#and he gave it to my youngest sister as a middle name to continue the tradition

[darchildre]

I have an extremely common name for my generation (though a slightly less common spelling) - there was never a class in school where there weren't at least two of us. Both my sister had equally common names and similar experiences. My mom also has one of the more common names in her generation, and one of the other most common as a middle name.

My dad, however, grew up with the opposite experience. His name was very uncommon - he never met anyone else with it. Until about 10 years ago, when it suddenly started to get trendy. Mostly as a girl's name.

He gets so mad when he encounters someone who shares his name and my mom and my sisters and I all just turn and stare at him until he stops complaining.

[peachhcs]

i was wondering how sam starts to fall and relize that will is worth t her risk? because i know they went on the one date

the 3 times samy's confused about her feelings and the 1 time she isn't

hughes!sister x will smith au (samy + will)

samy's afraid to date her best friend in fear of ruining everything, so she spends the entire summer trying to understand her feelings until it finally all clicks.

4k words

wow! my longest fic ever for this series. i loved, loved loved writing this and i'm planning on doing a similar type of style to this soon so stayed tune for that! as always, keep sending in requests, they're so fun to write :)

au masterlist

ONE

sitting at the kitchen island while ellen helped curl samy's hair, the girl's stomach churned into knots for some reason. she was so so excited for senior prom, but her anxiety wouldn't shake. something was tipping the youngest hughes off her balance, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. luke and her mom must've been taking notice of her unusual silence because the girl hadn't stopped talking about prom all week.

"your hair's gonna look so beautiful with these curls," ellen gushed, breaking the silence in the kitchen.

"you think so?" samy wondered quietly, hands fidgeting in her lap.

"oh for sure. i just know you and will are gonna look so amazing," the older woman continued while samy's stomach twisted into knots again hearing her best friend's name.

luke, who stood a few feet away, picked up on his sister's quietness again. he studied her face, gears turning in his brain, the pieces in his head slowly falling together that answered her sudden shyness.

"i think it's so nice you and your friends are bringing some of the guys. i really think they'll have fun even if they don't say it," ellen continued.

samy briefly nodded, her mind stuck on will. "yeah, it will be fun," her eyes met luke's across the way and because they were siblings, he instantly read her gaze.

samy's friends were the ones who brought up the idea about her bringing will to prom. the brunette didn't have a lot of options considering she didn't like many of the other guys at her school. marley suggested "the hot hockey friend" (her words) and everyone else immediately agreed.

sure, they teased samy about will before and always went on about how hot him and his friends were, but the girl never looked past that. she never gave it a second thought until now.

the days leading up to prom have left serious anxious butterflies in samy's stomach for reasons she didn't quite understand completely. her and will texted back and forth like they usually did, but something felt different. there was something different that the brunette couldn't put her finger on it and the more she thought about it, the more she thought about her friend's teasing remarks and the boys' teasing remarks anytime they all hung out.

"okay, i'm gonna let these set for a minute before we start doing anything else," ellen decided as she shut the curling iron off and disappeared out of the room.

the hughes sibling code was that you never brought up anything around the parents you wanted to discuss, so luke shifted himself closer to his sister once their mom was out of earshot. samy met his wondering gaze.

"what's up?" luke asked in a near whisper.

"what?" for a moment samy played dumb. she feared her little bubble of anxiety was coming off as too noticeable.

"you look nervous. like way more nervous than before," the middle hughes casually pointed out. his sister's face flushed.

"i'm not."

"really?" luke didn't believe her. not even for a second. he grew up with her, so he knew every single one of her quirks making it impossible to hide them.

"yeah?" she toyed with her fingers and avoided eye contact—a dead giveaway for the older boy.

"samantha," luke using her full name meant he was being seriousness and wanted her to be serious too.

"i'm just like kind of freaking out and i don't know why," the youngest hughes finally admitted.

the boy raised his eyebrow, "what do you mean by freaking out?"

"like..there's these butterflies in my stomach and my heart won't stop racing," samy tried her best explaining.

"are you nervous for prom?" luke wondered.

"i-i don't know..maybe? i just..it feels weird," words weren't coming easy to the girl. she looked away, feeling embarrassed that she was even feeling this way.

the middle hughes hesitated for a second, thinking back to a few minutes ago when he noticed how his sister grew quiet at the mention of will's name. "does it have anything to do with will?"

the girl's face blushed around the edges, "that's the problem. i think so, but i-i don't really know."

"i mean you're just going as friends. it doesn't mean anything," luke shrugged until he saw his sister's gaze again and something in his expression shifted. "or does it?"

"i don't know," samy nearly whispered.

her brother finally understood what she was trying to say.

"do you want it to mean something?" luke asked.

"i-i wanna say yes..my heart wants me to, but..my head is confusing me. i don't know why i feel like this about will," she looked at luke as if he had all the answers for her.

"it sounds like you may have..feelings for him? or you're starting to?" his words made the girl's stomach drop. feelings?

"feelings?" her thoughts slipped out of her mouth.

"maybe?"

that didn't make samy feel any better than before. luke quickly cut in when he saw her expression drop, "that's not a bad thing. i had a small inkling."

"inkling? will's my best friend..he's like another brother to me. i-i can't have feelings for him," the girl looked over at luke who only shrugged.

"i dunno, just something to think about. you seemed anxious when mom mentioned him and you aren't usually."

"something about this just feels really different and i..i can't understand why. or maybe i do and i don't wanna believe it," samy mumbled the last part.

"is it a bad thing to like him or something?" luke crossed his arms as he drew back off the counter.

"i mean..no. it's not. i just..he's my best friend. that's all i've ever seen him as. i don't know why things suddenly feel so different," samy admitted.

"i get it. just..see how the night goes? see what happens? for all he knows, it's just a friends thing," the middle hughes tried reassuring her. all samy could do was nod and take some deep breaths to ease the racing thoughts.

TWO

the excitement finally started dying down around two in the morning. people drifted back towards their rooms as sleep filled their eyes knowing their hangovers would be pretty killer in the morning. the youngest hughes lingered in the conference room just taking in the scene of what was once a packed room while everyone congratulated the boys on their drafts.

her parents retired hours ago and the older hughes brothers were somewhere in the building either asleep or continuing the party in a smaller room. it was just her in there staring blankly at one of the walls lost in thought until one of the doors cracked open.

"found her," gabe's voice broke the silence. samy's gaze slid to his as he slowly shuffled closer towards her. ryan wasn't far behind.

"you okay?" the darker-haired boy wondered when he got closer. "we've been looking for you."

"oh, yeah. i'm good," samy nodded as gabe plopped onto the couch with ryan on her other side.

"smitty passed out upstairs in the room. no way he was waking up," ryan laughed briefly. samy pictured the blonde in her head and it brought a soft smile to her lips.

"did he tell you?" she asked the two boys. both of them raised their eyebrow like they didn't know what she was talking about.

"tell us what?" ryan wondered, both of their gazes shifting over to the girl between them.

a small flush spread across her cheeks. she for sure thought will would tell them as soon as he got the chance considering how much they were always teasing him for it.

"he..he uh..we kissed," samy mumbled quietly.

gabe and ryan's smiles grew into the widest and biggest the brunette's ever seen them besides when they scored goals during a game. 

"fucking finally! when did that happen??" gabe exclaimed.

"we finally caught each other in the crowd. we went into the hallway and i guess everything just..spilled out," samy explained what the two missed.

"so what? you're boyfriend girlfriend now?" ryan nudged her arm, a large smirk on his lips knowing the guys owed him now.

"uh..no.."

"no?" ryan and gabe exchanged a curious and confused glance. the brunette's gaze fell away from them as she toyed with her fingers.

"we're just gonna like go on dates and see how it goes and if it goes to shit then that's okay and nothing is ruined between us," she shrugged some.

"i don't get it," gabe said.

"it's like a grace period. we go on dates just to see how we'd be in a relationship and if we aren't good, then it's like nothing happened," she saw their glances and for some reason neither of them made her feel good.

"but you guys like each other..so wouldn't that like..not make sense if you don't decide to be official but you still like each other?" ryan raised his eyebrow.

"maybe..but i dunno. just scared," samy's voice softened out which immediately made gabe and ryan's expressions soften too.

"scared? of what? will? he's your best friend," ryan almost laughed before knowing that wouldn't be the right move.

"that's the problem. he's my best friend."

"i'm lost again," gabe's confusion earned a playful eye roll from the youngest hughes.

"i've known will since we were babies. all i've ever known him is a best friend. a brother. these feelings are still new to me and..i'm still scared. i'm scared that it won't work between us and we ruin everything we've ever had," samy's confession had her own heart clenching in tight knots. that familiar feeling of anxiety returned anytime she thought about her feelings for will.

"hey, i get it. when julianne and i started dating i was scared too. she was a really good friend of mine and i didn't wanna ruin that. i mean..we know will, you probably know him better than us, but he's not like that. he'd do anything for you samy," ryan touched her arm, giving it a gentle squeeze while gabe nodded in agreement. a soft smile replaced the small frown on her lips.

she knew when ryan called her samy and not hughesy, he was being genuine.

"i mean, you should've seen him back in october and before he even realized he liked you like that. he'd never do anything to hurt you or put himself in a position to lose you," gabe added.

"i know it's hard to shake the jerky hockey guy persona, but trust me when i say will is far from that. you know that. if you called him needing something, he'd drop everything for you. i know he really, really wants this to work out between you guys," ryan grinned wider.

luckily, the boys' words eased some of the anxiety building in samy's stomach. she hooked her arm around ryan's, giving it a loving squeeze.

"when did you guys become so good at giving advice? i swear you were teasing me two days ago," her words made the three of them laugh.

"i guess we're growing up, huh? we're not kids anymore," gabe's eyes drifted across samy and ryan's glances.

"i'm really proud of you two. i'm gonna miss you being in michigan with me this fall," she ruffled up both of their hairs making them squirm away.

"i can't believe it's already over. went too fast," ryan hummed, leaning back into the couch.

"you can say that again. i can't believe boston's in two months," a sad smile appeared on gabe's lips.

the idea of her best friends being miles away from her made samy's stomach twist into more knots. she lived for moments like these where the late hours made them vulnerable and anything tumbled out of their lips into the open air. these moments wouldn't happen anymore when the boys headed to botson. everything was changing soon and samy wasn't sure how big of a fan she was of all of it—especially trying to navigate her feelings for someone she cared deeply about.

THREE.

samy's heart hammered against her chest with each step she took onto her front porch. one step matched the thud of her heart and the blush rising to the tips of her ears. will's heavier footsteps weren't far behind, insisting that he walked her to the door to make sure she made it in safely.

all of these little gestures were so new to them. samy was so used to the blonde flying out the door passed her after her brothers in an attempt keep up with them. sometimes he'd even knock into her accompanied with a weak apology as he passed through. having him walk her to the house was entirely new territory in their relationship.

the brunette slowly spun on her heel, instantly finding will's gaze already on her. a soft smile sat on his lips as his eyes darted between her own. his shoulder fell against the one of the support beams, hands slipping into his pockets trying to act casual despite the pounding in his ears.

"i had a lot of fun. thank you, again," samy broke the silence first.

"yeah, me too. it was really fun," will agreed.

everything about them standing inches away from the front door where her parents and brothers were on the other side made samy feel like she was in high school again after a first date. the giddy smiles; the racing heartbeats; the awkward waiting and deciding if a kiss goodbye was appropriate while wondering if the older boys were watching them from an unknown location. 

"next time you should show me around plymouth," the girl teased slightly earning a blush across will's cheeks.

"you haven't seen all of it already?"

the girl smiled, but shook her head, "no, not really. i'd love to get your take on it."

"noted. i'll have to come up with an itinerary for us then."

the two shared a loving smile. samy noticed the way will's gaze briefly flicked down to her lips and the action made her heart flutter.

she decided to help him out by slowly inching closer, the small gap between them quickly closing. will caught on fairly fast. his hand slid onto her cheek, directing her chin upwards to meet his soft lips while samy hoped he couldn't feel her rapid heartbeat beneath his palm. 

the blonde used his other hand to wrap around her hip, tugging her impossibly closer while samy's danced through his hair and clutched his shirt. the kiss had both of their heads spinning until they finally pulled apart.

"see you tomorrow at the game?" will whispered with kiss-swollen lips.

the smile he loved spread across samy's own kiss-swollen lips as she nodded, "i'd never miss it."

he reluctantly let her go, watching as the brunette disappeared back into her house. the smile never disappeared from will's face the entire drive back to plymouth.

inside, samy leaned against the door just taking in the entire date. her eyes sparkled, replaying the way will's lips felt against her own—how passionate and sweet he was.

her high continued as she shuffled into the living room where all of her brothers were still awake watching the tv. they quickly met her gaze and the lovestruck expression dancing across her features.

"someone's smiley,"  jack commented in amusement, turning the volume down a few notches.

"maybe it's too early to say this, but i really think it's gonna work out between us. at least, i really hope it does."

the three brothers exchanged a brief glance. they had never heard their little sister talk that way about someone before—not after a first date. all three of their chests warmed seeing their baby sister look so happy despite them never admitting it. 

"that good, huh?" jack smirked some. samy nodded, joining them on the couch for a few moments before going upstairs.

"he's so perfect. he did everything right and..i just.." the youngest hughes trailed off for a moment while her brothers watched her expression slightly fade.

"i sense a but coming," quinn commented. samy met their gazes briefly before looking away.

"not a bad but..i just..i've never felt this way about someone before. my chest..it feels so..so full. it scares me," the girl didn't know how to explain what she was feeling nor was she sure if her brothers would even understand.

samy's words brought luke back to the conversation they shared a few months ago as the youngest sibling got ready for prom. he remembered how nervous she was—how unsure she seemed of it all. 

"remember prom?" luke wondered, meeting his sister's wandering gaze. 

"what about it?" 

"remember how scared you were then too but because you were unsure about the feelings you had for will because of how new they were?" the siblings didn't know where luke was taking the conversation, but they waited for him to go on. 

"now it seems like you're scared because of how you feel. you're not unsure anymore. you know how you feel for will, but it's scaring you," samy glanced at jack and quinn, getting lost in what luke was trying to say. 

"you're losing me," she said. 

"i think being scared of how much you like someone because you've never felt such strong emotions before is all the more reason to fall for them. to go all in," the curly-haired boy shrugged. 

in luke's weird, roundabout explanation, it somehow made sense to samy. she smiled briefly, letting her brother's words really sink in. 

"plus, we've seen the way he is around you. i don't think someone would act the way he does if he didn't really wanna be with you," quinn mentioned. 

samy decided to sleep on her brother's advice, hoping something would give her the sign that going all in with will wouldn't be a choice she regretted. 

THE 1 TIME

goodbyes were never easy. the cooler breeze of august mornings meant the end of summer. june bled into july. july bled into august. august marked the start of a new chapter, but the end of a really good one. the boys' usntdp years were over and all of them were once again packing up their lives to move out to boston to start something new and a bit unknown. samy sat in her childhood bedroom picking out the best memories to bring to college with her. 

even though she'd only be minutes away, heading to college was something the girl thought was still months away. sitting on the floor stuffing clothes and knickknacks into boxes brought a small line of tears into her eyes as august continued slipping away. 

on one of her freer days where she wasn't busy packing her own life away, samy drove up to plymouth to help the boys. it was also an excuse to see them more before they all left. 

she sat in will's room watching him sort his things into boxes attempting to hold herself together for the sake of both of them. if one them cried, then both of them would. her fingers clasped around some picture frames waiting to be wrapped. a smile spread across her lips when she saw what picture was inside. 

"i've never seen this picture before," the girl commented, casting her gaze towards her boyfriend. will's eyes flicked up, crinkling around the edges when he saw what photo. 

"i think it's from like a few years ago. you were at the game and mom wanted a picture," the blonde smiled briefly. 

the two looked awfully young. maybe fourteen or fifteen? will was still dressed in his hockey gear, helmet and stick in one hand with the other wrapped around samy's waist. he must've hit his growth spurt that year because he stood a good few inches above the brunette and samy knew she was always taller than him until he started growing more. the camera definitely captured the joy because of how wide each of their smiles were. 

