinely scared something was going to happen to her loved ones. She was going to make it a point to take plenty of photos and make enough memories to last a lifetime the next couple of weeks.

Regulus held his niece tight, fighting back the tears when she whispered, “Thanks, Dad,” into his ear. He had been called a lot of things in his life, but this was one title he was going to wear proudly.

Remus’s voice interrupted the moment, “wait for a second, why are you going to owl Blaise? We have an agreement, young lady, no boys till you're thirty!”

Ali’s giggle was music to those in the room with her, and for the first time that summer they all saw Ali smile at home the brightest she had since everyone arrived.

————

The rest of the day was eventful which was something that everyone was thankful for. Nymphadora left shortly after spending some time with Ali since she had something to attend to with Moody, so that left Regulus, Ali, and Remus to watch the Star Wars movies in Ali’s room. Kreacher brought them snacks while they made a fort on the floor. Ali was incredibly content laying on the mounds of pillows in between her Uncles. When she was younger they would have movie nights like this once a month until she started Hogwarts. Even then she and her friends carried on the tradition in the boy's dorm since Draco was often present at the ones hosted at home. She wished that she could have Draco over now, but knew that if she brought him here then everyone in the house would throw a fit about it, maybe it was something to bring up to Regulus later.

Molly called them all down for dinner shortly after the second film ended. Leaving the mess on the floor the trio made their way downstairs with Ali trailing behind her Uncles. She could feel her nerves spike the closer she got to the dining room. She thought about excusing herself stating she wasn’t hungry, but the loud growl in her stomach gave her hunger away. Everyone had already sat down beside Harry and Sirius when they got into the room. Regulus pulled the seat out next to him for his niece. Fleur shot her a smile when she sat down by her uncle with Charlie on her other side. At least she was sitting near someone who didn’t hate her.

Chatter and the sounds of forks on plates filled the room as everyone got their fill of Molly’s meatballs and onion sauce. Everyone broke off into separate conversations. Remus, Regulus, and Arthur talking about the Ministry, the younger Weasleys, and Hermione talking about Quidditch, Bill and Fleur about their upcoming wedding, and Charlie and Ali talking about his work in Romania. “What are you planning on doing after you leave Hogwarts?”

Ali shot a glance over at Remus who was doing a terrible job of disguising his eavesdropping on the duo. “I am thinking about becoming a professor. I like creatures obviously so I was thinking something along those lines, but I also like Herbology. So maybe that. I just know I want to teach.”

Charlie shot her a grin. “Have you thought about where? I know Hogwarts has Sprout for Herbology and Hagrid was doing Care of Magical Creatures, but you still have three more years of school so maybe they’ll need someone by the time you're done.”

Ali shrugged her shoulders. In all honesty, she wanted to leave England and travel for a bit but knew that if she brought it up now it would be a fight or something so she bit her tongue. “Maybe.”

The noise came to a halt when the door slammed open in the living room. Everyone hopped to their feet, wands at the ready. It felt like hours had passed before the intruder walked through the door. “Sirius! Harry! Merlin, you scared us all.”

“Sorry, it’s raining hard and we were in a rush to get back home.” Sirius shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. Everyone retook their seats beside Milly who served Harry and Sirius. Ali tried her hardest to keep from looking at the latest duo that entered, not wanting to cause any more trouble or to give Sirius a reason to lash out at her.

Dinner passed rather quickly, conversations flowed in their small groups. Charlie had gone with Fleur and Bill on a scouting mission shortly after eating, while Fred and George worked on new products for their shop. Ali was in her head thinking about asking to go to meet Pansy in the coming days to look at a new book shop. Pansy wasn’t much of a reader but was always looking for an excuse to get out of her house. She was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up Molly was smiling softly at her while handing her a letter in a dark blue envelope. She instantly knew who the letter was from since only one person used that kind of envelope when writing her.

“This came for you, dear, when you were with your uncles. I didn't want to bother you then I almost forgot just now.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley.” Ali smiled at the kind woman. Despite her feelings towards most of the Weasley children, their parents were quite nice.

Molly patted her cheek before walking off. Ali started to rip the top off when she got Regulus’s eye and he winked at her. He knew who the letter was from having met the boy a few times already. Her cheeks flushed and continued to do so while reading it.

Dear Supernova,

I hope you are surviving the dreadfulness that is upon you right now with all the people in your house. Yes, Draco told me what was going on yesterday when I finally threatened to out his crush if he didn’t explain why we hadn’t been seeing you a lot this summer. I have to say I am quite hurt that you didn’t tell me yourself. Best friends I thought. Just joking, but seriously you could have told me about him and I wouldn't have said a word to anyone.

I miss you, Supernova. We’ve only got to see each other once this summer and we both know when school starts you will have a book shoved in front of your face in the first three minutes. Could we get together sometime this week? It has been awful at home and if I have to hear Draco's voice one more time without you there to tell him off for being annoying I may throw myself off the astronomy tower.

Your uncle may not agree, but you could come to stay at mine for a night. Mother agreed to it as long as Regulus does and we have separate rooms. If you can't, maybe I can come to you? I don’t really care what the redheads have to say about me being there so don’t worry about that. We have much to catch up on; like the fact that you got Headgirl and also didn’t write and tell me. I had to find that little tidbit out from Parkinson's. Don’t worry we’ll catch up whether that's soon or on the train.

love,

Zabini

Ali felt a pang of guilt hit her square in the chest. She hadn’t meant to forget to fill Blaise in on her life but it had been so crazy recently she hadn’t got to write anyone much. In all the truth no one knew that she had gotten Headgirl. She had gotten the letter from Flitwich a few days after the Weasley’s arrived and completely forgot. Although she told her Uncles she didn’t want to go anywhere spending some time with Blaise sounded nice. Deciding to just rip the bandaid off she looked up to find Regulus and Remus looking at her with amused smiles on their faces.

“What’s you got there, Ali?” Remus asked, causing her cheeks to flame red. She wasn’t scared to say that she wanted to hang out with a boy. She did it all the time whether it was Blaise, Theo, or Draco; it was more to do with the fact that she was about to ask to spend the night at a boys' house. Even if they were going to be in separate rooms and they had fallen asleep cuddled together weeks prior at the Malfoys, something none of her Uncles knew, it was going to be a little fight to get Remus to agree as he made the ‘no dating till you’re thirty’ rule when she was five and asked for a boyfriend for Christmas.

Looking around she noticed all attention was on her even if the other adults in the room were making it seem like they weren’t listening while the children openly gawked. “Uhm,” she was cut off by Severus stepping into the room. Great, now she had to face all three Uncles. Where were Dora and Cissa when she needed them?

Severus hugged her quickly before taking a place by Regulus. “Who's the letter from Ali?” He asked her letting her know there was no getting out of it and that she was going to have to spill the beans.

“It’s from Blaise,” A look of amusement passed Regulus’s face, making her think that he knew what was in the letter already while Remus looked like he was going to snatch the letter out of her hands and read it himself if she didn’t hurry up.

“And what possibly could it say to have your cheeks looking like the inside of Gryffindor common room?” Regulus teased further.

She coughed trying to get her nerves resealed. “He was saying that we need to catch up before school starts, and invited me to come and stay with him and Mrs. Zabini for a night this week.”

Remus grunted while Regulus smiled. Ali had to hide a giggle as she noticed all the other mouths in the room had dropped to the floor. Ali knew that except for Hermione and Harry the Weasley’s never stayed or had anyone else with them.

“Can I, please? His mother said we would have separate rooms and she will be there as well as the house-elves. We only got to see one another once this summer. He said if I can’t he could come here, but honestly, I think the first option is better. Please?” She pulled out her best puppy eyes and pouty lip. She was not above begging for it but didn’t want to do so with everyone staring at her.

Regulus looked over at Remus. Ali could see the silent conversation going on between them. Regulus’s head inclined slightly toward Ali which she hoped to Merlin was a good thing. Remus looked back at his niece with a look in his eye she couldn’t read. “Rosalynn said you’ll have separate rooms?” Ali nodded her head so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. “And you’ll stay in them?” Once again she nodded, although she knew that they more than likely would be in the family room till late hours in the night. He looked back at Regulus, “you have no problems with her going?”

“No, I already knew about it. Rosalynn wrote about two days ago. If she wants to go, that's fine. You know Rosalynn will look after her as she does Blaise. And the Heavens know that boy would jump in front of the Knight Bus for Ali.” Regulus chuckled at Ali's shocked expression.

“Y-you knew? Why didn’t you say anything?” Ali struggled to get the words out.

“Rosalynn said Blaise wanted to ask you. She was just giving me a heads up, knowing how Remus is with boys and you. You know we talked quite often, Als.” Regulus winked at her.

“You may go,” Remus stated. She was shocked she didn’t have to put up more of a fight.

“WHAT?” Sirius shrieked. He knew that Regulus would let her go to the Death Eaters house, but Remus? He thought he could count on his ‘friend’ to at least say no. “You’re letting her go to the Death Eaters house? AGAIN? Who's also a boy and staying the night? Are you mad?”

Remus looked at Sirius with disdain, “No I am not. She is a good girl and Blaise has been her friend for years. Rosalynn loves her as much as we do and would never let anything happen. And for God's sake quit calling everyone a Death Eater.”

“Outrageous.”

“Sirius, you have no say in what she does. You gave that up last night. Ali is a good girl who makes good choices. Not only that but she also deserves a little something since she got Headgirl this year, don’t you think?” Regulus smirked as he saw the Granger girl's face fall.

“You got Headgirl?” Hermione whispered to Ali with disbelief lacing her voice.

“Yeah, I did. Draco got Headboy I believe, but it may be Theo. I haven’t asked yet.”

“Why do you and Draco get Head of Houses? Why not Hermione and -“ Ali cut her dear Godbrother off.

“And who? You? Ron? Why would any of you get Head of Houses with all the trouble you bring in? Sneaking out, stealing things, picking fights. We do have the highest marks in most classes as well as treat others equally unlike the likes of you.”

If looks could kill Ali would be dead three times over. In all honesty, she kinda felt bad for the younger Weasley boy seeing as all of his older brothers, bar Fred and George had been Headboy. But then she thought about the trouble he and his friends had caused her and her friends as well as others over the years. Harry preached about equality among the houses but she had witnessed many times when younger Slytherins were picked on by Gryiffndors. Hufflepuffs generally didn't have any problems with the other houses so long as everyone was being just. Ravenclaws tended to keep to themselves unless it really involved them. Whereas Slytherins preferred to stand up to those picking on other Slytherins especially the younger ones. Slytherins were always made out to be the bullies when in general if you got to know them people would notice that they are a lot more than what their parents used to be.

Ally had heard the stories of how mean James and Sirius were to those in Slytherin even if they never did anything to them. She believed in harmless fun could be had pulling pranks, but tricking someone into going to a place where a werewolf was was downright cruel. She had no doubts in her mind that James and Sirius were once good people like her Uncle Remus is now, but seeing as Sirius still acts like a child those doubts were becoming known.

“I just think that Slytherins shouldn’t be Head of House when all you will do is favor your own, and treat everyone else like dirt,” Ron stated.

“Ronald Weasley! How dare you say such a thing?!” Molly exclaimed.

“It’s alright Mrs. Weasey. I am used to hearing such things come from them and others in their house,” Ali looked Ron in the eyes, “You seem to forget that I’m a Ravenclaw, not a Slytherin. I do not favor anyone and will not when I start Head Girl duties but know this. I will give you as many detentions as you deserve if you are caught bullying, harassing, belittling, any of the other houses. You may think that Gryiffndors are the bravest of the houses and maybe you are in some ways, but you are cowardly in others. Maybe some Slytherins are as bad as you make them seem, but Harry,” she turned her head slightly to the side, “you seem to forget just which house Peter Pettigrew was in when he was the one who betrayed your parents. And Regulus was in Slytherin but seems to be more loyal to his friends and family than that rat was.”

“It seems that Alianova has given you all something to think about as you're getting ready for bed,” Molly stated looking at all the children present in the room. Her face grew red when she saw that none of them had moved a muscle. “Now.”

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, jumped from their seats and booked it to the stairs scared of Mrs. Weasley’s wrath. At some point, Charlie, Fluer, and Bill came back from scouting. Charlie ruffled Ali’s hair causing her to grin. “Good job, kid. You’ll make a great Head Girl.” Bill and Fleur nodded in agreement. “Nothing happened while we were out. We’ll give a full debrief tomorrow, but we will be heading to bed as well. Good night everyone.”

Molly walked to Ali and pulled her up out of her chair before placing both hands on Ali’s pale cheeks. “Don’t you worry, dear, I will be talking with all of them in the morning. You made a lot of valid points, and I for one am proud that you are Head Girl.”

She kissed her forehead before taking her husband to go to bed after waving her wand to get the kitchen clean once again. Arthur offered Ali a small smile before disappearing behind his wife. Sirius scoffed at the behavior which everyone heard but chose to ignore.

Ali turned to her three Uncles, waiting for the answer about going to her friends, and the scene that just played out in the kitchen.

“I am proud of you as well, Alianova. You have done excellent, and I know it is Remus and Regulus' decision about going to Blaises’, but I see no problem with it. I will stay in the guest room. Come get me if you need me. Good night, Ali.” He hugged her tightly, making Ali tear up slightly at the thought of Servus being proud of her. It also made her giddy at the thought of rubbing it in Draco’s face since Severus is his Godfather and never said such a thing to him.

Remus followed after Servus, wrapping his niece in a bear hug around her shoulders. The height difference amusing Regulus to no end seeing as Ali only came about midway in Remus’s chest. “You may go as long as it’s okay with Reg, and you stay in separate rooms. I am a little mad though that you didn’t tell me yourself about getting Head Girl, but I am still incredibly proud of you. No one deserves this more than you do, not even Harry.” The last part was whispered in her ear. He kissed her forehead, before heading to his room.

With the three Blacks being the only ones left in the room. “I don’t think you should go.” Sirius’s voice was venomous as he thought about his only child, his legacy, spending time with Death Eaters.

“It’s a good thing it doesn’t matter what you think isn’t it?” Regulus smirked at his older brother. He was not going to take this away from his child. “Ali, you may go so long as you stay in your separate rooms whenever the two of you decide to go to sleep because I know from having all your mates over it will be late.” He walked to Ali cradling her freckled face in his hands. “I am so proud to call you my daughter. Even after all that you have been through in your life you have still managed to form your own beliefs and thoughts as well as stand up for them. You deserve Head Girl over anyone else, and hopefully, you get to share it with one of your friends.”

Ali dove into her Uncle's chest. Tears welling up into her eyes at the thought that he really did think of her as his own even if she already knew it. It was nice to hear out loud. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I love you, dad.” She kissed his cheek before heading to her room to write Blaise.

Sirius felt his anger sore to new heights when he heard Ali call Regulus dad. He had enough courtesy to wait till she was out of earshot before grounding out, “We need to talk, Regulus.”

[ykoriana-imperatrix]

SDC Month - June 2022 - Saturday #4

(Cut for length and spoilers, mainly for The Masters and The Chosen.)

The Twins Laugh When the Ruling Lord Imago Makes Plans

Once more, we return to the early books in the series for the third and last theory for this SDC month. More specifically, this theory is going to be focusing on (some members of) House Imago. I trust everyone will remember Jaspar's little speech in The Chosen, in which he dwells a little on his motives for patricide:

"Terrible." Jaspar's hand went to a chain at his throat, drew out from his robe a Ruling Ring and dangled it. "But there are compensations for such loss. Long have I coveted this… to wield its power…" He sighed in a kind of ecstasy. "I cannot count how many times I have wished him dead."

Now, this does not tell us much regarding what the late Ruling Lord Imago and Jaspar's relationship was actually like, particularly on the former's side. Several possibilities could be at play, of course — it's far from implausible the senior Imago was an abusive father to his son, for one. I could, however, see them as just never having been close (or perhaps, their relationship having degraded over the years), which would still be consistent with Jaspar becoming increasingly more focused on becoming Ruling Lord Imago, and too impatient to wait for his father's natural death. (Which could perhaps be supported by the fact Jaspar never actually says he hated his father, only that he wished for his death. A distant kind of relationship could certainly still result in contempt, leading to Jaspar not feeling strong animosity for Lord Imago exactly, but being completely uncaring of his well-being or lack thereof, and the elder Imago essentially being just an obstacle in Jaspar's way to power.)

Thinking about the Imago family dynamics led me to consider that, as mentioned above, we know nothing regarding how Lord Imago felt about his elder son. An intriguing possibility emerged: it is not only entirely possible his feelings were quite similar to Jaspar's towards him, but that he was actually aware of his son's patricidal intentions. (In spite of the fact Jaspar had to be extremely careful to avoid any concrete evidence of his crime coming to light, the fact that he was responsible was still very obviously an open secret, so I would be incredibly surprised if cases of patricide (or at the very least, unrealised patricidal urges) were particularly rare among Chosen.)

This becomes interesting when considered alongside the fact that Ykoriana's attempt to have the group of faction representatives returning to Osrakum assassinated was also quite unsurprising in-universe. The Ruling Lord Imago, leader of his own important faction and no doubt a man with decades of political experience, would also have been aware of this. And yet, he still sent his own son and clear heir (as said in the books, there seemed to be no doubt Jaspar would be elected as his father's successor) on what was a considerably risky mission. (Not to mention assassination would be far from the only danger the group would be facing: there would also be all the potential accidental perilous situations to account for, such as a storm causing the baran to sink.) While yes, the choice was based on sending one representative for each faction, and this could instead be read as meaning Imago trusted his son far more than anyone else he might have sent in his place, I would say the lack of information about his motivations does not favour either of the possibilities more than the other. We can't be absolutely sure that there was not anyone else (his younger son, a cousin or a lord from another House he happened to trust to some degree, etc.) he trusted enough to send in this mission, which in my view creates just enough doubt to give this theory some plausibility.

So let's consider that Lord Imago did have his suspicions about Jaspar's plans, and was also well-aware of the risks posed by the journey. I propose that it was not just a matter of him being unconcerned about the danger to his son, but that he was actively hoping for his death. Even taking information gaps into account, Imago could have much to gain from Jaspar's death. First of all (and more importantly in the short term), it would remove the danger to his own life. He would know Jaspar was likely just waiting for a good opportunity to present itself to enact his plans, and so would have acted pre-emptively. Since he had two sons, he would not be left without a clear heir (and we have no reasons to believe he might have seen his younger son as a threat, or at least not as a great a threat as Jaspar). It would also be a course of action that would leave no incriminating evidence pointing to him, since he would be taking advantage of another's assassination plot (and I think that would be his desired outcome; while an accident would serve the same purpose, he couldn't, of course, count on a random occurrence).

Additionally, it could be something to be used to his own advantage, attempting to improve his public perception by playing the role of the grieving father who had oh-so-tragically and unexpectedly lost his elder son and heir. (While I tend to agree with the characters' belief that Ykoriana would never be actually publicly accused of the murders, Imago could certainly still capitalise on natural suspicion towards her, if that happened to serve his purposes.) Furthermore, as the deaths of Aurum and Sardian would be a heavy blow to Osidian's faction, Lord Imago could stand to benefit from that as well, as some (if not a significant number of) supporters of Osidian might switch sides and join him instead, seeing their cause all but lost. (This is not actually that relevant in the context of this theory, but it doesn't seem unlikely to me that Imago would ultimately side with Ykoriana and Molochite in this scenario; joining Osidian's diminished faction would carry more risks and fewer chances to gain anything from it. He would essentially reap the rewards Jaspar did in canon.)

To conclude, sending Jaspar on the mission to convince Sardian to return to Osrakum would have a non-insignificant chance of being advantageous to Ruling Lord Imago on both a personal and political level. It would, however, be a plan that would always be somewhat of a gamble, and unfortunately for Lord Imago, one that proved unsuccessful.

And so we reach the end of the Saturday theories project (though there might be a new one next December, if I do come up with new theories in the meantime). What did you think of this one — and where does it rank in terms of plausibility compared to the two previous ones for you?

[stina-is-a-punk-rocker]

jacqueline wilson’s ‘love lessons’

tw: abuse, pedophilia, characters making Bad Decisions, long unnecessary spiel about my childhood like I’m running a recipe blog

It’s funny how loads of the authors who helped shaped me into the vaguely humanoid being I am today have names beginning with the letter ‘J’; Judy Blume, Jeff Kinney, John Green, J.K. Rowling (yikes, I know) … and Jacqueline Wilson.

I’ve never owned a Jacqueline Wilson book of my own; they were always borrowed from a friend, or from a friend of a friend, or from a friend of a cousin- you get the gist. Her books, for me, come with an entire aesthetic: something reminiscent of yard sales, and reading under the covers with a flashlight, and being lulled into a false sense of security by the deceptively innocent Nick Sharratt illustration on the cover until someone’s best friend gets mowed over.

