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arabellasleopardcoat · 3 months ago

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Winter (Cregan Stark x Reader)

Summary: As a Princess, you aren’t used to rejection. But Cregan, your husband, has vowed to only ever love one woman, and it isn't you. Right?

Warnings: Mature language. Grief. Toddlers. Unreliable narrators. Miscommunication.

A/N: I was so excited about this chapter! These scenes are the ones I wrote first. Also, the biggest hug to anyone who is reading this. I had not expected the amount of love my first chapter got, and I am so grateful!

THERE WAS AN old northern superstition —more like an old wives’ tale, really— that said if there was snow on the wedding day, the marriage was doomed to be a cold one.

It hadn’t been snowing the day Cregan had married you, but his marriage was proving to be icier than the lands beyond the wall. You weren’t interested in spending time with him at all, and you actively tried to avoid him. He had tried to convince you to share rooms, trying to foster some intimacy, to no avail.

Cregan had hoped that if not a loving wife, he would get a caring mother to Rickon. The boy was too small to grow without one, not yet having reached his third nameday. But you hadn’t shown interest in that either. Instead, you pretended the two of them didn’t exist.

He would like to say that the days went on the same way they did before he wed you, but it would be a lie. Winterfell ran much better now there was a lady present. Cregan had been wrong about you. It seemed like you could run a keep, and you did so with ruthless efficiency.

The castle had never been warmer, the meals so well planned. Even the servants seemed happy, now that they didn’t have to follow Cregan’s too broad instructions. It seemed that asking them to clean and cook was a little too vague for their tastes.

As for you, grief still followed you around, like a too long shadow that refused to budge even in the face of Winterfell’s brightest light. Sara had befriended you, with little success. While you had been far more welcoming to her, you still looked constantly tired and sad.

The lack of sunlight had made you lose your southron tan, leaving you with a look of quiet frailty that made Cregan want to wrap you in a thousand blankets and keep you safe. He just was unsure of the execution.

You scared him. He was man enough to admit it. People were often afraid of things they didn’t understand, and Cregan was no exception. You were made of absolute ice. There was no better description. Cold, but as fragile as glass.

He was running out of ideas on how to bond with you. Invitations to tea were denied, nor did you want to ride with him to see his tenants. You seemed at ease enough around Sara, and some other northern ladies, so social interaction wasn’t what you disliked. It was him.

Never had Winterfell’s corridors been filled with so many women. The northern lords already called you Queen Alysanne’s second coming, with your all female court. The only thing missing was your husband. You didn’t have Cregan’s ear, simply because you didn’t wish to. He would support your endeavors if you asked him to. He had offered his help with your attempts to establish a charity, since the North didn’t have Septas to take care of it, but you had proudly rebuffed him.

There was no pleasing you. He was at his wits’ end. Hence, the awful choice he had made that day.

To try to force you to be in his company.

“Why are you ordering my servants around?” You complain, barging into his chambers. While usually the kitchens were the domain of the Lady of the household, Cregan didn’t know you took it so seriously. “Do you not think me capable enough?”

“I do!” Cregan sits up in his bed, bewildered. He had given the orders around lunchtime, hoping you would not find out, yet here you were, less than half a day later. Far more soon than he had expected. “I just want to throw a feast to honor you.”

“You intend to honor me by giving me more work?” You place your hands on your hips, highlighting your figure, and Cregan is but a man. He cannot help himself, his eyes lingering for a second too long, and his brain coming with no response to your statement.

You seem to take his silence for affirmation.

“Seriously? Do you at least have a guest list?”

And your tone is so haughty, your words betraying you believe Cregan to be an absolute imbecile, he cannot help but give a heated retort.

“Of course I have. Truly, I am more than capable of organizing it on my own. Arra let me do it a few times, and I was unmarried for quite a while. I am experienced enough to…”

It is the wrong thing to say. You bare your fangs then, and Cregan has a moment of absolute and utter clarity. You are not a seahorse. Such a puny creature could never hope to deliver the utter destruction that you cause with your next words.

“Yes, and your precious Arra is dead! She is gone! Why can’t you understand it?” You turn on your heel, face absolutely thunderous, and go to rush out of his chambers.

Cregan loses his head fully, then. He grabs you by the arm, hard enough to hurt, and forces you to face him. For a frightening moment, he fears himself. Fears the wolf, the one screaming for him to strike you and remind you of your place.

How dare you come in his chambers, uninvited, after rejecting all his offers of companionship, to lecture him on grief? As if he could forget Arra was dead. It wasn’t so long ago that Rickon cried for his mother still, unable to understand why he didn’t have one. It wasn’t so long ago that Sara had to take over the role of Lady of the House, and suffered mockery from it. And it wasn’t so long ago, Cregan woke with a scream choked in his throat, reliving that awful morning in every dream he had.

He still did, sometimes. Less, now that he had more urgent matters to occupy himself with. Cregan was ashamed to admit it, but before Jacaerys and your arrival here, Winterfell had been far too empty to keep the ghosts away.

Now, with the war, and the flurry of activities that seemed to follow you, Cregan had little time to dwell much in his dark thoughts. Throwing himself into his work had allowed him to begin healing a wound he wasn’t even aware existed.

And wasn’t that a terrible thought? That Cregan was a man who thrived on war and hunger? Winter was coming, after all. It wouldn’t catch him unprepared.

He had sworn a vow to protect you. As long as Jacaerys had no children, you were third in line to the Iron Throne. To think of hurting you was not only to think of staining his honor, but to think of treason.

Cregan holds you there for a second longer, curious about your reaction. His grip must be bruising on your arm, he can feel the delicate bones under your flesh shift with how hard he is holding you. Yet, you show no fear. Your hands are balled into fists.

Were he to strike, you would strike back. Your face is the very picture of anger, your body coiled and ready to tear him apart.

He throws the feast. You sit next to him in icy silence and somehow manage to speak and dance with all the guests but him.

Cregan does no longer dream of trying to hunt a seahorse. Instead, he sees the world at a much lower angle than usual, and runs for his life. Somehow, in the dream, he knows a dragon is hunting him.

OF COURSE IT is today. The only day you actually wish your Lord Husband to be in the castle, and he is not.

You had spent many of your days fervently praying for him to leave on an errand, and yet, the day he does, you cannot even enjoy it.

Because the boy has gotten sick. And look, you have visited the nursery before, it is a part of your duties. You also cannot deny that you had been curious about the tiny version of your husband that will inherit everything.

The boy is cute, you suppose. In the manner all babes are. He is well-behaved, and quiet, and takes well to his teachings, even if they involve only naming things aloud.

Had you not hardened your heart to it already, you would want one of your own. You know, though, that their only inheritance will be tears and petty squabbles over land, so it’s best they are not born at all. It had been so between your husband’s father and uncle, and it was being so between your mother and your uncle Aegon.

The only assurance a woman has in a life spent as little more than property is her children. They are to inherit their father’s lands, and that is supposed to be enough. But for the second sons, said promise is always broken.

You had never, not once, thought you would come to understand Alicent, yet here you were.

You reflect on this as you hurry to the nursery, worried the damn boy will die before you reach it. When you get there, you feel the urge to scream. There is not one, but three serving girls hovering by the door, and the Maester is mixing some herbs in a chalice.

The child sleeps peacefully, unaware the surrounding turmoil. He looks impossibly small in his bed of furs, shirt open and chest covered in strange poultices. The boy… No, Rickon, had taken ill after the first snow. Perhaps he had been spending too much time playing outside, or he lingered too much in his wet clothes. You wouldn't know. You tried to avoid him as much as you could.

After this was over, you would have a stern talk with his maids. They shouldn’t be this careless. This was your husband’s heir. Someone had to care about him.

Not you. Never you.

“Will he be alright?” You ask, as the Maester places a wet cloth on his forehead. You have never liked children, never having had the chance to be one yourself. Your mother’s constant quest for the Iron Throne and her love for Daemon had often left you in the hands of the help. And when you were old enough, you had to take the role of the mature sibling alongside Jacaerys, helping raise your brothers.

Jacaerys. You hoped that wherever he was, he was suffering. You despised this place, and he had dared plot with your mother behind your back to get you here. With your beast of a husband, and this child of a previous marriage, whose existence would forever ensure your future children would inherit nothing.

You weren’t going to have children. Despite loving children, you despise your husband too much to ever lay with him. But most of all, you are beginning to fear you will become a damn Hightower. You feared that if you had children and faced the prospect of them only being second sons, you might be tempted to start a war too.

“He will, Princess.” The Maester, unaware of your inner turmoil, places a reassuring hand on your arm. He surely believes in the gentle hearts of women, or some nonsense like that. “The fever will lower with the tea we gave him, and the cool cloth on his forehead. His lungs are strong. He will breathe normally soon.”

The boy’s chest flutters oddly. His ribs show with each inhale, depicting his trouble breathing. You cast a dubious look at the cool cloth. If this was all they could do, it was no wonder your grandfather had been rotting alive.

“Is that all you have to say? Why do his ribs show?” You do your best to channel your mother, tone imperious. “If this is truly…” Before you can insult him by calling him the worst the Citadel has to offer, a boy comes in. You let out a sigh of relief, your desire to berate the Maester subsiding. It’s the same boy you had sent to Castle Cerwyn to retrieve your husband.

“Princess!” He says, extending a hand to you. Much to your astonishment, he hands back the message you had sent to Lord Cregan. “I have grievous news. The road to Castle Cerwyn is fully blocked. I couldn’t get past the river. I cannot go over it either and avoid the forest, for it is not fully frozen.”

“This cannot be!” You say, crossing your arms over your chest. Cursed your husband, and his plans to visit the Cerwyns’ tenants today, of all days. “You have to get Lord Cregan. Send a more experienced rider.”

“My lady, I would advise not to.” The Maester says, meekly. “Even if the rider does manage to get past, it is very likely Lord Stark is in the village, snowed in.”

“Well, then send a damn search party!” You yell, uncaring your language is unbecoming of a Princess. You cannot be here while the child… While Rickon dies. The child has a parent, and it is your husband, you do not even care for him!

“It is not as simple.” The Maester cringes when you turn on him.

“Of course it isn’t. The only simple thing is the cure for the child’s malady, isn’t it?” You growl. “Do something useful, if you think a rider cannot reach my husband. Get me someone who can, and fix the boy.”

It would be easier for you if the boy died. You could have the children you so craved. The obstacle would have removed itself. Relationships between half brothers are never as strong as between full ones. At the very least, this child could cast out you and any children you birth when Lord Cregan passes. At the very worst, he might have them killed, as your mother intended with her usurper brother.

But you are not so craven as to let an innocent die. He is still a boy, no older than three namedays. He is vulnerable, and his father is not here.

You sit next to the bed, eyes fixed on his chest. Rickon will not die on your watch.

THE SOUND OF a door opening jerks you awake. Disoriented, you sit up on your chair, and check that Rickon still breathes.

He does. He has awakened with the sound of the door opening, just as you did. But unlike you, he has begun wailing. You get him. You would like to cry too.

“What is it?” You snarl at the serving girl who dared enter in such a manner. The sound of Rickon’s cries grate in your ears, shrill and loud, awakening you fully. You try to coax him into laying back down to no avail.

“Milady…” She stammers, holding a breakfast tray. The reason for her interruption becomes clear. Had it been so long already? You remembered standing vigil over Rickon until sundown, and changing the cool compress a few times after, but no further. By the Seven, you were a terrible caretaker. “I… There are…”

Rickon wails harder.

“Father! Father, want father!” He cries. He then attempts to remove the cool cloth from his forehead, and get up, escaping the furs laid over him.

The serving girl stares at the boy. You stare at her. Rickon continues to squirm. When it is clear she is expecting you to soothe him, you sigh and turn to the child.

“Rickon, you have to lay down again.”

“Father! Father!” He wails, face beginning to turn red, his breathing labored. You are unsure if it is his distress or the sickness, but it worries you nonetheless. The child cannot die. You are not prepared to deal with it.

“Shh, Rickon, I know you are hurting.” You tell him, as you pick him up. “Father is not here. He is trapped by the snow.”

At this, he cries harder. You can hear him gasping for air as he squirms in your arms and kicks at you. His snot is getting everywhere. Good Gods, what if he dies? Would your husband actually force you consummate the marriage if he loses his heir? The thought alone is enough to force you into action.

“He is not trapped. He is snowed in, just as when you cannot go out and play. Happens all the time.” You reassure him, rubbing his back. You know your words to be a lie, but the boy doesn’t. The weather has been especially rough this season. The snow storm is unusual in its fierceness. “He will be back soon.”

Rickon perks up at that.

“He will?”

“As soon as he can.” You promise, hoping it is the case. In truth, you do not know. Your husband is unaware Rickon is ill, and holds no fondness for you. You doubt he will be rushing once the road clears. In fact, you think he might be celebrating the weather and praising his northern gods for the excuse to get a respite from you.

Well, too bad. You would send men each hour to check if the storm waned and the road was accessible once more. He would have to come and tend to his child.

“Where is father?” Rickon asks you, a suspicious look in his little face. He is eerily similar to your husband. His sobs have turned more subdued.

“With Lord Cerwyn.”

“Why? Hurts! Father!” The boy demands, petulantly. He is clearly feeling better if his lungs allow him to shriek like that. You are no healer, but his agitation is worrying you. What if he has a fit because he overexerted himself and then dies?

“I want your father too.” You mutter under your breath. “You do not see me wailing.”

“I love father.” He sobs. “Want him.”

And you are not made of stone. You have never been, no matter how hard you pretend. He is still a babe, hands chubby, face round. He still smells like one, a mix of the nursery, and sweet innocence.

Without even realizing it, you have cradled him into your arms and begun rocking the two of you. He keeps wailing, so you begin singing.