"it's really cute. are you gonna put it up in your dorm?" samy teased a little. 

"yeah, probably. it's one of my favorites of us," will's response caught her off guard for some reason. 

her boyfriend had his back to her, so he didn't see the longing gaze. when her eyes finally left him and returned the the pictures again, she began realizing just how many were of her and him. the past two years samy hardly noticed what all of his framed pictures were. she just figured they were of family or him and his boys, not realizing over half of them included her smiling face. 

"you're taking all of these with you?" samy wondered a bit softly, referring to the picture frames still. 

will finally met her gaze again, not noticing the emotions coursing through her. "yeah, that's the plan. i don't know where i'll put all of them, but maybe i'll take them out of the frame and put them on the photo wall instead if they don't all fit somewhere," the blonde explained with a brief grin. 

the boy finally noticed samy's sudden quietness and her soft expression. he approached her, pushing some of her hair behind her ear, "you okay?" 

"oh, yeah, yeah. sorry. getting sentimental looking at all of these photos," the girl mumbled out a small lie. she didn't quite know how to put what she was currently feeling into words or how she felt so loved that will wanted to display her everywhere in whatever room he was in. 

"i know. mom keeps showing me all of these baby photos and finding things as we pack up," he rubbed the girl's arm before leaning in to place a gentle kiss to the side of her head. 

"i can't believe summer's already over," samy sunk onto the bed for a moment, eyes on the ground because if she looked at will she'd definitely start crying. 

"it went by way too fast. college came way too fast," the boy chuckled, finding a spot beside her. 

"boston's so lucky to have you, will. you're gonna do so great there," even though being over 600 miles away hurt, the girl knew how much will loved boston—dreaming of going there like everyone else in his family. 

"wish you were coming too," he took ahold of her hand, giving it a lot of kisses which made samy blush a deep crimson. 

"i know, but michigan's always called my name," the girl chuckled while thinking of quinn and luke. ever since she visited for the first time to watch quinn play, 12-year-old samy knew the university of michigan was where she would be one day. 

six years later, the girl was getting ready to move in and start her collegiate soccer career. 

"you know, gabe said he's not excited to live with me knowing how much i'm gonna call you everyday," will joked, trying to lighten the mood. 

in that moment, something in samy's head clicked. she finally looked over at her boyfriend and for the first time, she finally saw for herself that look everyone has told her he's looked at her with since they were kids. his blue eyes were nothing but orbs of a bright sparkle, entirely filled with nothing but love and adoration for the girl sitting beside him. 

"i'm gonna miss you a lot, hughesy. i wish i sucked up my pride and ego and told you how i felt a lot sooner," will admitted. 

his words exploded something inside of samy's chest. it was that feeling she's been scared of all summer, except this time, she wasn't scared anymore. she remembered luke's words about going all in when you felt something as strong as she felt. 

"me too. i wish i caught on sooner," the brunette chuckled, easing her forehead to rest against his. 

"i'm gonna call you every single day, watch every single one of your games, think about you all the time—" will's words quickly died in his throat when samy placed her lips on his. 

for the first time since the two admitted their feelings for one another, samy knew exactly how she felt about her best friend: in love. 

[jwiseungoki]

Down Bad

(Jang Han Seok x Reader)

TW: age gap, force love, death, spoiled reader (this part doesnt have that much psychotic shit please tell me what to put as tw)

Context: Park Hae Rin has two elder brothers Park Hyun Sung and Park Hee Jin, as an only daughter she gets everything that she wants. Except for one thing: Jang Han Seok. Her brothers’ best friend, he sees her as a little sister but she sees him as a man. Every attempt to flirt with him, he dodges which frustrates her, Every woman that comes near him, she gets rid off and she wont rest until she calls him ‘mine’.

He’s back 

 

I didn’t mean to eavesdrop over my brothers talking inside Hyunsung’s home office. But when I heard his name, I froze, and suddenly this tingling feeling took over my whole body, leaving me smirking. 

 

Jang Han Seok 

 

Eldest son of Jang Guk Hwan, Chairman and Owner of Babel Group. He was sent to the States by his father years ago for studies and rehab because the boy has serious mental issues going on, but he is here now.

 

I fixed myself before innocently knocking on my elder brother’s office door. 

 

“Knock Knock, pretty face is here.” 

 

I said, opening the door, not waiting for my brother’s answer. Both of them have a frown on their eyebrows, looking at me like I did something to ruin their day. 

 

“Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” Heejin, the middle child asked. I gave them both a smile before sitting on one of the leather chairs in front of the table. 

 

“I left early; Ms. Hong has some personal business to attend to,” I shrugged before grabbing a lollipop from the table. “So what chu guys talking about?” I smirked, waiting for a response from both of them. They looked at each other, eyes discussing whether they should or should not tell me. 

 

“Hanseok is back in Seoul and probably going to take over Babel." As expected, Hyunsung could never resist me. I put on a shocked face, like I didn’t overhear them. 

 

“Chairman Jang died last night in the hospital,” he added, and that escalated quickly. 

 

As a sign of respect, we went to the funeral. Our families were very close to each other even before our dads married our moms. Mr. Jang and our father were already best friends; their friendship will probably continue wherever they both are now. Dad died a year ago due to complications of the heart, while I never met our mother; she died giving birth to me. 

 

Which left Park Industries to the hands of Hyunsung, while Heejin acts as his subordinate. I don’t really care about inheritance, which is why I chose to pursue law. I’m working as an intern and assistant at Wusang with the help of my brothers, pulling some strings to get me to a trusted law firm. I’m the youngest one there. 

 

In the age of 24, I’ve known and achieved a lot. I was forced by my brothers to strive and aim for the top as the only daughter; all eyes were on me. I was an easy target for the media and people. They say I’m spoiled, a brat, and spoon-fed. 

 

Which is true.

 

I don’t run; I walk with grace to get the things I want. And I get EVERYTHING that I want. That’s why, learning that Hanseok is back, I need to pick up the pace and start the plan. 

 

To finally make him mine. 

 

“My condolences, Hanseo.” I tapped the younger Jang’s shoulder; he was oddly quiet and was staring into space for a long time before I approached him. For what I know, he and his father weren’t that close, casual, and civil, I suppose. But his action of mourning made me analyze that there was something. 

 

“Glad you can come; you’re not busy with cases?” He asked, tapping the seat next to him, and I sat beside him. “Not really; I’m just working on a small case with Ms. Hong. How are you holding up?” I asked, smiling at him a bit; he was about to answer when his eyes shifted to my legs and back to me. I looked down and saw no problem; was he checking me out? 

 

He then started to take off his black coat and place it on top of my lap. I should have guessed it; Hanseo was always the gentleman. Forgot to eat? Hanseo will remind you and bring you food. Frustrated and want to vent out? Hanseo will be there in 10 with chicken and beer. He’ll do the bare minimum thing, and I’d still be surprised. If I wasn’t in love with his brother, I'd fall for him, but there’s something about Hanseok that I want and can’t point out what. 

 

Speaking of Hanseok, I’ve not seen him anywhere. But then again, no one knows about him. Mr. Jang never publicized his sons; no one knew about his affair with his secretary that resulted in Hanseo; no one knew about Hanseok being sent to the states for being a psychopath; no one but our little circle. 

 

After catching up with Hanseo, I excused myself for some air. I made sure to double check my surroundings before pulling out the box of cigarettes and lighter. It was a habit that I picked up during law school, and vaping helped me a lot. 

 

“And since when were you allowed to smoke, princess?” 

 

That voice sent my entire body to freeze; I didn’t have to look to know who it was. Instead I took a hit before facing him with a smirk on my lips. Jang Hanseok gave me his signature smirk and brow raise, waiting for a response. 

 

“Hiding out here instead of mourning inside?” I asked, walking a little closer to him, finishing off my stick before throwing it on the ground. “What is there to mourn for? Man’s a dickhead.” He  chuckled. Wow, he is still fucked up, huh? 

 

But that aura just lit something in me, wrong but right at the same time. 

 

“Give me the pack,” he said, handing out his hand. I looked down at his hand, giving him a disgusted look. “I’m literally an adult; I think I am allowed to smoke,” I said, swatting his hand away. 

 

I was about to walk off, but he pulled my purse off my shoulder, opening it and getting the pack swiftly. “Hey! You can't do that! Give it back, Hanseok!” I yelled at him, trying to reach my bag and pack that he raised above his head. Even in heels, I still cannot reach it! 

 

“Fine! Have it, asshole.” I rolled my eyes before storming off, not caring if he has my purse with him. Good thing my jumpsuit has pockets. I had my phone with me. I called my Heejin and told him I’m heading home first. 

 

I’ve never felt this many butterflies while annoyed and frustrated. That man could literally do anything to me. 

 

 

•• 

 

“What do you mean you can’t get that testimony from the witness?! Then force him! Bribe him! Do whatever you need to do and report back to me immediately; Ms. Hong needs that to win the case.” 

 

I threw my phone on my desk, getting frustrated with the on-going Gyundo case. It’s a big fraud case that we need to get a win to prove that the trusted company is clean for the people to invest in and trust. They already paid a huge amount to Wusang, and the share that me and Ms. Hong will get from it is not a joke. 

 

“Ms. Park to my office now,” Mr. Han passed by my desk, and I immediately trailed from behind. Once in his office, I saw Ms. Hong sitting there wearing the same confused face as I am. She stood up, paying respect to our boss before he ordered us to take a seat as he stood in front of us.

 

“Ladies Firstly, congratulations on having the upper hand on the Gyundo case! Second, I will be assigning you two a very huge and big case the company will only push through if you win the Gyundo case. Lastly, we have a new intern, so Ms. Park.” 

 

He turned to me with a smile, making me nervous, and crept out, “You are now one of Wusang’s permanent lawyers. Congratulations on this promotion. You’re office will be ready in an hour.” 

 

“What?!” I said, shocked at the announcement. Ms. Hong let out an “oh my god,” shaking me by the arm, also amused by the news. 

 

“Yes, your hard work and dedication have been seen. We would like you to train the new intern; may I introduce to you Jang Joon Woo" Mr. Han opened the door to reveal another shocking surprise.

 

“What the fuck?” 

 

All eyes were on me, not expecting the words that came out of my mouth. “S-sorry, my apologies. I didn’t know the intern would be younger than me.” I lied, bowing a bit for respect. 

 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ms. Park; you are still the company’s baby. Alright, then you go along and work. Take care of Mr. Jang." Mr. Han dismissed us; we bowed to him, and I was the first to storm off the door with Ms. Hong behind.

 

“Thank you, Boss!” 

 

Hanseok bid before I felt him following us. I stopped walking, making Ms. Hong hit my back. I faced her and smiled. “You go ahead, I’ll be back,” I said. “Are you okay? It’s like someone bought that limited edition Chanel bag that you always wanted,” Ms. Hong said, holding my cheek. 

 

“Yes, I’m fine; don't worry. I’ll meet you in your office,” I said, giving Hanseok a glare before walking away; he just had a confused look on his face. 

 

I can’t believe this! Why is he here?! And whats with the undercover gig?? Jang Joon Woo? What the fuck is he up to? After not seeing him for two months. I grabbed my phone that I left on my desk and started calling a certain person. 

 

“What the fuck is going on your brother’s mind?!” 

 

“Whoa, chill. I don’t know either, but I’m on the way to Babel; he appointed me as Chairman.” 

 

“Huh?!” I completely lost it as Hanseo’s words rang out in my ear. I massaged my temple; this can’t be! I can’t be working with the man I’m trying to get! 

 

I hang up on Hanseo and continue to grab my stuff before moving it to my own office. I didn't have the time to sink it all in; maybe I’ll celebrate later. I rushed towards Ms. Hong’s office with the Gyundo files, and to my surprise, Hanseok was still there, sitting on one of Ms. Hong’s wooden chairs. 

 

“Ms. Hong, we ha-“ 

 

“Shh! It’s Chayoung now; we’re both lawyers! So drop the formality; besides, its only a five-year gap,” Ms. Hong, well, Chayoung said before pulling me into a hug and giving me one of her brightest smiles. 

 

“You’re still my super-.“

 

“Eh! Shh! We are celebrating together! Later, on me. Okay?!” She cut me off again. I just nodded before setting down the files for her to review. 

 

“So we don’t have any testimony?” Chayoung asked, and I nodded. “According to the intern I sent in, the man does not want to talk to anyone associated with Gyundo; even the opposing party cannot get a statement.” I sighed, sitting on one of the chairs. 

 

I quickly glanced at Hanseok, who was watching us stress out; he looked back at me, and I raised a brow at him. 

 

“Any thoughts, intern?” I asked him not to break eye contact. Chayoung looked up from the papers, then to him, then to me. Hanseok smiled standing up before taking a glimpse at the file. 

 

“I think we should go for something that is very valuable to him so that we can get his testimony,” he suggested with a mischievous smirk, giving me an intense look. “Youre telling us we threaten him by using his family?” 

 

He just nodded; a smile crept on Chayoung’s face, liking the idea Hanseok proposed. “Wah! If that's the only way, then get started, Jang Joon Woo,” Chayoung said. I was left dumbfounded. Why are we suddenly playing dirty?!

 

Just like that, we won, and thanks to Hanseok’s idea, we got the testimony. I clenched on my purse as I walked out of the bar behind Chayoung. Hanseok was waiting for us with a smile. 

 

“Good job, ladies! Let’s celebrate?” He asked, and Chayoung was quick to respond, making the two look at me. “Fine! Let’s go; I’m quite peckish,” I said. Hanseok treated us to some pork belly and soju. I was lowkey getting irritated at how He and Chayoung are getting close; they have the same humor and interest, while I felt like I’m the third wheel. 

 

“When Haerin first came into the office wearing all Prada and Chanel clothes, I was star struck. An intern must have come from a very rich family. When I found out she came from generational wealth, I felt like she was the superior, but once I got to know her, she’s very calm and focused on the goal type of girl. You know she never took interest in anyone.” Then there is Chayoung, who is now a bit tipsy. “Okay, that’s enough. We’re driving you home,” I said, taking away her glass, but she swatted my hand. 

 

"Oh, I can still handle Haerin, Joon Woo! Cheers!” She said she was pouring drinks into mine and Hanseok’s glass; we had no choice, but in the end Chayoung got drunk, and I drove her car to her apartment with Hanseok in the backseat, completely sober. 

 

“She’ll be alright,” I said before locking up her apartment, pulling out my phone to call a driver since we came here with Chayoung’s car. 

 

“You haven’t spoken to me ever since that night." Hanseok spoke up while we walked to the elevator. "Well, I was going to call you about my purse, then you pulling some undercover shit in Wusang made you less interesting.” I shrugged. I saw him smirk. “Since when did I become less interesting to you, princess?” He said. 

 

He’s right, there won’t be a part of him that is not interesting. It feels like he knows that I have a keen interest in him. 

 

“Since you stepped foot into our house during your college days." I rolled my eyes; that was the day I first met him, and I took a liking to him. “Aw, don’t be silly. I know you adore me as one of your older brothers." He patted my head. Is he that oblivious? Hmm, I should step up my game. 

 

“Come on, I’ll take you home." He said, making me walk in front of him. 

 

••

 

The next day at work, I took an oath to make myself obvious to him, so when I saw him in Chayoung’s office working on a new case, I immediately called him to go to my office. 

 

“What?” He asked confusedly, and I pointed at the iced coffee on my desk for him. “It’s yours; I accidentally bought two,” I said, pretending not to care and proceeding to type words on my laptop. 

 

“And why give it to me instead of Ms. Hong?” He said but took a sip of the coffee, “Because you’re the only one I know here would enjoy an iced macchiato." He smirked and gave me a thanks before I dismissed him. 

 

“Whoa, why does he get lunch and I don't?” Chayoung wondered as I threw the takeout on the table in front of Hanseok, “What’s the update on the filler case?” I swerved the question, pretending to look at the papers. 