So I knew what I was getting into when I picked up Love Lessons. I knew this was going to be Fucked Up; and boy, was I right.

(Here’s the part where I warn you about spoilers.)

From an abusive dad to creepy child predator teachers to slut-shaming and victim blaming, this book has it all.

The main character is Prudence ‘Prue’ King, who is homeschooled at the beginning of the book, along with her sister, Grace. Their parents remain rooted in the early twentieth century, and are very strict about- well, everything. No TV, no computers, not a single mobile phone in the house; their clothing worse than the orphans’ from Annie; and their father remains distinctly distrustful of modern institutions like the school and the hospital; and so on, and so forth.

Daddy King suffers a stroke, and has to be taken to the hospital. Meanwhile, Mrs. King (a floppy, spineless woman who lives in fear and awe of her, frankly horrid, husband) sends the girls to school, behind the then invalid Mr. King’s back. Cue Prue and Grace being the freakshows of the school, with their strange clothing and overbearing mother.

Grace manages to make friends, but Prue remains alone. The kids are dicks, the teachers are dicks… well, all of them but one. And that’s the art teacher, Mr. Raxberry (I just couldn’t get over that name; it seems like something you’d name a mythical plant from Pixie Hollow or some shit. I’m assuming it isn’t an actual name, since the spelling & grammar check on my computer doesn’t seem to recognize it), or Rax, as he’s called.

Oh, yeah; Prudence’s favorite subject in school is art, and she’s a whiz at it. This is relevant, because reasons.

And here’s where stuff gets murky. Prue develops a crush on Rax- which is perfectly normal. I’m definitely no stranger to it; I’ve had crushes on my teachers, my mum admitted she used to think one of her professors was cute. And yeah, as I grew older, I grew out of those crushes and now have a markedly more refined taste in men (unless he’s 5’ 7’’, born in ’97 and named Bang Chan, I don’t want him); and my mum married my dad, so I’m assuming she did, too. Admittedly, now that my dad teaches at a university, it’s icky to think that there might be students who have crushes on him- but I digress.

My point is, loads of us have liked our teachers. But I doubt the majority of us have acted on it.

And Prue actively showing her interest in Rax isn’t the worst part. That’s a spot reserved for Rax reciprocating her feelings.

Guess Ezra Fitz and Ms. Grundy (yes, I watched Riverdale; please don’t cancel me) have a new addition to the Creep Club.

The age of consent in the UK is 16, if I’m not mistaken. Prue is 14. She’s just barely become a teenager, and she’s being preyed upon.

Because that is what Rax is. He’s a predator; he preys upon this vulnerable girl who’s never been in a relationship before- hell, she’s never even had friends- her father’s abusive, so she obviously doesn’t have the best experience when it comes to men- she’s unpopular at school, with the students and staff alike- and he lures her in. I don’t care how bloody nice he is to Sarah, or what a good dad he is (well, he’s really not, seeing as he cheated on the mother of his children WITH A BLOODY FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD CHILD)- the guy’s a fucking pedophile.

I was staunchly stuck at a yellow light with him; like, sure, maybe Prue thinks he’s flirting with her- maybe she’s looking at this all wrong, she doesn’t know how relationships work- see, he drew a picture of Sarah, too, in his secret notebook- Prue’s just reading into this too much- up until he says he loves her.

Dude. Humbert fucking Humbert. She’s fourteen, for Christ’s sake, and you’re married. You have two children. She’s a child. She’s probably closer to your son’s age than she is to yours.

(This is the part where I bury my head in my pillow. And scream. Extensively, and with passion.)

The book does make some genuinely good commentary on slut-shaming and victim blaming and abusive parenting. And on one hand, I can see why so many people find issue with the romanticization of the when I kissed the teacher trope- but I can defend it, too.

The book is in Prue’s perspective. She thinks she’s in love with Rax, so obviously, she’s not going to throw in some valuable moral at the end- because she’s too young and inexperienced to think otherwise. And sadly, there are loads of instances of child abuse that go unreported because the victims just don’t know better.

What I have issue with is how the school dealt with it, ultimately. Prudence, a child, has to deal with the consequences of the actions of a literal child predator. Sure, Rax ‘clears his name’ by cooking up some bullshit story about how it was only a crush and he didn’t encourage it, but you’d think other adults would know better and, oh, I dunno- dig deeper into it, instead of blaming it on a child?

“She says you told Mr. Raxberry you loved him and he held you in his arms and fondled you.”

Which Prudence denies, because, again, she doesn’t know better. She then goes on to say that they did nothing wrong. To which the adult speaking to her, in this case, the principal, Miss Wilmott, goes on to say:

“I’m not sure that’s entirely true… I feel that there are some aspects of your friendship that could be considered inappropriate.”

FYI, lady, he kissed her- multiple times (not that kissing her once makes him any more redeemable), and told her he loved her, and admitted to fantasizing about running away with her and leaving his family behind. Fun fact: do you know Prudence is underage?

You’d think that Miss Wilmott would maybe give this whole fiasco a favorable ending, but it turns out she listens to school gossip;

“I haven’t been at all happy with your attitude. You don’t seem to understand how to behave in school. I’ve heard tales of unsuitable underwear and then a silly romance with one of the boys in your class. I feel that in the space of a few short weeks you’ve made rather a bad name for yourself… I don’t know whether you intend to be deliberately insolent but you certainly come across as an unpleasantly opinionated and arrogant girl… I can’t help feeling that you’ll be much better off elsewhere. I shall try hard to engineer a suitable transfer to another school.”

And then she comes out with this gem:

“If you won’t leave, then I shall have to ensure that Mr. Raxberry finds another position.”

“No, you can’t do that! He’s a brilliant teacher.”

“You should have thought of that before you started acting in this ridiculous and precocious manner. If I were another kind of headteacher, I would have Mr. Raxberry instantly suspended. There could even be a court case. He would not only lose his job, he could find himself in very serious trouble. Did you ever stop to think about that?”

Girlboss, gaslight and gatekeep. The fucking trifecta.

Also, by ‘another kind of headteacher’, does she mean the kind of headteacher WHO DOESN’T LET CHILD PREDATORS ROAM FREELY WITHIN THEIR HALLS?

This bitch is out here blaming a child, a literal child, for the crimes of an adult man.

The only time Prue seems aware of the fact that Mr. Raxberry is actually a very shit person is her immediate thoughts that follow after she tells Miss Wilmott she’ll take the fall;

I so wanted to save darling Rax- and yet why hadn’t he wanted to save me? Had he told Miss Wilmott it was all my fault, that I’d got a ridiculous crush on him, that I’d made ludicrous advances to him? … I wanted to tell this horrible, patronizing woman how hungrily he’d kissed me, but I couldn’t do it. I loved him. I had to help him.

NO, SWEETHEART; YOU MOST DEFINITELY DO NOT.

And maybe I’m going overboard with all these excerpts, but here’s what Rax has to tell Prue, after school, following her expulsion:

“I let her think the worst of you, the best of me, just to save my skin. I said it was ridiculous talking about a love affair between us. I said you simply had a crush on me, and that I was just trying to be kind… You were brave enough to stand up to me and force me to acknowledge the truth… I love you… That’s why I had to take a risk and see you this one last time. I didn’t want you to think I didn’t care… Every night when I close my eyes, I’ll think of us together in this car and how badly I wanted to drive off with you. I’ll imagine us walking hand in hand at the water’s edge… I wish I wasn’t such a coward.”

(I burrow into the pillow further. I’m trying to suffocate myself.)

And that’s where I think Wilson went wrong. Sure, Prudence getting expelled for something that was completely out of her hands is unfair, and horrible, but it’s real. That shit can happen.

What’s bad is showing Rax in a positive light after all that. If only Wilson had written Rax to not be the Romeo he thinks he is. Make him ignore Prudence, throw her under the bus in front of her face, instead of this star-crossed lovers bullshit it’s made out to be. Show your younger audience that Rax is not a good man. I’ve got a little over two weeks left for my twentieth; I can see why this is unacceptable. But I was a little younger than Prue when I watched Pretty Little Liars, and my only gripe with Aria dating Ezra was that Noel Kahn was so much cuter.

It shows when you scroll down the Goodreads reviews; you’ve got adults giving it one or two stars, and teenagers giving it four or five, with their biggest complaints being, “but Toby was cuter!!!”

Other non-pedophilia related complaints regarding the book include: Prudence being unlikable- which I didn’t really notice, considering she reacted to some people way better than I would’ve, even at 19 (which probably says a lot more about me than it does about Prue, but oh well). Still, Prudence obviously isn’t the most prudent of people- and again, she’s fourteen. Look me in eye and tell me you weren’t an arsehole at that age (unless you’re fourteen now, in which case, I assure you that you’ll look back on yourself someday and go ‘wtf was I thinking’). Bringing up Toby’s dyslexia in an argument was low, though.

There were people who thought the Kings’ almost-Amish lifestyle was exaggerated and unrealistic, but I assure you, it may very well be real. There are 8 billion people on the world- it’s fair to assume that several of them are complete weirdos.

Grace was a sweet character, and I adored her with every fiber of my being. As were her friends Iggy and Figgy. Honestly, I would’ve loved a book about Iggy, Figgy and Piggy’s (mis)adventures too.

[fickleminder]

the years start coming and they don’t stop coming

In which Lilith’s return distorts her brothers’ perception of time.

Part 2 here

You’ve never seen the demon prince look so embarrassed.

“I can call for —”

“No, it’s okay. They deserve this.”

But you don’t, goes unspoken. You can see the pity in his eyes, feel the palpable disappointment in the air. Even Simeon and Luke make sure to hug you extra tight before stepping through the portal to the Celestial Realm, and Solomon promises to check up on you after you’ve returned home.

Thanking Lord Diavolo and Barbatos for their hospitality, you turn towards the final demon in the council room and put on the biggest grin your breaking heart can muster. “Hey, c’mere.”

Satan doesn’t hesitate to throw his arms around you. It’s almost like he’s trying to make up for his brothers’ absence, the way he crushes you to his chest and cradles the back of your head.

You can’t find it in yourself to blame them. As far as miracles go, this is a pretty big one. Lilith coming back to life is an unprecedented event, one not even Barbatos had seen coming. Nobody has any answers either. She’s definitely not a demon, not an angel, not human; just an immortal who knocked on the front door of the House of Lamentation three days ago.

Her brothers haven’t left her alone since. You’re happy for them, you really are, but a bitter part of you can’t help but wish her return had waited until after the exchange program ended. At least Lucifer had the courtesy to pull you aside and thank you on his family’s behalf (though you’re quite certain you had nothing to do with your ancestor’s sudden revival), in addition to making a pact with you as a token of his gratitude.

With that, you could have summoned all of them to send you off just as effectively as Lord Diavolo giving the order, but it won’t be the same and you know it. Your only saving grace is Satan, the one brother who’d kept his head and anchored you in the sea of loneliness you’d been set adrift in over the last few days.

“I’m gonna miss you, cat boy.”

“I miss you already,” Satan laughs softly, pulling back with a warm smile. “I’ll stay in touch, I promise.”

You squeeze his arms affectionately and glance past his shoulders at the closed doors. There’s the smallest shred of hope in you that thinks the others will come bursting through any moment now, scrambling for one final chance to see you. You give yourself five seconds, silently counting down to a pipe dream, before pressing a kiss to Satan’s cheek and releasing him.

“It might not seem like it now, but the Devildom will always be here for you,” Lord Diavolo says as the world around you fades to white. “Farewell.”

.

.

.

“Did you lose track of time at the library again? You missed dinner last night LOL.”

“Levi, be nice!”

Satan only hums quietly in response. He can’t be bothered to correct the assumption; it’s a convenient excuse for when his brothers actually notice he’s missing anyway.

The irony of Levi calling him out isn’t lost on him. While the otaku is still obsessed with his games and shows, he’s no longer as shut-in as he used to be, venturing outside the comforts of his sanctuary more often. Satan has passed by the common room on many occasions to find him and Lilith gaming or binging anime together, and the content expression on Levi’s face proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the void from his Henry’s departure has long been filled.

“Oh, but speaking of,” Lilith sets her cutlery down and smiles shyly at the fourth-born, “I haven’t had the chance to explore the libraries here yet. If it’s not too much trouble, can you show me around and recommend a few books?”

Shrugging non-committedly, Satan continues with his meal, not once looking her in the eye.

.

.

.

You’ve always wondered how someone with the Avatar of Lust for a brother can have such terrible fashion sense. It should be impossible to go wrong with dressing for a funeral, but you guess life (along with a certain eyesore of a tie) just loves to disappoint you. Still, you’re too glad to have Satan with you right now to care.

“Thanks for coming.”

“Anytime.”

You lean into the demon’s side as he holds an umbrella over both of you. Your eyes are drawn to the flowers he’d placed on your mother’s grave, the only splash of color against the dull tombstone. For the longest time, all you can process is the pitter-patter of the afternoon rain on the plastic wrap of the bouquet, and the comforting weight of Satan’s arm across your shoulders.

“She was in a lot of pain,” you admit after a while, your voice slightly hoarse. “The doctors had to sedate her. She went in her sleep.”

“I’m sorry.” Satan fidgets awkwardly, not quite sure what to say. He’s no stranger to death, but the loss of someone dear is unfamiliar to him. “Perhaps Simeon can find out if —”

“No, no it’s fine. I just — I need to —”

The umbrella is forgotten as Satan catches you, lowering you gently to the ground when your knees give way. You cling to him desperately, and it’s all he can do to draw you close as you start to wail.

.

.

.

Satan barely makes it three steps into the house before getting pounced on.

“How was it? Where did you go? Ooh you lucky demon, I want to hear all the details!”

“Oi, oi! What are you babbling on about?”

“Don’t act coy with me! Lilith saw you at the florist’s yesterday with the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers!”

“Yesterday? But —”

“How come you never told me someone caught your eye? I would have dolled you up, lent you some of my clothes —” Asmo gasps dramatically. “You didn’t wear that horrid jacket to your date, did you?”

Wrestling a hand free, Satan musses his younger brother’s hair. “None of your business,” he growls, walking away with a smirk when Asmo immediately releases him to fix his appearance. “Who do you take me for, anyway?”

“Aww come on, just give me a hint! Do I know them? Is it someone from RAD? Ooh, did you meet them at the library or —”

Ducking into the safety of his room, Satan shuts the door in Asmo’s face.

.

.

.

“Thank fuck. Who picked your outfit this time?”

“Barbatos. And shut up.”

You grab Satan’s arm with a laugh and lead him towards your table, politely introducing him as ‘Stan from work’ to any relatives who ask about the handsome young man accompanying you. Satan’s usual mask is in place, but there’s no mistaking the gleam of wonder in his eyes as he takes in his surroundings.

“Finally,” you sigh, sinking into your seat and grinning sheepishly at the blond. “Sorry about them. It’s just that they’ve never seen me with anyone, so they’re really curious about you.”

“Well, I’m glad you invited me along. I’ve never been to a wedding before.” The romantic in Satan is openly basking in the ambience of the reception. “You mentioned that your niece had gotten married?”

“Technically my first cousin once removed, but yeah.”

“And you’ve not been seeing anyone?”

“You would have been the first to know if I have,” you tease, nudging him playfully. “Apparently a lot of people are put off by the way I dress. Too modest, they say.”

But not without good reason. The pact marks on your body may be slightly faded from disuse, but they’re still discernable if stared at hard enough: Lucifer’s at the back of your neck; Mammon’s over your heart; Levi’s curled around your right calf; Satan’s circling your left arm; Asmo’s dangerously close to tramp stamp territory; Beel’s just under your navel; and Belphie’s on your ribs at the side you like to sleep on.

Passing them off as tattoos without attracting the wrong kind of attention is a little tricky, so you’d rather take a page from Solomon’s book and cover them up. Being called a prude is easier than dealing with cultists.

(It also helps you to keep your mind off of them, because some wounds continue to hurt even after they heal, so there’s that.)

Sensing the drop in your mood, Satan clears his throat to get your attention. It’s only then that you realize there’s music playing in the background, and couples moving from their tables to the floor.

Your companion stands up and offers you his hand, this time with a genuine smile on his face. “May I have this dance?”

.

.

.

Lucifer’s tone books no room for argument. “This will be a family event, so I expect your attendance. Don’t think I haven’t noticed your little escapades over the past few months.”

“Tch.”

“Do I make myself clear?”

“Whatever. I’ll be there.”

Satan has to resist the urge to hurl his hardcover at the back of Lucifer’s head when he takes his leave. That’s no way to treat a book, after all.

Beel’s Fangol team has an upcoming match and it’ll be Lilith’s first time watching him play. She’s been hyped up for weeks, so it comes as no surprise that Lucifer would use the opportunity to turn it into a family outing. He’s been doing that a lot lately.

Gone is the stuffy first-born who can spend days in his office if left unchecked. Lucifer is still as strict as ever, still fulfills his duties to Lord Diavolo diligently, but it’s like he’s managed to master balancing work and play overnight. He makes more time for his siblings now, even if it’s to dole out punishments for their endless shenanigans, punishments that vary in severity depending on how cutely Lilith pleads on their behalf.

Lucifer has always doted on her, and she has him wrapped around her little finger. Belphie has even gone as far as corrupting her into pranking him, and she need only bat her eyelashes to get off scot-free.

Lilith was the catalyst for the Fall, her descendent the glue that brought her siblings back together, and her return the final piece in making their family whole again.

But you were family too, Satan thinks sourly, pulling out his D.D.D. to mark the date in his calendar.

.

.

.

When you invite Satan over to your apartment for tea, he never expected to be introduced to your new housemate: a handsome fellow with chestnut brown hair, sharp jade eyes, a runner’s body, and the softest-looking toe beans he has ever seen in his immortal life.

“Satan, meet Satan!” You hold out the tabby towards him with a shit-eating grin.

Both demon and cat blink owlishly at each other. The blond doesn’t know whether to feel endeared by the feline sharing his name or insulted that you would replace him so easily, but all it takes is a single bop on the nose with a curious paw for him to melt.

Satan the tabby, who normally prefers to scale your shelves and nap between your books, spends the entire day a purring puddle in Satan the demon’s arms, shamelessly relishing in pets and massages to the extent that at some point, you have a very real fear they might just end up absconding back to the Devildom together. Thankfully, some kibble and freshly baked treats help you separate the two for a while, at least long enough for you to get some decent conversation in.

You brew a pot of Earl Grey with the beautifully crafted tea set Barbatos gifted you when you had first moved in, and serve the scones you made earlier in the morning using the baking tools blessed by Luke during your housewarming. You don’t know if the little angel had actually imbued them with Celestial magic, but everything you cook somehow always lifts your spirits when consumed.

Satan has to catch himself in the middle of regaling you with Mammon’s latest half-baked scheme. The wistful look on your face is new; you’re usually eager to hear what his brothers have been up to, but something feels off today. He pours you more tea, slides another scone onto your plate, and waits.

“…Are they happy?” You ask after a while.

The demon knows better than to lie, even if it’s to spare you from the truth he suspects you’re already aware of. “Yes,” he admits grudgingly.

“I’m glad.”

Your smile doesn’t reach your eyes.

.

.

.

Lilith stands outside his room, holding a tray of tea and cakes.

“Hey, um, may I come in?” Her smile is both hopeful and uncertain. It’s a gamble, ambushing the fourth-born when he obviously has no interest in her. At best, he’ll make up an excuse to turn her away or just ignore her completely; at worst, well… she doesn’t really want to think about that. To her visible relief, he opens the door wider and steps aside.

Satan clears a space for her to set the tray down. There’s the briefest moment of hesitation before he drags your favorite armchair over and offers her a seat as well. He looks guarded but not openly hostile, a promising sign so far.

“You’ve been in and out of the house lately, so I haven’t had the chance to catch you. I thought we might sit down and talk,” Lilith says, pouring two cups of the hot beverage as she chooses her next words carefully. “The others told me about how you were born, but I understand that you are your own person. I’d like to get to know that person.”

A part of Satan is acutely aware of their one-sided relationship; he is familiar with her through Lucifer, but she has never met him. It makes sense for her to be curious about him, though Satan isn’t so sure he wants to return the favor. She reminds him too much of you in the way she prepares her tea, how she sits on your chair, her shy lopsided smile —

But she’s not you, and you’re not her, Satan has to remind himself lest he commits the same mistake his brothers nearly did after your lineage had been revealed. Now in a convoluted turn of events, it’s you who’s gone and Lilith here, and there’s no reason why he can’t give her a chance and treat her like the sister she could be to him.

It’s what you would have wanted.

Lilith tries not to let her shoulders slump too much when Satan quietly stands up and heads towards his door. She’s prepared to pack up and leave until she spots him grabbing several books from a nearby shelf.

“Have you ever read Mid-Fall Murders?” He asks, handing her a hardcover with a shy smile of his own.

