#also i thought he did it bcs of one of the sister signing his nursery rhyme

[lac-c-c-conchadetumadre]

Ha was so excited to see one of the serpent sisters die by touching Mida's hand-

[12tardis]

Empire Line (Part 1/?)

Warnings: none

Summary: Newt has been in love with you since your second year at Hogwarts. You have been in love with Newt for nearly as long. You’re both ridiculously oblivious and you think he has feelings for Tina. Will Newt set the record straight before he loses you for good?

Pairings: Newt Scamander x Reader, Reader x OC (super brief)

A/N: Sooooooo this is part 1 of ? maybe 2 or 3 I really really really hope you like it bc I’ve slaved over this one. I’ve been wanting to write something more than just one shots for a while but my self esteem hit rock bottom this last couple months and that has bled over into my writing- hence why I’ve been so absent on here I’m so sorry fam ☹ In my head, this is a companion piece to I’m Gonna Keep You In Love With Me , it’s their origin story. Pls let me know your thoughts! I’d love to know what you think or where you think it’s headed. What do we think of Alistair?... Title: Empire Line by The National - literally listened to this on repeat while writing this

Taglist (I LOVE YALL): @auror-lovie @moonkissk7 @sagittarius-flowerchild @fishdonttouch @cal-ifornication @haileygarciasunshine

You had been completely in love with your best friend Newt Scamander since your school days at Hogwarts. You two had been inseparable since you first met and were now living together in a shared flat in London as you had been for the past few years since graduation.

You had tried to make your feelings known several times over the span of your friendship but Newt was either oblivious or pretending to be so he didn’t have to deal with the awkwardness of turning you down. You thought it was the former but as the years drew on you grew suspicious because how could one person be so completely clueless?

The unrequited love was recently becoming harder and harder for you to push aside. Your heart ached with every letter he exchanged with your dear friend Tina and your stomach knotted every time he would mention her in passing.

At the end of the day his happiness was all that mattered to you and if Tina was the one to bring him that then you would accept it. You just weren’t sure how you would bear it when they finally did get together.

Maybe it was time for you to move on and open your heart up to other possibilities. Merlin knows there’d been plenty of willing men ever the years, but you’d always held out hope that the love of your life would one day return your feelings.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to settle for someone else.

Once you finished your cup of tea you set the empty mug in the sink and grabbed your handbag before you left the flat, starting the journey to your workplace. Walking through the streets distractedly you thought over all the times you had tried to tell Newt how you felt.

The most recent time was when you’d been standing beside him a few months ago, posing for a photo for the newspaper at one of his book signings. You were so immensely proud of Newt for his hard work and dedication in pursuing his passion despite everyone that had ridiculed him for it throughout his life.

You had accompanied him in his travels while he wrote the book and had only fallen more in love with your best friend as you watched him in his element. And you thought maybe he may have returned your feelings considering he’d dedicated the book to you. Even his brother Theseus had dropped a couple of not-so-subtle hints your way regarding you and his younger brother.

So, as you stood beside him a few months ago at his first book signing you held his hand tightly in your own. You were pressed close to him and beaming with pride for the camera and you caught yourself glancing up at him where he stood beside you. He looked so uncomfortable and nervous in front of the camera but at the same time he was just so ridiculously handsome. You continued to gaze up at him adoringly after the photographer had moved on, squeezing his hand.

“I love you.”

You uttered the words before you could even stop yourself. It just felt so right and after everything that had happened over the past few months you were certain you had ‘something’. But when he looked back down at you with a crooked smile and squeezed your shoulder casually you felt a sinking sensation in your stomach.

“I love you too,” he said back with such ease that you just knew he only meant it as a friend. Your smile dropped for a split second, but you quickly composed yourself, letting go of his hand.

“Aaaaand I’m going to go find myself a drink,” you said in a fake bright voice, leaving him behind, completely unaware of the way he was staring after you yearningly.

What you didn’t see was the older woman that stepped over to him telling him that you were a lovely couple. And you definitely didn’t see the way he smiled back at the woman, thanking her softly as he continued to look at your retreating figure.

People were always mistaking you for a couple. It had been a regular occurrence since you were 5th years but unbeknownst to you - Newt had recently stopped correcting people when they made the same assumption. Instead opting to smile warmly in response and allow himself to get lost in the illusion for the briefest moment.

                                          -     -     -     -     -     -

You sighed to yourself as you reminisced on the memory, slipping your apron over your head once you arrived at work. That particular moment had taken you a good few weeks to get over.

Were you that undesirable to Newt that he didn’t even consider the possibility of you harbouring romantic feelings for him beyond friendship?

And then there’d been the numerous events you’d asked him to over the years.

You had been the one to ask him to the Yule Ball in your 6th year.

You’d asked him to attend your brother's wedding with you a few years after.

Once again you’d asked him to go as your date with you to a cocktail ball your work company held just the previous year.

And each and every time he knocked you back. His excuses ranged from: ‘it’s not my scene’, to ‘Pickett is under the weather’. And each rejection hurt more than the last.

To his credit though, he did eventually change his mind each time and always ended up being the best plus one there ever was. But that didn’t quite erase the embarrassment and heartache you felt every time he turned you down.

Just last week you’d asked him to go with you to your old school friend’s wedding. You’d thought he’d agree easily this time as Sarah was a mutual Hufflepuff friend of both of yours and she and Newt had always gotten along but he’d simply told you, “I’ll think about it,” before he had scurried off to his bedroom.

“Excuse me, are you open yet?” You snapped out of your musings once more when you heard the first customer for the day enter the shop, plastering a bright smile on your face. You were determined to have a good day.

                                           -     -     -     -     -     -

Newt walked into the kitchen shortly after you’d left for the day, frowning when he saw you had indeed left without saying goodbye and that you’d forgotten your lunch too.

He was worried about you lately. You usually always wished him a good day before you headed off anywhere and you hadn’t done so a couple of times now during the last few weeks. You also appeared to be forgetting meals here and there too.

You had been uncharacteristically quiet since the two of you had returned back from New York and Newt figured you must have been upset about leaving behind Queenie and Tina.

He knew how much you had bonded with the Goldstein sisters and he’d tried his best to cheer you up but everything he tried appeared to be futile as the smile would disappear from your face after a few moments and you’d just go back to tending to your plants or reading your books.

The only thing that seemed to grab your attention was when he would talk about Tina so he found himself mentioning the other woman most days, feeling a sense of relief when you would actually utter more than a few words in response. But something still seemed off.

He didn’t have the slightest clue about the heart ache you felt each time he uttered the other woman’s name.

Newt grabbed your lunch off of the counter and made his way to your workplace, figuring he could grab some things from the nearby grocers afterwards. He was planning to cook your favourite meal for dinner in the hopes to cheer you up a bit and maybe ask if there was something upsetting you recently.

Smiling to himself when he arrived at the small plant nursery where you worked, he leaned in the doorframe as he watched you tend to the plants, humming quietly to yourself. He saw you happy and at ease for the first time in weeks and he couldn’t help the grin that spread on his face at seeing you huff in annoyance when you couldn’t reach one of the hanging plants, stretching up onto your toes to try and reach the offending plant. How could one person be so adorable?

He was just about to step in and retrieve it for you when another gentleman walked over to you, resting a hand on your waist as he leant over you to grab the planter down. The smile dropped from Newt’s face immediately as he watched this man grin down at you, still completely in your personal space.

The mystery man set the plant down on the counter in front of you and Newt felt bile rise in his throat at the giggle you let out when the man leant in even closer to you, brushing some soil from your face. He was obviously a co-worker of yours and Newt felt awful because he should have been happy that you were happy, considering your previous co-worker had been horrible to you but when he saw the way the other guy still had his hand on your waist he felt nothing but jealousy.

Who was this guy?

Why hadn’t you told him you had a new co-worker?

You usually told him everything.

He thought you told him everything.

And WHY was the guy still gripping your waist like that?

Jealousy. It was a rare feeling for him to experience but it definitely wasn’t a new one. He’d experienced it every time someone had come along over the years and dared to look at you a little too long, or touch you with too much familiarity.

And every time, he felt like the world's biggest ass because he knew he didn’t have some claim to you. You weren’t some prize to be won or fought over, and yet here he was, gritting his teeth as he watched the other man make you laugh and swoon, just like he wished he could.

It took him back to the very first time he’d experienced the wrath of the green-eyed monster when you were 3rd years at Hogwarts.

                                           -     -     -     -     -     -

Newt was rushing towards the common room to find you with the new Pixie he’d just found hidden in his robes. He was excited to show you his discovery because you’d been particularly fascinated in the pixies when you’d studied them in class but as he stepped into the common room he was entirely unprepared for the sight that greeted him.

Pierce Brixley, one of the popular Hufflepuff 5th years, was gripping your shoulders and saying something to you with a megawatt smile on his face.

