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bish-plz-haha · 1 year ago

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Chapter 9

The next morning, Harry strode down the stairs with the scent of coffee and pancakes in the air. Draco, who seemed to have transfigured his clothes into sweatpants and a t-shirt, whizzed about the kitchen. He hummed a soft tune to himself as he worked. As he turned around to place a glass of pumpkin juice on the island behind him, he shrieked and dropped the glass on the floor as he saw Harry standing in the doorway watching him. Harry couldn't contain his laughter as he tried to utter a clear 'good morning' to the startled man.

"No, it very well is not! You should know not to do that to people. Going to give me a damn heart attack." Draco mumbled as he grabbed his wand from the counter and vanished the broken glass and juice off the floor. Harry walked into the kitchen further and opened the refrigerator to grab some juice. He filled up two glasses and handed one to Draco as well.

"Sorry, I just came down about two minutes ago. Wasn't standing there long. Just didnt want to interrupt your flow. You seem happy." Harry noted. Draco sent him a empty glare and resumed his cooking after taking a sip of the juice and placing it back on the counter. "So," Harry began, "how'd you sleep?"

"Fine. I was trying to get used to the old creaks and moans of the house but before long, it put me to sleep." Draco flipped the pancake he was cooking and then placed it on a plate with about eight others. "Can I ask you something?" Harry hummed, taking a sip of his own juice and placing it back on the marbled island top. "Why haven't you hired another house elf? This place is large and has to be lonely on your own."

Harry thought for a second before responding. "Yeah. It is. But before they got their own little cottage, Hermione and Ron lived with me for a little bit. But once me and Ron started at the ministry and Hermione got an internship at the hospital, they saved enough money for a house and moved out. That was about a year and a half ago. Been on my own since."

"Oh." Was all Draco said before resuming his pancakes. Once the stack was an even ten, he placed the plate in the middle of the dining room table and took the chair closer to the china closet. Harry sat adjacent to him and quickly dug in. "Is it alright if I bring a few things from my house if I'm staying here for a bit? And change the god awful colour scheme of my room?"

"Not at all! Get what you need. And yeah, go ahead. Been meaning to change the colour of the room for a while anyway." Harry said through a mouthful of food. Draco sent him a look that was half disgust and half delight. Harry just smiled at him.

"Alright. I'll stop by my apartment later on." Draco informed him. Harry nodded and looked at the clock on the mantle of the fireplace at the end of the room. "And dont talk with your mouth full. It's very rude."

"Yeah yeah." Harry answered. "Its pretty early. When are you planning on going?" Harry questioned after he swallowed another mouthful of food. Draco shrugged and continued to eat. They sat in silence for a bit until Draco had finished his food and drink. "Do you need any help getting anything from your place?"

Draco shook his head. "No. I'm only grabbing a few things. Nothing too big. I wont be long." Draco told him. Harry nodded and moved to the kitchen to place his dishes in the sink, telling himself he would see to them later. But before he could, Draco came in and cast a cleaning spell over the dishes and placed them into the cupboards.

Harry muttered his thanks and walked to the front of the house, picked up the Daily Prophet from the front door and sat in a chair closest to the doorway in the living room. He flicked the paper open and began reading it. "Oh wow." Harry said aloud with shock.

"What?" Draco asked, walking into the room.

"Last night they caught Peter Pettigrew." Harry read the article aloud for Draco to hear. Once he was done, he placed the folded paper in his lap and stared at the far wall with shock. "I mean, I never considered him a threat. Though the one time I met him in third year, I wanted to take him to Dumbledore and trade him for Sirius. But he's an animagus so he transformed and slipped away."

"What was his animagus?"

"A rat." Harry said bluntly. "So you can imagine. I wanted to give him to the dementors but he slipped right through our grasp with the distraction of a werewolf." Harry stared off, remembering the events of that chilly night. Finally, he spoke again, "And it was dark out so that didnt help in finding a rat in a forest. He was right under our noses the whole time though; playing pet rat to a family for years." Harry grumbled.

Draco had taken a seat on the couch adjacent to Harry's chair and was listening in depth. "Wow. That's... wow."

"And, not to mention, he was my parents best friend. Ratted them out to Voldemort and framed my godfather - another one of his best friends - for murder."

"Who's your godfather?" Draco questioned but a sudden dawning realisation crossed his face. "Actually, nevermind." He trailed off. "My godfather was Snape." He told Harry. Harry hadn't really been surprised by the news seeing as Snape was very close to Lucius Malfoy - Merlin knows why.

"You know, Snape saved me on multiple occasions. First year from Quirrell most notably. And he saved me in fifth year as well when the death eaters got into the school." Harry noted, thinking back to the memories. "I was there for his death too. He showed me his memories. Turns out he had a love for my mother. Well, more like an obsession. Not to speak ill of the dead or anything. But that's why he saved me. As a debt owed to my mum."

"Did he die peacefully?" Draco mumbled almost shyly.

"Yeah, he did." Harry mumered. Draco nodded and looked down at his hands. Before long, as silence fell, Draco suddenly announced his quick trip back to his house. Harry nodded and wished him safe travel - even if it was just a quick floo trip to his place and back. Harry didn't move from his spot the hour after the blondes departure.

"I'm back." Draco said as he appeared right in front of Harry. This wouldnt have startled the black haired man if it weren't for the apparition spells put in place around the house. Draco had a bag full of things and a little house elf hiding behind him. "I grabbed the stuff I needed most now. I can just go buy whatever else I need." Draco said nonchalantly as he walked towards the stairs. He was covered in grimy ash but Harry was more confused by the little house elf that followed closely the blonde, looking around at her new surroundings in awe.

"Um, whatcha got there?" He questioned.

"I just told you. The things I need most now." Draco said as if it were the most obvious thing.

Harry shook his head. "I was talking about your friend." He motioned to the house elf standing behind him.

"Oh, you mean Daisy. She's my house elf. I thought she could come help out since Kreacher isnt around anymore." Draco told him, a hint of sadness laced in his tone. "Daisy, this is my acquaintance slash friend, Harry Potter."

Daisy stepped out from behind Draco. She had a flower pushed behind her ear and a rugged pillow sack as a dress. "Nice to meet Harry Potter. Daisy has heard so much about him." She smiled. She was on the shy side Harry had realised as she quickly popped back behind Draco after introducing herself. Harry smiled at her and told Draco where the bathroom was up the stairs. The blonde thanked him and made way for the stairs - Daisy following close behind.

"Daisy has a question for the master." Daisy said before quickly adding, "If master is okay with that."

"That's okay Daisy. What's your question?"

"Is this where master plans on living?" She was folding his clothes neatly and placing them into drawers, organising a soon-to-be messy room. Draco had always kept the house clean, even the manor when he lived there, but his room was the one place he really had no care to keep clean.

He thought for a moment then shrugged. "I'm not sure. I just kind of ended up here the other night after the news about the escape. I certainly wouldn't mind living here for a while. Why?" Draco asked her.

"Oh, Daisy was just curious. Daisy wants master to be happy. And master talks a lot about Harry Potter. Daisy thinks he is nice." She rambled. Draco smiled at her and asked her to get him some pumpkin juice from the kitchen - of which she happily obliged and popped away quickly before returning with it. Draco thanked her and quickly set it down after taking a sip. He indulged himself in a book every night of the week. One chapter a day was how he got through all the books he has stacked on his shelf at home. Sometimes he'd indulge in two if he was really into the story. It was how he got through muggle studies back at Hogwarts as well.

Draco finished the chapter he was reading and placed the book on the nightstand, replacing his book in his hand with the juice. Daisy had finished tidying up the room. Rocking on her heels, she patiently waited for Draco to tell her what to do next. "If you want, you can start preparing for breakfast tomorrow for Harry and I. Just please dont overdo it. You dont need to make so much food we could feed the whole of Hogwarts." He chuckled.

She beamed at him and disappeared with a quick snap of air. Draco finished the glass before placing it down and curled over on his side. One wandless spell he had grown accustomed to using in his youth was nox. He mumbled it into the air and watched the light vanish from the room. He was quickly shrouded in darkness. Stemming from his childhood of late nights overhearing some of his father's meetings with the death eaters, his fear of the dark got the better of him. He used his wand to light just one of the candles in the room. Draco finally fell asleep peacefully.

When he awoke the next morning, he was quickly panicked by waking up in an unfamiliar room. But as his mind awoke with his body, he realised that he was at the Grimmauld place. Draco arose from bed. Stretching his limbs, he made his way down to the kitchen where breakfast was sitting on the counter. Daisy was rushing about the room, preparing more breakfast than Draco thought necessary.

"Morning." Harry said as he walked into the kitchen. "Oh food! Thanks for the food Draco."

"Oh, I didnt fix any of it. Daisy did." Draco corrected him, motioning to the house elf that was stood on a stool by the stove.

"Oh." Harry paused as he placed more food on his plate. "Thank you, Daisy." He said and walked into the dining room. Harry sat closest to the door on the end of the table while Draco sat next to him on his right. "This is actually really good." He complimented Daisy as she refilled their glasses with pumpkin juice. She beamed at him, turning her smile to Draco. Draco smiled back at her and complimented her as well.

"This is definitely some of the best food you've made." He told her. She squealed and thanked him before running back into the kitchen. "So..." Draco said awkwardly. He wasnt sure what to talk about over their shared breakfast. The day before was easier as Harry did most of the talking and Draco just commented here and there. There also wasn't as much food to go through as Draco only cooked twice as much as he usually eats. While Daisy cooked about three times as much.

"I'm headed over to the Weasley's. You're more than welcome to come if you'd like." Harry offered. Draco shifted in his seat uncomfortably, not sure if he'd be welcomed at all at the Weasley's house. Probably not, he thought.

I heard that. Harry telepathiclly said as he chewed his food. Draco rolled his eyes. "No, but you're more than welcome to come Draco. I've explained to them our situation." Harry told him aloud this time. He had this sudden sense of overwhelming and conflicting emotion.

"Still, I dont think I should. I have work to catch up on anyway." Draco finally said. They don't share many thoughts now but when they did, the telepathic communication between them gave him a start.

Well suit yourself. Harry again said telepathically to him as he chewed his food. Draco rolled his eyes and took a bite out of the biscuit.

Once they finished, Draco did the dishes with the help of Daisy - she insisted on helping him because that was her job. Though Draco tried to tell her she didnt need to help him with everything. But he hated telling her no. "Would you care to go with me to see my mother with me today Daisy?" He questioned as he rinsed the final plate. Daisy, a startled look on her face, dropped one of the plates. She quickly fixed the plate after fussing over it - Draco had to remind her she's a magical being who can fix things much worse than a broken plate - and agreed happily to go with him.

"If Daisy may ask master why?"

"I was just thinking about her. Wanted to see how she was doing. I haven't heard much from her so I just want to check in. Especially since my father broke out of prison." He told her. She nodded and put the dishes back into their proper cupboards. Once finished, Draco got ready to leave. "I'm heading out." Draco told Harry who was sitting in the living room.

"Alright. Have fun." He said absentmindedly.

Draco chuckled and walked out the front door with Daisy in tow. "I'm going to stop and get her flowers. Why dont you head over to the manor now and I'll join you in a bit." Draco suggested. Daisy had of course declined but Draco didn't want her to get in trouble by being seen by muggles. He explained to her why going with him to the florist was a bad idea and she mulled it over for just a second before agreeing and quickly apparating away. Draco smiled to himself and began his walk. Along the way, he passed a jewellers with a beautiful diamond necklace sitting in the front window. He paused to look at it, wondering if his mother would enjoy the gift but decided flowers were enough. He didnt want to overwhelm her. So he continued to the florist with no further stops.

"Hi, may I help you?" The woman asked.

"Um, I need some flowers to show love and adoration." Draco said as he looked at a bouquet of daisies, sunflowers, and petunias with carnations in it as well.

"Oh. Girlfriend?" The woman asked. She was quite a bit shorter than Draco. Her hair was a lovely shade of red. Not Weasley red. A darker crimson red. Draco also noticed her green eyes and a nose ring. She was wearing a yellow shirt under some overalls that Draco would say were meant as a fashion statement if he had known muggle culture a little bit better. But judging by the tools tucked into the front pocket of them, Draco assumed they were more work clothes than anything.

"Oh, um, no. They're for my mother actually. I havent seen her in a while and wanted to bring her something nice." The girl beamed at him.

"That's wonderful!" She beamed. "Well, we allow you to pick and choose what you want. We have all sorts of different things you could put in a bouquet."

"Would you by any chance have some ivy to put in there. In flower language, it means affection." The girl nodded. "Alright, I'll take a bouquet of ivy with some yellow and white jasmine and dwarf sunflowers." She typed some things on the tablet and smiled at him.

"Is that all?" He nodded. Extracting muggle money from his right front trousers pocket, he paid the girl. "Let me just go get that ready for you. It'll be about fifteen to twenty minutes." He nodded a patiently waited. Walking about the store, he looked at a lot of the flowers they had. Some tables spread about the floor had vases with bouquets in them. Each table labelled with something different. One table Draco stopped to look at had a card sitting at the front that read, "the 'I'm sorry' bouquet for times of trouble." He chuckled to himself and continued browsing their selection. While he was looking into the cooling containers - he'd heard Harry use the word refrigerator but he wasnt entirely sure that was what these were - the girl emerged from the back with a beautiful bouquet in hand. She smiled at him and handed him the bouquet. He turned to leave but noticed a card sitting atop the flowers.

"Oh, um... I didnt pay for a personalised card." He turned to her and she smiled, blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Um, the card is actually for you. Call me sometime." She said as she nervously played with her fingers. Draco made a face of realisation and smiled at her as gently as he could.

"Um, alright. See you." He set a dollar in the tip jar and exited the store. He had changed some of his money over to muggle money for times like this once he had moved to London. Walking down the street, he placed the card in his pocket and ducked into an alleyway to apparate to the manor. When he arrived, he was glad that the flowers had survived the journey - as well as every part of himself. He had splinched himself twice before. Not terribly bad. Just some peeled skin on his fingers. But it still hurt.

"Welcome home master Draco." A considerably young elf greeted him. His name was Dragoon, if Draco remembered correctly.

"Thank you. I wont be staying long though. I'm just here to see my mother." He told the elf. The elf nodded and showed him the way to the sitting room - one of the rooms Draco's mother enjoyed spending most of her time in.

After the war, Narcissa started renovating the manor for nothing better to do. Where black stone had once been placed, white polished granite tiles rang with each gentle step. The once boring grey stone walls - only improved slightly with tapestries and paintings and portraits and decorative swords hung amid the dreary setting - were now an off-white. They were smoothed and brightened by three layers of plaster. Each layer had protection charms and purification spells to on them to help bind the lingering dark magic to the stone and keep it from etching out into the living space. Draco stared around the home in awe. He couldn't feel a single drop of dark magic leetching from the walls. That was a sort of comforting and relieving feeling. He could still remember the tap of shoes walking up and down the halls as the death eaters would plan their next course of action.

"Hello mother." Draco said as he stepped into the room. She had a glass sitting on the table that separated the two as she sat on a chair in front of the fireplace with a book in the other hand. She turned and smiled at him.

"Hello dear. Care to join me?" She motioned to the chair that was sat on the other side of the table on the left side of her chair.

"Thank you." Draco said as he walked over. He gave her the flowers before sitting down. She called for one of the elves, asking her to place them in a vase and set them in a window. "How have you been?" He asked stiffly. His mother set her book down and took a sip from her glass before setting that down as well.

"I've been alright. Thank you for asking. How about yourself?"

"I've been well." Draco said. Silence filled the room but Draco had decided to get straight to the point. "Mother, how are you feeling with the recent news of fathers escape?"

Narcissa sat frozen in place, still as a deer in the headlights. "I'm coping enough. He's yet to contact me but I'm sure it's a matter of time." She tensely said. "I filed for divorce." She said casually afterwards which gave Draco a start.

"Wait, what?!" Draco quickly sat up, looking at her with startled eyes.