 

“Attorney Park! Did something happen between the two of you last night? Oh my God!” Chayoung said, covering her mouth and looking back at us. “What? No! Joon Woo mentioned he skips meals a lot, so I bought him lunch,” I said, looking at Hanseok. 

 

“A-ah yes! Thank you, Attorney. Uhm, I’ll eat now." He excused himself from breaking eye contact with me. I heard a cough from Chayoung, who was smirking, crossing arms, and nodding. 

 

“What? Why are you acting like that?” I asked, “Something happened!” She gasped and moved a little closer. “You two had sex in my apartment?!” I pushed her away from shock, “No! Oh my God, Chayoung! I’m too young for that,” I said, covering my ears. 

 

“Girl! You literally bagged an idol last time we went out clubbing; you’re not a virgin, hoe!” She laughed, throwing a piece of tissue at me. “But seriously, you never cared about Jang Joon Woo.” 

 

“Ugh fine! I like him, and I don’t just sit around waiting for guys to like me back,” I said, plopping myself on one of her chairs, pouting. She shrinks before asking me how and when I started to like him. I did not include the part that we knew each other before, and I felt so bad lying to her, but I also need to protect this stunt Hanseok is pulling. 

 

 

The day finally came to an end, and I was starving since I skipped lunch. I did it on purpose so I could ask Hanseok to accompany me. I went to his desk, where he was fixing his bag. I slammed my hand on his table, making him jump. 

 

“Haerin! You scared the shit out of me! What was that for?” He dramatically said. I rolled my eyes and leaned down. “Get up, we’re eating dinner,” I said before walking off. I felt him follow me with so many questions. 

 

We got to a Mexican restaurant since I wanted a burrito, and Hanseok ordered the same as me: “Cut to the chase princess, why are you suddenly being nice to me?” He asked, and I didn't answer him, but I continued to eat my burrito and nachos.

 

“I am talking to you right, princess?” He said putting down my food and grabbing my chin to make me look up at him, which, I’m not going to lie, made my stomach bounce inside me. 

 

“I just want to make it up; after all, we are all that we have,” I smirked. He wasn't expecting the last part, so he continued to eat. After dinner, he dropped me off at my apartment. After locking the door and throwing my heels off, I started to squeal and dance around. 

 

The car ride to Haerin’s apartment 

 

No one talked; complete silence engulfed the two, but Hanseok decided to break it. 

 

“The game you want to play, Princess, is very dangerous. Think twice about it before you get yourself trapped,” he said, smirking. 

 

I scoffed, so he caught on? He wasn't playing dumb but was just pushing the fact that I have interest in him.

 

“I know what I’m doing.” 

 

“So no backsies?” 

 

I rolled my eyes; he is such a child. 

 

"Yes, no backsies.” 

 

"Hmm, let’s see how you’re going to make me fall for you, Park Haerin.” 

[allemantheias]

Trauma together.

Word count: 1298 ~ AO3 has a version of this story with Alejandro.

TW: Past Sexual Assault, Sexual Assault Recovery, Childhood Trauma, Trauma Recovery, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Pet Names, Comfort, Endearments

Nameless OFC tells Soap about her mom's boyfriend, who sexually assaulted her as a kid. She's worried that it's too early in their new relationship to talk about heavy topics like this. There was nothing to worry about.

M’eudail (May-dall) – Darling Mo ghraidh (Mo ghry) – My love

"Mo ghraidh, why haven't you answered any messages today?" Johnny enters my bedroom and as he sits next to me, he places a hand on my back. One of my roommates must've let him in. "Why are you in bed? Are you okay?" I throw the weighted blanket off of me and sit up with a sigh. He's going to see I cried my eyes out. I've never cried around him before! "M’eudail, why have you cried?" Worried, his hand cups the side of my face and his thumb caresses my cheek. "Talk to me, baby, please." "Is it too early in our relationship to talk about our past?" We only started dating three months ago. "Could be, but if it's affecting you like this, it may be good for me to know." "Talking about it may make me feel better." I breathe in deep to collect as much courage I can get this quickly. "You have some time tonight? I don't know how long it'll take to tell." "I have to be at base later tonight, but until then I'm all yours. Depending on how you feel, you can come with me if you want." "I don't want to sleep alone tonight." I grab a few decorative pillows from the end of my bed and put them in between me and the wall. Johnny joins me and pulls the heavy blanket around us. "I went to my nephew's birthday today. My mom and youngest brother were there, because it's my sister's kid. My mom didn't care to mention that her boyfriend was on his way to pick them up and when I heard her say that he was five minutes out I panicked and wanted to leave immediately. I said my goodbyes and as soon as I walked along the road, a car drove past me, stopping a little in front of me on the opposite side. I didn't look and just kept walking. It was better for my mental health to not confirm if it was really him or someone that lived in the house the car stopped in front of, but I could feel it was him. In my mind I was begging that he didn't recognise me. While on my way home I was fighting a full on panic attack in public. When I got home I went to bed and gave in to the emotions." Johnny rests his hand on the top of my thigh and in response I place both my hands on his bicep. The feeling of his strong arms makes me feel safe and I look up at him. "Are you okay?" With a warm smile on his lips, he kisses mine. "As far as I can be." I continue with the story.

"This is today's issue, though. The reason for that is what he did to me when I was fourteen. My back was hurting and he offered me a massage, as he used to be a masseur. Saying no was not something I was good at and I let him go ahead. When he kept touching my sides and not only my back, I got too uncomfortable, told him it was enough for now and went to bed in the middle of the afternoon. He came to the bedroom a few minutes later and the top bunk bed was the perfect height to get his hands under my shirt. I don't know what would've happened if I laid on my back, but I'm so happy I was laying on my stomach. I don't remember how long it went on for, but it felt like I was frozen for an hour before I got the courage to stop it.

I've lived with my grandparents permanently since I was twelve, and I wanted to go home as soon as possible, even though I normally stayed with my mom from Friday afternoon till Sunday evening, once or twice a month. That was the last time I went and since then I've tried to see her and my brothers as least as possible. I only see them on birthdays, or some family events like the fiftieth anniversary of my grandparents, last May.

My mom is really inconsiderate about it and assumes trauma like that is gone in a few weeks or months. If I have to believe my grandma's stories, she was a troubled kid since she got epilepsy, and in her teens she got diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. I'd like to think that's the reason she says things like 'are you still not over that?' when I said her boyfriend was the issue for what he did then, when she asked why I didn't want to come over anymore. I'm happy the people in my family that know about it have always supported me.

Sometimes it makes me feel like I made drama out of nothing, because my mom told her boyfriend, of course, and he had to go to the hospital with heart problems because of it. I feel bad for that. He did do it to my sister too, twice even. But I still feel I overreacted."

"No, baby, you did not blow it out of proportion at all. He's the adult, he should have stopped when you told him to. Honestly, he shouldn't even have thought about 'massaging' you. Adults shouldn't touch kids, period. Don't blame yourself for that." Johnny embraces me tightly. "If he ever comes close to you, I'll shoot him in the foot. As a first and last warning." "I still have fairly regular nightmares about it and I can never get away. I'm so powerless. It ruins my well-being for multiple days after. Worse than how today affects me. Sometimes the guy doing it changes into someone else. Sometimes he's a family member, a friend, or.. even someone I'm dating." "M’eudail, I'd never do such a horrible thing to you." Johnny lifts my chin with his hand, makes me look into his eyes. "I know, but the nightmares just.. happen. I have no control over them, or in them. I'm at the mercy of whatever my brain decides to put me through." "Please, talk to me whenever you need, baby. Even if you have to wake me up in the middle of the night. I will get in my car and drive here any time of day, no matter what I'm doing or how busy I am." He holds my head with both hands and kisses me. "I love you." My heart flutters wildly and my body temperature spikes and I'm sure my cheeks are bright red. That's the first time he says it! The first time he tells me he loves me! "I- love you too." I whisper.

We intimately cuddle like this until his phone rings. With a sigh he lets go of me and takes his phone out of his pocket. The lit up screen lets me know it's Kyle and I zone out with the side of my head against Johnny's chest, listening to his comforting heartbeat, as he takes the call.

"Want to get take out or cook something at base?" "I'd love to cook something together in such a massive kitchen." I love cooking and I take every chance I get to be in there. "Ready to go?" Johnny reaches out his hand. I take a last look through my bedroom to see if I'm not forgetting anything. "I am." I grab his hand and follow him to his car. "Are you okay?" "Yeah, it's a relief that you know now." I was afraid that it was too early to talk about this, but I was scared for nothing. "I'm glad you told me." He steals a kiss from my lips and starts the car. Off we go.

[dedicatednotobsessed]

Bound in Fire and Blood [Aemond Targaryen x Reader]

Previous chapter || Series masterlist || Other HOTD stories

Summary: You are the younger twin sister of Aemond Targaryen and the second youngest child to King Viserys and Queen Alicent. Growing up you were extremely close to your twin brother, practically inseparable and as you continued to grow, you realized your feelings for him were more than just a sibling love….

TRIGGER WARNING: This is a story of incest (obviously, it’s Game of Thrones). It contains strong depictions of sexual content and blood. Please read at your own risk.

Warnings in this chapter: Possibly some emotional damage. Possibly not.

Chapter Ten: Aegon the Conqueror

Gif doesn’t belong to me 💚

“You left the feast rather early.”

You glanced over hearing your husband, a hand on your small bump. “I was just growing rather tired.”

Aegon only hummed in response, walking over to the fresh pitcher of wine. He poured himself a glass, turning towards you.

“That is quite unusual of you,” He observed.

“Well, becoming with child has its downsides. I can not enjoy feasts as much.”

Aegon chuckled, downing the rest of his wine before setting it down and making his way towards you. He wrapped his arm around your waist, looking down at your small bump. A small smile came onto his lips and for a moment, it seemed as though it was a smile of genuine happiness. As though the thought of having a child made him happy.

He moved his other hand, cupping your bump and leaning his head against yours. His violet eyes met yours for a moment as he closed his eyes.

“I am sure there are still some activities you can enjoy,” He said suggestively and chuckled when you pushed him away all of a sudden. “It is only a suggestion, my dearest wife.”

You scoffed a bit. “I can not believe you some days.”

Aegon only laughed once more as he got a fresh cup of wine. “I know if I was Aemond though, you would still gladly let him fuck you even while you are swelling with child.”

You couldn’t help the laugh that passed your lips as you rolled your eyes. “Your jealousy for Aemond is quite amusing.”

“Well, forgive me that I see he still loves you,” Aegon said bluntly, all humor having left his voice.

You looked at your husband before sighing as you made your way over to the changing screen. You slowly unlaced your dress, looking down.

“I don’t believe he still loves me,” You said quietly after a moment.

“Then you are clearly blind, Y/N.”

You stayed silent while you changed into your shift, slipping your emerald green robe on over it. You felt as though you knew Aemond better than most, having been born into the world together. The two of you were falling apart at the seams and you did not know if you would be able to mend it.

You blew out a breath, running a hand over your rounded stomach. The further along in your pregnancy, the lonelier you have felt. Aegon had stopped trying to make advances on you, preferring the whores in the streets of silk. Aemond has rarely spoken to you since you have told him the child could possibly be his, as though he believed you were lying.

You hummed a small tune, walking over to your vanity and looked down running your hand over the blue sapphire necklace.

“I thought I have dismissed you, Eleanah,” You said softly keeping your eyes on the necklace, hearing the door open.

You furrowed your brows when she did not respond and turned to see Aemond standing there at the door.

“Did you need something, my dear brother?” You asked turning back around.

Aemond slowly made his way over, his heavy boots echoing in your chambers. He stayed silent while picking up the diamond and blue sapphire necklace.

“Do you remember when I gave you this necklace?” He asked, running his fingers over the large sapphire in the middle.

You nodded, pushing your silver hair aside so he could put it on you. “It was a present for our fifteenth name day.”

Aemond pushed out the chair for you and picked up your brush after you sat down. He began to slowly brush through your hair, your eyes staying on your reflections in the mirror.

“And do you remember our promise?” He asked after a moment. He set the brush down and picked up strands of your hair, beginning to braid it.

Aemond has only braided your hair a handful of times, remembering the first time how he nearly ruined it. You had practiced on his short wavy hair when the two of you were younger and as you got older, he had wanted to do your hair. He had always told you it was a way of calming him down and you enjoyed it as much as he did.

You furrowed your brows a bit. “Our promise?” You repeated.

Aemond nodded a bit. “The promise that we made when we were children.”

You leaned back in your seat, taking a deep breath. The promise that you were to be his wife and him your husband. “We were children when we made that promise and we have grown since then.”

He stayed emotionless, pinning the first braid before beginning the second one. “A promise is a promise, whether we were children or not.” He kept his eye on your hair. “Were you telling the truth that your child is mine?”

“Children,” You corrected.

Aemond furrowed his brows. “Children?”

“The maester believes I am swelling with two babes,” You said quietly. “I have been feeling multiple kicks…it is only fitting,” You admitted with a small smile.

Aemond hummed in response. “That does not answer my question,” He stated, pinning the second braid. He moved his hands down your arms, looking at the two of you in the mirror.

You took a deep breath, moving your hand to your bump. “I was telling the truth,” You admitted closing your eyes. “Helaena has told me and I believe her.” You looked down, furrowing your brows. “I have a question in return brother…do you still love me?”

Aemond furrowed his brows, moving his hands over yours on your stomach. “Do you recall the story of Aegon the Conqueror and his two wives?”

You nodded a bit. “He had to marry his elder sister Visenya for duty and he still married his younger sister, Rhaenys, out of love.”

“You are correct, my dear sister,” Aemond said softly. “I have been thinking of that story as of late.”

“Have you now?”

Aemond nodded in response. He took your hand in his and with his help, stood up. He reached up, lightly stroking your cheek while he leaned his head against yours. “I apologize for my behavior recently. I just can not see you with another man.”

You furrowed your brows a bit, wrapping an arm around his neck. “And how does the story of Aegon the Conqueror’s wives coincide with your behavior, Aemond?”

“I want you to fulfill your promise and finally become my wife,” He responded in High Valyrian.

“What?” You asked, frowning.

“If Aegon can have two wives, who is stopping you from having two husbands?”

“Aemond….” You trailed off, pulling back. “And what are we to do? Just take Revnass and Vhagar to Dragonstone? What about Rhaenyra and Daemon?”

“I heard they were visiting family on Driftmark,” Aemond stated. “We can ride to Dragonstone tonight and be back before the morning rises.”

You turned your back to your brother, looking down with furrowed brows. You knew this was wrong to marry Aemond in secret, yet you loved him. You had always loved him and you knew he was right…no one was stopping you from being wed, even if no one but the two of you and the Septon on Dragonstone knew.

You nodded a bit after a moment and turned to face your brother. You took his hand, smiling a small smile as he pulled you close and pressed a kiss to your lips. You reached up, placing a hand on his cheek, lightly tracing his scar when you released.

“Take me to Dragonstone then,” You began in High Valyrian. “And let me become your wife.”

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

You held tight onto Aemond’s hand, the hood of your green cloak on top of your head as he led you through the keep and towards the old fighting pit where Vhagar was to be resting. The two of you were to only be taking her to Dragonstone to raise less suspicion.

Aemond squeezed your hand lightly the closer you got to the old fighting pit, sighing at the sight of his massive dragon. He turned towards you, placing a hand lightly on your cheek.

“Are you ready, my love?”

You nodded with a small smile. “I am ready to be your wife,” You replied quietly.

Aemond smiled and kissed you lightly on the lips before helping you climb up the side of Vhagar as she slowly woke up. He carefully got up behind you, trapping you between the horns of the saddle and himself.

He grabbed onto the rope, taking a deep breath. “Are you comfortable?” He asked and nodded when you did. “Sōvētēs, Vhagar!”

Your heart fluttered as you stood beside the cliffside of Dragonstone, your violet eyes on Aemond’s eye and his blue sapphire. He had taken off his eye patch for the ceremony in front of the Septon and Vhagar.

