#Oc: Hester Catch

[crashpill]

@f1zzlest1ckzz

Have my OCs packed next to each other! 👀

[derpy-thebdayclown]

oh btw i have an oc loop . ha ha ha

they are mainly separate from canon story, however they do have a plotline that also follows the events! millie & fritz are the only ones who really directly interact with the main cast - millie being introduced in hollow city, she has major cheshire cat vibes tbh, and fritz being introduced in devils acre in wight captivity during library of souls.

they both share how their loop was raided, millie being the only one who escaped and has been swimming for god knows how long to god knows where! she pesters the cairnholm gang after spotting them from the water, and seems to appear everytime they pass a body of it to everyones annoyed dismay. fritz is being used by wights for his healing ability, and is rescued by emma and jacob. he is present during the fall of abaton because he cant catch a break i guess

originally, i made hester & freddie (formerly stevie) as part of miss peregrines loop! but i had trouble meshing them with the story and they didnt fit very well so i decided to make my own separate loop. i love ocs and have a habit of making Way Too Many so this was a fun task for me

Ok enough yapping from me good day gang

[bluebird-in-a-cagedrawing]

Nightmare AU part 24

SPOILER: GORE AND A LITTLE DEATH, you have been warned:

This idea hit me for the walls of the motel, it was a nightmare for me to choose the perfect ones but i figured out in the end... Also the motel is big and has different rooms color. 😅

Le souris bonbon neige:" New faces are always welcome, i'm also hungry, when is lunch?"

Amstran the moon dancer:"I heard someone calling me, oh hello, new faces i see."

Hester the photo marksmen:"Weren't you at the lake just now?"

Amstran the moon dancer:"At the lake? Why would i be there? I was with Rosalinda."

Sky Coeur the detective:"Did someone let the main entry open? I saw the locket unlocked, what if there is a thief?"

Lumboo the light ghost:"It's getting late, you should go home Jenna Heart! Tell your father we need at least four more kilograms of fish,maybe Gliudinius."

Jenna Heart:"You are right, i will, hope he can catch them for some reason the fish become hard to catch like they are afraid of something."

Yan-naifu the ghost:She can stay here, looks like a storm is coming soon."

Jenna Heart:"That would be ovely unfortunately i have to go, i don't want to catch me on my way back."

Panel 3

Jenna Heart:"Help!Let me go, you jerk! Nooooo...nooooo,let gooo!"

Yan-naifu the ghost:"Guys, over here, they took Jenna Heart!"

Le souris bonbon neige: Ice! Velvet icee storm ignite!"

Amstran the moon dancer:"Let her go, now! Le souris bonbon neige take left i will take right, let's hurry!"

Panel 4

Jenna Heart:"Put me down! Felix Reddison be careful, no don't harm them!You monster, leave them alone!"

Sweet Lime:"I'm taking care of them, you take her and go..."

Luna the moon demon:" Who are you?Stay right there!"

Sweet Lime:"You can't stop this, we will have the energy for the machine, bags of bones."

Nishya the dream cat: "Oh no, how horrible! How can they do something like this?"

Luna the moon demon:"This is what Feliciano the intoxicated cat warned us about."

Red the future teller:"They use their own people life force, we have to move."

Hester the photo marksmen:"You did this, come here!

Sweet Lime:"I may not be powerful, but i'm not gonna get killed so easily. Poison is my speciality."

Le souris bonbon neige:"Ah, be careful, it's very corrosive, like an acid or something."

Hester the photo marksmen:"You can try your little tricks but that won't work on me!"

Panel 7

Moon on fire:"You are the cat with a purpose, to only serve our False king desire, let the nightmare era begin."

Vanessa the 3 knight:" You sure have a big mouth, eh, shut up, stop crying like a child!"

Le souris bonbon neige: "Ice, now Faith the head rabbit hit them, trap them!"

Faith the head rabbit:"Time ignite zero!"

Staran the galaxy man:"Guys over here, they need help, it's ok Red the fortune teller, we got them."

Amstran the moon dancer:"It's not your fault, Red the fortune teller."

Red the fortune teller:"I should had protected her, but i couldn't do anything...They will be after my sister as well, this... Dream cat is not just a title, you know!"

Amstran the moon dancer:"We can't do anything else, we lost this battle but not the war!"

Melinoë the princess of nightmares:" This is horrible, i feel like this is all my fault, they were after me."

Le souris bonbon neige:"It's nobody fault, at least we know more how this works, we just need to be better prepared."

Felix Reddison:"Well, i think i know who can help you, with that..."

Part 1 till part 23

Also, happy birthday to my pumpkin oc Amstran the moon dancer:

[mysticstarlightduck]

One Song for Every OC Tag:

I was kindly tagged by @rickie-the-storyteller for this one! I had a pretty crazy week, so I was slow on responding to my prior tag games, but I am now trying to catch up!

Rules -  Assign a song that fits the vibe of your OC

As someone that adores making OC playlists, this is going to be so fun to do! Anyways, let’s get started!

Raelen - Dance With Fire by Karliene

Azra - Dragon by Built By Titan

Julyan - Nothing Is Lost by Weeknd

Ansell - The Moon Will Sing by The Crane Wives

Ellinor -  Castle by Halsey

Jamie - Dear Fellow Traveller - Sea Wolf

Zephyr - Streets of Gold by  Aviators

Orion - Drown With Me by Falconshield

Myrah - Loreley by Blackmore’s Night

Nethen - Beautiful Crime by Tamer

Nyx - Song of The Seven by Joey Batey (from The Witcher soundtrack)

Bryn - Psychosis by Mitchel Dae

Nadinne - How Far I’ll Go - Moana

Kaden - Bard’s Songs by The Blind Guardian

Sybil - Savage Daughter by Sarah Hester 

Cassander - Guns For Hire by Woodkid

Luciya - Over The Hills and Far Away by Hurdy Gurdy (cover)

Morwan -  The Calling by The Amazing Devil

Vallerius - The Horror and The Wild by The Amazing Devil

Tanwin -  Heart Of The Night - Divide Music

Darian - Lend Me Your Voice - Belle (Male Cover)

Yuna - Mary Read by Karliene 

Fabian - Enemy by Imagine Dragons

Emryc - Everybody Loves Me by One Republic

Tagging (gently) - @lassiesandiego @writernopal @clairelsonao3 @liv-is @elshells @cherrybombfangirlwrites @unstablewifiaccess @jasperygrace @moonandris @repressed-and-depressed @lyutenw @gummybugg @sagewildflower

[writersblockcat]

OC Introduction #2 - Royal Kids

Kaisei (1st picture) and Alexander (2nd picture)

Kaisei and Alexander are Lady Cat and Tom's firstborn sons.

Kaisei takes after his mom more in terms of personality and interests, while Alexander is more quiet like his dad.

Kaisei has a lot of interest in demon sport, especially staff combat, something his mom excels at. Meanwhile, despite being human, Alexander is very interested in magic, and enjoys studying it.

Reid

Reid also takes after his mom's personality and interests, just like his older brother Kaisei. He's also very interested in human life and is always eager to learn more about it. He supposedly spends more time on Earth than he does in his own home, Technica.

Amaris

Lady Amaris is an outgoing and opinionated young woman, always speaking up for what she believes in. This makes Lady Cat proud, as she was (and still is) the same way. Lady Cat believes that if Amaris ever decides to take over the throne after Lady Cat, she will be an excellent leader.

Amaris's outgoing personality also makes her very bubbly and friendly, making her quite popular.

Hester

Hester is the only other human child of the royal family. She doesn't have as much responsibility as her older siblings, so she spends her time learning who she is and enjoying her hobbies.

She doesn't want her mom to find out about the times she "borrowed" some CDs from her collection...

"Hester, have you seen my copy of Hybrid Theory anywhere?"

"Uh...n-no Mom, I don't think so..."

"Huh...maybe Reid has it. I'll go ask him."

Trixie

Trixie was born with a harmless condition that causes one of her wings to develop normally, while the other remains small and discolored. She was very self-conscious of it, until Lady Cat assured her that sometimes these things happen, and eventually, her other wing would catch up. But until then, she could consider it something that made her unique.

Trixie isn't as interested in taking on royal responsibilities when she gets older. Instead, she wants to be a fashion designer, and possibly a model too.

Farren

Farren is a very quiet and timid boy, always carrying a teddy bear he received as a gift from Tom when he was a baby. He likes to spend a lot of his time in Lady Cat's library, because it's always quiet, and he can read as much as he wants. He's very curious about the world's phenomena, even if he's too nervous to ask questions.

He has ZERO interest in royal responsibilities, especially concerning leading a country. Thinking about it makes him anxious, so he'd rather not.

[caitlinsnicket]

What about it? What about us? (pt. 2)

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4

Summary: When Lee left one year ago, he thought he would never see you again. He also thought he wouldn’t miss you, or feel hurt. Turns out, both of these assumptions were wrong. Is it too late to fix his mistakes? Or there’s still something left?

Characters: Lee Scoresby, Hester, Y/N, D/N, OC’s.

Warnings: Angst, swear words, short as fuck.

A/N: I’m not even going to justify my hiatus. Hello again, I’m sorry, I’m alive. Here’s chapter two after, what, two months? I’m sorry. I hope you like it, feel free to like, reblog, or comment!

He wasn’t bleeding that badly. Just a little, and just enough (though Y/N wondered if she shouldn’t have hit him harder, and maybe more times). After a while, long enough for him to recover from the punch and sit down in a chair, she finally walked up to him with a clean cloth for his nose. 

And at first, she thought he was mad at her, but he looked relieved, at ease even, with a dreamy look in his eyes as he analyzed her face. She held his chin firmly with her right hand and used the left one to clean him. Silence settled itself between them. She was boiling with anger, and Hester could see it in the way D/N shot daggers at her with his eyes.

“Your punches got stronger” Lee commented, almost whimpering.

Y/N pressed the cloth a little more forcefully against his nose, and he quickly held her wrist while groaning.

“Hey! I got the message, you’re mad. Can you stop hurting me now?” At his touch, she suddenly dropped the once clean fabric in his hand, stepping away from him. His touch still burned her skin. “And maybe, start talking?” He asked, tentatively.

Her face lit up with new light, D/N making a noise in the ground and showing his teeth to Hester. 

“Oh, so now I also have to do the talking? I’m not the one who left in the middle of the night” She spat at him, crossing her arms in front of herself and looking right to his face.

A shadow crossed his features, almost as if he was hurt by her words, but it couldn’t be. He didn’t have the right. She knew she wasn’t wrong, he indeed left in the middle of the night.

And, in a way, she knew he was going to do it.

Lee sighed, using the cloth one more time and then getting up, leaving it on the counter. The pharmacy was empty now, just the two of them, their daemons and that tension, almost so thick that could be cut with a knife. It was getting hard to breath, and suddenly she was aware of how close she was from him, and how he was getting closer...

“What the hell are you doing here?” She asked, more gently this time, taking another step back and trying to breathe normally again.

He explained everything that brought him there, and Y/N took that time to study his face: he looked the same as he did one year before, maybe more tired and older, but still handsome nonetheless. Y/N caught her hands twitching to touch him, to see if he was okay because it had been a year and for all she knew, he could’ve been killed.

“...Now, we just need to deliver the payment, and we’ll be gone. We also need extra help. A local will keep everyone calm. Also, you are one of the best shooters I know.” Lee finished his explanation, a weird look on his face. 