He couldn’t quite make out what either of you were saying as he made his way towards you, pausing in his tracks when Pierce leant in and planted an eager kiss on your cheek. Newt then felt a foreign twisting sensation in his stomach as he watched you lift a hand to your cheek to brush over where Pierce’s lips had just been, laughing while you waved to the older boy as he turned to leave.

“You saved my life, Y/N!”, Pierce called out to you over his shoulder as he rushed to leave the room. Newt noticed the other boy had a potted plant grasped in his hands.

“Oh, hi Newt!”, he grinned but Newt simply nodded at him wordlessly, watching him leave the common room in a rush.

He didn’t know what this strange feeling was that had just washed over him. Newt really liked Pierce. The older Hufflepuff had gotten him out of strife with some of his bullies several times and had even offered to help him with his studies from time to time.

So why did Newt suddenly feel the urge to jinx him?

“There you are! I’ve been looking for you since Charms”, you beamed at him, practically bounding over to him and tipping your head aside at the blank expression he wore.

“What was that about?”, he asked, completely ignoring your earlier statement, feeling a twitch of annoyance when you frowned at him in confusion “with Pierce,” he quickly clarified.

“Oh! Right that,” you laughed, shaking your head.

“He was panicking yesterday because it’s his girlfriend's birthday tomorrow and he accidentally squashed the Puffapod he’d gotten for her but it was fine because I found some growing out by the pumpkin patch- remember that time?”, you barely paused for breath, waiting for him to nod in affirmation.

“Yeah so I just gave him a new one that I dug up today. And now I have a sad but still hopeful Puffapod of my own to nurse!” You smiled as you held up the crushed and wilted flower for him to see.

And just like that the foreign sensation in his gut was gone and he felt normal again.

“So, I got him out of a pickle apparently but I’m not too sure about that because I don’t know who in their right mind thinks a Puffapod is a romantic gift! They make you dizzy if you mishandle them, did you know that? I certainly wouldn’t appreciate that as a gift.”

You rambled on so quickly that Newt was struggling to keep up, but he couldn’t stop his growing smile because he absolutely loved listening and watching you go off on tangents. You were so passionate about plants and flowers and he utterly adored the way your eyes would light up when you got carried away talking about them.

He gazed back at you as you continued to talk about the qualities of a Puffpod while you inspected the plant in your hands, trailing your fingers over the foliage.

“So, what kind of gift would you appreciate then?” he chuckled, smiling softly back at you and you blinked back at him because it wasn’t really something you had thought about.

“Uh...just something that shows genuine thought and care I guess- WAIT is that a Pixie?!”

                                           -     -     -     -     -     -

Newt was broken out of his daydreaming when he heard you laugh once more, and he cleared his throat when he decided you had spent way too long gazing back at the mystery man.

He gritted his teeth when said man was the one to turn to greet him while you went back to watering the plants, not noticing his presence in the shop.

“Hi there! How can I help you today?”, your co-worker said brightly, heading around the counter towards Newt.

Newt held up the lunch bag in his hand. “I came to see Y/N”, he said flatly, so flatly that he almost didn’t recognise his own voice.

Newt stared at you desperately feeling some of the tension leave him when you looked up to see him, a bright smile appearing on your face not a moment later.

“Newt!”

You smiled happily at him instinctively. You were always happy to see him, that much had never changed. It was just when you pictured him with Tina that that miserable shadow would fall over you again.

You cocked your head aside as you bounded over to him and Newt was entirely distracted by the sensation of his heart swelling on his chest at the sight of you, looking just like you did that time in your 3rd year.

Your lips parted when you recognised he was holding your lunch that you hadn’t even realised you’d forgotten. “Oh goodness, I totally forgot. Thank you, Newt! What would I do without you?”, you pecked him on the cheek quickly as you took the bag from him.

Newt blushed as he usually would at your affection, but he also felt a small sense of pride when he noticed the way your co-worker’s eyebrows shot up at the kiss.

“Starve probably,” he answered with a teasing smile, pausing when he spotted some lingering soil on your cheek that the other man had obviously failed to brush away.

He lifted his hand without a moment's hesitation and slowly and gently thumbed away the remaining dirt from your skin. Not noticing the way you held your breath and leant into his touch instinctively.

“I’ll see you later”, Newt murmured, dropping his hand quickly when he realised how long he’d been staring at you. He allowed his hand to brush down your arm, squeezing your hand in his own momentarily before he stepped away from you.

“Have a good day, Y/N,” he called looking back at you once he was in the doorway, simply nodding at your co-worker before he left the shop.

That evening when you arrived home to find Newt preparing your favourite meal for dinner, you’d felt a small spark of hope flourish in your chest, wondering if maybe he was trying to be romantic. Especially after that moment in the shop.

The meal was perfect, and you were sat there gazing back at Newt adoringly with your chin resting in your palm while he told you about his day with the creatures.

He paused in his ramblings as he got up “oh I nearly forgot, Tina wrote us both,” he grabbed two envelopes from the kitchen counter, passing you yours with a wide smile.

And just like that you felt all your hopes fade away once again. This time it really hurt to see the soft smile on his lips as he looked down at his own letter that looked considerably thicker than yours.

Of course it would be thicker than yours.

They were probably writing full romantic essays back and forth by now.

You plastered on a smile of resignation, pocketing your own letter and going straight to your bedroom once you’d finished cleaning up. Having no idea that Tina had actually written to Newt in great detail of all the reasons why she felt he needed to share his feelings for you.

                                        -     -     -     -     -     -

Newt had read over Tina’s letter at least a dozen times over the following week, knowing logically that everything the woman had written was true.

‘I know you’re nervous. Especially after all this time but you’ve known Y/N for so long now you know she would never ridicule you or lash out at you.

You should make the most of all the precious time you have together. Our time is never promised, I learnt that with the passing of my parents and there’s nothing I wouldn’t give to be able to tell them how much I loved them.

I can’t tell you for sure how she will respond but you will be able to finally rest without wondering what could be. Be brave Newt.’

He’d been re-reading that specific page over and over again and he was finally building a plan in his head of how he was going to tell you.

There had been so many moments over the years when he’d nearly told you of his feelings. The words had truly been on the very tip of his tongue more times than he could count.

But every time he grew anxious and backed out, promising himself he’d tell you ‘next time’.

The most recent time had been just a fortnight earlier when you’d been down in his case with him.

He went to the markets to fetch you a box of your favourite pastries and a bouquet of your favourite flowers, planning to present them to you when you got home from work. He had set the sweets and flowers in his study to give to you later before he’d headed down to check on the creatures, running through what he would say to you in his head as he cleaned around the enclosures.

“Newt?”, he startled when he heard your voice call for him because you weren’t due home for another hour. He looked up in time to see you coming down the stairs towards him.

“You will not believe who’s getting married!”, you said excitedly, waving the opened wedding invitation in front of his face “Sarah! Oh I’m so excited, it’s next month and the venue is incredible. Please come with me? Please?” you rambled on quickly.

Newt felt the courage to tell you of his feelings completely disappearing as he looked back at you and how beautiful you looked gushing excitedly over the wedding of your mutual Hufflepuff friend. “I-I’ll think about it,” he stammered, turning his attention back to his creatures because he simply couldn’t trust himself to look at you any longer without blurting out everything he had on his mind.

He was so focused on managing his own emotions that he was entirely oblivious to the hurt that washed over your features and the dejected way you slumped your shoulders before you left him alone in his case.

That evening he ended up tossing the pastries to Dougal and leaving the flowers on the doorstep of your workplace for you to find the next day, figuring it wouldn’t be too strange for a floral bouquet to show up at a plant and floral shop.

                                       -     -     -     -     -     -

The next time he worked up the courage to tell you how he felt wasn’t for another two weeks. The weeks had passed rather uneventfully as you both had continued on in your usual routines.

It was that morning as he watched you feeding the Mooncalves with the sweetest smile on your lips and Pickett perched on your shoulder that he decided he was going to try and tell you again.

You had seemed to perk up again recently so he took that as a good sign and once you’d left for work that day he once again went to buy you your favourite flowers and even booked a table at one of the restaurants you’d been nagging him to go to. Yes, he was going to put himself entirely out of his comfort zone tonight if it meant winning your heart.

Time got away from him though as he did a few other errands and got caught up in a menswear shop when he decided on a whim that he was going to buy a nice suit that you would hopefully like. He recalled you telling him how much you liked him in blue, so he was feeling quite confident with himself as he wandered back to the flat with his new blue suit and your flowers in hand.

It was 5.30 now. You would most likely be home from work but he figured that still gave you both ample time to get ready for dinner and enough time for him to plan out what he was going to say to you like he hadn’t already been rehearsing all day.

But his newfound confidence dissipated immediately as he approached the front door, hearing your voice and a distinct male voice that he didn’t recognise. Just like that he felt every last drop of courage drain from his body as he stepped into the flat and saw the very same co-worker from a few weeks ago.

He was sitting at the dining room table smiling back at you while you had your head tipped back in laughter at something that he’d said.