.

.

.

“What’s it like?”

Satan’s grip on your hand tightens. “I don’t actually know,” he confesses, shuffling closer so that your shoulder and arm are pressed against his. It’s a strange sight, the two of you lying side by side on your bed, staring aimlessly at the ceiling.

“Will it hurt?”

“No.”

You’ve never heard a single word hold so much promise, but you have no reason to doubt the demon’s sincerity. Satan wouldn’t take pity on you just because you’re —

A light knock on the door, and in pokes Simeon’s head. “Ah, little lamb! I’m glad we made it in time.”

“Not so little anymore, Simeon.” You laugh softly, greeting Luke and Solomon as they trail in behind him. Satan brushes his lips over your forehead before getting up to receive your guests.

The day is as ordinary as it can be. You talk and catch up with your friends, trading stories and laughter over cups of tea that neither grow cold nor go empty. When the session turns into a mini book club gathering halfway through, Luke helpfully retrieves the debated titles from the massive shelf in the living room. He takes a while to find them; you’ve accumulated plenty of works over the years: recommendations by Satan, literature published under Simeon’s pseudonym, and handwritten tomes from Solomon to keep you in touch with your magic. The shelf is practically jam-packed with books, the only exception being a corner on the topmost tier, housing a little space that’s empty save for a worn green collar with a rusted bell.

Come sundown the five of you are still neck-deep in discussion, but as with all good things, the get together eventually reaches an end.

“Thanks everyone, it’s been fun,” you say, reclining back in your bed as Satan wordlessly cleans up. You squeeze his hand when he returns to your side and bid the others goodbye. “Hopefully I’ll see you guys soon?”

“About that…” Solomon clears his throat, wearing the smug look that usually accompanies a trick being pulled out of his sleeve, but this time it’s tinged more with excitement than mischief. “Simeon has a little present for you first.”

The guileless smile on the angel’s face betrays nothing as he steps forward and reaches into a small pouch at his hip. “Solomon, Diavolo and I have a theory. Now, keep in mind that this is all very experimental, but if it works, you’ll have more options to choose from, should you so wish.”

And then he brings out a ring.

.

.

.

“Are you, uh, are you okay?”

“Not in the mood, Mammon.”

“Oi, I’m trying to be nice here! Who do you think covered for your sorry ass when you came back past curfew the other day, huh?”

“What the hell do you want?”

“You may think you’re all stealthy and shit, but your eyes were pretty red that night. I thought you were at a book club meeting. Did something happen?”

“None of your business.”

“Argh, fine then! This is the last time I try to be a good big brother.”

“…Mammon?”

“?”

“...”

“...”

“I’m sorry.”

“Eh, what are you — you can’t just say that and then run off! Get back here!”

.

.

.

“Twenty, nineteen, eighteen…”

Lilith’s countdown echoes along the deserted hallway, prompting Beel to nudge the deadweight on his back. “Belphie, go get your own hiding place.”

“Mmngh… zzz…”

“Come on, or she’ll win this round with a two for one. Again.”

“…Just dump me somewhere she won’t find me then.”

A tall order, especially since Lilith can easily track them down by listening out for Beel’s stomach and/or Belphie’s snores. Still, the sixth-born lumbers through the house as quietly as he can, doing a one-eighty whenever he hears Lilith’s cheerful hums coming from the opposite direction. Technically they can avoid being caught if they keep moving, but that would be cheating. They hid in the attic previously so that’s a no go, their room’s too obvious, the kitchen too tempting, the common room too exposed…

Maybe Levi’s room? The otaku had sound-proofed his walls to avoid distractions from the outside world when he’s gaming, so it’s an ideal location to hide. He can stash Belphie in the bathtub and run interference until time’s up.

Backtracking, Beel breaks into a light jog towards the other wing, keeping his ears open for their seeker. It’s only because of his heightened senses that he’s able to pick up the faintest traces of magic on one of the walls, causing him to pause in his steps.

“Hmm? Why’d you stop?” Slightly more awake now, Belphie rubs his eyes and slides off his twin, who’s studying the blank space intently. “What’s wrong, Beel?”

“There’s something here, something…”

“It’s just a wall —”

“No, don’t you feel it? I know you weren’t around then, but it’s the same glamor as that time Luke went missing and we —”

Beel goes white. He whispers a name, a name not spoken in the house for years, and a door flickers into view. One hand grabs Belphie’s in a death grip as the other twists the knob and pushes the door open, revealing an old yet familiar room.

The place is devoid of life. Most of the furniture are covered by sheets, resting under thick layers of dust. In the middle sits a tree, sagging with age and soft with rot. Sunken footprints mark the demons’ furtive venture into decrepit memory, and the creaking of floorboards with every step only tethers the growing nightmare closer to reality.

A photo frame crashes to the ground.

.

.

.

They deserve this.

Satan feels it the moment the spell concealing your room was broken. It had been his way of protecting your memory, ensuring that your sanctuary would only be accessible to those who made the effort to remember you. He cast it about a year after you had left the Devildom, after he realized that leaving your door in plain sight wasn’t doing you any favors.

Hidden away in an alcove at the back of the garden, curled up with a blanket and a thermos of hot tea, Satan slides a bookmark between the pages of his latest novel and leans his head back, closing his eyes with a heavy sigh.

Even this far away from the house, he can hear the cacophony of screams and shouts, objects being flung and shattered into pieces, a muted bang suggesting that a wall has just collapsed. The fallout comes as no surprise; waking up after living the past hundred years or so in a daze will do that to a person – or in this case, demons.

Although the sounds of fighting call to the rage bubbling within him, the vindictive thoughts of his brothers getting their just desserts cool it to a simmer. He knows he’ll have to face them eventually, but he’ll cross that bridge when he gets to it.

“Meow?”

Emerald eyes blink open. There’s a faint rustle from the nearby bushes as a tiny Calico wanders out of the foliage, peering around the garden curiously. Upon spotting the blond demon, it perks up and makes a beeline for him.

“Hm? You’re not Callie. Are you new here, little one?” His mood considerably improved, Satan extends a hand towards the kitten. It skips the finger sniffing step and goes straight to headbutting his palm, begging for attention.

“You’re an affectionate one, aren’t you?” Satan caves immediately and scritches away with a delighted chuckle. He examines the markings on its tri-colored fur, wanting to recognize the friendly feline if it comes back in the future. The Calico is mostly white with patches of brown and black splashed over the back of its neck, near the base of its tail, just under the side of its ribs, and several other spots that seem to collectively resemble a familiar pattern…

Satan’s hand stills. He whispers your name, trembling with hope, and the kitten practically leaps into his arms, nuzzling his chin with a happy purr.

[bluesylveon2]

My My, I Could Never Let You Go

Summary: Sasha Zoe just wants her dad to walk her down the aisle. There is only one problem: she doesn't know who her dad is! Sasha invites 3 men in hopes of finding out which one is her father. What could possibly go wrong?

Pairings: Levi x Hange, Sasha x Niccolo, and other background relationships

Disclaimer: This is a Levihan Mamma Mia au. This fanfic is inspired by Mamma Mia which is directed by Phyllida Loyd, written by Catherine Johnson, and uses music from the pop group ABBA. Attack on Titan is a manga/anime series written by Hajime Isayama and published by Kondasha

Author’s Note: NOW EDITED! This chapter and maybe the next few will include character background. I know the movie doesn’t include that, but I am! This story will have some added/deleted scenes from the movie. I hope you like it though! Also, the characters are in their Season 4 looks. The 104 group will be 20-21. Niccolo is 23. The adults:

Hange, Nanaba, Rico, and Mike - 43 | Levi - 45 | Erwin - 46 | Moblit - 40 | Pieck - 37 | Porco - 35

Yes, the adults are mostly in their 40′s, but look young. Let’s just go with it

I will try to keep a weekly or week and a half update depending on school. 

Now let’s move to the chapter where we meet a happy and engaged Sasha! 😁

Need to catch up? Catch up here!

Ch 1: Honey, Honey

Kalokairi, Greece

1 day before the wedding

Two passengers walk out of the docked ferry. Mikasa - the tall one with short jet black hair and dark brown eyes - was grabbing the rest of her stuff while her friend Historia - the shorter one with long blonde hair and blue eyes - searched for Sasha. It didn’t take Historia long to find her. Sasha wasn’t hard to find. Despite her wearing her brown hair in a ponytail and wearing casual clothes; she was running towards them at full speed. Sasha also held a small book with her. 

“OH MY GOSH! YOU ARE FINALLY HERE!!!!” Sasha screamed as she ran towards her friends on the dock. 

Mikasa Ackerman is half Japanese and half German. She originally lived in Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany but moved to Kalokairi after her parent’s death when she was a teenager. Mikasa’s parents dreamed of visiting the island one day when Mikasa was older. She used to sit on her mother’s lap as she told her about the island's beauty. After Mikasa’s parents died, her great aunt on her mother’s side reached out to her from Japan and provided Mikasa enough money to move to Kalokairi. Mikasa’s great aunt was unable to take care of Mikasa because of her old age, so Mikasa chose to live in Kalokairi to fulfill her parent’s dream. The only downside was that Mikasa lived alone. Her home is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom home. It’s enough for a person, but Mikasa felt alone without her parents. It was where she met Eren Jaeger's family. Eren’s mom, Carla, often invited Mikasa to eat so she wouldn’t get lonely. Eren gave Mikasa a red scarf as she was leaving the Jaeger household. He claimed it was a gift, so she didn’t feel lonely. Mikasa, touched by the gift, started visiting the Jaeger family more, and she even met Eren’s freind, Armin. The Jaeger home became Mikasa’s second home, and Mikasa was not alone anymore. It changed after Historia moved the island. 

Historia Reiss came from Munich and ran to Kalokairi to get away from her family. She felt confined in her home when all she wanted was freedom. She had also learned the ugly truth behind her family name a week after moving in with her father, Rod Reiss. Her uncle, Uri, was the CEO of the Fritz company, a conglomerate in Germany with other branches across Europe. The company also did some shady business orchestrated by Rod, but it was hidden from the public. The only plus for Historia staying home was seeing sister, Freida, more often. 

The only downside of running away to another country was not knowing the language. Historia was walking around the island when she accidentally bumped into Mikasa. Mikasa noticed how lost Historia looked, so she invited her into her home. Historia spills her entire life story (including her real name) to Mikasa the moment Mikasa sat down in the chair in front of her to eat dinner. Historia was horrified after she finished her story. She just told her story to a stranger who is most likely going to kick her out. Historia flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to find Mikasa looking down at her with a smile. Mikasa understands what it is like to be alone, so she invites Historia to stay in her home. The girls eventually lived together as roommates until they had to leave for their modeling careers. Mikasa and Historia have even walked in Milan Fashion Week. 

The home is still under Mikasa’s name (originally it was under her great aunt, but it went to Mikasa after her passing). The girls (and everyone in their friend group), use it when they stay on the island. The current inhabitants are Hanami and Mina since they were the first to arrive. Mikasa, Annie, Hitch, and Historia are the only girls from the group staying at the hotel. 

Historia also started going by her real name after an incident with the company. Rod went to prison and Freida became the new CEO. She and Freida keep in touch often via mail to make up for the lost time and update each other of their lives. Historia told Freida about her freinds, her new maternal figure (Hange), and her girlfriend, Ymir.

Sasha met Mikasa and Historia on the island in high school. Mikasa was with her friends, Eren and Armin when Sasha met her. They were often paired up for projects and events that their friendship happened naturally over time. Sasha met Historia when she gave her some bread after Sasha was caught eating in class. Mr. Shadis, their teacher, is really a strict man. He made Sasha run laps around the whole school as punishment. Sasha wouldn’t stop thanking Historia after that. 

“SASHA!!!!!!” Historia shoved her stuff towards Mikasa and began running towards Sasha. 

“MIKASAAAAA!!!! HISTORIA!!!!!!!!!” Sasha continued yelling before glomping Historia. Luckily Historia caught herself without falling into the water.

“And where is my hug?” Sasha heard behind Historia before looking up to see Mikasa smirking at her. Sasha opened one arm out to initiate a group hug.

Mikasa briefly put both her’s and Historia’s stuff down and joined in on the hug. 

“Ugh, it’s been so long! I missed you both so much!” Sasha complained dramatically as she let go of the girls. Mikasa and Historia grab their things and start heading towards the beach with Sasha. 

Sasha looked at the group and noticed someone was missing.

“Is Ymir not coming, Historia?” Sasha asked while tilting her head to the side.

“No,” Historia says sadly, thinking about her girlfriend as she looks down as she walks. “She has caught up with work lately and won’t be able to attend your wedding.” Historia looked up and smiled “She wanted me to tell you congrats on your engagement though.”

“Well we would have been here earlier, but someone” Mikasa glared at Historia “insisted on being fashionably late” Mikasa grumbled. She gave air quotes on the words fashionably late with her free hand. 

“Well are we?” Historia giggled. She waved her hand innocently while ignoring Mikasa’s last statement 

“No” Sasha laughed “Aunt Nanaba and Aunt Rico will be here later on today, and Aunt Pieck will be here tomorrow.”

Aunt Pieck is Sasha’s only known family member from her mom’s side. 

(Sasha also heard about a grandmother, but her mom never talks about her)

According to Hange, Pieck is Hange’s younger cousin. Hange’s mom and Pieck’s mom are sisters, but they weren’t that close. Hange’s mom was more focused on her singing career, and Pieck’s mom wanted to focus on her daughter. As a result, Hange would often visit Pieck’s house in Santorini. Pieck would tell her stories about Kalokairi during one of Hange’s visits. Pieck’s stories of Kalokairi sparked Hange’s interest in the island. Pieck is currently a photographer who lives in Portugal after marrying Porco Galliard. She met Porco after a photoshoot in Spain. 

Porco is a veteran from Portugal. His brother, Marcel, is also a veteran and he was in the same unit as Porco. Both brothers began traveling around Europe after finishing their service before settling down. One day, the brothers were in Valencia, Spain after hearing of the La Tomatina Festival in Bunol. Porco met Pieck during the festival after she threw a squashed tomato straight at his face. Porco had to face her alone (Marcel was somewhere deep in the crowd) and decided to get back at her. It was a battle between speed (Porco) and stamina (Pieck, Porco had no idea how Pieck was not getting tired). According to Aunt Pieck, it was like the others in the crowd didn’t matter to them. It was her vs Porco. The two got to learn more about each other after the festival ended, and they exchanged numbers. 

Sasha has not seen her Aunt Pieck since her high school graduation. Her aunt had moved to left Greece after marrying Porco, so her visits were less frequent. Nevertheless, Sasha enjoyed looking at the postcard and photos her aunt sends every year. Seeing her aunt and uncle’s happy faces puts a smile on Sasha’s face. She wishes her mom had a similar experience. 

“I knew we should’ve waited longer,” Historia complained to Mikasa and threw her arms up for dramatic effect.

“Yeah me too,” Mikasa says sarcastically and rolls her eyes.

“Speaking of guests, are the other girls here already?” Historia asks Sasha and looks around the beach expecting the others to magically appear before them.

“The other girls are here,” Sasha replies “Mina is hanging out with Marco, Hitch is dragging Marlowe around the island, Annie is on a date with Armin, and Hanami is probably trying not to kill Jean. She has been here longer and is working together with Jean on the wedding”

Hanami is a sweet but oblivious girl they had all met in high school. She is known for making rash decisions, and it worried them. Jean usually reprimands her for being rash, and Hanami would fight back verbally. She and Jean used to not get along before, but their friendship has improved over the years. Nowadays, the both of them just like messing with one another. 

“Let’s hope that your wedding does not end in disaster,” Mikasa says with a hint of worry in her voice.

Their friend, Hanami Richter, is Sasha’s maid of honor. She was born in Greece after her parents moved from Cambridge. She is both Japanese and German like Mikasa, but looks more European. Hanami has short dark brown hair, dark brown eyes,  and wears glasses. She looks like she could be Sasha’s long lost sister. (The girls switched places once, but Hange figured out ‘Sasha’ was not Sasha. Luckily Hange didn’t get mad, but she was impressed).  Hanami is currently attending the University of Vienna to study International Business Administration. 

“Oh!” Historia exclaimed in an attempt to change the subject “Show us your ring!”

Sasha laughed before stopping their walk to extend her left hand. She showed Historia the beautiful ring on her ring finger. The ring consisted of a 2-carat diamond glistened from the sunlight. The ring was not too over the top. It was a white gold ring with a diamond placed in the center surrounded by smaller diamonds to form a halo. 

Historia let out a whistle “Niccolo did really well! Let me take a picture and send this to Ymir. She was expecting a big diamond”

Niccolo is a young chef with wavy blonde hair and green eyes. Niccolo dreams of working as an executive chef after traveling the world. However, no one appreciated his cooking despite working in a famous restaurant. Sasha met him when she and her girl friends went on a summer trip to Italy. During the trip, the group decided to eat dinner at a well-known restaurant in Rome. Everyone, especially Sasha, was enjoying their meal until Sasha started eating her lobster. The girls will never forget how Sasha couldn’t stop complimenting the lobster that she wanted to meet the chef who made it. Niccolo was shocked when his co-worker mentioned what was going on outside the kitchen. Someone was actually appreciating his cooking and he moved them to tears! Niccolo had no choice but to agree. He wanted to meet this person. Surprisingly to the girls, the restaurant let her meet the chef, but only after closing time. Sasha was in tears as she hugged Niccolo, and Niccolo was shocked to see how his food affected her. (Niccolo never told Sasha, but it was love at first sight for him). They met again months later when Jean invited Niccolo over to Kalokairi to surprise Sasha. Sasha and Niccolo eventually started dating, and Niccolo proposed to her after 2 years of dating.

As Historia took some pics on her phone, Mikasa remembered what Sasha mentioned in their group chat before they arrived.

“Sasha, what’s the big news you mentioned a few days ago?”

“Right!” Sasha exclaimed and covered her mouth with her unoccupied hand “I want you guys to guess before the big reveal.”

Historia was pocketing her phone and let Sasha drop her hand back to the side. Historia let out a gasp. She put one hand on Sasha’s shoulder and the other on her stomach. 

“You're pregnant?!?!?!” Historia yelled

“No no no! You're wrong Historia.” Sasha laughed and held up both of her hands in front of her body

(Historia was relieved. Mikasa considered Niccolo lucky because won’t be sporting a black eye on his wedding day. She didn’t say that out loud)

“So what is it then Sasha?” Mikasa after the girls started walking again.

“Weeeellllllll. I invited my dad to my wedding!” Sasha screams with glee

“What?!” “You finally found him” Mikasa and Historia shouted at the same time and looked at Sasha

“Not exactly,” Sasha replied before sitting down on a rock down the beach with the girls. Their spot at least gave them some privacy to talk.

Suddenly, Sasha’s happy expression turned serious. “You also cannot tell anyone what I'm about to say. You have to promise me that and do the salute to it too?” 

“Yes ma'am. We promise” Mikasa and Historia said before facing Sasha and doing their salute. They put both of their hands in a fist. They placed their right fist over their heart and their left fist behind their backs. It was the secret salute their friend group came up with in high school. Mikasa and Historia sat down on some rocks across from Sasha after they did the salute.

“You know what my mom says when I ask about my father. It was a summer romance, and he was gone before she realized she was pregnant with me. I would accept it and never ask more questions.”

Historia put a hand on Sasha’s shoulder and gave her an empathetic smile. She understood where Sasha is coming from. Historia didn’t know much about her family as a child since she grew up with only her mom. She met them after her first year in high school, but it was not a pleasant experience, and she would rather choose to forget it (except for Freida). 

Mikasa also gave Sasha a smile before motioning with her hand to continue.

Sasha smiled at both of her friends. “Well guess what Hanami and I found while looking through the attic for wedding decorations,” Sasha says before pulling out a leather journal. It was a brown journal that looked worn and had a leather strap to seal the book closed. 

“Is that-?” Mikasa asked

“No way-” Historia began

“Yes!” Sasha squealed “It is my mom’s old diary she kept while she was pregnant with me.”

Sasha set the diary on her lap and opened it to one of the bookmarked pages. She began to read a journal entry. 

July 17

What a night! Levi took me to a secluded beach here on the island. We danced on the beach. We kissed on the beach and-

“Dot dot dot,” Sasha said

“Dot dot dot?” Mikasa asked with a perplexed look on her face.

“What does that mean?” Historia asked Sasha confused

“Who knows?” Sasha replied with a shrug “It’s from the olden times. They had weird terminology back then. Now let me continue.”

Sasha stood up abruptly and walked off from Mikasa and Historia. The girls quickly grabbed their things as they stood up and followed Sasha.

Levi is such an amazing guy! Yeah, he may be short, is always scowling, has a funny way to drink tea, and tells poop jokes, but he is such a sweetheart. He never shows it to others, but only me. Me! I get dizzy looking at his charm and going on new adventures with him. Is he some sort of a love machine? He's practically everything I want in a guy! I really think he's the one.