“I loved a maid…” There is no need to be a good singer to soothe babies. You are unsure of what they like about it, but you know it works. It had worked for Aegon and Viserys, why not for Rickon? “As fair as summer, who had sunlight in her hair….”

You begin to rock him as you pace through the room. As his tears begin to subside, and he begins to grow curious about the soft song, you realize he is not the threat to your future children you had envisioned. Rickon is beautiful in the manner all babes are, soft and sweet. His little fists cling to your wool cloak, gray eyes meeting yours with fascination.

Charmed by him, you keep singing. Seasons of my love is enlarged and repeated ten times over, and now includes verses about northern babies who look exactly like their father.

“I loved a boy…” You hum, softly. It feels like hours have passed when Rickon’s eyes finally begin to drop. Of course he would enjoy the verses about winter the most. “As white as winter, with moonglow in his hair.”

The door opens, slowly. You hear the wood groan as it does, but Rickon takes no notice. He burrows his head next to your heart, yawning.

You turn to look at the newcomer, pleased that having put the fear of the gods into the maid who had dared enter before had proven fruitful. The pleased smile drops from your face when you realize it is your husband.

Lord Stark is drenched to the bone. His hair is stuck to his head and shoulders, dripping water onto his furs. The cloak he had worn is wet, and he is quick to remove it, leaving him in simple breeches and a jerkin. His face is the picture of worry.

“I rode as hard as I dared.” His voice is low, pleasantly so. You had never considered the northern accent he sported attractive, but when his voice is gruff, and pitched low, you might see the appeal. “How is he?”

He shouldn’t have bothered with the low tone. Rickon would recognize his voice everywhere because he perks up considerably.

“Father! Father!” Rickon claps. He attempts turning in your grip to look at your husband, which makes you fear he might fall, so you perch him on your hip so he can do so.

“The fever has broken.” You hand Rickon back to him, feeling a hint of embarrassment when his eyes linger on the way you had been holding him. “He’ll live.”

“Thank you.” And his voice is earnest and soft, and it makes you wonder what he sees when he looks at you. Is it her still? Does Arra Norrey stand in this room with you, too?

The embarrassment from earlier, and the anger at the thought of your husband being soft because you remind him of her make you snap at him.

“It’s fine. I missed my siblings.” You cross your arms over your chest, awkward. Why does he keep staring at you? Is he… Oh, by the Seven, he is smiling at you? So softly? You cannot stand it. “I will send for a bath for you and Rickon, after washing myself. Less I catch a cold too.”

Look, princesses do not flee. They simply walk hurriedly. Very hurriedly.

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axelsagewrites · 1 year ago

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Jace Velaryon*Frat Baby

Pairing: Jace x pregnant!f!reader

Word count: 1688

Warnings: rivalry, accidental pregnancy, enemies to lovers

Masterlist Here

Part One Here

Jace had went from being your sworn childhood enemy to fuck buddy to now the most awkward conversation of your life. You had been avoiding completely for the past month as you debated what to do so when Jace got the ‘we need to talk’ text he made sure he was free the next day for lunch. You were sat in a café across from campus, anxiously sipping on the caffeine-free tea Sansa had insisted you switch to instead of your regular coffee.

You wondered if the hole in your stomach was morning sickness or nerves but you just crossed your fingers and hoped for the best as you waited. Jace walked in, dressed like a burst bag of clothes, and anxiously scanned the room before rushing to your table. “You’re late,”

“Class ran over. have you ordered?” he said making you roll your eyes at his lack of apology as he ordered from the very perky waitress you were for some unknown reason suddenly jealous of. after he ordered, even ordering you your favourite sandwich which you were shocked he knew, he turned his attention back to you, “So what’s ‘Defcon one’?” he asked, quoting your text.

You took a deep breath as you debated how to say it before suddenly the words tumbled out, “I’m late,”

“I thought you didn’t have class today?” Jace asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy making you face palm. A few beats of silence passed before Jace said a quiet oh, followed by a louder oh, followed by a “oh fuck,” followed by one more quiet oh.

“You good?”

“I mean sure. Are you?” he asked, sitting up suddenly and leaning over the table and dropping his voice, “Does it like hurt?”

You stared at this frat boy for a solid three seconds before rolling your eyes, “I’m pregnant not dying!”

“I thought it hurt, okay?”

“It hurts later on,”

“How am I supposed to know that?”

“Highschool biology!”

“I ditched that week!”

“Yeah, to fuck Sara Snow!” the waitress who brought your food offer gave an awkward smile making you both sigh and drop your voice. “Look I get this isn’t what we planned for but,” you paused for a second before finally saying the words out loud, “I wanna keep it, him, her, them I don’t know. but either way I totally do not expect you do be involved and I wont even tell your mom but I- “

“Eh!” Jace cut you off, his eyes widening as his shoulders tensed, “No! you don’t get to just toss me aside during this,”

“I’m not tossing you aside- “

“Yes, you are! It’s my kid!”

“It’s a clump of cells,”

“My god damn cells. Half of them belong to me,”

“What you want me to stick em on a petri dish?” you spat out, “Look I’m just trying to give you an out,”

“Who said I wanted an out?”

“You wanna raise this baby?”

“Yes, I wanna raise *my* baby,”

“It’s my baby,”

“Our baby!” Jace said before sighing, “Look I’m not going anywhere and don’t for a second think I’m gonna leave my kid behind thinking I’m a dead beat. No this is what’s gonna happen- “

“You are in no position to tell me what to do- “

“Shut up!” Jace snapped, “Honest to god shut up and listen to me okay cause I am freaked the fuck out right now but I am not gonna abandon you,” he said and you weren’t sure if it was the foetus getting to your brain but it was the sweetest way he’d ever told you to shut up which would normally be met with a rude slap, “We are gonna do this together. I’m gonna get a part time job at my family’s firm. We’re gonna save like hell and then by the time our last year rolls around the baby will be like what? 3 months?”

“Two,” you said as you let Jace recover from his spiral.

“Right two. We’re gonna get a flat off campus and we’ll just have to pick our classes at the same time to make sure we can do it, okay?” he said but the way his eyes were strained made you wonder if he was genuinely asking for reassurance.

“We got this,” you said, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand, “We’ll figure it out,”

Jace let out a heavy sigh of relief as he sunk into his chair and picked up his sandwich, “Okay good. Now eat up. And we’re getting dessert too. You’re eating for two,”

Shockingly Jace had been sweet this whole time. each day he dropped off snacks or random baby things he’d found at your dorm. This ranged from dummies to blankets to a fucking crib catalogue. When summer break came you were pregnant, terrified, and explaining to both your parents and Jace’s about the whole situation.

They were unpredictably happy. That was till you told them you weren’t a couple and your mums both deflated a little but eventually they got back with the programme. You expected Jace to lap up his final child free summer out partying but instead he took day trips with you to the beach, went out baby shopping with you, and would just sit in with you watching movies and eating ice cream. You wondered if he was trying to make you gain 100 sizes by the end of this pregnancy with the amount of junk food, he got you. he’d even drive over at 2am with whatever weird pregnancy craving you had.

The giving birth part was the terrifying bit. But Jace held your hand through every push. “Just one more,” the midwife told you as you began to break Jace’s hand with your grip but finally you heard the cries and let your head fall back into the pillow as you panted, “It’s a girl!”

“We have a daughter,” Jace grinned, a wide dopey smile on his face. His head turned to face you and soon you broke out in your own smile as they cleaned your baby up. You saw his head begin to dip but this kiss was far different from any other.

It was sweet and tender and life altering even if it lasted a second before the woman brought your daughter over and placed her on your chest, “Hi baby,” you cooed at her.

Jace leant over to get a better view, “She’s so pretty,” he whispered, “just like you,” he added as he kissed the top of your head, not even poking fun at the sweaty state of it.

Jace moved into the guest room at your house for the first week of your daughter's life but soon he ended up in your room. He said it was for convenience but that didn’t explain why he held you in his arms. As you began to unpack your things in your new flat as your baby slept you turned to Jace, “What are we?” you asked as he unpacked the plates.

He rolled his eyes at you as he put them in the cupboard, “My girlfriend you idiot,”

“You never asked,” you shot back, hand on hip.

He turned to you with his cockiest face possible, “Sorry I thought between the sex, cuddling, and baby we just had you would’ve caught on,”

“Uhuh,” you rolled your eyes as he turned away from you to continue unpacking but you walked up behind him, wrapping your arms around his waist and leaning your cheek against his back, “Ask me,”

You could hear him chuckle before he turned around, taking your face in his hands, “Will you be my girlfriend?”

You grinned before putting on your best thinking face, “I suppose I could be,”

“You suppose,” he rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as he lent in to kiss you only to be rudely interrupted by a loud knocking at the door. “I’m gonna kill him,” Jace groaned as he ran to the door to stop the noise, so the baby didn’t wake.

“What up bro?” Cregan whisper shouted as he hurled into your flat, “Where’s the baby?”

“She’s in the nursery sleeping,” Jace said, slapping him in the stomach as he mentioned the sleep.

Cregan rolled his eyes as he passed Jace and walked up to you with an overflowing gift bag, “Consider this a baby-welcome home-nice to meet you properly gift,” he said as he handed you the bag.

You laughed as you began to empty the contents onto the bunker to find university baby sized hoodies, t shirts, hats, and even a scarf. Of course, digging further in you found a soccer jersey, baby sized of course, rattles, and then your hand settled on a box. “Condoms?” you asked, holding the box in the air.

“Hey!” Cregan defended, hands in the air, “She’s cute and all but I’m not ready to be a double uncle. They’ll overtake me when I babysit,”

You and Jace turned to each other before looking back at him, eyes narrowing with concern, “Who said you were babysitting?” Jace asked.

Cregan just rolled his eyes as he began to wander and look for the nursery, “Bitch please she needs me. I’m the fun uncle,”

“You’re not her uncle?” you said as he reached the pink painted nursery door.

Cregan span round, hand on heart and hurt in his eyes, “Not cool man. She’s not just your guy’s baby. She’s basically the frat baby,”

You debated arguing more but watching Cregan, a built like a truck manly man, fawn over a baby no bigger than a doll was too cute to interfere with. You weren’t sure how you survived university with a baby and a Jace btu somehow with a lot of help from Cregan and Sansa who had become expert babysitters by now you managed. Some day you would have to explain to your daughter her parents were sworn enemies but not today. No today your daughter was three years old and teaching Jace to do Taylor Swift choreography with her so they could surprise you.

Taglist: @clairacassidy @valeskafics @starkleila @jacesvelaryons

@aleemendoza2425-blog @happinessinthebeing @bellstwd

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drabblejester · 6 months ago

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good day, mister jester :) I see youre taking request. sicne you yourself are a jester, might i ask how the archons would deal with having their own jester? (making silly jokes, harmless pranks etc) how they acquire said jester is up to you!

how the ARCHONS would treat you as their JESTER!

requested by: wonderful sillay anon!!

parings: all archons & jester!reader

content warnings: none!! just silliness

comments: take this as romantic(NOT FOR NAHIDA) or platonic idc HEEHEE!! this is a splendid ask thank u my liege <3 probably ooc

VENTI:

you’re jester’d by him after he found you on the street, while he was bumbling around drunk. thought you were funny, so he just tagged you along!!

and oooh he LOVES you!!! he writes so many songs for you to dance along to, happily singing and strumming his little lyre while you bust a move

if anything its the both of you that are the jesters… instead of you being in a ‘jester & god�� scenario, its more of a ‘jester & jester’ thing. you tell eachother jokes, sing with eachother, etc! and after yall have fun, you lay down in the grass together and snooze :3

ZHONGLI:

you’re jester’d by him after one of the millith recommend you to him, saying many good things about you and your antics!!! he meets you in person and it goes well!!

despite his strong and gentle demeanor, he will giggle and watch you happily. in fact, he actually HELPS you pull off pranks. ranging from replacing all of venti’s sugar with salt, painting on the hull of beidou’s ship, or snatching masks from fatuus, you’re having fun alongside him sometimes!!!

he treats you super well, lavishing you with yummy treats and delicious tea. he makes a little room for you somewhere in the inn, and always makes sure you’re happy and well taken care of.

RAIDEN:

you’re jester’d by her after miss sara almost puts you in jail. thankfully, your silly demeanor and joyous attitude captivated her. so you get to go free! as long as you can provide her some entertainment sometimes.

she actually doesn’t have you entertain her that often, just kinda keeps you around like a cool rock. more often, you’ll find yourself entertaining her guards and her loyal followers instead. which is still nice!

she’ll try her best to take care of you, but ultimately ends up just plopping you in the hands of the people she trusts. she isn’t too fond of your pranks but she loves your performances, so you’re equipped with props and costumes :3

NAHIDA:

you’re jester’d by her after you were grabbed by the scruff by a forest ranger, gently being ushered back into the city like a lost cat. which you might as well be! she saw you, you told her a few jokes and gave her some candy, and she got somewhat attached

she really likes your jokes!!! simple puns only, and the occasional riddle. a lot of the time, she’d actually be telling YOU riddles! sadly they’re very hard to figure out so good luck. you get to teach her about certain jokes but you have to explain the punchlines 50% of the time

life with her is very simple, she holds you as an equal (maybe even as a sibling figure?) unlike other archons like raiden or mavuika. you entertain her, and she entertains you! like a nice equal exchange of knowledge in the form of silly jokes.