"Draco, dear, you must understand. He's ruined this family. As much as I love him, the family comes first." Just as she said that, Daisy popped into the room with a tray of finger sandwiches. Draco sent her away quickly before turning back to his mother.

"I do understand. It's just... we're a pureblood family. It's a rare occation. Sorry for the startle but it's not something we hear every day in a pureblood lineage."

"I understand your surprise. Though I can assure you that nothing will change." She said to him in a soft voice. He stared into the fire as though it held all the secrets to the universe, his hands clasped together and resting against his chin. Letting the information sink in, Draco sighed and nodded finally as he relocated his hands to his lap. "Are you alright dear?" Draco nodded and grabbed a glass off the table between the chairs and poured some of whatever was in the decanter. Turns out it was old single malt scotch whiskey. He took a long sip of the drink, then placed the glass down before looking to his mother.

"Yes. I'm fine." They sat chatting for a while after, taking a stroll around the gardens as well, before Draco announced his leave. "Thank you for having me mother." Draco politely smiled at her and kissed her cheek before calling for Daisy.

"Is master ready to leave?" She asked. Two other elfs walked up behind her, looking at him quizzically.

"Yes. Would you mind apparating us back to Grimmauld place?" She nodded furiously and grabbed his hand.

"Wait," Narcissa called. Draco and Daisy both turned to look at her quizzically, "Grimmauld place?" She asked. Draco just nodded. "Harry Potter owns that estate now, yes?" Again, the blonde nodded. "So you're staying with him?"

"There has been recent circumstances that led me there, yes." Draco told her. He didnt want to tell her about the bond they shared. Yet. He eventually would.

Narcissa nodded and once more said goodbye to her son.

Daisy waved goodbye to the other elfs before apparating them back to their temporary home. Draco walked over to the stairs and up to his room, laying on the bed and looking up. Harry hadn't been around the house so Draco assumed he had already left for the Weasley's. He laid his left forearm over his eyes and ran through his thoughts of the day.

"I cant believe this." He said to himself.

"Is master okay?" Daisy said as she apparated into the room. She held a glass of orange juice in her right hand. Draco sat up and took the glass from her, thanking her and sipping the juice before placing it on the nightstand.

"I'm alright Daisy. Just in shock is all." He told her. "If you wouldnt mind, I'd like to be alone for a while now." Daisy nodded and left the room. Draco laid back against the headboard and drowned in his thoughts.

#hp drarry #hp au #hp fandom #hp fanfic #hp #draco x harry #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter fandom #harry potter #draco malfoy x harry potter #harry potter x draco malfoy #draco malfoy #fanfiction #mine #ao3fic #ao3 writer #ao3 fanfic #writing is hard

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peakwealth · 2 years ago

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PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC BABY

Detail, National Museum, Songkhla, Thailand. February 2023

. . .

RETURN TO ASIA, THREE YEARS LATER (1)

. . .

You blow into Southeast Asia, your head spinning with worry about the war in Ukraine, about inflation, about the decay of democracy and about the climate crisis of course. And then, nothing. It is as if those things didn't apply once you are in Asia. As if they weren't for real. Bad dreams that only happened to old countries full of old people.

If there is any existential angst about the climate here, it is hard to detect. Granted, the afternoons may be getting a little hot, but these are the tropics after all and you just turn up the aircon. Problem solved. Why agonise over it?

As for Ukraine, where is that?

Aside from Japan and South Korea, countries in this part of the Asia still consider themselves 'under construction'. They are free to industrialize, to build new cities, oil and container terminals, airports, motorways, whatever. China's growth may have slowed recently, but the Asian frenzy of development is not over yet. Forests are still being cleared (1), thermal power plants are being built. Solar farms and wind turbines are not yet a common sight around here. More than 90 % of electricity in peninsular Malaysia comes from fossil fuel, mostly coal. Malaysia is 'losing' forest cover at a suicidal rate. (2) The clock isn't ticking loud enough.

. . .

Mural, backstreet, Hanoi, Vietnam. February 2023

I had never seen a actual Rolls Royce SUV until yesterday when one pulled up across the street. It looked a little chunky for such an exalted limousine but out stepped an elegant women in green. She was met by an attendant, in black, who had been standing by on the sidewalk with a parasol. Together they hurried up the few stairs to the door of the imposing Lavender-by-Chang Luxury Spa in Saigon's third arrondissement.

Such is Saigon today.

To think that the USA waged war to prevent Vietnam falling into Communist hands.

The pursuit and display of conspicuous affluence remains a no-brainer in Saigon, just as it is elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Status seeking is everywhere, it is manic and it drives development. Nothing symbolizes it better than having a limo, black as a matter of course, preferably a Mercedes-Benz S Class parked in front of a luxury hotel. (A Rolls or Bentley may be a touch over the top.)

Back in the eighties, I witnessed how the infatuation with lurid wealth took root in China. Soon it spread all over the neighbourhood. Vietnam may have come a little late to the party but it has made up for it in sheer get-rich enthusiasm. Consumed as it is with the unrelenting fantasy of luxury and ostentation, life in Vietnam can appear far from zen. But, clearly, this is not how it is perceived here.

Today Vietnam has one of the fastest growing economies anywhere. The country is hoping to multiply incomes by a factor of eight by the year 2050, raising the GDP from not quite USD 4000 to USD 35 000 per person and per year. For now, the economy is expanding by around 8 - 10 % a year. That translates into gogo capitalism. In practical terms: Saigon is drowning in nonstop traffic and the air pollution is off the scale.

The question is if anyone cares? When Greta Thunberg, the West's favourite climate activist, reminds us that "the house is on fire", it cannot be assumed that her words resonate much in Asia.

. . .

Low lying land south of Saigon. February 2023.

It is no secret that Vietnam is a country particularly exposed to climate change, particularly to rising sea levels. A large part of the south, around the Mekong delta, is projected to be under water by the end of the century. Encroaching salinity is a further threat to agricultural production, beginning with all-important rice cultivation in the delta.

Even though Vietnam has formally committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, there is little sign yet that the economy can or will be rewired for decarbonization. An analysis by the global consulting firm PcW found that the country had no net-zero policy in place at the end of 2021. Nor did any large corporation. Vietnam also remains one of the top-ten coal power generating countries in the world.

Like neighbouring countries, it is dragging its feet, waiting for foreign funding to implement greener climate policies. The logic is that since the West caused climate change to begin with, it should pay for the damage control.

Asia is looking for 'non-disruptive' ways to meet climate targets. You can interpret that as business as usual or else as a gentle energy transition that will create new opportunities for growth rather than interfere with it. Dire predictions about rising temperatures and how they will depress economic output have not as yet been, well, internalized.

In the meantime, the economy motors ahead. Limiting growth, lifting the foot off the pedal of progress and affluence is not a popular concept here. The music must keep playing, 24/7.

____________________________________________ (1) Vietnam enjoys a grace period to stop deforestation until 2030.

(2) source: www.globalforestwatch.org

See, as an example: https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/?analysis=eyJzaG93QW5hbHlzaXMiOnRydWUsImhpZGRlbiI6ZmFsc2V9&map=eyJjZW50ZXIiOnsibGF0Ijo0LjEyMzg0OTA0Njk4NzM5MiwibG5nIjoxMDkuNDU1MTk5OTk5OTczNTR9LCJ6b29tIjo1LjAxNzExNzI4NzMyMzg5NCwiY2FuQm91bmQiOmZhbHNlLCJkYXRhc2V0cyI6W3siZGF0YXNldCI6InBvbGl0aWNhbC1ib3VuZGFyaWVzIiwibGF5ZXJzIjpbImRpc3B1dGVkLXBvbGl0aWNhbC1ib3VuZGFyaWVzIiwicG9saXRpY2FsLWJvdW5kYXJpZXMiXSwib3BhY2l0eSI6MSwidmlzaWJpbGl0eSI6dHJ1ZX0seyJkYXRhc2V0IjoidHJlZS1jb3Zlci1nYWluIiwibGF5ZXJzIjpbInRyZWUtY292ZXItZ2Fpbi0yMDAxLTIwMjAiXSwib3BhY2l0eSI6MSwidmlzaWJpbGl0eSI6dHJ1ZX0seyJkYXRhc2V0IjoidHJlZS1jb3Zlci1sb3NzIiwibGF5ZXJzIjpbInRyZWUtY292ZXItbG9zcyJdLCJvcGFjaXR5IjoxLCJ2aXNpYmlsaXR5Ijp0cnVlLCJ0aW1lbGluZVBhcmFtcyI6eyJzdGFydERhdGUiOiIyMDAxLTAxLTAxIiwiZW5kRGF0ZSI6IjIwMjEtMTItMzEiLCJ0cmltRW5kRGF0ZSI6IjIwMjEtMTItMzEifX0seyJkYXRhc2V0IjoidHJlZS1jb3ZlciIsImxheWVycyI6WyJ0cmVlLWNvdmVyLTIwMTAiXSwib3BhY2l0eSI6MSwidmlzaWJpbGl0eSI6dHJ1ZX1dfQ%3D%3D&mapMenu=eyJzZWFyY2giOiJtYWxheXNpYSJ9&menu=eyJtZW51U2VjdGlvbiI6IiIsImRhdGFzZXRDYXRlZ29yeSI6IiJ9

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shanghaistarhouse · 4 years ago

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This is Why People Prefer to Build a House from Shipping Containers

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p0orbaby · 3 years ago

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ok ok how about a pregnant!Wanda x reader where she’s really moody and when we say some dumb stuff her eyes glow red and she tilts her head and WE’RE SCARED AF and try making it up to her after 😭😭😭

Happy Wife, Happy Life

Summary - Maybe you needed to think before you spoke, because grovelling at Wanda’s feet is not a good look.

Warnings - none

Authors note - Sorry for these taking so long to get written and posted. I’m a busy bee rn so please bear with.

Word count - 1.5k

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Being married to Wanda was great. The two of you had always gotten on like a house on fire. It was a very rare occasion that the two of you would argue. Of course you would fall out every so often, but it was normally something so small that by the time you had made up, you could barely even remember what it was you had bickered about in the first place.

However, the Wanda that was currently staring up at you now was not the Wanda that you married. Oh no, this Wanda had been clouded by hormones and fatigue from growing your child for the past eight months. She was scary and you wanted your sweet wife back.

“I’m sorry baby, I didn’t mean it”

“I don’t care if you didn’t mean it. You still said it”

“It was a joke! I was trying to have a laugh”

“Well I’m not laughing am I?”

This uproar came out of nowhere in your opinion. All you said was that if she had gotten stuck on her back she’d be like a turtle flailing around for help. Normally a comment like that would be met with Wanda throwing her head back and letting out a laugh but no, not anymore.

“You’ve got to admit it was a little funny”

“There’s funny and then there’s just plain mean Y/N”

“Well it’s true, you’re so big now that if I wasn’t around to help you up, you’d probably be stuck on the floor forever”

You held out your hand for her so you could assist her in getting up off of the bathroom floor. Why she had decided to get down on her hands and knees to scrub at the grout you’d never know. And you’d daren't ask at this point, too scared as to what her reaction might be. Nonetheless you offered a helping hand to get her out of the predicament she had gotten herself in.

“What did you just say to me?” say retorted, not bothering to accept your help, opting to use the side of the bath to hoist herself up.

“What now? Wands come on, help me out here”

The tilt of Wanda’s head was enough to let you know you’d fucked up. Even though you didn't exactly know how.

“Did you just call me fat?”

“No! No I would never. I called you big, there’s a difference!” You weren’t helping your situation one little bit.

“If there’s a difference, care to fill me in?”

“I uh, well fat is you know, not what you are and big is, ah-“

“That’s what I thought”

“Wanda wait” your efforts to call her back into the bathroom fell on deaf ears as she slammed the door behind her. The bang of the door against it’s frame echoing off of the now spotless tiled floor.

You were never one to grovel, but you really couldn't think of a way to come back from this, so you made your way down the stairs preparing to lose some of your dignity in order to apologise to your wife.

You found wanda at the kitchen sink, appearing to be cleaning the dishes, but the noise of clanking china or running water wasn’t filling the space.

As you approached, you saw that she was not in fact doing the dishes, but eating leftover take out from the night before.

“Let me make you something to eat if you’re hungry” you offered hoping your invitation for a nice meal would be enough to have her forgive you.

“No thank you, I don't need your help” she didn't even turn around to face you but just carried on slurping cold noodles from the container.

“Well at least let me heat it up for you?”

“I prefer them cold” well that was a complete lie. Knowing full well she despised cold food. Now you definitely know she's being stubborn.

“Look, Wanda, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said it but please can you forgive me?”

She finally turned to look at you now. “And why would I do that?”

You knew she was trying to be stern with you, it was commendable really, but the fact that her chin was covered in chow mein sauce made it very hard to take her seriously.

“Because I'm your wife and you love me” it was nie on impossible to try and not laugh at her. How could she not notice she was covered in food? Unfortunately for you she did end up noticing your mouth twitching.

“And now you're laughing at me. You’re digging your own grave, so if I were you I’d make myself scarce before I help you get in it”

So you did, you scurried back upstairs out of her way knowing better than to argue with her further. At least this shunning can help you figure out how to make it up to her.

After a while of thinking, you settled on running her a bath. You had been watching her outside in the garden, pottering around in the flower bed so she was bound to be muddy and sweaty. And who doesn’t like a nice hot bath to ease their aching bones. Well, pregnant Wanda apparently.

“I had a shower this morning, I don’t need a bath as well”

“I'm sure you don't need one, but I thought I could pamper you, I’ve put your favourite oil in there, you know, the lavender one”

“I don’t like that one anymore. It makes me feel sick”

“Oh, well let me drain it an run you a fresh-”

“That’s a waste of water Y/N, you just use it” her turning back to what she was doing in the garden was enough to tell you the conversation was over. So you headed to the bathroom to enjoy your afternoon bath.

The hot water was bliss. It seemed to release all the tension in your muscles you didn't realise had appeared there. The cold shoulder your wife was giving you was probably the cause of your increased anxiety, and finding a remedy for it was becoming increasingly difficult. Then an idea popped into your head. An idea that would surely have her excusing you in no time.

“What’s all this?” the sound of Wanda's voice from behind you made you jump slightly.

“It was supposed to be a surprise but it’s okay. I thought we could recreate our first date”

You had set up the lounge in a way that closely resembles a cinema. Well as close as you could get it with the resources at hand and approximately twenty minutes of set up time.

“You do know it's not our anniversary for another few months right?”

“Yeah I know, I just wanted to do something nice for you”

“As much as I'd love to sit and watch a movie with you, I'm tired from being in the sun all day. Can we raincheck?

“Uh yeah, sure, is there anything you want me to do? I can help you get ready for bed if that's what you want?

“Sure why not” she responded hesitantly, not really the tone you were hoping for but at least it was a start.

As she made her way up the stairs, you slipped in behind her and placed your hands on her hips. It was the first time since this morning she had let you close enough to touch her and it felt like coming home. You didn’t want to let go so you kept your hands in place until she settled herself on the edge of the bed.

“You go and get yourself sorted and I’ll start getting undressed, you can help me finish when you're done” she instructed. Not wanting to push your luck you did as she suggested, rushing through your nightly routine to get back by her side.

You were just finishing up washing your face when you heard grunting from the other room. Deciding nothing serious was going on, you carried on what you were doing, that was until you heard the noises again, but louder this time.

Curiosity got the better of you so you walked from the bathroom to see what was going on. To your surprise, you found Wanda trying to take off a pair of shoes, trying being the key word.

“I know you’re there, so are you going to help me or not” if her tone wasn’t so soft, you would have definitely thought she was still angry at you.

“Of course I’ll help, did you knot the laces too tight again?”

“More than likely but I can’t bend down far enough to undo them either way. So you were right”

“Right about what my love” you asked, bending down to get a start on undoing her shoes.

“I am big aren’t I? I look more like a beached whale than a turtle”

“Maybe so, but you’re a cute whale nonetheless”

That time you weren’t greeted with a tilt of her head, but a wide smile that made you know she forgave you.