“Your mom sounds like she’s really in love with this Levi guy.” Mikasa comments (she also starts questioning Hange’s tastes in men. A guy who scowls and tells poop jokes? That baffled Mikasa.)

“I think it’s cute,” Historia says with hearts in her eyes and turns to Sasha “Is Levi your father?” 

“Oh but wait” Sasha stops walking on a cliff that overlooks the sea. She gestures to Mikasa and Historia to sit down before continuing.

All this time Levi tells me he loves me, but I’m doubting that now. He’s been hiding things from me, and I found out about it this morning. He suddenly announced that he was engaged, and had to leave to get married. 

How dare he?! I was too blinded by anger to think rationally. I packed Levi’s stuff, dragged Levi out of my house, and threw his stuff (and Levi) to the nearest ferry while demanding him to leave. I didn’t want to see him again, and I didn’t want him to see how heartbroken I was. 

“Oh no. Poor Hange” Historia says sadly. Mikasa didn’t say anything, but she scowled instead. 

“The plot thickens,” Sasha says and continues reading

I texted Nanaba and Rico to do some snooping for me since the internet can be weak here on the island. I gave them the information I knew about Levi and let them do the rest. Rico managed to find some things about Levi.

How dare he? He lied to me this whole time about his last name, how he is the heir of Ackerman Bank, and possibly his love for me? No wonder he was acting mysterious when we first met. I just want to-

Sasha stops abruptly. She looked at the page again to be sure she was reading it right. The page had her mother’s writing, but there were some scribbles and small crinkles. Sasha knew right away that her mother must have cried while writing the entry.

“There are multiple tear marks and some scribbles here” Sasha comments with a solemn expression on her face.

Historia and Mikasa looked at Sasha with sorrow. It seemed as if her mom went through a lot before she was born.

There was a moment of silence until Historia spoke up in an attempt to lighten up the mood. 

“At least your mom didn’t damage the diary, or we wouldn’t have any clue who your father is. Remember that time Eren and Connie accidentally knocked over that old vase at the hotel?”

All 3 girls shivered at the memory

“Well, at least the journal didn’t meet your mom’s wrath. We got lucky there.” Mikasa says with a small smile on her face

“Yeah” Sasha laughed. It’s rare for her mom to get angry. She has only seen her mother really angry once, and it was after the incident. Luckily, her mom never got mad at her. She showered her with love and affection instead. 

Sasha turned the page to another bookmarked section and looked to her friends sitting nearby. Historia looked as if she was in deep thought. Her arm was propped up on her knee and she rested her head on her fist. 

“Something on your mind Historia?” Sasha asked

Historia perked up at Sasha’s question. She then glanced at Mikasa and then the journal. Historia looked at Sasha.

“You said Levi’s last name is Ackerman, right? What if Mikasa is related to him?”

Historia gasped and turned to Mikasa with a gleeful look on her face “You and Sasha could be related! Wouldn’t that be fun?”

“I would rather not be related to Mr. Poop Jokes. He hurt Hange and he sounds like an asshole.” Mikasa scoffed and dismissed the idea. It would be nice to be related to Sasha, but not through Levi. 

Meanwhile, Sasha laughed when Historia’s smile turned into a pout. She and Mikasa are really close friends. It would be nice to at least have one of her friends be blood-related to her.

“Wait until you hear this,” Sasha says before standing up and walking away from their spot on the beach. She started heading towards the stairs along a cliff while reading at the same time. Mikasa and Historia stood up and followed her. They don’t want to miss the rest of the story if they let Sasha walk away.

Both of them sweatdropped as they ran towards Sasha

“I don’t understand why she needs to walk off from us. I get that she needs to guide us to the hotel, but couldn’t we have heard the story all in one sitting?” Historia says to Mikasa

Mikasa shrugs before jogging (and dragging Historia behind her) to catch up to Sasha. Luckily Mikasa is still athletic from high school, so it didn't take her long to catch up. 

August 4

I met Erwin Smith - a tall man with blond hair, blue eyes, and the biggest eyebrows I’ve ever seen. He looks like the star of the latest superhero movie - out of the blue when I was walking around town. He looked lost, so I offered to show him around the island. He’s such a sweet and understanding guy. Although I’m still obsessed with Levi, one thing led to another and-

“Dot. Dot. Dot” Sasha says laughing

Mikasa and Historia gasped as the girls made it towards the entrance of Hange’s hotel (aka Sasha’s home)

August 11

Mike Zacharias - a tall man with blonde hair, light green eyes, and has a tendency to sniff people - took me to his yacht for our nightly yacht ride. We spent the night gazing at the stars and telling stories. 

The girls climbed up the steps towards the hotel. Once they made it to the top, Sasha stopped and turned around to face Mikasa and Historia before finishing up her story. 

Mike is so wild and such a funny guy. One thing led to another and-

“Dot! Dot! Dot!” Sasha and Historia squealed at the same time. Mikasa watched her friends excitement with a smile on her face

A door opens behind the girls. Hange Zoe comes in with her full glory wearing her signature white shirt with overalls while carrying a broom. She sets it off towards a nearby wall.

“Here come the bridesmaids” Hange sang with her arms open for a hug

“Hange!” Mikasa and Historia say with excitement and run to get a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Hange. Sasha quickly hides the diary behind her back. She is thankful that her mom was focused on her friends instead of her.

“Look at you! You’re both so beautiful and you need to start growing” Hange ruffled their hair and laughed

“You look like you’re having fun” Hange smiled and gave them the proud look only a mother would give towards her children

“I used to have fun” she added with some reminiscence in her voice. She thought of the 3 men who impacted her life as she turned around to pick up her broom. 

“Oh, we know.” Historia giggles before Mikasa discreetly elbowed her to tell her to shut up.

Hange looked at the girls suspiciously and Sasha smiled before motioning to her friends that they needed to go. Hange shrugged before going back to the door she came from, leaving Sasha and the others alone.

The girls let out a sigh of relief before heading to Sasha’s room. Hopefully, no one else runs into them or it would raise suspicion.

Sasha walked towards her bed and sat down once they made it to her room. Mikasa and Historia set their stuff off to the side and stood in front of Sasha.

“So, who is your dad? Levi, Erwin, or Mike?” Mikasa asked

“I don’t know!” Sasha exclaims 

“But which one did you invite?” Historia asked

Sasha didn’t answer and stayed silent. Historia and Mikasa picked up on her silence and immediately knew

“Oh. My. God.” they said while simultaneously stepping back and sitting down on a nearby chest

Sasha squealed as she stood up. A big smile grew on her face 

“Do they know?” Historia asked

“Well, would you write to a total stranger ‘Will you come to my wedding? You might be my father?’ No! They think mom sent the invites and no surprise with what’s in here-” 

Sasha picks up the diary from her bed

“They said yes!” Sasha squealed causing Historia and Mikasa to jump up with glee

The girls proceed to have an impromptu dance party in Sasha’s room to celebrate. They danced around for a bit but stopped after Sasha decided to head out to her balcony with her mom’s diary. Mikasa and Historia stayed behind and sat down on Sasha’s bed. They wanted to give her space to think about everything so far.

“I’ve heard so much about them, and I want to know more about them too,” Sasha says softly to herself. She glances down at the diary and smiles “Once I do, I can know how much they mean to me.”

Skiathos, Greece

1 day before the wedding

Two taxis were heading to the Skiathos port. Both taxis were trying to reach the ferry before it left for Kalokairi. 

Erwin sat calm and composed with his business suit, but he was nervous on the inside. How would Hange react to his sudden appearance? What would she say? Is she still with the other man? He can feel the timer to the meeting counting down in his head. “If only the taxi went a bit faster,” Erwin thought to himself. 

Meanwhile, in another taxi, sat Levi. He was starting to get impatient. Levi cursed his luck before putting his pocket watch back in his shirt pocket. He would have been on Kalokairi a lot earlier if the 1 stop of the flight didn’t take too long. Levi leaned forward to tell the driver to speed up, but it seemed as if the ride to the port was too slow (in Levi’s opinion). 

As Levi sat back, he dug into the pocket of his slacks for a small blue pouch. He untied the knot and dumped whatever was inside the pouch onto his palm. A simple yellow gold ring with a diamond fell out. Levi bought that ring weeks after coming back from Kalokairi and settling his family drama. It was kind of a dumb purchase if Levi thought really hard into it. He broke Hange’s heart and she kicked him out. It’s simple, really. Hange would not say yes if he had returned to Kalokairi and proposed to her. 

Nevertheless, Levi thought yellow gold would look good on Hange’s skin because it reminded him of the yellow shirt she wore when they met. He only kept it because of the memories they had, and Levi will always treasure it. Levi puts the ring back in the pouch and pockets it. He doesn’t see himself opening it again if Hange decides to kick him out for a second time. 

Both taxis make it to the port, and both Levi and Erwin run towards the ferry only to see it leaving.

“Damn it!” Levi yells

“I agree,” Erwin calmly says next to him

Levi looks up to find a tall man with blond hair and the biggest eyebrows he had ever seen, He didn’t notice Erwin’s presence until he spoke. Levi looked at him. He internally prayed to himself that he would make it to the wedding on time and see Hange. 

“When is the next ferry leaving?” Levi asks Erwin. Levi didn’t know much Greek since Hange was the one who helped him before. He hoped the blonde stranger at least knew something

Erwin walks towards the nearest sign and reads it using basic Greek he learned years prior 

“Monday,” Erwin says dejectedly and Levi groans in frustration

“Hey!” they hear from the sea and turn their heads

They both see a tall, blond-haired man with a mustache and a beard waving to them from a yacht. There was another man with him who looked like he was doing last-minute preparations before sailing. 

“Are you heading to Kalokairi?” the man asks Levi and Erwin

“How did you know?” Levi yells. The man is a good distance away from him after all.

The man laughs “I could practically smell the desperation off of you”  Erwin’s face turns red from embarrassment. Levi scowled

“You can come with me. The name’s Mike Zacharias by the way. That man over there” He points to a guy with brown hair styled in a pompadour “That’s Gelgar. He’s been taking care of my yacht since I was away. He can help bring us to the island.”

“Sure,” Erwin spoke up. “My name is Erwin Smith. He then raised a hand and gestured to Levi 

“This is-”

“Levi Ackerman” Levi finishes for Erwin. Levi revealed his last name to them unlike when he first met Hange. Luckily both men didn’t make any connections between him and his family business.

Mike turned to Erwin “Well then, Erwin.” He turned to Levi “and Levi. You better hurry up and board the yacht soon. We are heading to Kalokairi once you are settled.” Mike said and walked off to check on everything with Gelgar

Levi sighed. He had no choice. He might as well go with Erwin and Mike since Mike is his only hope of reaching Kalokairi on time. 

Meanwhile, Erwin recognized Mike after many years. He had some physical differences but didn’t look much different overall. Erwin knew that Mike was the man Hange was with when he came back to see her. 

There is only one question that kept playing in Erwin’s head. Is Mike still with Hange?

©: This is where I insert all rights reserved stuff. This story belongs to me. Do not modify or republish

References used/Notes:

Obviously the salute used in the military

Sasha having the girls salute is a nod to OVA 2 where she makes Reiner do it

Some inspiration from both Mikasa and Historia’s backstories

Hanami is my OC from AOT 2 FB (I posted what she looks like on my Tumblr bluesylveon2)

I added more characters because I want Sasha to have more friends in her bridal party

Levi being the heir of Ackerman Bank is based on list I found of big businesses in Germany. Two were based in Frankfurt and were only banking, hence the name

But Levi owns a cafe in the Prologue? Will be explained later

Sasha and Niccolo’s first meeting is from the recent episode

I decided for Porco to be Portuguese because Porco means pig in Portugese

I’ve heard of La Tomatina and it looks like fun

I base the character nationalities on names/some reddit posts. I saw one where Pieck was Greek so I added that to her character

I picked Santorini because it’s a city I want to visit one day. Also Sootopolis (from Pokemon) is based off of there

Hange’s diary is the same journal as the one seen in AOT (Ilse’s notebook and AOT 2 FB)

The ‘Erwin from a superhero movie’ is because of Chris Evans

Hange is canonically the scariest when mad. I tried to portray this with Levi’s backstory and the vase incident 

I added the ring scene with Levi for future purpose

[shoot-the-oneshot]

Make An Effort

Requested @donutloverxo ❤️hope you like it!

Prompt “you’ll break your ankle before you get the door open.”

Ransom Drysdale x reader

You were going to kill her. Pretty boy over there wasn’t going to be the only one with a possible murder charge. Your best friend dragged you along to this escape game with her boyfriend Dylan, and his friend Ransom,

You couldn’t stand the guy, he was an ass to everyone except you, and you couldn’t figure out why. It was always

‘Y/n, have you eaten?’

‘Y/n, do you have a safe ride home?”

‘Y/n, put your seatbelt on I’m a horrible driver’

And he was always lingering behind you when the group went out. His build and sharp glare keeping men from approaching you, his bloody knuckles you cleaned in a bar bathroom one night when a drunk didn’t heave his warning and got touchy with you. he looked like a protective boyfriend, which he definitely wasn’t.

You couldn’t figure him out, why would he be so taken with you. And why would a rich trust fund kid want to hang out with the three of you in an cheesy escape room.

“We should do the mummy one!”

Dylan shouts, scrolling through the room options. His red shirt clashing with the bright blue pants he was wearing. You’d think being Ransoms friend he would’ve pick up some style. You hate to admit it, but Ransom always looked good. His light blue sweater making him look incredible and tied together with the no doubt expensive shoes he was wearing.

“No, Y/n doesn’t like zombies.”

Everyone collectively turning to look at the taller man, he was right you don’t like zombies, but how did he know that. You only mentioned it once to Claire during a movie night, you didn’t even remember him being there. Dylan scoffing, rolling his eyes. While Ransom was a trust fund kid, Dylan was a frat boy and he acted like one.

“Mummy’s aren’t zombies.”

“Close enough, pick something else Dylan.”

One of the most irritating things about Ransom was his devilish good looks, which can at times be intimidating. That matched with the glare he was shooting at the shorter man, Dylan gave up the fight quickly, scrolling for a different room.

“You know this is practically a double date.”

There it was, like clock work. Hover, defend and approach. Fighting not to lean into the warmth he chest was exuding being so close to your back. His breath fanning over your neck and shoulder, as he bent down to whisper in your ear.

“We’re not on a date Ransom.”

“Why not, you know I could treat you better then someone like that doofus.”

He was right, he probably could. But you’re not telling him that.

“It will take a lot more effort to get me to go out with you.”

Patting him on the cheek pouting, following Claire and Dylan to which ever room they picked, hearing Randoms steps behind you.

You couldn’t hold back your laughs when you saw the name of the room.

‘Inspired by the Harlan Thrombey novels’

Hiding your wide smile behind your fist when you saw Ransoms face, pure annoyance.

Glaring at Dylan, again. Eyes softening when they land on you, your giggles are his weakness. Even if the room pissed him off, it made you laugh so he couldn’t be to mad about it.

“On second thought, Ransom, you’re with me. No one would know this room better.”

Clutching his arm, trying your hardest not to squeeze the hard muscle, you didn’t need him to know you were enjoying this. Gently grabbing your hand off his arm lacing it with his, looking down at you with a smile he only had for you.

“I’ll always be on your side.”

He meant it, not just for an escape room against your friends, he’s always have your back like he wishes someone had his.

Jumping into action when the lock sounds.

Looking for clues and solving puzzles. It was fun, Ransom was smarter then you thought.

Ransom, gave Dylan the key that unlocked the door, you were to busy giving Ransom a high five you didn’t notice the door shutting behind your friends, leaving you both locked inside without a key. Frantically banging against the door, screaming for anyone that could hear. Ransom looked almost unaffected. But you chopped that up to his

‘I don’t care attitude’

“Stop! You’ll break your ankle before you get that door open!”

He growls, picking you up off the floor your feet dangling.

“I’ve seen it on TV I can kick it down!”

You were still kicking around, trying to get out if his unwavering grip. As he shushes you, rubbing your waist in circles.

“I’m sure you could tiger, why don’t you sit with me and wait for them to unlock it. I really don’t want to take you to the ER at midnight.”

Huffing in defeat, his hold on you slowly loosening, not fully though. Still keeping you close as he sets you both on the red leather couch that matches his grandfather’s.

You could tell he had somthing on his mind, but knew that pushing wouldn’t do anything so you let him do it in his own time.

“Why can’t we be together?”

He’s asked that before, you gave the same answer every time. Saying you didn’t match.

You wanted to help people, he didn’t.

You worked for what you had, he didn’t.

It could never work is what you told yourself.

But since you’ve known him he’s changed.

He started writing his own books, he’d drop off drafts for you to read when you complained of being bored, or would read to you while you cooked you both dinner on rainy days. He stoped being rude to the ‘help’ and didn’t torment his younger cousins, at least not when you were around.

And he’s never asked that question with the venerable look in his eyes.

“I don’t know”

You sighed, subconsciously tucking yourself closer into side. Which didn’t go unnoticed by him. His fingers gently touching you jawline to pull your face to look at him. Hoping you can see the adoration he has for you in his eyes.

“Then give me a shot, please. I promise I’ll be the man you’ve always wanted.”

You knew he would be, he already was. Biting your lip immediately catching his attention, not that you didn’t always have it.

He has to force himself to remember to breath when you nod your head.

He can’t help himself he’s to excited that you’ll actually be his, and he will be yours.

Almost timidly pressing his lips to yours, giving you plenty of time to pull away if you wanted. But you didn’t, you kissed him back. He was sure he was dreaming.

“Please don’t be mad,”

Before you have a chance to ask why, he raises his voice slightly, looked towards the door.

“You can open it now!”

And just like that the door opens, looking between the now unlocked door and his blushing face in bewilderment.

“I paid the kid fifty bucks to lock us in here.”

Answering your unasked question while guiding you out, a hand placed on your lower back. Now that he could touch you without fear of a black eye, he was never going to let you go.

“Are you serious?”

Giving you his dazzling smile, that should really be illegal. Opening the door to his jag for you. Your friends being long gone by now.

“You’re the one that said I had to make more of an effort, mission achieved.”

Shooting you a wink from the drivers seat. Immediately grasping your hand holding in in his lap while he drives you home. He made an effort alright, you were always his and him yours now it’s just official.

!!!hooe you guys liked it. Head over to my page and send in request for more !!

[jalapeno-princess]

Hey Santa

Mark Tuan X Reader

Word Count: 2.8K

Genre: Fluffity fluff 

Summary: Christmas has always been your favorite holiday, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to be all that happy this year since your favorite person in the entire world is currently thousands of miles away on a business trip. However, Santa always seems to have a few tricks up his sleeve and this Christmas turns out not that bad after all.

The lights and festive decorations surrounded all throughout town were a constant reminder that Christmas was just around the corner—five days to be exact. As excited as you wish you could have been right now, especially because winter just so happened to be your favorite season and Christmas was your favorite holiday for many different reasons, you couldn’t find it in yourself to really get in to the Christmas spirit this year. 

If anything, you felt like the grinch. Witnessing how happy everyone you were surrounded by—your family, friends and colleagues did make you feel the least bit jealous. 

Just last year, you were the one trying to get everyone in to the Christmas spirit. You set up your Christmas tree in your apartment a week before Thanksgiving. You stayed up with your boyfriend Mark making dozens of different cookies to pass out, the two of you decorated the tree to the best of your abilities—or at least tried your best to. 

You’d cuddle up on the couch together watching a bunch of your favorite Christmas movies and hummed along to some of the best Christmas songs; new and old while washing dishes or doing the laundry. Last year had to be the best year, especially because it was your first Christmas together as a couple. 

He brought you to see the lights; something you’ve been indirectly hinting towards wanting to do, you brought him ice skating—one of the only activities you did better at than him, he invited you to go snowboarding and sledding with his family up in the mountains and on Christmas Day, he gave you the prettiest heart shaped necklace and told you he loved you for the first time after five months of dating. 

Maybe it was because you had the time of your life the previous year with the man you called your soulmate and now you were miserable and lonely. Mark was currently away on a business trip in Japan, trying to secure one of the biggest business deals that could bring his company a lot of success. 

You had a hard time understanding why his boss felt the need to send him just days away from Christmas but you didn’t want him knowing that it bothered you. Your boyfriend was one of the youngest department supervisors at one of the top technology companies in the country. 

Not only was he extremely intelligent; graduating with his master’s degree in business at only 24-years-old, but he was very passionate in his field of work and he did anything and everything in his power to help bring the company as much publicity and prosperity as he possibly could. You admired his work ethic and how determined he was to excel in his career, but you would have preferred for him to be with you right now. 