FURINA:

you’re jester’d after being caught by the guardes for breaking some obscure law, probably related to a prank you pulled. you’re dragged into court (which breaks your silly heart…), furina sees you, and VERRYY dramatically calls for a halt. she runs away with you(and neuvillette on your tail).

she treats you like a secret, not in a weird way but in a.. whispers to you to go and check out the magazine selection and sends you off like her personal little scarab. it’s very obvious you two are hanging out because BOTH of you became 10x more dramatic, but she refuses everything.

your living situation is like roommates, despite her holding some power over you. neuvillette insisted that you get a separate apartment but you both complained enough to where you got to stay hanging out. you’re like best friends!! you eat sweets together, hang out, etc. she even teaches you some of her super secret acting techniques!!!

MAVUIKA:

you’re jester’d after you become hopelessly lost in natlan, miserably jingling across the floor, and winding up in a family of saurians. she finds you all sad and weeping and ue ue ue, and takes you in like a little baby birdie.

actually, you don’t do much entertaining with her! when you do, it’s usually her trying to train you to become strong. thankfully your little kicks and sad punches don’t do much to her. so to cheer you up, she lets you tell her riddles and stories and jokes. turns out she is a SUCKER for puns.

you get to hang out in natlan wherever you want, like tossing a bird in the air and letting it fly away for a bit. your best nap spot is in a very cramped little cave, all cozied up with one blanket to make the edges less sharp. surprisingly it’s very cozy! you can even curl up above on the rocks like a lizard!!!!

TSARITSA:

you’re jester’d by her after a few fatuus find you all sad and wet in the city, jingling about and being a general disturbance to the peace (as god intended). you’re dragged all the way to the palace, to get judged. you’re not put in as a harbinger but you get to be a fool one way or another!

speaking of harbingers, they either love you or hate you. the tsaritsa will always ensure your safety from the weirdness of dottore and the edginess of signora, but you can’t help but be a little upset by them. she’ll wipe your tears and allow you to dance around the palace to help you feel better :3

you get free reign over the palace whether the harbingers like it or not. curled up on lab tables, hunched under chairs, maybe stealing a fatuu grunt’s bed, etc. and they don’t get to say anything bad about you because you’re the tsaritsa’s special little jester! pierro is still upset that you stole his cool nickname though

eat up my liege… leave no crumbs either. i just swept the floor

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imnotkaizer · 27 days ago

Text

pillowtalk. jujuwatkins x reader.

drinking too much, your behaviour got out of line, so your friends decided to call your emergency contact.

alcohol.

you didnt mean to get that drunk, it was just supposed to be a chill nigh, some drinks, some laughs, your friends all crammed into sara’s apartment, music bouncing off the walls, you felt good, free, even, but then someone pulled out the tequila.

you dont remember how many shots you had, just that the room started swaying, and your voice got louder, your jokes messier, your dancing a little too wild, somewhere between knocking over a drink and trying to climb onto the kitchen counter to make a speech, you saw the looks exchange between your friends.

“shes too far gone.”

“should we call someone?”

“who even is her emergency contact?”

there was a pause before someone said her name “juju?” you couldnt stop smiling when she showed up, her face was a little tired, her hair in a bun that you always loved, the same old black hoodie that you used to steal from her.

“hey” she said, and you stumbled straight into her arm "juju! You came! i missed you, i missed you so much” you mumbled against her neck.

she steadied you without a word, guiding you out the door, down the stairs, into the night air, the streetlights blurred as she half carried you toward her car.

“you smell the same” you said, juju let out a quiet breath, didnt say anything, just helped you into the passenger seat.

you kept talking the whole ride “did you ever think about calling me? cause i thought about it, a lot.”

she gave a little shake of her head, eyes focused on the road, you didnt notice the way her jaw clenched “i kept your hoodie" you added, letting your head rest against the window “i still sleep with it sometimes, it smells like you"

by the time you made it to her place, you could barely stand, but she didnt complain, she helped you out of the car, her hand wrapped firmly around yours.

inside, everything looked the same, the same plants you used to water, the same painting you both hated but never took down, it felt like time had barely moved here, even if everything between you two had.

you sat on the edge of the couch, swaying slightly, she knelt down in front of you to untie your shoes.

“i never stopped loving you” you slurred, eyes locking with hers for one breathless second,she froze.

you reached for her hand, clumsily, and whispered “i still do.”

she didnt say anything, just pulled a blanket around your shoulders, stood, and turned off the light.

but before she walked out of the room, you said it again this time, softer “still you, juju, always you.” you didnt see it, but she stayed standing in the doorway long after you fell asleep.

your head is pounding, not the kind of dull ache you can brush off with coffee and a shower, the full body kind, like your brain is trying to piece together what happened while your body begs you not to move too fast.

you blink against the soft light pouring into the room, this isnt your place,the couch beneath you is too firm, the throw blanket unfamiliar, but the scent? that scent is painfully familiar, vanilla. a hint of cedar, something warm and entirely her.

you sit up slowly, the blanket slipping off your shoulders, and then it hits you all at once, the night before, the drinking, the chaos, your friends calling someone, calling her, Juju.

you buried your face in your hands, what did you say? what did you do? “hey” her voice breaks through the fog, Soft, Steady.

shes in the doorway, hair messy, holding two mugs of coffee "i wasnt sure if you’d want tea or coffee" she says, carefully, as if you might run.

you swallow “coffee’s perfect” she hands it to you without a word and sits on the arm of the couch, keeping a respectful distance.

“i, uh… sorry” you manage “about last night, i didnt mean to drag you into that” she shrugs “your friends didn’t know who else to call.”

you wrap your fingers around the warm mug, staring into it like it might give you answers “did I say anything… awful?” you ask, your voice small.

she huffs out a short breath, almost a laugh, almost a sigh “you said a lot.” you wince “figures.”

“you said you missed me, that you still loved me.” your eyes shoot up to meet hers “i was drunk.”

“i know” she looks away “but drunk words… theyre honest sometimes.” your quiet for a long moment, then “it wasnt a lie.” that gets her attention.

“i meant it" you continue, heart pounding “i never stopped missing you, i just didnt think you’d want to hear it." her expression softens, and for the first time, she looks a little unsure.

“then maybe” she says, barely above a whisper, “you should say it again, sober.” you set the mug down, stand up slowly, walk the small distance between you and her, close enough to feel the warmth from her body.

“i miss you, juju" you say “i still love you.”

she doesnt speak, she just leans in and kisses you soft, familiar, and in that moment, with the taste of her coffee still on your lips and her hands slipping around your waist.

"fuck— i missed you too."

MORE WORKS .ᐟ

🔖 — @addl0vee @tndaqlwifwy @mrsarnold @melpthatsme @bellaprintz25 @janaelalfysblunt @ellehoops @belsoulss @apbueckers @uwupaige @janaelalfysloml @paige05bby @azzisbueckers @paigeluvvr @giavonnii @taylynbueckers44 @jupitermoonbaby @shootingstarrrrr @dalilahissilly @luldejamleer @d7dream @gabbyygoo @bravemode

#juju watkins fanfic #juju watkins smut #juju watkins x reader #juju x reader #juju watkins imagine #juju watkins #lesbian #wlw #wlw smut #wbb #kaizer works ᐟ ꩜

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marzipanandminutiae · 3 months ago

Note

i adore sumptuous antique dolls and their trousseaus. please do talk of anything you know of them.

They're pretty and important and I felt deeply ripped off by Y2K-era doll culture when I read the description of The Last Doll in A Little Princess as a child:

"She sat down on the floor and turned the key. The children crowded clamoring around her, as she lifted tray after tray and revealed their contents. Never had the schoolroom been in such an uproar. There were lace collars and silk stockings and handkerchiefs;there was a jewel case containing a necklace and a tiara which looked quite as if they were made of real diamonds; there was a long sealskin [stole] and muff; there were ball dresses and walking dresses and visiting dresses; there were hats and tea gowns and fans."

The description of Emily, Sara's main doll, also sent me into transports of imagination:

"She certainly had a very intelligent expression in her eyes when Sara took her in her arms. She was a large doll, but not too large to carry about easily; she had naturally curling golden-brown hair, which hung like a mantle about her, and her eyes were a deep gray-blue with soft, thick eyelashes which were real eyelashes and not mere painted lines."

The only thing that came close to the idea of a Doll With Trousseau when I was a child- meaning that you could get all sorts of accessories for your doll beyond just clothing, almost everything a real person had -was the delight of the American Girl catalogue

LOOK AT ALL THE LITTLE THINGS. LOOK AT THEM. The pages for modern dolls had lots of treasures, too, and I pored over those as well- but that was Normal Clothing and therefore boring. not the fantastic, princess-like garments of the historical dolls (because that was the only reference point I had for Little Girls Who Wear Dresses All The Time; as a Millennial child, I grew up in jeans except on fancy occasions)

and they were good-quality, unlike what you get from AG today. but I digress

the problem with American Girl was that they weren't "pretty dolls," by which I meant Lady Dolls. child dolls only sort of interested me, baby dolls not at all. grown-up ladies from the past REALLY looked like princesses (even the poor ones! by which I meant "peasant" outfits worn by various Disney princesses, natch)

Barbie was nearing the end of the era where you could easily buy clothing for her in stores without buying a whole new doll. Bratz were entirely focused on modern fashion with no history or fantasy, and anyway I thought they looked mean. so that was a no-go

And Thus I Pined

I mean they truly had everything for these dolls in the late 19th-early 20th century- the dolls themselves were only half the revenue stream, with clothing making up the other half. or sometimes even more. have you ever wanted scented writing-paper for your dolls? that was a thing in late 1860s Paris. it was wild

go to a doll show sometime if you get the chance. those sales rooms are the closest you'll get to the experience of one of those fine old doll shops nowadays, and they're still pretty magical

This doll has a full six dresses (unfortunately not pictured) and a paragraph of accessories, typed, including a tiny etched glass perfume bottle to hang from her tiny chatelaine. it's so wonderful I'm going to punch a wall. anyway

#ask #thornandbriar #dolls #now I'm just rambling

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starlovesganyu · 8 months ago

Text

praising them!

❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀

how they would react to you calling them "good girl"

various characters x gn!reader

characters: yae miko, keqing, kujou sara, furina, ayaka, hu tao, xianyun

warnings: none

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

yae miko -`✮´-

• absolutely no reaction

• i mean what did you expect

"hmm...? what was that little one?"

• will make you repeat it multiple times while she smirks at you, enjoying your reaction

"it's not nice to use my own tricks against me dear"

• will make you call her a good girl in the future just to tease you

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

keqing -`✮´-

• she visibly tenses and her cheeks instantly flush bright red

"w-what!? i'm not a little girl anymore!"

• the yuheng's cheeks puff out into the cutest pout when you laugh at her reaction

• might give you a very gentle shock as payback

• if you apologize and ask her if she disliked it, she gets all flustered and quiet

"no! no, i mean... it's not that i didn't...y-you can't just go saying things like that so suddenly, okay?"

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

kujou sara -`✮´-

• she freezes up and almost drops the glass of water she was bringing you

�� when she finally processes what you said, she blushes from head to toe

"d-don't call me that!"

• quickly gives you the glass of water and runs off to hide her embarrassment

• takes a while for her heart rate to return to normal

• secretly enjoys it, but that's for you to figure out yourself

"you're lucky i like you...idiot"

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

furina -`✮´-

"h-hey! don't you dare call me a good girl!"

• she desperately tries to hide her grin, but it still gives away her inner happiness

• if you laugh, she will blush and turn her head to hide her embarrassment

• will then throw a book at you and retreat to her room

• in her room, she'll hug her favorite stuffed animal while smiling uncontrollably and kicking her legs

• if you catch her smiling randomly in the future, she's probably replaying the moment in her head

"what am i thinking about? n-nothing! nothing at all!"

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

ayaka -`✮´-

• her eyes will widen as a warm blush spreads across her face

• bites her lip to keep herself from squealing like a schoolgirl, but fails terribly to hide her grin

"a-ah...r-really? thanks..."

• fails to look you in eye for the rest of the day

• will gush about this moment to thoma many, many times

• desperately wants you to call her a good girl again, but is too scared to ask :(

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

hu tao -`✮´-

• does not have the flattering effect you hoped it would

"hmm? i'm a "good girl?" oh, you're just trying to flatter me, right?"

• she will giggle and thank you

"you're right! i am a good girl!"

• even if it doesn't seem like it, this becomes one of her favorite memories of you

• may ask you to call her a good girl when she does favors for you in the future

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

xianyun -`✮´-

• a faint pink will creep into her face

• attempts to play it down, clearing her throat and trying to regain her composure

"hmph! what nonsense... calling this one a "good girl"! One is a powerful adeptus you know"

• quickly takes a sip of her tea to hide her still rosy cheeks

• notices that you seem a little hurt that she brushed off your praise and will gently take your hand

"... apologies. one was simply not expecting to be called that, that's all...it's not that one dislikes... being called that..."

• will be staring at the ground when she says this

• ganyu and shenhe will definitely be hearing about this moment

a/n: i know i switched tenses like billion times im sorry

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cherryheairt · 8 months ago

Note

Is it too early to say that I expect Cregan and the princess to have a tender and passionate romance? I just like how Cregan, being from the north, has 0 expectations of what a princess should be like. He's always tender and sweet with Daenys and she doesn't know what to do with that because she was used to boys ignoring her and girls making fun of her for all the bullying Aegon and Alicent sponsored.

You're absolutely right! a lil drabble of my thoughts from Cregan's pov >

When he was summonded to the great hall to welcome a princess, Cregan had expected a spoilt and demanding young princess who would make a hundred demands and threaten his home with her dragon. Instead, he was met with a girl who barely met his eye and seemed guilty to even step foot in his hall.

Reluctantly, he gave her a place to stay and supped with her. At dinner, they found some common ground that he remained cautious to. Sending his men to the south to fight or Queen Rhaenyra was not something he had prepared for. His oath to the Queen meant he had to offer something to the princess, but Cregan wished to guage all angles first. He invited the Princess to come with him to the wall, to show her that the North couldn't spare as many men as the crown wished, even though they had the best intentions.