“I thought you were dead,” Y/N told him casually, almost as if she was telling him that she had a salad for lunch. “I couldn’t leave, so I was attentive on the news. Nothing about you, or the balloon, or Hester. I thought you were dead”.

He seems taken aback by that statement and falls silent. Hester and D/N are still muttering below them, but the silence between was different now: a sorrowful, full of regret kind of silence. It seemed like Lee was trying to catch his breath. Y/N felt her eyes blur but blinked the tears away quickly.

“I know you’re not going to take anything I say to heart anymore, and I understand, really, but I just wanted to say I’m sorry. Things just got...” He looks down, searching for Hester’s eyes, but she avoids the stare “complicated”.

Y/N scoffs, looking away, trying to calm herself down, but D/N was already talking for her.

“You don’t get to say sorry now and think that everything will be alright. That’s not how things work. We need time, and space” the daemon then looks over at Hester, almost apologetically. “But we’ll think about your proposal. Where can we find you?”.

He and Hester talked a little more, but Lee couldn’t hear them. He wanted to touch Y/N, to kiss her, but he couldn’t. And it was entirely his fault. He deserved suffering. And when she turned to him and he saw her eyes reddish with tears unfallen. He felt his heart breaking.

“I think you two should go now. We’ll talk again in the morning”.

Lee almost talked back, but Hester cussed him mentally, and they left without a word. As the door closed, Y/N let out a broken sob, and D/N hurried to her side. She swore they wouldn’t cry for that again.

“These are tears of anger, D/N. Not sadness. Anger. And why did you say we were going to help them? I don’t want to be near him anymore, I figured you would feel the same for Hester” The woman spat, her hands turning into fists.

“I don’t want it either. But when did we said ‘no’ to someone in need of our help? Also, we don’t have to forgive them. We don’t even have to talk to them. Why don’t we go back home now? Take a shower, sleep. We’ll have figured it out tomorrow”.

Y/N sighed and got up heading home. She didn’t want to make a choice. She wanted him to be gone.

And on the other side of town, Lee prepared himself to sleep in the balloon. He hoped for something he wasn’t very sure he could have anymore.

Both of them were stuck in a state that could be resumed in two words: “What If?”.

She showed up in the morning. 

He was surprised, to say the least, but she didn’t exchange a word with him. Y/N threw her bag on the floor, crossed her arms over her chest, and looked everywhere but his eyes.

“I’m only going to interfere if I think that you are in immediate danger. And I’m not talking to you. D/N is”.

It was petty, she knew, but a part of her felt like he deserved it. And Lee would’ve agreed with that part if he could hear it.

“Got it. No speaking”.

They were off the ground, going in the direction of the woods. The place he had to go to technically was still Y/N’s town, just a little far away. And for a second, she thought it was going to be a pleasant trip, considering it all.

“But you didn’t say anything about singing”. Lee said after a while, with a smile on his face.

Nevermind.

[sveasauvageon]

HSWW ROUND I STORY

I never gave it a neat title, oops.  Svea Year I + Pre-Seventh Year Midsummer Celebrations {HSWW}

─═Featured HSWW/Polyvore Era not-mein oc’s═─

Eloise Avery | @.themadmonarchist

(also mentioned Lord and Lady Avery, but they don't appear)

Syn Lothbrok | @.ghostpastey

Hvitty Lothbrok | @.ghostpastey

Entire Lothbrok Family (too many to name individually)

Damien Greaves | @.natasha-maree13

Tyler Lee | @.maybones (lol, I originally typed @minahbones)

Minah Kwon Delacroix | @.maybones

Tara Lee (I couldn't leave out Little T from this nutty dance) | @.maybones

Theo Nott | @.themadmonarchist

Moses Park Jr | @.koby

Lyra Greaves | @.natasha-maree13

Oberon Greaves | @.natasha-maree13

Henry Clark | @.lady-stoneheart

Xander Carlyle (I think I've been listing him as clark all this time, whoops) | @.lady-stoneheart

Sungjae Lee | @.chrissykinz

Loralei Expura | @.thespian-at-large

Lyrae Mino | @.skyfalll

──════𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑹𝒀════──

Up in the northwest quarters of the Sauvageon Estate, Svea was braiding her young sister's hair with little bells and complex knots. Khalessi style? Yes, obviously. The show is garbage, but is visually stunning. Also the music. Back to point, as the elder heir wove in the little bells, Lili enthusiastically recounted her first year at Koldovstoretz; her classes, teachers, friends, and her first Russian Quidditch game where they play on entire uprooted trees instead of brooms (A/N: true fact, look it up on the wikia).

Her ardor and excitement made Svea nostalgic of her own first year. Her letter had arrived at the Prince Manor in Cornwall, where she had been staying for a year. The darkest year in her life she may add. The arrival of the letter was nothing special or shocking, there certainly wasn't any doubt about her having magic after she had set the manor on fire. Though, she did note a mild expression of relief on her grandfather's face, presumably he was pleased she'd be out of his house soon. And she was pleased about that too, the Prince Manor was dark, dreary, and drab, and they refused to allow Aunt Brigitta to remodel it after the fire. Svea never understood why they insisted it be restored as it was, the poor interiors were what she called "discount gothic", it was nothing like the true majesty of actual gothic architecture.

Anyway, decidedly pleased her time with the Prince's was nearing its end, Svea was positively beaming when she went to King's Cross Station on September the first. She was accompanied by her aunt and step-mother, the later of whom had apparated to London the day before, much to the displeasure of Svea's mother, who also accompanied them to King's Cross. Svea questioned her mother's instructions of walking into a wall, part of her believing that it may just be some kind of trick to humiliate the "foreigners", as she so often called Svea and her paternal family. However, the Prince simply huffed in annoyance, glaring at the odd silvery-gold colour Iliana had died the little girl's hair, before briskly walking through the wall first herself, with Svea, Iliana, and Brigitta quickly following thereafter. 

Svea had barely a moment to admire the victorian vibe of the station before her mother pulled her aside. "Richelle, ensure that you're sorted into Slytherin, and try not to do anything to disgrace the Prince name." she commanded, disappearing with a loud crack before Svea could retort. Sighing to herself, she made a mental note to send a howler reminding her mother that her name is Svea Sauvageon, not Richelle Prince, before reuniting with her aunt and step-mother, who were overseeing the loading of her luggage.

She spotted Eloise Avery looking out a window on the train, but she was looking in another direction and didn't notice Svea, not that she wanted to catch her attention when her grandparents were around. If they were around that is, one short playdate and tales of admiration from her own grandfather was enough to cement a cold and unloving image in Svea's head. She shuddered at the memory, she was grateful beyond word that her grandparents were nothing like that. Well, her Sauvageon grandparents. It's a safe bet that all Grandfather Marcius aspires to be is a slightly less rich and more grumbling version of the "great and powerful" Lady Avery.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, Svea hugged Iliana and Aunt Brigitta goodbye, promising to write and look after herself, before quickly boarding the train to find an empty compartment to save for herself, Syn, and Hvitty. The Lothbroks were amongst their closest wizarding friends in Scandinavia and practically family to Svea, she was pleased beyond measure to have her best friend at this far away school too. She'd always been fairly independent, but having familiar faces at Hogwarts would be a great comfort too, and endless fun. No one knows how to enjoy things like a Lothbrok. Okay, like Syn. No one knows how to party like Syn. Even at 11, she was more fun and energetic than anyone you could think of.

She waited by the window until she spotted them getting on, before rushing to the corridor to call them over. The subsequent assault (as she would put it, they might just call it a hug) nearly took Svea's head off. Grinning at being reunited, they chatted throughout the train ride, and purchased ridiculous amounts of British Wizarding Treats when the Trolley lady stopped by. They also met some other first years as well, some of whom, Svea noted, were less than pleased to be in such a rowdy compartment.

Once they neared the school (or as Svea's alarms warned her they were), she changed into her school robes, dragging along Syn to do the same who complained that they were "nowhere near there yet". However, exactly as her alarm warned her, they were at Hogsmeade station within 30 minutes. ("hah! Told you so Tamsyn", she screamed internally and definitely not with every fibre of her being). Seperating from the others, Svea, Syn, and Hvitty disembarked from the train together, where they and the other first years were greeted by a staff member from Hogwarts who led them to a number of boats. Grabbing a boat upfront, they were joined by Henry Clark, whom they had met on the train and whom Syn had immediately given the nickname "Hank", which he seemed to vehemently dislike. Once they had all boarded, the boat seemed to propel themselves as they all sailed across the vast lake. The Black Lake, she recalled it was called. Her cousin Viggo often talked about visiting it one day.

"Vig told me that there's a colony of merpeople living in the lake." Svea excitedly mentioned to Syn and Hvitty as they crossed, gazing down into the murky water to try to spot one.

"Fishman would know." replied Syn, joining Svea to look over the edge of the boat.

"He's not a Fishman."

"As always, you're right." said Syn, nodding solemnly before adding, "He's a half-fishman."

"Well, you're not wrong there," Svea conceded.

Syn grinned triumphantly as Svea dipped her fingers into the water. It was cold, just as Vig told her it would be, but it wasn't as cold as the water in Lake Mälaren.

Despite having been raised in marble coated mansions, even Svea was awestruck when they neared Hogwarts Castle. Whilst Sauvageon Slott was certainly brighter, the large stone structure was absolutely stunning, and far more inviting than her father and family's descriptions of Durmstrang. As much as she loathed her mother's family, she was glad just this once at their persistence of doing things the "English" way. The little boats they were in soon passed through an ivy curtain and carried them along a dark tunnel, which seemed to run beneath the castle itself, and eventually docked by some rocks at what seemed to be an underground harbour of sorts. 

Once all the students were out of the boats they were led to a small room (the Chamber of Reception, she later learned it was called), where they were greeted by a tall, red haired woman. She introduced herself as Professor Hester Weasley, Deputy Headmistress. She ushered them into the Great Hall and began reading their names out one by one in alphabetical order. Once called, they were to sit on a stool facing the other students and had a dingy old hat placed on their head which would announce what house they're to join after thinking about it for a bit. It might be a magic, talking, singing hat, but the whole process seemed unnecessarily drawn out and somewhat silly to Svea. She was fairly certain it was thought up by someone forest crazy (Swedish phrase, equivalent to "raging mad").

Svea's was amongst the last few names to be called. Hvitty went off to Gryffindor, and Syn to Hufflepuff. Eloise went to Slytherin, whilst Hank (*wink-wink* @.ghostpastey) went to Gryffindor. She noted that the hat had barely gotten within a foot of Damien Greaves' head before it screamed Slytherin. When the Headmistress finally said her name, Svea tottered up to the little stool, starving by that point and eager to get on with dinner and classes in the morning.

"Impatient, aren't we?" said a voice in her head once the hat was on, 'causing Svea to nearly jump out of her skin. She didn't realize it was talking during those minutes in-between the hat being worn and shouting the student's house.

"I'm hungry," she replied, well, thought, once she had brought her spikes down (Swedish phrase effectively meaning to "chill" -shrug emoji- Sweden is weird, also, awesome). "Any recommendations on what's good?"

The hat chucked in her ear, mind's ear. "Try the steak and yorkshire pudding," her mouth began watering at steak, she needed it now. "I'll try to be quick then. Swedish I see, muggle friends, oh dear, the ministry won't be happy about that breach of secrecy," the hat muttered as it rummaged through her mind.