It was currently snowing in California and there was nothing more that you wanted than to be cuddled up in bed with Mark—a tangle of limbs underneath your blankets watching the snow fall against your window while drinking some hot chocolate and stealing sweet kisses from one another. 

If Mark were to come home and saw how dull and empty the current state your apartment had been because you had no desire to do anything merry—he would have been upset. He loved Christmas as much if not just a little bit more than you did—so you were sure he wouldn’t have been too happy if he found out you were having such a horrible time. 

On the day that he found out about his trip, he was visibly upset. He wasn’t as verbal as he was physical with you—clinging on to you like a sloth. Following you all around the apartment like a lost puppy and holding you in his embrace as you cooked dinner for the two of you. It was then—mid bite of his shrimp pasta—Mark admitted that he tried to prolong telling you about the trip because he knew you would be devastated. 

Honestly, that had to be the understatement of the year. You were heartbroken beyond belief. This year, your grandparents were flying down for your younger cousin’s graduation and it’s been at least two years since you’ve seen them, so you expected this holiday season to be one for the books. However, you didn’t take his absence so lightly. Your boyfriend has left on business trips multiple times for weeks and even months on end. 

Sure, you hated any moment spent without him by your side and talking to him through your phone and computer screens weren’t the same as having him there with you in person—but you did your best to be a supportive girlfriend by not showing an ounce of distress. It’s just that—Christmas came around once a year; you suffered through work and school; crying while staying up and studying for exams—being scolded at work for things that were out of your control. You waited all year for this one day and now it was ruined.

You hated the fact that you were acting so childish, there was nothing he could do. It wasn’t as if he could tell his higher ups that he didn’t want to go—no matter how much he didn’t want to. Mark even nonchalantly tried to reschedule the trip, but the director already purchased his ticket. 

He made it a habit to call you right before a meeting, before he went to bed, right before you went to sleep and when you woke up in the morning. Hearing that Japan was decked out in Christmas decorations and how even their food was festive made you wish you could have taken off from work to be there with him. You didn’t care where you ended up spending the holidays, all you cared about was who you spent it with and the only person whose presence you craved the most was more than 5,000 miles away and 19 hours ahead of you. 

Working at your family’s Christmas annual “Santa’s Workshop” that they held every year since before you were even born never failed to bring you so much joy. When your cousin was diagnosed with Leukemia when the two of you were only 6-years-old, your aunty decided after seeing all the children in the hospital not able to celebrate Christmas as they probably would have wanted to—that she would give them and their families a chance to have their own little private festival in one of the hospital ballrooms so that the kids could get a visit from Santa Claus along with toys that were donated from families all across of California. You loved being able to do something like this; you wanted to give back to the less fortunate and seeing the bright and hopeful smiles on all the adorable little children’s faces always seemed to make your heart flutter. 

How could you be so selfish—letting the fact that Mark wasn’t there with you get in the way of your happiness when there were little ones who were suffering through some really tough battles. But you were only human; you hardly ever got to see Mark as it was—and that said a lot considering that you lived together. His job took up most of his time and you did your best to hide the fact that being his second priority bothered you. 

Trying to take on more hours at work in order to take your mind off of the distance in your relationship wasn’t enough to cover up how much you were falling apart at the seams. Mark Tuan was the love of your life—your life revolved around him. He was genuinely the biggest blessing that you couldn’t even fathom in to words how grateful you were to be the lucky one who got to love him and was vehemently loved by him. You missed him even when you were with him. You felt pathetic—allowing someone to have this much power over you, but that just showed how much you loved him with your entire being.

As much as you would rather have been locked up in your room watching home alone reruns while stuffing your face—being dressed up as an elf and assisting the children as they made their way one by one on to Santa’s lap; telling him what they each wanted for Christmas wasn’t all too bad. It was actually the best thing to happen so far since December came around. You found yourself smiling every time one of the patients beamed up at Santa Claus. 

Honestly, nine hours went by faster than you would have expected it to. Observing the way the kids would grin in delight after receiving a present tugged on your heartstrings and opened your eyes to the idea that Christmas was so much more than asking for and getting all the items on your Christmas list. It was seeing these hopeful little faces gleam even for only a few moments. You might have missed your boyfriend dearly, but you knew he would make up for lost time once he finally arrived back like he always did. 

After the last child got a gift from Santa and made their way back to their hospital room, you and your cousins began to close up shop—turning off the lights on the tree, folding up some of the poster boards and just preparing everything for the next day when you heard someone gently whisper your name. 

You smiled softly at the older man; he was a friend of your uncle’s who has been dressing up as Santa for longer than you could remember. You made your way towards him and laughed softly to yourself when he patted his lap. 

“Do my old eyes deceive me or is your smile not as sincere as it usually is? what’s wrong y/n? you’re always so bright and cheery this time of year but these days, your excitement seems so forced.” 

Releasing a sad sigh, you were well aware you couldn’t lie to him; he already knew there was something bothering you so there was no point in hiding what was currently clouding your entire thought process. 

“You’re going to think it’s silly—“

“Your feelings aren’t silly y/n. You’re only human, it’s okay to be sad sometimes, even during the most wonderful time of the year. I’m sure you haven’t told anyone else what’s wrong, so why don’t you tell Santa? Maybe I have a gift for you that might uplift your spirits.” 

You were too busy staring at the ground in disappointment to notice the glint in his eye—but you didn’t want to keep him waiting. It was late, you were sure he wanted to go home just as much as you did, so you poured your heart out to the older man. 

“My boyfriend—he’s currently on a business trip in Japan and I just—I don’t know, I miss him dearly and I just wish he could have been home for the holidays and now I feel like a grumpy little scrooge.” 

He laughed lightly while gently squeezing your arms as a way to comfort you. Admitting it out loud sounded so pathetic but it also made you feel lighter in a way. Telling someone else of your problems felt good; it took a huge weight off of your shoulders, but it didn’t feel the void Mark always seemed to cause whenever he had to leave. 

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with moping around because of that. The holiday season is the time you want to spend with your loved ones the most. Your parents told me about him a few months ago—Mark is it? He sounds like a really great guy and your mom seems impatient waiting for the two of you to get married. I’m sorry about the unfortunate situation y/n, but just think about it this way, you’ll have many, many more Christmases to spend with him. Don’t let this one circumstance ruin the way you look at this glorious wintertime. If you’ll excuse me, I have to use the bathroom, I’ll be right back.” 

He was right; it has only been almost two years since you and Mark began dating, but you knew he was the man you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. You sat there for a few minutes, looking at your phone to see if Mark had gotten in contact with you and you let out a sad sigh when you realized there was nothing. He did say he had meetings to attend the entire day—so you understood that he was probably busy, but it didn’t make you feel all that much better. 

Finally, you could see in your peripheral vision that the older man arrived back and motioned for you to get up before sitting back down and had you take your spot back on his knee. 

“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before—I love that man with every single breath that I take. Waking up next to him—feeling his heartbeat against mine, I can’t explain how exuberant he makes me feel. Every time we’re together, it’s like we’re in our own little worlds. He’s been so busy these days and sometimes I feel as though I’m a burden to him. I’m sure he’s probably exhausted after coming home from work, but he never fails to do whatever it is that I want to do together just to make me smile. I want nothing more to marry him one day—maybe I should fly up to Japan and surprise him—“

“I don’t think that would be the best idea right now.” 

You frowned at his words; wasn’t he encouraging you earlier to try and make the best of the next two weeks until the new year? What made him change his mind in the few minutes while he was away? Before you could ask him about what he could have meant, he wrapped his hands around your waist and placed his chin on top of your shoulder. 

You were surprised at the sudden movement—you didn’t want to seem rude and push him away because you were now feeling uncomfortable, but you didn’t know how to feel. However, before you could say or do anything, he brought his mouth up to your ear and whispered softly before placing a gentle kiss right below your ear. 

“If you go to Japan, then we won’t be able to celebrate the holidays together babe.” 

Your eyes widened in shock—how could you not differentiate between the two voices? Maybe you were too deep in your self pity to notice—but you flung your arms around his neck and smashed your lips against his. Your boyfriend smiled against your mouth and depend the kiss as his hands made their way down to your lower back. 

“Mark you ass! I was about ready to sock a family friend in the face, why didn’t you tell me you were coming home? You knew how miserable I’ve been—“ 

He stole a wet kiss from the corner of your mouth; his way to silence you before playfully squeezing one of your thighs. 

“I’ve been just as miserable baby. I’m sorry, I was actually debating on whether or not I should tell you—but your mom told me that it would be a lot more fun if I surprised you. You’re well aware that I can’t keep secrets for shit. I almost blurted it out last night when you told me how rough your day was. None of that matters though—I’m here now and I have a lot planned for us. I’ve missed you so fucking much baby. Don’t get me wrong, Japan is such an amazing country—but fuck, I feel so numb when you’re not by my side. By the way, I feel the same exact way about you y/n. You’re my entire world. I love you so—so very much. I don’t think there’s enough words in the English dictionary to form a sentence perfect enough to describe what it is that I feel for you. I’m sorry—so fucking sorry that you think my job means more to me than you do. Nothing in this entire world means even half as much to me as you do. I’m at fault for making it seem that way, but I plan on spending the rest of my life showing you and telling you otherwise. Now, there are a few mistletoes that have our names on it—why don’t you let me make up for not being around as much as I should. This Christmas will be a lot more astounding, that’s a promise.” 

He reconnected your lips together, not being able to stay away from your lips for too long. You really did miss this. Being held by him, feeling him lick on your bottom lip—nonverbally asking for entrance, having him run his fingers through your hair. Mark was your home—you always felt so safe in his arms and God, you’ve been homesick for quite some time. After a couple minutes of fervently making out, you grabbed at his hand and pulled him up with you—laughing at how the santa suit he was currently wearing practically swallowed his silhouette. 

“You’re such an adorable Santa Clause.” 

He playfully rolled his eyes at your comment as you led him to the back in order to get your things. Mark made sure you weren’t paying attention as he tapped on his leg to make sure the velvet box was still safely in his pocket. If you thought his early arrival home was already quite the surprise, he couldn’t wait to see the look on your face when he were to pop the question he’s been wanting to ask you from the beginning of your relationship. This Christmas was definitely going to be one for the books, and he couldn’t wait.

[cosmo-rider]

🍃MISADVENTURE MAY: Day #3 Precious Possession/Inventory🍃

“This is why you’re here... a book?”

“Ah ah ah—“ Agnes cut Crius off in a playful tone, wagging on of her cloven fingers at him. “Not just any book! You should remember this one.”

Crius glanced at the cover. Despite its old, torn cover, he found it vaguely familiar.

“Oh come on, don’t you remember?” The faun pressed with a small frown. “They read this to us in primary school. All the legends and lore of Unitas Libras in one overly child-safe story.”

Agnes must’ve seen the incredulous look on Crius’s face because she patted the ground next to the tree stump she had perched herself on. “Now, now, here me out, Billy Goat. I know it’s crazy, but trust me, it’s worth it.”

Crius hesitated before sitting on the ground beside her. He had forgotten how short the faun was, as they were now roughly the same height.

“I’m not sure if you remember, but there’s this one story that always caught my attention,” Agnes began excitedly as she began turning the pages rapidly. “It’s the story of Astoria— one of King Maddox’s closest consultants outside of the three main Paladins.”

“The commander who carried out the quest to unite the country even after King Maddox’s disappearance?”

“Exactly! She established the closest we had to peace between all three kingdoms with barely any bloodshed. Then she too ended up disappearing later in life during her last journey to search for the Lost King and his Paladins. Truthfully, I forgot about this story until very recently. That’s when I found this...”

She turned to a page in the book with a lose page. Yet it wasn’t a page form the book, but a folded up map. “My last crew and I found this in an old library in Lost Juvena. We were granted special access for another quest, but I found this in my research. The notes that accompanied it were from a close adviser of Commander Astoria.”

Agnes was now practically beaming with excitement. “Before her final journey, the adviser claimed she had a special, custom compass made for her that was said to point the holder in the direction of whatever the holder desired most in the world. Apparently, she didn’t actually take the compass with her. At one stop, she passed the compass to her adviser for him to hide so it never fell in the wrong hands. This map here? It allegedly leads straight to the resting place of the Compass of Astoria.”

Crius stared down at the map, his eyes moving along the dotted path. It was quite a long journey, yet at the same time it could be worse. If he were to guess, it would take a few weeks, and it went through some rather dangerous territories.

“Let’s say this is all real,” Crius began after a small pause. “Why are you telling me this? What happened to your crew you mentioned? Why didn’t you all go together?”

Agnes’s smile turned into a sheepish frown. “Well... you know I never stay in one place very long. And with something like this...”

“Agnes... you duped them, didn’t you?”

“Crius, if you met them, you’d dupe them out too! Look, when they found this, the things they were talking about doing with this power... it was just horrendous. They were talking about using it to take revenge, find loot to steal—“

“And what will you do with this power?”

The faun puffed out her chest. “Well, I certainly wouldn’t use it for revenge! I was thinking more... discovering a way to unite the Fauna.”

Despite her covered eyes, Crius could see her emotions from her tense posture and curled hooves. “You know I left to discover myself— learn about my kind. I’ve seen quite a few Fauna since I left Rooksville, and I don’t like what I’m seeing. We’re so divided, and we’ve lost respect with even cousins like Felarians. I’ve thought about this for awhile, and I wanted to do something to change this. Maybe the compass can show me the way.”

A small pause fell between them.

“And think about it,” she continued on hurriedly as if wanting to forget how personal she had gotten. “If we do find it, you can use it to find your sister! That’s what it’s original purpose was, after all— finding missing people.”

“That’s not why you came to me, though,” Crius interjected sternly. “You didn’t know about my sister until you came here. Why me?”

“Maybe I just wanted to come back and have fun with my childhood best friend. I mean, me and my crew are finished, and I don’t really have anyone else other than you... you were the closest I had to family. Besides, you know some of these areas better than I do. We can work together to get both our wishes— have an adventure together, just like when we were little! Come on, whatduya say?

“Agnes, I can’t just leave for something that might not even be real!” Crius expressed with frustration, now pushing himself off the ground. “I’m the main caretaker for the flock and my brother and sisters! Mother and father are gone, I can’t just leave them just like that!”

“What about your brother— Markus, was it? He’s just a year or two younger than you, surely he can do it. This is a once in a lifetime adventure, that could help—“

Agnes faltered and her sheepish ears flopped downward. “Ah... I’m sorry, I shouldn’t push you. I shouldn’t have said that either. At least think about it. I’ll be leaving three days from now. If you change your mind, that should be enough time to sort things out at home.”

She stood up on her hooves and forced a smile on her face. “Still, it was really good seeing you again. Thanks for listening to my ridiculous dreams. I send you and your family the best of wishes, and if you ever need me, just send me a letter.”

Agnes didn’t wait for a response as she skipped off, but without her usual skip in her step. Crius kept his gaze toward the ground, his hands churned into fists. The whole thing was ridiculous— compasses couldn’t actually find missing people... right?

He couldn’t shake the last memory he had of his sister from his head and he found his eyes squeezing shut. The event he never told Mother and Father, and he made his siblings swore never to speak of.

“What do you mean?” Markus had questioned him that night in a fright. “We have to tell someone! We have to tell—“

“Don’t you see? If we tell, they’ll know we know and they’ll come for the whole family!” Crius had snapped, but his hands were shaking as he doused the fire in the fireplace in a hurry. “What happened here stays here! That’s an order!”

But it didn’t stay there.

He carried it everyday— knowing he could’ve done something to stop it.

At least maybe now he could fix it.

🍃🌻🍃

Misadventure May prompts from uusikuuu and overuseofsparkles on Instagram!

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[lilana163]

Reunited: Chapter 6

July 31st 1991 was the day Harry Potter would get his Hogwarts letter, usually, one would be excited to wake up to a morning filled with birthday wishes, hugs, and kisses but that wasn't Harry, the only people he wanted to receive hugs, wishes, and kisses from weren't with him anymore. So instead of wanting praises, all he ever asked for is stories, to be more specific he asked for stories about Aurora and James Potter.

" HAPPY BIRTHDAY SQUIRT," Nymphadora yelled from the top of her lungs throwing herself on top of a sleeping Harry.

" Nymphadora Tonks, get off the poor boy!" Andromeda scolded as she held one red velvet cupcake with a lit candle.

" Don't call me that!" Nymphadora mumbled laying beside Harry who rubbed his eyes groggily sitting up from where he laid.

" Happy Birthday Harry!" Ted walked over to the boy ruffling his raven hair which he inherited from none other than Aurora Potter, Andromeda walked over to the two boys holding out the cupcake in front of Harry who chuckled amusingly.

" Make a wish," Andromeda said looking down at the messy-haired boy, Harry smiled brightly at his aunt as he fixed his circular glasses on his nose.

" I wish to hear all the stories about my mum and dad," Harry wished closing his eyes and blowing out the candle, it was no surprise when hearing Harry's wish the boy said it every year but it still and will always carve a hole in Andromeda's heart even if she doesn't show it.

" As you wish," Andromeda answered giving Harry his cupcake while taking a seat on the edge of his twin-sized bed, Ted followed Andromeda and sat on the opposite side all prepared to listen in on the story.

" I remember your mothers eleventh like it was yesterday, your mum and Cissy were extremely spoiled those girls lived like absolute princesses. Anyways your grandmother Druella planed a whole ball it was magnificent, the most beautiful ball I've been to. That morning I and aunt Bella got the honour or so my father said, well we got to give the girls their Hogwarts letters. Oh dear, I must have the picture somewhere! We walked into Auroras room finding her, Narcissa, Regulus, and Sirius all huddled up on the bed together, it was the funniest thing because Sirius somehow managed to get his toes close to Narcissa's mouth, she tended to sleep with her mouth open so it looked like she'd been eating his pale toes when we woke them u-," Andromeda began to tell her story which Harry greatly appreciated since he hasn't heard of the stories of his mum's life from age eleven and up, the brunette was interpreted by a loud pop.

" Master Potter! Happy Birthday," Kreacher squealed rushing up to Harry, ever since the incident when Aurora was 15 Kreacher has been a free elf, even though he had the gift to do whatever he pleased. He made an oath to himself that he would never leave Aurora to thank her for such kindness she gave him. The day Aurora passed, Kreacher made himself Harry's elf and ever since then Kreacher would only obey and listen to the young boy.

" Thanks, Kreacher but I've told you to call me Harry," he told Kreacher. At his words, the house-elf began to mumble apologies all while banging his head on the white coloured wall.

" Stop hitting yourself," Harry pointed his finger at the house-elf which made the scrawny elf immediately stop to look at the younger boy with teary eyes as he handed him a small velvet picture book.

" Kreacher knows how Mr Harry likes pictures of my dear old  Mistress Aurora, Kreacher found a picture book in the Black manor for Mr Harry it has some pictures of Master James, as well as Mistress Aurora's friends!" Kreacher raised his voice jumping up and down which was very unlike him though he only ever showed that side of him to Harry, the elf beckoned for Harry to open the picture book making his eyes widened in excitement.

" Thank you, Kreacher!" Harry yelled while running his hands on a moving picture of his mother, each page had its own inscription written by Aurora or other initials he didn't recognise.

Taken by Prongs aka the love of your life (1976)

Future Mrs Potter ;) j.p

Future Mrs Lupin ;) a.b

" Who's Lupin?!" Harry asked Andromeda who laughed at the small written notes below the picture.

" That's your parent's friends last name, they would refer to him as Moony though I'm not quite sure why but his actual name is Remus," She responded quickly wiping away a tear as she watched the picture replay, Ted being the only one to notice he began to rub her back in a soothing manner.

Taken by Ara (1976)

My Bubsy is adorable! a.b

" Mum calls uncle Regulus Bubsy?" Harry looked away from the book earning a nod from Andromeda who got up from the bed with tears welling in her eyes.

" Harry I think it's best if you get ready for today, the Weasleys and your aunts and uncles will arrive soon," Andromeda said quickly rushing out the bedroom, she dashed down the hall into her own now allowing her tears to fall from her grey eyes, she walked over to the only picture she had of her sister which laid perfectly on the desk.

The door creaked alerting the brunette of someone's presence, Andromeda turned back to see Ted who sent her a sad smile as he slowly approached her to see what his wife held.

" Eleven, Eleven was the last age I got to see my sister. The pictures Harry carries I look at them, and all I see is a stranger. I never go to truly know her, all I have of her are the 487 letters she would send and this one picture, I probably would have never met Harry if Narcissa was stable enough to take him in," Andromeda muttered holding onto the moving picture of an eleven-year-old Aurora, Ted snaked his arm around her waist pulling Andy into a side hug.

Meanwhile, in Harry's room, Kreacher helped the young boy get ready for his birthday brunch which he was excited for, after many years of asking his mum's side of the family to join and celebrate with the Tonks and Weasleys they finally gave in, much to their distaste.