                                            -     -     -     -     -     -

Completely unbeknownst to Newt you had spent the last two weeks trying your very hardest to train your heart out of beating erratically every time you saw your best friend smile. Or stopping your stomach from doing somersaults every time he looked back at you with a little too much interest.

Sure, you loved him more than anything or anyone, but you simply couldn’t take any more of listening to him gush on and on about Tina. You knew it was time for you to move on.

So, you had to get over him and that meant turning your attention to your co-worker, Alistair. He was handsome, he was flirty, he was passionate about plants like you and most importantly he was into you.

You were still down in the dumps from Newt turning down your invite to Sarah’s wedding as you walked to work the next day but as you stepped towards the shop the most incredible bouquet of flowers sat waiting for you against the shop door. You felt your chest tighten as you scooped up the arrangement, seeing it was all your favourites.

“Blegh, who puts sunflowers with peonies and ranunculi?” Alistair said from beside you, having just arrived. You looked back at him suspiciously.

“...they’re my favourite flowers,” you said slowly, watching him closely because you were certain he’d heard you telling a customer that much just a few days ago.

“Oh, I knew that, I was just joking” Alistair played it off casually with a wink and such a charming smile that you were convinced he’d been the one to leave them for you.

When he set his hand on your waist and pressed a soft kiss to your cheek you were certain it had been him.

Who else could it be?

                                           -     -     -     -     -     -

“Oh hi, Newt! This is Alistair I’m not sure you’ve met properly yet,” you said brightly when you noticed Newt had arrived home, gesturing to the man sitting across from you. Alistair looked Newt up and down, keeping a pleasant smile on his face as he eyed the flowers Newt had tucked under his arm. Almost an exact replica of the bouquet from the other week, just in a different colour arrangement.

“Pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard plenty about you,” he said smoothly, holding his hand out to Newt.

Newt shook Alistair’s hand begrudgingly, feeling completely intimidated by just how classically handsome and built the other man was. He could never compare.

“Nice flowers you got there,” Alistair nodded at the bouquet just as you jumped to your feet excitedly, finally noticing the flowers.

“Uh...yeah I just found these on the doorstep,” Newt lied, holding the flowers out to you and stiffening at the calculating look Alistair was now giving him.

You blinked a few times as you took the stunning bouquet from Newt, whipping your head aside to look at Alistair.

“I KNEW it was you!”, you said happily as you poked a finger into Alistair’s chest, completely missing the look of confusion that passed over his face for a fleeting moment.

And missing the look of alarm Newt was giving you.

“You tried to pretend you didn’t know what my favourite flowers were! When did you even have the time to put them there?”, you giggled, truly thinking Alistair had managed to pull off such a romantic feat.

Newt gritted his teeth, feeling the strongest flare of jealousy yet when he saw Alistair quickly compose himself and plaster that stupid smug smirk back on his face “well I had them delivered of course,” he lied smoothly as his eyes flicked to Newt.

The two men locked eyes for a moment. Alistair was silently challenging Newt to tell you otherwise. Newt glanced back at you, opening his mouth to protest but he stopped himself just as quickly when he saw the happy glimmer in your eyes.

He just didn’t have the heart to ruin your good mood especially considering how down you had been lately.

So what if you thought the flowers came from Alistair? It was a harmless misunderstanding, right?

Not a moment later you were pressing a kiss to Alistair’s cheek and Newt was gritting his teeth again.

You wandered away to find a vase for the flowers, leaving the two men alone to just stare at each other. Alistair looked back at Newt and the stony expression he now wore, clearing his throat after a moment.

“I should really get going, Y/N,” he called out, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on Newt, another fake smile gracing his lips when you turned to look at him.

“It was nice to meet you, Newt.”

Alistair walked over to you and Newt wanted to die as he watched him press a kiss to the top of your head and saw the shy smile you gave him in return.

Newt briefly considered throwing the damn bouquet into his case for the creatures to feast on when you went to see Alistair off but when you returned to the room, he felt a horrible sense of guilt settle in his chest. You looked so happy and touched by the notion and he just didn’t have the will to wipe that smile from your face.

Would you have been so happy if you’d known who they were truly from?

Probably not.

“He seems nice,” he murmured quietly, staring back at you desperately and hoping you would realise the truth. But when you nodded your head in response, he knew it was a pointless hope.

“Yeah he’s lovely. He’s uh, a bit of a handful sometimes but he’s really sweet and he doesn’t get bored of all my plant talk,” you laughed, looking back at Newt, nodding at the bag he had in his hand “what did you buy?”

“Oh, just some stuff for in the case,” he lied quickly, forcing a smile at you before he walked away, pretending that his heart wasn’t in total shambles.

He decided it didn’t matter who the flowers were really from. All that mattered was that you were happy.

                                           -     -     -     -     -     -

Another week passed and Newt didn’t hear or see anything more of Alistair much to his relief. Strangely, you appeared to have slipped back into your more quiet subdued self and Newt was worried again.

Had Alistair done something to upset you maybe?

In actual fact you’d been wallowing for a few days now since you’d happened to glimpse one of Newt’s letters from Tina, mistakenly thinking it was yours.

‘Newt,

There is so much to admire about you. You are handsome and inspiring and truly one of a kind. I know Queenie agrees with me on this. Don’t sell yourself short. Much love,

Tina

Not only were you completely unaware that the true intention of the letter was more of a friendly pep talk on Tina’s behalf after Newt had written to her about his failure in telling you his feelings and detailing how charming Alistair was comparatively. But you were also hurt to think that Newt had neglected to tell you that he and Tina had made things official.

Sure, the letter was a little lacklustre and you could think of roughly two thousand things to add to the list of things to admire about Newt, but it was still clearly a letter between two people holding affection for one another.

It wasn’t an idea you really wanted to accept yet, so you decided the safest course of action for your bruised heart was to limit your time with Newt. So as a result, you’d been busying yourself throughout the week with your garden.

He would tell you about his new relationship with Tina when he was ready, and you would smile and support him like a good friend.

You’d been up in your bedroom all morning and Newt was concerned so he set about making you a cup of tea deciding he would go and check on you but he nearly dropped the mug in his hand when you came sweeping into the kitchen, dressed up to the nines in the most magnificent dress he’d never seen before.

Your lips were painted to perfection and your hair was styled to frame your face. His chest was aching from your sheer beauty.

“Y/N, you look...incredible,” he breathed, his mouth agape as he looked back at you. “What’s...what’s the occasion?”, he managed to ask eventually, moving closer to you instinctively.

You were completely taken aback by his reaction and his sweet words because he almost looked...awed? You shook the thought away, remembering the letter from Tina and frowned at him.

“It’s Sarah’s wedding? Remember you were invited? I told you about it last month?”, you walked away from him when the doorbell rang, and Newt stared after you helplessly.

Had Sarah’s wedding seriously snuck up that quickly?

Why hadn’t you mentioned it to him again?

Usually you would remind him of such events with a few weeks’ notice, giving him plenty of time to get his act together.

He felt his stomach drop and he understood exactly why you hadn’t mentioned the wedding to him again when he saw you pull the front door open, revealing a fancy suit-clad Alistair. You were taking a practical stranger as your date to the wedding of one of your oldest friends and boy did that feel like a kick in the guts.

“Y/N, didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to out-shine the bride on her wedding day?”, Alistair said loudly as he walked into the apartment, taking your hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. Newt rolled his eyes so hard he thought they might roll right out of his head.

“Oh, you won’t be saying that when you see Sarah. She’s actual perfection”, you smiled back at Alistair bashfully.

“I highly doubt there is going to be a single lady who can hold a candle to you today”, Alistair smirked, and Newt grit his teeth because that was something he could actually agree upon but just the way the other man was leering at you as he said it had Newt wanting to cover you up in one of his long coats. They always did swim on your frame.

Alistair eventually stopped his leering long enough to thrust a huge bouquet of flowers into your face. You raised your eyebrows because this time it was a giant bouquet of red roses.

“I thought it was about time to change it up a little, don’t you think?”, Alistair smiled, reaching out to toy with a strand of your hair, making Newt want to break his hand.

When you just stared at the roses wordlessly Alistair pressed a kiss to your cheek “I think Roses are much better suited to a lady such as yourself. Elegant, beautiful and the flower of romance.”

As you took the bouquet from Alistair and offered him a thankful smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes Newt found himself being thrown back into his Hogwarts days when he’d first learned the truth of why you didn’t like roses.

                                            -     -     -     -     -     -

“Now remember this spell will only heal minor injuries.  Anything beyond that and I highly suggest that you still take a visit to the hospital wing.” Professor Jamieson’s dry voice carried through the classroom.

“Now repeat after me ep-PIS-kee...Episkey. Good.”

Newt was sat beside you in charms class during your second year, fidgeting with his quill nervously as he prayed the Professor wouldn’t call on him to demonstrate for the class.