Svea shrugged. "Not my ministry. Can you hurry it up, I don't really care, but I would prefer not Slytherin."

"Not Slytherin, eh? And why is that?"

"To infuriate my mother."

"But I see you also have the desire to be in Slytherin to outshine her and your grandfather, quite petty, no?"

"Yes, but I am only 10."

"Then would you prefer to be petty? I see great things for you in Ravenclaw, where those of wit and learning find their own kind. You have a great thirst for knowledge."

Svea shrugged again. "Whatever magic hat, isn't it your job to figure that out?"

The sorting hat sighed. "SLYTHERIN!" it shouted aloud, applause erupting on the table to her far right. The hat was barely off her head before she practically bounded over. She was so hungry and there were only a handful of students left to be sorted before she could finally eat. She ended up next to a third year and the speedily sorted boy from earlier. 

"Svea," she said, introducing herself with a smile as another students sorting began. 

"Damien," he gruffly replied.

"You shouldn't look so murderous, you're 11." She chided, impatiently tapping her foot whilst the last children were finally being sorted.

Damien rolled his eyes. "What if I am one?"

"Then you shouldn't be broadcasting that desire to everyone. Isn’t a killer best served if their intentions are secretive?" before he could retort, however, Svea's attention turned elsewhere. Specifically, their table. "OH YES! FINALLY FOOD! Hey, can you grab me some steak please!" she asked of the boy in front of them. "I'm Svea, by the way. You want one too Damien?"

"I can get it myself, thanks," muttered the British boy, looking quite irritated.

"Seyong Lee, but you can call me Tyler." answered the other one, placing a steak on Svea's plate as well as Damien's.

Once the feast was over (the hat was right about that Steak and Yorkshire Pudding), the Headmistress said a few words, mostly about forbidden places, Svea could feel none of those warnings making it into Syn's ears, and led the school in a rendition of the school song. She noticed some seven years really giving the song their all, and nearly toppled over with laughter. After the song finally ended, Svea and the other first year Slytherins were instructed to follow one of their House Prefects. Svea couldn't remember their name, but recalled them being one of those English Scared 28 people. They followed the prefect back out to the Entrance Hall, and through a door on the right, were led down to the dungeons. When they reached a bare stretch of stonewall, the prefect uttered a phrase and it revealed a passageway which led to the Slytherin common room. The password that month, if she recalled correctly, was "cantankerus".

Svea was less in love with the common room than most of her fellow first years, it was nice enough, but rather dark and dreary, much like the Prince Manor she noted. It had similar colourings of dark shades of green and serpentine décor everywhere (if it were up to her, she'd decorate it with dragons). She did, however, adore the large glass windows, and the water behind it, rushing up to it in excitement when a large squid went swishing by. The prefect explained that they were under the Black Lake and sometimes they saw creatures more interesting than the Giant Squid swim by the windows. 

The first night would've ended without incident, but her future bestie just had to be dramatic and get into a physical fight with a seventh year.

"Well, that was dramatic," she commented once the seventh year fell to the floor. "Anyway, where's our stuff and where do we sleep?" Looking back, it was probably impressive that an 11 year old could easily defeat a 17 year old, but meh. She was tired, and she really needed her phone. How can you expect someone to sleep without the honey smooth voices of Eurovision performers?

The year went by quite quickly. Her hair only remained valyrian silver for about a month, before reverting back to her natural gold, and as expected, she ended all her classes with top marks. She enjoyed History of Magic and Potions the most in her first year. Whilst mostly a positive year, she did make some pureblood fervent enemies, but she is not going allow such idioticy to stand in her house. Slytherins are intelligent and cunning, not backwards morons. She recalled Syn dropping out of the sky at point to defend her from a pureblood's oh so hurtful words. But as they say, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words from an idiot do nothing. It was also the first year she celebrated her birthday without her biological family (not including either of the Princes'), she did, however, still have Syn and Hvitty, and a whole new bunch of friends.

Speaking of said friends, time to pull out of memory lane and jump back into the present. With Lili's hair done, and hers' also, once again, done up in Khalessi style (also dyed silver again, she would've dyed Lili's hair too, but the little Swede-Ruski said no), anyway, with their hair finally done, the two siblings went down into the courtyard. The entire Sauvageon estate was decorated in greenery as they were celebrating Midsummer, and before the traditional Sauvageon ball in the evening, they had invited a bunch of friends (mainly Svea's and some of Lili's new friends) to participate in the traditional maypole dance. The Lothbroks, of course, always came along, Norway celebrated Midsummer too, though with a bonfire instead of dancing around a maypole, so weird (that's sarcastic, Sweden is obvs the weirdo here). Minah, and Eloise, and Damien, of course, came along, well, the latter two of whom had to be somewhat dragged along, Eloise on the excuse of "observing" the activities of "lesser" beings. And where went M and E, always came T and T, aka Tyler and Theo or as Svea called the three of them, very much without their permission, zaldrīzes raqiror (translation: dragon friends). Moses and Lyrae had also come, and so had Henry, of course, what kind of awful girlfriend would forget to invite her "paramour" (as Svea preferred labelling him). Numerous adorable siblings had come along as well, Xander Carlyle (who would like to clarify he's Henry's cousin, not brother), Tara Lee, forever shipping Minah with the wrong person; it’s Minah and Tyler forever, not Minah and Sungjae (sorry buddy), whom, by the way, was also invited and showed up. Even Lyra and Oberon Greaves had come along, though they were decidedly less comfortable around Svea and Damien. Also somewhat uncomfortable was Loralei Expura, but as Svea explained, in Sweden, you just eat good food, hold hands, and dance in a circle around a weird pole for some reason. 

---Post-credit scene with the zaldrīzes raqiror---

Theo: *leaning up against a tree* I'm not doing that.

Tyler: come on, it looks fun.

Theo: I don't remember asking for your opinion.

Tyler: you're lucky to have been graced with it.

Svea: *suddenly apparates to where they are* Just shut up and hold hands already, you're killing the vibe!

[alias-b]

Without The Lights~ Billy Hargrove x OC Camille Harper

Chapter 11: There Are Worse Things I Could Do

A/N: Valentine’s Day of 1985 after a terrible school prank. Camille gets some horrid news and comfort from a surprising source. TW: Death, talk of abortion, asshole high schoolers, mental break, and brief self h*rm scene.

    The comments weren’t bad. Oh, no.

    "That's the one... Her."

    "Queen Bee. Queen Bitch."

    "Slut."

    "Wonder who the daddy was."

    "Baby killer."

    "Hargrove better watch out, she traps boys. He'll lose interest now for sure."

    "Camille, the whore, Harper."

   Those were all tragically and hilariously to be expected.

  It was the staring. Those damn eyes. The way she could walk into a room and have it hush. Teachers and students alike. Thinking those thoughts too loudly. Camille marched in. Knowing they were talking about her. Eyes lifted and moved over her body like she’d never get privacy again. Camille was used to being watched. Desired. But, this... Avoiding her face was one thing. Staring direct at her long scraped out womb was another. The attention burned. Lights scorched. No dark corners to curl up and hide away in. And how Camille tried to. She imagined layers of flesh melting away until she was muscle and bone. They would rub salt into the rawness of her wounds.

  Camille turned her nose up to all that shit. Fixed her lipstick. Flicked her hair. Blew bubbles with gum like nothing was around. She spoke up in class. Made herself more visible because she had no choice and she wanted control again. Camille burst with technicolor. Crushed them all. Swayed like a dancer down hallways. Undaunted. By force. But, undaunted nonetheless.

  Billy watched her float. Like nothing could touch her. He found himself wishing that he could float too. Camille tried to sit alone at lunch. Tried. Steve smacked a tray down across from her. Sent a message that nothing had changed. Students watched their king sit and eat, sliding an extra carton of milk over. She’d tried to skip the meal too. Nancy and Jonathan came next, adding crackers and a brownie to the lunch. Billy was on her right after, placing his green apple there. Hadn't lost interest of course. Heather ushered Robin over even and they joined. Camille let herself smile.

  “So, anyone catch Mr. Creed’s new hairpiece? A surprising color.” Steve leaned forward and Heather laughed. He attempted to make his friend feel normal again.

  “I couldn’t even take notes, I was waiting for it to crawl away.”

  “Definitely hiding something,” Jonathan piped up. Camille watched her odd group of friends joke, picking up the apple to bite into it first. Billy shot her a wink so she nudged his leg with her own.

  “I had him last year. Once he got frustrated and ran his hand into it. Flipped half the thing over and finished class like that.” She chuckled finally when they did, encouraged.

  “He’s gotta put that whole collection out of their misery.” Robin added. Camille enjoyed feeling like a teen again. For once. Steve kicked her foot under the table, flashing a smile that set her at ease. It was like this over the next week. Gluing little shards of glass back together. Trying not to slice tired fingers. Rosemary acted as if nothing happened prior. Cooped up in her studio with new designs. Work was better. Better than a daughter who refused to be a daughter. Camille stayed afloat until the ship cracked again. The perfect hive threatened to crumble in.

  Her stupid locker. Still broken. This day, she jerked it open for her chemistry book with Robin next to her, ready to walk to class. Red splashed all down her front. Covered the floor and Robin’s shoes. A bucket of blood red paint clattered, dribbling all over. Camille went into shock, hands lifting while it pooled out. Like most shitty things in her life now. Pooling out. She longed briefly to let it cover all else. Clothing ruined. The crack deepened when Carol pointed to laugh across the way. Ex-popular friends joined in around her. Tommy was cackling, racing away to catch more attention. Billy's foot came out by his locker and the boy tripped hard, smacking the floor. Students ceased their laughter.

  "Eat shit, you little bitch." Billy bared his teeth. Looking utterly feral because that was his default setting.

  "Mad someone got your slut before you did, Hargrove? You'll have to fight every quarterback in Indiana." Tommy dragged backwards but was ripped up, shoved into the lockers. Camille paid no mind.

  "Get the fuck out of here." Billy struggled with his rage and tossed Tommy the other way, arms swiping out to frighten him off. Tommy was Steve's added beefcake muscle once upon a time but he'd be a fool to challenge a fire-breathing hyena like Billy Hargrove.

  “What the hell, Carol?” Robin spoke first back down the hallway. Heather ran along to see her friends. Odd bunch they made. Camille the freak. Robin the weirdo. Baby faced Heather. Billy shoved his locker closed and pushed students to see his friend too.

  “Are you okay? Camille?” Heather was ignored. Baby killer, came some more utters and Camille stalked forth. Carol shut her mouth and cried out when a fist charged right next to her head. Its force dented the locker in. The brass knuckle punch style she'd easily picked up from Billy. Something detached inside Camille. Instead of hitting Carol and crying, she just laughed. Eyes wide. Unstable. It echoed into their school. Demanded respect and attention because this was stone fox Camille Harper here. She laughed louder. How could she not? Her entire life was fucked. It was a lie. Why hide when the cards were all on the table today? More of her friends rounded the hallway in awe.

  “Carol. I should be upset. What a clever, clever prank. How many brain cells did it take between you all? I wonder. But, you know…I’m not mad one little bit. Because I grew out of being a nasty bitch and I know you won’t for a while.” Camille was grinning. Carol looked shocked, tipping back to avoid the paint. “You don’t have to date a shitty ass guy who tries to fuck your friends when you take breaks and hate yourself, you know? Good luck with that. Been there, crawled out.” Camille jerked forward to hug Carol as tight as she could. “We’ll get through it together.” One hand took Carol's jaw. Red swatched her skin before she pushed her backwards after planting a hard, sweet kiss on her cheek. Paint swiped Camille's fingers so she reached up where there wasn’t paint on her shirt and traced an A.