" Kreacher will pack Mr Harry's things for the Lestrange Manor," Kreacher said levitating shirts and pants into a big brown trunk, Harry nodded in approval before running down the stairs to wait for his guests.

The Weasleys were the first to arrive soon after Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange which made the atmosphere intense as they only acknowledged Harry not sparing a glance to any other.

" Oh that must be Aunt Cissa," Harry jumped up from his seat excitingly running to open the door, Andromeda tensed up not liking how Harry decided on inviting her sisters which whom she wasn't on good terms.

" Happy Birthday Harry!" Draco yelled throwing his hands around his cousin pulling him into a hug, he was soon tugged off by his younger sister.

" Move it Dragon let me bless my dear cousin with my presence, Happy Birthday Harold!" the small blonde said managing to pry Draco off Harry and pulling the green-eyed boy into a hug.

" Thanks, Draco and Aurora," Harry replied ruffling his younger cousins hair which she tried to swat off not wanting her perfectly curled locks messed up.

" Happy Birthday Harry," Lucius gave the boy a thin lip smile before entering the place with such disgust, Lucius only came for Harry and because he lives by the quote happy wife happy life.

Narcissa hadn't said anything to the boy she just stood there awkwardly as Harry waited for her to enter, Narcissa barely visited the boy instead she sent Harry letters or gifts whenever Draco and Aurora were with Harry. The raven-haired boy's eyes were too alike to his mothers, Narcissa only ever looked into his deep green eyes five times in her life, the day Harry was born she caught a glimpse of his eyes while she washed away the blood from being in the womb, Narcissa saw her nephews eyes when she visited Godrics Hollow twice after he was born, and lastly the day she lost her sister, ever since the Halloween in which her twin's life was taken Narcissa couldn't find the courage to look at his emerald eyes until today.

" Aunt Cissa are you okay?" Harry asked with clear worry watching how a tear slipped from his aunt's eye, after hearing her name she quickly got back to reality realising it was not her sister who stood in front of her but her godson instead.

" I'm fine, I just haven't seen you in a while that's all. Now, where are my manners? Happy Birthday, Ar-Harry, Happy Birthday Harry," She smiled showing off her pearly white teeth as she brought the boy into a bone-crushing hug.

" We should probably join the others," Lucius said catching how his wife almost mistaken the boy for her sister.

" Come on, your seats are by me and auntie Trix and uncle Rodolphus," Harry told Malfoys dragging Narcissa by the hand into the dining area, once the group reached the table all fell silent, Lucius looked at the group in disgust before taking his seat by Rodolphus not bothering to return the nod Arthur Weasley sent his way.

" Since we're all here, um well dig in!" Andromeda said forcing a smile as she gestured to the assorted food, to cut the tension they all began to pile different foods on their white plate.

" So Harry what do you have planned for this special day?" Arthur asked from across the table, Harry smiled brightly at the man before turning to Narcissa who was scolding Bellatrix on her manners.

" I would certainly love to hear the different stories about my mum and dad. I was wondering if you could tell a few aunt Cissy," Harry replied turning the attention from Arthur to Narcissa who nodded approvingly. Lucius tensed up seeing his wife agree, he knew that Aurora was always a sensitive topic for Narcissa. Lucius never truly understood how deep their bond ran until his wife quite literally broke down, he had just got her back and he isn't going to let her go back to such a state without a fight. The blonde man was good at hiding his feelings, and because of this, he managed to master an outstanding poker face. Though it was hard keeping up such a show when you see your wife would silently cry into her pillow, the tragic death of Aurora Potter hit Narcissa in waves, Lucius never would've thought the day he lost his sister in law meant losing his wife and the mother of his kids in the process. It was dark times for the Malfoy's so it came as a shock when one day on a very cloudy morning everything seemed just a tad bit better, Narcissa began to shower and dress on her own and that was enough for Lucius to shed a tear, the day he so begged for finally came, it was some progress but it was enough to make his world.

" Well since you are to receive your Hogwarts letter today, I think it's only fitting to start with your mother's days at Hogwarts including your father though do keep in mind that I never really fancied being around James so I don't quite much to tell," Narcissa spoke to Harry with a smile that radiated warmth, Harry's eyes lit up as he jumped up and down his seat eagerly waiting to hear about his parents days at Hogwarts.

" Start with your first day, beginning to end!" He was quivering all over with excitement making all chuckle at his demeanour Narcissa nodded with a twinkle in her eyes seeing how worked up the boy got.

" If you insist," she began breathing out a deep sigh reaching out for his small hand and holding it with hers, "I and your mother were thrilled when we stood in platform 9 3/4, yes we've been there hundreds of times to say our goodbyes to Andromeda and Bella but you get a whole different euphoria when knowing it's you who will be stepping into that scarlet red train. To begin a new chapter of your life, Hogwarts is everyone's second home and that's what made me and your mother feel like it was Christmas morning for our first year. Especially because we had sisters who would constantly talk about the wonders of Hogwarts. I remember my first day like it was yesterday, your grandmother talked to us about making the family proud and so on then um-," Narcissa rambled then hesitantly looked up at Andromeda and Ted who seemed to know her next words, though knowing the story Andromeda was rather curious to hear her sisters view, the brunette was prepared to defend herself if Narcissa were to make a snarky remark making tension collect between the two.

" Well someone pulled us aside to inform us that she'll be running off with a mudblood and live her happily ever after because that was way more important than her younger sisters, who she left behind to fend for themselves in such a gruesome manner in which we had to call home," Narcissa said smiling innocently at the boy who hadn't seemed bothered of the m-word instead he shrugged it off as if it were nothing, unlike the Weasleys and Tonks who gasped at the word which fell so elegantly out of her red painted lips.

" How dare you speak that word in my house!" Andromeda stood up from her seat pushing it back send death glares her younger sisters way, Bellatrix was smirking but soon it faltered seeing her traitor of a sister hold her wand to the side of her dress hiding it from Narcissa's view.

" Now, now calm down Andromeda you wouldn't want to have a petty argument on Harry's birthday. It's not needed to ruin such a special day for him, so I suggest you take a seat so I may continue the story, where I left off before I was rudely cut off," Narcissa huffed glaring at her sister, Andromeda hesitantly sat down with a scowl on her face making it evident she would rather be anywhere else much to Bellatrix's entertainment.

" Aurora loved to keep a happy persona up even in the darkest of times, so even though she felt hurt by what I say was a betrayal of a sister, she found the light in her hurt. I don't know how your mother saw the best in everything, anyways during the boat ride to Hogwarts James went on and on about how gorgeous your mummy was, which she found quite annoying immediately becoming not so fond of him. Yet she managed to get herself married to him and have a wonderful child as well," Narcissa said while Harry sat slightly leaning over the table listening intently while the Lestranges and Lucius glared at the Weasleys who glared daggers at Narcissa still seeming hurt by her words.

" Your mum and uncle Sirius both got sorted into Gryffindor, if I am being honest I saw that coming though if you met your mother one would tell she was a mix of both Slytherin and Gryffindor. I remember how Aurora glanced over at the Slytherin table looking at me with her deep green eyes, I could tell she was shocked and maybe scared but all it took was a reassuring smile and she walked on over to the Gryffindor table," Narcissa told Harry seeing how his eyes began to water, Aurora seemed to notice this and walked over to hug the boy.

" Are you okay Harry?" Bellatrix asked softening her expression seeing how his eyes got tearier by the minute, all attention turned to Harry who nodded blinking away his tears.

" I wish I could've met them, I wish I could've met mum and dad," Harry muttered looking down at his plate not daring to meet the staring gaze of the others.

"They're always with you Harry, even if you don't see them," Andromeda spoke from across the table as she leaned over to get a view of the boy.

" I would like to hear the rest of the story please," he stated trying to change the subject it was silent for a few seconds before the sound of Narcissa clearing her throat broke it.

" Ahh where was, well when your mother...

Flashback:

All houses were dismissed for bed, the corridors were crowded with students all going in different directions. If it weren't for her sisters laugh the blonde wouldn't have found the person she was most eager to speak to.

Narcissa fastened her past swiftly moving past the large crowd of students, she finally spotted the group of five she hung with earlier making a turn for another corridor. Narcissa took advantage and pulled her sister into a dark and empty one, Aurora was ready to punch the living daylights out of Narcissa before she spotted the blonde locks and came to the conclusion it was not a weirdo.

" Cissy," Aurora blurted out throwing herself into her sister's warm embrace, Narcissa was taken back by the action but gave in from hearing a quiet sob.

" Please don't be mad I don't w-," Aurora started but was cut off by her sister who moved to cup her face.

" I'm not mad, nothing could come between us. I won't let our houses define the relationship we have towards one another, and I hope you don't. Nothing will change Ara. Not even you hanging with mudbloods, filthy half-bloods, and blood traitors will come between us. You're my twin, you're stuck with me forever even in the afterlife," Narcissa said whipping away the tears from Aurora's pink cheeks." Thank you, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," Aurora replied.

End of flashback

Narcissa finished her story, the Weasleys and Tonks had confused faces not hiding the shock from what they just heard, it came as a surprise that Narcissa hadn't cared if Aurora was a blood traitor especially because she speaks so highly on blood purity.

" So you didn't care if Aurora was a blood traitor?!" Andromeda asked in disbelief fighting to keep the hurt she felt from showing, Narcissa and Andromeda no longer had a relationship because of their separate beliefs so it hurt Andromeda to hear that her sister could be so angry at her but not Aurora, as they both seemed to share the same thinking.

" No, why would I care? She was my sister, after all, death would be the only thing to pull us apart not our differences," Narcissa shrugged not understanding why it was such a big deal, Andromeda's eyes began to well with tears as she stood up from her seat.

" I'm your sister, yet you treat me like a stranger! I and Aurora are the same yet you have a blind eye for her? Make it make sense Narcissa, why do you hate me so much? We used to be close yet you let the fact that my husband is a muggle-born tarnish our sisterly bond," Andromeda let out allowing the tears to spill from her eyes onto her cheeks, Bellatrix and Lucius watched the quarrel with amusement knowing it wasn't Andromeda's beliefs which lead to the downfall of their relationship and they both found everything quite funny seeing Andromeda act such away.

" Aurora was a better sister than you'd ever be, don't you dare say the two of you are alike when you are nothing but from that. I don't hate you, Andromeda, so calm down there is no need for this, you're making a fool of yourself," Narcissa spoke unfazed by her sister's reaction, Narcissa would never like to admit it but she could never bring it in herself to hate Andromeda. Though she tried many times, it couldn't change the fact that she loved her sister but it's not enough to forgive Andy for leaving her and Aurora behind, or because Andromeda never really attempted to write or speak to Narcissa until Harry came along.

" I, I have to go," Andromeda stormed off leaving behind an awkward silence. Harry then realised that perhaps it wasn't the best idea to have his aunts in the same room, especially when they hadn't talked in years.

" Cake?" Rodolphus said with a toothy smile trying to ease the tension.

[sanderssidesfanfiction]

If There’s a Place I Could Be - Chapter Fourteen

If There’s a Place I Could Be Tag

December 23rd, 1994

Emile hugged his cousin Ella as she barreled towards him, nearly sending them both sprawling flat on the ground. “You’re getting really big, Ella. Pretty soon I won’t be able to pick you up anymore!”

“Aw, no!” Ella exclaimed.

Emile laughed. “I said ‘pretty soon,’ meaning you should milk it while you can,” he said, picking Ella up and settling her on his hip.

She shrieked with laughter and Emile grinned. He enjoyed having this time to spend with his family. He wondered if he would have a family of his own some day, for a brief moment, but he put that thought out of his head. That was something to worry about in the future. For now, he could just enjoy the family he currently had.

  December 24th, 2000

Emile admittedly felt a little scummy. He had tried not to, because Remy had insisted he would be okay, but he still didn’t want to leave his friend alone in their apartment for Christmas break. Remy wasn’t going back to his parents’ place, thank goodness, because Emile wouldn’t have been able to let him go there alone in good conscience, but he refused Emile’s invitation to come home to see his parents and celebrate Christmas with them.

Still, Emile was trying to not let it get to him. Christmas was when all his extended family on his mom’s side went to his grandfather’s, meaning he’d get to see his cousins, aunts, uncles, and everyone in between! He was getting to sit on one of the couches and talk to his mom’s biological brother, and just talk about everything that had happened over the course of the last semester. “...And they tried to force him to switch his major!” Emile exclaimed. “Like, sure, if he wanted to do it himself, I would have supported him, but if his parents were making it a part of the deal for him getting their continued support? That’s a below-the-belt shot.”

“Yeah,” his uncle agreed. “It sounds really tough. I’m glad that you’re there for him.”

Emile shrugged. “I like to think he would have done this sooner or later without my help, but part of me knows that even if he tried, he wouldn’t have gotten this far. Honestly, that scares me, you know?”

“What scares you?” one of his younger cousins asked.

Emile craned his head back over the top of the couch to find Ella standing there, staring at him. “How little options my best friend had in this hypothetical situation I set up.”

“Why are you worried about your best friend in a hypothetical situation?” Ella asked.

“Because if one thing went wrong, it could have been the real situation. I get it’s in the past, but that doesn’t stop the feeling of cheating death.”

Ella squinted at him. “You’re weird, Emile.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Emile waved off. “But what I feel is what I feel. Can’t exactly help it.”

Ella shrugged and walked away, and Emile turned back to his uncle, to find himself the subject of a searching stare. “...Can I help you?” he asked.

“Cheating death is an interesting word choice. Did you cheat death?” his uncle asked.

Emile shrugged. “Some days it definitely feels like that.”

His uncle whistled. “Good thing you’re friends with this guy, Emile. You have to be the best support he could ask for.”

“Eh,” Emile said with a shrug. “A professional could probably give him more help, if only he’d willingly reach out and accept. But yeah, I’m really glad that I got to move to an apartment with him. Less loans for me, and less depression for him.”

“And you both can afford rent?” his uncle asked.

“Yeah,” Emile said. “He’s picked up a second job at a local coffee shop out there, so he’s working two barista jobs for a little extra cash. I’m starting a new job the second of January at Target, so we can both pay for rent, and I can help with food if needed.”

His uncle nodded approvingly. “Then it seems like you have everything set up,” he said.

“Yeah, I’m actually really excited,” Emile said.

“What do you think you’re going to do when you graduate?” his uncle asked. “Are you planning to continue living with your friend? Especially if he can’t afford his own place?”

“I hadn’t thought about that...” Emile said, words soft and trailing off near the end. “I guess I might, or at the very least I’d help him get a new roommate. But I wouldn’t worry about that for a while yet. After all, I’m going there for three and a half more years at least, before grad school comes around. Hopefully by that time, even if I do need to move, he’ll be more receptive to knowing people other than me.”

“That sheltered, is he?” his uncle asked.

“I don’t think that’s the right term,” Emile said. “He’s certainly been exposed to plenty of ugly things in his life. ‘Closed-off’ would probably be a better descriptor for it.”

His uncle leaned forward. “How ugly are we talking?”

“I’m not comfortable going into specifics, because I don’t have the full picture, but ugly enough,” Emile said. “He worries me a lot. Thankfully he’s safe over the course of the break, but I wish he would have hung out with some friends, or came here with me as a friend. Honestly, no one should really spend the holidays alone if they don’t want to. And I’m almost positive he doesn’t want to.”

His uncle frowned. “Did you try and insist?”

“If I had done that, he probably would have stormed out of the apartment and never returned,” Emile sighed. “So I’m stuck offering the same things over and over in the hopes that he’ll take them.”

His uncle chewed his cheek but nodded, and soon it was time for dinner. The whole family gathered around the table, enjoying the meal and each other’s company. Emile was mostly successful in keeping the attention off him and Remy with their living situation. Not that he didn’t enjoy talking about Remy, but he didn’t want his whole family scrutinizing his friend when Remy wasn’t even here to defend himself.

They all eventually finished dinner, and then it came time to open up gifts. His cousins mostly got things for their hobbies, like sketch pads and charcoal, or notebooks for writing. One of the boys, Johnny, even got a book full of science experiments to try. They went from youngest cousin to oldest, and soon enough it was Emile’s turn to open whatever he had gotten. His parents came over first, and his dad was snickering as he passed a brown package over to Emile. “This came in the mail for you the other day,” he said. “It had to be a day or two before you came home.”

Emile looked at the return address and groaned. “Remy. Of course he would send me something so I wouldn’t object to him spending money on me in person.”

He opened the package with scissors, to find something wrapped up in wrapping paper inside. He frowned, tearing into the paper. His entire face lit up when he saw what Remy got him. “Oh, it’s She-Ra episodes!” he laughed. “I don’t believe it!”

His whole family laughed, but he just held the gift close to his chest. His family had never heard Remy insult Emile’s interest in cartoons, but this meant that he was coming around to the concept of Emile liking said cartoons. He was changing, even if it only meant keeping his opinions to himself and indulging Emile in this particular field of interest. Which was huge, in Emile’s book.

After setting that gift reverently to the side, Emile opened the presents from his parents (a cartoon-themed calendar), his aunts and uncles (fuzzy socks, and a few novels he had mentioned he’d been meaning to read), and his grandfather (an age-old classic of a leather notebook), and let the adults exchange gifts while he looked around for a pen, so he could start up his new notebook.

He made a triumphant noise when he found one hiding behind the punch, forgotten with some company logo on it that Emile didn’t recognize. This was a pen that wouldn’t be missed, and he decided he may as well use it to start off his new journal. He found a small corner in his grandfather’s house where he was unlikely to be disturbed, and opened up the journal to the first page. The trick with this would be figuring out what to write. He didn’t do traditional journalling, talking about his day in a “Dear Diary” sort of fashion. But he didn’t always repeat what he had done in previous journals, provided previous journals even had a theme. Emile had been getting these from his grandfather for literal years, he knew it was coming, and yet he hadn’t figured out how he was going to fill up this journal yet.

In an instant, a solution hit him over the head. He could write imaginary letters to his friends in order to sort through his emotions, and anything else that happened to occur between whenever he last wrote through to the present. And he knew exactly who his first entry would be to:

Dear Remy,

Thank you for the She-Ra episodes, it really means a lot to me. I know you would shrug it off as not being a big deal, but it's definitely huge to me. I know you aren't a fan of cartoons, and I know that trying to keep all of my cartoon paraphernalia in my room still makes you feel weird sometimes. So you getting these for me really means a lot. I know we don't have a TV yet, or a VHS player, but knowing you, you thought about that and have something else in store for whenever I get back home.

I know you don't want me to, but I do sometimes worry about you, Rem. Like, a lot. You said you would be fine on your own for Christmas, but you did that thing where your eyes dart around the room before you look back at me, and that always happens before you lie to me. You would have been more than welcome to spend the holidays with my family. No one would have even assumed that we were a couple, provided I said off the bat that you didn't have family to celebrate Christmas with.

Still, I respect your decision. And I know not everyone would want to go to Mass at church early Christmas morning. I barely enjoy that, and the only time I do properly have fun is near the end, when I'm finally alert enough to enjoy the songs that everyone is singing.

I hope that you're having a good Christmas, though. Whether you find someone who's still in town and has nowhere to go, like you, or you volunteer somewhere because it's Christmas and you'd rather not be alone, even if that means just going to the soup kitchen, then I hope that you have a good time.

I really care about you, Remy. And I know that you'd scoff and roll your eyes if I told you as much, but I really do. And I hope, one day, you'll let me say it without you being uncomfortable. Maybe you'd even say it back.

I know you'll never see this, but take care, all right?

Emile

That done, he slid the pen in the little spot next to the back cover that had a piece of elastic made for holding pens or pencils, and sighed as he looked up and around the house. No one seemed to be looking for him, which was admittedly a little surprising. Usually he got carried up and away in his writing and he wouldn’t come back to the present for at least half an hour.

He walked back to the living room, and his dad glanced over. “You good, Emile?” he asked.

“Breaking in the new journal,” Emile said sheepishly, waving it in the air. “It needed to be done, and now at least I know what I’m going to do with it.”

His grandfather smiled approvingly and Emile smiled back. He settled onto the couch again, next to where his gifts were, and his thoughts kept drifting back to Remy. He really hoped that Remy was having a good time, whatever that entailed for him. Remy deserved to be happy. Everyone deserved to be happy, but considering all the work Remy had put in over just the past three months in trying to be a better person, Remy extra-deserved it.

I hope that you have a good Christmas, Remy, Emile sent out the silent thought. And I hope that you won’t be alone.