You watched Aemond as he lightly cut his lip, taking his thumb and marking your forehead, you doing the same with his. You had tears in your eyes as you cut the palm of your hand and bound his in a cloth. You knew it was wrong, although your heart told you this was the right path.

After taking the chalice and drinking the blood, you placed a hand on Aemond’s cheek, a small smile coming on your lips. Your blood smeared his cheek and his yours as you leaned up kissing him gently on the lips.

You have fulfilled your promise from when you were twelve years young….Vhagar let out a roar as you leaned your head against Aemond’s, closing your eyes. You were bound in fire and blood and even if your duty was to be with Aegon, your heart always have been and always will belong to your twin brother.

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[amethyst-geek]

Total Drama family headcanons (and my urban AU editions)- Screaming Gophers

Beth- Her Island Bio said that she's an only child, and that works for me. However, Totaldramarama (which is a separate continuity) gave her a baby brother, I may or may not do the same in my urban fantasy AU.

Cody- Same as Beth- only child in main continuty according to his bio, but his urban fantasy counterpart may or may not have a little brother like his Totaldramarama counterpart

Gwen- she canonically has a younger brother.

Heather- her online bio says she has a younger brother named Damien, and in medical challenge in TDA, it's revealed that she apparently has several siblings as she uses the plural form for both brother and sister when writing her will. I think that she is the youngest of her sisters and is the 2nd youngest sibling overall.

Izzy- she mentioned having a brother in "That's off the Chain."

Justin- only child. His bio mentioned that he was a test tube baby, and his bio only mentions his mom paying for said tube, so I'm gonna say Justin's mom is a choice parent who went to a sperm bank; either that or his dad was a house husband, or at least didn't make as much as his wife. Either way, I get the impression that Justin's mom is a girlboss.

Leshawna- I don't really have any headcanons regarding any siblings she might have and canon doesn't give any info on the matter either. However, since Totaldramarama decided to re-use B's character model for Leshawna's dad, I decided that B is Leshawna's paternal cousin.

Lindsay- she has canonically mentioned having sisters, one of whom is named Paula. Lindsay is probably the youngest or the middle child.

Noah- His bio said he's the youngest of 9. I hc that the eldest of his brothers is Dave's father and that age gap between Noah and this oldest bro is 23 years. Noah was born when his mom was about 46. It took her a while to realize she was pregnant for the 9th time as she initially mistook the lack of periods for menopause. As I've mentioned before in a previous post, my urban fantasy AU would Raj one of Noah's older brothers, and Ellody might also be one of Noah's sisters in this AU. And yes, Dave would still be Noah's nephew is this AU.

Owen- He canonically has 2 brothers. Even though his bio said he was the youngest, his flashback in one of the aftermaths suggest he's the oldest. In my AU Spud would one of the younger brothers in question (even though I don't think that's the case in canon).

Trent- In the canon universe, I'm just gonna assume he's an only child and that his parents may be divorced, with his mom having remarried. As for my urban fantasy AU, he will be part of a blended family with Emma, Kitty, and Devin. In this AU, Trent's parents got divorced when he was young (or they were never married in the first place), and Trent's mom got remarried to Emma and Kitty's father. Devin would be their half-brother, and he (along with Carrie) would be a decade or so younger than the Island cast.

[yellow-dino]

Chao’s backstory

I don’t like taking up space so just press more

Godden Ten was a very picky person.

His tea had to be a perfect temperature and the tea itself had to be from the perfect place time, Everything

And he was just as picky with his children

when he had triplets, the oldest child, she was a moth hybrid. Godden Ten wanted a hybrid that symbolized something along the lines of death and destruction since that fit his role, moth’s were a symbol of light, so that would do! Therefor he named his godden name as Tivy and sent her to Australia under the human name of Pearl.

The middle was came a parrot, which he didnt even look at, he named him Xelqua and sent him to japan under the name of grian.

The youngest was a canary hybrid.

“Finally a child worth keeping!” Ten thought

He named him chao, short for chaos

Sooner or later he was old enough to learn magic combat

His dad didn’t wanna waste his time with normal combat so he taught him how to crit and the other basic stuff but chao wasn’t the best at it.

He started learning magic combat with krie when he was 6 and soon by 9 he was learning things his dad leant when he was 35! This came with a lot of problems.

Continuous voices saying he isn’t good enough, random intrusive and impulsive thoughts and more, but that was normal for chao.

Around 14 is when his dad stoped pushing and slowed down a bit because Chao finally found his special! 

“Cards, huh?” not just any cards, these cards held some of the most powerful and chaotic black magic in all of the megaverse. 

thats wheres his fathers nagging stoped, but not his brain!

Later he found out that he had siblings from eavesdropping on his parents talking.

After his coronation from demi-god to god, he ended up trying to find his siblings.

“Names: Xelqua, and Tivy? Wow he was creative with their names but not mine? How rude.”

“Exactly- like Krie? Chao? Who in their right mind would name their child that. And my sister has a better name than me!”

“Cel? Didn’t your mom name her after a cello?”

“Still better than mine!”

He found his siblings and invited them to the castle

Nathing much happened in the meeting with them other than a TRAMA DUMP! Xelqua ended up trama dumping everything from high school, with chao and krie thinking about how if that happened the school would go up in flames, half way through.

Relizing that Tivy was the one that was supposed to be in his spot, Chao gave them the roles, godden of the inbetween and godden of the outer

Later they started an smp called evolution with some of grian’s friends

And we all know how that went!

To this day no one other than these four, and 1 more named atif, godden of wisdom, know that they live in human world as goddens. But who needs to know? Am i right? right…?

————

This isn’t how I usually write but I thought why not?

[pure-vanilla-lilies]

Custard In My AU

Custard is the youngest member of house, he is the youngest cookie in his house. He has two older siblings, Premier Custard Cream Cookie he’s the older brother and Vanilla Cream Cookie, she’s the middle sister and then Custard Cookie, he’s the youngest of House Custard. But who are the parents of the three? Not much knows what happens to them, but after their disappearance they were pronounced dead after 72 Hours of being missing which made Premier Custard Cream the parent figure of House Custard. But it changed over the years, Vanilla Cream was not having the verbal and mental abuse from Custard Cream, so she literally moved out when she was 17 and she took Custard with her, he was 7 at the time.

With Vanilla Cream moving to a new place, after from moving one home to another, she finally set in a new place where she knew that her little brother would be much safer. With the two moving to the Crème Republic, Vanilla Cream worked hard hours at the bakery where she wanted to quit but she had to support her and Custard. Over the years, Custard soon graduated from his school, while his sister was happy for him, but she collapsed when the two were heading home. Custard was not only scared but his sister was waking up, he literally called out for help and no one wanted to help, when help arrived it was already to late. Vanilla Cream died on the way to the hospital, she was only 28 at the time.

Custard was now in his early 20’s that’s when he met his first lover, he was an absolute Angel to Custard before he died before their wedding. Custard was too upset, until about two years later he met someone else. Her name was Light Cream, Light Cream was his longest partner. Until that’s when Light Cream got pregnant with Custard’s kid, the two did planned to have the kid but Light Cream was nervous of becoming an mother. But when their kid was born, Light Cream adored the little boy, the two agreed to get married. About two years of their marriage, it came to an end due to Light Cream cheated on Custard, it really broke his heart but he won custody of their kid who name is Clotted Cream.

Over the years of taking care of Clotted Cream, Custard was now the head of House Custard and making him Elder of Politics. It’s been many years and Custard was feeling depressed, therapy wasn’t helping and not even his antidepressants. It was until when he heard there was an new Elder of the republic, and not seeing her around the crème republic, it took him many months to start talking to her. The two were best friends and until Custard confessed his feelings to her, and the two dating in secret for six months until they got caught by one of the elders, who was it, it was Mulled Juice Cookie.

But thankfully Oyster gave them their blessings to continue the relationship and about two years later, he proposed to her. And who is this elder he married, yep it’s Parsnip. She brought life back into Custard, but not only she’s hiding a dark secret, he never felt so much better than the bad stuff he gone through..

[szycee]

AS TOLD BY HER FOOTPRINT

On a cold night in a sparkly season, an autonomous girl was born named Kristelle Joyce P. Tambio also known as Elle. I was born on December 24, 2004 in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte. My mother’s name is Mylene Tambio, she is from Caloocan City and my father’s name is Albert Tambio, he is from Davao Del Sur. I have 4 siblings and I am the youngest daughter. Hannah Louisse Victoria is the eldest sister, Dustyne Philip the eldest brother, Raine Jewelle is the middle child and Albert Leanard is my youngest brother. I do not remember much of my early childhood,but according to my mom and dad I was a mischievous and bubbly kid.  I would do anything just to get what I want, a spoiled but not a brat. I had a happy yet traumatic childhood.

 I started school when I was five years old. I took my elementary education at Cababaan Elementary School from grade 1 to 3. In 2014, I transferred to another school because my family decided to start a new life in the city. I continued studying in Camarin Elementary School and enjoyed my journey as a transferee student until I graduated. At the age of 14, I was passionate about dancing and writing. My grade 7 teacher helped me to enhance my skills and I also discovered that I am capable of being a leader in our class. But unfortunately, my enthusiasm was gone.

They said challenges and difficulties are a necessary part of our life. I’ve been through a lot. I got bullied for being the top 1 in our class, but at a very young age, I promised to myself to be fearless and resilient. That's why I overcame those struggles and life must go on. 

Years passed, I graduated from JHS and I had to face a new journey - life during and after the pandemic. I once was lost because of the things I never expected would happen to me one day and that is to experience depression. Melancholy, misery, hatred, regrets, nightmare and sorrow; the feelings that I don't want to feel again. After all the pain, suffering and heartbreak, I gave up. One event that influenced who I am today is, I gave up believing that my life is miserable. I take the plunge - best decision I have made. I encouraged myself to remember who I once was—a cheerful, soft-hearted person.I finally accepted myself. After all the hardships, it taught me to be independent. To be the best version of myself no matter what happens. To know what I am capable of. That you have to stand up because that’s how life is.  

After the pandemic, life had changed. It’s not easy to meet new people because of the life that I have experienced. Eventually, I found this circle that gave me comfort. A friendship that surely will last.  One of the most memorable days of my life was when I unexpectedly met this fascinating man. He became my boyfriend. He's the reason why I am not afraid to love, explore and enjoy the things that the world can offer. Despite the struggles in life, I always choose to survive. 

One phrase that I’ll never forget is “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game”. I firmly believe that being fearless will make you stronger. So, this is how my story ends. I've done well and bad; I've erred and been egotistical. I'm not the ideal woman that I set out to be. I might not ever be that person. In my own life, I'm fearless and that's how I've always been. That then sums up who I am.

[craveher2]

Things my bio dad has done and gotten away with:

Multiple domestic abuse charges for beating and strangling his partners

Attempted stab a girl with a bottle in highschool and tried to set her house on fire afterwards

Sent members of the gang he was a part of to break into my parents house when I was a baby to steal and beat my mother who locked us in a bathroom and waited for the police (the door had cracks on it for years)

Threw knives at my sister telling her to kill herself

Talks about sex and intimate details with his children at around age 10 and encouraged me to talk about losing my virginity

Drove drunk multiple times with us in the car

Hit a child at a fair

Changed his name after being arrested for theft so he could commit more crimes under a new name and signed the new name on my birth certificate so we couldn’t look him up

Allowed my youngest siblings to be sexually abused by his girlfriends kid and lied to CPS about it

Gave me so much alcohol at a party I passed out in the woods covered in blood from falling and carried me to his truck where he left me passed out in the middle of summer alone only to stay at the party for hours while I was missing to my friends and family- THEN dropped me off unconscious at my grandparents

Extreme emotional abuse to me and my sisters

Drove drunk and high and killed a man on a motorcycle by pinning him against a cement wall and his truck

After disowning me and getting dumped by his wife he began dating a girl two months younger than me

And out of all of this he only spent about five total years in prison. This is why I have no hope at all for the criminal justice system. Good people get locked up for having weed on them and this man continues to walk free and get whatever he wants. Every day I’m disgusted and ashamed of him. He needs to be put away for life. This isn’t even half of the things he’s done.

[ilovekazuhaa]

hi i really like reader as julieta's youngest headcanons can you please continue with reader getting their gift and it's seeing and talking to ghosts? i wanna see julieta and the sisters reactions please

omg okay!! this is the final part to this series lol you should read part one and part two first before reading this!!!

How Julieta, Isabela, Luisa, and Mirabel would react to reader getting their gift!!

btw readers gift is seeing/talking to ghosts lol

Julieta Madrigal

The first thing she did before the ceremony was bring you in for the biggest hug.

She cupped your cheeks, bringing you in for more kisses.

“What do you think my gift will be?” you asked, excitedly.

“I don’t know, but whatever gift you get is perfect mi vida!” your mama said, hugging you yet again.

Finally, it was time to start. Your mama then said “I’ll be waiting at your door, you can do this mi corazon” tucking hair behind your ear as she gave you one last kiss before walking away.

Your mama stood at the place your door would be, waiting patiently as you walked up the stairs.

She couldn’t believe you were 5 years old already, time had flown by so quickly! She was so scared you were going to be married the next time she blinked.

But seriously though, seeing you walk up those stairs, all on your own made her so proud of you. She couldn’t wait to see the person you would become.

And she didn’t care if your gift was going to be helpful or not. If it made you happy, it made her happy.

Finally arriving to the door, she watched her mother hand you the candle and watch your tiny hands touch it.

She wanted to squeeze you, seeing your tiny hands. You were just so cute to her.

After letting go of the candle, she watched in anticipation as you touched the doorknob and it lit up along with the door. She was so excited to see what gift you would get.

Before the picture on the door displaying your gift was shown, she saw you turn your head towards her, but you weren’t looking right at her. You were looking next to her. There was nothing there.

She saw your face go from a smile to a confused frown, your eyebrows furrowed as you seemed to talk to something.

“A-abuelo Pedro? That’s what you said your name was?”

The second your mom heard this, her heart dropped to her stomach. Her eyes widened as she covered her mouth with both hands. She felt as if she was going to faint. She never felt so happy but scared in her entire life.

“Well hello sir! I am Y/N! And this is my mom!” you said, pointing to her.

As Julieta was trying to figure out what caused this suddenly, it clicked. Your gift was seeing/talking to ghosts.

After she saw you nodding to him, you turned to her and said, “Mama! Your Papa wants you to know that he loves you. Very much.”

Right after you said this, your door formed. It showed an adult version of you, in the middle, surrounded by ghosts. The door glowed a yellowish gold color and your name was displayed in the middle of it, towards the bottom.

Julieta’s eyes grew teary as she looked at your door form and she knelt down to your level, hugging you tightly.

“Let him know I love him too, mi bebe.”

Isabela Madrigal

Before your ceremony started, Isabela showered you with some flower petals, for good luck.

“You’ve got this. No matter what gift you have, we will still love you. I promise.”

As she walked out with your sisters and mother to join the audience, she gave you one last wink.

She was so excited for you to finally get your gift, but she was also worried that you would have tremendous pressure on you to be a certain way, and it worried her.

Sure, she was excited for you to get your own room too, but she secretly wanted you to stay a baby forever, relying on your sisters and mother for everything.

In all honesty, Isa loved spending time with you and was afraid that you getting a gift was going to mess that up.

Watching you finally reach the top of the stairs, she held Luisa’s arm in anticipation.

Seeing you touch the candle and seeing your door light up felt so unreal.

Instead of your door forming right away, she saw you turn your head towards your mama, and she heard some mumbling. There was only one sentence that stood out to her.

“A-abuelo Pedro? That’s what you said your name was?”

Her jaw dropped. Abuelo Pedro? Isn’t he you know, the long dead abuelo that sacrificed himself?

“Ohh, I’m guessing she can talk to ghosts?” she mumbled to herself out loud, but low enough that no one heard her.

After watching you exchange a few more words with her mother, you door formed and her prediction was confirmed.

She cheered for you as fireworks went off.

She wanted to see your reaction to your new gift, running up the stairs to you and her mama but refrained from asking any questions in fear it would stress you out.