  A scarlet letter.

  “Bitch! Camille, what the fuck? You lost it.” Carol looked down at herself, clothes ruined now too.

  “Bold to assume that I even had it to begin with, babe.” Camille left her, head still high. Hips swaying. Paint splattering. "Well, any of you wet dream drones have anything else to say to me? Now's the fucking time!" Arms swiped, sending spatters of red into nearby students and lockers. Instead the entire crowd parted for her in sync. Moses standing at the damn Red Sea separating it. "I thought so." She puffed, lips lifting to smile because she owned them still. "Robin, sorry about the shoes."

   "You know, I think this could be a great look actually." Robin joked instead, rolling with it because her friend was clinically insane and she adored her now.

  "Right. Now, where is Billy Hargrove? Hm? Don't be shy, sweet face." Camille commanded her drones to part further and reveal him there at the center. Billy had stopped to watch halfway toward her, eyes fixated and huge when he got a better look. "Ah, there you are." She sucked her teeth, clicking her tongue once before she came forth. "Should have smelt the smoky hairspray and warm cologne, it's still to die for." The teen dream stopped in front of him. Everyone was dead silent. Awed. Impressed. Aroused.

      Queen Bee Camille.  

  “Pick me up tonight." Hands on her hips, head cocked. Flirty and unashamed. Splashed bright red. A firework bursting in his life. "Seven o'clock sharp. We are going to the god damn movies. It's a date, just so we're clear. Be prepared to hold the door for me.”

  “You’re the boss, Hester. Wear something red. Color's good on you.” Billy winked, shrugging before he too stepped aside to let her go. Unworried. Happy. Camille left a trail of footprints all down the hallway. She entered the girl’s gym showers in her clothing. Earning shocked looks when she started laughing aloud again and got under cold spray. Cleansed her skin. Red sloshed all down into the drain like the flood of a period. Her clothing was still ruined. They called her mother again to get her. Took an entire load of towels to get her out of the showers without making another mess. Camille was still laughing the whole way.

  It never ended.

** ** **

  “Camille, I’m not sure this is a good idea. You should rest. You've had a rough week.” Rosemary had frowned. Her own palms shook when she clasped them. Camille didn't notice her shaking

  “I’m peachy.” She imagined teeth peeling fuzzy peach skin away to suck the juicy fruit within. That sweetness dripping from soft, plush lips.

  “You’re different.” Rosemary couldn't get her daughter to turn around and just look at her. Not like she used to.

  “I’m different?” The teen huffed and yanked up into the tree in front of their house. Another awful prank. Hung baby dolls from branches. “You going to help me here, mother?”

  “They need me in New York again.” Rosemary resigned herself. Guilt swirled and she pressed her lips. Stared for a long moment, desperate. “Ask me to stay with you, I will.”

  “You're right. I am different.” Camille admitted, head turning. “My eyes are open.” Her mother looked truly unsettled. “Go, they need you. I can handle myself.”

  "I'm so sorry, Camille." Rosemary never said what for. First mistake. Her mother turned to go. "I left you something in the kitchen. Cheer you up. It used to." Camille never went to see what it was. Second mistake. She dumped the toys into their trash bin and prettied herself up. Wore a casual pink dress that slipped from her shoulders with cherries all over it. Small splashes of red. The Camaro howled while she applied the same red to her lips. Billy felt his heart charge when he pulled into the driveway. Finally.

  “Millionth time is the charm, huh?” Camille approached when he got out. "Devil's pride nice still?"

  "Yeah, I'd say so." Billy prettied himself as well, fitted shirt opened halfway and tucked into tight jeans. His preferred style. She smiled at him like nothing was wrong.

  "Shall we?"

  “Chariot awaits,” he cocked his head and offered a single peony from behind his back. Pink. Billy got the door for her and went around to drive them off. Let her pick the flick and he bought the tickets. The Breakfast Club. He only whined a little about it. Camille bought the snacks and they found seats up in back. More teens filled the room before the lights hushed. They took turns snagging popcorn and sips of soda. As much as he rolled his eyes prior, Billy grew invested. Every teen in sight felt it. Damn movie was too relevant. Camille leaned into him, allowing his arm behind her. Idle fingers traced the bare skin of her shoulder. The world let them be blissful teens tonight. For a little while. Third mistake. Credits rolled and he held her hand just like they discussed. Kids filtered out so Camille leaned in to kiss him, inches away before she gasped instead.

  “Hey. Robin and Heather are here. Check it out,” she noticed them down closer to the front. Giggling. Tossing pieces of popcorn while they joked and stood. Heather looped her arm into Robin’s. Grins followed.

  “Didn’t know they were actually close friends now. Lab partners or whatever.” Billy shrugged and Camille had to cover her lips. “What?”

  “Boys are so oblivious, come on. To the diner.” She tugged at his hand to go down the steps.

  "As you wish." Billy pulled her into him, earning a slight giggle. Chilly air swept and his leather jacket was already around her.

  “Camille!” Heather caught them exiting the doors, hand leaving Robin’s quicker than intended. Camille peered at the space between them, eyes lifting.

  “Heather…hi. Nice to see you both. Fine night compared to earlier, yeah?”

  “Yes. Sorry, we didn’t know you guys were up there. I would have said hi. Great movie, right?” Heather continued.

  “I loved it and so did Billy, despite the whining.” Camille joked, patting his chest. “Hey, Robin.”

  “Hey…” Cold wind passed them so Camille brought Billy’s jacket closer.

  “You got Billy to sit through that, impressive.” Heather was entertained.

  “Just wait till you see my other tricks,” Billy lit up a cigarette behind his date.

  “Okay, on that note, you guys…have a good time.” Camille kissed her friend's cheek, winking. Heather gave an honest smile, relaxing again.

  “Thanks, Camille.”

  “We’ll see you two in class, yeah.” Robin crossed her arms. “Now do the trick where you disappear, if you could.”

  “Love that one,” Billy pressed Camille’s back when she gave Heather a knowing look of encouragement. He drove her to the diner and they found a corner booth. “Large milkshake. Chocolate. Side of fries.” He told the waiter. “Well, Harpy, we covered it, didn’t we?”

  “What?”

  “We angrily laid this out in detail months ago. Hit all the important points.”

  “Hm, I think there is always room to improvise.” She purred, chin resting in her hand as she leaned over.

  “Oh, say improvise again.”

  “No,” Camille laughed when he gave that world melting smile. Food was set down. Billy snagged some fries and shifted the plate between them. She sipped and hummed blissfully. “I’m going to have that song from the movie trapped in my head for weeks.” Camille plucked up a hot fry to eat.

  “Thought it was funny us going to see that? Criminal and princess.”

  “I didn’t plan that,” she grew amused. “Didn’t know the movie would be like that. Frankly though, I’m starting to think I’m more of a basket case now.”

  “Can’t argue there,” Billy dodged a fry at that, laughing before he stole her milkshake. "Queenie is buzzing along a very fine line."

  "Suppose I feel like I have wings today." Camille gave a shrug. "Guess that I also wanted to bring up more of the wildly unhinged me who told her ex to eat shit."

  “Hey, look, I know you’re all smiles now and great. But…”

  “Disgraced bee flew too close to the sun.” Camille rolled her eyes and sat back. “I’m not faking it for you. I don't do that with or for boys, rest assured. These last two weeks have been…fucking awful. But, I’m on a date with a guy I care about and I think it’s going well.”

  “We talking B minus work?” He gaze at her closely.

  “Oh no, I think you’re on your way to a solid A plus with extra credit. Gold star work.” She joked. It was intoxicating even still. The way he smiled at her. Charming as hell. Lighter. Easy. Slow and steady, her hand came to touch his. Fingers curling. Eyes met and they stayed to enjoy the lingering beat between them. “I want to try something.”

  “You do?” Billy’s brow furrowed and she wasn’t hesitant.

  “I want to try it back at my place.” They scrambled to pay and go. Rain splattered lightly so he pulled her by the hand. Hair and clothing damp. Unable to resist, Billy yanked her into his chest. Hands on her wet face to kiss her there under rain and stars. Camille responded, pulling at him until they both laughed and continued to his car. Giggling teens on a date. Nothing to lose. So they thought. Billy sped while she slid over and placed playful, teasing kisses on his neck.

  “Harpy, I’m supposed to be setting a better example when I drive.” He’d joked, stilling to kiss her again at a red light. Hands smoothed along his thigh and they couldn’t park fast enough in her driveway. “Hey.”

  “Hm?” Camille was still in Billy's neck, palms sliding up his chest.

  “Look.” He pointed. Jim Hopper’s Blazer sat parked in front. The Chief was waiting, snuffing out a cigarette before Camille hurried out on unsteady feet.

  “Jim.” She felt a gust of cold crackle up her spine when he lifted his eyes. Rain stilled. "How long have you been here?"

  "Not long." He stared at them, clearly on a date and worked up. Camille came down fast.

  "What are you doing here, Jim?" She'd asked it quieter.

  “Camille, I think we should talk inside.” His palm was on her back to guide her forth. Camille's hand slipped from Billy's and they mourned that.

  “What happened?” She pressed, struggling to open the door.

  “Hargrove, give us a moment.”

  “No, Billy, come inside. You can say it to both of us.” Camille marched up to him while he took his hat off. A motion that appeared grave. Billy shut the door, his own flesh chilled when rain dripped from his curls. “Say it.”

  “Camille.”

  “Say it!” She barked at him, echoing in that empty house. Jim’s eyes drew to her own.

  “It’s Judith.” He crumbled her world. “I’ve been checking on her and-”

  “No, don’t you fucking…lie. Don't you lie to my face. It's fine. She's fine.” Tears welled. She got smaller. “You were supposed to protect her.”

  "I'm so sorry, I only heard a few hours ago. We've had people on her I trust. There... Something happened."

  "It's a mistake. No...No! You don't know shit. You're nothing but...a fuck up. You're just a fuck up!" She spat and he remained tender while her rage filtering out at him. "You are a liar."

  “She’s gone, Camille.” He was pushed hard at that.

  “Shut the fuck up…she didn’t… I knew they’d come for her! Another loose end to torment me with.” Camille couldn’t catch a breath, stumbling back before he took her arms. The dark secrets she kept. The life she had. The mother she never got to know. Gone. Gone. Gone. It all just fluttered. “Ngh, no!”

  “She passed, Camille. They confirmed it. I saw the certificate. Photos. Everything.”

  “How?”

  “Camille.”

  “How did she die?!” She screamed it. Echoing again. Billy pressed back into the door. His face felt impossibly hot.

  “They say she did it herself.”

  “They say…? A gentle, manic woman who never spoke and just spent her days rocking.” Camille broke. “So they killed her. They fucking killed my mother. Just to ruin me further. They know I can't mourn it. They know I saw her and they know I have to hide. Fucking, they killed us both. Again and again. Finally finished her off. It's because I found her. It's my fault.”

  “You didn't do this. There was something. Small. Carved into her arm. Three numbers.” Jim reached again to stop Camille from falling. “Hey, you have to breathe. Easy.”