That night, while Cregan sat in his solar and overlooked his bannermen's numbers, he was startled by a terror-filled scream. The only guest in his hall being the Princess, Cregan rushed with Ice to defend her. Instead of finding a burglar, he found the girl sitting alone in her bed. She looked a lot smaller without her riding leathers and hair done up in extravagant braids. She looked like a normal girl, scared by any shadow that moved in the room after hearing a particularly thrilling campfire tale.

Her chest heaved, and wet streaks ran down her face. Only a nightmare, he decided. He sheathed Ice slowly, stepped closer to the distressed lady, "Princess? I heard a scream." He asked gently, all movements and tones muted. The realm heard rumors of the Princess Daenys being haunted by her own dreams and mind, even in the North.

Most young and gossiping northerners called her mad, glad that she was not heir in place of her younger brother Jacaerys.

The elder bunch of the North knew better. The Dragon Dreamer, they called the girl. Praying occasionally for their Princess under the watchful eye of the weirwood tree, they knew how fickle magic of the old age was.

Cregan found himself agreeing with the ladder. He had seen what lie beyond the Wall and knew not to take magic or prophecies so lightly. Even the Starks had their own magic in their blood, sometimes skipping entire generations. Wargs, they were called, able to see through bonded animal's eyes. Sara, Cregan's bastard sister, was not blessed with this, nor was his deceased younger brother. Cregan was the only warg of his generation to be born, learning of his when he first met Dusk.

The Princess stilled in bed, "you must have heard my dragon. Sometimes a dragon's song can sound quite human, the commonfolk often complain."

Cregan eyed her carefully, nodding. A reasonable lie, he knew. The Princess must protect herself from further rumors, even from the Warden. She didn't trust anyone, it seemed. Rightfully so, he did not trust her yet either.

"I see. The maids will be informed of us. Can I get you anything, tea perhaps?" He asked Daenys gently. A soothing camomile always helped him from his stress.

Her face hardened as she stood from bed, only in her shift and slippers. "I will be back," is all that she allowed him. She brushed past Cregan quickly, after he averted his eyes politely.

"Princess?" Where was she going? The dining hall was the other direction, as were the kitchens. Was the Princess heading outside in her state?

She was sure to freeze if she did, not wearing any protective clothing or bringing a torch. Cregan ran his options around in his head, biting the inside of his cheek stressfully. He had to get her, right? Even if the Princess ordered against it, her safety was surely more important than her order.

He sighed before following her path, the cold trail of footprints in the snow leading to her dragon. "Princess, you must come inside." He called, keeping a distance from the white beast. It eyes him suspiciously with the same eyes that looked tearfully up at him minutes ago. Did all Targaryens look like their dragons?

After several calls with no luck, Cregan tried his luck with the beast. It may kill him for his approach, but the Queen would do much worse if her daughter never returned from the North.

After settling himself under the dragoness' wing, Cregan found the warmth surprisingly comfortable.

"One eye...one wing..." The entranced mutter came from the Princess. Cregan settled his furs around her shivering shoulders before he sat around her, holding her close. He waited with her all night.

🗡

Cregan was pleasantly surprised when Daenys accepted his proposal to go with him to the Wall. All expectations of what a Princess would be like once again thrown from his mind. She jested with him quietly, letting her displeasure of not being able to ride her dragon instead of a horse playfully known.

For two weeks, it would be his sole duty to take care of Daenys. Cregan took his oaths seriously. He would protect the Princess with his life.

🗡

I always try to include little subleties from Cregan. I think he notices every little thing that Daenys does, adjusting himself for her comfort without even thinking of it.

Breaking eye contact at the first meet after seeing her anxious, not watching her eat because he notices it makes her uncomfortable, giving her his coat at his own expense, etc.

I love subtly in romance, especially with someone like Cregan, who is a hardened northerner through and through. I just adore soft 'hard' characters. Next chap will def spotlight his contrast behavior with others vs Daenys to show the difference.

#cregan stark x reader #hotd fanfic #cregan stark x oc #cregan x reader #dragondreamer

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sweetprfct · 2 months ago

Text

Please Please Please

Aaron Taylor-Johnson x Fem!Reader

Summary: An unexpected coffee accident turned your life upside down into a world full of glamour and flashing cameras everywhere you turned. You thought with Aaron by your side, it was going to be easy to navigate, but it turns out life in front of the flashing cameras isn't so effortless after all.

Author's Note: LOL! I've been meaning to upload this since Wednesday but I keep forgetting. Anyway, here's chapter three. wink wink ;) Enjoy!

Wordcount: 4.9K

Disclaimer: 18+, smut

chapter one - chapter two - chapter three - chapter four - chapter five - chapter six - chapter seven - chapter eight - chapter nine - chapter ten - chapter eleven - chapter twelve - epilogue

“Love was never a game to us. Here’s an end to living in corners existing day to day on–”

You gasped for air as you fluttered your eyes open. The Los Angeles sun greeted you through your window. You looked up at your ceiling, catching your breath, while Aaron’s voice still echoed in your mind. Beads of sweat covered your forehead.

Fucking Sara.

Turning your head to your bedside table, you saw that it was almost noon. After your dinner last night with your friends, you and Sara decided to open up a bottle of champagne and watched some movies. You both already had a couple of drinks from the restaurant so by the time the champagne hit you both, you were already making bad decisions.

“Let’s see this new boyfriend of yours, shall we?” Sara teased, grabbing the remote.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” You gritted your teeth.

She browsed through the movies and put on Anna Karenina. You fell asleep more than halfway through and not because you were bored. It was an interesting movie, but you were too tired and the amount of alcohol you have consumed didn’t help either.

Although, it seemed like that didn’t stop Aaron’s character from slipping in your dreams.

Grabbing your phone from your bedside table, you saw a notification from Hannah. She texted you the address and time of the event and mentioned that she had dropped off your dress to Sara this morning. You let out a sigh as you ignored the text and opened Instagram. You mindlessly scrolled through your explore page and immediately paused when you saw a picture of Aaron.

For a moment, you stared at it. You wondered if the mention of his name from last night’s dinner got your phone suggesting these posts now. You hovered your thumb over the picture for a second before actually tapping on it. It was a red carpet event and the photo was taken professionally. His hair was shorter than what he has now. His beard was nicely trimmed, and he was wearing a maroon colored suit.

He looked… good.

Hot.

Your mind replayed the events of yesterday from the coffee shop. His voice echoed in your mind again.

“Is this going to be our meeting place?”

Maybe you need to start looking for a new coffee shop to go to.

You shook the thoughts out of your mind and exited the app. You couldn’t help but blame whatever system Apple did with their phones because ever since the mention of his name from last night’s dinner, he started appearing in your explore page.

Your feet touched the cool wooden floors and led you out of your bedroom. You could hear some soft clattering from the kitchen and as you passed through the living room, you saw a black garment bag hanging on the back of the sofa.

It must be the dress Hannah dropped off.

“Good morning.” You murmured, opening one of the cabinets and grabbing yourself a mug.

“Good morning. Hannah dropped off the dress this morning.” Sara said, taking a sip of her tea.

Your eyes shifted towards the garment bag that was on the sofa before paying attention to the coffee that you started brewing. In all honesty, you were dreading going to this party. You told yourself that you were going to show up for Hannah for just about an hour and then leave.

It was a Saturday. You wanted to relax on your sofa and read a book instead.

“It’s tonight, right?” Sara asked when you didn’t say anything.

“Yeah.” You sighed, pouring the hot coffee on your mug and stirred it with the creamer.

“You look excited.” Sara chuckled at your bored expression. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be that bad.”

You glanced up at her through your mug as you sipped your coffee. “Oh yeah? Do you want to come with me then?”

“Oh, no thanks.” Sara immediately said, holding up her hands. “I actually… um… I have plans tonight.”

“Oh?” A playful smile tugged on your lips as you leaned your hip against the kitchen counter. “Do tell.”

Sara rolled her eyes, and you could see that she was holding in her smile. She took a sip of her tea, her cheeks turning into a shade of pink.

“Well, since you will probably come home late tonight…” Sara murmured. “I was going to ask if I can bring someone in here. We’re planning to have dinner and a movie.”

You were smiling so much, your cheeks were hurting. It has been a long time since Sara was interested in someone, and you were excited for her because with the way she was reacting right now, it seemed like this person was different. She never reacted like this before with her exes when they first started talking.

“That’s fine by me.” You smirked. “Who is this person?”

You rested your elbows on the counter and rested your chin on your knuckles as you wiggled your eyebrows at her. You didn’t recognize who this Sara was in front of you, but she looked so adorable blushing like this.

“It’s not something serious.” Sara explained. “Eli and I started talking lately, and we have been…well… flirting? But I don’t know yet. He’s one of the engineers in NASA.”

Sara shrugged, her face red as a tomato now. She took another sip of her tea. You watched her fingers tremble around her cup, while she continued to hide her face behind it.

“Okay.” You grinned widely. “Well, I hope you and Eli have a great night. If you do decide to do something though, please don’t do it in the living room.”

Your voice was in a teasing tone as you ducked your head from the incoming piece of toast that Sara chucked at you.

“It’s not going to end that way!” She exclaimed.

You laughed at her as she turned bright red and flipped her brunette hair over her shoulder. She rolled her eyes and walked out of the kitchen with her cup of tea. You continued to laugh softly as you drank your coffee.

“Wear something green!” You called out from the kitchen. “It makes your eyes pop!”

You hear the slam of her bedroom door from down the hall as you chuckled softly. Speaking of something to wear, your eyes shifted back to the sofa. Your smile slowly disappeared, your lips twisting to the side. Knowing Hannah, she probably had given you a dress that would look very provocative and would make you uncomfortable the whole night.

Setting your mug down on the counter, you walked towards the sofa and unzipped the garment bag. There, you saw a long black dress. It was simple. There was a plunging V neck and thin straps. You picked up the dress and stood in front of your long length mirror and saw the high slit.

It didn’t look too bad.

Honestly, you expected worse from Hannah.

________

You sat in front of your vanity later that night, doing your makeup and curling your long hair into waves. You sat there for a moment and stared at yourself, letting out a deep breath. You mentally told yourself to just have fun and to stop dreading this party so much. You knew you felt like an outsider in these parties, but you have to keep your confidence intact. You need to at least try and have fun.

Deciding that you were going to be different tonight, you chose a dark red lipstick and slipped off from your robe to put on the dress that was hanging in your closet. You stood in front of your mirror and couldn’t help but think that the slit of the dress made your legs look nice and long. Even the plunging V-neck was making the girls look good.

Adding a simple necklace, you grabbed your clutch and car keys and walked out of your bedroom. You sent Sara a text that the place was all hers before leaving the apartment building.

Arriving at the hotel that Hannah texted you the address to, the front of the building was filled with black cars. Drivers dropping off celebrities and influencers. Some were driving their own car and handing their keys to the valet. You found Hannah waiting for you just by the front doors. As soon as you handed your keys to the valet staff, you saw her long blonde hair in waves. She was wearing a sparkly baby blue long dress that perfectly fit with her curves.

Hannah always looked stunning. Her makeup team always made sure she was perfect in every event and sometimes, you felt a little jealous with how perfect she always looked. Even when you two were just casually hanging out and grabbing dinner, she always looked beautiful.

Almost unreal.

“Hi!” Hannah greeted you with a smile as soon as she saw you.

She pulled you into a hug before tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. She studied the dress that she gave you and shook her head, delight and approval sparking in her eyes.

“I knew that dress was going to be amazing on you.” Hannah said, locking her arms with yours.

“You look stunning too, Hannah.” You smiled.

She led you inside the building, down the hall, and into one of the big ballrooms. The music was blasting and a crowd of people with different statuses in Hollywood were talking amongst each other. On the back corner, there was a backdrop with the movie’s title plastered on it. Influencers were taking photos and videos in front of it.

Studying the room, you started to immediately fall out of place.

“So, why did you invite me?” You asked Hannah as she led you towards the open bar. “I thought you’d bring your new boyfriend as your date.”

Hannah ordered you an espresso martini—your favorite— and a mojito for her.

“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes and handed you the drink. “That asshole is long gone.”

You took a long sip of your drink, letting the alcohol burn your throat and sending heat down your whole body.

“What happened? I thought you guys just started dating?”

“He was using me for fame.” Hannah scoffed.

“Oh,” You bit your lower lip. “I’m sorry, Hannah.”

She waved her hand in front of her face and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. He was an asshole anyway.”

“Yeah, but still–”

“Anyway, what’s going on with you?” She cut you off, setting a hand on her hip.

You shrugged and drank your espresso martini. “Nothing new. Just working, you know?”

“You’re still working in that lab?” She scrunched her face. “Sweetie, you’re too pretty for that.”

“I like it.” You shrugged, finishing the rest of your drink and ordering another one.

Hannah shook her head and started talking about the movie. She was telling you about the struggles she faced on set with her co-stars, and in a few minutes, you had finished another drink. The more people entered the ballroom, the more uncomfortable you were, so you kept ordering more drinks to ease the feeling.

Hannah’s sentence was cut off when her attention was caught by a few people that were standing in the middle of the room. You didn’t even have the chance to see who it was before she grabbed your hand and dragged you towards the middle of the room. You looked around the room, apologizing to the other guests as you both made your way through the crowd. Your drink was still in your hand, and your fingers gripped on the glass tighter as you tried not to spill anything.

“Hannah.” You murmured, trying not to trip in your heels.

“Hi!” Hannah greeted the two older men and an older woman.

They gave her a kiss on the cheek before Hannah pulled you close to her side and introduced you to them. You gave them an awkward, shy smile and shook their hands.