The next day, you sat in her room, explaining it all to her. You told her that you saw Pedro all of the time when you were home, almost like he was waiting for something, or perhaps someone.

“Maybe he’s waiting for Abuela” Isabela said, shrugging “To go into the afterlife.”

“I guess you’re right” you responded casually.

This shocked her. How had you matured so quickly? She wanted to ask you what had changed inside of you, but decided to leave it be in fear she would anger some of the ghosts.

She knew it was silly to be fearful of them, but took any precautions just in case.

She secretly thought your gift was really cool though.

When she couldn’t help her curiosity, she would ask you who you could see and what they were saying. You’d always tell her, knowing that nothing scared your big sister.

Isabela was surprised that you had taken it so well, not crying or throwing a fit at all.

“Hey Isa” you asked, snapping her out of her daze.

“Yeah?” she responded, looking at you.

“I’m not gonna lie, getting this gift has been scary and I feel like I won’t be able to use it the way everyone wants me to.”

Getting up from her bed, she walked over to you and put her hands on your shoulders.

“Y/N, you use your gift the way you want to use it. Don’t let anyone tell you how to use your gift because its yours, and you’re the one that is going to have to always deal with it. Trust me, it takes some getting used to but I promise you it’ll get better.”

Eyes widening, you were shocked because your sister had technically read your mind. She was so insightful, always noticing every little detail.

You hugged her tightly, and she returned the hug almost immediately. Crouching down to your level, she tucked a familiar flower behind your ear, a rose.

“Thank you Isa” you said.

“No need to thank me” she responded. “It’s what sisters do.”

Luisa Madrigal

Luisa gave you a quick fist bump before joining the audience.

She was so proud of you. You finally turned 5 and she was so excited for you two to bond over your gifts.

Looking at her as you walked past her on the runway, she smiled and gave you a light nod. This gave you the courage to walk the rest of the way, to your door.

Although she didn’t say it, Luisa was also excited for you to get your gift so she could hang out in your room sometimes too, so she could remember how it was like to be a kid again.

Seeing you finally touch the doorknob and it lighting up had her on the edge of her seat. She was so excited to see what your gift would be.

“A-abuelo Pedro? That’s what you said your name was?” you said.

Her eyes widened. You were talking to something, but there was nothing there. What the hell?

After seeing you and your mom exchange a few words, she saw her mom tearing up and hugging you.

When your door finally revealed itself she realized what you were talking to, or more like who you were talking to.

Seeing your now new door, she clapped and cheered for you as fireworks went off.

“Yeah, that’s my Y/N!!”

The next day after the ceremony, you told Luisa how you had heard so many voices and saw so many ghosts everywhere when you left Casita.

Sitting with her in your room, you explained that when you were home though, all of the noise and people went away, but one. You always felt the presence of your Abuelo Pedro.

“Woah” Luisa said. “That’s some gnarly stuff. You doing okay with it?”

You nodded. Sure this was going to take some getting used to, but now you could help your family talk to their long lost relative.

“Wait. So does that mean you can technically solve murder mysteries now?” your sister asked.

Realizing this, you said “Yeah, I guess you’re right!”

“Hey Y/N, are you down to be my detective partner?” she said, grinning.

“Well of course! We’ll have the best and easiest business ever! Let’s do it!”

Mirabel Madrigal

“Alright, you ready?” Mirabel asked you before she took you downstairs for your gift ceremony.

Nodding, she took your hand and led you down the stairs to where your family was.

She couldn’t help but feel a little sad. After all, she was going to be the only one without a gift again.

But nevertheless, she was still so happy that you were going to get a door of your own. Little did you know, she was expecting a room tour.

She stayed backstage with you even when the curtains opened, motioning for you to start walking, she stayed hidden on the side in case you needed her.

As you walked into the crowded living area, walking through the only open space up the stairs, Mirabel peeked her head out from the side of where you were previously standing.

She was so incredibly proud of you getting to this point.

When you finally got to the top of the stairs, and touched the candle, she felt goosebumps. She watched you, with a sad smile.

Wanting what you were getting so badly, she wanted nothing more than to have her own chance to shine too, but she felt her chance would never come.

Seeing your door light up, she watched in awe.

“A-abuelo Pedro? That’s what you said your name was?”

‘No way’ she thought. You were seeing Abuelo Pedro? But how? Mirabel watched as your mama tensed up and almost cried at the statement you made.

Getting a little closer, Mirabel heard more talking between you two but one sentence stood out to her.

“Mama! Your Papa wants you to know that he loves you. Very much.”

Mirabel’s heart sank for her mother. You didn’t even know him! But you did know some stories about him, only the ones Mirabel told you anyway.

But then it clicked. And your door formed. ‘So their gift is to talk to ghosts huh?’ she watched you with a curious expression as she studied the design of your door.

Walking up to you, she said “So talking to ghosts! How awesome is that?”

“Yeah, I guess it’s pretty cool” you said, shrugging. You were secretly freaking out. This was so cool, but scary.

“So is it true? Can you really see him?” she asked.

“Yes, he’s standing right next to you” you said.

Freaking out, Mirabel looks to the empty spot next to her and starts rambling on and on.

“Hello! I’m Mirabel- Wait- you probably already knew that right? How are you? I mean- how long have you been here? you know like living-“

You cut her off with a giggle. She looked at you, confused.

“You don’t need to introduce yourself to a ghost. They already know you” you said, knowingly.

“Well I’m sorry I don’t know how to talk to ghosts!” she responded with a playful tone.

After giving her and yourself a room tour, you were slipping into the night to the familiar sound of Mirabel singing to you. But now, you had a new companion, or several new companions. You decided it was best to keep it to yourself for now.

“Hey Y/N?”

“Yeah?” you responded, hazy as you were about to fall asleep.

“Is there anything here with us now?” she asked.

“No Mira. There’s no one here” you said, lying to her. You couldn’t just tell her that her Abuelo Pedro was just sitting there, watching her sing.

Feeling her relax, she continued singing and you both peacefully dozed off.

[bitsandbobsofwriting]

Camlann, except no one is being held back by stupid destinies;

Merlin manages to keep Morgana and Mordred on the side of the light, which has a few rather influential knock-on effects.

Morgause leads her army onto the barren fields of Camlann, her hair and eyes wild, but her sword and focus sharp. Opposite stands her traitor sister’s half brother, the Boy-King of Camelot, surrounded by his precious knights. Today, they would all die, she would make certain of that.

Arthur struggles to keep his hands from trembling, he’s well aware that this battle will likely be his, and subsequently Camelot’s, downfall, but his nerves are settled slightly by Merlin’s comforting presence at his side. Which he feels immensely guilty at. 

He’d done his best to urge Merlin to run, to take Gwen and Gaius and maybe even Morgana, to go to Ealdor to pick up his mother and run even further, just in case. Merlin had refused of course; Gwen and Morgana had squawked at Arthur’s stupid chivalry and planted their feet firmly in the throne room, a symbolic last line of defence, and Gaius rolled his eyes and reaffirmed that he would be in the infirmary tent, as planned. 

He’d given his men his speech and they all seemed content to die for the cause, for one last desperate attempt to keep their home safe, but that didn’t stop the freezing claw of guilt from shredding Arthur’s lungs every time he took a breath. They were just waiting now. For someone to make the first move, for Morgause to get a little closer, for someone to send a messenger. 

Arthur’s broken from his stare when a warm, soft, steady hand takes his gently. His head whips to the side to see Merlin, stood without armour (oh, how The King despaired) staring at him with a slight frown. A frown, Arthur thinks, that should be much deeper, and much more afraid. He’s grateful it isn’t. He’s not sure he could cope with seeing Merlin scared:

“Arthur, if... if I knew a way to win this, once and for all, with not a drop of Camelot blood spilt... would you let me?”

It takes Arthur a few moments to process what Merlin had said, on account of his brain focusing on how grateful he is to hear his voice and feel the warmth of his hand instead of actually listening to him speak, but when he does, he copies his servant’s frown, though his is slightly more confused. He doesn’t let go of Merlin’s hand as he responds, instead tightening his grip:

“What on Earth are you talking about?”

Merlin gulps and looks away briefly, a look of guilt if Arthur ever saw one, but he finds he doesn’t really care. They’re all about to die, he’d forgive Merlin anything:

“If I could win this battle, and the war, right here, right now. Would you let me?-”

At Arthur’s continued perplexed look, Merlin rolls his eyes and huffs, smirking slightly as he adds on:

“-Just humour me.”

Arthur gulps, glancing towards the slowly advancing army before once again squeezing Merlin’s hand and looking back at him:

“It would... depend on the consequences, I suppose. Would you get hurt?”

Merlin shakes his head, then stops, and tilts it sideways as though he’s considering something he’d really rather not think about. He can’t meet Arthur’s gaze as he responds:

“I... might need a few hours to rest, afterwards, but any... long term consequences would depend on your reaction.”

Arthur recoils slightly at that, frown deepening as he shakes his head, completely oblivious to the keen listening ears of his six most loyal knights, and another, hidden towards the back of the group. If he’d turned to see them, Arthur would’ve noticed the blank looks of steely determination on Lancelot and Mordred’s faces:

“Well we would never have to worry about that. I... I could never see you hurt, Merlin.”

The King’s voice cracks as he mentions Merlin getting hurt, and the servant’s gaze softens, knowing that Arthur was thinking of their inevitable demise, creeping closer and closer. He squeezes his hand, giving him a soft smile as his other hand lifts up to rest on his shoulder; his question comes out soft and pleading:

“Do you trust me?”

Arthur has to use all of his self control not to yell his answer across Camlann:

“More than anyone.”

Merlin smiles sadly and steps back, dropping both of his still-steady hands to his sides; Arthur feels the gap between them more heavily than he feels the armour on his back. Merlin goes to turn away without another word, but before he can take even one step, a figure is pushing through to the front, gripping his wrist and pulling him back:

“I’m coming too.”

Arthur’s eyes go comically large as he hears Morgana’s voice come from under the hood. He steps forward to rip it down, and she only spares him an annoyed glance before she’s back to staring purposefully at Merlin. A gasp goes up around the group from all bar two, and Mordred dismounts his horse, walking forward to be in line with Morgana. The three of them entirely ignore Arthur’s outraged words:

“Morgana, what the hell are you doing here? You need to be safe at the castle, you’re meant to take the crown what the hell are you doing here?!”

Merlin meets Morgana’s determined glare with a resigned one of his own:

“No, this is my-”

Mordred interrupts him, his voice strong in a way that Arthur had never heard from the youngest knight before:

“No. No, it’s not. You’re not just fighting for Camelot, Merlin, you’re fighting or us, for our people.”

Merlin looks like he wants to argue, but Morgana crosses her arms and holds her head high as she speaks:

“You’re making a stand and you have no right to stop us from doing the same. This is bigger than you, bigger than all three of us, this is our fight just as much as it is yours.”

Merlin can only hold their stare for so long before he sighs and looks to the floor, entirely oblivious to the knights panicking (bar Lancelot, of course). He looks up with a small, relaxed smile on his face, and if Arthur weren’t so preoccupied with the fact that Morgana was definitely not supposed to be here, he would’ve found Merlin’s almost-nonchalance calming. The servant holds both his hands out:

“Together?”

Mordred grins widely, taking one of Merlin’s wrists as he responds confidently:

“For Camelot.”

Morgana does the same, a sudden wind whipping her hair behind her wildly:

“For our people.”

Without another moment’s of hesitation, Merlin turns and marches towards Morgause and her army. His steps are purposeful and strong, and Arthur can’t bring himself to stop him, no matter how desperately his brain is screaming at him. Morgana turns to him with a not-quite-cruel smirk:

“This has been a long time coming, brother. Enjoy the show.”

Arthur can only blink in surprise as she turns and walks towards Merlin. Mordred looks to him next, though the young knight’s smile is a lot softer, a lot more pitying:

“You should consider yourself lucky, Arthur,-”

Arthur barely registers the use of his first name:

“-my Lord gave up his throne in favour of serving you, buried his crown in favour of polishing yours.”

Arthur shakes his head slightly, his voice quiet and confused and strained as he asks:

“Your Lord?”

Mordred looks to Merlin, still marching across the seemingly never-ending field, with an awed smile; his voice is quiet and holds notes of what almost sound like worship:

“He’s more than you know.”

Before Arthur can respond, Merlin and Morgana stop, turning to look at Mordred expectantly. Merlin stares blankly, his brows slightly furrowed, but Morgana sports a wild grin as she yells back:

“I though you wanted to join in on the fun, Mordred?”

The young knight grins in response, turning to Arthur and giving him one last short bow as he cheerfully says, not a trace of worry in his voice:

“Lady Morgana is right My Lord, enjoy the show.”

He turns away quickly, jogging to catch up with the other two before anyone can say anything. Gwaine is the first to react, jumping off his horse and starting forward, to catch up with them, to pull them back, to ask them what the fuck was going on, but Lance quickly lands behind him, grabbing his shoulder:

“Wait, don’t. You trust them right?-”

He casts his gaze around the others, all looking slightly confused but mostly panicked as they dismount their horses. Mordred, Merlin, and Morgana make their journey to the centre of the field, but Lancelot’s eyes focuses on Arthur:

“-You said you trusted him, so just... this is what he does, Arthur. Please, just trust him, everything’s going to be ok.”

Arthur is desperate to question his knight, to demand that he explain what’s going on and give up anything, everything he knows, but before he can say anything, Elyan gasps and points somewhere beyond their friends. The whole army seems to resume their earlier jitters as Morgause differentiates herself from her soldiers.

~

The three magic users spread out slightly as they come to a stop, Mordred on the left, Morgana on the right, and Merlin, of course, in the middle.

A storm seems to be fast approaching and the loud wind makes hearing each other difficult, but they don’t need words to speak, and Mordred’s question echoes in Merlin’s head as all of their gazes focus on Morgause stepping forward:

“Are the other two coming?”

The Warlock nods, tapping his finger to his temple briefly as he replies:

“I called for them hours ago, they’re almost-”

~

Arthur is distracted from all that’s in front of him when a desperate and terrified voice screeches out from the back of his army:

“DRAGONS!!”

He, and all the other knights, whip their heads around in panic, only to see exactly what had been yelled about. The Dragon that Arthur had supposedly killed years ago is flying towards them like a hurricane, golden scales shining bright even in the shadows of the approaching storm. Next to him flies a much smaller dragon, pure white and clearly young, unstable in the air but still graceful, still terrifying.

Arthur’s heart sinks even impossibly further as they both fly straight over them, aiming for the other side of the field. If Morgause had two Dragons at her beck and call somehow, there was no hope, no matter what ridiculous plan Merlin had. Arthur felt the tears fill his eyes, but he didn’t let them fall. If this was to end in fire, then he’d sprint to Merlin, just so he could see him, hold his hands, beg him for a smile, one last time.

Lancelot holds him back with a hand on his shoulder and a soft smile:

“I know this doesn’t make sense, but just... trust him.”

He turns back to Merlin just to see the great beasts land in front of them, almost acting as a barrier between the three of them and the opposing army.

~

“-Took you long enough.”

Kilgharrah does his best imitation of rolled eyes before dipping his head in a bow:

“Where would you like us, young Warlock?”

Merlin grins, allowing Aithusa to push her head into his hands as he answers:

“I want you somewhere off to the side looking vaguely threatening. Only intervene if you have to, I don’t want the Camelot knights getting twitchy and skewering you, you’re an old man after all, I’m not sure you could take it.-”

Morgana laughs aloud and Mordred snorts behind his hand, but Kilgharrah just rolls his eyes again, giving another bow that this time somehow seems sarcastic before clomping off to the side, prowling up and down the edge of the field and huffing the occasional puffs of smoke in the opposition’s direction. Merlin looks down to Aithusa next, scratching her chin and using a much softer voice:

“Go watch over Arthur, keep him safe but don’t let him or any of the others hurt you, I’m sure Lance will explain. Try to stay out of the fighting and don’t let Morgause get anywhere near Arthur or the knights, you understand?”