  “No, she’s not… She can’t…” Camille was beating on his broad chest. “Lies! Lies! You’re a liar! A shitty, awful liar. I hate you! You fuck up! You were supposed to watch her. You...”

  “Camille,” Billy found his own voice, hands up to pull her off Chief Hopper’s towering frame. She slipped out of his jacket.

  “No, no, it isn’t true.” Camille rushed beyond them, tearing up the stairs. She saw her room empty. Kicked bedroom doors open. They pursued to stop her, forces jerked them aside. Her nose bled. “Can’t… It can’t be right.” Camille rushed down the stairs again. Nothing in the living room. She stopped in the kitchen when she saw them. The gift. To cheer her up. Confirming her worst fears. A vase of bright, freshly cut sunflowers left by her mother. An apology and a confession. She’d known. “No, no…no.” A wail tore. Shook the whole house before she lifted the entire thing to smash them. Yellow petals exploded around her feet. The doors slammed to the room when she fell to her knees. A sharp shard cut into her palm before she lost herself and dug it into skin. Eyes wide and unfocused. Three tiny numbers bled out.

  “Hey!” Jim pounded at the door, kicking it open when she relented before he tore her up from the floor. “Knock it off!” Camille dragged and wished to bring the entire house down. He held her arms tight so she bucked around and wailed again. Everything took too much of a toll on Camille. This was the last straw. Rosemary stared at her eyes earlier and knew. Knew what would come. And Camille would have to smile upon seeing her when she came home.

  Billy’s hands were on her face. He was talking too fast for her to process. He slipped away when she fell back into Jim, sobs barely subsiding because she was exhausted. Fingers gripped her forearm and Billy was tying a towel around it.

  “Go pack her a bag. She’s not well, I’m taking her home. Hurry.” Jim pulled her to her feet, half carrying her into the living room to put her on the couch. They cleaned the mess without words and got her into Jim’s car. Her cries silenced when the door shut. Billy found the silent wails of agony more horrific from outside the car.

  “Kid, I’ll handle it from here. Get yourself home.“

  “Fuck that, I’m sticking with her.” Billy edged forward. "You don't know her."

  “Billy, you helped. You did.” Jim eased. Billy didn’t jerk when a hand touched his shoulder. “What Camille needs is to process this. She needs rest.”

  “After she found her mother the first time, she stuffed herself with pills. I made her throw them up, she took so damn many. I am not…” Billy felt himself tremble. Jim understood, nodding. Watch her. “We were happy.”

  “Yeah, you’re good kids. You are. Just trying to make it better and you will. Camille needs to rest and she isn't safe to be alone in this house. Give it some time. Give her some time. Things still bad at school?”

  “Hung babies and red paint aren’t exactly welcoming.”

  “I’ll handle it. Go home. Let me take care of her, I know enough and if she's like El: her abilities could lash out. I’ll call if anything happens. All right? I'll call you first,” Jim pressed him to leave and he finally did. Billy didn’t drive home, instead he was stumbling up to another door. Bell rang and Steve Harrington looked confused.

  “Hey, man…you lost?” Steve didn’t see anyone behind him. Billy looked like utter shit. “You do know this is my house, right?”

  "Yes, asshole, I fucking know which-"

  "Okay, good talk," Steve moved to shut the door and Billy dropped the anger.

  "Wait..." Billy's foot stopped him. Steve sighed and pulled it back open.

  "Try again, pal." He waited so Billy changed his tone.

  “You got alcohol in there?”

  “Parents are gone to the weekend, uh…yeah.” Steve relented then stepped aside. “What’s going on?”

  “Start pouring first.”

** ** **

  “Camille.” El was excited until she saw her expression.

  “El, give her a moment.” Hopper guided the mute teen into their little cabin. His puffy police coat over her frame. “Pull out the couch for her.”

  “What happened?” El asked instead when Hopper got Camille into the bathroom. The door shut so he helped fix the couch into a bed. Eleven brought extra pillows and saw him locking up knives and pills. “Why?”

  “Camille is incredibly upset.” Jim explained it carefully. “Her mother. Real mother…she passed away.”

  “Gone.”

  “Yeah,” Jim swept the young girl under his arm. “We have to be careful with her. She’s hurting. Sometimes when people hurt…they take it out on themselves. She’s going to stay here a few nights while Rosemary is out.”

  “I can watch her.” El promised and Jim pressed a smile, rubbing her shoulders. Camille looked numb when she appeared. El hurried to take her hand and get her to lie down. “I’m sorry…about your mama.” Camille hated herself for the tiniest thought that maybe it was for the best. The older teen peered at her and nodded while El turned on the TV for her. Noise to fill the voids in the room. Jim pulled a chair up to unwrap her wrist. It took a moment for the little girl to realize Camille did it to herself.

  “Give us a moment,” Jim nodded so El went into her room. He cleaned the cuts and applied ointment while she reclined there. “Wanted the scar.”

  “They erased me.”

  “Six isn’t who you are, Camille.”

  “Guess I’m not really sure what I am any longer. Queen bee. Freak. Slut. Six. Baby killer. Always the fucking brands.” She paused. “Sorry, you lost your daughter.”

  “Two completely different scenarios, Camille, you’re not a bad person and I wrote the book on fucking up. No room to judge a teenage girl for making a terrifying and informed choice about her body.” Jim got up and pulled something from his coat pocket. “They sent me this with the certificate.” The tiny Star of David necklace. She let him clasp it so it could hang down low with Billy’s pendant.

  “Thank you.” She welled up and closed her eyes to still it.

  “She loved you. She did.” Jim touched her hair. "I'll let you have some space."

  "Wait," she sniffled, cracking. "Can you just hold me for a little bit?" Jim stilled, air leaving his nose before he sat back down. Awkwardly, she came up to scoot into his arms when he sat on the edge of the mattress. Jim floundered a little too, uncertain. She adjusted half in his lap. Camille pressed into him when he held her tighter, arms up against his chest. Inhaling the scent of him. Nothing like her own adopted father. Long rotting in the ground. She still closed her eyes to pretend. She wondered what her real father smelled like. Maybe something like this. Crisp. Safe. Jim rocked her when she began to shake in his arms. They melted more together. He cupped the back of her head so she lifted it to look at him. Small. Fingers smoothing idly into the fabric of his shirt as his thumb caught a single tear. "You're not a fuck up." She rasped then. Lips pressed at that.

  “Get some rest, Camille.” He offered, tucking long hair aside. She eased herself back into the mattress. El came out in her pajamas to crawl in next to Camille.

  “I can watch her,” El stated again when Camille was lulled to sleep. Jim stayed there petting her head until El took over. The little girl kissed her hair like Jim had done to her many times before to comfort her too. Hopper went to his room and left El curled into her sister. They looked peaceful.

** ** **

  “Hello?” Nancy was groggy when she received a call.

  “Hey, uh, Nancy, it’s Steven,” Steve snorted into the phone and Nancy was alert.

  “Steve? It’s late. Are you drunk?”

  “I’m the moral support, Nance.” Steve was trying to quiet someone behind him. “I have every single thing in my life...super under control.”

  “Oh, my god. Where are you?”

  “Home, near the pool. Um, Nancy, I did…something bad.” Steve slurred. “Remember how we dated for like a year? Wild. I was a shitty boyfriend.”

  “No, Steve, you really weren’t. Not at all.” Nancy was up, Jonathan lifted his eyes in question across from her.

  “Couldn’t even beat the keg king, a little girl had to step in. She’s like…way cooler than me. I think Max is the real keg king at heart.” Steve was laughing and Billy snorted, seated in a lawn chair near him. “I…am just calling…wait, why am I calling again?”

  “Camille…needs her fucking band of annoying nerds. The party. That thing…she doesn’t,” Billy hiccuped, plastered, “I’m not enough, ah, and I never will be.”

  “Billy wants to have a party.” Steve was laughing.

  “Billy? You’re drunk with Billy Hargrove?” Nancy smacked Jonathan’s shoulder to get him moving.

  "Ow!"

  “We’re coming over. Now.”

  “You’re with Jonathan, that’s hilarious.” He cackled. “Byers! He kicked my ass too!”

  “He told me!” Billy fell back, grinning.

  “Don’t go anywhere,�� Nancy smacked the phone down. “Come on.” Back at Steve’s, he fell into a pool side chair.

  “She could def...definitely not even tell I’d been drinking. I’m…sneaky like a ninja.” Steve reclined back.

  “Shit is fucking wild, man. How did I get here? Look at them.” Billy watched the hundreds of stars dance in his state, lulling about.

  “You…are a fucking asshole.” Steve was swatting for him, hitting only air.

  “Yeah, I am.” They tried to high five and missed that too. “Pissed off a junior demolished you at everything you love?”

  “Beside the point. You’re like…like a real…huge asshole. But, you’re also not so bad. You know? I just…can’t fight for shit. And you somehow became friends with Camille Harper. My friend. My queen friend.” Steve was laughing again.

  “She tricked me into her intr...intricate friendship rituals.”

  “Oh, she does that shit. We all fall for it. You especially. And…you…you beat the shit out of me and then your kid sister stole your car. What the fuck was all that?”

  “What the fuck was that?” Billy agreed, head tipping. Nancy and Jonathan sped there, coming around back to see the two wasted boys.

  “Ayy! It’s Nancy! Nancy…!” Steve clapped. Billy was trying and failing to light a cigarette. They hollered in sync so she shushed them.

  “Hey, zip it! Both of you.” Nancy ordered. “What is this?”

  “If Camille were here it would be exactly…like…The Breakfast Club.” Billy started cackling and Steve joined him. “New party name, you fucking nerds.”

  “This guy is hilarious, he’s so right. So…right…”  

  “Hey, hey focus.” Nancy picked up a spray bottle for the window flowers and hit them both with water. They hissed and whipped around to avoid the cold like a pair of cats. Billy’s cigarette sizzled out so he flicked it, giving up. Jonathan covered his lips and tried not to laugh at this all. “What happened? Where is Camille?”

  “Police Chief kidnapped her mid date.” Billy had his hands up when she threatened them again with the spray bottle.

  “Why?” Jonathan stepped forward. Billy blinked as some awareness came back.

  “Bad thing… Her, fuck shit… Her mother. They got her.”

  “Her mom? Rosemary?”

  “No. One in the hospital.” Steve played with his shirt. “She didn’t make it.” Nancy lowered the bottle, realizing.

  “Oh, no… Where is Camille now?”

  “Hopper just…whiskered her away. Adopting another one probably.” Steve tried to sit up and Jonathan hurried to assist him.

  "You need a bed, come on."

  "Hey pal, I may have let you kick my ass but, you are not qualified to tuck me in." Steve dragged with him. Billy stared at the pool with a harder expression, lights fluttered on his face. Made him look almost ethereal.

  “We gotta get them inside.” Jonathan was helping poor Steve along still. Billy managed to sit up more and Nancy saw a flower in his hand. Camille had left it in the car. He stared at the petals and leaned to drop it into the pool. Water shifted with ripples. Billy watched them carefully so Nancy crossed over.

  “Billy, you’re not looking well. You need to get inside.” She and Jonathan heaved Billy to his feet next. "There we go." He stumbled and made an odd sound. Nancy realized that he was sniffling. She saw nausea sweep his expression and they hurried him into the bathroom so he could throw up. “Jonathan, water.” He rushed to find a glass. “Here…” Nancy was wiping Billy’s slack lips with a wet rag. He pressed his cheek to the seat and tried to overcome the sensation, moaning. Teeth clenched when another feeling flooded him. Nancy gave his back an awkward pat. “It’s okay.” She took the water from Jonathan and helped him drink. “Check on Steve.”