[carrottuan93]

Haven’t met you yet | Mark

Masterlist (3/4) | part1 - part2 - part4

Starring: MK x You

Tags: Mark Tuan, Fluff, Destiny, Waiting, Christmas, Bookworm, Nerd, Love, Fate

Total WC: 2194

You nearly puked your guts out to the sight of Jackson sticking to Eunhee and hugging her like forever has been robbed from them. You failed to confide to your best friend about what happened to you in the last 24 hours. So as not to spoil their couple time together, you chose to not disturb them and just mingle with all the kids in the sweet treats section. You love kids so much you play Santa and distributed macarons to each one of them. As expected, most of your close friends and guests brought their own boyfriends, if not, their own husbands and it was a nice show to witness, with sarcasm aside. Thanks to Jackson’s little cousins, they keep you entertained with their bubbly personality.

 “One with the kids, sure you’re missing the party in the adult section, no?” The sight of a guy clad in a formal white dress shirt, tucked in a black denim pants partnered with a classic chuck taylor, and a gray winter coat, welcomed your eyes. Guys who dress fashionably is such a head turner for you.

“Actually, they keep me company so I’m having fun to be honest.” You replied, feeling all the weird sensation cascading across your spine. You feel a bit nauseous whenever guys approach you. You don’t know if you even want to be with a guy right now, after your embarrassing experience last night.

 “My cousins here are a bunch of nuisance, you’ll get tired of them soon.” He picked one matcha macaron from the aisle and took a bite of it. You observed his expression. A smile crept up to his face and you caught sight of Eunhee in a distant, gossiping to Jackson that you’re having a moment with his cousin. You certainly know that they’re mentally pairing you up already and you are growing nervous about the plans that they are possibly plotting behind your back.

 “You like it? I bought them all the way from a café near my workplace that sells classic macarons just like the original ones from Paris.” He nodded in approval as you watch him took another piece, this time it’s strawberry. That’s your favorite flavor among the rest and you can really tell that the sweet tooth runs on Jackson’s bloodline by how his cousins, from the little chubby ones and the grown up beside you, munch on your favorite treat.

 “I never really eat macarons, but you introduced me into it. You deserve a recognition, uhm?” He lifted his hand for a handshake. He doesn’t know your name yet so you took his hand and introduced yourself right away.

 “It’s Y/n, Eunhee’s best friend. Thank you for the recognition by the way. Well, you come here with a date?” You’re mentally tiptoeing above the thin ice. It’s better to assume that this cute guy over here is already taken, I mean with his looks, he's totally a charmer, you thought to yourself.

 “I didn’t bring anyone with me, so I assume you also come along on your own, no?” Green light. Okay, you need to calm down. This isn’t like any of your past blind dates but first meetups are usually nerve wracking and scary so you played the innocent heroine that you are and chose to just go with the flow seeing how Eunhee and Jackson are staring at you maliciously from Mark’s back, you know they were able to receive the death notes you are sending them via telepathy.

 “That explains it.” It’s not that you had a thing with cute guys, but maybe you just discovered it right now. You can tell he’s a decent one, a cool and random Asian-American import from the west and maybe if you’re an ice cream, you already turned into liquid by the way he stares at you.

 “I don’t know anything about you yet, but would you trust a complete stranger to celebrate your Christmas eve with? If you’re up for it, we’ll leave this party right away because I can tell that you’re going to get sick from all these couples outnumbering us.” Have you been a good girl this year? You didn’t include this guy on your Christmas list but Santa rewarded you without even asking for it.

 “I’m putting my trust on you knowing that Jackson is a good guy so does his cousin. I'll sue him and he’ll answer for the damages and fines in case you failed to bring me back in good shape.” You both let out a hefty chuckle earning glares from your best friend and her boyfriend. You’ve decided to pursue your spontaneous trip with Mark and the next thing you know you’re already closing the front door upon your exit even before the two of them could react to your great and grand escape.

  ----

  He took you on a ride away from the busy and bustling streets of Seoul. You're thrilled to find out that he actually brought you to Namsan Tower, the highest peak in the city. You're awed expression cannot suffice the picturesque panoramic scenery of Seoul unfolding in front of your very eyes when you entered the observatory on the top most floor. You were unable to talk all of a sudden and your heart is brimming with unexplained strings of emotion as you kept on taking pictures and videos of the breathtaking place that sent your eyes into a food coma.

 "I only went to N tower once, or maybe twice but that was during the day and I have no idea that this is how it looks at night. It's a miss, nobody will be able to witness this scene on a Christmas eve the way we're seeing it right now." You forgot about your shameful episodes of last night's happenings and your worries disappeared in just an instant.

 "I kind of paid for tonight's reservation when I arrived here in Korea a week ago, with the hopes of spending Christmas only to myself. Consider yourself lucky, you've managed to join me on this one-time event. Heck, the price I paid for is totally worth it. Come here and try this." He urged you to look on the telescope, and to your surprise, you're taking in every aspect of the city in a bird's eye perspective. Everything you look at is really stunning. Like you never really imagined that perfection exists for real until tonight and you're experiencing it with a random guy whom you've only met an hour ago. Your eyes met his and you wished you aren't redder than a rotten tomato for looking like a lost deer caught on a headlight.

 "The view here is really pretty.” He gave you a smile, too charming for your own consumption.

“It really is.” He’s even prettier than the view. You can only sense your guy-o-meter raising for Mark. Good lord, is this a sign? Your mind is now ready to tick the ideal guy boxes on your list.

 “We shouldn't keep this New York style pizza from waiting while it is hot.” He chuckled, like the cute kid that he is. There is something with his unique laugh that you really don’t mind hearing at all. Is he older than me? Please, I don’t want to date someone younger than me.

 “Okay, sure kid.” You followed him as he sat on the ground in a dimly lit room radiating a romantic atmosphere under the starry and chilly skies of Seoul. This is not a date, but a friendly escape out of boredom planned by two single hearts on a Christmas eve. As if you’re two partners in crime, sitting on one of the highest skyscrapers in town, while sharing a box of pizza. It’s just that you aren’t Bonnie and neither he is your Clyde but you're loving the idea of him as someone whom you can rely on.

 “I’m older than you, silly.” The sight of a wine bottle behind him caught your attention and wondered where it came from. He noticed you eyeing the prize so he did the honor and poured you a glass of wine while you’re devouring your slice of pizza. You never imagined that eating pizza is too romantic and one for the books.

 “Any proof that you’re actually above 25? Cause you really look young. With that face, you can qualify for a student discount on public transports and still save money for your commute.” You want to make sure that he’s at least 5 years older than you. You prefer dating someone older than you because they always say that a guy's maturity is a year delayed for his age.

 “Trust me, I just know. I’m old enough to buy a house and enter into casinos, I guess.” He gave you a wink and you felt a gush of strong wind blew your senses away. He’s totally a Romeo and you took a swig of wine while observing him secretly.

 “So you’re a gambler? I might have been spending my time with some kind of a mafia leader and still have no clue about it.” He’s laughing at it again. I might have a talent with making cute guys laugh and that’s an asset I only discovered right now.

 “What, no! But my dad is a big spender in casinos. My duty is to look out for him and take him home before he could even bet our fortune with his leisure. I could always hear him say ‘It has gotta be all or nothing’. He’s born for taking risks and maybe I got that gene from him that’s why.” He stretched his legs and sat like he’s on a photoshoot. He’s not a model but he can beat the professional ones even without the need for screening.

 “What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken in your life so far?” You folded your legs as you watch him wonder with his eyes fixed on the ceiling. He poured a glass for himself and you noticed that he used the same glass that you drink on.

 “I believe we’re taking risks everyday in our lives. The only difference is the distance of our leap towards taking or not taking chances at all. Like when you’re playing a game, everything starts with equal opportunities. It’s a race to the witch mountain. The first one to gamble takes it all. You gotta be the predator of every tournament and you gotta be the last one standing in a survival of the fittest. If you’re brave enough to take the earliest start, you can use that advantage to ace your end game. It’s all about timing and investing. Win or lose streak. There is no such thing as a grey area when it comes to taking risks. You don’t get to tie with anybody. Either you’ll win or lose. You just have to trust your instincts and roll your dice like everyday is your last day on earth. If I go for something, I go all in. No half-baked decisions. Because my father taught me that risks equates to rewards and I’m all up for the extremes of both worlds. That’s the one thing I’m best at. I know how to play the game nice and fair because I know how to measure the corners of a square and even the distance around the circle which is not visible to the naked eye. After all, he considers me as his lucky charm. That explains my presence to his endless casino nights. And he hardly ever loses if I’m with him. Sure, Pops are probably waiting for me at our doorstep in LA right now. Too bad, his son is on the other side of the world, taking his own risk of a lifetime.” You left with no words to say. He’s too deep, a food for the soul. Guys like him are the ones that can be displayed in museums. He’s a delicate art and nobody should be allowed to touch him but the curator. And you’d want to take that role.

 “What if you lose? If you go all in and you lose everything all at once? Have you experienced it already?” you asked, admiring the tiny mole sitting under his left eye. You decided to take your second glass of wine.

 “The best thing about losing is that you’ve tried. I don’t take failures as an excuse for not trying again and taking another risk the next day. If I lose, so what? That only means you’re brave because you grow stronger with every fall that you take. Like a bamboo tree, it only bends but it doesn’t break. Life is all about swimming against the current of uncertainties and finding yourself floating on top of your insecurities.” As if he’s summarizing all the lessons in life, you’d always want to go for the front seat. He’s a walking self-help book, and maybe Mark Manson’s book of ‘the subtle art of not giving a fuck’ would have to sit longer in my shelf for the meantime. I got a risk-taker author Mark, right here and I got nothing to worry about.

[bogariel-frogariel]

A Wish for A Better World Part 7: Strange Strangers

Part  of my time travel fix it fic. We get to see the Dairy Islanders!

Sorry this took so long. I kind of died last week and I couldn’t do anything. I am slightly better now.

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25747657/chapters/63549790

Annabelle didn't really know what to make of the Candian entourage. She had practically stammered her way through greeting the king and the famous Knights of North Gumbar, who'd she'd heard stories of since she was a child. But the rest of the delegation was… eclectic.

She knew that the Dairy Islands was being extremely honoured as the first nation since the war to receive a royal Candian delegation since the end of the Ravening war. The nation had taken, understandably, on insular policies regarding its rulers after the death of the legendary Rocks sisters all in such close succession. Annabelle may not like playing court games, but she was competent enough at them to have heard the whispers about how the rapid deaths were almost suspicious, even during war time.

They brought many more people and warriors than would be deemed proper for a friendly visit as this was, but their letter asking for passage into their land had explained to House Cheddar the circumstances of their visit. The story had almost been to fantastical for Annabelle to believe, but the sight of the ships covered in frozen milk and people tinged blue from the frozen lands they came from quickly confirmed the story that the Candian royal family had sailed into the Unnamed Lands that sat North of Calorum to retrieve their long lost heir to the throne, who had managed to earn the loyalty of a fleet of ships. The two sailing ships that had accompanied the Candian battleship were awe-inspiring and to learn that there was a whole fleet residing in previously thought of as unpopulated territory was rather world-shattering for Annabelle, as a young captain who dreamed of sailing the seas and taming the waves.

 But that was not the path that fate had desired for her.

 She was to be chained to the Islands for her whole life; trying to patch together a small and struggling nation.

 Annabelle tried not to pout as she watched Primsy follow Princess Jet around the courtyard, listening wide-eyed as the girl expunged her stories of battle. Such behaviour would be unbefitting of a princess, and was far too childish for a girl of seventeen. Almost a woman grown as her father reminded her so often.

 Well, if she was almost a woman grown, then why wouldn't her father allow her to partake in the grown up discussions? Why was she stuck playing outside like a baby whilst the Crown Princess and King of Candia were shut up with Sir Moriss and her father whilst Manta Ray babysat them?

 She was pulled out of her bitter thoughts as the Princess Ruby sat down beside her on the bench that Annabelle had planted herself on.

 "You're looking unhappy," she observed, folding her hands over the Book of Leaves that rested on her knee.

 Annabelle had not seen the princess put it down since the delegation had been welcomed hours ago. It clashed with her outfit. Like her sisters, she wore a courtly dress, this one matching her skin perfectly whilst her sisters' ones did the same for them, and, also like her sisters, she wore weapons over the top of her gown. It was not unheard of in the fashions of the court, even if it was uncommon. It certainly made a statement: that the Candian princesses knew how to protect themselves.

 Annabelle would almost like to see that silent claim put to the test. Not that she disliked any of the princesses. Even if Princess Saccharina's charismatic presence was intimidating and she was slightly jealous of the star struck look in Primsy's eyes as she listened to Jet. She was just used to that look being reserved for her.

 Annabelle glanced to the side and dipped her head respectfully, "My apologies, princess. I did not mean to be rude."

 "That's not what I meant," Princess Ruby replied with a wave of her hand. "I just wanted to ask if you're all right. Things seem a bit… tense around here."

 Annabelle narrowed her eyes at the princess. She thought that they'd been doing a good job to hide the tension that had clung to Lacramore for the past month and caused Annabelle to barely speak to her father. Ever since…

 "I assure you, things are fine, Princess Ruby," Annabelle answered, perhaps slightly terse.

 The princess smiled and shrugged. "I'm sorry if I was prying. You just looked like you needed to vent."

 Annabelle raised her eyebrow but didn't comment, instead looking back over at her cousin and the other Rocks twin. "Why aren't you over there?"

 Princess Ruby shrugged. "Jet seems to be doing a pretty good job of entertaining your younger cousin. Besides, I was feeling a little tired."

 Annabelle's gut twisted as she remembered her father mentioning that the two younger sisters had been reportedly quite severely injured in whatever altercation the Candians had found themselves entangled in up north.

 "Are you alright? Do you need anything?"

 Princess Ruby shook her head. "No, it's okay. Jet actually got hurt worse than I did. I just… overextended myself in my efforts to heal her."

 Annabelle nodded. She could not relate to being so truly devoted to the Bulb that she was bestowed the rare gift of miracles, but she could relate to wanting to protect a sister.

 "I understand," she said. "I would do anything I could to heal Primsy if she were hurt."

 "You hold a high regard for her, don't you?"

 "She is like a sister."

 "She is next in line for the throne, is she not?"

 "Yes," Annabelle confirmed, holding back a frustrated sigh. "Some days I think she is more suited to it than I would be."

 "You seem like a good leader. Your crew respects you greatly, as do the inhabitants of the castle from what I could see."

 That observation caused something inside Annabelle to fracture and she slumped her shoulder.

 "Thank you, princess, you are too kind, but I do not know if I will accept the throne," Annabelle confessed.

 Princess Ruby frowned. "Why?"

 Annabelle bit her lip, but found that once a little bit of her confession was out, the rest came flowing with it. "I have accepted that I must give up thoughts of adventuring the seas. I know that I can content myself with taming the Milk seas around the Islands. I wouldn't be the first princess to rule from aboard a deck. However I… I.."

 She took a deep breath, feeling it hitch in her chest. "Lord Carior Swiss has reached out to my father with an engagement proposal and my father is going to agree and I just can't!"

 Her chest was moving faster now, up and down as her breathing became more erratic, even as she kept her voice low enough to not draw attention to their shadowy corner of the court yard.

 "He's over fifty and he's sleezy and he makes my skin crawl. Father knows I do not care for men and he said it would be alright but after mother and with him being so unwell, he says that I will need to make sacrifices for the good of the Islands. And I know that House Swiss are one of the richest and most influential houses, but I just… I can't do it. I will not marry him! Even if that means that I will not marry anyone and forfeit my right to the throne."

 She was breathing heavily by the end of her tirade and glanced to her side to see Princess Ruby staring at her, mouth agape.

 Annabelle sniffed and straightened up. "Apologies, princess. That was rather undignified. I didn't mean to burden you with my petty problems."

 Princess Ruby quickly should her head and placed a hand on Annabelle's arm comfortingly.

 "I don't think they're petty," she said sincerely. "I understand."  

"You do?"

 The Princess nodded and squeezed Annabelle's arm slightly, sending a pulse of warmth up it and straight into Annabelle's chest. "I do. I am prepared to devote my life to protecting Candia, but that? I couldn't imagine… I don't think I could do it either."

 Annabelle swallowed back a wave of emotion as she ducked her head, peaking at the red liquorice through her eyelashes. "You truly think that?"

 "I do," the princess confirmed.

 Then she reached down and plucked something out of the shadows of the bush that was at the end of the beach turning around to reveal a sleek purple cat that looked as if it was some form of soft, dyed chocolate.

 "Do you want to cuddle Cerridwen?" she asked, already offering the creature out to Annabelle.

 Annabelle blinked as she reached out and accepted the cat without even really thinking about it. "You named her Cerridwen?  After the Lacra goddess?"

 The princess smiled and nodded. "Yes, the Goddess of rebirth and knowledge."  

Annabelle looked into the princess' eyes, who met her gaze unflinchingly. True, Cerridwen's many domains included rebirth and knowledge, but she was most prominently known as the Goddess of magic and change, with her secondary traits as the goddess death and rebirth. Both. But Annabelle suspected that the princess already knew that.

 "May I say, you have very fine taste, princess," Annabelle complimented, running her fingers through the silky fur as the cat curled up in her lap ad began to emit a low purr that caused some of the tension to melt out of her shoulders.

 Princess Ruby's eyes gleamed. "Why thank you, Captain Annabelle."

 Annabelle grinned.

 -----

 Amethar looked at his old friend and felt his heart twist.

 In his memories, Tarthur raced across a deck, knocking enemies overboard and slashing his opponent's throat. He stood tall as he commanded fleets and strategised attacks. He grinned mischievously as he sent Manta Ray and Morris after the Candian troops to act as the Dairy Island representatives in the battles that occurred on land. He was cheerful, vibrant and full of life.

 Amethar was struggling reconcile his memories with the man that was standing in front of him. Tarthur's skin was tired and wrinkled and Amethar could see wear it was hanging loosely on his skin. The Prince of the Dairy Isles didn't stand as tall as he Amethar remembered, his shoulders sagging slightly with some invisible weight and his arms not imbued with the strength and dexterity that they had been a decade and a half ago.

 The only other Dairy Islander in the room, discounting the guards, was Sir Moriss and Lady Butter, who were the prince's closest advisors. They were outnumbered by the Candians, since Amethar had brought Theo, Lapin and Saccharina to the meeting.

 He had offered her to allow her closest advisor (right hand? Second in command? Girlfriend? Amethar didn't quite know their relationship, but he felt that he didn't quite know his oldest daughter well enough yet to ask), but Saccharina had sent Gooey and Swifty to watch over her sisters alongside Sir Toby and a contingent of the knights as they played in the gardens with the princess and duchess.

 They had all been on edge ever since Cal - no Cruller, that fucking bastard didn't deserve Amethar's familiarity - pulled his disappearing act. He had been cornered by knights and marauders alike, with Amethar levelling Payment Day at his throat, but then he had pulled something out, a frozen slushie artifact stolen during their raid on the Tomb of Cold when Saccharina had retrieved the Winterscoop. He'd crushed in his hand and disappeared before their very eyes and no one, not even Ruby (who Amethar was beginning to suspect had changed even more than he had previously thought, he had heard the whispers about her command of magic and, though she was generally discreet about it, he had seen her whispering to shadows and to a seemingly random assortment of people. He tried desperately not to think about how starkly that reminded him of his closest sister).

 Amethar was sought of surprised that Saccharina hadn't spoken up yet. She had apparently heard some 'disturbing rumours' from the sailors that had had her scowling and she was not one for holding her tongue in the face of injustice (a good skill in a queen, and one that Caramalinda would need to hone so they didn't accidentally start any wars with Ceresia or Vegetania). However, Saccharina had been subdued over the past day. They had gone to visit Catherine's grave before they had visited the capital, just the two of them with Theo and Gooey keeping watch from the shadows. Saccharina had only shed a few tears, but she had buried her face in his chest when he reached out to hug her.

 Amethar, himself, had had close to a month to come to terms with his first love's death. And he had loved Catherine, no matter how immature and naïve that love had been. He couldn't say if he'd have continued to love Catherine. They had barely known each other, both wrapped up in passion and giddiness and the fact that either of them could die any day. But his memories of his time with her were happy, and he could confidently say that he was proud of the daughter that had come from their union, even if he did not know her nearly as much as he would like.

 He could see what Ruby had been talking about. Saccharina would be a good ruler. She had sat through lessons with the girls on their way back, not grumbling, even though she was taking classes with girls six years her junior, and not complaining when she'd needed help from sad girls. Amethar was proud of all his daughters. Jet and Ruby had welcomed Saccharina readily and had assisted her where she needed help, both of them eagerly listening to her stories of battles and magic and hardship within the realm that they had been ignorant of. His girls would be good for Candia, in the same way that his sisters would have been good for it.

 Now, it was his job to be a good role model for them and to make their job's easier when they eventually took them up. He had always thought that day would be so far away. That he could let his girls be naïve and joyful and innocent as long as they wanted. He had wanted so badly to just let them be children. But that wasn't their lot in life. And he could never know what the new day would bring. His daughters were the princesses of Candia and they needed to be prepared accordingly. Somehow, Amethar was the last one to learn that lesson.