Taglist

@jromanoff @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @diaryoflife @xxromanoffxx

#pregnant!wanda x reader #wanda maximoff x fem!reader #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff fluff #pregnant!wanda #one shot #marvel

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nancy-drew-is-bae · 2 years ago

Text

Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor Manor Thoughts/Review (a thread)

I have a feeling there will be updates to these lists, but here is the first category!

Group 1: No Spoilers (Minimal discussion of gameplay. Characters are discussed at surface level. No culprit mentions at all, duh.)

Where are the bathrooms? Or even just one honestly. I know the manor was built in the mid 14th century, but I find it very hard to believe that no one in the past 700+ years thought it reasonable to add indoor plumbing. Especially given the well that used to be full of water with a functioning sprayer nozzle.

As a follow up to that, where is Mrs. Drake getting water from to water all of those plants in the conservatory? She says the well dried up when Alan died (ten years prior to game start), so where has she been getting water from? Don't even try to tell me that this 78 year old woman is walking up and down 2 flights of stairs with a bucket of water (1 gallon of water weighs about 8 lbs, for reference). The conservatory contains between 75-100 plants (my best estimate) including TREES. Just think about how much exertion that would involve to carry that kind of water up and down stairs at 78 years of age. But lets just say, for the sake of argument, she is carrying the water down the stairs. Where would she even get it?? There are no sinks in this stupid (affectionate) house. She can’t use the kitchen – it went kablooey. Again I ask, WHERE ARE THE BATHROOMS?

Speaking of Mrs. Drake, keep in mind she’s 78. Is she seriously cleaning the whole manor by herself? The Penvellyns are basically nobility and Hugh is currently a diplomat. How do they not have house staff like a maid? No wonder Mrs. Drake is so anal about tracking mud on the floors. Honestly, I don’t blame her. But also, just hire a maid? They can afford to have high quality food ordered, and delivered mind you, for an indefinite period, but a maid is too much? Ridiculous. (I’m well aware of Mrs. Drake’s spiel about “self-reliance” and house staff being gossiping “ne’er do wells”, I just think it’s ridiculous and a cop out)

Why is Mrs. Drake only grey in 4 spots at 78 years old?

Is The Boar’s Head Pub delivering meals on fine china and silver platters? Or is Mrs. Drake taking meals from a Styrofoam to go box and plating it all fancy? Is the delivery person entering Nancy’s bedroom at random and without warning or is Mrs. Drake taking it in there? If Mrs. Drake is using the manor’s dishes, how in the world is she washing them? She can’t use the kitchen – it went kablooey. Again I ask, WHERE ARE THE BATHROOMS?

The library has 1-2 additional floors Nancy can’t access. Next to Nigel there is what appears to be a staircase on the secondary floor of the library, but only part of it is visible. The question remains, does this lead to a third floor of the library that isn’t otherwise visible at all, or is it the entrance to the second floor? There isn’t a way to reach the second floor from the main room of the library.

Where are Ethel and Nigel staying??? Mrs. Drake refers to them as also being house guests, but there are no additional bedrooms! Also, she says Jane is “staying with us,” which makes it sound like she is temporarily visiting, but like, she lives there? Her dad owns the place, why wouldn’t she live there lol.

Why does Nigel leave his laptop sitting out overnight and without password protection? Or for that matter turned on?? How does he have his laptop powered on 24/7 without being plugged in? Especially in 2003, good golly.

Why is it always daytime outside the window in Nancy’s room she stays in? The lighting is always identical in the conservatory as well and seems to indicate sunlight coming in through the glass roof.

Are we given a reason why Hugh and crew move back to the manor? They’ve been living in America for 10+ years and Jane was in public/private school. Linda was from America as well, so why exactly did Hugh uproot his entire family to go live with his elderly aunt he isn’t even close to?? Maybe I’m just not remembering the reason, but it seems strange to me.

Jane loves Brady Armstrong, but she doesn’t own a TV. I guess she watched the Heartthrob Channel in America, but still. It seems weird she doesn’t complain she can’t watch TV anymore.

Why doesn’t the manor have any sort of formal sitting room, piano room, living room, dining room, etc? If there was a door or two that we couldn’t enter (like they’re locked and Nancy says it’s off-limits) I could be much more forgiving. But as is, there’s nowhere a sitting room, bathrooms, additional guest rooms, laundry room, closets, etc. could be. For goodness sakes, Jane doesn’t even have a closet, dresser, shelves…ANYTHING for storage in her room. Like, where are all her clothes?? How are any of the characters getting clean or going to the bathroom? WHERE ARE THE BATHROOMS

How is Loulou 80+ years old when virtually no one seems to feed her besides Nancy? Jane has the fancy cake supplies, but what was Mrs. Drake feeding Loulou for the past 10 years?

Why and how has Mrs. Drake lived at Blackmoor by herself for the past decade? She’s elderly, this seems unwise.

How are the Penvellyns able to heat a massive greenhouse (essentially) in the middle of the UK such that they can keep palm trees alive for decades??

Nancy’s phone time is in military/24hr time, but she doesn’t have a way to “google” or ask anyone how to read military time. If you are a sheltered 10 year old in 2003, I’m not sure how the game expects you to be able to decipher the time…I guess if you looked at the clock in Nancy’s room you could figure it out, but still. She could have had an article on her phone about it.

Why doesn’t Nancy ever drink tea in this game?? She’s in the UK, that feels like a hate crime or something. Granted, even more concerning, Nancy never drinks anything during the entire game, despite eating numerous meals at Blackmoor.

Nancy having numbers on two separate phones with no overlap is not ideal. To put it lightly.

Some of the random spots where Nancy can use her phone feel somewhat passive aggressive (like in the library).

You can see slightly higher towards the ceilings before stepping through the doorways even though you should be more limited on how high you can see from outside the room. (This might make absolutely no sense and I apologize)

The East Hall is more like a closet than a hall.

Hugh and Linda decided to unpack their books and framed photos in their bedroom, but not uncover the furniture to maximize how much it feels like an estate sale.

The ceiling rafters are visible through the solid wood bedframe in Linda’s room. Multiple items within this one room are reflective or translucent that I feel like shouldn’t be and it truly feels like a fever dream.

Jane and Nancy’s rooms are extremely similar in size, windows, etc. and they’re also on the same wall of the hallway upstairs. Linda’s room is completely different and on the same wall (right next to) Mrs. Drake’s room. Does this mean Linda and Mrs. Drake have similar rooms too?

The way Nancy says “loop de loop” sounds like her mouth is full of toothpaste and she’s impersonating a washing machine rinse cycle.

The game contradicts itself about when Randulf the Red was alive and gifted the Penvellyn lands. Most sources cite the middle of the 14th century; however, Nancy’s web search says the 12th century and Nigel himself says the 15th century. According to the Penvellyn family tree in Jane’s room, Randulf died in 1401, but no birth year is listed. Is the game trying to insinuate he was vaguely immortal or was it simply a continuity error? I’m assuming the latter.

#nancy drew #nancy drew games #clue crew #cur #curse of blackmoor manor #the curse of blackmoor manor #nancy drew review

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gentrychild · 3 years ago

Note

Au. where instead of moving into afo apartment they move into his mansion.

I had to reread this ask five times because at first, I was "How the fuck AFO could manage to grab Anyone!Izuku long enough to put him in the beach house and how could he even keep him there?" Then I was scandalized because the apartment Izuku is living in is Inko's, not Hisashi's, as they moved out when he left them. Eventually, I was "Can the beach house be considered a mansion?" then I googled beach house and yes, it's pretty big and there is also the fact that AFO (and the unfortunate previous owner, may he rest in pieces) don't even have neighbors as they own a lot of the land around the house so a guy could get viciously murdered and no one would hear his screams (as the unfortunate previous owner found out) so yes, in my book, it qualifies as a mansion. At last, I finally realized that at no point did you mention this was an Anyone au and I considered making a different post for the Anyone AU because I already had some very funny idea but since you came into my house and asked for an au, I guess you will be happy with any au I put on the table.

So back to AFO somehow moving crime lord self and his teenage crime lord/greatest devious lick champion of all time to the beach house, I was wondering if this was a good idea for AFO because a place where Izuku and him literally can't avoid each other at home (Izuku can only hide in his room if he doesn't want to see him) and the fact that since it's his mother's home, Izuku can't just abandon the place and camp in Shouto's room until AFO leaves. So, I came to the conclusion that the reason why AFO moved them to the beach house is because the inconvenient overwhelms the advantages: Inko's tiny apartment is a death trap for him. It's simply not built for a two meters tall man. He keeps bumping his head into... basically everything. The highest shelves contain nothing useful so when he has to grab something, it's always on the lowest shelves and it's just so darn inconvenient. He feels like a bull in a china shop. He stubbed his toe on every piece of furniture so many times that he is about to lose his additional toe joint. It's like the whole place doesn't want him and he's right but instead of leaving on his own, he grabs the resident chaos bringer and kidnaps him to a place more adapted to him.

And since there is no way he can just casually grabs Izuku and moves him to another house without losing an arm to some very fierce bite, I think he would have to go with the classic and drug his hot cocoa so he can move everything out without Izuku waking up. He would then wake up with a room that seems vaguely empty because even though all his merch is here, there is space on the walls, which is plain weird, but since he isn't... let's say the picture of grace when he wakes up, he probably won't realize what happened until he leaves his room, walks down the stairs, hums the sea breeze, sits at the massive kitchen table, and drinks his first cup of coffee. Only then will he looks up from his mug of wake-up juice and proceeds to utter a string of words that I do not to write where innocent eyes can read them.

Now, unto the real question: how the hell does AFO keep Izuku in the beach house? Because he might have a fit of optimism and thought that living in a giant house with the latest technology, right next to the beach, with about everything a teenager could want, would be enough for Izuku to think "Mmm, it might be at least more convenient that my tiny cramped apartment." but Izuku is Izuku. By his second cup of coffee, he is out of the house and running back to civilization.

So AFO just can't keep Izuku in the beach house. He can't threaten, cajole, vault him into accepting to definitely move in in this strange house with a creepy stranger. So, I must come to the conclusion that he hunts him down and wears him down. Izuku goes and hide in his apartment? Easy, AFO walks in and warps them out because dinner is ready and it's getting cold. Izuku steals Dabi's apartment? Either Dabi calls AFO himself or he has to deal with a cryptid who is physically grabbing a teenage demi-god who is currently wrecking said apartment. Izuku takes another apartment? AFO gives himself a couple of hours to find it and if he can't, he just waps him back to the house? Izuku hides with Shouto in the hope that the presence of the freaking number 2 hero being enough of a deterrent to leave him alone? AFO walks to Endeavor's house, rings, and when the flaming trash answers the door because there are three (four actually) kids living under his roof and none of them bother to go, he meets Akatani Hisashi who thinks his son might be here because he tends to hang out with his friend, Shouto. Endeavor wasn't aware that there was another teenager in his house. He would like to know how Shouto and this strange teenager even met. He needs answers and this Hisashi fellow, who is clearly not the usual salary man, just keeps answering all his questions by "Oh, you know, boys will be boys." and that's not a satisfactory answer.

In the end, Izuku would still semi moves into the beach house but he decides that if he has to be dragged into hell, he is taking everyone for the ride so every member of the Anyone inner circle somehow get a room. AFO is "I don't like having roommates. :(" and Izuku is "No one likes it. Now, suffer."

#anyone fic

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randomperson351 · 3 years ago

Text

One of those days - CB

Summary: You're too quiet and Charles will figure out what's wrong with you even if it takes all day, dammit!

Note: Just some Charles Blackwood fluff because I felt like it! This one will feature some talk about symptoms of depression/anxiety so please do not read if you think this might trigger you in any way, my private messages are always open so if anyone wants to talk, you know where to find me!

Do not repost or rewrite any of my work. Minors and ageless blogs get blocked.

Masterlist

"Honey?" Charles called out from your shared bed, stretching leisurely and shielding his eyes from the sun peeking in from the curtains with one of his arms. Silence followed his initial call so he tried again, to no avail. He was about to call out a third time, beginning to feel slightly concerned at the heavy silence when you walked through the bedroom door with some fresh washing just as he was sitting up. Charles sighed in relief and smiled when he saw you.

"Hi honey." He greeted softly, contently watching you flit around the room to pack away the fresh clothes you'd ironed.

"Morning Charles." You replied. He knew something was a little off with you this morning because you hadn't looked at him yet, seemingly avoiding his gaze.

"What's a man gotta do to get a good morning kiss from his favourite lady around here, huh?" Charles asked cheekily, waiting for you to get back into bed with him like most mornings and hopefully get some loving in before the day started.

You playfully huffed and turned around to walk to Charles' side of the bed, placing your hands on the mattress and giving him a quick kiss. He chased your lips when you pulled back (far too early for his liking) and pouted when you stood back up again, smiling at him over your shoulder.

"Get dressed Charles, Helen Clarke and Lucille Wright are coming over in 45 minutes and you haven't even had breakfast yet." You told him as you left the room to go and clean up the conservatory for when the two women arrived.

Charles groaned dramatically and flopped back down to the bed. "But we don't even like them!" He yelled after you in protest.

"Get up Charles." You responded from your descent down the stairs.

By some miracle, Charles was up and dressed within 20 minutes and downstairs looking for you. He found you in the kitchen taking the china cups and saucers out of the cupboards as well as the matching teapot.

"Something smells good." He announced waltzing into the room and standing in his usual place behind you, wrapping his body around your own. "What's for breakfast?" He asked, dropping little pecks to the areas of your exposed neck.

"Fruit salad and pancakes." You answered, gesturing to the stack on the table with a jerk of your head.

"My favourite, second only to you." He whispered devilishly in your ear, teasing the skin with a scrape of his teeth.

"Wash your hands please." You asked softly, worming out of Charles' hold and carrying the chinaware into the conservatory on a tray along with a plate of rum cakes.

He did as asked and washed his hands before sitting down and tucking into the food you'd so thoughtfully made for him while considering his predicament. Never before had you pulled away from him so quickly, usually his morning neck kisses had you dissolving into barely contained giggles that he'd lovingly tickle out of you when his lips wouldn't work.

There was something off, and Charles was determined to find out what it was.

At exactly 10:30am Helen and Lucille showed up and knocked the front door, much to Charles' chagrin. He was in the conservatory helping you set up when the knocker sounded through the house and you both stopped to look at each other, telepathically deciding who was going to get the door.

"I'll get it." Charles eventually said, holding a hand up to stop you when you opened your mouth to object.

He opened the front door and plastered on a fake smile to greet the ladies, hastily leading them through to the conservatory where you were stood in the corner rearranging some flowers Charles' had bought you.

Eventually you all settled onto the furniture, yourself and Charles sharing the sofa, Helen and Lucille in individual fabric armchairs, and you offered them some tea while they told you about silly, material things.

"Tea?" You were sat on the edge of the sofa cushion pouring out some tea into the arranged cups with Charles reclined back in his seat next to you, an arm slung over the back of the sofa so it rested behind you if you were to lean back.

"The garden looks beautiful y/n." Helen said, leaning forward in her seat to somehow bypass Charles and talk directly to you (not that he minded, as afore mentioned, he didn't particularly like them).

"I do so love a garden I do." Lucille chimed in. You cast a small smile at both women and continued pouring out their drinks.

"This year we raised $600 at the Friends of Miss Porter's Iris contest." Helen carried on.

"600 dollars." Lucille repeated for emphasis.

"An iris contest this early?" You conversed politely, handing Charles his tea which he kissed your cheek for in thanks.

"Adrian Whittle won with her plum iris-" Lucille scoffed and shook her head at Helen telling you the news, you continued to pass the women a cup of tea while Helen continued-"You could've beat her to a pulp with your night ruler y/n. You're missing so much."

"So much." Lucille lent forward and whispered, again as if Charles wasn't sat right there. You picked up your own cup of tea and looked down at it like it was the most fascinating thing in the world, until you felt Charles' arm around your waist to haul you back on your seat closer to him; his arm staying around you to try and comfort you silently.