“They are the producers of the last movie I did.” Hannah told you.

“Are you an actress too, sweetheart?” The older woman, Elsie, asked.

“Oh, no.” You shook your head. “I’m just accompanying Hannah for tonight. She’s the actress.”

“Well, that’s too bad.” One of the men, John, said, his eyes studying you intently. “With that pretty face, you would look good on camera.”

The corner of your lips twitched into an uncomfortable smile as you slipped your arm away from Hannah. The two men were disgustingly checking you out, and you didn’t want to be part of this conversation anymore.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you all.” You said. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to use the ladies room.”

You squeezed Hannah’s arm before you made your way through the crowd. Your feet were hurting from your heels, and you felt nothing but disgust from the way the two men were looking at you. If they were looking at you like that, you wonder if they did the same with Hannah when they first met her. A dark, deep pit formed in your stomach as you let your painful feet lead you out of the ballroom.

Maybe you shouldn't have left Hannah alone with them.

The moment you exited the double doors, it felt like you could breathe again. You set your hand over your stomach, feeling the rise and fall of it. You walked down the hall and found the women’s lounge and immediately slipped yourself inside. The lounge was empty, and it had a little sofa in the corner. The music from the party had muffled through the doors, and it was just you and the silence of the room. You sat on the sofa and unbuckled the strap of your heels, letting your feet finally breathe.

“Thank god.” You whispered, leaning back against the sofa.

You laid your head against the back of it and closed your eyes. Your breathing had finally settled back to normal as you let the silence of the lounge enveloped you. After a few minutes, you heard the door open and your eyes immediately snapped open. You heard three girls giggling and stopped in front of you as you straightened your position from the sofa.

You swallowed the embarrassment that was washing over you as they stared at your bare feet. They didn’t say anything as they walked towards the bathroom stalls, but you could see the judgement in their eyes. They whispered something to each other that you could barely hear, but you didn’t have to hear what they were talking about because you knew it was about you.

Slipping on your high heels, you quickly buckled the straps of your shoes and walked out of the lounge as fast as you could. Your heart was beating a thousand miles per hour when you felt one of your straps loosened from your feet.

“Fuck.” You sighed and stopped in the middle of the hall.

You leaned against the wall and went down on your knee to fix it, but the stupid thing wouldn’t buckle right.

“This is why I don’t wear these.” You whispered to yourself, shaking your head.

“Here, let me help, love.”

His fingers gently took away the strap from you. You slowly gazed up and saw Aaron on his one knee in front of you. Suddenly, everything started spinning. Was it the alcohol? You weren’t even tipsy or drunk. It made you a bit braver, but your mind was still intact.

What the hell was he doing here?

You didn’t know if that was even a valid question because of course, he would be here.

He was an actor!

“Lift up for me, darling. I can’t see it with your dress in the way.” He said, his blue eyes catching yours.

You slid your hand against the wall and stood back up, feeling his fingers gently grazed over the skin of your ankle. You held your breath, trying to balance yourself against the wall as he fixed the straps of your heels. You couldn’t even look down and watch him. Instead, you kept your eyes straight down the empty hall.

What if someone catches you both here and thinks differently about it? There were photographers everywhere at this party.

“There,” He said, his hand wrapping around your ankle and squeezing it lightly.

You stifled the gasp that was escaping from you. Your legs felt like jelly all of a sudden as he stood up back up and smiled at you.

“Hi.” He said.

“H…Hi.” Your voice trembled.

Now that you were looking at him better, he was in a black and white suit. He had a bowtie, and he had a haircut. He didn’t have long curly hair anymore. It was shorter, but his curls were still showing. A strand of it falling lightly on his forehead.

Fuck this man.

He looked even hotter now.

“So,” A smirk was already tugging on his lips as he fixed his cufflinks. “Is it my turn to call you a stalker now that you’re in my world?”

You let out a soft chuckle, shaking your head. ��I’ll have you know, I didn’t even want to be at this party.”

“No?” A line appeared between his brows, while he tilted his head slightly at you.

God, he was so hot tonight.

What in the actual fuck?

Was it the alcohol that was making you feel like this?

“All glamour and dressed up and making nice conversations with the big directors and producers?” Aaron said, sarcasm in his voice. “That doesn’t sound so appealing to you?”

You hummed softly, squinting your eyes at him. “Now that you said it that way, maybe I made a mistake.”

Aaron let out a soft laugh, looking down at his feet and slipping his left hand on his front pocket. A strand of curl fell on his forehead and somehow, all you wanted to do was touch it and rake your fingers through his hair.

Oh. my. God.

You need to go the fuck home. Now.

“Were you in this movie?” Aaron asked, lifting his face to look at you again. “Because that’ll be a real asshole for me to not notice you on set.”

“No, my friend Hannah is in the movie. I’m just accompanying her.”

“Hannah Adler?”

You nodded your head as Aaron said. “Oh, I didn’t know you knew Hannah. She played my girlfriend in the movie.”

“Oh.” You played with your fingers.

Technically, you didn’t google the movie. You didn’t know who the cast were or what the movie was about. You just never had the time and besides, you were literally just hoping to come with Hannah for an hour and go home to your normal, boring life. You didn’t need to know anything about this world, and you didn’t plan to ever know anything about it.

You could live without that idea.

However, Aaron mentioning the fact that Hannah played his girlfriend in the movie got your stomach twisting in knots. You didn’t understand why you were feeling like this.

Aaron looked over his shoulder to where the party was before looking back at you. An idea glinting in his ocean blue eyes.

“Do you want to get out of here for a moment?” He asked.

Your lips twisted to the side, thinking about his offer. Your eyes shifted behind Aaron and towards the ballroom.

Did you really want to deal with another perverted older man who thinks they have the power because they were rich?

“Sure.” You replied.

Aaron smiled and led you down the hall, the opposite direction of the ballroom. As you both walked next to each other, the music from the party started to fade away, and he turned towards one of the rooms that had a plaque that said, “The View Lounge.”

Opening the door, you were greeted by a dimly lit room. It was empty with tables and chairs all around the room. There were floor to ceiling windows and a door that led outside the balcony.

Aaron looked over his shoulder, smiling at you as he opened the door to the balcony. The cool mid-October air greeted you as you took a deep breath and closed your eyes for a moment.

You needed this.

It felt lighter rather than the stuffy ballroom you were just in earlier. You opened your eyes and saw the view of the LA skyline. You could hear the cars passing by the streets underneath you. Life was happening all around, and the whole city was glittering in front of you.

It was so beautiful.

Aaron’s warm presence immediately snapped you out of your little daydream, and you turned to glance up at him with a smile.

“So, I know you’re not in this movie, but are you an actor too?” Aaron asked.

“No,” Your fingers softly grazed the metal railing. “I’m just a Chemist. I’ve known Hannah since we were children, so she drags me to these events.”

“Oh. I assumed you were since you were in that coffee shop across from Warner Brothers and now, you’re here.”

“Oh, yeah.” You chuckled softly. “My job is a few blocks away from it, that’s why. It’s my favorite coffee shop.”

Aaron nodded his head, while you focused your attention back to the view. There was a silence for a moment, the only sounds were the cars passing by, the city noise, and the soft breeze in the air. For a second, you looked at Aaron through the corner of your eye. The alcohol running through your veins was making you feel a little more confident and brave tonight.

And maybe you should be a different girl tonight.

You inhaled a deep breath and turned to face him, leaning your elbow against the railing.

“This is the third time we saw each other in three days.” You pointed out.

Aaron smiled and turned his body to face you. He took a step forward and said, “I’m starting to believe there’s a reason for it.”

His voice was low and husky, it sent electricity down your body. You stifled your sigh as you looked into his blue eyes. You could feel the heat between the two of you, and you could see that he was feeling it too.

It made your confidence increase.

“Any idea what it could be?” Your voice was almost a whisper.

You swallowed the sudden unfamiliar emotions that were washing over you as he blew out a long breath and took another step forward. He stood tall in front of you. Your body twisted so that your back was leaning against the railing. Both of his hands held onto the railing, trapping you between his arms.

The air immediately left your lungs as he stared into your eyes, “No, but I know I can’t get you out of my head ever since I first met you.”

“Oh.” You murmured, your teeth biting down your lower lip.

A small chuckle escaped his lips and a smirk pulled into his expression. “Oh? That’s it?”

You gasped softly when you felt his fingers slowly danced across your jawline. His jaw clenched as he studied your face under the moonlight. You saw how his Adam’s apple bobbed as he let his thumb brush your cheek softly. His warmth radiated around you and even if your dress only had thin straps, the air suddenly felt hot.

“I don’t want to lie to you, but I can’t stop thinking about you too.” You whispered.

You licked your lips, and his thumb suddenly found your lower lip, brushing it softly.

“I thought maybe I’m losing my mind.” You added, your brain starting to short circuit from his touch.

All these words you were saying… The alcohol definitely had some help with it.

One corner of his lips lifted, cupping your cheek with his one hand. The cool metal of the railing was pressed against your back, only inches of space between the two of you. His face was hovering over yours and the thought of anyone barging in this room suddenly enveloped your thoughts.

You felt Aaron’s hand sliding on your waist, gripping it tightly. Suddenly, his soft touches made those thoughts disappear. It was almost like it was just you and him in this world.

“Maybe I am too then.” He murmured, his blue eyes darkening.

His lips hovered over yours. They were inches apart, and it was making you slowly lose your mind. A jar of butterflies opened up in the pit of your stomach as you closed your eyes.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked, voice gentle and soft.

It only took a second for you to nod your head, giving him permission before he crashed his lips against yours. He tasted sweet and like peppermint with the mix of alcohol that he has been drinking tonight. His kiss was hungry but soft at the same time. It was the kind of heated kiss that felt like you both have been waiting for this for a long time.

As you slipped your arms around his neck, he let his left hand run down your bare back. His right hand slipped on your hip, gripping it tightly as you continued to move your lips against his and pulled him closer to you. He let his tongue licked your lower lip before you opened your mouth, granting him access. You let out a soft moan as your tongues danced together.

“Fuck.” A low groan vibrated in his throat as he pulled away, kissing the line of your jaw.

You let out a breathless gasp when he slid his right hand that was gripping your hip down to the slit of your dress. He drew circles on the flushed skin of your thighs and let his lips kiss down your neck. You threw your head back to give him more access.

“Aaron.” You whispered, feeling a sudden ache for him between your legs.

He looked up and stared into your eyes. You saw how dark his blue eyes were, his chest rising and falling. His hands didn’t let go of you as he leaned his forehead against yours.

“What are you doing to me?” He asked breathlessly.

“I should be asking you that.” You whispered.

Aaron crushed his lips against yours again as you let your fingers rake through his hair, tugging on it lightly. He growled in your ear as he kissed down your neck, his hand slipping through the slit of your dress. He let his index finger caressed the fabric of your underwear and when he felt the fabric soaking from your wetness, he let out a hiss as he kissed the skin between your breasts.

You moaned softly, letting your head fall back and pulling him close to you. Letting his other free hand roam your sides, he kissed you again. You were flying high as he let his tongue slip inside your mouth again. He pushed aside your underwear and caressed his finger on your slit.

“You’re so wet for me, darling.” He whispered, pulling away from your lips and staring into your eyes.

“How can I not be?” You whispered.

He smirked, his eyes not leaving yours. Wrapping your hand on his wrist, you guided him slowly. You kissed the line of his jaw, making you moan his name again when he started rubbing your swollen clit. He let his finger move in circles before inserting it inside of you. Immediately, you could feel your walls tightening around his finger as he pumped it in and out of you.

“Fuck.” He growled, inserting his middle finger and pumped it faster inside of you.

Your legs were starting to feel weak as you buried your face on his neck and gripped his shoulders. All you could hear were your moans and Aaron growling your name in your ear the more you tightened around his fingers. He pushed the edge of his palm against your clit as he continued to pump his fingers until you could feel your pleasure pooling at the edge of your spine.

“Shit.” You cursed in his ear. “I’m so close.”

“C’mon, love. Come for me.”

Aaron pulled back to watch your expression as you threw your head back, your wavy hair falling behind you and your eyes closing as you felt him hitting you on the right spot. Your mouth fell open as you squeezed your eyes shut, finally feeling the pleasure washed over you. Aaron decreased the thrust of his fingers inside of you, continuing his palm to rub your clit slowly in circles until you rode out your waves.

When you came back down, you were breathless and sweaty. You opened your eyes and saw Aaron smiling at you as he pulled out his fingers and returned your underwear back to its place.

“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered, cupping your cheek and kissing your sweaty temple.

He wrapped his arms around you as you let your body melt in his arms. Your whole body felt boneless as you gasped for air. You felt his hard cock rubbing against your thigh, and you knew it must be painful for him right now. You slowly slipped your hand, feeling the outline of it through his pants when he put his hand over yours.

“Hey,” He whispered, shaking his head. “No.”

“Let me help.” You gazed up to him through your lashes.

He shook his head and smiled, “Not tonight. Tonight, it’s about you.”

He leaned and kissed you softly, brushing the strands of your hair away from your face. Your surroundings suddenly resurfaced back as Aaron continued to hold you in his arms.

“I can’t believe that just happened.” You said, pressing your face on his chest.

“I never…” You shook your head, smiling. “I have never done it in public before.”

Aaron smirked, setting his chin on top of your head and letting his warmth engulf you.

“Trust me, love. There’ll be more.”