  “Got it.” Jonathan left again. Billy slipped against the wall, room spinning. Nancy squatted down barely a few feet away, arms crossed over her knees.

  “Don’t have to stay here with me, Wheeler.”

  “I know.” Nancy shrugged. Not the night she imagined. Not the person she imagined comforting. “Don’t mind it if you don’t though.”

  He blinked and didn’t say anything, eyes glazed.

  “So, Hopper’s watching her?” She saw Billy nod. “And you guys had a date tonight.”

  “I think I was decent.” His voice was quiet. Raw.

  “I bet that you were.” Nancy pressed her lips and he flickered his eyes over her face, opening up.

  “Not supposed to see her. Whole tutoring lie is only going to go so far. My dad doesn’t like it. But, I like it.” He slurred, eyes closing. “Another round with the belt when he finds out. Story of my fucking life. Maybe I deserve it, I was a shithead. I still am.” Nancy’s eyes changed.

  “He hits you. I mean…we all had some idea about it. Ah...you don’t deserve it, all right? And you don’t have to go back there, you know.”

  “All that wishful thinking. If I don’t, he’ll want someone else to hit. He’ll hunt me down. I tried to run before. Long time ago. Learned quick. I can't. Dad wins.” Billy numbed. “Didn’t want to care.”

  “You’re different. We all see it. Good different.” Nancy offered. Familiar words touched the world. “My friend changed too. Before and after your family got here. I did also and so did Jonathan and Steve. We all did stupid teenage things.”

  “Some of us did worse than others.”

  "We all hurt people." Nancy admitted, eyes flickering. "My friend died because of me and I can't take that back. I can only do better. Never let it happen to someone else."

  "She died because a monster grabbed her." Billy swallowed bile, chest heaving. "I used to be a monster too. Grabbing people. Squeezing. Laughing about it after."

  “What Camille sees in you now…it makes her happy. What Max sees in you makes her happier as well.” Nancy offered, careful. Billy lulled with an amused scoff to hide the way his tone thickened.

  “My mom didn’t see it. Why won’t my dad see it either?” Billy cringed this time, lips trembling and eyes filling to the brim.

  “It’s…going to be okay. It’s going to get better. I know how that sounds. But, not just for you alone. But, for you and Max. Camille. All of us. Because we have this…amazing group and we’re trying so hard despite everything. Even when we want to stop.”

  “I’m not…I’m not crying over my dad. He’s never…going to love me. Just, fuck him. Fuck him for me and Max and Susan…and…my mom. Fuck him! Fuck. Can’t touch anything. Can’t be touched. Fuck him. I’m crying…because…because, I…”

  “Billy, it’s okay. Just breathe.” Nancy offered him some tissue.

  “I can’t. Can’t stand to. I’m finally awake.” Billy wept, the airy syllables barely connected. “I love her.” He’d squeaked it like a mouse, fists rose to touch his head while he crumbled. Nancy stayed there with him to share the space. Let him weep. When he was calmer, she nodded to affirm that he was perfectly sane through the hurt.

  “I know you do.”

[crashpill]

Sad and tired...

Hester fell asleep sad and tired after hours of writing to her beloved.

But he never answered... does he even get her letters? does he really still love her... or is he dead?

(Little drawing of my dearest Hester, she tries to stay strong. But she can't stand it any longer.)

[toria-lilith]

Smoke and Roses - A Douglas Booth!Nikki Sixx fan fiction (Chapter one)

Fic Summary: Holland Van-Ness is a PR manager. At only twenty three years old, she is smart, sharp and straight edge; and the best in the business at what she does. But when she gets involved with the reckless Motley Crue, her life changes forever.

DISCLAIMER:: I would like start by saying I do not condone any of the actions portrayed by any member of Motley Crue, any member of their crew, or any OC. This work is fictitious, and is in no way meant to glamorise drug or alcohol abuse. ‘Smoke and Roses’ is based on the events of Netflix’s ‘The Dirt’, and the autobiography of the same name, and follows the both of them closely, and will include details regarding the aforementioned abuse that may be triggering to some readers. The timeline in this fic also differs slightly from real life and The Dirt. With all that being said, proceed with caution, and enjoy!

It was the ringing of the phone that awoke Holland.

In her grogginess, she considered rolling back over and ignoring it, but just when she thought it was done, it rang again, long and loud and piercing the air. Holland groaned, and rolled begrudgingly out of bed before heading towards the phone hung up on the wall. Whoever was calling better have had a damn good reason to be bothering her at nine AM on a Saturday. “Hello?” She said, running a hand through her hair to push it back from her face. “Holland Van-Ness speaking.”

“Ahh, Holly,” an irritatingly cheerful voice greeted her on the other end, “it’s Doc Mcghee.”

Well that certainly peaked her interest, and suddenly, Holland was wide awake. “Doc, good to hear from you again,” she said warmly, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

It had been a year or so since Holland had spoken to the infamous manager. He had been a close friend of her father’s, and had been the one to help her break into the music industry when she was merely eighteen years old. She owed a lot of her success to Doc. “Tell me,” he said, “how soon are you able to get to LA?”

Holland raised an eyebrow, though Doc could not see her. “Surely if I’m going to make a flight to LA I ought to know what this is about, Doc.”

“I’ve found you a band.”

“Oh yeah?” She balanced the phone between her ear and her shoulder and reached over to her dresser to pick up a notebook and pen. “What band might this be, then?”

“You’re not going to like it,” Doc chuckled, “but hear me out. I think this is the challenge you’ve been looking for.”

Holland had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She thought she knew exactly who he had in mind. “…Go on.”

Doc chuckled again, and this time he sounded nervous. “Motley Crue.”

For a moment, Holland was silent, and then she laughed. “Doc, you’ve got to be kidding me. Are you crazy? You want me to be their PR Manager? That’s career suicide!”

“Holly,” he said pleadingly, “these boys need help. If anyone can sort out their shit-show of a public image, it’s you. Just come to one show. If you think they’re a lost cause, I’ll pay for your flight back. But give them a chance. These kids need some sense talking into them and somehow, I don’t think they’re gonna’ listen to me.”

“They’re not kids,” Holland scoffed, “they’re grown men with a complex.”

“Look, the choice is yours. Can I expect to meet you at the airport or not?”

“Dammit, Doc…” She groaned. “Fine. I’ll catch the next flight out.”

“Holland Van-Ness, you are a star.” The line went dead as Doc hung up. Hester sighed. She’d heard stories about Motley Crue since they debuted six months beforehand. They had started performing and releasing music about the same time that Holland started her career in PR management. From their very first gig, they were trouble, and she always swore to never get involved with them, or any band like them. Apparently that was not something she was going to be sticking to.

She quickly dressed, pulled a comb through her hair and packed some essentials. Anything else she needed, she supposed she could buy once she hit LA. Holland had worked with all sorts of bands, from small, local bands to headlining acts. She had helped all of them maintain a fairly respectable public image. But now, in the cab on her way to the airport to meet Motley freaking Crue, she couldn’t help but feel as though she was somewhat out of her depth.

She moved through customs fairly quickly, and soon found herself in a less-than-comfortable seat on a four hour flight from Miami to LA. She regretted agreeing to the job before the plane even took off, but soon she was in the air and there was no going back, for now at least. She was at least comforted by the thought that when she inevitably wanted to come home, she wouldn’t have to pay for the flight home.

As the plane crawled through the sky, she tried to catch up on the sleep that Doc had so cruelly taken from her, but it was near impossible over the roar of the engines and eventually, she gave up and resigned herself to watching the clouds whizz by the window. Before she knew it, LA was upon her, and she found Doc waiting for her by the luggage claim.

When she saw her old family friend, all her annoyance and anxiety drained away and she embraced him in a tight hug. “It’s good to see you, Holly,” he told her with a smile.

“And you!” She looked anxiously over his shoulder, expecting to see the band stroll through the duty free shops towards them. “They’re not joining us?”

“They’re not here,” he assured her, “I thought you’d want to get some brunch and get settled first.”

“You have no idea,” she smiled.

She collected her bags, which she carried out to the cab with Doc’s help. She could have carried them alone, but was admittedly exhausted after her trip and was grateful for his assistance. When they got into the back of the cab, Doc looked as though he was going to start with the pleasantries, but one look at Holland’s face and he knew she was ready to talk business. He could tell she had a lot of questions, and motioned for her to start. “Alright,” she said, suddenly alert, “first off, where am I going to be staying? You didn’t mention a hotel.”

Doc grimaced and didn’t say anything for what felt like an eternity. “Once again,” he said, “you’re not going to like it.”

“Doc…” she looked at him, unimpressed, “tell me I’m not staying with them.” Doc shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, confirming her fears. “Are you serious, Doc?” She asked furiously. “Working with them is bad enough.”

“The money’s not bad,” he reminded her, and she scoffed.

“Not enough to get me a decent hotel room, though. Why the hell do I have to stay with them?”

“Holly, these boys aren’t like anyone you’ve worked with before. Observing them from afar isn’t going to cut it this time, I’m afraid. You need to figure them out, and fast. And the only way to do that, is…” He trailed off and gave her a look that she understood immediately. It was the same pleading look her father gave her when he wanted her to co-operate.

“Alright,” she sighed, “I’ll stay with them. So… what are they like?”

“They’re…” Doc looked out of the window as though the street passing by would inspire him, “they’re a handful,” he admitted, “self centred, arrogant… but they’re talented as hell, and they’ve got it in them to be good kids.”

Holland considered that for a moment, when static started to crackle from the inside of Doc’s briefcase. He sighed and took out the radio that was inside. Clearly they’d just come into range with whoever had been trying to contact him. “Doc speaking,” he said tiredly into the mouthpiece.

A voice Holland didn’t recognise came through the headset. “Doc, you’re needed outside the Whiskey-A-Go-Go.”

“What? At eleven AM? What the hell for, Tom?”

The voice sighed, “there’s uh, there’s been a fight.”

Doc groaned loudly. “We’ll be there shortly.” He shut off the radio and slipped it back into the briefcase. “Sorry, Holly. We might have to put that brunch on hold.”

Holland smiled bitterly. When dealing with Motley Crue, she’d expected nothing less.

[merthurians-prat-and-idiot]

Double The Pay~ Lee Scoresby & OC fanfic

Note: Hi!! This is a lil something I got inspired to write one Sunday night after watching HDM & reading Lee x Reader stuff! I have included an OC Female character called Indra. Pls let me know what you think- Its a draft but I think it turned out ok! A bit cliche but hey!

Enjoy :)

•°○•○•○•••

All Farder Coram had said was "Double the pay?" laughter in his voice as he shook his head at the young girl who had tricked them all.

See Lyra was a smart young girl, that had to be said before anyone moved onwards- she knew how to get people to help her, how to weigh & bargain with her words alone.

She had certainly done so with the two new recruits to the Gyptian crews.

Lee Scoresby, Aeronaut, Adventurer & all around troublemaker with lovely hare Hester his dæmon had recently found his path crossed with Lyra, all because of a certain re-armoured bear, who now claimed the space next to him huffing with impatience.

Indra Collen, Explorer, Fighter & Fellow troublemaker with her raccoon dæmon Lowell. She too had been part of the troupes trying to convince Lorek to get back into the world. She had seen the spark Lyra brought, never going out despite the cold icy winds the north blew constantly.