"I care about you dear. Your mother and I were such-it's Spring, you're young, you're lovely. You have a right to be happy; come back to the world dear." Helen managed to say after cutting herself off multiple times before deciding on what she was going to say.

You stood abruptly, causing all eyes to fall on you; Helen and Lucille's in surprise, Charles' in concern, before excusing yourself to get the milk from the kitchen that you'd forgotten.

As you walked through the house you could hear the two women trying to persuade Charles to get you out of the house and into town.

"I mean, not too much at first, that would look odd." "Or perhaps dinner?" "Dinner."

At each suggestion you heard Charles turn it down or give an excuse as to why it wasn't a good idea. Desperately you tried to block out their voices and the ones in your head, everything was just getting so loud it was unbearable.

You stood in the kitchen next to the fridge for a minute to compose yourself, not wanting anyone to think there was anything wrong, but you must've stood there for longer than you thought because next thing you know footsteps are making their way down the corridor. You quickly took one last deep breath and moved back in front of the fridge to open it, leaning down just in time to get the milk when Charles came in the doorway.

"Darling?" He asked, still with that worried look in his eyes as he walked to you, stopping in front of you when you closed the fridge door and turned to face him, milk in hand.

"Yes?" You smiled at him.

"You've been gone a while, everything okay?" Charles slowly rested his hands on your arms and ran them up and down comfortingly.

"Fine, could you get the jug down from the top shelf for me?" You asked him sweetly, to which he smiled and nodded, releasing you and retrieving the jug.

After a few minutes you were all back in the conservatory (milk included) and chatting again. Well, Helen and Lucille were talking at you while actually just making conversation with each other since Charles couldn't give less of a rat's ass about their discussion.

At one point he nudged your side softly to get your attention and when he did said, "You usually this quiet?" In a gentle teasing tone.

A chuffed laugh left your nose but the smile didn't reach your eyes where a dull look was resting in there.

"Shall I tell them to shift it?" He whispered.

You shook your head and frowned a little, bringing your bottom lip between your teeth to mess with.

Exactly one hour after they arrived Helen and Lucille were off again, Charles herding them through the hall to the front door to get rid of them as soon as was physically possible. You followed behind them and diverted through the kitchen again to place the tray of empty teacups and teapot on the kitchen table, opening the back door and venturing into the garden.

You kept walking further and further but jolted to a stop when Charles' voice rang out from the house.

"Y/n!"

"Charles!" You faced him and shouted back, bringing a smile to his face at your mocking.

"What are you doing all the way out there?"

"I'm going to pick some vegetables, for dinner."

"Hon, it's 11:35. Dinner isn't until 6."

"As my mother used to say, you can never be too prepared." Your voice trailed off at the end and you turned around to keep walking further out when Charles' voice stopped you again.

"You need any help?"

"No I'll be fine dear," You replied over your shoulder so you didn't see Charles' shoulders drop in disappointment or the look of anguish on his face, "Could you run into town to pick some things up for me? I'll need them for a cake I want to bake for Helen and Sam."

"Sure, what is it?" Charles replied, satisfied for now just to be helping you out a little bit, thinking the stress of Helen's words minutes prior had gotten to you.

"There's a list on the kitchen table, next to the tray with the teacups on it."

"Okay, I won't be long." He said, hoping you would face him so he could see the usual cheeky smile on your face as you would snark back "Better not be."

But you didn't. Just nodded your head and kept walking further. You didn't realise Charles had picked up on the fact you didn't have the basket with you even though you were apparently picking vegetables.

He trudged back inside and shrugged his suit jacket on, grabbed his car keys and the list you'd written out and went out the front door to drive into town. He had chosen to leave you be for the minute; the usual case being if you had space to sort through your feelings and thoughts you would come to him later on and explain. But if you stayed the same quiet and subdued figure as you were now, he'd take matters into his own hands and guide you to tell him with soft touches and loving words.

Charles was mistaken when he said he wouldn't be long. For some reason the town was absolutely packed with people in all the places he needed to be. What should've been a 15 minute trip at the most had turned into 35 minutes and he was desperate to get back to you at the Blackwood House. All he heard from the moment he stepped out of his car was "Charles darling, you should come out and visit us more." "Charles dear, we do miss you and y/n, come around for dinner some time." "That Blackwood Estate should've burned when your Uncle died." "Charles you look so thin! That y/n isn't treating you very well at all!"

If someone made one more damn comment about his precious sweetheart he was going to loose it, big time. Charles had run out of polite refusals and excuses, he had no more false smiles or gentlemanly etiquette left within him. He sped down the roads at a much too fast speed and was soon on the crest of the hill leading to his house.

Charles opened the big gate at the front of the house and drove through, mindful to go back and close it after he parked.

"My darling!" He shouted through the front door as soon as he had it opened, kicking it shut with his foot and dumping the bags of shopping on the kitchen table. The back door was slightly ajar so he followed the signs of your presence and opened it all the way, stepping out to the back garden and trying again.

"My darling?" He walked further and further out, if you were right at the edge of the garden you wouldn't have heard him. But when he reached the vegetable patch and opened his mouth to shout again, he saw that all of the vegetables were still in tact. Charles tilted his head in confusion and closed his mouth, bending down to survey the plants at a close range to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

"You're home!"

Charles spun quickly and saw that it was only you stood above him.

"Yes, I'm back. Y/n, how come-"

"You took longer than usual." You stated, looking down at him (Charles was still squatted low).

"Uh yeah, sorry about that. Town was horrifically busy." He explained, standing up to take your hands in his and kiss your knuckles that he raised to his lips.

"Well, you're here now and that's what counts." You turn back to the house and begin the trail back.

"Hey, hon?" Charles stops you. You twist to face him and raise your eyebrows to hint him to go on. "I thought you were picking vegetables? They're all still here." He gestured to the very much still planted vegetables in the ground with his hand.

"Yes, I decided that you were right and picking them could be done later."

"Peanut, I don't want you to feel that-"

"Come on Charles, lunch is ready in your office."

And so Charles still hadn't found out what was wrong and by the time he'd finished his lunch to go and find you, you were in the pantry making a list of things you had in there and the things you needed; Charles knew you liked to be left alone to do this in order to focus so he went back to his office and started looking over some papers for work.

It was 5:23pm and he hadn't heard a peep from you all afternoon. It was unnerving. The most he'd heard was you coming out of the pantry and into the kitchen, then leaving the kitchen and going upstairs. To his knowledge, you'd been up there ever since. By now you'd have either been in the kitchen making dinner preparations or in his office reading a book, led on his couch where he'd noticeably steal longing glances at you and become so distracted he'd just eventually lie next to you and doze off to the sound of you reading to him.

But none of the above happened.

Charles leafed through one last piece of paperwork and rose from his desk, briskly leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. He knew you liked to wash up before dinner so the first place he went was upstairs after an initial peek in the kitchen only to see the groceries he'd bought for you in the exact same spot he'd left them in.

He got to your shared bedroom and saw the door was closed, odd since he vividly remembers leaving it open for the air to get circulated through. Charles knocked lightly on the door and poked his head round, eyes zeroing in on the curled up figure led in bed.

"Y/n?" He whispered into the room. He could only see your back so he had no idea if you were sleeping or just hadn't heard him.

Charles stepped further into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Y/n?" He tried again, this time you sniffed loudly as though you were zoned out and rotated your head to see him walking over to you.

"Charles! Is something wrong, did you finish your work? I was just about to come down and see you." You spilled in all of a rush.

You sat up and began to move to stand but Charles rested a hand on your shoulder and took a seat next to you on the bed.

"It's 5:30 hon, work's finished." He told you gently.

"Already? I must get dinner ready, I didn't realise the time. It might be a little late tonight." You jumped off the bed and began to change into some more evening appropriate attire but Charles stopped your hands reaching into the wardrobe and he just held you against him.

"What's going on y/n? You haven't been yourself all day." He accused as understandingly and lovingly as possible.

"Nothing! Why?"

Charles sighed and brought a hand up to cup your cheek, seeing the inner turmoil running rampant through your mind. "Tell me what's going on honey, please? Let me in, let me help." He begged you.

You couldn't stand it. You couldn't stand the concerned look in his eye, the soft touch on your face, it was too much to cope with. You turned away from Charles and tried to walk away but he caught your arm and caged you into his body.

"Its alright love, its okay, you're safe here. You are totally and completely safe with me in this moment, nothing is wrong. Nothing is wrong." He soothed as soon as he sensed your building panic, running his hands down your back in big, soft, sweeping motions.

Tears fell down your face unwarranted and Charles did nothing but comfort you; loving words whispered in your hair and grounding touches applied all over your body.

"I don't know what's wrong with me." You whispered so quietly Charles almost didn't hear you.

"Don't worry hon, it's just one of those days. Nothing is wrong with you. You'll come out swinging at the end of it, but for now it is just something you have to deal with, but you don't have to deal with it alone. I'm right here with you for a reason, I'm not just gonna disappear at the first sign of trouble or expect you to be in tip top condition all the time. I'm going to be right here, by your side, helping you through whatever life throws at you, because I love you."

"Oh Charles, I love you so much. I love you, I love you." You repeated, feeing exceptionally overwhelmed and not really knowing how to deal with it.

"Easy darling, I know, I love you so strongly it hurts sometimes. Now what's going to happen is I'm going to keep holding you for a few more minutes, then I'm going to help you get dressed, then I'll cook you dinner while I tell you about the horrors of town today, and once I've fed you we're going to sit out on the porch swing in the back garden and stargaze until you fall asleep when I can carry you back up here and snuggle you for the rest of the night until morning. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan, darling."

"I thought so." Charles murmured under his breath making you giggle genuinely for the first time today.

Charles, true to his word, did everything he said he would. Aside from him being unable to decide on which shoes to pick out for you (after a 17 minute deliberation it was getting ridiculous so you had to choose), then realising he didn't know how to prepare dinner so you had to show him (with a grin tugging at the corner of your lips) and after dinner testing out the old porch swing and falling off (which caused great hilarity for you), it was a very successful night.

#randomperson351 #charles blackwood #we have always lived in the castle #charles blackwood fluff #small angst #comforting charles blackwood #soft charles blackwood #charles blackwood x y/n #charles blackwood x female reader #do not repost

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ilikefandom · 3 years ago

Text

The Rendezvous - Tower Part 2

Requests: I know you just posted it but I loved it so much😍 can I request a part 2 of The Tower? and Can I request part two of 'The Tower', please? It's alright if u don't want to. ❤

Requested by: Anon and @snapefiction

Genre: Yandere?

Synopsis: (Y/n) (Y/l/n) has a midnight meeting with Severus.

Pairing: Severus Snape x Fem Reader

Warnings: Yandere, subtle threats of kidnapping and Reader’s dad is a death eater, insensitive language against half blood wizards.

In the months after the last meeting, the war lingered on. (Y/l/n) had risen amongst the ranks of the death eaters and was becoming closer and closer to the Dark Lord. So close that others were becoming jealous of his rise to power.

When the time came for (Y/l/n) to host a meeting again, Severus’ heart fluttered. He had long since dreamed of seeing (Y/n) again. The set up was almost exactly the same as the last. (Y/n) came down the stairs to greet the guests of the house and was then ushered back up to her room once again.

The discussion now included the newest member of the inner circle, Peter Pettigrew, Potter’s friend. The decisions to be made now revolved around the Potters and how to kill the boy, as he would prevent Voldemort from claiming his ‘destiny’ as ruler of the Wizarding world.

Dinner was served an hour into the meeting and all discussed personal matters as they ate. Conversations about Lucius’ son who had just reached his first birthday a few weeks before were what the majority of the wizards and witches were focused on.

Dolohov leaned on the table looking over to (Y/l/n), he smirked before commenting, “That daughter of yours is a pretty, little thing, isn’t she.”

The conversation about Draco died and all faced (Y/l/n), curious about his response.

“Yes,” He said carefully, looking at Dolohov with a wary expression, “she is quite beautiful.”

“Have you given much thought into who she should marry?” Asked Bellatrix, her chin resting on her hands.

“I have.” (Y/l/n) answered pensively, looking down at his plate, setting down his cutlery and avoiding the gazes directed at him.

“You would want a good, pure blood marriage, wouldn’t you (Y/l/n).” Chuckled Rosier, as he drank wine from his goblet.

“I have a son that would be happy to volunteer,” Jugson laughed, “although he has an issue with breaking his toys.”

Severus clenched his fingers, angry with the topic of conversation. She loved him, not some stuck up pure blood man that would cast her aside when a younger, richer version of her came along. He was so distracted that Voldemort had to raise his hands.

“Severus,” the Dark Lord said softly, his eyes glinting with malice, “ was there something you wanted to say?”

Snape swallowed and looked up at (Y/l/n) who was playing with a ring on his right hand, “I think his daughter is lovely, my lord.” He commented.

The whole table burst into laughter.

“You?” Asked Mrs. Snyde giggled as her husband slapped his knee, “What self respecting pure blooded girl would ever want a half breed like you?”

Severus wanted to shout, he wanted to scream that she had asked to meet with him privately, but instead he looked down at his empty plate.

“It isn’t a bad wish.” Lucius said, patting Snape on the back. “However it will always remain a wish.”

The meeting adjourned near midnight, and the crowd that had laughed at him was disaperating around the boundary. Severus, on the other hand, snuck through the shadows and saw a tall ladder attached to the window sill of (Y/n)’s room.

Smirking to himself, he ascended the ladder and as the curtains shifted to reveal (Y/n)’s smiling face. “Severus.” She said.

Severus climbed quicker and into the room, almost falling on his way to the top. As soon as he was inside, he felt at home. The room was small, not tiny, but cozy. The walls were coated in books and beautiful paintings.

She led him to a chair and he sunk into it, his heart beating out of his chest and the blood in his face reddening his cheeks. She sat in a chair across from him and waved her wand sending the teapot to pour two cups of tea.

The two young people were so enamoured that neither one noticed that the pouring was done until a spoon hit the china, causing both of them to jump.

(Y/n) let out a small squeak and then relaxed when the cup floated into her hand. “Cream, milk, sugar?” She asked as the smaller jars and cups stared up at him.

“Just milk.” He answered, embarrassment flooding his face even more.

The containers moved and the tea was made, then given to him.

The small talk was made and compliments were given and before either teen knew it, the sun was rising.

Severus made his way to the window with (Y/n) and both smiled at each other. They stood in comfortable silence for a few moments before Severus began his descent to the ground.

(Y/n) quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek before shutting the curtains and hurrying to her bed.

Snape pressed his hand to the cheek that she kissed and made his way to the thickit just outside the bounds of the house.

He disappearated with only one thought on his mind, she would be his, no matter what the others said. Severus had her attention and now he needed her by his side, whether she wanted to be there or not.

Author’s Note: Thank you all for your patience these last few weeks. I have so many ideas and wips that I am deeling with as well as university plans. Thank you for understanding. Please reblog, comment and request story ideas!

#severus snape #severus snape x reader #severus snape x you #yandere severus snape #Harry Potter #harry potter x reader #yandere #Reader is female #fem!reader #please reblog #please comment #please request things

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theflowerofthecommonwealth · 3 years ago

Text

Power Armor Punch Part 6

Masterlist

(Trigger Warning for attempted rape and abuse)

Nick: *smiles at the pleasant scene of siblings caring for each other. He pauses it again but to go to her room to take a quick look around*

The room: (Doesn’t hold much. A few toys line the floor around the big bed in the center, mostly being dolls, toy planes, and trucks. The walls and dresser have pictures hanging on them, mostly of Jasmine and her siblings. A few of them have their smiling mother with them. The small walk in closet contains more toys, along with worn, but cared for clothes)

Nick: *carefully scanning around the room... it was a low chance he'd find any solid evidence here, though he tried anyway... he walks down the stairs, again carefully looking around the memory of the house*

(The house has nothing else to offer right now, the main bedroom handle had been locked by the mother before she left. Other than a few toys and drawing scattered around, there isn't much else to see)

Nick: *stops at tiny Jas. Decides to let this memory finish playing out and move on*

Jasmine: “Cmon Cosmos! I’m ready!” (Walking to the door)

Cosmos: “Yay!!” (Runs to the door from the living room)

Jasmine: (Takes her little brothers hand in her own before opening the door and walking out)

The Neighborhood: (Consists of a row of small and old yet proud houses. A few of them are trailer homes that seemed to have just been dumped on a plot of land after being transferred)

Jasmine: (Waves her hand to a girl across the street) “Jie! Over here!”