__________________________________________________________

Taglist:

@acourtofpenandpaper, @metal-redcherries, @n0rdicmaiden, @galadoesart, @dare-writes

#aaron taylor johnson #aaron taylor johnson x reader #aaron taylor johnson x fem!reader #aaron taylor johnson fanfic #aaron taylor johnson fics #aaron taylor johnson fic #sweetprfct #please please please #chapter three

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shanieveh · 10 months ago

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REVERSE 07↺: this isn’t the end

wriothesley x fem!reader

Now playing: From the start — Laufey

“Dear Wriothesley,”

The letter was in his hand, like it was in yours before.

Your hand.

One that he used to touch, to feel, to hold.

“I’m leaving, I recently got the scholarship and I dont want anything to disturb me, not even you.”

At that time, he was filled with life, but he understood now. That life was always something he had to sacrifice so much for.

“Thank you for introducing me to your silly tea parties, as we delude ourselves to be the seven deadly sins.”

A breath, a tear, a memory.

“I know you’ll fill that party, the three of us will turn to seven. I would dearly miss being lust, and trying to kiss you.”

He continued reading it.

“So take risks okay! I know you wanted that basketball spot, so practice. Not to much tea now, will you.”

He looks back at his trophy room, one where you once lay with him as he tells you his dreams and aspirations.

“Election is coming up though, how about you start from the bottom and work your way up to the top! Maybe you can get representative of the batch now, oh I can’t wait to see you president!”

Laufey was always your favorite artist, he remembered memorizing a whole song to sing to you. He courted you for months, he loved you for years.

“But I reject you Rio, after all the flowers and songs, I realized this relationship was worthless.”

He was worthless.

He remembered being mad about everything, how can he not when he was the used to being alone in everything. He begged for you to notice him months prior, to just be in the same room as him.

Just a few months later, you came back a new person, a person he never knew. It was like you lost everything, with the brand new friends. But he will always keep his promise.

After all he knew why you had to leave, it was all his fault.

He rejected you, he ignored you, a bit of him loathe your whole existence. Wriothesley couldn’t bear even drinking tea, not until a purple haired girl told him he was allowed to be happy.

And that purple haired, turns to a whole circle of friends, one of his own.

But the duke remembers the clear words he said, running after you, the moment he read the whole letter.

“One day, if we no longer have burdens to deal with, can you finally pick me?”

One day, this isn’t the end.

Even if it meant just being friends, just seeing you from afar, he would do it all for your happiness.

He never understood why you changed, and he never understood why he still loved you anyway.

“So I’ll take my goodbyes. Thank you for the memories and I’m sorry for my rejection, I hope you find someone better.”

——————————[ 06 —↺— 08 ]——————————

the whole campus knows about your 3 year crush on the student body president and basketball captain wriothesley. you were fine with his constant ignoring and rejections until something happened, until you stopped, and a reverse took place... now he won't leave you alone.

TAGLIST I: @vash-yuu @nayukiyukihira @aethion @whodissbitj @astolary @ayayaaayyiirel @randomidk-123 @superdark-soul @sleepy-waffle @kittywagun @ceaether @ichorstainedskin @numwoon44 @eutopiastar @reni502 @fictionalfantasy17 @lucienbarkbark @kyon-cherri @huanator @jqnehr @yourlittlemissworld @zworllyx @unknownlololol @sara-midnight @jaguarthecat @we-wo-we-wo @duhsies @interstellar-equilibrium @ariparri @lolmeowing @aruatsu @k-cris @quacking-simp @vlamouren @semi-orangeapple @tamikahoshiko @imnotgoodwithnamessoidk @portgas459ace @r4yyyyy @vxnuslogy @kazuhasmaid @explosive-wuisa @falors @rirk-ke @shotovhs @aixaingela @ruhaxol @yelleloww @sc1twi @ash4ree

#wriothesley x female reader #wriothesley x y/n #wriothesley x reader #genshin x you #wriothesley x you #genshin x reader #genshin x y/n #genshin smau #reverse smau

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bluedalahorse · 2 months ago

Text

From the outside, it looks like a fairy tale cottage. Flowers in the windowsill, a little bit of ivy climbing the walls, a beautiful garden around the back. As you enter through the door, a bell jingles above.

🫖 Welcome to Felice’s Tea Room! 🫖

Felice herself greets you and leads you to the table you reserved out in the garden. She tells you that starting a cozy cafe like this has always been one of her dreams, even though her parents had different plans for her. As she hands you the menu, she explains that she created special tea arrangements inspired by her female friends:

Sara’s tea includes Irish Breakfast tea, farm fresh egg salad sandwiches on rye, cinnamon oat scones with apple butter, and carrot cake petit fours.

Maddie’s tea includes ginger green tea, avocado and gravlax on mini bagels, chocolate chip scones with organic butter, and cookies and cream cheesecake tartlets.

Stella’s tea includes Söder tea, pickled herring on crispbread, blueberry elderflower scones with lemon curd, and white chocolate violet meringues.

Fredrika’s tea includes Empress Grey tea, classic cucumber sandwiches, blackcurrant scones with jam and clotted cream, and cardamom rose macarons.

Of course there are also countless other baked goods and tea blends available, and you can mix and match and build your own tea if you like. But for know you’re drawn to the friend-inspired teas. Felice tells you she can make substitutions based on allergies and dietary restrictions and/or preferences.

(If your order includes a substitution, feel free to elaborate in the tags.)

Enjoy your afternoon tea! And don’t forget to support Felice’s entrepreneurship by sharing about her business through a reblog.

Posted in response to the prompt “menu” for Characters Month at @youngroyals-events.

#young royals #felice ehrencrona #yrcharactersmonth2025 #I just thought we all needed a visit to a tea room!#and also I wanted Felice to own a cute cafe

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kazumist · 2 years ago

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WHEN YOU IGNORE HIM AS A PRANK .ᐟ

✩ — includes: various x gn!reader. fluff. no cws. wc: 833. reblogs and feedback are very much appreciated !! i don't support this type of prank in any sort of way so pls don't think this is actually funny irl ;;

the one who panics and worries — !

thoma, diluc, zhongli, xiao, and cyno

he has no idea if he did anything wrong. did he do something to offend you? did he forget something you told him? there’s no clue. all of a sudden, you just started to act like he didn’t exist—as if you were total strangers, even!

thoma would pace around the room, his hand on his chin, and he would think of reasons why you should ignore him. there has to be a reason, right? it isn’t like you to just act like that. your relationship was fine when this happened, too! what could possibly be the answer? no matter how long he thinks, thoma will never get an answer to his problem. maybe kissing the pout on his lips away would help him forgive you for all of this?

diluc is confused. very confused, in fact. were you not up for any interactions? but he sees you conversing casually with sara from good hunter. that couldn’t be it. but diluc is… just very confused. he’d question what was happening, trying to piece your recent behavior together with the one you have now.

zhongli sighs at the thought of this situation with you. if you simply wanted a break from a relationship or if you had a problem with him, you could’ve just told him. his gaze lands on you as you talk ever so casually to hu tao, wondering if you still even remember that he too is in the same area as you. please console this man with kisses when the prank is over, he'll need it.

xiao is worried. he knows that he’s still trying to understand human emotions, but he didn’t know that you’d act like this. you chat with verr goldet like you usually do, but he doesn’t hear you asking for his whereabouts like he usually does. it makes him sad. were you getting tired of him? did you perhaps decide to leave so soon? but you would say that to him if you really felt that way. do reassure him that it was nothing and simply for fun (and that you'll never do it again, seeing as he was very worried).

although cyno was known for his jokes (to the people with whom he usually interacts, at least), he sadly did not get the idea that you were just pranking him. he gets a bit anxious, wondering if you were mad at him because of all of his corny jokes, which was a stupid reason, but it was still possible! he sighs helplessly when you tell him it's a joke and suddenly thinks, why didn't he think of that possibility?

the one who knows but plays along — !

kaeya, kazuha, childe, albedo, and alhaitham

he was quick to realize that this was all a prank, but would it be that bad to play along? he’s sure it wouldn't; any time spent with you is already worth it for him anyway. what’s so different about playing a prank?

kaeya stares at you as he looks at how you’re having fun talking to venti. you know he’s looking at you, and venti knows it too; he was in on the plan after all. but you don’t know if kaeya’s stare held jealousy, if it held hurt, or if it was just an overall blank stare. he'll get his revenge later, once he can finally have some alone time with you.

kazuha smiles at your prank; he had a feeling it was a joke. you are usually the one who approaches him, and he knows that you are never the one who’ll just leave him immediately. he sighs at you and plays along with your little prank. maybe your reaction to him knowing from the start would be more interesting than this whole thing.

childe was confused at first, but he soon noticed that it was a prank. you talked with zhongli over a cup of tea at a nearby table. he thinks of a way to get back, but honestly? just being really clingy to you will already make you regret this whole situation.

albedo is used to pranks and the like. but he certainly didn’t expect it coming from you. however, overhearing kaeya and klee talking about your prank in the headquarters of the knights of favonius, he sighed. he shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but he heard your name, and just by that, he was already invested in the conversation. but he wouldn’t want to see you so disappointed because your prank failed, so he ponders for a moment—it wouldn’t be so bad to play along in your prank for him a bit, no?

two can play that game for alhaitham. he ignores your presence as well, but he also observes your reactions to his actions while he's at it. but by the end of the day, he confronts you about it and gives you a small yet satisfied smirk when you admit that you were pranking him.

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tessarionbestgirl · 28 days ago

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I'm absolutely sick of every ship in HOTD being about Rhaenyra.......... Even Alicole is paralleled with Rhaenyra/Criston, IT'S SO TIRESOME. The creators emphasize that Alicent lives in the same room, she drinks tea in ep4 of the season just like young Rhaenyra in the first season, hell, she even probably thinks about Rhaenyra while she has sex with Criston, why not... Rhaenicent, Daemyra, Rhaesaria, Rhaewin. We get it, Rhaenyra is the center of the show, but it gives off a Mary Sue vibe when everyone is in love with her, even her enemies switch teams for her, because she is sooo wonderful and special. Is this an adaptation of a YA novel or a GRRM work? It's especially annoying when there are other interesting characters and relationships that could have been explored, but won't be because the writers can't move past Rhaenyra and her romantic and sex life:

- Jace's potential romances have been cut, Sara Snow is not in the show and his relationship with Baela is more of a friendship, they don't look in love. Also Baela's interest in boys was removed.

- Daemon/Nettles. Cut from the show because Rhaenyra needs to be the center of Daemon's universe. GRRM is particularly mad at this one, I'm sure.

- Helaena and Aegon. Not saying it's a romance, but they could've still had scenes together.

- Aemond and Alys. It's unclear, but Alys is team black or team prophecy in the show, so she is also Rhaenyra centered.

I really don't understand this even from a marketing perspective. Everyone should just be a fan of Rhaenyra, there are no other option. GOT had so many characters, ships and dynamics that you could pick anyone to follow. And the whole thing for HOTD is "stan the rightful queen or go away". I used to like Rhaenyra after the first season before I read the book, but after reading the book, I started to dislike and borderline hate her because of how the showrunners push her as the lead and center of every character's life, it's just frustrating. Rhaenyra already has 4 hours of screentime in just 18 episodes which is equal to or even more than Dany's entire screen time, by the end of the show she'll probably have 8 hours of screen time, it's insufferable. This story that is meant to be an ensemble cast was turned into a one person show.

Olivia tried to distance alicole from Rhaenicent, but in the inside interview of the episode Ryan was so much implying that.

So you are right anon. In everything you said. And this goes beyond relationship too. It affects even small scenes. Like, I saw and heard so many complains about tb council scenes in S2, because the writers start from the premise that Rhaenyra has to come out as right or look good. She needs to stand out on her team. And this probably a condition that Ryan or Sara set for the writers. So all characters around her suffer from it.

That is why all tb characters are less and have no particular motivation. With Daemon as a exception, because he never stay in one place for to long and that includes interacting with Rhaenyra.

Is not that Tg had way better written in S2. It was just that they are not interacting with her so they suffer less from this problem. So the writers have more freedom to develop them as individuals even with the small screen time.

Now regarding the relationships. I think S2 was the biggest disappointment for me in this sense too. That is why people asking me about Alysmond, i know they will fuck up, because all their relationships are either focused on Rhaenyra or is read in a incredible cynical way .

Baela and Jace have more siblings energy than Helaena and her brothers.

Alicent and Cole, had some good moments but started to bad. Besides the weird parallels to reminds us of Rhaenyra. Alicent as character wouldn't just have sex with someone so casually. Sure there is a lot passion on the act, and sure they do have feelings for each other, but the way the things led to this moment makes no sense when you consider Alicent in s1.

Helaena and Aegon/Aemond: I had this conversation with someone a long time ago. And this person ask me, who do you think won more in S2, Helaegon or Helaemond? And to me both lost in ways. Because Helaegon has the most complex dinamic but is not romantic at all. They are strictly platonic. And Helaemond is framed as one side love based on Aemond ideology of Targaryen supremacy. And I enjoy all their scenes but when I think about it. I realise how poorly explored they are.

Actually that is my biggest fears for S3 when comes to Alysmond because I think they will frame as a rebound relationship.

The only relationships frames as good are Rhaenyra relationships.

And oddly enough the only one out of the curve is Alys and Daemon but it because at end served Rhaenyra.

#house of the dragon #hotd #team green #anon ask #helaegon #helaemond #Alysmond #Alicole #anti team black #anti rhaenicent #anti rhaenyra targaryen

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white-wolf-buckaroo · 1 month ago

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Chapter 3: She has her father's eyes

Olivia has lived at the orphanage as long as she can remember, but her life changes when she meets a little girl named Sara, with whom she's connected with in a way she would've never imagined. In other words, what if Sirius had a daughter he never knew of? What if he meets her during the events of the Order of the Phoenix?

Word count: 6000 ish oops

Story masterlist here!

As we ascended the narrow staircase, the old wooden steps creaking underfoot.