 He needed to do a lot of grovelling to Cara when he got home. They both knew they would never love each other, not in the way that they were both looking for, but he was tired of the painful gap between them, a chasm that he'd allowed to be filled with resentment and bitterness over the years.

 Amethar looked around at the silent room, and back to the way that Tarthur was staring out the window, a distant look in his eyes as he observed the courtyard below where Jet was standing on a bench, giving some sort of impassioned speech to an awed Primsy and an amused Manta Ray.

 Well, if he was going to be king, then he would need to start doing some of the hard things that he had always avoided.

 "What happened to you, Tarth?" he asked, ignoring the way that Theo stiffened slightly, the closest approximation of disapproval that the gumby bear would allow himself to outwardly show towards Amethar.

 Tarthur's eyes snapped to Amethar and he blinked a few times before he answered, "Life, my old friend. Life is what happened to me."

 Amethar nodded. "I suppose if the fight doesn't get ya, life will eventually."

 Tarthur chuckled, which turned into a light cough before he nodded. "Aye, Amethar. You're right."

 Amethar smiled. "Bet that comes as a surprise, huh Tarth?"

 Tarthur chuckled again, managing to get to the end of this one without mishap.

 They both sobered quickly though.

 "Something else is happening, isn't it?" Amethar asked, getting straight to the point. He had never been very good at having hard conversations, and it would be impossible for him to approach them with anything but bluntness. They were painful enough without him having to parse fancy words.

 All three Dairy Islanders grimaced and then Tarthur glanced to his side and Lady Butter started to explain in her lilting tone, the situation of the Princess. When she got to the end of her story, Amethar looked to the prince, who's gaze was down turned, not meeting Amethar's wrinkled forehwead.

 "Tarth," he said, feeling something in his chest twist. "You can't do this."

 Tarthur sighed, his entire back hunching. "I have to Amethar. I have no choice. House Cheddar isn't exactly in a position to refuse the offer of such a wealthy and powerful house."

 "You can't really expect your daughter to do this?" Amethar couldn't imagine any progeny of Tarthur's accepting such restricting chains.

 "The princess will do her duty," Moriss said firmly, with a confidence that Amethar knew was faked. "She will do what is best for the kingdom."

 "She'd abdicate before she agreed," Amethar countered. He'd seen the gleam in the girl's eye, the confidence she'd commanded as her ship had welcomed the Candian entourage and led them into port. People don't just give that up. Not unless there was truly no there was truly no other option.

 Both Lady Butter and Moriss recoiled at his statement. The lady gasped as Moriss shook his head in denial.

 "She would not abandon the Islands like that," Moriss said. "She loves her people."

 "She's seventeen. You're asking her to throw her life away."

 "It is for the good of the kingdom! It's the best course for our future."

 "And she's just a child! She doesn't deserve this."

 A deadly silence fell into the gap between Moriss and Amethar as they glared at each other. Amethar could feel the tension behind him and knew that Theo had his hand on the Battlepop.

 "Maybe her abdicating is the best course of action," Tarthur murmured, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

 "Your highness -" Lady Butter began only to be cut off by her prince.

 "We cannot afford to get into a scuffle with House Swiss. We already have too many houses slipping from our control. We would have a virtual civil war on our hands if they rebelled," he explained and then looked up at Amethar, his eyes glassy. "But I love my daughter. I don't want to see her with someone like him. You know, Jane and I thought that she could use the old magics to summon a child when she was younger, regardless of who she married. But we all know that the Church wouldn’t stand for it in this day and age. The only way she could really be happy is if she abdicated. Primsy is still far too young for a courtship and, regardless, she will be less of a target than Annabelle and she already fancies herself half in love with some priest so she will be far less desirable."

 "Not having a Cheddar on the throne would destabilise the Dairy Islands," Moriss said.

 "If the Islands need to be held together by this sham of a union then it doesn't deserve to be held together!" Tarthur replied fiercely only to break off into a coughing fit that had him almost bending over.

 Moriss was immediately at his side, helping his prince and supporting him.

 Tarthur took a deep shuddering breath as he straightened. "I'm dying Moriss. I don't want the last thing I do to make my daughter miserable."

 Both Amethar and Moriss looked away at that. Amethar found his throat too sticky with emotion to offer up any words of comfort.

 A moment later, he was startled as someone cleared his throat loudly from right behind Amethar's shoulder. Amethar jumped, along with everyone else, and glanced to the side to find Lapin standing there, his arms folded within his purple foil robe.

 "Forgive me, your highnesses," the chocolate bunny said, his eats twitching. "But, I may have a solution."

 Amethar raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Chancellor?"

 "The Princess Ruby was discussing an interest in strengthening Candia's inter-kingdom relations. Candia and the Dairy Islands have always had the strongest alliance of any of the other kingdoms in Candia, but a formal renewal of said alliance couldn't hurt."

 "Your solution to my daughter being married off… is to marry my daughter off."

 Lapin frowned and oh, Amethar liked that expression, the one he always got when he was frustrated with the girls but didn't want to show it. It usually occurred when they were being deliberately obtuse.

 "Not a formal proposal, just a loose discussion, a negotiation if you will. There are no nobles of an appropriate age or status for the Princess to marry at this stage, but she will need to marry within in a decade of her taking the throne, regardless of whether she accepts the throne or not and there are several houses with children who will be eligible within the next ten years. A promise of a marriage alliance with Candia would certainly be grounds for dismissing any internal proposals. And it would give her enough time to find someone she could be happy with."

 All three Dairy Islanders frowned.

 "It could work," Sir Moriss mumbled.

 "It definitely could," Tarthur agreed. "There has not been inter-kingdom marriage alliances of such a high level in decades. A promise such as this would be more than enough reason to refuse House Swiss."

 Lady Butter frowned worriedly, "Lord Swiss will not be happy."

 Tarthur waved his hand. "Lord Swiss will have no leg to stand on, Grace. Not legally."

 "And a formal alliance would be an actionable reason to send Candian fighters to the Dairy Islands," Theo said. "To strengthen their skills in water battles, of course. It would be a nice inter-kingdom training effort."

 Amethar laughed. "I like what you're thinking, Theo."

 Tarthur looked at Amethar, his eyes widening. "You would do that?"

 Amethar clapped him on the shoulder, gently so as not to harm him further. "Of course I would. To help Candia's closest ally and to help my friend. I watched you shit and piss. I'm not just going to leave you hanging out to dry."

 ----

 Ruby had enjoyed her time on the seas, but she was glad to be home.

 She allowed herself to join in on Jet's excited chattering as they walked up from Dulcington where they'd docked. They both chattered away at Saccharina, telling her of everything she could expect from the castle and her knew life and Saccharina listened amiably as if they hadn't already had this conversation at least five times before, a huge grin on her face.

 Gooey, Swift and Jonbon were walking with them with the rest of the sailors and marauders helping the boats get settled before they would arrive at the castle to be redirected to their quarters. Their mother had already begun construction of their own dwellings, only a little ways away from Dulcington, growing the small town considerably.

 The exhaustion had finally faded from Ruby's bones after weeks of feeling faint after the spell and though, she was unable to banish the constant edge she felt, always needing to do something to help, she was able to allow giddiness to overtake it for a time.

 She smiled widely as the gates of the castle opened and her mother stepped out, followed by a contingent of her own guard, regal and beautiful and smiling warmly at all of them.

 Behind her was a figure that Ruby had missed dearly in the past month.

 "And may I introduce the new Ward of the King, Count Wilhelmina."

 Liam stepped forward but his eyes were plastered on Ruby.

 "You're really here."

-----

How did you like this?

[jolgan]

Something Wicked Comes to Stay

Intro/Summary

Prologue

Rating: T

Warnings: teenagers making out, demons, knives, identity crises (plural), existentialism, strong language at times, violence (teenagers attacking each other in a controlled environment, mentions of gang violence, oh yeah, demons), Teen Angst and other dumb teenage bs

Word Count: 1551

Chapter: 2/?

Chapter 1

The integration of Magic School was met with varying degrees of concern and outrage from students and their families. But, even so, the decision was already made, and demons were admitted. Even with extra safety precautions put in place by the Elders, many families pulled their children from the school. Instead, they chose to educate them themselves or to send them to public school. The Halliwell family wanted to do the same, but the oldest students refused. CeCe was the most adamant. She argued that because she attended Magic School for her entire education she would not fit in at a public school. She had never been in a classroom with non-magical students and she was uncomfortable with the idea. Besides, all her friends were at Magic School. Chloe and Adam Halliwell agreed with their cousin and stood with her. Their parents did eventually yield, but the agreement was conditional. The three oldest cousins would be allowed to continue at Magic School, but they had to demonstrate they could use “the power of three.” This was a ridiculous stipulation. It was impossible. They were not the Charmed Ones. They weren’t even siblings. The only hope they had was that each possessed one of Melinda Warren’s powers.

 Specific powers alone were not enough, the cousins soon found out. Over the summer they went through brutal training. They had to learn to fight together, what each of their strengths and weaknesses were and how their powers worked together. They did have a close relationship from being so close in age and growing up together, which helped, but it was still bitter work. Their parents conjured “replica” demons for them to fight. The difficulty of each battle increased. The pressure came to a head when one training exercise ended badly. While fighting a replica brute demon, Chloe was seriously injured. The trauma of seeing his cousin in that state awakened Adam’s healing abilities. He was able to save her without intervention, but that was the final straw for Wyatt, who believed they were pushing their children too hard to achieve something that was impossible. P.J. also had growing concerns with the intensity of the training they were forcing their teenage children through. “My daughter almost died tonight because of your “training” exercises. Your son is probably traumatized from seeing her like that,” She argued to Chris. “My child is my problem. Besides, it would have happened eventually. It’s probably better that it happened now than later,” Chris reasoned. “If this is too much for them, then so is going to a school with evil students,” he finished. Overhearing this exchange, CeCe and Chloe came up with a plan. They were going to prove to their parents that they could manage demons and use their own brand of “the power of three,” they just had to get Adam on board. The girls went up to CeCe’s room to find Adam lying on her bed, his arm over his eyes. “You okay?” Chloe asked him, as she and CeCe sat on the edge of the bed. Adam groaned and his arm slid back to his side. He looked at Chloe. “Are you okay?” he asked seriously. She nodded. “Of course I am. You healed me,” she assured him with a smile. The three teens sat in silence for a few moments before CeCe broke it. “We came up with a plan,” she said, waggling her eyebrows. Adam tensed for a moment and sighed. He never was a fan of their schemes. “What kind of plan?” he asked her reluctantly. “I’m glad you asked,” she giggled, almost evilly. The girls explained their idea to their wide-eyed younger cousin. He stared at them in disbelief. “Wait a minute, let me get this straight,” Adam said. “An hour ago, you almost died fighting a fake brute demon,” he said as he looked at Chloe. “And now, you freaks want to summon a real one to try and vanquish it. Do you have a death wish? Do you need to talk to someone?” he questioned. “Come on, Adam, you can heal now!” Chloe said proudly. “I can’t heal you if I’m dead! I can’t heal you if you’re dead!” he all but screamed. “Okay, okay. Keep it down. We don’t want the parents to hear,” CeCe shushed. “Listen, I am not going to public school next year. I am going back to Magic School even if it means I’m going alone. You don’t have to get involved if you don’t want to. I’ll just do it myself,” she said as she started to get up. Adam caught her wrist. “Wait,” he gave in. “You don’t have to manipulate me. I don’t want to go to a human school either. I’m in.” CeCe’s face brightened. “Yes! You are the best cousin ever!” she exclaimed as she and Chloe both attacked him with a hug. “Yeah, yeah. Get off me. You two owe me for this,” Adam said pointedly. “I’ll give you my notes from Wiccan History and write all your spells for you this year,” CeCe offered. “I’ll help you with potions and tell you if any of your crushes like you back,” Chloe promised. “Deal,” Adam grinned. “Okay, great. Call for the book.” CeCe told him. “What? What if your mom is using it and it just orbs out by itself?” he asked. CeCe rolled her eyes. “She’s out of town, the only other people here are our parents and they are currently arguing downstairs. Get the book,” she pressed. Adam sighed and held out his hands. “Book of Shadows,” he called. The book appeared in his hands with a swirl of white light. “Let’s get to work,” Chloe cheered. With that, their preparations began. They studied the Book of Shadows and found every scrap of information that was available on brute demons. Unfortunately, not much was available that they didn’t already know. They had to write both a summoning and a vanquishing spell, which was more difficult than they thought, especially since they couldn’t really practice them. They could only make sure that they were as specific and accurate as possible, and pray that they worked. The cousins were very thorough. They went over every detail and every possible thing that could go wrong and made back up plans to cover that. If the vanquishing spell didn’t work, they hoped that CeCe’s combustion power would be enough, but during their potions lesson with Grams the next day, they brewed a potion that replicated it just in case. “Hey, Grams?” Adam asked, flipping to the right page in the book. “Would it be possible if we could make this one today?” “Why?” Grams eyed him suspiciously. “I’ve always been jealous of you and CeCe. I want to know what it’s like to blow something up! Besides, you wrote the recipe for it right?” His words were dripping with feigned innocence and flattery. A slow smile spread across Grams’ face. “Yeah, okay,” she agreed, but the suspicion never left her eyes. She wasn’t born yesterday. Adam sent a covert wink to the girls when Grams was distracted. After they brewed and played with the potion, Chloe made sure to stash a few vials in CeCe’s desk drawer. The next part of the plan was to perfect using the crystal cage. This was purely to be sure that they could get the job done before they got attacked and things started going wrong. It would be humiliating if they needed their parents to bail them out. Adam and CeCe both orbed to the attic late at night so he could practice sliding the last crystal perfectly in place. When they felt confident enough, they put their plan into motion. One evening after training, they set up the crystal cage in the conservatory. Chloe called their parents into the room and joined Adam and CeCe, potions already in hand. When their parents arrived the three of them began summoning the brute. When he appeared, Adam slid the last crystal in place using his power. The brute began to fight to escape from his prison. The cousins joined hands and recited the spell they wrote together to vanquish him. The demon burst into flames signifying that their spell had worked. The cousins reacted excitedly, thrilled that they were successful. When they were done celebrating, they looked over to their parents, who were wearing varying expressions of shock and amazement. “Did our fifteen-year-old kids just…” P.J. stammered. “Mine is fourteen,” Chris stated. “Was that a brute?” “I didn’t think there were spells to summon or vanquish brutes,” Wyatt pondered out loud. The older Halliwells were impressed with their children’s performance, but that didn’t save the teens from a lecture about how recklessly they behaved. By the end, they admitted that the cousins had proved themselves and they would be allowed to stay enrolled in Magic School. CeCe, Chloe, and Adam were thrilled. Of the nine magical Halliwell children, three remained at the school and the younger six were pulled out and sent to public school. The oldest three cousins were excited to see what it would be like to go to school with demons. Excited, but also terrified. It was a thrilling mix of emotion. They couldn’t wait for school to be back in session.

**A/N** I wanted this to just be a nice little recap and then to get right into the story, but they had other ideas. I am but a vessel, so who am I to argue? The boys are coming next chapter I promise!

[rhetoricalrogue]

31 Days of Wayhaven: Day 5

Prompt: Moon Rating: G Characters: Penelope Fisher, Lina Fisher Words: 1,251 Summary: The first full moon shift of a young werewolf’s life was an important event, especially in the Fisher family.

For the @31daysofwayhaven event.

“But Tante, tomorrow is special!”

Penny began to pace the tiny safe house Unit Charlie was currently using and pulled at her hair.  “I know it is, Knuddelbär, and if I could be there with you, I would.”

“My first full moon!”

From his seat in the living room, Cam gave her a sympathetic half-smile.  If anything, knowing he was listening calmed her down from the verge of tears her favorite niece had brought her to.

While werewolves didn’t transform based on what phase the moon was in, the full moon was always preferable for her family’s pack gatherings just so the extra light could help them keep track of the younger participants. Within her family, it was an important traditional milestone when a child was old enough to be deemed ready for their very first official shift and run with the rest of the pack. A milestone that was certainly slightly frowned upon for missing, especially amongst close family members, of which she was considered.  A milestone that she was definitely going to miss due to being on a mission that didn’t necessarily even need her skillset.

What made matters worse is that this was the last of the first full moon runnings for a very long time, unless one of her sister-in-laws had another child anytime soon.  She’d gotten to share the experience with all of her five brothers’ other children and it was unfair that Penelope was going to miss the one she was looking forward to being with the most.  Little Lina had always been a sickly baby, so much that Penelope had taken leave from Unit Charlie to help care for her and as such, had developed a tight bond with her niece that was almost as close as a mother to her daughter.  Lina was definitely the smallest of her nieces and nephews, but that fact didn’t stop her from roughhousing just as hard, and at times even harder than her siblings and cousins.

Not being there to see her shift for the first time and hear the tiny, warbly howl she had spent weeks practicing over the phone with her in person was killing Penny. “I’m so sorry I can’t be there,” she started, then stopped and put her hand over her mouth when she heard the telltale faint sniffle on the other end.  “But you know what we’ll do?” 

“What?”

“Right before you change, look up at the moon. I’ll be looking up at the exact same moon right with you.  I’m going to stand very still and listen for your howl and I’m going to give you an answering call.”

“But you’re so far away!  How will you hear me?  How will I hear you?”

Penny wiped at her damp eyes with the heel of her hand.  “Oh, mein kleiner Schätzchen. Family will always hear the other, no matter how far away they are.  You just hear them with your heart instead of your ears.”

Her heart broke when she heard the shaky inhale of breath, then a clearer one as Lina fought to get control of her emotions. “I love you, Aunt Penny.” 

“And I love you too, my Lina.  I love you so much, Liebling.”  There was a shift and Penelope heard her eldest brother get on the line.  She spent a good ten minutes speaking with him, the both of them reverting to the rapid fire German they had grown up speaking.  She repeated how sorry she was that she was going to miss Lina’s big milestone, and while she knew her brother was trying to calm her, she could hear how sorry he was that she was missing it too.  They hung up and Penny sank onto the sofa next to Cam.

“I’m sorry that this mission took you away from your family,” he told her quietly.

“Nonsense,” she replied, giving him a watery smile.  “Unit Charlie is my family too, you know.”

“You know what I mean.”  Penny froze as Cam reached out and caught a tear she’d missed with his knuckle.  “Which is why I’m sending you to them.”

“What?”

“This mission is all but wrapped up.  I’m handling the remaining negotiations and Nicky has been the charming person we needed him to be to get this treaty signed.  If you leave tonight, you can be at your family home before nightfall.”

Penny shook her head, eyes wide.  “But...what about airfare?  Cam, I can’t book a flight on such short notice out to the middle of…”

“It’s already been taken care of.” He held up his phone as he typed. “Give me a second to email you your boarding pass and once you grab your gear, I can drive you to the airport.”

She stared at him and she couldn’t help the fresh sting of tears that blurred her vision.  “How long have you been planning this?” she asked, jumping as her phone pinged in her hand.  A quick glance at the notification screen told her it had been Cam sending her travel tickets to her.

“Since I found out that we’d be traveling at a time when you should be with the people who matter most to you.”  He would have said more, but Penny flung herself at him, her arms going around his neck.  

“Wonderful man,” she told him, voice muffled at the side of this neck.  “I could kiss you.”

She felt his hand tangle in her hair as he pulled her closer into a friendly hug.  “Come on,” he said, his voice cracking a little as he pulled back enough to look her in the eye.  “Any more of that talk and you’ll miss your flight.”  

Penny jumped off the sofa and hurriedly ran over to the room she and Winona were sharing to shove clothes into her backpack.  She noticed that Cam had already taken the liberty of pulling out any Agency gear from her bag so she wouldn’t have to worry about airport security, and her heart warmed at how thoughtful he was.

He’s a good friend, she thought, zipping up her bag and slinging it over a shoulder.  I only wish he knew how much I loved him.  She knew about his past, about how he’d been betrayed by the woman who was supposed to love him in a fit of jealousy over nothing.  She also understood that even decades later, he would be reluctant to ever love again, and yet there she was, captivated by his gentle manner, ocean-blue eyes, and brilliant mind.  She wished that they had met years earlier, that maybe then he would have perhaps thought to have something more than a friendship and professional partnership with her.  Had he entrusted his sealskin to her, she would have guarded it with her life, protecting it from harm and giving it to him freely to use whenever he wished.

But that was neither here nor there.  If his friendship was all that he was able to give to her, she would take it gladly, giving hers to him in return.

They bumped into Winona and Nicky on the way out, both of them wishing her a safe trip.  Of course they would be in on it too.  Now it made sense why everyone had been so focused on this mission to get things done in a timely manner, to wrap things up as quickly and efficiently as possible.

She’d have to thank them later.  Right now, she had a very special niece to get to.