Jie: (Runs across the road) “Hi Rosie! Hi Cosmos!” (Starts walking besides them)

Cosmos: “Hi friend!!” (Waving his free hand at the girl)

Jasmine: “You didn’t forget your lunch again, right?”

Jie: “Nope!” (Holds up a lunch pail)

Jasmine: “Good.” (Grins at her friend as they continue down the road chatting about kid things and one of their missing friend who’s visiting relatives because he leaves an empty space)

Boy Voice 1: “Hey? Commie girl! Where do you think YOU’RE going?”

Boy Voice 2: “Last time I checked, Commie China was was in the other direction!”

Jasmine: (Halts in her tracks, letting out an exasperated sigh) “She is not a “Commie” Damien!” (Whirls around to face the boys who look to be about 11 or 12 with a frown)

Damien: (Sneers at the spicy kitten) “And how are you so sure orphan girl?”

Jasmine: (Doesn’t seem to be affected in the slightest by the remark) “Cmon, we have better things to do.” (Takes Jies hand in her free one and starts leading her and Cosmos away)

Cosmos: (Over his shoulder) “Mean Boys go to jail!”

Jasmine: “Don’t look back at them Jamie, we can-...” (Freezes when she feels something fly by her arm, narrowly missing little Cosmos head)

Damien: (Yelling) “Shut up stupid boy! My Mom says that your missing some screws in the head and that Jies family are Commie spy’s!” (Picking up a few more sticks and hurling them)

Boy 2: (Following along Damien’s example)

Jasmine: (Balling her fists, a fierce look shinning in her eyes)

Nick: *pauses the memory. First he goes to Jie. He can't help but sympathize considering him being synth living in Diamond City with constant paranoia looming over the town despite the Institute being long gone*

Jasmines thoughts: “Jie, my best friend since we were babies. Poor girl, always getting taunted by arrogant people. Not like anyone can do anything about it. The teachers don’t care at all and Jies parents are too scared to step up. My Mom is too busy to actually help but it would be useless anyways so all we can really do is ignore them and say prayers for them or whatever, but if they keep this up I just might snap.”

Nick: *feels a bit of disdain and bitterness on Jie's, and similarly Jasmine's family's, behalf but he doesn't let it show. Instead he turns to the boys, frowning disapprovingly at them*

Jasmines thoughts: “Oh those little shits, Damien and his brother Hector. Their Uncle is a politician or something like that, so they think they have all the power in the town. Been bothering Jie and Cozzy for years now, but never enough to get them in “ACTUAL” trouble. Some teachers dismiss it as “playful teasing” Load of bullshit- sometimes it’s downright dangerous and violent. Words never bothered them, no matter what I told them. Heh, they get more and more punchable each day.”

Nick: *knows if they had grown up, there's a strong chance they would have become criminals getting a free pass because of their political pass. Or worse, crooked cops. He resumes the memory*

Jasmine: (Stands in front of Cosmo and Jie to shield them from the incoming sticks, letting them hit her instead as she snarls with fury) “Stay here.” (Runs full speed at the boys, tackling Damien to the floor)

Damien: (Crashes onto the ground, making a noise of surprise) “Get off of me!” (Swatting at Jasmine)

Jasmine: (Giving him several good punches to the head before twisting his arm)

Hector: “Get off!” (Trying to pull the girl off his brother)

Jasmine: (Grabs Hectors arms and yanks him the the floor as well, giving him a good right hook to the eye as he fell)

Neighbors: (Poke their heads out of their homes and come running out- but they seem afraid to intervene for whatever reason. Probably due to the boys status)

Jie: (Gasps at the sight of the fight, gripping Cosmos’s hand tightly)

Jasmine: (Delivers each of the boys one more kick before taking off back to her friend and brother) “Run!” (Grabbing both of their hands and taking off, pulling them along. they run down a few blocks away from those horrid boys, turning into an alleyway)

Cosmos: (Lagging behind) “I’m tired!”

Jasmine: (Stops running and props up her little brother so he won’t fall) “I think we are far enough….” (Looks at Jie to see if she’s alright)

Jie: (Panting) “Yeah….we are….” (Looks at Jasmine) “Thank you…. you hurt?”

Jasmine: (Shakes her head, somehow not panting or out of breath) “Nah, they can’t hurt me for the life of them.” (Holding Cosmos’s close to her side, stroking his hair)

Jie: “….You really just did that.”

Jasmine: “Yeah, they weren’t gonna stop, they almost hit Cosmos and you.”

Cosmos: “I’m tired!”

Jasmine: (Kindly) “I’ll give you a piggyback ride to school okay?”

Cosmos: (Nods, letting his sister lift him onto her back) “Weeee!!”

(The memory freezes, indicating that it was over but Nick could still interact with it or move on)

Jasmines thoughts: “After that day, those specific boys never picked on us again. Guess they just needed a force to be reckoned with to make them finally stop. I actually never got in trouble with the teachers or anyone else, either they didn’t tell out of shame of being beaten by a little girl in a pink dress or the teachers still didn’t care what happened. I don’t know, but what I do know is that I had always been the unofficial bully protector in our school and this was just another event. If someone was bothering you, just come sit by me and they would leave ya alone for the day. A little sad when you think about it, a bunch of older kids standing around an 8 year old girl for protection because the teachers are too careless to do anything. But I didn’t mind, made me feel like I was doing something good, keeping the other kids safe. Jie and my other friends didn’t mind either, We’d sometimes played games with all of them, not caring if the rest of kids and teachers thought we were weird.”

Nick: *only stays there to contemplate what happened and Jas's thoughts. That's another point in the personality trait column for the old Nick being a candidate of Jasmine's biological father. Honestly, he can't say he wouldn't have handled that any differently* *he turns and walks to the next memory*

(The scene changes completely, morphing into a dim gray room that looked to be a prison cell of some kind. A much older looking Jasmine, about 14 or so, is holding herself up on one of the walls, bleeding from her nose with a few bruises lining her face. She is dressed in some kind of thin uniform shirt and pants, with the number A-001 branded on the back. Three grown men stand around her in padded uniforms. One of them, who looks to be the leader stands directly over her, his shirt off and some of Jasmines blood in his hands)

Guard Leader: “Don’t know when to quit do ya girl?” (Crosses his arms and stares down the young girl)

Jasmine: (Looks up at him with fierce eyes and a tilted head, challenging his authority) “Nope!” (Goes to punch him)

Guard Leader: (Catches her fist with almost ease, as if he was expecting it) “Well then if you want to be that way, let’s see how long you last with us.” (Twists Jasmines arm before giving her a harsh punch to the head, catching the girl by the shirt before she can fall over)

Jasmine: (Tries to bite his arm as the other two guards loom in on her) “Let me fucking go or I swear to god I’ll rip your-…!!!” (Has to stop to groan in pain)

Guard Leader: “For fucks sake girl, give it up already! You know how this is going to play out in the end.” (Looks down at the struggling girl with a sick twisted grin)

Jasmine: (Tries to kick at him with all her depleting strength) “Never!!”

Guard Leader: (Scoffs, using one of his hands to pin the girl against the wall by the neck) “You are relentless, I’ll give you that much.” (Ripping her shirt, revealing her bra underneath)

Jasmine: (Still kicking and punching at him, keeping direct eye contact as she starts to cough and get strangled out, not a hint of fear on her face)

Nick: Wh- STOP! *lunges toward the guard, unintentionally pausing the memory. His hand phases through the guard's shoulder. He stumbles back at the shock of the failed sttempt to intervene*

Lucille: *notices a spike in cpu and memory activity on Nick's end* Nick...? *looks at Jasmine's heart rate, oxygen, and brain activity, then the memories she selected*

Jasmine: (Starts breathing fast as her heart starts to pound)

Jasmines Thoughts: This guy was the worst one here, as one would expect as the leader of the guards. I do not think I ever even knew his name, everyone just called him Boss or Commander. He loved inflicting fear into me before each……. assault. I could not even sleep without knowing if I would be jolted awake by his gruff voice and hands, as he is doing now. I do not think I ever gave him the pure lustful satisfaction he was looking for, but that did not stop him from trying. Sometimes if I kept fighting, he would leave me alone for the night, other times he would just take me bleeding, broken, and screaming in pain. “Give up?” Yeah right, I would never do that for you.”

Nick: *heartbroken hearing this* Jas... *takes a moment to memorize the faces of the men... if she hasn't killed them already*

(The memory continues, the guards faces being slightly blurry and less detailed due to Jas being mostly out of it when they were around)

Guard Leader: (Takes out a knife and holds it to Jasmines neck, pressing it in slightly) “Try begging on your knees girl, maybe today I’ll make a exception and play nice with you.”

Jasmine: (Doesn't break face as she stares back at and spits on him) (Weakly) “Go…to…hell!”

Guard Leader: (Presses the knife a little deeper into her neck, staring down at Jas) “Hmpf!” (Huffs angrily before pulling back and letting her limp form fall to the floor with a thud) (To the other guards) “Pack it up boys, if we do anything to her tonight we just might poke a hole right up her.” (Gives Jasmine a sharp kick to the ribs before turning to leave, followed by the other guards) “Well will just have to wait till the eggheads decide to knock her out, more fun that way.”

Jasmine: (Barely cries out as the men file out of the room and close the cell door with an aggressive slam) (Weakly) “Yeah you better run you bunch of Motherfuckers, I could keep this up for hours.” (Lifts her head up as she sits up) “Ughhhh….” (Looks down at her bruised torso under her torn shirt) “Think he broke another rib…. Lovely.” (Runs her hand over her sides that are lined with many bruises and cuts- those ones being more from battles rather than self harm)

(Another loud door could be heard in the distance shutting closed, causing Jasmine to jump)

Jasmine: “Shit….” (Groans in pain as she stands up and limps to a sectioned off area with a sink, toilet, and mirror) “All this, and for what?” (Turns on the sink and starts washing her bloody face, talking to herself to keep sane) “At least they gave up easily today, but that means they have something else in stock for me.” (Wipes away the blood from her chest) “Just kill me and be done with it…. Think I prefer that at this point.” (Turns away from the sink and limps over to a wooden bed in one of the corners) “Here we go again…. It never stops…” (Hugs herself for comfort- her expression dead and lifeless)

(As she closes her eyes- the memory stops by freezing in place)

Nick: Why were you even in here...? *the first thought that comes to his mind is kidnapping... he looks around the cell, trying to figure out if this was before or after the apocalypse- if it's after, surely he'd see some signs that these were raiders. If it's before, one possibility could be imprisonment for sympathizing with suspected communists regardless whether or not they were. He doesn't have the full picture.*

Jasmines Thoughts: “After every beating, experiment and every assault I endured, all I thought about was that if I survived, maybe one day I would get to go home and be back with my family. I had hoped that they were looking for me, but I do not think they would have ever found me anyways. These people were good at hiding a person, especially a meaningless one. I do not think they even explained themselves on the day they took me away, just scooped me up and left. If I had not been so fucking stupid, I would've been safe and sound in my Mamás arms right now…. If only I could go back…..” (The next memory way opens)

Lucille: *starting to get really concerned for both of them. Nick's systems are working pretty hard, Jas is breathing and heart rate is up. She hopes neither of them end up going through some sort of catastrophic failure in one form or another*

Nick: *kneels in front of Jas* So it was a kidnapping... *apologetically* You didn't deserve this... *another gentle stroke of her cheek before getting up to leave*

(The scene changes back into Jasmines house, with a 9 year Jasmine sitting on the couch alone playing with some stuffed animals)

Lilac: (Comes down the stairs) “Hey Rosie?”

Jasmine: “Yeah?”

Lilac: “I need your help.”

Jasmine: (Blinking a few times, holding a stuffed bear in her hands) “With what?”

Lilac: (Clutching two pieces of paper in her hand) “It’s important, but I promise there is something in it for you.” (Sits besides little Jasmine) “Remember two nights ago when we fought with Mom again about Dad?”

Jasmine: (Nods, a bitter look in her eye) “Mamá was hiding something from us about Papá and we knew it.”

Lilac: “Yeah- Mom WAS lying to us, she knows exactly what happened to him.” (Holding out one of the pieces of paper to Jasmine)

Jasmine: (Takes the piece of paper, looking at it carefully. On it is a faded photo of their Father, with an address on the bottom) “…..Where did you get this?”

Lilac: “From the special safe under Moms bed.”

Jasmine: (Looks back up at her sister with admiring eyes) “Wow… you picked it.”

Lilac: “I also found this…” (Holds out another paper to Jasmine. On it, is a old photo of a small newborn baby with stitches on their forehead)

Jasmine: (Looking it over) “…..the same address is on the bottom.”

Lilac: “It’s you…. This is you just after you were born. The address is for a police station in the city.”

Jasmine: (Hands firmly grip the photo) “I was a case there…..” (Tilts her head in thought, wheels turning as her little head comes up with a plan)

Lilac: “So was Dad, I remember the Officers coming over.”

Jasmine: (Looks at her sister, her eyes sparkling) “We need to go there!” (Stands up enthusiastically)

Lilac: “….I was just thinking about confronting Mom again with evidence.”

Jasmine: (Rolls her eye and taps her foot) “She won’t listen to us- she never has. We need to find out from somewhere else.”

Lilac: (Looks up in thought) “….How would we even get there? Or even get in?”

Jasmine: “On Friday, we have no school. We can leave Cosmos with the others and tell Auntie Debbie that we have a nature project for school to do. Then we take the bus to the police station.” (Already working on a casual lies to tell the adults as if it was second nature)

Lilac: (Nodding her head) “I don’t think they are going to let two girls wander around the case file room or hand them over. Not without their parents present considering the nature of what possibly went down.”

Jasmine: “We improvise when we get there, just let me do the talking, you are really bad at lying to people. We could say that we are interviewing town workers or something, grownups find that stuff cute.” (Wrinkles her nose)

Lilac: (Smiles a bit) “You seem to have this worked out already- it’s better than what I could come with.”

Jasmine: (Clapping her hands) “Good. I’ll get everything else ready!”

Nick: *quickly pauses the memory, already realizing it's out of order chronologically. He rushes over to the paper to get a closer look at its contents, putting it in the back of his mind to investigate the police station and figure out exactly where the address on the back of the photo is in present day Massachusetts*

(The address on the paper would lead to Prewar Cambridge Police station)

Nick: Of course... *looks at the photo of the man they're calling their father*

(The man in the photo is very tall and well muscular with dirty blonde hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His facial features resembling both Lilac and Cosmos. He is posing by a swan boat, smiling with a thumbs up at the camera. The bottom of the photo reads, Most Recent Photo Of Jamesons Brooks.”

Nick: Adopted... No doubt his case was long before I got shipped out to Cainbridge... *Still considers it a possible lead*

(The memory continues by shifting to the sisters sitting hand in hand on a public bus. No doubt being a small time jump to Friday)

Jasmine: (Whispering) “You remember what to do?”

Lilac: “Yeah.” (Squeezing Jasmines hand in comfort)

Jasmine: (Squeezing back) “Good, make sure to go to the secretary that looks like they would take the most pity out of you.”

Lilac: “Yup.” (Looks out the bus window to the city outside) “I think this is our stop.”

(Both of the girls stand up and walk off the bus, exchanging a polite thank you with the bus driver)

Jasmine: (Holding up a map in one hand and Lilacs hand in the other) “This way.” (Leads the way through the crowded streets)

Lilac: “Sure is bigger when we are alone…”

Jasmine: “Don’t let go of my hand.”