Professor Jamieson had a penchant for making the entire class demonstrate their pronunciation and wand motions and it was often a source of great embarrassment for Newt as he would stutter when the entire class was watching him.

Newt groaned quietly from his spot beside you when the teacher did just that and he began to bounce his knee nervously as the students began to take turns one by one.

He blinked in surprise when you lay your hand on his knee. You offered him a smile of comfort and he felt his nerves melt away for a moment as he found himself getting lost in your eyes and the soft curve of your lips.

That moment was short lived though as the Professor had the class begin to recite the spell and the motion one by one.

He desperately whispered the spell to himself under his breath, but of course once it was his turn he froze, staring down at his desk as he fumbled with his wand.

Everyone’s eyes were on him as you nudged him gently and the Professor called on him again.

“...Ep-p-p...p-pisskey,” his flushed deep red right to his ears as one Colin Fligshaw guwaffed with laughter, already mocking Newt from the back of the classroom.

“P-p-p-p please Professor! I only speak FREAK!”, Colin mocked, and Newt sat in complete humiliation wanting nothing more than to disappear as the other students began to laugh along.

That was until you threw your ink pot with shocking accuracy, hitting Colin in the middle of his head and sending the ink all over the boy and his robes “Merlin, YOU’RE A GIT, FLIGSHAW!”

Your angry voice carried through the classroom as everyone else sat in stunned silence and Newt stared at you like you’d grown a second head.

“Miss L/N, Mr Fligshaw, detention for a week! And 10 points from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor!”  

You scowled back at the other boy who at least had the decency to look ashamed, remembering the time you had made him pay for stealing Newt’s textbooks the year before. He’d had a sore ear for an entire week after you’d dragged him the length of the entire school, ranting and raving at him like a complete lunatic.

“Y/N, you didn’t have to do that. Now you’re gonna be stuck in detention,” Newt said when you were leaving the classroom and you frowned at the guilty expression he wore.

“Newt, you’re my best friend. I’m not just going to sit back and watch you be poked fun of. Plus, you’re going meet me after detention every day with snacks, aren’t you?”, you grinned back at him. You were only joking but Newt nodded in response.

And he did just that. Waiting diligently outside the detention hall for you each afternoon with your favourite snacks hidden in his robes that he’d pinched from the kitchens.

“You’re free!”, he hugged you when you’d finally finished serving your punishment at the end of the week, handing you a cinnamon bun that was still warm.

You hummed happily in appreciation wasting no time in chomping down on the pastry as Newt held out a letter for you to see “Look what my parents wrote me h-oh no!”, he tried to grasp for the paper when a gust of wind sent it flying out of his hand.

You quickly chased after it across the courtyard and Newt tried to call out to get your attention, but it was too late. You managed to catch the paper at the same time you stumbled straight into a rose bush, crying out when the thorns dug into your skin.

“Y/N!” he ran over to you as you thrashed around trying to free yourself from the rose bush, only to end up with more thorns piercing your skin. “Y/N stop moving!”

He winced at your whimper of pain as he carefully pried the bushes away from you, helping you out from the garden bed and sitting you down carefully as he looked over your injuries and torn stockings.

“This IS WHY I HATE ROSES! Firstly, they remind me of my mum's funeral because Merlin, they were everywhere that day but now this! Terrible, stupid, overrated flowers!”

Newt hated the tears he could see you fighting back as you bit your lip in pain. Your stockings were torn and there was blood running down both of your legs. He didn’t hesitate as he knelt down in front of you, taking your hand and using his other to pluck his wand out from his pocket.

“Episkey,” he murmured, letting out a sigh of relief when your skin mended quickly and you were no longer wincing in pain.

“Newt! You did it!”, you gasped, looking at him with big eyes and gripping his shoulders with a proud smile.

“I guess I just needed a reason to get it right,” he smiled back at you crookedly, casting another charm to get rid of the blood and dirt off of you before he helped you to your feet.

He didn’t let go of your hand as he guided you towards the common room, vowing to never ever present you with roses as a gift.

                                                 -     -     -     -     -     -

Newt stepped towards you cutting Alistair from your view as you set the flowers in water with an unreadable expression on your face.

You looked up when he took your hand, looking back at him in confusion before you smiled weakly at him.

“It’s okay. I told Sarah you were busy with book signing things. She understands.” You squeezed his hand gently and Newt wanted to kick himself because that was the last thing that was on his mind. Really, he just wanted to stop you from leaving with him.

He wanted to tell you the truth. And he wanted to dash off to get into his own suit so he could take you to the wedding himself, but he knew he’d lost his chance.

Alistair’s low laughter filled the kitchen as he moved over to you and Newt gritted his teeth at the way he was still leering at you. “Don’t worry Newt, I’ll have her home by curfew,” Alistair teased, wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you out of Newt’s grasp.

“Come on princess. We don’t want to be late,” Alistair fixed Newt with one last hard look over your shoulder before he pulled you from the house, missing the way you looked back at Newt in concern. Wondering what it was that he’d been trying to tell you.

Once you were gone from the flat Newt tried to go about his day as usual but the image of you looking so beautiful in Alistair’s arms was burned into his retinas and he found himself checking the time constantly.

He glanced at his watch with a sigh for the 4th time in an hour that afternoon, wondering what you were doing and if Alistair was being respectful. He knew it was silly. You were an adult and you could take care of yourself but that didn’t stop him from worrying and it certainly didn’t stop him from wallowing in self-pity.

As the hours wore on and the light faded, he found himself feeling more and more worked up, lingering in the living room by the front door when he would usually be in his case working.

It was the thought of you slow dancing in Alistair’s arms that had him rushing from the house and before he knew it, he was standing on his brothers’ doorstep, pounding on the door in a complete daze.

“Newt?”, Theseus frowned when he opened his door, knowing immediately from his younger brother’s body language and expression that something was bothering him. He stepped aside, motioning for Newt to come in and went to put the kettle on the boil while Newt sat himself down in the lounge room.

“I’m sorry I know it’s late and you’re probably busy- I can, I can go,” Newt stuttered when Theseus had returned with a pot of tea, getting to his feet to which Theseus frowned and cast him back into his seat.

“Newton. You know my door is open to you no matter the time. What’s upsetting you?”

Newt let out a deep sigh, brushing his fingers through his hair “I don’t...I don’t really know.”

But Theseus fixed Newt with a deadpan expression because he knew his brother only stumbled on his words like he was now over a select few reasons.

“Is one of the creatures ill?”

Newt shook his head.

“Have you lost Dougal again?”

He shook his head again.

“So, it’s Y/N.” Theseus said slowly, watching the younger man closely as he shook his head again.

“Well no...it’s not her specifically,” Newt ran a hand down his face and then let out a groan as his shoulders slumped.

“Merlin, who am I kidding. She’s at a wedding right now with some other man. Her co-worker. I was supposed to go with her, but I said no- I know I’m an idiot don’t give me that face Thes,” he rambled on as he wrung his hands in his lap.

“They’ve been getting closer lately and I just, I’m trying to be happy for her, but I can’t stand the guy Thes’ I seriously can’t stand the guy and it’s driving me mad!”

Newt’s voice grew louder as he continued on but Theseus watched him curl in on himself again when he finished.

The brothers sat in silence for a few moments as Theseus just looked back at Newt, choosing his words carefully.

“You...don’t like him because you’re simply jealous or you don’t like him because he’s genuinely unlikable?”

Newt blinked back at his brother in confusion “why’s it matter?” he sighed, shaking his head as he flopped back in the chair.

In the past he would have ardently argued that he wasn’t jealous and he didn’t see you that way but he knew there was no point trying to lie to Theseus.

“Well I just mean- do you dislike him just because you want to be him? Because you want to be in his shoes? Or do you dislike him because he’s not a good fit for Y/N? Does he treat her well? Will he make her happy?”

Newt looked down at his lap then, twisting his hands together once more as he pondered what Theseus had said.

“Not like I can,” he whispered eventually.

Theseus nodded in response, smiling softly back at him as he clapped him on the shoulder “then I think you better do something about it, Newt. You need to tell her how you feel before it’s too late.”

He noticed the hesitant look Newt wore so he continued, “you need to tell her before you have to watch her move on with someone who can never love her or treat her like you do.”

Newt got to his feet then, nodding to himself and determined to tell you the truth once and for all. Surely you would be home by now. When he arrived home though it was clear you still haven’t returned. That was fine. It just gave him more time to rehearse what he was going to say.

He paced around the kitchen as he imagined hearing you tell him you felt the same way.

“I had a great time tonight, Y/N.”

Newt’s head snapped up and he spotted you in the front terrace, your heels in one hand and Alistair’s hand gripped in the other.

That was okay too. It didn’t have to mean anything. He could still go through with his plan once you were inside and Alistair had left.

Then just as you reached for the door Alistair tugged your hand, spinning you around in his arms and leaning in for a kiss but you turned your cheek at the last second. You successfully dodged the kiss and Newt could almost hear his own heart sing.