The creature purrs and nods, stepping around her master and beginning an impossibly fast sprint towards Arthur.

~

Arthur stares with wide eyes at the gathering in the middle of the field, letting out a deep breath when the Great Dragon bows down to Merlin’s confident stance. The smaller creature bounds to him as he... exchanges words with the beasts, and all Arthur can do is stare as his brain argues over which emotion should be at the forefront. Fear? Confusion? Betrayal? Some kind of guilt? Pride, maybe?

Lancelot definitely looks proud, worried, but proud, and Arthur spares him a questioning glance; before he can say anything, Leon lets out a quiet yelp, pointing across the field and drawing his sword on instinct. Arthur whips his head around to see the white Dragon speeding towards them, eyes bright, teeth bared, and sharp claws ripping up the ground with every step.

He draws his own sword, panic clawing at his gut, but before he can step forward in some pointless attempt to protect his men, Lancelot pulls him back again, stepping in between Arthur and the approaching Dragon with a placating hand held out to each of them; his voice comes out quickly and desperate:

“No, no, she’s on our side, don’t hurt her. Merlin sent her here to protect us, don’t hurt her.”

Arthur stares between them with a mix of blood-curdling fear and endless confusion. But he trusts Merlin, and he trusts Lancelot, so much to Leon’s displeasure he lowers his sword, though he doesn’t sheath it, not yet.

The Dragon finally reaches them, coming to a skidding stop a few feet away. Arthur’s fear is overpowered by confusion, and an odd fondness in the back of his mind, when the creature almost topples over in it’s haste. She purrs loudly, and even Leon appears to relax slightly, even more so when she dips her head in what appears to be a bow to Arthur, before turning her attention to Lancelot and pushing her face into his hands.

The other knights all start forward on instinct, but when Lance lets out a low chuckle and begins... scratching the creature’s chin?? They step back again, watching as the Dragon begins purring even louder, almost bowling Lancelot over as it rubs it’s scaled body across his legs. It’s... acting like a cat...

Gwaine coughs very deliberately and Lancelot looks up with a blush, biting his lip before saying, his words awkward and stilted:

“Uh... guys, this is Aithusa, she’s... a Dragon. She can’t speak yet, but-”

Percival makes a confused noise in the back of his throat, shaking his head with wide eyes as he asks incredulously:

“Dragons are meant to be able to speak??”

Lancelot grimaces, but nods, but before he can say anything, Morgause’s crazed voice echoes over the field, and their attention is drawn back to the face off between Merlin, Morgana, Mordred, and the enemy.

~

“You can not beat me, not even with your precious pets!!”

The gang can hear Kilgharrah’s low growl at the insult and the sound vibrates across the ground and up into their very bones, even with the distance between them. Aithusa tenses in response, eyes narrowed and teeth bared as she detects the anger and insult swarming in her Kin, but Merlin holds a hand out to the Great Dragon, and both creatures relax as he monotonously responds:

“I’m giving you one chance, Morgause, do not send your followers to a pointless death.”

His tone is even and confident, his back straight, his head held high, and Arthur wonders how he’d never noticed Merlin’s obvious power before. Despite speaking normally, his voice is heard by everyone, even over the howling wind.

The knights can see Morgause’s hands shaking in her rage, her eyes wide and bright golden as she screeches her response, her anger showing through clearly:

“I am no coward!! You are nothing but a servant, a child soldier, and a pampered princess! What hope do you have against me?! I am a High Priestess, you are nothing!!!”

Merlin lowers his head, nodding slightly in resigned sadness. His muttered words, once again, somehow seem to echo across the field, and Arthur recoils at the grief in his tone:

“So be it.”

He slowly lifts his arm, holding it at a forty-five degree angle from the ground, his fingers splayed wide, and Elyan gasps, pointing wordlessly to the lightening dancing between his fingertips. Gwaine lets out a boisterous laugh, grinning as he realises with sudden clarity that Merlin is about to kick ass in a major way.

Arthur just gapes, struggling to process what was happening even as Gwaine whoops and Lancelot smiles proudly. The other knights are also staring, varying levels of confusion, awe, and happiness on their faces. 

From where they’re standing, they can see Mordred and Morgana get into a fighting stance, though neither of them draw the swords they have hanging from their hips. Morgause lets out an ear piercing screech, this one wordless, giving the distinct impression that her mind had snapped under the weight of her fury. Her army begins their march forwards as she hurls a fireball the size of a horse straight for Merlin, but he simply twists his wrist sharply forwards. A bolt of lightening rips down from the sky, intercepting the fireball and forcing it to the ground where it explodes in a miniature storm of silver sparks and golden flames.

Morgause screams again, her and her army speeding up in their approach as Merlin gives some sort of unseen command. All of a sudden, Mordred gives a small leap forward, planting his feet firmly as he thrusts his hands towards the ground before ripping them up again; with the movement, the ground at his feet explodes, vines and rocks and roots bursting from the field in a sharp line heading straight for the army. Morgana, at the same time, swirls her arms gracefully around her head, a few sparks of fire lighting up in the darkness as if from the friction between her hands and the air. She brings her arms down again, completing the elegant flow, stepping forward as she blows harshly into her cupped hands. A great, hot fire bursts forth, huge and angry and writhing as it shoots towards the enemy.

A few feeble counter attacks are thrown from Morgause and the sorcerers she has in her ranks, but ultimately, the army can only look on in horror at their approaching deaths. After a few moments of Merlin staring proudly at Mordred and Morgana’s handy work as it rips apart the first few hundred soldiers, he takes his own step forward, raising his arm to the sky. Lightening dances between just his fingertips at first, then down his arm, then all over his body; he connects to the flashes in the sky, and he glows brighter and brighter until he thrusts both arms forward. A tornado of flashing, crackling light shoots out from his hands, striking down thousands of soldiers. Shards of lightening jump from enemy to enemy, leaving none untouched by magic, each being struck down by Mordred’s earth, Morgana’s fire, or Merlin’s sky.

The Camelot army can only stare on in shock and horror as the enemy is wiped out in minutes, screams of those being buried alive, burned as if on pyres, or fried from the inside out reverberating across the field. Arthur’s mouth hangs open, his eyes wide and frozen on Merlin as he conducts lightening as if it were what he was born to do. Something deep in Arthur’s soul tells him that this is what he was born to do.

Aithusa’s protection isn’t required; none of the enemy soldiers get within ten metres of Merlin and his pupils, let alone Arthur and the other knights, but she patrols the front edge of Camelot’s army regardless, nudging back those that step too far forward (everyone was too focused on The King’s manservant, knight, and half sister being... well... Godlike, to care about the fact that a Dragon was using her snout to gently push people around), always with one eye on Arthur, just like her master had asked.

Within minutes, the field goes almost silent; the only sounds to be heard are the gentle crackling of still-smouldering bodies, and the deep breaths of Morgause, Mordred, Morgana, and Arthur. Merlin seems entirely unbothered, his stance still strong and powerful where Mordred and Morgana sag slightly from the exertion.

Morgause falls to her knees, tears on her cheeks as she finally realises the power that she’s up against; Merlin tilts his head slightly before clicking his fingers. The four of them disappear in clouds of deep black smoke and Arthur struggles to stop himself from yelping and falling back when they reappear in front of him.

Morgause is still kneeling, Merlin in front of her with a blank expression on his face. Morgana stands to the side, her face an odd mix of sorrowfully defeated—Morgause was her sister after all—and vindictively victorious. Mordred stands at her shoulder, looking a lot more tired but still managing to stay upright as he gazes upon the scene with well put together indifference. Aithusa bounds over to be stood at her master’s side, and even Kilgharrah joins them, standing behind Aithusa a way’s off.

Morgause finally speaks through her deep breathing, staring up at Merlin in desperation:

“Who are you?”

Merlin just tilts his head and frowns slightly, crouching down to place a soft hand on her shoulder:

“Who do you think?”

Morgause sags even further, her tears streaming down her face as she almost whispers, her voice cracking:

“Emrys.”

Merlin nods slowly, looking to Arthur for the first time since the whole ordeal started. Arthur is taken aback at the shining gold of his eyes, but holds his gaze, gulping and waiting for his servant (?) to make the first move:

“Your orders, My Lord?”

Arthur takes a deep breath, looking first down at Morgause, who is staring at the floor blankly, then to Mordred and Morgana, who raise eyebrows at him, then Lancelot, who shrugs, and finally the other knights, who stare at him with wide eyes, waiting for his answer just as Merlin is. His hands clench at his side, but he looks back to the dark-haired man, his face determined and his voice strong:

“Your suggestion?”

Lancelot nods approvingly at Arthur’s obvious show of trust; the question is more than just a question, it’s a display that The King is treating Merlin like an advisor, asking for his counsel and trusting his allegiance in front of a crowd. Merlin smiles slightly, tightening his grip on Morgause’s shoulder, not that she notices:

“I’m not overly fond of execution, but we don’t have dungeons strong enough to hold her long term, and too many have suffered at her hand.”

Arthur nods, though he sheathes his sword. He takes a deep breath before his next instruction, knowing that this is... delicate, and important; a turning point in his Kingdom’s history:

“Make it merciful.”

Merlin holds in his proud smile and Morgause only has time to gasp quietly as his hand moves from her shoulder to her forehead. Her eyes roll back and she collapses to the floor, dead before she even hits the ground. 

The Warlock spares the dead witch a quick, pitying glance, and the grief in his eyes, even after all she had done, is endearing, reminding everyone around them of the compassion Merlin is capable of. He stands quickly, but is careful not to make any of his moves too sudden, stepping away from the body and towards Arthur. His stance is strong once again, allowing some before unseen authority, confidence, power to shine through; Mordred and Morgana take their places either side of them, and even Aithusa sits up, tall and proud, as Kilgharrah edges forward slightly.

This is Merlin, showing off his army, presenting it to his King, offering it up for judgment. An army consisting of himself, his two apprentices, and two Dragons; not large, but likely the most powerful the land has ever known, and ever will know.

Arthur gulps, but meets Merlin’s golden gaze. The atmosphere is thick and charged and The King couldn’t pinpoint whether it was from the residual lightening still jumping between Merlin’s fingers, or the sheer power that was just displayed, seemingly effortlessly. He glances over the Warlock’s shoulder at the carnage behind him and can’t help but take a deep, fortifying breath. Merlin tilts his head, glancing at the massacre for just a moment before looking back with an almost repentant smile:

“I apologise for the theatrics,-”

He’s interrupted by Morgana’s whispered murmur of “I don’t, that was brilliant.” but ignores her:

“-but I can... fix that. If you like?”

Arthur frowns slightly, confused and so far out of his comfort zone that he doesn’t even want to hazard a guess at what Merlin might be implying. He feels a mould grow spontaneously in his gut, a horror with spores that spread throughout his bloodstream as he realises that... he doesn’t really know anything about magic, about how it works, about how Merlin is offering to use it. It had yet to occur to him to be afraid of Merlin, but the sudden realisation that he’d been persecuting his servant’s people with no real understanding of his own former hatred was... jarring.

The Warlock sees Arthur’s hesitation, widening his reassuring smile slightly as he repeats an earlier question, from a time that felt as though it had come years before, but was really only minutes. The discrepancy in timelines between Arthur’s head and the real world does not alter the King’s answer

“Do you trust me?”

“More than anyone.”

Merlin closes his eyes, holding his hands out to the side slightly as he lets out a deep breath. The storm, which Arthur and the knights had become entirely oblivious of despite it’s ruinous thunder and blinding flashes of lightening, quickly dissipates; blue sky and bright sun peek through the fading clouds. A gold shimmer ripples out across the ground from Merlin’s feet, spreading backwards like a wave over sand, turning pebbles and leaving the beach clean and fresh in it’s wake. The ground clears, bodies sinking into nothingness and fires being smothered by magic, even Morgause disappears into the dirt. 

Arthur absentmindedly thinks that that could be seen as honorary or disgracing; he supposes it depends on what type of person you were before the end of your life. Merlin would see being entombed within the Earth itself as a blessing, he somehow thinks that Morgause, with her God complex and inflated feelings of infallibility, would find it... demeaning.

Merlin sags his head slightly, and when Arthur’s brain comes back into focus, mostly prompted by the gasping and widespread whispers of the uneasy army behind him, he sees that the barren fields of Camlann, soaked with blood and scorched by lightening, no longer exist. In their place was a vast meadow, bright with the colours of spring and summer; untameable wildflowers stood tall and crimson butterflies were the only reminders of the bloodshed that had watered this paradise before them.

Arthur feels the smile on his face before he had even made the conscious decision to smile, but he decides that today, of all days, he doesn’t mind accidentally wearing his heart on his sleeve. Trust Merlin to do something as unspeakable as rip an army to shreds with lightening, and then apologise for his dramatics by creating heaven on earth.

The King sighs before shaking his head slightly, letting out a short, disbelieving laugh. He can feel the sun on his skin, and his smile grows with the knowledge that the heat warming his cheeks was entirely unnatural for this time of year; Merlin really was pulling out all of the stops.

“You’re a gift to this world, Merlin.”

His voice comes out softly, as if he were afraid of ruining the peace, though he only adds to it; The King finally turns to his Warlock again and almost stumbles back at the immeasurable devotion shining from his now-blue-again eyes. His whispered response carries on the wind as if he were a part of it, and Arthur wonders just how much of this world Merlin has touched, just how much of this universe Merlin has created, extended himself to. Did the wind exist before Merlin? Did the sun? Did butterflies, or lightening, or the colour gold have any space in this universe before Merlin willed it? Gaius’ thick books say they have an answer, but Arthur thinks they might be lying:

“A gift to you, Arthur, only to you.”

~

THE END!

I’ve been looking forward to writing this one for a while, so I hope y’all liked it!! I LOVE writing BAMF!Merlin, (and BAMF!Mordred/Morgana as well so) :D

Same as always, you wanna extend it/write it properly/remix it, then that’s fine, but drop me message before hand and credit/tag me!! :)

[depressedstressedlemonzest]

Valorous Vigilantes Ch. Six

"I know you've already met Carl, do you remember the rest of my siblings?" Ian asked trying to distract Mickey.

Mickey leaned back a bit and his brow furrowed as he thought.

"You've got that older sister, the one who dropped out to raise you kids, always hand made your Halloween costumes right?" he asked glancing at Ian.

"Fiona, yes."

Mickey's head bobbed up and down, "I remember she made you this Superman costume as a kid, Roger Fineman said you weren't really superman and you tried to prove him wrong by jumping off the top of the monkey bars." Mickey's laughter started bubbling up past his lips.

Ian barked a laugh, "You remember that?"

"Yeah man, lost two bucks and a bag of gummy bears on that bet, broke a bone and I was out." Mickey smirked at him.

"Yeah, broke my collar bone, was not the best Halloween. I remember going to the ER and all the doctors and nurses were dressed up, freaky as hell."

Mickey cackled another laugh then sat thoughtfully for a moment, "Then you've got Lip, that fuckhead older brother."

Ian laughed covering his mouth with his hand trying to stifle the harshness of his laugh, "You remember Lip's name?"

Mickey rolled his eyes, "It was the dumbest fucking name I ever heard of course I remember that. Plus Iggy and Colin would always beat him up, and I'd have him write papers for me when he did that business before I dropped out."

"Fair enough, yes Fiona, Lip, then me." Ian held a hand out gesturing for him to continue.

"Okay let's see, who else in clan Gallagher," Mickey muttered to himself swiping a hand over his mouth, "well you mentioned Liam a minute ago and he's the youngest, he's also the only one that doesn't have the pale skin and the freckles, and fucking alien looking." He shot Ian a shit eating grin and Ian gave him a shoulder bump.

"Fuck you very much, Debs and I are the only ones like that." Ian held up a middle finger at him.

"So Debs is the other sister, and then Carl. Whose the one who had the kid?" Mickey asked his forehead scrunching up as he tried to think.

"Debbie, well Lip's had a kid too, but Debbie had Franny a few years ago, hell the kid turns six years old this year. Lip had Freddie, he's around a year and a half old, babbles a bit, and his- Tami, is pregnant again."