Lilac: “I won’t.” (Squeezes her sisters hand again)

(The girls navigate the crowded streets until they come upon Cambridge Police Station)

Jasmine: “Well, here we are….” (Looking around)

Lilac: (Taking out a pen and notebook titled “Project”) “I’m ready.”

Jasmine: (Letting go of Lilacs hand and pulling her hoodies hood over her head) “So am I.”

(Both of the girls walk into the building with Lilac going straight to the reception desk and Jasmine standing off to the side)

Lilac: (Nervously to one of the receptionist) “Hello, uh, I’m doing a school project and wanted to ask you some questions about working here…..”

Receptionist: (Looks up) “Well sure there Honey, of course you can. Ask away.”

Lilac: “Okay….. so what is your main job here?”

Receptionist: “Well.…” (Starts blabbing away while Lilac scribbles down in her notepad)

Jasmine: (Watches off from the side, waiting until most of the people in the room are distracted by the cute girl who’s doing interviews before sneaking down one of the corridors)

(She wanders down one of the hallways until she reaches what looks like a case file storage room)

Jasmine: “Hah, I’m a ninja! Okay, here we go…..” (Starts going down the file cabinet labels until she finds one that matches what she is looking for) “Bingo.” (Tries to jingle it open but finds that it is locked) “Dang it…..” (Pulls a Bobby pin from her hair and a screw driver from her hoodie pocket) “I’ll crack ya eventually….” (Starts picking at the lock, keeping her ears sharp for anyone who might walk in) “Yesss!” (She picks it open and starts rummaging inside, pulling out two Holotapes and two vanilla folders) “This has to be it….” (Stops to read the labels, confirming to herself that it is)

(Footsteps could be heard approaching from the hallway, startling Jasmine who shoved the Holotapes in her pockets and the folders in her shirt)

Jasmine: “Oh no….” (Crouches low and peeks around the corner, seeing a cop walk into the room) “Shoot…..” (Starts sneaking around the filling cabinets, staying out of sight as the cop wanders around the room) “Please don’t see me…..” (Creeps out the door and makes a dash back to the lobby)

The Cop: (Turns just in time to see a little figure leave the room) “Hey!”

Jasmine: (Keeps on going to find her sister)

Lilac: (Is surrounded by almost everyone in the station, all giving their input on their jobs) “Thank you, this is great.” (Looks up from her notebook to see her sister hurrying over) “Okay, thank you guys! I have everything I need!” (Starts waving and walking to the door)

The cop: (Comes up from behind Jasmine) “Hey Kid, where you just in-…?”

Jasmine: (Makes a bolt for the door, with Lilac following behind) (Whispering) “I got it, Run.”

(Both of the girls grab each other’s hand and make a mad dash onto the city streets, with the confused cop calling out for them to come back)

Nick: *recognizes the man, he even pauses the memory to look him over.

The cop: *big, almost looming in stature, weird purple hair one would assumed dyed, but by some rare chance it's actually his natural hair color. He looks a bit younger than when the original Nick knew him. Lucille definitely has a similar skin tone to his and that same weird gene but her mother's build and eyes*

Nick: *surprised to know he was based in Cainbridge even then* Detective Gardio Chapel? *notices his rank is hasn't been quite bumped to that yet* Or should I say, "Officer Chapel." *regretfully* I haven't seen that face since... well, technically, I never saw it, but Nick certainly chewed him out after the Winter case fell through...

(The memory continues with Jasmine and Lilac running through the busy streets, trying to get away from the people chasing them. They eventually come to stop at a park under a tree)

Lilac: (Panting) “Hah, you got them?”

Jasmine: (Somehow not out of breath again) “Yeah! I grabbed them right before the scary cop came in!” (Pulling out the holotapes and the vanilla files, holding them up in victory)

(Both of the sisters sit under the tree, with Lilac taking one of the files in her hands and opening it)

Lilac: “This one is the case on Father, which means the other one is about you.” (Opens the file and starts reading the pages)

Jasmine: (Opens her own file, frowning when there is only one page. She starts reading, slowly….)

Lilac: (Her face grows somber while her fingers tremble holding the file) “….I knew it, I was right all along. Father was killed right before Christmas, someone murdered him…..”

Jasmine: (Keeps reading her file, her face growing still and her lip trembling)

Lilac: (Not noticing yet) “All this time… the cops at our door, the strange questions, Mothers absents on the matter. I know you don’t remember him all that well-….” (Looks at her sisters trembling figure, closing the file and tossing it aside) “Rosie, what wrong?”

Jasmine: “It says nothing about them… other than….”

Lilac: “Lemme see.” (Gently pries the file from her sisters hand and starts reading it)

(The file was short an almost said nothing about Jasmines birth parents, other than that witness saying that they saw the mother toss a newborn Jasmine in the local garbage bin and running off, calling out that she only wanted a boy. The file claimed that searches for this women and her newborn son were fruitless, and she was never found)

Jasmine: (Crying) “She tossed me like trash!”

Lilac: (Softly) “Oh Rosalinda hermanita….” (Gently scoops up the crying girl in her arms, stroking Jas’s curls) “Why would she throw away something so priceless?” (Runs her fingers through the younger girls hair till she calmed down a little) “Shhhhh.”

Jasmine: (Pulling back from her sister after a few minutes, wiping her own eyes and grabbing their fathers file with shaking fingers) “We should go back….” (Opening her adoptive as Fathers file and flipping through it, freezing at one of the pages)

Lilac: (Looking at the edge of the park) “Uhhh, are they the cops from the station?”

Jasmine: (Doesn’t respond as she looks down at the file with wide eyes. On it, is a blurry photo of a dead body in the snow, surrounded by police tape…. And a strange yet familiar little object laying splattered out nearby) “…My dolly is there…..”

Lilac: “I think they are….” (Tugging her sisters arm) “We got to go!”

Jasmine: (Quickly stands up and takes her sisters hand again as they made another run for it)

(The memory ends once again by freezing)

Nick: *standing among the cops next to Gardio who's unfortunately leading the charge since he's the one who saw her. He looks up at the Gargoyle of a man, hoping the cops weren't involved in what happened to Jas*

Gardio: *looks dead serious. Wouldn't try to hurt them but would definitely apprehend them, give them a good talking to after calling their parents, then throw them in an empty jail cell for the night just to scare them unless his superiors said otherwise... Nick only knows this because the original worked with Detective Chapel's coleagues*

Nick: *gives his best attempt at a pat on Gardio's shoulder before walking to the girls in and the associated files*

Jasmines Thoughts: “We made a real run for it that day, not ever looking back. I managed to pull myself and Lilac up a small building where we hid until they all passed, thank god for super human strength. We got home and picked up Jamie from daycare with no suspicion from anyone, Mamá didn’t even notice my teary tired eyes when she came home. I do not think the officers ever put out a full on search, But sometimes I just wished that they caught us in that moment. Things might have turned out differently than they did, and none of the hell that came would not have happened. I cannot help but feel that this is all my stupid ass fault, and what happens afterwords is all on me…..”

(The next memory way opens up)

Nick: *decides to withhold his judgement on this one until he figures out what she means by that*

(The next memory shows Jazzys house once again, seemly not long after the police break in. Jasmines Mother is leaning on the kitchen counter looking exhausted. Lilac stands a few feet away, arms crossed while Jasmine hold the files to her chest, eyeing down her mother)

Mamá: (Rubbing her head, letting out a tired and heavy sigh) “First of all, how did you get those?”

Lilac: (Shakes her head) “Why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’t you tell us about Father and Rosie about why she was adopted? Isn’t that something important?!”

Mamá: “I was trying to protect you kids- Christo. Dime me niñas- did you girls break into the police station?”

Jasmine: (Doesn’t move or blink- seething in her own anger)

Mamá: (Pinches the bridge of her nose when she realizes that they did indeed do that) “Dios dame paciencia….”

Translation: “God give me patience.”

Lilac: “All this time, you think we wouldn’t find out? And here I was thinking that he killed himself.”

Mamá: “Mija, I already told you that wasn’t true….” (Looks at her older daughter closely) “What happened to your face?” (Gesturing to the girls purple baggy eyes)

Lilac: “I’m not wearing makeup… thanks for noticing….?”

Mamá: “So first all the cutting and now your not sleeping….? Lilac? What’s going on with you?”

Lilac: (Shakes her head) “Stop!!!”

Mamá: “No, no. Enough of this- you need help.” (Reaching out to her)

Jasmine: (Eyes widen and she rushes over) “No!” (Pulling Lilac close to her, face lighting with kitten fire) “Leave her alone!”

Mamá: “Rosie, mi amor- go to bed….”

Jasmine: “No! Not until you promise not to take Lilac away!”

Mamá: “Who said anything-…”

Jasmine: “I heard you say that with Aunt Debbie, that you want to send Lilac away!” (Clinging onto her sister tighter)

Mamá: “Rosie, I want you too-….”

Jasmine: “I don’t have to listen to you! You aren’t even my REAL Mom! All you’ve done is leave me here to take care of Jamie only talking to me when you need something done!” (Balling her fists, anger in her eyes) “You know what? I would have been so much happier if you never even chose to adopt me!!! I hate you!!!”

Mamá: (Takes a few steps back, shock and hurt in her eyes)

Lilac: (Tenses up, looking down at her younger sister in shock)

Jasmine: (Tugging her sister up the stairwell, leaving their Mother standing in the kitchen in shock)

Nick: ... *pauses the memory to hear Jasmine's thoughts*

Jasmines Thoughts: “Fucking…. I’m such a dumbass. I probably tore her heart into a million little pieces that night. I was just so angry at her for lying and leaving us alone most of the time, I was so concerned about me that I didn’t think about what I was saying. But I said it, and I can’t take it back…. Hah, I’ll never forgive myself, especially after what the next few days brought. God, it was my fault….”

Nick: Mm... *withholding judgement until he sees how this leads to what he saw in the memory. So far he thinks she's a kid. Kids do dumb things. She made a mistake because she didn't know any better*

(The memory skips too the kids bedroom, with Jamie lying in the center of the bed and Lilac and Jasmine laying on either side of him. While both Jamie and Lilac are sleeping, Jasmine is wide awake, staring off into the distance)

Jasmine: “…….….” (Gets up out of bed and sneaks downstairs and out the back door, sitting herself on a lawn chair in the yard. Looking at the flowers) “……She takes better care of the garden than she does me sometimes….” (Rests her head in her knees eyeing her hands) “……Guess I was really hated when I was born…. Not that I and angry with them, I hate myself too....” (Draws in a deep breath)

Mamá: (Appears from the darkness) “My sweet wildflower, what are you saying to yourself?”

Jasmine: (Whips around, startled to see her Mom standing behind her in a night dress) “Why are you out here?”

Mamá: (Patiently) “Because one of my kids are sitting outside in the dark.”

Jasmine: (Bitterly) “I’m not YOUR kid.”

Mamá: (Steps closer) “Mi Chiquilla Bonita- did I not raise you? Did I not take care of you? Do I not love you as my own?”

Jasmine: (Huffs, turning away from her) “Leave me alone!”

Mamá: (Kneels down by Jasmine, speaking in a soft and sincere) “I know that maybe you might not like yourself now Rosalinda. But you will one day, because you are a miracle little girl, and I-.…”

Jasmine: (Gets up) “I said to leave me alone!” (Runs back into the house and back under the covers with her siblings, holding them tightly) “………”

Jasmines Thoughts: “I did want to hug her in that moment, tell her sorry for all the stubborn trouble I was being…. But I didn’t, I instead pushed her away like a stupid dumb bitch. I didn’t talk with her for the days afterwords, and I did plan on apologizing to her at some point at dinner. She looked so sad waking around our house like a zombie…..”

(The memory once again skips ahead to the siblings sitting with one another on the living room sofa, each of them with a book in their hands)

Lilac: (Looking at the clock) “Guess Mom isn't coming back again in time.….”

Jasmine: (Glancing up from her book) “…Okay, We have some leftover deer meat from when I did that hunting trip with Mr. Wills a few days ago, I’m fact we might also have some of that rabbit I shot….” (Standing up to check the fridge, rummaging through it)

(There is suddenly a knock at the door, causing the three siblings to look at the same time)

Cosmos: (Throwing his book up in the air) “Hide!!” (Diving under the coffee table)

Lilac: (Peeking out of a corner of the window)

Jasmine: (From the kitchen) (Whispering) “Is it the tax collector again?”

Lilac: (Face going pale) “…..no, it’s the police.…”

Jasmine: (Walking over) “What?” (Peeking out as well to see two cops with mournful faces) “Oh, your right…. Why would-…?”

(A loud mournful female scream erupts from outside of the house, echoing around them)

Cosmos: (Covers his ears)

Lilac: “That sounded like Aunt Debbie…. But she…..” (Gasping at the realization) “Mom…..” (Exchanging fearful glances with Jasmine)

Jasmine: (Goes still, holding her breath) “What have you done?”

Nick: *winces at the interaction between Jas and her mother and then finds himself just as still standing behind Jasmine. He bows his head with respect to her death, forgetting for a moment that he's not truly there... quietly* It really wasn't your fault. You didn't kill her. I know it's hard to believe that, Jas, if you can even hear me, but it's the truth...

(The memory fades again, switching the scene to a graveyard with Jasmine, Lilac and Cosmos standing over two headstones. Cosmos is being held by Lilac while Jasmine stands a few steps off from them, her face blank with a few tears dripping down her cheek)

Jasmines Thoughts: (Mournful) “I do not remember much after that moment when we found she was gone, all I remember is falling to my knees and screaming, scared the hell out of Cosmos and the Officers outside. Someone dragged me to bed and tried to get me to eat something, but I think I shoved them off the bed. All I could think about, was the last thing I said to her, and what it did to her. They all said to me that she got into a crash with a high driver, but my Mom was a very careful women when driving. She must have been so distracted by me that she didn’t fully watch where she was going….. I’m not even 10 years old and I already had gone through two sets of parents, and poor Lilac and Cosmos had loving biological parents and now we are all orphan kids. I got super protective of them, we were always clinging onto each other for dear life…..”

(The memory ends and the next way opens)

Nick: *standing in the distance, near a tree in the grave yard, frowning. There's a lot to unpack and this particular sight hits a bit closer to home-* Nngh-! *clutches his head*

Nick's System Dialogue: System error! Diagnostic Highly Recommended!

Lucille: *Was arranging for Curie to put a tube for air down Jas's throat to ensure she's getting enough oxygen when she notices Nick's cpu and memory are starting to overheat* NICK! *starts disengaging the memory lounger, keeping track of where he was* Hold on, Nick! I'm getting you two out of there!

Nick: *getting error message after error message* Hurry it up! Feels like my head is on fire!

Lucille: *finally disconnects them and yanks off the helmet on Nick*

Nick: *blank stare. His eyes seem dim for a moment before they start flashing and steadily glow*

Lucille: Nick?! Hello?! C'mon, Val, talk to me!

Nick: *shakes his head* Christ... I'm going to have that headache until my systems cool.

Lucille: You okay...? I thought I lost ya.

Nick: Yeah. Just had to run a little bit of a diagnostic before I came to. Sorry for the scare.

Jasmine: (Trembling on the bed, the only sound she makes is her jagged half breaths)

Nick: *stands and lifts the helmet from Jasmine's head to gently pet her*

Jasmine: (Makes no acknowledgement of him or Lucille, just trembles as she holds her breath again, staring off into space)

Curie: *comes in with another ventilator and a nose line and sticks it in*

Lucille: What happened in there...?

Nick: It's... a long story. I'll tell you when this whole thing is through.

Jasmine: (Doesn’t move or flinch as Curie does her thing, just stares at the women blankly, some tears dripping down her face)

Lucille: Thank you, Sweetheart. Go get some rest. *kisses Curie's forehead*

Curie: I will, my love... *leaves to to go lay back down*

Nick: *strokes the tears from Jasmine's face* We're going to get to the bottom of this, Kid. Don't worry...

Jasmine: (Again, gives no acknowledgement that she even heard him)

Lucille: How long does it take for your system to cool down...?

Nick: Mm... *checking the temperature* Might take an hour or so... unless you've got a cryolator lying around. Don't mind getting me my usual, do ya?