That had to be a good sign! You didn’t want to kiss Alistair so maybe he still had a chance to tell you the truth. His brother's advice still echoed in his ears and he realised he had to tell you tonight before he lost his shot completely.

He sucked in a breath when you finally entered the house, standing in the hallway and just glimpsing Alistair’s retreating figure before you swung the door closed and turned to face him.

“Oh, Newt you’re still up”, you said in surprise and Newt had to focus on the task at hand when he realised just how distractingly gorgeous you were still looking.

“Yes, I have to tell you something,” he blurted out, stepping closer to you tentatively.

“Me too actually,” you murmured, smiling back at him weakly and Newt was caught off guard.

Why were you looking at him like that?

What did that smile mean?

He was so dumbfounded by your expression that he forgot to speak, so you eventually filled the silence.

“Alistair’s moving to South America to research the flora and fauna over there.”

Newt only blinked back at you dumbly, so you spoke up again.

“I said I’d go with him.” OTHER WORKS HERE! -

[ofregiums]

silence ! raise the royal standard, for the king of hungary, DOMINYKAS VANCURA, has arrived. being thirty-one years old, he is currently on the throne. many around the court call him the insurgent by virtue of him being perspicacious and captivating, while also being ruthless and aggressive.  —played by max irons

— THE BASICS

full name: dominykas leandro vancura date of birth: july 26th age: thirty-one star sign: leo profession: king of hungary ( canon ), hedge fun manager mi6 operative ( modern ) loyalty: hungary, house vancura, entente alignment: chaotic neutral mbti: estp spoken languages: hungarian ( first ), english ( fluent ), spanish ( fluent ), french ( fluent ), mandarin ( fluent ), russian ( advanced ), italian ( advanced ), lithuanian ( intermediate ), polish ( intermediate ), hindustani ( intermediate ), arabic ( beginner ) mother’s name: gabriella vancura father’s name: richárd vancura ( deceased ) siblings, if any: pál vancura ( older, deceased in canon ), aurélia vancura ( younger ), adelaida & angéla vancura ( younger, identical twins ), dániel vancura ( younger ) children: laima vaisvila ( aged five ) height: 6′2″ hair colour: dark brown. eye colour: blue-grey.

— CANON VERSE

first off, let me start off by saying that dom can be the wOOOoooooOoooRST. what’s his damage, heather ? well, it’s not his family. his family was super loving and supportive and he grew up loving all of his siblings and such. never rly had the responsibilities of being king so he fucked around a lot as a teenager, partaking in hedonistic behavior bc why not ?

fell like fucking head over heels madly in love at the age of seventeen to a lithuanian duke’s daughter and shit, nothing else mattered. she was his polar opposite like a goddamn ray of sunshine but she made him want to clean up his act in a way that he never though possible. he !!! fucking !!! loved !!! her !!!

yep, loved. bc he can’t be happy, duh. they got married at the age of eighteen, things were fucking great. she tempered him down and reminded him that there was good that no one else saw. about two years into their marriage, the two discovered that tiesa was pregnant. but the war was brewing and he felt like he needed to fight and that all sorta stressed his wife out a lot. she has a miscarriage due to it.

that was the first knife to the heart. dom grew resentful and numb to his emotions. he detached from his family and was a far harsher and colder man. lacking a purpose, he went off to fight in the war. witnessing those horrors really fucked him up and added another knife to the heart.

he had a partner in crime in the war, a total ride or die. this was probably the only guy that could coax a smile out of dom lately. so obviously that meant he couldn’t live. he was killed saving dom. that traumatized the hell out of him.

coming back from the war, dom was no longer the boy he’d once been. he’d become a man, and that man was more akin to something horrible. he delved headfirst in hedonism to drown the pain and clutched to anything that could make him feel – if there was anything at all.

then, his father who he LOVED was murdered by prussia. ( clearly, i’m saying fuck dom rights ) 

the final straw for him ? losing tiesa. after the glorious news of hearing that she was pregnant again, the two thought this would be the new fresh chapter in their book together. she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that they named laima. but as quickly as happiness returned to dom, it was taken away -- tiesa lost too much blood during the birth and didn’t even survive to see her beautiful creation. in absolute anguish, dom plucked all the knives of trauma that had once pierced his heart and declared that he no longer had one -- save for his affection for his sister and child.

coveted the throne from his older brother, but really it’s just something to fixate on so he didn’t delve too much into his own fucked up head. he was angry that his brother refused to attack prussia for their sins against their father. considered his brother a weak leader and fully convinced himself that he would be better. (spoiler alert: he wouldn’t.)

he got the chance to make that selfish, horrendous dream into a reality when the vancura family traveled to bern for the peace talks. one night, pirates stormed the castle taking lives and innocence left to right. dom seized his opportunity and stabbed his brother in the midst of the attacks. as he died, dom promised to exact revenge on prussia for their father. when guards came around, he pretended that it was the pirates that had done the deed. oh no ! long live king dominykas, i guess.

dom is hurting and in return, he wishes for everyone else to hurt. and if that meant lighting himself on fire and burning all the bridges on the way, so fucking be it. he’s vindictive and charming like a fucking snake, and he’s just as venomous.

anyways that’s my trash son. if you’re hot, he’ll flirt. if you piss him off, he becomes a scary mass of rage. terrible temper smh.

prussia, he’s coming for you hoes.

— MODERN VERSE

born the second oldest of the vancura children, dominykas didn’t have as heavy of a responsibility on his shoulders as his older brother did. honestly, he liked it that way. he had no desire in being controlled or even having a hand in his family’s business – banking. his great grandfather created the company and soon, the ambition turned it into an empire.

while his parents had met as children in hungary, they migrated to london once they eloped for a better chance in life. dom has only been back a handful of times in his life to visit family. he hasn’t been gone by his own will since the age of sixteen and doesn’t plan on doing so. 

instead of worrying about the family name, dom enjoyed being the pretty hedonistic rich boy that got everything he wanted and did everything he pleased. was the peak definition of a fuckboi growing up and was very proud of it.

didn’t really want to further his education. while he was naturally intelligent, he never had the desire to just learn for learning’s sake. but not attending university was a non-starter when it came to his strict father. he was handed pamphlets of high-end schools and was forced to make a choice. he decided on oxford university, since he had zero desire to leave england.

that ended up being the right choice because: a.) he met his best friend florian & b.) he met tiesa. she was by far the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life and the moment dom tried to use his usual disingenuous charm on her, she shut him the fuck down. holy shit, he needed it. and the reason that she called him out on his bullshit was exactly the reason he fell in love with her. after much back and forth throughout their studies, she agreed to go out with him and they started dating very soon after.

near the end of his university experience, dom was approached by a “hedge fund firm” for an internship. upon the interview process, he learned that it was in fact a cover for the secret intelligence service. they wanted to hire him as an operational officer. dom, a known thrill seeker, thought it would be fun.

keeping his lives separate proved to be difficult, especially with how things were going with tiesa. they fought a lot about him being secretive and it placed a strain on their relationship. things grew doubly complicated when tiesa announced that she was pregnant. dom asked her to marry him instantly, not wanting this to be a decision that severed their ties. they had an elopement, much to his family’s dismay, and a few months later – laima was born.

if he thought he understand love before, fuck it only grew tenfold. all he knew was that he loved his wife and his daughter and he would do all he could to protect them. ironic, considering the nature of his job.

upon graduation, the secret intelligence service offered him a lucrative new position – in the field as an operative. it sort of felt like something out a movie but this was a cold reality that would change dominykas’ life for the worst.

collecting information, by means or torture or even worse methods, wore on the man. but he couldn’t just back out of his agreement. he was in for life and that was a decision he would have to learn to accept. except, dom was a stubborn man. so, he tried to get away. packed up tiesa and laima and booked a trip to the states. he was willing to trade secrets to the cia for protection.

the day they were supposed to leave, he found tiesa shot through the head in their kitchen. laima was wailing in her nursery. the official news was that it was a botched bulgary. but dominykas knew, he fucking knew. it was them. and he had no choice but to continue to work for them. for laima’s safety.

his mind spiraled into darkness and paranoia after his wife’s death. he didn’t know who he could or couldn’t trust. could it have been one of his siblings who betrayed him ? a friend from his dining club ? truth be told, the only person that he trusted throughout this all was florian but even his best friend could not salvage the shell of the person he’d become after losing tiesa.

now, dom bitterly continues to work for the service, no longer batting an eye at the the violence and schemes of it all. 

drinks a lot more than he used to. too much, actually. 

no longer attempted to be there for laima as he should be. truthfully, he sees too much of tiesa in her and the reminder threatens to take him off the deep end.