"Someone willingly mated with Lip? Twice? There's Lip spawn in the world?" Mickey cackled with laughter.

Ian took out his phone and showed Mickey a picture of Franny in her princess dress holding her two big monster truck toys, "This is Franny, she's a fun kid, likes wrestling, tea parties, and bats."

Mickey grinned looking at the phone, "She's cute, seems like a cool kid. What wrestler does she like?" Mickey asked raising an eyebrow.

"Queen Justice." Ian answered with a small smile thinking of the autograph she treasured from the wrestler.

He swiped a few times until he got to the picture of Lip, Tami, and Freddie.

"This is Lip's son Freddie, and Freddie's mom Tami, she's pregnant here, she's having a girl this time."

Mickey studied the pictures closely, "She is willingly mating with your brother? Jesus." He huffed a laugh.

Ian grinned, "She's interesting, grew up rich, but isn't afraid to work hard. Plus she gives Lip his attitude right back."

Mickey just grinned mischievously.

The train pulled to a stop and Mickey's smile faded from his face, nerves settling in a moment as he looked around.

"Mickey, you're okay, I promise." Ian murmured softly.

Mickey looked at him in surprise, a blush fluttering on his face, "Am I that obvious?" He mumbled.

Ian's mouth pulled up on one side and he tilted his head side to side, "Ahh a little bit, but not to anyone who didn't know you. I can tell though."

Mickey's eyes hardened, "You don't know me man."

Read Chapter Six HERE

Start from beginning HERE

[potter-imagines]

Chosen Sister (Fred Weasley x Reader)

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader

Request: I had two Ginny idolizing reader requests so this is the first one! I can't find the exact request but the other will be posted during this coming week. 

Warning: None (vv short sad part)

Word Count: 3.8k

“Give me back my girlfriend, Ginny. I heard that you’re holding her hostage.”

A loud chorus of knocks sounded out from Ginny Weasley’s dorm room. Dinner had finished an hour before and since the meal ceased, Fred had been searching the entire ground for you, his girlfriend. After about thirty minutes tracing your typical patterns and steps around Hogwarts, Fred ran into Angelina and Alicia who informed him of your whereabouts.

They happily explained to them that they saw Ginny dragging you away after dinner. The girls cooed to Fred about how adorable it was that his girlfriend hung out with his little sister, something Fred didn’t exactly view the same.

Fred Weasley checked your dorm room, the common room, the library, Hermione’s dorm, and finally Ginny’s room. As he trudged up the stone steps grounchily, his ears perked to a point at the ring of a voice that was tattooed in his heart. Your innocent, childlike giggle played like a melody in the empty stairwell.

Fred could feel the corner of his lip tugging up to a smile at the sound. That sugared chortle that he had heard millions of times before but somehow still felt his breath catch at the sound. Standing outside his little sister’s door, Fred’s annoyance was dissolving by your haromous voice echoing from the opposite side.

When Ginny failed to open her dorm up the first round of knock, Fred banged on the door again. Huffing in annoying, Ginny shot you a look, already knowing Fred was gonna scold her. She crawled off her bed and waltzed over to her door, taking her sweet time as she did. You couldn’t help the giggles that rumbled through your chest.

Swing the door open swiftly, Ginny glared at Fred with flames blazing in her eyes. If they weren’t related, he might’ve felt a hint of her wrath. But she was his little sister and not even at her angriest did Fred find her intimidating, not in the slightest.

Ginny Weasley was only thirteen yet her sass and feistiness was beyond her years. Growing up with only brothers probably played a hand. The young girl sent her brother a disgusted look then growled at him,

“I am not holding her hostage! For your information, Y/n happens to be my friend. Might sound surprising to you but she actually enjoys hanging out with me, Fred.”

Fred looked past his sister at the mention of your name. A smile lifted to his lips when he found you. You returned the gesture

“You’re right, that does sound surprising.” The snarky remark caused Ginny to furrow her face in a scowl. Lunging forward the youngest Weasley snapped for her older brother, although missed by a long shot.

“You’re infuriating, Fred!” She howled. Her face was turning red with every second that ticked by. If the situation had been different, you might’ve laughed. Getting between the Weasley siblings when they were arguing- that just wasn’t safe for anyone. Ginny’s aggravation was fuming from her pores as she sent you pleading looks to stay.

It was now that you took a look at the old wooden clock hanging on the way above her roommate's bed. The little hand was pointing to the six as the big hand was approaching eleven. The time seemed to fly by at light speed. You had promised to help Ginny hang up some lights in her room. She had wanted to decorate it just likes yours, as she practically admired anything you did. It made you feel special knowing Ginny looked up to you. You had never experienced it before so it was exciting- but also slightly pressurized- to know she was admiring you as a big sister.

Fred let out an exaggerated groan leaning against the wall next to the door.

“Can I please have my girlfriend back? You got your girl time in. Y/n promised to hangout with me tonight, so I’m rescuing her!” A cheeky wink was thrown your way as Fred walked further in the room, slowly sneaking up to you. The annoyed girl rolled her eyes then ignored her brother. She looked back at you and pursed her lips into a thin line. Ginny was too oblivious to notice his stagger but your attention remained set on him the entire time. You didn’t fight the smirk lifting to your lips as he inched closer, and closer until his feet were only steps from his sister’s back. It was then Ginny noticed the amused tint to your face but before she could bring it to light, Fred bent down in one fluid motion and gripped his hands on either side of your hips. As light as a feather he swept you up and quickly darted for the door, as to escape Ginny before she had the chance to retaliate.

“Wait- hey!” Fred slammed the large door then proceeded down the steps.

“Freddie, love, that wasn’t nice.” The giggles poured from your soul as Fred continued to carry you down the stairs, then took a sharp right, and started walking up the boy’s dormitory staircase. You rested your head against the blade of his shoulder, bobbing with every step he took. He was so handsome, even from the most unpleasant angels. His sharp features stuck out in the darkness, striking your heart. His arms cradled you while he laughed, “Oh shush, you didn’t try to stop me. Wasn’t exactly nice of you to just run off in the middle of dinner. You still have time to make it up to me, though.” The teasing arrogance didn’t go unnoticed. You laughed into the material of his sweater, clutching to his chest. The movement of his legs stopped and he softly leaned over to place you on the ground. Taking his wand out from his back pocket he unlocked his door and opened it up for you to walk in.

You stepped into the quiet room then turned to you boyfriend,

“George and Lee in?” You asked. The grin that rose to his lips was an answer enough. Fred closed the door behind him with a slam then jumped onto his bed with a flop. You watched him lay in the middle of the mattress, throwing his hands in a fold behind his head. He shrugged his shoulders and replied,

“Nope. Was there something in particular you had in mind of doing?” His mask of innocence wasn’t fooling either of you, but it was part of the fun. Keeping your eyes glued to his, you slipped the material of your robes off, leaving you in a white long sleeve button up and a small plaid skirt. You basked in the widening eyes of your boyfriend as he shifted on the comforter. His eyes raked over your body from your head down to your toes. You noticed his gaze particularly set on your exposed legs. Smirking to him you sauntered over to his bed and climbed in with him. His large hands found your bottom instantly. “I think you know, Freddie.”

Almost a week later, it happened again. Fred was scrambling around the Gryffindor common room asking every waking student if they had seen you. Most students were getting ready for dinner, some already there. George was waiting near the portrait watching curiously as his twin ran around the room from person to person. Even to George it was a bit strange no one had seen you, although as the hours dragged on he took into account the absence of his little sister also. George sighed to himself then kicked his leg into the wall, leaning back against the brick waiting patiently for Fred.

On the opposite side of the large room, the other half of the Weasley twins was talking to Lee Jordan, seeing if he had any valuable information. Lee, just like everyone else he asked, had no clue where you were. Right as his conversation with Lee was dwindling, the sigh of a curly haired girl caught Fred’s eyes and he abruptly excused himself from Lee and ran over.

As Fred reached Hermione, he gave her shoulder a line of taps,

“Hermione! Hey! Do you know where Y/n is? George said he saw you two in the courtyard this morning but I haven’t seen her all day.” Fred questioned the bright witch in a pleasing tone. She swiveled around and tilted her head to the side causing her frizzy hair to bounce like springs. Eyebrows knitted together, her lips scrunched to the side. Deep in thought she hummed to herself then answered,

“No I don’t at the moment, Fred, I’m sorry. I spent the morning with her and Ginny but I haven’t seen either of them since we left the library around lunch. That was hours ago, though. Maybe try checking Ginny’s room?” Hermione offered.

You had been studying most of the morning in the courtyard then in the library. Ginny and Hermione joined you, despite all three of you being in different years. Not that it came as much of a surprise, but Hermione helped you with your work without missing a beat. Where you were stuck for minutes, she had finished four questions ago. She was a brilliant friend to have, schoolwise and personally. You might be older than the young witch but Hermione’s advice was like no others so you loved having her around.

Fred shook his head and mumbled a ‘no’.

“That was the first place I looked. Don’t know where she is either. Did I do something? Y/n’s not upset with me is she?” The fear and worry in his voice soaked the air and Hermione gave him a gaze of bewilderment.

“What? She didn’t say anything to me about being mad at you and I’m sure she would’ve if she were. She seemed perfectly fine so I don’t think it’s that. Ginny was the one who seemed in a mood if anything.” She stated firmly. As close as the two of you were, you would have told Hermione if Fred angered you. You shared everything with her.

The towering boy nodded, eyes scanning the space behind Hermione. He was running out of places to check and people to ask. Hermione was his best bet next to Ginny and no one knew where Ginny was either which, for anyone capable of putting 2 and 2 together meant you and Ginny were more likely than not together somewhere.

“Thanks, Hermione. Let me know if you see either of them, please.” Hermione nodded and smiled kindly to Fred, then walked off to join Harry and Ron. Fred took off towards the portrait, yelling to George that he would be back shortly.

Leaving the common room Fred shut the painting behind him and made his way to the moving staircase. While standing on the middle step, he tried to think if he was a girl, where would he go? The bathroom? No, not for that long. A swim in the lake? Well, it was a few weeks out from winter so that was unlikely. Fred huffed as he hopped off the stairs on the fourth floor and walked towards the library. Passing by he noticed a group of Hufflepuff boys sitting around a table and Professor Pince shushing them furiously. He kept on past the library and made his way down a mostly empty corridor.

The clock was nearing five in the afternoon and it was definitely out of the ordinary for the two of you to go this long in one day without even passing by one another. Maybe you were in the common room. Just with his luck you would show up right when he left. As the thought seemed to be a possibility, the sudden sound of your familiar light, delicate voice, hit his ears. Halting completely, Fred peeked his head towards the staircase on his left where the noise came from.

“Y/n?” The inquiry came quietly. Fred half wondered if he had imagined it. No reply came to his question, but he did hear someone speaking again, a new voice he recognized as his little sister’s. Moving closer to the open, cobble stairwell, Fred suddenly stopped when he heard the shaky voice of his little sister and the sound of tears splashing against the hard ground.

“He doesn’t even notice me, Y/n! I’m practically invisible in his eyes… I hate it.” Ginny’s somber cries became louder as Fred stood just on the other side of the arch in the wall. He caught a small glimpse of the scene around the wall. On the bottom step, you and Ginny were sitting next to each other. Her head leaned on your shoulder as she sobbed sadly. It was a new sight- Fred was pretty sure he hadn’t seen Ginny cry since she was in diapers. Part of him wanted to beat the daylights out of whoever hurt his little sister, but he knew it would only cause more chaos for Ginny if he injected himself now. Fred was brought back to reality when your comforting tone reassured Ginny.

“Oh Ginny, don’t say that. He’s just stupid- boys are like that. I honestly don’t think he realizes what he’s doing.” Fred wondered who you were talking about. Did Ginny fancy someone? The sniffles of his sister shook the air. Her face left your shoulder as she buried it into the sleeves of her jacket. The material soaked up her salty teardrops and she forced herself to take some deep breaths in order to calm down. Just as her body stopped quivering, the thought entered her mind again and she remarked,

“He’s never gonna-”

Fred looked on in surprise as you leaned forward and pulled Ginny in for a tight hug. Your hand rubbed along her back, soothing the young girl. She rubbed her eyes constantly, the redness only worsening. Pulling away, you rubbed the drops away from under Ginny’s eyes and gave her a small smile,

“No, he will. I just think he’s got all this stuff with ‘he-who-must-not-be-named’ on his mind… but even if he doesn’t, then he’s not the one. You’re an amazing person, Ginny. Any guy would be lucky to have you but you’re too young to be heartbroken over a little boy. I don’t want you wasting your time being sad about boys when you should be having fun with me and your friends!”

“You really mean that, Y/n?” Her eyes lit in hopefulness. Ginny had quickly become a little sister of sorts to you. Seeing her upset, hurt, mad, anything, you felt it too. Although Ginny was young, only thirteen. You didn’t want her ruining herself chasing after a boy who wasn’t able to give her the time and attention she deserved. Being friends with Harry, your judgement told you that the poor boy most likely didn’t even catch onto the fact Ginny fancied him.

Chosen one? Yes. Oblivious one? Also yes.

On the other side of the wall, Fred’s heart was basically goop from the exchange. He messed with his sister, sure, but she was still his baby sister and it meant the world to him to see you, his girlfriend, so kind, and sweet to Ginny.

“I would never lie to you, Ginny.” You promised her.

“I should go wash up before dinner, I’m sure I look a mess! I’ll see you then, okay? And… thank you, Y/n. It means a lot to have you around and I don’t know, it’s cool to have you as a friend.” She reached forward and gave you one last hug. You grinned at her and said,

“Of course, Ginny. It’s cool to have you as a friend as well.”

Fred smiled to himself. He never realized just how much his sister looked up to you and it made him feel prouder than ever to call you his.

Not long later, Ginny rushed off down the staircase heading back for her dorm room. It had been hours since she’d return so it didn’t seem like the best choice to go missing for hours then show up for dinner with a blotchy face from crying. She wasn’t up for the questions and prying. You waved goodbye to her then sat for a few moments by yourself in silence. Well, at least you had assumed you were alone.

Right as your body began sinking in relaxation into the step, an entering pair of footsteps caused your eyes to snap open. Emerging from the open hallway outside the stairwell was a particular adorning red head you had grown to love so much. Fred stepped in through the arch and grinned at you. You were surprised by his presence, you had yet to see him all day, having spent most of it comforting Ginny, so you were taken aback that he was able to find you.

“Freddie! How did you find me?” You jumped up with a grin and threw your arms around Fred’s neck. His knees pulled him down from the force and his hands wrapped around your waist, accepting the embrace fully. Chuckling loudly Fred joked,

“Ah, so you were hiding from me!”

You sent him a narrowed look and pointed towards the direction where Ginny had retreated.

“No, no, I wasn’t hiding. Your sister needed me so I decided to be with her. I’m sorry, I should’ve told you-” Your apology was cut short by the feeling of Fred’s plump lips kissing yours. He kept the kiss short and sweet, just wanting to taste your lips. He went almost the whole day not seeing you so he wasn’t able to resist for much longer. You kissed him back, a bit more forcefully than Fred. His lips danced against yours, the action of snogging being second nature among you two. Fred pulled away slowly, his lips staying close to yours. Your foreheads were leaning against each other, smiles plastered on both your lips.

“That was maybe the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. You were so nice to Ginny, love. You didn’t need to do that.” He insisted in a whisper tone. Moving your forehead against his you explained,

“I wanted to, she’s my friend. I really care about her and… I don’t know, I’ve never had someone who looks up to me so, it’s kinda fun to know someone thinks I’m admirable.”

Glancing up, Fred’s eyes were already locked on yours. The warmth and homeiness of his honey pooled eyes pulled you in. Brown eyes never looked so perfect until you met Fred. Stepping up on your tiptoes, your hand secured itself along Fred’s jaw as you tugged him towards you. He parted his lips as you planted another kiss to his mouth. It was more of a peck, a tinny smooch leaving you to separate quickly. Leaning back into Fred’s arms, you basked in his hold. Never once did you ever feel exposed to danger when Fred had his arms clasped around you. It was impossible.