Indra knew of the Gyptians, her grandmother a Gyptian woman herself- forced to give her daughter to her father- a passing magisterium general- but that was a whole other story.

What matters here is the fact that these two had been fangled in their own way into joining this new adventure & what a one it was going to be!

°°°°••••○○○○●●●●••••°°°°○○○○●●●●°°°°•

Another thing one must know in order for this tale to have its birth is of Lee & Indra.

Lee and Indra were practically as good as inseparable. Partners in life as they were in trouble.

The two had met bordering on five years ago in far far lands from the North. They had met of course in a huge ruckus.

Lee had found the wrong inn, wrong words, wrong sleight of hand and found himself smashed against a reception desk of said inn- getting his ass handed to him.

"Well fuck"

"Lee you really are an idiot"

"Thank you Hester- I appreciate that right now"

The person doing the dusting with the Aeronaunt's body snarled chucking him into the window, glass smashing outwards as his body met the frosty road, splinters & rocks marring his face.

"Is this my lowest moment?" Lee contemplated for a second spitting gravel from his teeth into the dirt.

"Nah probably not" he winced, sitting up and huffing as a hunking man, bones groaning under his size quick-waddled towards the exhausted adventurer.

"Here we go" Hester sighed- not even surprised anymore.

"Nothing a nip of brandy won't shake" he winked to his dæmon.

"Now I don't know about that- might need a bit of whiskey too" A voice cut through Hester's abated response.

Lee looked up squinting at the strong sun behind the speaker until it settled into focus.

A woman with bright golden eyes alight with a spark of amusement and curiosity- he could feel the insant tangible fire & excitement seeping from her very essence like no-one before. She stood with a raccoon at her side- both surveying the situation with a clear lack of judgment or surprise- he distantly wondered how many times she had been in his postion right at that second.

"Now now lady- this is between me and the piece of shit on the ground here" the meat-head spoke- barely regarding the mystery woman despite the hastily spotted dagger hanging from her belt that Lee spotted the next second.

He watched her smile before aiming a very swift & sharp punch to the side of the man's head, knocking him down cold like timber at a woodman's forest.

"Well shit!" Lee exclaimed unprompted.

"Shit indeed Mr-?"

"Scoresby- but you can call me Lee seeing as though you just saved my ass"

"Ok Lee- I'm Indra Collen & this here is Lowell" she smiled- grasping his arm and pulling him to his feet.

"Pleasure" he replied tipping his hat.

"How about you repay me by telling me how the hell this all happened?" She twinkled.

He grinned. This was gonna be good.

°°°°•○•○○●●○○°°○°○•●•●•●•°°○•○●●●○°

From that day forward they'd stayed in each others lives. Ever the exception to their nomadic rules. Turning from grateful strangers to fanciful friends to much much more- proclaimed lovers- bound to travel & adventure together for as long as life allowed them.

So it was inexplicable that they came as a pair really, with Hester & Lowell too of course.

And so the two found themselves at the beginning of a new chapter for them & and invited into a new ongoing story book to dance amongst the pages & fly alongside the plot.

°•••○●°•●○○●○•°●•°○●○•°°•●○•°○○●○•°

"Miss Collen?"

"What's up buttercup?"

"When we get to the far North..."

"Mm"

"-And to the place the gobblers have taken everyone.."

".."

"Do you think we're strong enough to do it? To defeat them & make it out?"

Indra paused, contemplating the question the small brunette had posed her as they trekked up the cold hillside, only a few hours into their true journey. She knew Lyra wouldn't take molly coddling.

"Yes and no" she sighed and stopped walking to face the girl.

"I believe we have a good lot- a good chance- riddled with determination & brave, brave people- but I don't know the forces that they have there- but we will try as hard as we can & truly Lyra, with someone like you and people like the Gyptians to fight alongside I couldn't be more honoured or more hopeful"

"I hope that was the answer you wanted Miss Belaquar" She tickled Lyra under her chin before continuing her trek.

Yet spinning round to add- "And you can call me Indra you know!"

°•••○●●•°○°●°●°○•●°○°•○○○•°•●●••°○●

"Quickly now!!"

Everyone was hurrying as they passed over the seedy cliff. The tumultuous drop looming from below, fear creeping up into the minds of the man from between the very cracks in the rock.

They set wooden planks to pass people, equipment & supplies across the rocky casm of the mountainside.

With most of the Gyptians and Lyra across already it was now down to the two to make their steps.

"You go first- so I can be here to catch you" Lee said firmly.

"Don't you-" Indra spun round to speak but deflated at Lee's worried expression.

"Fine but I'll be as pip as peaches you'll see love" she said softly yet promised, hand on his coat right over his heart.

She passed across with ease, sending a wink back his way yet a coil settling across and around her chest at the realisation it was Lee's turn.

He let out a nervous bark of a laugh at her sudden expression change.

"We've faced worse babe"

"Be careful"

" course"

Lee began across the plank fine- afterall he was used to climbing the side of the balloon sometimes when he really had to.

He was used to heights, he was used to winds, but the thing was, he usually had the side of a balloon latticed with rope to hold onto...

When the wind suddenly picked up it threw him off, teetering to the side slightly with a sharp inhale.

Indra reached forward but he shook his head.

"I'm ok!" He flashed her what he hoped was a reasurring grin that only half reached his eyes in all truthfulness.

He took several more steps slowly, almost across.

"Told you- easy as pi-"

Suddenly the board he was standing on dropped out beneath his very feet.

He yelled as he felt himself start to fall.

"LEE!!" Indra screamed reaching down and just grabbing the edge of his sleeve desperately.

"Lee! Reach up to me! Please baby- come on- COME ON!"

He clawed desperately at the rock trying to reach up and grab her other hand.

"Ind- I c-can't-" he puffed into the cold as he struggled.

"Yes you can! Yes you can- come on- don't you fucking dare leave me-" she croaked shakily.

Joined by several gytians, they reached further down than she could whilst grasping him and they all heaved him back up onto the rock path.

He lay face down breathing heavily- clutching at Indra.

They breathed as one, ragged and sharp with relief.

"Ind- Ind- Ind" he repeated like a prayer- whilst she pulled him into a tight hug rocking slightly with her boyfriend safe in her arms- Hester buried into their sides.

"Shhh its ok- I've got you" she whispered.

He looked up- skin paled with shock & fear yet alert & cold with stark red against the pallor.

He put his hands either side of her face and they kissed deep & desperately, the pain still racing.

•○•●○•°•●•●•

Thats everything so far! Pls let me know thoughts!! And yes ending with a lil bit of "tongues battling for dominance!!"

[ohyangchon]

Raffle commission for @anchoram-fr of their OCs. 

Congrats on your win!

Hester had been working out in the garden when she heard hooves not quite her own: but she ignored them, figuring it was just another one of those veterans riding up on their horses to speak to the nurses. She bent down, reaching for another weed before plucking them, tossing the stalk aside in a basket and glancing around- only to see a blur of yellow and red pass her by in a gallop, leaving her blinking in confusion. 

“The--” she began, tapping one of her hooves on the grass (the speed of that horse’s movements would spook some of the more skittish veterans recovering there, and she didn’t like that) before carefully trailing out, skipping over the low fence to approach at a cautious amble towards the front entrance. Was she needed...? She could yell at them for being an asshole and disturbing the peace here, but she doubted that’ll go well considering her unique status. Instead, she watched with curiosity as the blur stopped: and her eyes widened in shock seeing a second centaur approach and lean down to speak in faltering whispers to the hospital director. 

She sighed, folding her arms and giving the younger centaur a once-over. At first glance, he was a little too bright to have come from any of the tribes she would recognise, and not only so, he was dressed in a military uniform. Why would a centaur willingly serve the human military? Maybe he got drafted, the poor thing, Hester thought to herself, already writing a story in her head for this new centaur before putting her pot away, realising that she was still cradling it in her arms. A moment or two passed, and it seemed like he and the hospital director seemed to still be in some sort of stalemate about...something, so Hester wagered she should approach, at least to help translate. 

As she clopped forth to stand next to the hospital director, giving her a nod of acknowledgement, she watched the younger centaur across her wheel backwards, startled by her appearance. Hester eyed the letter tightly clutched in the other’s hands and turned to the director, giving a small smile. “I’ll...take over from here?” she suggested, and the director nodded in response before adjusting her wireframe glasses and heading inside, leaving them both alone. 

“Could I see the letter?” Hester began, trying to seem polite and figuring speaking their common language might be helpful (even if she...wasn’t even sure if he would understand...) but when he dutifully handed her the letter, she gave a curt nod of thanks and scanned it. Hm...that was a familiar last name it was signed off as: ah! One of the newer officers admitted to the premise. She gave a stiff smile, unsure of how to proceed before offering him the letter back, which he quickly stuffed into his chest pocket. 

Hester began to walk, turning to check if the strange new centaur would follow, but he stood waiting, staring at her with a look that had bafflement written all over it. “Oh, sorry, skipped forth a few steps again, didn’t I?” she chirped, before jerking a thumb towards the garden, “It’s easier for us to get into the hospital proper through the garden. Please be careful though, I just planted some new crops in there, and we’re not exactly known for grace.” When he nodded and trotted behind her, Hester softened slightly seeing how obedient he was. 

Poor thing must’ve been broken in or something, those humans who fought wars just couldn’t be trusted. Her hand unconsciously brushed against the scars on her left front leg, immediately growing more sympathetic. Maybe they already had something in common...but it was rude to ask on their first meeting, so instead she put on a smile and carefully crossed over the low fence to enter the garden and turning around for the other to approach. 

“So...what’s your name?” she asked, the silence already beginning to bother her and looking to break the ice (at least in the mines she had company), “You can just call me Hester. Don’t worry about it, you’re in good hands here: the humans here are significantly better than where you would’ve come from, I’m sure.” He avoided her gaze, carefully crossing the fence before stumbling at his back legs catching it and skittering next to her, sheepishly ruffling his hair with an awkward grin. Hester tilted her head, and his grin dropped, breaking away from her gaze while seeming stiff again. 

“My name...is Ikram,” he replied softly, a blush dusting his cheeks at his clumsy showing, “Thank you.” He poised to start following her, before a quiet crunch echoed through the originally comforting silence. Hester stiffened, her concerned stare turning into an annoyed glare as she shooed him- revealing a cracked pot under one of his back hooves. She threw her hands up in resignation (of course he crashed into the ones she’d just repotted), but when she saw the other hold his hands to his chest and seem overly apologetic, she softened and picked up the pieces. 

Hester rolled her shoulders, sighing to herself. “You know what, us standing around means you’re just going to accidentally step on things,” she continued, walking him towards the shed and showing him how to avoid the scattered pots and vegetation in the area, “I may as well show you where I usually rest, and you can lay down for a bit while I figure out what your arrangement is. It’s...hm, not every day another centaur rides up here, basically.” She would say that this had never occurred in her months being here, and her hopes of having any members of her tribe had dimmed by this point: they were probably still working at the mines, and she sometimes wondered if she’d been wrong taking up this job and leaving them behind. Maybe someone out there had heard her prayers and sent her a sign that her family was well through this new centaur: or maybe she was just overthinking it. 