[thelastspeecher]

An Egg Stan AU Reunion

So, recently I’ve become invested in the Egg Stan AU again.  It’s a variation of the MerGucket AU, where when Ford gets mermaidified, Stan also gets mermaidified, but into a mer egg instead of a grown mer.  Ford ends up raising Stan as his son, and there’s some good angst.  There’s also some good fluff, though, bc Shermie is a thing in this AU, and is in a relationship with none other than Angie MerGucket.  Complicated?  Yeah.  But still fun.  So here’s a ficlet with Ford finding out that his older brother is now in a relationship with his mate Fiddleford’s younger sister.  Awkward sibling reunion time!

              “Angie and her mate found themselves a cute lil place,” Fiddleford remarked as he swam up to the door.  Ford nodded.

              “Agreed,” Ford said.  “But why are they living in a separate house?  Isn’t it mer tradition to only leave your parents’ house after you’ve had enough children that it’s too crowded?”

              “That’s correct.  Angie tried tellin’ her mate that, but he still insisted on their own house.” Fiddleford shook his head.  “He calls Angie his wife, too, not his mate. He actually corrects folks on that. I s’ppose he’s still adjustin’ to mer culture.”

              “I know what that feels like,” Ford mumbled.  Stan, whom he was currently carrying on his back, leaned forward, his arms brushing up against the gills on Ford’s neck.

              “What’d you say, dad?” Stan asked.  Ford smiled and ruffled Stan’s hair.

              “Nothing important.”

              “You can understand why I’m eager fer ya to meet ‘im,” Fiddleford said to Ford. Ford nodded.

              “Have you met Angie’s mate yet?”

              “Once.  He’s a nice enough feller.  A bit strange, but he might just be actin’ that way ‘cause he’s still adjustin’.” Fiddleford knocked on the door. “Stanley, remember to behave yourself. I know yer excited to see yer Auntie Angie again, but she’s still recoverin’ from what she went through.”

              “What did she go through?” Stan asked.

              “Ya don’t need to know the details.  Just know that there were some issues involvin’ yer cousins comin’ into the world.”

              “Is that why we’re just visiting ‘em now?” Stan asked.  “Auntie Angie ‘n her mate ‘n my cousins moved in last week.”

              “That’s correct,” Ford said with a nod.  “The four of them needed some time to relax and adjust.”  The door opened.  Ford looked at the merman in the doorway.  His jaw dropped.  “…Sherman?”

              “Stanford?” the merman, Shermie Pines, said quietly.

              “What are you doing here?” Ford asked.

              “I live here with my wife and children,” Shermie answered.  He frowned.  “I feel like I should be asking you what you’re doing here.”

              “Visiting!” Stan chirped happily.  Shermie abruptly noticed Stan on Ford’s back.  He smiled warmly.

              “Visiting, huh?”

              “Yessir,” Fiddleford interjected.  He held out a hand.  “Shermie, we met once ‘fore.  I’m Angie’s older brother Fiddleford.”  Shermie nodded slowly and shook the offered hand.

              “That’s right, Angie said her brother, his significant other, and son would be stopping by today.”  Shermie looked at Stan, clearly thinking.  “What’s your name, kiddo?”

              “Stan!”  Stan tugged on Ford’s hair.  “This ‘s my dad.”  He pointed at Fiddleford.  “‘N that’s my pa!”  Ford froze, ice running through his veins.

              Oh, no.

              “You’ve got two fathers?” Shermie asked Stan.  Stan nodded eagerly.  Shermie smiled.  “That’s lucky.  Most people only get one.”  Ford blinked in surprise.  

              I didn’t expect him to respond so well.

              “Shermie, who’s at the door?” Angie called from inside the house.

              “Your brother and his family.”

              “Let ‘em in!  They want to see the guppies.”

              “Babies,” Shermie muttered under his breath.  He moved to the side, allowing Ford, Fiddleford, and Stan to enter. The front door led directly into a cozy living room, where Angie was sitting on a couch.  Stan unlatched his arms from around Ford’s neck and swam over to Angie.

              “Auntie Angie!” Stan shouted.  Angie chuckled.

              “Howdy there, lil Stanley.  How’s my cutest nephew doin’?”

              “Good,” Stan said, embracing Angie tightly.  “I’m ‘cited to meet my cousins.”

              “Then ya came to the right place, ‘cause there’s a lil boy and lil girl in the nursery who ‘re eager to meet you.”  Angie looked up at Ford and Fiddleford, beaming.  “Glad y’all could make it.”

              “Wait, Angie, you’ve met Ford before?” Shermie asked.  Angie nodded.  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

              “I…didn’t think it merited tellin’?” Angie said, cocking her head.

              “You didn’t think you should tell me that you met my younger brother?” Shermie persisted.  Angie’s mouth dropped open.

              “I thought ya looked similar!  But I just sort of assumed that my ‘all humans look the same’ bias was actin’ up again.”

              “I thought Auntie Angie’s new mate used to be human,” Stan said, confused. “How come he’s your brother, dad?”

              “Um…”  Ford looked at Fiddleford, who shrugged.  “He’s my…half-brother?  Our father met his human mother, then left her for a mermaid, my mother.”

              “Hmm.”  Stan frowned. “Okay.”

              “Your son doesn’t know-” Shermie started.

              “Stanley, I think yer dad and yer Uncle Shermie have some stuff to catch up on,” Angie interrupted.  “Why don’t we go check on yer new cousins while they talk ‘bout borin’ grownup stuff?”

              “Okay!” Stan said happily.  Angie got off the couch.

              “You gentlemen figure things out,” she said shortly.  “I’ve had enough drama in my life recently.  I need a break.”

              “Of course, honey,” Shermie said.  Angie took a hold of Stan’s hand and swam away.  Shermie gestured at the couch.  Ford and Fiddleford both sat down.  Shermie continued to tread water a few feet off the ground.  “Stanford, start talking.”

              “About what?”

              “Everything!” Shermie burst out.  “If you’re Fiddleford’s…”

              “Mate,” Fiddleford supplied.  A sour look appeared on Shermie’s face.  “You really don’t like that term.”

              “Of course I don’t.  It’s dehumanizing.”

              “You’re not human,” Ford pointed out.

              “And neither are you!  That’s what I’m getting at!  When did you become a merman?  Why? Did you fall in love with Fiddleford and decide to live with him?  Is this why you haven’t talked to your family in years?  We thought you and Stanley were dead.”  Ford looked down.  “Where’s Stanley?”

              “He’s…” Ford started.  He trailed off.  

              “Six feet under, I’d guess,” Shermie said softly.  “If you named your son after him…that can’t be a good sign. And Stan loves kids, he woulda wanted to see Caleb and Cadenza.”

              “He did,” Fiddleford said.  Shermie waved a hand, frustrated.

              “Not your son, Ford’s twin!”

              “Those two folks are one and the same,” Fiddleford said.  Shermie shook his head.

              “I’m sorry, what?”

              “It’s- it’s-”  Ford clasped his hands together and took a deep breath.  “It’s tied into why I’m mer now.  I didn’t get transformed into a merman through the usual route, ingesting the magical plant.”

              “Then how?” Shermie pressed.

              “It happened four years ago.  Stan and I were on our ship, going about our day as usual.  But out of nowhere, a sea monster attacked us.  It- it spat at us, coating much of the ship in its strange saliva. I was almost drenched in it, but Stan- Stan pushed me out of the way, taking the brunt of the blow.  Everything abruptly went black, and I woke up underwater, as a merman, and Stan was- was gone.  At least, I thought he was.  I caught sight of a large, fishlike egg on the seafloor.  I swam over to it and picked it up.  I knew, somehow, that this…this egg was Stan.”  Shermie sank down onto an armchair, staring at Ford.  “I have my suspicions about why the sea monster targeted us.  I worked with a rather shady character, prior to the incident, and Stan convinced me to stop working with the individual in question.”

              “What would that have to do with a sea monster coming after you and Stan?” Shermie asked.

              “This individual has magical capabilities, and far too many allies,” Ford said carefully.

              “Not to mention, the critter what did this to Stan ‘n Ford never leaves its nest,” Fiddleford added.  “It’s a malevolent entity that merfolk know very well.  Not once in recorded history has it gone after a ship so far from its home.”

              “This is all very fantastical,” Shermie said softly.  “But I shouldn’t doubt it.  I’ve been in the midst of fantastical things myself lately.” He paused.  “Ford, how did you meet Fiddleford?”

              “After the incident, I panicked,” Ford said.  He rubbed the back of his neck.  “I swam around in circles, trying to decide what to do. Eventually, I came across Angie and her brother Lute, who did not believe me when I told them I used to be human.”  Shermie leaned forward.

              “Why not?”

              “I don’t have a belly button anymore.  That creature completely rewrote my genetic information. I don’t have any characteristics that indicate I used to be human.”

              “Well, that explains why Stan believes you were born mer,” Shermie muttered.

              “Anyways, Angie and Lute didn’t believe me, but they still brought me to their house, because I was clearly in distress and needed help.  I eventually proved to the MerGuckets I was born human, told them the story, and…fell in love with Fiddleford.”  Ford swallowed nervously after ending his story. Shermie merely nodded slightly.