Lucille: 50% water and coolant mixture?

Nick: Yeah.

Lucille: Got it! *makes a quick coolant run*

Jasmine: (Eyes flicker down to the leg restraints. She blinks a few times before shakily moving her hands to try to remove them again)

Nick: *grabs her hands before she can get to them* Not yet, Jas... *gently squeezes them*

Jasmine: (Freezes, still looking down at the restraints)

Nick: *feels how quick her pulse is in her wrists. Wonders if she'll stay in bed if he removes the restraints himself* Jas... Nod if you can hear me

Jasmine: (Doesn’t move)

Nick: Okay... We need to get your heart-rate down...

Jasmine: (Still not moving, her eyes flicker around the room, her heart still pounding)

Lucille: *comes back in with a jug of coolant and a glass. She pours the coolant into the cup and holds it out to him* Here you go, Nick...

Nick: Hm? Oh. Thanks. *takes it and drinks it down* That's a bit better... *pats Jasmine's shoulder. Softly* You're in a safe place... No one's going to touch you here.

Jasmine: (Her eyes flicker to look towards Nick. She blinks a few times with a small spark of recognization in her eyes for a split of a second, but it quickly snaps out)

Nick: Jas... *worried about her*

Jasmine: (Blinks again a few times, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself, casting him another glance)

Nick: *rubs her shoulder* Try to breathe, Doll...

Lucille: *keeping a close eye on both of them. Doesn't want to overload them in the next session with the makeshift memory lounger*

Jasmine: (Closes her eyes, focusing on the comfort of his touch to try to reground herself)

Nick: *keeps gently petting her*

Jasmine: (Opens back up her eyes, slowly looking up at him with a little more recognization in her eyes)

Nick: *gently wipes a tear from her cheek with his metal hand* Hey, Kiddo...

Jasmine: (Gives him a slight nod back)

Nick: *tired sigh*

Lucille: *adjusting some settings on the lounger*

Jasmine: (Still hasn’t clicked on her that she is sitting in a hospital gown on a hospital bed with a tube down her throat. All she knows is that something really bad happened and she must stay still and quiet because danger is nearby)

Lucille: How are you feeling Nick? How's that temperature reading?

Nick: Almost there. Give me a few more minutes and I'll be good to go.

Lucille: *checks Jas's pulse*

Jasmine: (Her head tilts to glance up at Lucille, freezing on her face. She stares at the older woman with fear in her eyes before “shutting” right back down, her heart beating faster)

Nick: She's gone again...

Lucille: She's afraid of me. That's why... her heart rate's too high. I'm going to get some calmex to bring that down. *goes to get some*

Jasmine: (Fully snaps out just as Lucille said that, making her panic internally more)

Nick: Hey... *rests a hand on her shoulder* You're going to be okay. We're not trying to hurt you-

Jasmine: (Not moving, but his comforting words and touch somewhat reach her. She is honestly doing her best to wake up, but after so many years of pure torture and hell her mind is so used to shutting down when she is fully outmatched)

Lucille: I'm back...

Nick: I'm not certain we should use the calmex...

Lucille: Nick, her heart rate... it can't keep going like this. It could kill her.

Nick: Yes, but it might shut her down completely again. I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but something tells me that sedating her might make things worse.

Lucille: *puts the chem away* Okay, Nick... I'll be in the other room. Call me when you think you're ready to continue with the memory lounger.

Nick: Sure thing...

Jasmine: (Still panicking on the inside with red lights flashing in her mind and old memories starting to smack at her)

@lucilleandherrobots

#fallout #fallout 4 #fo4 #fallout oc #fallout original character #nick valentine #fallout fanfic

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wellpresseddaisy · 3 years ago

Text

The Poshest Bedstead in Islington

Part 4

Sirius made his way down to the Drawing Room. He peeked down the hall as he turned right off the stairs...ah, Family Mode. That meant the Billiard Room and Morning Room in place of the Ball Room and Tea Room. He so loved magical homes. He'd have his breakfast in the Morning Room tomorrow. Might as well start properly if he wanted to be a good example.

He had a Morning Room again!

He stopped in the Drawing Room doorway and just took it all in for a moment. Pale green walls, painted rather than silk-covered, to go with the rather Georgian feel of the room. The plaster work remained exquisite despite the years of neglect. Sirius thought Black House may have spruced herself up a bit when she changed over. And why not? They both needed a bit of a brush up after over a decade of imprisonment.

The wood floors gleamed softly around the edges of thick, plush rugs. Sirius went to the chaise Kreacher had set up before the bay windows.

"His Grace needs sunlight and nutritious food."

Sirius startled at Kreacher's voice behind him.

"Merciful heavens, Kreacher, make some noise, please."

"Noise." Kreacher scoffed. "His Grace will sit down."

Not wanting to spoil the peace, Sirius did just that. The cushions gave just enough to be comfortable to a body used to sleeping on floors and in caves. Kreacher covered his lap with a soft throw and adjusted the pillows behind his back, then snapped a low table into existence. It held the 18th century posy spray set—his favorite. He looked over the delicate china to the food set out of equally delicate serving dishes. Three kinds of sandwich, all on his favorite, thinly sliced brown bread; two kinds of very plain cake; and steaming oat scones.

Kreacher seemed satisfied with himself as he poured fragrant tea into a cup. Was that the Panyang Congou? Oh, he'd missed Chinese teas. The stuff Hogwarts provided was shocking. Sirius took the cup in his hands and breathed in the steam. Lovely. He set it on the table to cool a bit.

He heard a soft clopping from outside and raised himself to look out the window. A horse and buggy moved slowly down the clean, cobbled street under a fine, misting drizzle...Wizarding London?

"Kreacher, is the entrance set to Wizarding London or Muggle London?" He accepted a plate from Kreacher and just looked at the sandwiches.

Where to begin? He had salmon and cucumber, just cucumber, and egg and cress. Oh, and miniature mushroom turnovers. He popped one in his mouth and almost groaned at the combination of buttery pastry and savory filling. Bless Kreacher's tiny socks.

"Black House is a Wizard's residence and His Grace requires quiet." Kreacher sniffed. "If they enter through Muggle London then they get the intruder's version."

"Well, we'll see what happens," Sirius chuckled. "We will let Harry...has Harry ever been in Wizarding London, d'you think?" He ate a cucumber and salmon sandwich. Life on the run did not lend itself to tea sandwiches, which was just tragic. They'd have brightened up the cave like nobody's business.

"Kreacher does not know. Kreacher could go to him and ask, if His Grace wishes." Kreacher wore the sort of sly smile Sirius would once have distrusted.

"And get a good look at the Heir to House Black and Potter?" he asked gently.

"Kreacher would like to know he is properly cared for. He is Kreacher's, now. Kreacher's responsibility." The elf took his empty sandwich plate and replaced it with a plate containing a slice of ginger cake and a slice of seed cake. Multiple plates...he had to be in heaven.

"This evening, then, after supper. Perhaps you could take a letter from me, explaining some of this?" Sirius asked gently. "I would also like to see him properly cared for."

"Kreacher will, as long as His Grace eats properly, rests, and has an early night."

"I will, Kreacher. I don't think he gets on well with the muggle family. Would you bring him a decent meal?" Sirius finished his ginger cake.

"Kreacher…" the elf's ears quivered in indignation. "Kreacher will care for Master Harry."

Sirius found a fresh plate with a generously buttered scone in his hands.

"Kreacher is...Kreacher is distressed that the heir is poorly treated. Kreacher...Kreacher would like to check, please, and bring tea, if it pleases His Grace." Kreacher stood before the chaise and twisted his hands. "Kreacher can also bring supper, later. And the letter."

"It does please me, Kreacher. I thank you for considering Harry's needs. Could you bring me writing supplies and a lap desk before you go? I'll write a letter for you to bring Harry later, but I have quite a bit of correspondence to begin. And I must plan for Harry." He wouldn't deny Kreacher, not when he looked like he might start twisting his ears. He'd have to remember that Kreacher was a nanny elf.

"Of course, your Grace."

Sirius loved elf magic. In just moments he had a rolling lap desk, a writing box, and a fresh cup of tea with the teapot in easy reach (and the extra sandwiches). He opened the box to a stack of parchment, paper, four different colors of ink, and a gold-nibbed china dip pen.

"And if you think he's in danger, do bring him back with you. I'll leave it up to your discretion, but I will be asking you to check on him a few times a day, see he's fed and all that. And here, this will tell him who you are and to trust you." Sirius handed him a hastily scrawled note.

"Kreacher will see to him." And he popped out.

Wonderful elf—quills transferred a bit of one's magical signature along with the ink, which accounted for their use at Hogwarts, while pens could be made magically inert—a dip pen was just what he needed for the first bit.

To Director Bones...

His nib flowed smoothly over the heavy laid paper.

Kreacher popped into existence just outside the Privet Drive property line. It wouldn't do to pop right in and be bounced back. He reached out with his magic and felt for the wards. There they were, warm and close, unlike any blood wards he'd ever felt. But they wouldn't keep him out, not when he had a hamper full of food and a nascent bond with the boy.

He concentrated on the child, on that bond, and stepped through onto the property. Usually he'd magic himself anywhere he needed to go, but he wished to see the house first. He didn't think much of the street, with everything the same. Surely there could be some variety? But no, it went house after house with the same planting beds and the same plants and nothing unique or interesting at all.

He'd take one of those wretched flamingos the Muggles in the States liked to stake in the front garden. Or one of those hen and chicks sets. Some variety, at least. Appalling variety, but variety.

He would admit partiality to those spinning windmills. At least they weren't beige.

Kreacher moved quietly and cautiously toward the back door. They probably called that glass excrescence on the house a conservatory. He sneered at it, the useless thing. The Keep had an actual conservatory with tropical plants, kept by a specific set of Elves. They'd kept it up despite the family falling half to ruin, which meant His Grace would have pineapple for breakfast.

He could use the vitamins. Kreacher made a note to get an extra strength vitamin potion in the next apothecary order as he eased open the door and slipped in. The kitchen. Hmph. If you could call something so small a kitchen. A butler's pantry, more like. And they ate in there. Barbarians, clearly. Hadn't they heard of dining rooms? Oh, they had one…were those dust covers? Did they not use the room?

Something blared an awful noise from the front of the house. Kreacher crept down the hall and poked his head around the doorway. A large young man lolled on the sofa, watching a picture change rapidly on a screen. No child of House Black would laze in such a way. But, Kreacher supposed, he hadn't seen any books about. Perhaps the boy only had this crass form of entertainment.

It seemed preferable to the stultifying uniformity of outside.

He slipped up the stairs, making for the boy's room. He stopped outside the door, ears quivering in rage. Locks. Locks and a flap on the outside. One lock he could understand—most doors could be locked—but all of those and only on the outside? And the flap at the bottom? That meant one thing, even if it wasn't in use at the time. The mere presence…

Kreacher popped himself into the bedroom. He sneered before he could stop himself. It did not come even remotely close to the standard of living for an Heir of two Houses. While he didn't approve of pampering and coddling young people, he wouldn't even let the hippogryph live there. Everything looked close to falling apart, from the sad little desk to the lumpy camp mattress. The boy barely even had a bed.

And it wasn't even plain deal furniture. That would be cheap but sturdy enough. It seemed to be made of that wretched material that they made from wood. His nose wrinkled at the smell of the glues holding it together. He could do something about it, though.

Concentrating for a moment, he ran his fingers over the depressing bed. It changed in a moment from a wobbly thing he wouldn't let a dog sleep on to a proper wooden bed. Not a four-poster, but it had a headboard and a footboard and came from Black House's attics. He changed the mattress the same way, importing bedding from the linen closet. He wouldn't get rid of the current linens—children could be strange about blankets—but he could leave them folded in a basket.

The desk went next, changed for a lovely study desk and a sturdy chair. If the boy liked the furniture, he'd have it brought when they relocated him. The wardrobe he barely wanted to touch, but he exchanged it for something more fitting.

They'd have to exchange the boy's wardrobe, too.

Kreacher had just finished laying a thick carpet on the floor and freshening the walls when the boy walked in and stopped dead.

Kreacher froze for a moment, watching the boy stare around the room. He turned after some blinking and walked out. Kreacher set out the tea things he'd brought on a pie crust table set up next to a big, squashy arm chair and low bookshelf. He had it on good authority that young people liked arm chairs like that. It was a bit of a squish to get it in with the other furniture, but the table top tilted down and could be stored up against the wall. And it was worth it to give the child a place to sit and read in comfort.

The boy walked back in and blinked even more gormlessly at the tea set.

"Er…who are you? And…what's all this?"

"His Grace sends a letter to his heir." Kreacher said by way of answer, holding out the note.

The boy took it and blinked at that for a moment as well.

"So, you're Kreacher?" He asked.

"Yes." Kreacher continued unpacking the hamper he'd brought. Did no one feed the child? He looked skinnier than His Grace.

"And Sirius sent you to…" he squinted at the parchment. Ah, he'd need new glasses. "To make sure I'm properly taken care of?"

"Until His Grace can retrieve you. He does not wish to leave you here, but he must secure his freedom first. Would the Heir like a private bath?"

The boy opened his mouth, made a strangled sort of noise, and closed it again.

"Kreacher will take that as a yes. Does the Heir require a closet? Kreacher can use that and there is the armoire."

"You can do that?" His voice cracked at the end. "And…will they know?"

"Of course Kreacher can do that. And the relatives will never see. They see only what they foisted upon you " Kreacher wanted to smite the person who buried this boy in the mundane world. Magic sparked and swirled around him, shimmering and simmering with his emotions. How they thought he'd ever thrive cut off from ambient magic Kreacher didn't know. "Kreacher can ensure the Heir never has to see those people with whom he is forced to share a home."

"Really?" He worried the note between his fingers. "I…I'd like that, but Aunt Petunia has things she wants me to do and mostly she wants me out of the house."

"Kreacher can arrange for work to be done." He poked his head into the closet. It would do. "The Heir should not be cutting grass and weeding such an uninspired…garden. It isn't seemly."

"But it would be fine if it were a nicer garden?" He seemed quick enough to do House Black justice. That sly little smile reminded him of a very young Arcturus. Arcturus the third, that was, not the most recent one. He grinned in a most unseemly manner.

"The Heir should not do the heavy work." Kreacher concentrated for a moment and the closet grew in size. "Unless he very much wishes to. His Grace used to help at harvest time at Black Keep."

Kreacher watched, directing the flow of his magic, as fixtures grew in the space. They weren't fancy, but a young man didn't necessarily need marble to live, no matter How Grace's views on the subject. And the boy looked as if he wouldn't be comfortable with opulence. Serviceable porcelain - a sink in a sturdy teak cabinet, commode, and claw foot tub - filled the space. Kreacher added a window for ventilation and outfitted the space with towels and other necessities with a snap. The Black House stores would be replenished later.

"You could call me Harry." The boy suggested. "Er, if it's allowed? I'm sorry. I'm not sure how any of this works."

"You will learn," Kreacher promised. "But Kreacher must check on His Grace. He…" how to finish without insulting anyone?

"He gets bored." Master Harry finished.

He understood. Kreacher breathed easier.

"It does not do to allow that. Kreacher will return later and add a private entrance. There is tea on the table, books you should read on the shelves, and fresh clothing in the armoire. Practice wearing it."

"I…yes…thank you. This is…" he gestured around. "More than anyone has done for me before."

"His Grace is determined to be a proper guardian." Kreacher paused for a moment. "And Kreacher actually knows how to care for young people. Now, have tea." And he popped back to Black House.

#the poshest bedstead in islington #sirius black #kreacher #kreacher has opinions #sirius contemplates the wonders of tea #and sandwiches #and scones

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bxtchforstyles · 4 years ago

Text

Political Love

Harry Styles x president's child!Y/N

Y/N was the granddaughter of the current leading president candidate, making her and Harry's relationship, well, complicated.

Warnings: none

Word count: 3.5k+

gif not mine.