Molly, ever the attentive guide, glanced back at us with a warm smile. "Don’t mind the creaks. This house has been in the Black family for generations. It’s seen better days, but we’re making it a home again, bit by bit. If you meet the house elf, Kreacher, don’t mind him. He’s just… Not very fond of outsiders"

I couldn’t shake the feeling of Sirius's eyes on me and Sara. His reaction had been so intense, so full of shock and disbelief, that it made my skin tingle. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Why had he looked at us like that?

Molly’s voice broke through my thoughts as she opened a door on the second landing. “Here we are, dears. It’s not much, but I’ve put fresh linens on the beds for you, and you’ve got a little space for your things.”

The room she led us into was small but tidy, with two twin beds on either side of the window. The walls were adorned with dark green wallpaper, faded from age after years and years there, and a single wardrobe stood against one wall. A large mirror, slightly tarnished, hung crookedly above a small dresser. It wasn’t luxurious, and not really welcoming because of the cold color palette, but it was certainly more than enough.

“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley,” I said, setting down my bag. “This is perfect.”

Molly beamed. “You’re welcome, Olivia, and please, call me Molly.” She turned to Sara, who was eyeing the room nervously. “And if either of you need anything, don’t hesitate to come down and ask. There’s plenty of food and tea if you get hungry later, and we’ll have dinner all together in the evening.”

Sara gave her a small nod, still clutching her stuffed dog. I smiled at the woman, grateful "Thank you... Molly."

Molly smiled warmly at her and then, with a final encouraging nod, headed for the door. “I’ll leave you to get settled, then. I’ll be downstairs if you need me. Try to get some rest”

As soon as she left, the room fell into a quiet stillness. I sat down on the edge of my bed, staring out the small, slightly grimy window. Sara hesitated, then sat on the bed across from me, her eyes still wide admiring every new detail around her.

She was only four years old, and yet, I sensed she seemed to be adapting a whole lot better than I was. Then again, she had already known about magic through her mother, so the wizarding world wasn’t something unfamiliar to her.

“Are you alright?” I asked her, coming to sit down at her side.

She nodded, as ever clutching her stuffed animal to her chest, looking around wide-eyed and then back to me.

“They are all witches and wizards, right?” I guessed she was asking about the Weasleys, and the other new people we had met minutes ago down in the kitchen, so I nodded “Do you think… Do you think that they knew my mommy?”

It was a tough question, really, but I sensed I knew the answer.

“I think they did,” I said softly, though my mind was spinning with the implications. It was the way they all looked at us… especially some of them. Like we weren’t complete strangers. "They must have all known each other from before—during their school time maybe. Remember what Dumbledore told us? Your mommy and my mother were sisters.”

“And you and I are cousins” she smiled at that, at me, and hugged my side.

“That we are,” I returned the hug, seeing her yawn a few seconds later “You tired?” she nodded softly, and I stood up, helping her set the covers of her new bed back “Come on then, bug. Get some sleep”

It had been a long day already, with a lot of new information. Apparition had also taken a lot out of us—it wasn’t a feeling I was used to yet, and after the long journey, the tension of arriving at Grimmauld Place, I felt like I could sleep for days.

I stood up to again to draw the curtains, darkening the room. Within minutes, the room was filled with the soft sound of Sara’s breathing, deep in her sleep. I crawled into my own bed, the covers heavy and comforting, and despite the swirling questions in my head, exhaustion pulled me under.

I didn’t have any nightmares, but I saw myself, or rather, a woman who looked like myself. She was talking to me, smiling softly. But there was also sadness in her look. She said something, but I couldn’t hear her despite how hard I tried to. Only when I was waking up, I recognized a word she was saying: Olivia.

I woke to the smell of something cooking—garlic, maybe onions, mingling with the scent of roasted meat. It was comforting. The room was dim, the last light of the day filtering through the gaps in the curtains. I turned to see Sara standing at my bedside, holding her dog in one arm, and waving at me with the other hand.

“Liv, I’m hungry, but I… Don’t want to go down alone” she whispered, rather loud. I smiled sleepily at her, nodding, as I made my way out of the bed. If I was four years old, I wouldn’t have wanted to wander around that dark old house by myself as well. Still at fifteen I didn’t feel too comfortable with the thought of doing so myself.

With a quick peak out of the curtains we could see that the sun was almost gone for the day; the street outside was deserted, just as when we had arrived a few hours ago, and the streetlamps were on now, casting a warm glow on the pathway.

“We should unpack before going downstairs,” I said, looking at our bags on the floor by the beds. We hadn’t got much, so It would be quick to put our clothes away in the drawers before heading down “Then we will go have dinner, I promise.”

There was a knock on our door just as I was putting away my last pair of socks. The door opened slowly, and Mrs. Weasley peaked inside, smiling upon seeing us awake.

“Dinner’s ready, girls” she nodded approvingly when she saw we had already taken care of emptying Sara’s suitcase and my bag “Oh, how tidy you girls are! Not like my boys," Molly added with a mock sigh, shaking her head fondly. "If I don’t tell them to put their things away, it’ll be weeks before they do, if they even do so. You two are a breath of fresh air, I’ll tell you that. You’ll meet them soon enough—they’ll be here next week. Then the house will be much noisier, I promise you."

I smiled, finishing up folding my last shirt and placing it neatly in the drawer. "I’m sure it’ll be nice to meet them."

Sara, standing by the door, hugged her stuffed dog closer to her chest. "Are they nice?"

Molly chuckled warmly, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Oh, they’re a handful, but yes, dear, they’re very nice. Fred and George, especially—they’re the twins—are always up to some mischief, but they’ve got good hearts. And Ron, my youngest boy, he’s around your age, Olivia. He’ll be pleased to meet you. As well as Ginny, my girl, she’s a year younger than you, but I’m sure you’ll all get along just right."

Sara nodded, her eyes brightening a little at the thought of meeting more people. The nervousness from earlier seemed to fade slightly.

“Well,” Molly continued, clapping her hands together gently. “Why don’t we head down to dinner before it gets cold? I’ve made a roast, and there’s plenty of vegetables too. Dumbledore and the others are already in the kitchen.”

Sara tugged on my sleeve, looking up at me expectantly. “Let’s go, Liv! I’m starving!” she said, her stomach giving a little rumble as if to emphasize her words. I couldn’t help but grin at her excitement.

"Alright, bug." I said, ruffling her hair as we followed Molly out of the room and down the narrow staircase.

As we descended, the scent of the food grew stronger, and my own stomach gave a low growl. Sara giggled beside me, and I shook my head with a smile. Even though we were in a strange place, there was something comforting about it—the smell of dinner, the warmth of Molly’s presence, and the thought of sharing a meal with people who seemed to care, even if we had only just met them.

We arrived at the kitchen to find Dumbledore, Remus, and Sirius already seated at the long wooden table, talking amongst themselves, although they stopped to greet us once we arrived. Sirius glanced up briefly when we entered the kitchen, his expression unreadable but his eyes lingering on Sara and me just a moment longer than I was comfortable with.

Molly ushered us to sit at the table, sitting us between Tonks and Remus, placing plates in front of us with generous portions of food. “Eat up, girls, you’ll need your strength,” she said with a wink before taking her own seat.

The clatter of cutlery and the soft hum of conversation filled the room as we began to eat. It was peaceful for a while, the tension from earlier not as noticeable, but I could still feel the weight of Sirius’s gaze on me from time to time. I didn’t look up, choosing instead to focus on Sara, who was happily munching on her food, her stuffed dog resting on the chair beside her.

“The food is delicious, Mrs. Weasley.”

“Thank you, dear. It’s nice to get some appreciation from time to time,” she glanced around the room, especially towards her husband, Moody, Remus and Sirius, and a second later they were all nodding with their heads, murmuring about how good their meals were “And I’ve already told you, you can call me Molly.”

“Have you both slept well?” asked her husband, Arthur.

“Oh, yeah,” I glanced at the girl beside me, seeing her nod as well, munching on some broccoli. She smiley shyly when she got caught with her mouth full “The sleep was very much needed after… Well, the journey.”

“You’ll adapt soon,” Tonks sipped on her glass before speaking up again “You’ll feel at home in no time.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I had never really felt at home nowhere before, so I wouldn’t really know what it was like.

When Remus, to my left, stood up to get himself more to drink, I caught Sirius’ gaze on me again. He had been silently sitting in front of Remus during the dinner, both of them on Dumbledore’s sides, at the end of the table. His grey eyes were full of intensity, yet, soft. Nostalgic, even.

“I apologize for not introducing myself properly earlier when we first met” his voice was tight, measured. He was holding back layers of emotions underneath, controlling himself the best he could, but I wouldn’t know that “I’m Sirius. Sirius Black. It’s a pleasure to have you both here”

“Thank you for having us,” I smiled politely. I recalled Mrs. Weasley’s words from earlier when she first took us to our room, about the house belonging to the Black family “So… This is your house, then?”

“It was my parents’ house,” He clarified quickly. It seemed like he wanted to make sure he had no association with the house, not as the owner, at least “I offered it as headquarters for the order.”

I hummed in acknowledgement, taking another few bites from my plate, not really knowing what to say next. I wasn’t really good at small talk. Sirius’ gaze remained on us, still, even when Remus came back to his seat.

“Sirius,” he warned him, sternly, as if wanting to say ‘stop looking at them like that’.

“I’m sorry,” the man grimaced, and the nostalgia in his eyes turned to longing and sadness “It’s just that… You both resemble your mothers in an astounding way.”

“You knew my mommy?”

Everyone turned to look at Sara, who seemed excited at the prospect that all these wizards and witches could have in fact, known her mother. She had seemed to start getting tired again the last few minutes after finishing her dinner, but now she was bright and up back again.

Sirius hesitated for a moment, his expression softening even further as he glanced at the girl. His gaze lingered on her, and I could see a flicker of something in his eyes—almost as if he was transported back in time. His voice, when he spoke again, was quieter, laced with a kind of reverence that I hadn’t expected.

“Yes,” he said softly, addressing her question. “Adler.” it seemed as if saying her name out lout was taking a toll on him. I watched him as he stayed quiet for a few seconds. “She was… To say she was wonderful would be an understatement.”

Sara’s face lit up, her small hands gripping her stuffed dog tighter. She smiled at Sirius, and he returned it with a smile of his own. I could’ve sworn he was starting to tear up.

“Did you…” I wasn’t sure if I wanted to ask my question, but I had already started talking, so I might’ve as well finished it “My mother. Albus told me she was Adler’s sister. Did you… Know her as well?”

Sirius nodded, switching his gaze back to me. It wasn’t him, though, who spoke up. It was Remus:

“She was… A good friend, in the past,” his tone was nostalgic, just as his and Sirius’ gazes. “We met her back in Hogwarts. She was two years younger than Adler, still, they were inseparable.” He smiled, humming to himself “It is true, what Sirius said. You both look exactly like them.”

Albus had told me that I looked like my mother. Now Sirius and Remus were doing the same. It was a bittersweet feeling, knowing that I resembled her so much and yet, not remembering her.

I felt a tug on my arm, and I looked at Sara, who was pressing her head against her stuffed dog with sleepy eyes. All the emotions of the evening had caught up to her along the tiredness she still carried with her, as myself, from all the changes lived today. I could see the way her eyelids were drooping, her grip on the stuffed dog loosening just a bit.

Tonks, who had been sitting quietly throughout dinner, glanced at Sara and smiled warmly. “Looks like someone’s ready for bed,” she said in her usual cheerful tone, her bright hair shifting from pink to dark blue as she stood up. “What do you say, little one? Want me to walk you upstairs?”

Sara hesitated, glancing at me for reassurance before nodding. “Okay,” she murmured.

“Go on, I’ll be up in a little bit,” I said, giving her a smile. She nodded again and stood up, holding Tonks’s hand as they made their way toward the staircase. I watched them disappear up the stairs, the sound of their footsteps growing fainter.

Once they were out of sight, the atmosphere in the kitchen shifted. It became heavier, more serious. I glanced around the table. Dumbledore, who had remained silent for most of the meal, was watching me carefully. Remus and Sirius were both quiet now, their faces shadowed with the weight of unspoken memories. Moody and the Weasleys remained silent as well, but they could tense the tension rising around us.

I wasn’t sure where to begin, but I knew I had to ask. The questions had been swirling in my mind for so long, and now, with these people who had known my mother so well, it felt like the right time—though, I also felt strangely hesitant, as if I was intruding on something deeply personal.

“I expect that… This can be a difficult topic to discuss but-“ I looked at Albus as I swallowed down the lump that was forming inside my throat, gathering the courage to speak up, trying to ignore Sirius and Remus’ tense postures “Two days ago I lived in America, in an orphanage, thinking I had no one. Now I’m in England, with a cousin, and a whole lot of people who knew my mother. And, not to forget, magic is real!” I could’ve gone mad, I swear “I just need to know… What happened to my mother? What’s her story? And Sara’s mother’s?” I took a deep breath in, trying to gather my thoughts “Please, I- I need answers.”

Dumbledore sighed softly, his blue eyes filled with a kind of sorrow I hadn’t expected. He folded his hands on the table in front of him, as if preparing himself for the difficult conversation ahead. “Olivia,” he began gently, “There are many details to discuss. The context to what happened to your mother, which gives us the reasons to why what happened actually did, isn’t a pleasant one.”

There had been a war. A wizard who had turned to the dark side was trying to eradicate everything that the people at that very same table loved dearly. He wanted a world of pureblood wizards who believed in his vision; the ones who didn’t… they’d get killed. His name was Voldemort.

After my mother’s graduation from Hogwarts, she had joined the Order of the Phoenix. Her sister, Adler, was also a member, as well as their friend group: Sirius, Remus, and a couple named James and Lily Potter, alongside other witches and wizards. They opposed Voldemort’s followers, the Death Eaters, defending the world Voldemort wanted to destroy.