              “Okay.  But why are you raising Stan as your son?” Shermie asked, not addressing the last thing Ford had said.  “Couldn’t you raise him as your brother?”

              “I tried.  But it was too much effort, correcting everyone.  Stan himself got confused frequently, and…”  Ford looked away.  “I think that Stan deserves to have a decent father, since he’s been given a second chance.”

              “That’s very compassionate of you,” Shermie said.  He sighed.  “I just have one more question.  What’s the story you’re telling Stan, about how he came to be?”

              “That my former mate, the mer that laid him, was killed by mer hunters, as were the rest of his clutch,” Ford said.  

              “That’s a nice enough backstory,” Shermie said with a nod. “Solid.  Mom might even believe that.”

              “Why are you bringing up Mom?” Ford asked.  Shermie raised an eyebrow.

              “Stanford, she deserves to know your whereabouts.”

              “No, she doesn’t!” Ford burst out.  “She wouldn’t take any of this well.  My new status as a mer, my male mate, my son.”

              “You’d be surprised,” Shermie said softly.  “She’s fond of Angie, scales and all.”  Ford’s eyes widened.  

              “She knows about you and Angie?”

              “Of course she does,” Fiddleford said.  “She’s the one what helped deliver Caleb and Cadenza. Or did ya not listen to me when I explained the sit’ation?”

              “I might not have been completely attentive,” Ford said, “but I was trying to move the potted anemone by the door somewhere that Stan wouldn’t be able to reach.  He keeps trying to eat it.”

              “Angie got stuck in her human form,” Shermie said.  “She was too nervous to tell me about being mer, and didn’t get a chance to lay the eggs in time.  So she had to go through a human pregnancy.”

              “I knew that,” Ford said.  “But Mom delivered your- are you crying?”

              “Mers can’t cry,” Shermie said.  He rubbed his eyes.  “But I am upset, yes.  The love of my life had to go through something her species almost never does, because I didn’t make her feel safe enough to be her true self around me. It’s been a very rough time for us.”

              “We came here to cheer ya up, not bring up bad feelin’s,” Fiddleford said softly.  “I’m sorry, Shermie.”

              “No, it’s- it’s fine.  Ford, Angie and I told Mom, because we didn’t know what other humans we could trust, and Angie needed help delivering the babies.  Mom took it pretty rough at first, but by the time Caleb and Cadenza were born, she didn’t have any issues with her grandkids, daughter-in-law, and son being mer.”  Shermie took a breath.  “I know for a fact that she wants to know where you are.  She won’t care about anything other than your safety.”

              “I can’t see her.”

              “Mom thinks that you’re dead,” Shermie said shortly.  “She deserves to see you!”

              “No, she doesn’t.  And I can’t. I can’t see her.”  Ford got off the couch.  “Sherman, you have no clue how difficult it is for me to be a good father to Stan.  I can’t think of him as a brother, and that means I can’t think of my life as a human, either.  Those perspectives go hand in hand.  Seeing Mom again would bring up memories that I keep buried for my son’s sake. I won’t let myself get bogged down by those memories again.”  He swam toward the front door.  “Goodbye.”

              “What- Ford!” Shermie said.  “You can’t just leave.”

              “Yes, I can.  Just tell Stan that something came up, and I had to go.”

              “It’s incredibly rude of you to leave without saying goodbye,” Fiddleford protested.

              “Nonsense.  I just did.” With that, Ford opened the door and left.

[simba-bonfamille-lyons]

Onyango Simba Lyons -- Character Sheet

and he shall be Levon / and he shall be a good man / and he shall be Levon / in tradition with the family plan / and he shall be Levon / and he shall be a good man / he shall be Levon

Levon's sells cartoon balloons in town / his family business thrives / Jesus blows up balloons all day / sits on the porch swing watching them fly / and Jesus, he wants to go to Venus / leave Levon far behind / take a balloon and go sailing...

Archetype — The Hero Birthday — August 18, 1991 Zodiac Sign — Leo MBTI — ESFJ Enneagram — 8, the Challenger Temperament —  Choleric Hogwarts House — Gryffindor Moral Alignment — Lawful Good Primary Vice — Wrath Primary Virtue — Charity Element — Fire

Overview:

Mother — Sarabi Lyons (nee Adoyo) (Jaden Pickett Smith FC) Father — Mufasa Lyons (deceased) (Isaiah Washington FC) Mother’s Occupation — Homemaker (though she has a masters in Cultural Anthropology) Father’s Occupation — former CEO of InterPride Family Finances — extremely wealthy Birth Order — only child Brothers —  none Sisters — Nala (honorary) Other Close Family — here’s a list of Simba’s family! Best Friend — Nala Calame, Berlioz Bonfamille, Silvermist Jeon, Jane Porter, Pegasus Hippoi Other Friends — don’t make me list them all, i beg of you Enemies — Taka Lyons Pets — Bowie, golden retriever, a little over a year old, male. Home Life During Childhood — Very happy. Simba grew up with two loving parents, who were also very much in love. Even though Mufasa worked often, he was home almost every night and always stayed for dinner and to tuck Simba in at night. It was hard on him when he had to go to boarding school, which was the turning point for him. Town or City Name(s) — Swynlake, England; London, England What Did His or Her Bedroom Look Like — His childhood bedroom was massive and it had all sorts of toys in it--it was always messy because Simba loved playing with his toys. His bedsheets were always colorful, kind of a patchwork design. He had these fading African animal decals from when his bedroom was a nursery, that are still there though they’re peeling away. It’s light blue. Any Sports or Clubs — Simba was in a TON of clubs like literally almost any club you could think of. He was captain of the rugby team and the football team both in secondary and uni. He also did rowing, polo, and cricket. Favorite Toy or Game — Simba’s favorite is football. He really liked rugby and horse riding too. Schooling — Swynlake Primary, expensive co-ed boarding school in London from the time he was 10-18, graduated Oxford University with a BA in Business. Favorite Subject — History Popular or Loner — Popular, everyone knew who he was Important Experiences or Events — Going to boarding school, accepting his fate as CEO (at 16), his father dying, meeting Berlioz, finding out Taka killed Mufasa. Nationality — born English, his paternal grandmother was American, his maternal grandmother is Yemeni, and his paternal grandfather is Kenyan Culture — Kenyan, he believes in big families, that family is most important. Religion and beliefs — Muslim, but also kind of a more spiritual version of it. He prays three times a day, but doesn’t beat himself up if he misses one. He keeps himself very clean. He reads the Qu’ran. He doesn’t eat pork. He practices shahada, salat, zalat, sawm, and he took a Hajj when he was 18 with his mom and some cousins. But, at the same time, he doesn’t believe the harsher views that some Muslims hold, his is a more all-encompassing, full of love version.

Physical Appearance

Face Claim —  Alfred Enoch Complexion — He had some acne in his teen years and he definitely didn’t take care of it properly so he has some scarring on his cheeks. Otherwise, he has a beautiful coppery complexion Hair Colour — Black Eye Colour — Brown Height — 6’4 Build — Sporty, he’s still pretty gangly with too much limb but he’s also pretty broad and filled out, sinewy. Tattoos — none but not opposed Piercings — none Common Hairstyle — keeps his hair short but long enough that it is a bit of a fro, keeps it well groomed (he’s obsessive), has a beard about 7ish months out of the year spring/summer. Keeps it short but full. Clothing Style — Colorful! Simba loves color. He wears lots of fun patterns too. But he dresses pretty “preppy” and classic, wears a lot of khakis, but more fitted Mannerisms — gracefully clumsy, he trips but manages to make it look graceful, knocks things over but picks them up before they even fall all the way Usual Expression —

Health:

Overall (do they get sick easily)? — Nah, he got his appendix out and that’s the sickest he’s ever been. He is the biggest baby when sick. Physical Ailments — He’s got a bad right knee from an old rugby accident, it acts up sometimes if he puts too much pressure on it or turns it funny. Neurological Conditions — depression/PTSD/ADHD Allergies —  grass/hay. He has super sensitive skin. Grooming Habits — Very, very clean, at all times. He’ll take more than one shower a day (normally one at night and one in the morning, any time after he has sex unless he’s going right to sleep.) He keeps his nails clipped and grooms his hair and beard every day. He uses lotion (well, coconut oil) a lot too bc he’s got kinda dry skin. Sleeping Habits — Simba is a very deep sleeper. He rises early no matter how late he went to sleep and survives on catnaps throughout the day. With his nightmares, he’s much more volatile than he used to be. Sleeps mostly on his back with his legs splayed. Occasionally sleeps on his side. Eating Habits — Will eat anything and everything, any time, any place. Exercise Habits —  Runs a few kilometers both in the morning and in the evening (unless he has something else to do at night.) In the summers he will trade running for swimming, or do a bit of both. He needs to stay active or he’ll idk combust. Emotional Stability — 4 out of 10. Simba is a volatile personality. He’s quick to react--either in anger or excitement, and often steps on toes because of it. He is very easy to provoke into action. Also, after everything that has happened he just overall feels a little broken. Body Temperature — Simba is definitely someone who runs a little warm. Though, he really hates the cold weather. It saps his energy, even if he stays physically warm outwardly. Sociability — Just the friendliest. He’ll strike up a conversation with almost anyone, unless that person inherently goes against his particular ideals, then he is very quick to judge and dismiss someone. Addictions — Alcohol. Drug Use — Smokes pot occasionally; used to do party drugs in secondary/uni recreationally. Not anymore though. Alcohol Use —  lol he’s an alcoholic.