When Ikram followed, carefully kicking the chunks of ceramics away and trotting quietly behind her, she shook those thoughts out of her mind and led him towards the house next to the garden, opening the double doors to lead him in. It was really just a refurnished barn, which she’d transformed into a shed  in the meantime and added her own personal effects- woefully little, just a coat or two and a horseshoe shed from her mother, and she led Ikram to where she’d usually lay down, a small mound of old pillows and hay that she’d haphazardly thrown together as a resting spot. 

She leant down to toss some of the pillows aside, before gesturing towards it to him. “Just rest first,” she suggested, and watched him dutifully lay amongst the pillows with an awkward air, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll be right back.” As he sighed into one of the pillows, Hester took off towards the main building, looking for some answers in the meantime and hopefully puzzle out where Ikram was supposed to stay: it just didn’t seem appropriate for them to share a space, but at the very least the barn was big enough for them both. 

-----

As she left, Ikram finally allowed himself to sag and recollect his thoughts. He’d been trekking for weeks at that point, with only a few pockets of time for rest in between, and it was difficult communicating with the hospital director who didn’t speak much Turkish. If that other centaur hadn’t appeared, he would’ve likely turned back and left: but she’d helped him and clarified so much that it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. 

He carefully shed the haversack he’d been carrying, rolling his shoulders to get the tension out and taking a stock check of his remaining rations before finally allowing himself to take a look around. The barn was surprisingly homely, and he smiled seeing the gardening supplies neatly stacked in a corner. Putting it away, he thought back to everything that’d led up to this point and sighed into the pillows again, gathering them into his arms before flopping into them. 

It didn't take too long for him to feel the urge to get up again- to start marching- to do something. Staying put suddenly felt strange, and he needed to move...but his body refused to move, far too exhausted from the day’s events. He was safe here, he repeated the mantra in his head as he laid his head once more onto the pillows. 

-----

Hester soon returned, carrying a jug of milk and some butter biscuits helpfully obtained from the hospital staff. She’d heard from the others that he’d trekked a significant distance, and figured he must also be starving: hence the food. Watching the other quietly resting, though, she sighed and placed them on the makeshift table she’d stacked from crates before stealing one from the plate, munching along while she worked (he wouldn’t miss it anyway!)

Seeing Ikram curled amongst her pillows, she rolled her eyes and chuckled, before her smile dropped noticing the open haversack next to him and gently closing it as she passed him. “Good luck, soldier,” she commented idly, striding over to pick up some mulch to stack on her back, “I think you probably deserve it after that trek of yours, eh?” 

[hopebliss]

🌼 xoxo ur daughter

🌼 suzie my daughter my sweet sunshine you are a riot, you are so funny but also damn sweet and wonderful and i would lay down my life for you and a good sleeping schedule. i love talking abt ocs and fc5 and ships with you because you welcome everything with open arms and like, you incorporate sweet things and funny things and sad things all together so well and it’s just Extremely Good.

🌼 i would also lay down my life for ur ocs: for faust and hester and edith and maisie. i love how they are really incorporated into the world and they all have reasons and families and backgrounds and quirks and hobbies that just make sense but also make them very distinctive and they kinda just, run away as their own people and that !!! requires talent and hard work !!!!

🌼 i also love how u have very nuanced views abt a lot of things and i love watching you talk abt the fandoms that you’re interested in or the things you’ve watched/liked - even if i’m just catching up on chats i’m like HUH suzie has made me THINK abt a thing which is something i really cherish so thank u bb!!!! now get some rest xoxoxo ur mom

[winterywitch]

aaa i saw u rb a lot of fl stuff and 👀👀 do u play fallen London... do u have any characters/hcs for it

i used to play it a lot!! unfortunately my disabled ass just could not keep up with the fancy prose💦💦 plus the big name fandom as i remember it was trash anyway

all i was really into was the masters anyway but im sure i would get into more if i got back to it!! light fingers was REALLY fun i hope to finish it one day. im also kin w mr eaten which gets very weird and Feelsy

!! i do have some characters, they're all sapphic women except one who's aroace

lois liddell - aroace, mostly uneducated at least in comparison to a lot of the other fancy folk running around the neath, very cockney, punches a bunch. had a qp crush on the quiet deviless but got her heart broken ;-; mostly dangerous and persuasive in terms of stats, in (qp) love with @cocoacasualties' FL oc booker, she's here to kick ass and chew gum. in her future she's some kind of general and she works with the calendar folk?? i think 👀 she also vaguely becomes death itself but that's lore im just not super brushed up on unfortunately... iirc her ambition was hearts desire?

ophelia hollingberry - hypersexual bi ace, very blunt affect and T_T-style line-faced. she's autistic, that was important for me in the sense that it helped me get a little closer to realizing im on the spectrum (more towards the DDNOS and asperger's end of the spectrum than autism but those don't ^_^;;;; exist anymore technically). also she's a survivor which in her case kind of draws her to sex work. it's safe and only happens on her terms, sexual interaction has never worked that way for her before. she's a little scared of romance though because she doesn't often feel it very profoundly and the last person who loved her committed suicide bc she didn't love him. she never realized that was a purposeful, cruel thing to manipulate her and scar her emotionally. she also has a bad leg and doesn't like shoes, she walks around in scarlet stockings (but like with a long enough skirt to not immediately die of scandal lol). she starts out a pretty big fan of mr wines just in terms of what he's doing and his fun little sex work ring but she comes to be disillusioned with the masters as a whole, later finding them unanimously corrupt. which she's not exactly wrong about? her ambition is light fingers which has only traumatized her further but another personal ambition of hers is to sexually pleasure the vake. yes, she's serious, she insists with that T_T look on her face. she has weird pseudosexual tension w mr fires, @hauntpark's FL dude harvey is kinda sorta her partner she's still working through what she wants but she's also desperately in love (semiromantically?) with @scherzotz's lady, ivy. mostly persuasive and shadowy stats-wise. she's doin fine. i think she becomes a huntress in parabola which is like SHES DOING, REALLY FUCKIN GOOD

vivienne armani - ophelia's aunt! she's a lesbian and she's like in her 40s but she fell into a coma in her early 20s because she studied the correspondence and it kinda, slightly flooded her head a little (im still figuring out how that even Works but correspondence is a fuck 6284882989 dead constables etc). she's still mentally in her 20s but she's really really trying to catch up. she's had /some/ luck with it! being the freaky vodka aunt isn't too hard. she loves danger and horrifying thrills and actually has a bit of a Thing(tm) for blood which leads to some Confusing Feelings for @scherzotz's lady, hester - but she's staying appropriate, she knows the physical gap in age is pretty big between them and she respects that. she had an older husband when she was pretty young mostly as a financial thing and a protection thing, there were a lot of nasty men trying to marry into her family - said husband was more like a friend to her than anything. they never had children and he never had sex with her or gave any romantic overtures, period. and he was really her first friend she could trust and marriage was one of the only smooth avenues that they could meet in unfortunately, in vivienne's very traditional and misogynist circle of society, but someone murdered him. her ambition thus is nemesis and she's having a great time! she loves hats a lot. mostly watchful and shadowy in terms of stats, she's very smiley and she's doing her best! her future seems to be liberation of the night

dorothy ernest - she, is a lesbean. she and the next girl are way less developed but she was made out of spite at first bc the fandom was very racist in a lazy britaboo "this society is post racial!!!2" kind of way. so she's not ambiguously brown like one of her inspirations was in the least she is unambiguously black and if she had her way she would really have nothing to do with these pretentious shitty white britaboos, but alas they're most of the important NPCs and ocs and her ambition is bag a legend which needs her to make connections to even figure out what she's looking for. she doesn't think she's gonna get very invested in this beyond it being a way of proving herself to the neath as someone it and the surface shunned and abused but she actually gets weirdly into the bazaar lore and like she thinks it's ridiculous bullshit that could have easily been fixed if everyone perhaps spoke to each other a little more, which she's right about, but she's weirdly into it nonetheless. she's very like 👀🔪📝🍵 "go on?" mostly dangerous and shadowy wrt stats, unsure what her future is

stella isabella - i dont know SHIT she's a living doll and right now she's a pretty young kid but she wants to be just like @scherzotz's oc hester which is worrying. however she never does, she just becomes /cooler/ as an adult than hester seemed to be. so that's good. her ambition was going to be enigma if i ever figured that shit out, she's mostly shadowy w/ stats

(collapses) we did that lads

[ghostwise]

2, 6, 10, 18, 22 for anyone of your choice?

Ahh that’s a lot! Thank you!

2. What OC has/is a mentor?

Coraline learned most of what she knows from her greataunt, Hester.

The mediumship skipped a generation, so while Coraline’s motherwas sensitive, she wasn’t able to guide her daughter through the experience ofbeing a young medium. Hester had spent decades honing her abilities andstudying them, so she quickly stepped in. She was a close family member, and avaluable mentor. And when Coraline began showing symptoms of her schizophreniashe helped her with that, too…

Hester has since passed away, and Coraline runs herbusiness out of the old house she used to live in. She spends her spare timeorganizing Hester’s notes, categorizing her collection of haunted/enchantedobjects, and engaging in a hobby of taxidermy! That’s unrelated though; shejust does that on her own.

6. What OC is the Mom Friend?

Vesna is the mom friend in that she has a habit of assumingresponsibility for EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING. If one of her friends has a problemshe is quick to step in, even if it comes at her own disadvantage. She’s nosyand she’ll tell you her opinion even if you don’t ask for it. Her friendsappreciate her more than they can say. 

She stresses out though! She has two thinning spots on herscalp where she scratches at absentmindedly when she’s anxious or deep in thought. Leading a rebellion will do that I guess. My poor weather witch ;o;

10. What is your favorite familial relationship betweenyour OCs?

I did this one for Isaya and his adopted family—but I neverpass up a chance to talk about healthy and good family relationships tbh I justlove them so much

I’m super fond of the relationship between Nousha and herfather, Reza. Their story is a long one, but for some background: There are messyfamily politics involved, a royal lineage of unicorns, abuse and betrayal. Dundun dunn, right? Basically, he was tried for treason when Nousha was a teenager,was found guilty and executed… or so she believed.

Several years passed before they reunited, and neither hadbeen aware of the other’s survival, so it was an emotional experience for bothof them. They were quick to catch up on the time they missed together. At thatpoint he was completely mute, having had his tongue removed for his crimes. Shelearned how to understand sign language, so they could communicate. He learnedhow her medicine worked in case she had a seizure while he was around. She alsogot to meet his husband (NEW DAD!) and introduce him to her wife (NEW DAUGHTER!).They stick together from that point on and are basically precious.

18. Which OCs would make the worst couple?

My gosh I have way too many OCs for this to be an easyquestion. Let’s say Morana/The Colossus because one is literally an ancient demon encased in a cursedcrumbling city of stone and bones. Plus y’know, Zi died within its confines!Not cool?

22. Which OCs spend the most time together?

I’m going to make a huge leap of genres and say it’s myMass Effect OC bunch, particularly Astrophel and Solimar! When you’re travelingthe galaxy on a tiny ship you kinda get used to being in each other’s businessat all times, that’s just the way it goes… for better or for worse. Once therest of their crew joins up it results in even closer quarters. They’rebasically this patchwork family of lost and mourning people, each impacted bythe Reaper war in their own way. Boy do they get sick of each other at times, though.

[crashpill]

I fall in love with Hester Catch-

I draw them and just love them... I hope she finds her Bobby someday qwq

She is so Ahhhh i love her-