“So… He’s the reason my mother fled to America?”

“Indeed,” he confirmed “For more than fifteen years, the Order only knew she had disappeared. We didn’t know her real fate. Only recently, have I discovered the truth,” just as when we were talking back at the headmaster’s office, he took something out of his tunic, this time not only one letter, but a stack of them “Through her sister, Adler, when she contacted me a few months ago.”

Both Sirius and Remus went stiff.

“That’s impossible.”

Dumbledore looked at both of them with pity, shaking his head.

“That’s impossible,” Sirius repeated Remus’ words, his voice sharp and incredulous. His eyes flicked from Dumbledore to the stack of letters in the headmaster’s hand. Remus, sitting next to him, looked equally shocked, his face paling.

I sat frozen, caught between their disbelief and the weight of Dumbledore’s words. I could see the turmoil flickering in Sirius’s eyes, shock warring with a desperate hope he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in years.

Dumbledore, calm as always, gave a slow nod. “I understand your disbelief, Sirius. We all thought Adler had perished during the war—along with so many others. However, she was alive. She has been in hiding in the United States, searching for her sister... and protecting her daughter, Sara.”

Sirius opened his mouth as if to argue, but no words came out. Remus leaned forward slightly, his brow furrowed, his voice much quieter than Sirius’s but no less urgent. “She… she was alive all this time? Why didn’t we know? Why didn’t she reach out to us? Why didn’t anyone—” He stopped, his gaze shifting to the letters in Dumbledore’s hand, as if the sight of them made everything more real.

One of their best friends they had thought dead had been alive all this time. I could understand the impact. But what was the deal with my aunt?

Dumbledore let out a long sigh and placed the letters gently on the table between us. “Adler did not intend to be gone for as long as she was. As you know, both Miranda and Adler disappeared on the same day. Now we know that Miranda had actually left on her own terms. However, what happened to Adler… It was all a terrible accident.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice shaky. “An accident?”

Dumbledore met my gaze, his expression full of understanding and empathy. “What really happened is that shortly after Miranda fled England, Adler attempted to go back in time and stop her. As she explained to me in one of her letters, back then, she had been exploring alongside Sirius, James and Remus the hideout of some of Voldemort’s death eaters, when they found a series of magical objects. One of them was a time turner. They are very rare and nowadays all of them are locked away in the Ministry of Magic. The day Adler found her sister’s letter, she decided to use it to stop Miranda before leaving. Only a few hours back in time would be enough. Yet…” his look turned harder “It didn’t work. The time-turner was cursed. And instead of traveling back, she was thrown ten years into the future.”

Sirius let out a strangled sound, part gasp, part cry. He let out a shaky breath, his eyes wide with shock. Remus looked equally stunned, blinking as if trying to process the information. Sirius stood abruptly, the legs of his chair scraping loudly against the floor. His eyes were fixed on Dumbledore now, and I could feel the anger building in him even before he spoke.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" His voice was low but edged with fury. "Why didn’t you tell me Adler was alive?"

Remus stiffened by my side, glancing between Sirius and Dumbledore, but remaining silent. So did Moody and the Weasleys, who kept on listening quietly as I did myself.

Dumbledore sighed deeply, setting down his fork and steepling his fingers. “Sirius, I understand your frustration—”

"Frustration?" Sirius’s voice rose, his fists clenching at his sides. "You’ve known for months she was alive, and you didn’t think to tell me so?!”

Dumbledore remained calm, though his voice carried the weight of the situation. "I didn’t want to get your hopes up. Adler’s situation was complicated. She was in hiding, and I didn’t want to jeopardize her safety—or yours, you’re still a fugitive after all”

Sirius shook his head, his grey eyes blazing with disbelief. "You had no right to keep this from me! I could’ve helped her—protected her—”

“There was nothing you-“

“She was my fiancée!” He cried, hurt “I had all the right to know!” He was breathing hard, silent tears running down his cheeks. “There is nothing I wouldn’t have done for her. Nothing.”

I felt my stomach drop at the revelation. Fiancée? Adler and Sirius had been engaged?

Sirius sat back down, his strong façade from earlier crumbling to pieces thinking about his late love. I glanced at Remus, who had his gaze locked on the empty plate in front of him, his thoughts probably distant.

I, on the other hand, didn’t really know how to feel myself. But I did feel sorry for these people, who had evidently cared deeply for that woman. “So… when she arrived in the future… everyone she knew was either gone or… changed,” I whispered.

Dumbledore nodded. “Yes. It is all explained in her letters. Imagine her shock— She was still her same self from the past, barely twenty years old, but the world around her hadn’t stopped. Time had passed, ten years to be exact. There had been many changes and crucial events she had missed. Her friends, the Potters’, had died. Remus had become untraceable, Sirius had been imprisoned in Azkaban… Her world had crumbled around her. The grief she felt was overwhelming, but she did not stop. She decided to search for her sister, Miranda. She didn’t know, however, that she had died not long after giving birth to you.” Dumbledore’s voice reflected the pity of his words. “In the end, not even escaping overseas saved her. But she did safe you, Olivia. From the dark wizards haunting you.”

My mother had died saving me. And I didn’t even as much as remembered her. It all felt so wrong.

“As for Adler,” Albus discretely looked over at Sirius, who was immersed in this own thoughts, before adding: “After the cursed time-turner incident, when she travelled to America in hopes of finding her sister… She discovered she was pregnant.”

Mrs. Weasley gasped, and her husband held her hand. Moody watched us. Remus tensed, and Sirius flinched at this, his eyes locking on Dumbledore with a haunted intensity. His voice was hoarse when he finally spoke. “Pregnant?”

It was complicated to process. Before Dumbledore had left to go fetch Sara in America, he had told the members of the Order that he had received news that confirmed that Adler had indeed had a child that was now an infant. Until then, all of them had thought she had disappeared almost sixteen years ago. Just as my mother. How could they have known she had been the victim of a cursed time-turner?

When Dumbledore had told them about Adler having had a daughter, Sirius had been hurt by the idea of her having moved on with another man. He had never known what had really happened to her, and now Albus had told him that she had still been alive long enough to have a child without him. He had thought of her as his one true love. He had thought that if after the war she wanted to have children, it would be his. Theirs.

They believed Adler had died years ago. They didn’t know it had happened recently. They didn’t know Adler had raised her daughter the last few years overseas. Sirius wasn’t sure how he’d react once he saw her.

However, once he had met Sara, he didn’t care about that she wasn’t his. That was Adler’s daughter. He fell in love with the child almost immediately. She looked just as her mother when she was a child, down to every detail… Except the eyes.

Sara may have looked like her mother, yes, but her grey eyes were all her father’s.

As if all the information Dumbledore had been revealing were puzzle pieces, they all clicked together in my mind.

Fifteen years ago, Adler had travelled ten years forward when she was, unbeknown to her, already pregnant. Her child, my cousin, Sara, was four years old, soon to be five. She couldn’t have lost her baby and fall back pregnant again in that time. Sara was the baby she had been pregnant with when she got time-cursed.

Sara’s necklace came to my mind. Her mother’s, gifted to her by her father before she was even born. It had a ring hanging from it, and a pendant.

“You are my one true love. Yours forever, S.B.” I said, looking at Sirius. He flinched hearing my words. “You are S.B., aren’t you? Sirius Black. You gifted Adler a necklace with those words engraved in the pendant.”

His eyebrows frowned and he shook his head, haunted by the memory.

“How do you… How do you know about that?” his voice was shaky, lacking the strength he had shown minutes before when he got angry.

“Sara,” I answered “She has her mother’s necklace. It has the pendant and a ring hanging from it. She told me that Adler said they had been a gift to her from her father.”

Adler was Sirius’ fiancée. They were to be married fifteen years ago, before everything went tragically wrong. They had been a couple. They had loved each other.

“She is your daughter,” I murmured, looking at the man in question. He was speechless “You are her father.”

Sirius’s breath hitched, his face drained of all colour. Remus had his hand half-raised as if to reach for his friend but then lowered it, frozen in shock.

The room fell silent with the massive weight of the truth resting upon all of our shoulders.

"When I went to bring Sara back after her mother’s passing," Dumbledore continued, finishing at last his story glancing briefly at me, "I also found Olivia."

Sirius looked at me then, truly looked at me, and I could see the conflict in his eyes. The shock, the questions, and something else—a recognition that he was still trying to make sense of.

I realized in that moment that he was my uncle. Through my mother’s side, he was my cousin’s father. We were family as well.

He stood up then, almost tripping over his own feet, and he excused himself making his way quickly out of the kitchen. I followed him with my eyes until he disappeared behind the kitchen door into the hallway, and I almost expected to hear the front door opening, but instead he seemed to walk upstairs and go into a room somewhere up there, slamming the door shut.

“You don’t have to worry, he won’t leave the house,” assured Albus, looking at me. “There is still much you have to learn about the wizarding world. About Sirius, he was falsely accused many years ago, as I have mentioned earlier, and imprisoned because of that same false believe. He spent twelve years in Azkaban, a prison for witches and wizards, until he managed to escape two years ago. He’s been living here ever since, until we manage to prove his innocence.”

“What did they accuse him of?” he didn’t seem violent to me. Shaken, a bit emotionally unstable… But I guess it was normal after having spent twelve years in prison, and more than fifteen years without knowing what had happened to his fiancée.

“Betraying his friends,” spoke Remus, for the first time in a very long time. He had also seemed affected by the revelation concerning Adler, Sara… And everything else, but he also seemed to be processing everything internally, on the opposite to Sirius, who had had most of his feelings written on his face throughout Dumbledore’s speech “He didn’t, though… He never did. Never could’ve. He would’ve died rather than betray any of us. Still would. Loyalty is his fatal flaw.”

He stood up, managing a gentle smile in my direction before excusing himself as well, saying he would be going to check on Sirius.

The room fell silent once more, but Mrs. Weasley didn’t give it much time before she began to gather all the empty dishes with a flick of her wand, and made her way over to me urging me to go to bed.

“A good night’s sleep will help you process all the new information,” she said, smiling warmly at me, although I could see in her eyes that she was also still shaken from all the new revelations “Do you need anything to help you relax? A tea, perhaps?”

“No, no,” I shook my head as she put a strand of my hair behind my ear, looking me in the eyes studying them to see if I was telling the truth. I was too stunned by her genuine act of care to say anything more coherent; no one had ever done that to me. “I’m fine Mrs. Weasley, really. Thank you.”

“Molly,” she insisted, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Go get some rest then, dear. You’ll see how it makes wonders.”

I nodded, taking her advice. I had received enough news for the day anyways; my brain might’ve had exploded if I was told anything else about my past and my family’s.

It did hit me that Albus hadn’t mentioned one crucial person in his story: my father.

“Your aunt didn’t know who he was,” he answered, once I asked him about his identity “Nor do I. Your mother didn’t reveal it to her sister when she informed her she was leaving… Only that she was expecting you, and that she had to make sure you were protected from the dark lord’s wrath.”

It seemed like there was still a mystery to discover, then.

I told everyone goodnight before exiting the kitchen, entering the dark and cold hallway. Before I made my way upstairs, though, the door to the kitchen opened again. It was Albus.

“I have to leave for a few days,” he told me “There are some school matters I need to take care of. I know it can seem fast paced to leave you and your cousin here by yourselves already, but you will be well taken care of. The people you’ve met today… They are family. Some even more than you could’ve initially believed, as you can see from what you’ve learned today. You’ll be alright, I’m sure of it.”

Somehow, I knew he was right. Not that I trusted him blindly, but up until that same moment, he had given me enough reasons to not doubt him. And even if it was only for Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, I was already starting to get comfortable in that dark and old house.

He handed me the stack of letters he had shown us earlier. Adler’s letters to him from the last few months. “I wanted you to have these,” he said “Maybe reading her story told by her own words helps you understand it more. And this one.” he pointed at the letter that was on top of the others; this one was still inside a sealed envelope, and it was bigger and thicker than the rest “She wrote it for Sirius. She wanted him to have it… Now that she’s not with us anymore, I thought he’d still want to receive it.”

“She wrote to him?”

“She did. I haven’t read it, of course. But I believe he must. Just as for yourself, hearing her story written by her own hand and quill can probably help him wrap his mind around it better” he sighed, raising his gaze above us to the ceiling. “He’s going to need some time, and help. I hope you will give him a hand?”

I would, of course. He was my cousin’s father. Now that I had a family, I wouldn’t let it fall to pieces, not if I had a say in it.

“I have to return to Hogwarts now,” Albus said, smiling behind his half-moon shaped glasses “And now that I remember, speaking of school matters…” he waved his hand, and a last letter appeared out of thin air. He gave it to me, almost solemnly “I’ll see you soon, Olivia.”

He dissaparated in the blink of an eye, and just like that, I was alone in the hallway once again. I looked at the last letter he had given me. On one side, it said my name, followed by the very place I was standing at:

Mrs. O. Fox

The Hallway by the Kitchen

12, Grimmauld Place

Islington, London

It was the first time I was being addressed at with a last name, so that was an initial shock I had to overcome first. Turning the letter around, I was faced by an emblem with a big letter ‘H’ in the middle, surrounded by four animals. ‘Hogwarts’, it said.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The school my mother had been to. As well as my aunt, my uncle, and their friends. Inside the envelope was an acceptance letter to the school, signed by a so-called Professor McGonagall.

Last week, I had been a normal girl living in a non-magical world waiting for something magical to happen. Now, magic was real, I had sort of a family, and even if there was still much I didn’t understand, I knew two things for certain: I wasn’t alone in the world, and I would be going to Hogwarts.

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