Your Character’s Character:

Bad Habits — jumps into things without thinking, always fidgeting, quick to judge people, he’s an alcoholic? lol Good Habits — takes care of the people around him, is generous with his time/money/affection, exercises a lot, is a surprisingly good listener Best Characteristic — his generosity Worst Characteristic — his willingness to spring into action Worst Memory — oh gosh. Definitely waking up in the hospital to find out his father was dead; also finding out Taka was the one who did it; also when Kiara was missing; also when Taka kidnapped Ber...I could go on Best Memory — his dad telling him he was proud of Simba for graduating (bc mufasa knew how hard it was for simba); when ber told him he loved him; getting married--even if he only remembers vague bits; when he won his case against Murphy and Alana and got custody of Kiara...I could go on. Proud of — his little family, Ber and Kiara and Bowie (and Nala, and all his friends by extension); his family legacy (even if he is reluctant to continue it) Embarrassed by — not a lot tbh, when he isn’t strong, when he feels weak Driving Style — Now, Simba is a very safe driver, but he used to not be. He used to be pretty reckless. He had an Austin Healy that could get up to like 120mph (idk what that is in kilometers fight me), and he’d drive as fast as he could all the time. Though...tbh now that he knows he didn’t kill his dad he may get another roadster and fix it up (Simba loves cars.) Strong Points — he’s a generally strong person; he’s full of love and isn’t afraid to share it; is a genuinely caring person Temperament — he’s pretty laidback, though, he’s also kinda highstrung lmao. He’s quick to anger, though he only yells when he’s scared about something. If he’s truly angry he has this really callous and cold kind of anger. Attitude — Generally optimistic, though he’s gotten more pessimistic lately. He has a good drive. Weakness — he gets taken advantage of by being nice and he also jumps the gun a lot; also it’s hard for him to admit to being weak, which means he shoves things down and doesn’t process them Fears — that he will fail and not make people proud. Phobias — he doesn’t like snakes, or the dark really. Secrets — none, not really, not anymore Regrets — wasting so much time after his father died; hurting the people around him; not figuring out Taka sooner Feels Vulnerable When — he feels vulnerable. lmao Pet Peeves — people who don’t listen to him LMAO or pay attention to him, life is hard, ain’t it simba? Conflicts — what he wants to do VS what is the best for everyone else VS what is best for his Family Legacy Motivation — to keep the people he loves safe and happy Short Term Goals and Hopes — live and love and heal from the past four years Long Term Goals and Hopes — marry Ber (and have kids with him) Sexuality —  Bisexual, and he’s pretty 50/50 on it, though he may sway more towards boys tbh. He doesn’t give a lot of thought to it because he’s also hella demi, so he doesn’t think about anyone else. At this point he might as well be Bersexual. Day or Night Person — Day, definitely. Though, he does catnap because he has the ability to stay up late/he has nightmares. Introvert or Extrovert — The biggest extrovert. Optimist or Pessimist — Kind of 50/50, he’s optimistic to other people, but about his own life he can be rather pessimistic.

Likes and Styles:

Music — favorite artist is Elton John. He likes older music a lot--Paul Simon, Nina Simone. But, he likes newer stuff too. He’s a fan of acoustic, but he also likes things that he can jam to. Basically, he’s got a wide range just depending on his mood, and it’s getting even wider as Ber introduces him to new stuff. Books — Simba doesn’t like reading (mostly because he thinks he’s bad at it, his reading comprehension is pretty low), but he reads the Qu’ran pretty much always on like a constant loop. Sometimes he asks Ber to read to him after he’s had a nightmare, but that’s more for the sound of Ber’s voice. Oh, his mum used to read him King Arthur stories as a kid, so he likes those too. Magazines — Simba is eh about magazines for the same reason he’s eh about reading Foods — Simba will eat ANYTHING but his favorites are sweet peppers. He loves sweet peppers. He’s also got a massive sweet tooth, so he loves chocolate. Drinks — Waterrr. Simba drinks a ton of water. (His fave alcoholic bev is whiskey js). He also likes juice--apple juice, orange juice, etc. Drinks coconut water too Animals — Lions! Simba loves lions, but he also loves elephants and dogs and all animals are good to Simba. Except snakes. Fuck snakes. Sports — gosh, i mean simba plays/played/will play any sport. He loves sports. His favorites are football and horse riding Social Issues — Simba is very passionate about Magick-rights, LGBTQIA rights, and he’ll be the first to speak out about systematic racism and islamophobia.   Favorite Saying — “It were better to have an army of sheep led by a lion than an army of lions led by a sheep.” -- Proverb, unknown. Color — Gold! Also burgundy. Jewelry — He has a watch that was his father’s that he’ll probably wear now. He also has woven bracelets from Kenya that he wears usually. Games — most of the games simba likes to play are outdoors, tossing balls around, he doesn’t have a lot of patience of card games/board games, he’s very competitive. Websites — eh he’s not big on the internet, probably surfs facebook and by proxy buzzfeed the most TV Shows — likes shitty reality telly, probably watches football god that’s awful. Doesn’t have a whole lot of shows that he follows bc they don’t keep his attention Movies — he loves musicals or romances or action films. Anything that’ll keep his attention the whole way through. He’s not good with like slow or nuanced stories. Greatest Want — to take care of those around him Greatest Need — to reconcile his family legacy with his own wants.

Where and How Does Your Character Live Now:

Home — a lakeside cabin, it’s got three floors; 5 bedrooms (though one is Ber’s studio now); an observatory at the very top, a game room with a full on theatre system. He owns about two acres of land, but he hardly has a backyard or front yard because it is almost all trees. Household furnishings — Everything is bright, though it’s gotten a bit of a modern touch to it now that Ber has moved in. All the walls are wood, so none of them are painted (though Ber’s studio will probably get soundproof walls and therefore will be painted.) He’s got colorful tapestries from Kenya all over, as well as pottery and artistic paintings of the savannah. The furnishings are based on his cabin that his family owns in Kenya. It’s all warm colors, very cozy and inviting despite its sheer size and high ceilings. Favorite Possession — The note he keeps in his wallet that Ber wrote for him last Christmas. Most Cherished Possession — Anything of his dad’s. Neighborhood — Jim is his next door neighbor, but it’s still a few minutes to get to his house since all the houses around the lake are pretty spread out. Town or City Name — Swynlake, Wiltshire County Details of Town or City — Magick-friendly. His family helped found the place 1001 years ago. Married Before — ...technically yes? To Ber, for less than 24 hours... Significant Other Before — Catherine (broke up with him because he was “too nice”, dated for six months 16), Kamaria (broke up with him bc she moved away, his most amicable break up, dated for a year, 17-18), Megan (broke up with him bc she realized getting his money would not be as easy as she thought it would be, dated for a year, 19-20), Andrew (broke up because Andrew didn’t want to be his “housewife”, dated for a year and three months, 20-21). Children — none; though he is legally Kiara’s primary guardian. Relationship with Family — Simba is very close with his mom’s side of the family and sees them whenever he can. He was very close with his paternal grandparents until they died. Estranged from his Aunt Alana and his Uncle Taka bc they’re both shitty people/ Car — A 2017 Maserati Levante named Tracy (Chapman). He used to have a 1963 blue Austin Healey 3000 named Kasi Pepo (Speed Demon in Swahili). (Will probably get a new roadster soon, tbh.) Career — (soon to be) CEO of InterPride Incorporated Dream Career — Primary School Teacher Dream Life — A primary school teacher, married to Ber, raising their (kids) dogs. Love Life — Happily dating Berlioz Bonfamille. A year and 5 months today and still going strong. They have lots of sex and love each other v v much. Talents or Skills — really good at math? An excellent cook, a great dancer. Good at thinking on his feet. Intelligence Level — Simba is a lot smarter than he gives himself credit for. He is very people savvy, even if he isn’t booksmart. He’s got a strategic and analytical mind when he’s at his best. Finances — Literally just so rich, disgustingly rich like 9 zeroes rich.

Your Character’s Life Before Your Story:

Past Careers — Bartender at Pixie’s, volunteer at his Aunt’s home for abused children, head of several clubs at school, and an intern at InterPride. Biggest Mistakes — lol so many Biggest Achievements — graduating university; seriously that was a big thing for Simba he was so proud of himself bc he thought he couldn’t do it.