“Okay, you have to be quiet, or else we are definitely going to get caught.” Y/N seethes to her boyfriend as she opens the sliding glass door to the back entrance of her home.

“Don’t you have like security guards and shit, I mean, you are the President’s granddaughter.” He asks in a hushed tone, making her press her finger sternly to her own lip, signaling for him to be quiet.

“One, yes I have security guards but they stay by the gates at night, no point in them watching me sleep. And two, he’s not president yet, so not many people even know who I am.” Y/N grabs Harry’s hand, pulling him the rest of the way through the door before using only the tips of her fingers to shut it closed, trying to make the least amount of noise as possible.

The large back living room that was attached to the back porch was where they stood, surveying the area to make sure they had not woken up anyone else in the house. It seemed to be clear as they made their way towards the kitchen.

Y/N’s house was definitely significantly different from Harry’s. She had always grown up very wealthy, coming from a large family line of politicians and lawyers. It wasn’t like Harry was poor, because he was definitely a part of one of the wealthier families in Y/N and Harry’s small hometown, but it was nothing compared to his girlfriend who lived in a million dollar gated community.

The kitchen was ginormous, with large granite countertops along with white cabinets that had slabs of glass in them, so you could see the expensive china that had hardly been touched inside of them. There was also beautiful dark wood colored flooring that lined the kitchen up until the carpet of the living room.

There was also another living room that was immediately connected to the kitchen with tall, twenty foot ceilings, a giant flatscreen T.v mounted on the wall, and a sizable gray sectional that wrapped the entirety of the room. The staircase to go towards Y/N’s room sat in the entryway towards the front of her house, which is where their end goal was.

As the couple made their way through the first floor of Y/N’s house, they pretty much stayed silent, besides for the few times Harry attempted to sneak kisses while they tiptoed through the living room, which Y/N had to quickly shut down before they got taken away and got caught.

The stairs were old in her house, it was almost like one of those old victorian style houses, with white picket fences and rustic wooden flooring. So, trying to make it up the large staircase without anyone hearing the dilemma was most certainly a challenge.

“Can’t you just step on the stairs at the same time as me?!” She seethed under her teeth as she turned back to look at her boyfriend, guilt twisting his features.

“Okay, okay!” He responded, attempting to match her foot patterns as they quietly snuck up the remainder of the staircase.

The door to Y/N’s bedroom door finally creaked shut as she winced at the sound from behind the door. Harry was already comfortably sprawled out over Y/N’s queen size bed, like he had done many other times before. The two of them were only seventeen, so they rarely ever did anything explicit, especially in Y/N’s house.

She turned the lock on her bedroom door quickly before making her way over to her boyfriend, crawling into her bed alongside him. She laid her head on his chest, wrapping one of her legs around his lower torso. His arm wrapped around her easily as he pressed his head into her soft, curled hair.

Y/N reached over toward her small nightstand, grabbing her remote that laid on top of it. Flicking her T.v on before turning the volume almost all the way down. Neither of the two know why they even bothered to turn the television on whenever they laid in Y/n’s bed, since they just talked over the low volume show anyways.

“Ya know, I’ve never really questioned why your room looks like a princess fairytale threw up all over it before.” Harry laughed as he glanced around his girlfriend’s room.

It was true, Y/N’s room looked like a child’s bedroom of someone who lived in a castle. Her bed posts on all four corners of it that extended all the way up to the ceiling, along with a curtained canopy surrounding it.

“Shut up!” She pouted as she hid her face in his chest, “I like it.”

“I was just kidding darling, I like it too.” He pulled her face back up so he could look at her properly. “It’s very fitting.”

She leaned up towards Harry’s face, giving him a gentle kiss, melting into him. They stayed like that for a moment before leaning her forehead against his, letting her eyelashes brush against his as her eyes fluttered shut.

“You know, we won’t be able to do this once you’re living in the White House.” Harry reminded her with a small smirk as they both stared at the small chandelier that hung above the canopy of her bed.

“I know.” She sighed pathetically, not wanting to admit that if her grandfather won the election, it was very unlikely that she would see him as much as she does now. “I’m just going to have to tell my family about us before the election day.”

Harry pressed a small kiss to the girl’s creased forehead, “You do whatever you want, whenever you’re ready.”

“No, no, I’m going to have to tell them sooner rather than later.” She denied his attempt to comfort her, “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? They don’t even know who you are, so why would they hate you?”

“Exactly, baby.”

-----

“Oh shit, oh shit.” Y/N gasped as she heard the knocking on her bedroom door, feeling Harry’s arms snaked around her waist.

“Y/N? Darling, why is your door closed?” Her mother’s voice echoed from the outside of the wooden doorframe.

She quickly grabbed one of the many throw pillows that laid at the end of her bed, swiftly hitting Harry upside the head with it.

Before he could groan in unamusement, he felt his girlfriend’s hand quickly cup over his mouth, “You have to hide! My mom is trying to come in.” That made Harry move faster than he had ever before.

He quickly gathered his few things that he had discarded onto the nightstand before quickly making his way into the walk in closet that was connected to Y/N’s room, shutting the door quickly behind him.

“Y/N?” Her mother called again.

She was now sitting up in her bed, trying to contain herself before she had to get out of bed to unlock her door and allow her mom inside.

“One second!”

“Why have you got your door locked? Are you doing something you aren’t supposed to be doing in there?”

“No, no! Just trying to wake myself up for a moment!” Once Y/N finally gained her composure she stood up from her bed, sliding her feet into an old raggedy pair of slippers off of the floor next to her bed.

Y/N’s mother was already in her work attire when the door opened, she was leaning against the wall of the hallway, her hair cascading down her shoulders smoothly as she straightened out her suit jacket quickly.

“G’ morning” Y/N yawned, opening the door wider before turning back to walk inside her room, sitting at her vanity.

“Morning,” Her mother replies, taking only a step past the doorframe of her daughter's bedroom. “I just thought I’d come say hi before heading to the office for the day. Do you need anything before I leave?”

Y/N looked up towards her ceiling, pretending to think for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, “No, not that I can't think of.”

“Very well then.” The woman had a look on her face as she glanced suspiciously around her daughter’s room. “What is that?”

The girl felt her stomach drop, looking towards the floor where she was pointing. Sitting there wound up in a ball, was Harry’s shirt that he had discarded onto the floor before falling asleep last night.

“O-oh”

Observing her mother's face, she had a feeling as if her mom already knew what the piece of clothing was. “Oh goodness! Look at the time, I have to leave!”

“Okay, bye mom. Love you!” The younger girl called as the suit-clad lady made her way back towards the staircase at the end of the hall.

Before she could reach the stairs though, she replied quickly, “Your father will be home before supper, make sure you get all your school work done! Love you!”

As soon as Y/N hears the familiar sound of her mother's heels clomping down the stairs, she shuts her door, leaning against the back of it as she lets out an exaggerated sigh of relief.

“Am I good to come out now?” The closet door creaks open a small amount as Harry's head pops out of it slightly.

She nods, her head still leaned back in miserly as she looked at her ceiling. “I'm sorry.” she exhaled.

“Hey,” Harry grabbed her hand from where it was pressed against the door. “It's fine, baby. I'm not worried about it, and you shouldn't be either.”

It was quite obviously bothering her more than she was letting on, and Harry knew that, she didn’t have to let on a ton for him to be able to tell something was wrong. He also knew exactly what was bothering her.

She had always been scared to tell her family about Harry in fear of their reactions, and it never really came between their relationship early on because Y/N was very rarely home, making it easy for her to go to Harry’s house, or for the couple to go on dates.

But ever since her parents had demanded she spends more time at home with her family due to her grandfather’s election currently going on, it was very rare that she ever got much alone time with her boyfriend.

And she felt guilty about it.

“I-I just wish I could spend more time with you, and i wish that you could see how hard i’m trying, a-and-” The tears that started rolling down her face broke Harry’s heart, she couldn’t even finish her sentence because of how hard she was crying.

“C’mere love,” He pulled her frail body into his own chest, “It’s okay, sweetheart, it’s okay. I do see how hard you are trying and I know how hard this has been on you. I’m not mad, or upset, just take a breath.”

She completely crumbled into her boyfriend’s grip, sliding down the wall next to her door, “I’m such a bad girlfriend, I know I am. I’m sorry.”

“Woah, woah.” Harry stopped dead in his tracks, reaching down towards Y/N’s face that was hidden in his chest, pulling it up so her eyes met his own. “Don’t you dare say that, now or ever.”

“You,” He emphasized, pressing the pads of his thumbs against her cheekbones, “are everything I could have ever dreamed of, Y/n. You are absolutely perfect.”

It was insane how the mood had changed in the room so fast. Now Harry was seeing all of the pressure that his girlfriend had been building upon herself, and it had finally all come crashing down.

A heavy breath that Y/N felt like she had been holding for much too long finally fell past her lips as she tried to compose her emotions. She felt like a fool in the moment, having her boyfriend see her in such a state of distress.

“Sorry, sorry.” He backed out of his embrace, trying to act as if nothing had happened, “I’m fine...everything’s fine.”

“I want you to know that it’s okay to be upset, or frustrated, or afraid. I want you, and everything else that comes along with you, I just want to help, that’s it.” Harry tries to explain to Y/N.

Sh nuzzled her face against his shoulder blade, “Thank you.”

He kisses the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her shoulders “Don’t thank me.”

-----

“Y/N! Are you coming?” The booming voice echoed up the stairs, making Y/N snap her head towards the sound.

She was currently trying to put her last earring in her ear and put her small black heels on at the same time. They were already late, which was not a good first impression when your family is possibly about to be living in the whitehouse.

She hurried herself downstairs, but not before grabbing her phone off the charger and shoving it quickly in the dainty clutch she was planning on carrying around with her for the night.

Once she got to the bottom of the stairs, she stopped in the foyer to look at herself in the mirror, she felt two hands hold onto her shoulders from behind, “You look beautiful, sweetie, now come on, we have to leave.” It was her mother.

Their whole family was supposed to be dressed to the nines for the fancy dinner they were attending. Ever since the first time her grandfather ran for senate, the night before election day, the whole family would go out to a family dinner for good luck.

And it seemed to work, because her grandpa had won every election he’d ever ran in. But this was definitely the most important, because he wasn’t just running for senate, or congress, he was running for president.

It was nerve wracking to say the least.

When Y/N and her parents finally made it out the door, they were met with the signature black SUV in the driveway, along with two big buff men in fancy black suits standing near the doors, preparing to open them for the family.

The entire way to the restaurant Y/N’s mother gave her the same speech she gave her anytime they went to a function involving her grandfather and his career.

‘Be polite, don’t say anything out of turn, do not act foolish, do not throw food, do not act up with the cousins...blah blah blah.’

Waking into the large ballroom where the dinner was being held was absolutely insane. The first things that had caught Y/N’s eyes were the large chandeliers that had been hung all along the ceiling, one above every table. The glitter that covered the dance floor along with the arched balloon entrance made the entire space look like an old fashioned masquerade, and it was absolutely beautiful.

“Wow.” She gasped as her mother pulled her by the hand, leading her towards the large table in the center of the others, where her family always sat. “This is amazing. You planned this, didn't you?”

Her mother smiled brightly as she nodded, looking around the room with a proud look on her face. “Have you met me, daughter?” She then smirks.

Y/N laughed, deciding to begin walking around to look at all of the decorations around the large ballroom. Of course Y/N and her entire family had known of Y/N’s mother to be very over the top, but this year’s fancy dinner was nothing like the ones of previous years.

There were cakes, desserts, and balloons everywhere you looked. A large banner that said “congratulations future Mr. President!” hung up along the large wall in front of their families table.

As Y/N continued to look around, she noticed the overwhelming amount of people, to which her mother told her “We invited everyone who had ever had anything to do with Pop’s success.”

It was sweet, seeing all new people who were there to support her grandfather.

“Y/N?” She hears a familiar voice call quietly from behind her, she whips her head around to see who was speaking. “Hi baby.” Harry whispers.

“Oh my-” She cuts herself off, looking at her boyfriend with wide eyes. “What are you doing here” She asks in a rush.

“My parents got invited, said that your grandpa was an old friend of theirs.”

“What a small world.” Y/N smiles, hugging Harry quickly as to not draw speculation before pulling away. “I'm sorry i have to be so discrete, it's just that- well, my parents are luring around here somewhere and-”

Harry cuts her off, “I know, Y/N, I know.”

“You know what,” Y/N grabbed his hand, pulling him along with her.

“Babe, what are you doing?” Harry asked with a light smile as Y/N got closer and closer to where her family was sitting. He was starting to get nervous, not knowing what Y/N was planning on doing.

A few moments later Y/N seas standing at the edge of the table where her family was sitting, hand in hand with Harry. A few of her cousins gav them confusing looks when they saw their intertwined hands, but most of the family didn't even notice, only exchanging hellos quickly.

“This is Harry, he's my boyfriend.” Harry almost choked on his own spit when she said it, especially so suddenly.

There were some shocked expressions and some were confused with how the two even knew each other, but for the most part, the reaction was pretty positive.

“Oh really?” Her mother asked, looking up at Y/N from where she was sitting. “I've met Harry's family, only heard good things about him.”

Y/N let out a sigh of relief at her mother's support, that was before she looked over at her father.

His eyebrows were furrowed with a sour look on his face, “I don't understand how you think you can go and get a secret boyfriend, date him for weeks, or months, or whatever, without my knowledge and think it's okay.”

“Dad-” Y/N was cut off.

“This is not how I raised you, keeping secrets like this.”

“Honey,” Her mother looked at Y/N’s father with a stern look on her face. “She's telling us now, you can't expect her to tell us every single thing about her life. Like I said, I've only heard good things about Harry. You should just be happy that your child is happy.”

His face seemed to relax a bit, Y/N’s hand suddenly holding Harry's much tighter in fear of what he was going to say next. “You treat my girl alright?” His question was directed towards Harry, making him fix his posture and look at his girlfriend's father personally.

“Dad-” This was not how Y/N wanted this conversation to be going.

“Of course I do, sir.” Harry cut her off, making her father nod.

“Good.”

Y/N raised her eyebrows, “good?”

“As long as you're happy, angel” It was shocking to Y/N how understanding her father became so quickly. She was expecting it to take at least a couple weeks.

“thank you, dad.” She wrapped her dad in a hug, finally feeling relieved.

“of course, pumpkin.”

-----

“Well that was fun, wasn't it?” Harry laughed as he and Y/N danced together.

Y/N nodded as she laughed, “Yeah, it definitely was.”

It was getting close to the end of the night at the dinner party. Everyone had eaten dinner and had their dessert, and now was the relaxing part of the night where everyone just hung out, danced and had a good time.

Y/N’s hands were on Harry's shoulders, his hands on her waist as they swayed gently to the music that was playing slowly throughout the room.

Harry had been admiring the dress Y/N was wearing for quite some time now, she looked beautiful. The dress she had chosen was a gorgeous, golden ball gown that flared at her waist and ruffled all of the way down to her ankles. You could also see the sleek, while stiletto heels on her small feet.

“You look absolutely stunning, sweetheart.”

A small blush quickly rose to the girls cheeks, “Thank you.” She smiled back at him, “You look great too, you should wear suits more often, they look really good on you.”

Everyone looked so happy, including Pop, who had come up to Y/N and Harry during dinner to congratulate them, which the couple found pretty ironic that the (hopefully) soon to be president was congratulating them at his election dinner party.

But Y/N was especially happy among the room full of people, standing here, dancing with Harry like she had always wanted. The life that she had always envisioned with Harry was finally being pieced together, no more secrets, no more hiding.

They could just be Them. Harry and Y/N.

“I love you.” Y/N’s eyes widened when she had registered what she had just blurted out, her hand falling over her agape mouth.

All Harry did was smile though, kissing her on the forehead before softly saying, “I love you too.”

Thank you to the anon who suggested this! i really love it and might make it a series? what do you guys think?!<3

#harry styles #harry styles blurb #harry styles blog #harry styles x ofc #harry styles imagine #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x reader #harry styles x you #solo harry #presidents child! Y/N

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