“That’s why I love you, you’re just perfect in every way. Everyday you find new ways to make me fall in love with you all over again...you’re too sweet, darling. Thank you for looking out for Ginny. It means a lot to me. Even if it means I have to share my time with you, which is just criminal, it does mean a lot.” His lips wasted no time scattering a mess of small, wet kisses along your face. No inch was left unkissed. You giggled wildly as he continued for a few moments. Planting one last kiss to your pursed lips, Fred stopped his attack and leaned back to smirk at you. Your laughter died out as you began to calm yourself. Smiling over to Fred, you reached for his hand and squeezed it in reassurance. “Of course, Freddie. I love you, babe.”

Lifting his hand, he rested his cheek on the skin of your hand. His face turned so he could press a faint peck to your hand, then he glanced up at you through his lashes.

“I love you too, darling. How bout we make up for all that lost time, hm?” That devilish, mischievous smirk you saw far too often had returned. Playing dumb you just chuckled,

“I was thinking the exact same thing, I was wanting some dinner too!”

“You know that wasn’t what-” You interrupted him, placing your pointer finger in the center of his lips creating a ‘shush’ gesture. He stared at you waiting for the next move. It was now you who held the bold smirk. You grasped Fred’s hand and pulled him towards the stairs so you could get to the Great Hall. His face fell in disappointment, clearly expecting a different turn of events. You didn’t leave him down for long when you batted your long lashes up at Fred and stated,

“Dinner first, then dessert after, okay?” It was the way you said it rather than the words themselves that did him in. That playful gleam that sparked in your eyes, he loved it.

Fred immediately felt his clothes, more specifically his trousers, turn tight at your words alone. He side eyed you as you skipped down the steps, unsure if you were the one teasing him now, or if you were being truthful. Narrowing his peer in seriousness, Fred tried to decipher the sickly sweet smirk on your lips. It wasn’t until you turned the tables, lifting his hand up to kiss the back of it, that he realized you weren’t joking. Eagerness took over as Fred locked his hand even more securely around yours and sped up his pace to the Great Hall. “Anything you say, love.”

He practically chased you the whole way to the dinning hall, your loud laughter filling the silence in the air. Your friends chuckled when they saw you two running in. You guys never seemed happier and it made all they ecstatic to see their friends finding love with each other. George waved the two of you over having saved a spot next to him for both of you. Fred escorted you to the opening, his hand never leaving yours even when you sat. For the rest of the meal, Fred’s hand rotated between your hand and your thigh, but never left your skin. And when Ginny sat down and smiled over at you, engaging you in conversation, Fred just squeezed your hand with a small grin, and pretended not to listen in. From then on, Fred only interrupted your hangout sessions to join in, and surprisingly, Fred Weasley was a great gossiper.

[whatisthiswritingthing]

Good with Kids - Kristie Mewis x Reader

Prompt: Maybe like R is very hard but soft with kids? Idk whatever u want I don’t care as long as it’s Queen Mewis.

Note, so pretty sure this sucks, so let me know. 

“And the crew down there are my nieces and nephews,” Kristie motioned to the group pf young kids racing around the yard, the oldest being only eight, youngest three, trying to keep up the older kids. Y/N nodded seriously, taking in all the name and faces she had met at the family barbeque.

“Kristie, stop calling them that, it sounds like I have a stash of kids that no one knows about,” Sam stomped a foot, dramatically complaining to her sister.

“I don’t know family tree math,” Kristie shrugged her shoulders.

“Cousins Kris, they’re called cousins,” Sam rolled her eyes.

“Whatever, same thing,” Kristie smiled, knowing she was getting under her sisters skin, Y/N finally cracking a small smile.

“Not the same thing!” Sam exclaimed, she knew what Kristie was doing, but couldn’t help her reaction, drawing the attention of several other family members. Kristie grinned in return while her sister scowled, the family members all giggling, used to the two sisters bantering.

“Be nice to your sister Kristie,” her mom warned, with a smile.

Sam grinned triumphantly at her sister, who just rolled her eyes and tugged Y/N’s hand to the stairs of the deck, leading her to meet the group of kids.

“I thought you liked this girl Kristie,” one of her aunts teased when she saw where they were headed.

Kristie laughed, “I do,” she squeezed one of Y/N’s cheeks, drawing another small smile from the normally stoic woman, “but I think she’ll be able to handle herself.”

“Good, then come sit with me” her grandma cut in, shooing one of the other older grandchildren out of a chair next to her.

Kristie bit her lip and gave Y/N a hesitant look, Y/N giving her a reassuring smile and nod in return, pushing Kristie to sit with her grandparents.

Y/N walked the rest of the way down to kids playing tag in the grass. Kristie sat in the chair, shifting it so she could still see Y/N.

“She’s survived this long today, she won’t run away now,” her aunt teased, handing Kristie another beer.

“I know, but look at her,” Kristie motioned to where Y/N was already beginning to play tag with the kids, “she’s kind of hot, I want to look at her all the time,” she winked at another cousin across from her, drawing an eyeroll from everyone, her grandma giving her a gentle smack in the bicep.

The group grew and shrunk as the afternoon wore on, people coming and going, joining different groups or bouncing between them all. Kristie did her best to concentrate on the people around her, but her focus kept shifting down to the large yard where Y/N was still with the kids, them having accepted her as their own.

The kids and Y/N had found a youth size football, a small game going on. The word game used loosely, mostly the kids running around and Y/N gently throwing it for them to catch or running with it and them all tackling her to the ground. The adults all watched on, sharing smiles when they saw how happy all the kids were, Y/N distributing attention to them all, none of them feeling left out. Shifting easily to be a little rougher with the bigger kids, and incredibly gentle with the smaller ones.

“Alright, go get your kid and we’ll get ours,” one of the aunts smiled at Kristie, motioning to the group of kids attempting to drag Y/N down, “supper is ready.”

The pair made their way down the stairs, “supper guys, go wash your hands,” the aunt clapped her hands, gaining the attention of the group.

“Five more minutes!” the oldest called out.

“Yeah! Five more minutes!” Y/N called out from the bottom of the pile of kids, head popping up while she gently lifted a small body off her, it quickly replaced by another.

The rest of the parents all laughed, having been prepared to wrangle their own kids to the table, not expecting the lone adult to be difficult as well. Kristie stared at her girlfriend, mouth agape, before closing it and giving Y/N a hard stare.

Y/N immediately began sitting up, shifting kids to sit up with her, “supper guys! Lets go wash our hands!” the kids all began to scamper off her and race to the bathroom to wash their hands.

“Guess who just earned all future babysitting jobs,” one of the uncles patted Kristie on the back while following the rest of the family inside.

Kristie’s eyes never left Y/N as she pushed herself up once all limbs were untangled from her, brushing off any loose grass before meeting Kristie’s, giving her a wide smile.

“You really are a big kid, aren’t you?” Kristie met her as Y/N began to walk forward, wrapping her arms around her middle.

Y/N smiled down at the blonde, wrapping an arm of her own around Kristie’s shoulders, the couple making their way to the house.

Y/N pulled away when they walked in the house, washing her hands, before sitting at the table next to Kristie.

Supper was a loud, busy thing. Family all talking over each other, stories being thrown about, gentle ribbing all around.  

“You are nothing like these two described you, Y/N,” an aunt smiled across the table, shooting a smirk to Kristie, who rolled her eyes at the teasing.

“Oh?” Y/N turned, giving Kristie a smirk of her own, then shifting her eyes to Sam, who blushed at the look.

“Yupp!” an uncle grinned as well, “Sammy makes you sound terrifying,” he nudged the blushing blonde, “I think she’s scared of you.” Y/N had a hard exterior, and was very quiet, many people interpreting both for her to be very unapproachable.

“I am not!” Sam was quick to defend herself, “I’m not scared of you Y/N,” she looked at Y/N eyes wide, still blushing, Y/N continued to smirk at her, “I’m not!”

“Sure you’re not Sammy,” Y/N just winked, “what are you telling them?”

“Nothing! Kristie says stuff,” Sam stammered out, trying to push the blame onto her sister, pointing across the table. Kristie giggled at how flushed her sister got over nothing.

“They’re fishing Ssmmy,” Kristie smiled, resting a hand on Y/N’s thigh, the couple smiling as Sam flopped back in her chair, mouth wide, realizing she fell right into it.

The table as laughing at Sam, Kristie squeezed Y/N’s thigh, leaning slightly into her side, tilting her chin up and smiling at her girlfriend.

Someone else was about to tease Sam as well, but was cut off by cutlery hitting a plate, a loud “no” being called from the children’s table further down. Everyone looked over to a pouting toddler, arms crossed, lips pursed out, eyebrows furrowed. An exasperated ten year old glaring down. Letting out a sigh, an aunt pushed up from the table, squatting in between the children, working to sooth both upset children.

After a few minutes, the aunt stood up with the toddler in her arms, taking the plate off the table with her and returning to her original seat, toddler remaining on her lap.

The pout remained firm on the toddler’s face with his face tucked into his mom’s neck. Everyone else ignored the outburst, resuming conversation, mom continuing to try and encourage the boy to eat.

Part of the face peaked out, shyly trying to glance around the table, making eye contact with Y/N who made a funny face before anyone else noticed. Giggling, he tucked his face back in briefly, before coming back out, Y/N giving him another silly face.

His mom tried to encourage a fork of food, a grumbled “no”, and his face burrowed back in. Letting out a sigh, she dropped the fork back to his plate, going back to her own.

Y/N bit her lip when she noticed a small hand creep out and towards her plate, one eye peeking out from his mom’s shoulder. She slid her plate closer to the boy, offering her fork out to him. Supressing her own giggle, she watched while the boy awkwardly fisted the fork and stabbed blindly at food on her own plate, no one else at the table aware, having moved on to teasing someone else. The boys head finally lifted fully to put the forkful of food in his mouth, not gaining the attention of his mom.

“Oh Y/N I am so sorry,” she apologized once she realized where the fork of food had come from, noticing the plate of food pushed closer to them.

“Don’t worry about it, my food is just better I guess,” Y/N smirked, shrugging one shoulder, everyone giggling as the small boy reached out for another forkful of food.

“How come at camp you threatened to stab me with my own fork when I wanted to try some of your food?” Sam gasped when she watched the boy go in for a third forkful.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Y/N played coy, rotating the plate to give the boy something else to stab, subtly encouraging the pile of broccoli on the other side.

The boy crinkled his nose, trying to spear another piece of chicken on the far end. Y/N intercepted the fork, taking it into her own hand, and making a show of picking up broccoli and enjoying the bite. Winking at the boy, she stabbed a smaller piece, twirling the fork for his to take it.

Instead of using his hands, he leaned forward, eating off the fork while Y/N held it. His mom rolled her eyes, everyone else giggling at the boy. He pulled himself out of his moms arm, crawling awkwardly into Y/N’s lap.

“No, buddy, you can’t sit in Y/N’s lap,” his mom gripped his hips to try and pull him back.

“Don’t worry about it,” Y/N helped guide him the rest of the way, helping him settle in her lap.

Kristie stared lovingly at her girlfriend, watching as Y/N guided another forkful of broccoli into his mouth, the boy shook his head, refusing the vegetable. Y/N smiled, diverting the fork to her mouth, taking the bite with a dramatic chomping sound. His eyes tracked the motion, before clumsily picked up his fork to mimic the action.

Y/N smirked and shot a wink to his mom, everyone’s mouths dropping when he took another without prompting. The meal continued on, the pair continuing to eat off each other’s plates, the boy no longer complaining about eating any of the food.

Desert took everyone to the backyard, a fire having been started, ingredients for smores set out. Several of the kids having found their way to Y/N’s lap, one sat on either thigh, a third squished in the middle, and two more with chairs pulled as close as possible on either side.

Everyone watched while Y/N gave each child equal attention, helping one put a marshmallow on the skewer while answering another’s question, managing to keep all settled.

“You’ve got a good one Kristie,” an aunt leaned over when she saw the blonde watching her girlfriend, her gave soft, smile wide as she took in the woman with all the kids.

Kristie shyly looked away, “I know,” she looked to her aunt, “except now she has me jealous of a bunch of kids.”

They watched as Y/N helped a smaller hand onto to one stick, her other protectively holding a leaning body off her knee.

“That’s alright, I am too,” the uncle on the other side chuckled, “we have spent years trying to get them to all get along and she strolls in and does it without even trying.”

The adults kept an eye on the kids and Y/N, looking over frequently when they noticed how quiet the whole group had gotten. Parents brought their phones out, snapping several pictures of the entire crew asleep. Y/N reclined in the chair, three bodies in her lap leaning into her chest, two on either side snuggled under each arm.  

[thecandywrites]

The Switch- Chapter 1

Woo, for Day 28 of Monster March being my favorite prompt in the whole wide world- Orcs. But this comes with a side of intrigue and that ‘are you gonna pull this off in time’ kind of thing. This is also a piece that is happening just after Burn Without You and Souja. Same universe, different point of view. But again, you don’t have to read those others to understand this. Since this can still be a stand alone piece. 

So let’s meet our characters. Top left, Baron Kragan Salgria and going from left to right and at a slant. Next we have “Tessa” aka our reader who has a dire and pressing situation on her hands who is our leading lady. Next to her is “Milli” her next youngest sister and then the guy all the way on the left, Count Roncharles Lavine. 

The Switch

Chapter 1

You laid in your bed, having your mother hold your hand as two doctors, one elven and one human invasively looked you over laying there in only a nightgown and poked and prodded you. One was from the Orient, the other from the Middle East. You had fallen ill about a month ago and at first your family’s preferred doctor had dismissed your sickness as “an upset stomach” and suggested a change in diet to correct it. But as more time went on, the more serious it got and the more agonizing pain you experienced. It was obvious that it was serious and not something to be dismissed. Now your parents were reaching out for a second and third opinion but doing so far and wide and most importantly- quietly. 

The reasons for their cautiousness- besides their natural love for you, is because you had been betrothed since you were a toddler to a young Count by the name of Count Roncharles Lavine. Who was from a very wealthy, powerful, influential and very prestigious family. And the match had been made when the Young Count was born since he was two and a half years your junior. It was expected that you would grow to be a sophisticated, intelligent and competent yet submissive wife and Countess. And birth many heirs for the young Count and the wedding was yet a year away and your wedding dress was still being heavily embroidered and embellished with the best silks, threads and laces money could buy because all of noble society and even royalty was supposed to come and attend the event. And with such a prestigious match, your parents had made sure to do all they could to ensure the match would be a success. And this illness was a dangerous complication.   

One of the doctors began to press on your abdomen and you lurched in bed and cried out and both doctors froze. 

“How long have you had this?” One of them asked as both of them took turns continuing to press and feel around on your side as you were in tears from the agonizing pain as even your mother was about ready to demand for them to stop but they obviously just found the cause for your illness. 

“I don’t know, I have had discomfort when wearing my corset recently so I’ve had my maids tie it loosely. But only for the last month or so, but when you press that, it’s like you’re stabbing me there and on the other side.” You whimpered before they were both pressing on it, trying to feel for something as you wanted to hit and kick them both. But managed to not do so, with coaching from your mother. But you couldn’t help but writhe in bed from the pain and cry out and wail in pain before both doctors gave each other a worried but meaningful look before they looked to you and your mother apologetically as they both came to the same conclusion. 

“She has side sickness and I can feel a growth.” Dr. Morad, the human diagnosed. 

“The growth must be cancer.” Dr. Tian, the elf diagnosed. 

“Yes, I’m so sorry but it is cancer, and the worst case of side sickness I’ve ever seen. Between your symptoms and your coloring, and judging by the way your urine has changed color. It is most definitely cancer.” Dr. Morad explained as he gestured to the vials of urine where they collected it earlier and divided it into five different bottles and added various components to see if the urine would react and reveal the cause of the illness. 

“No. No you can’t be serious, there’s no way that’s right.” Your mother shook her head no as tears welled in her glasz eyes as her breath hitched in her chest, causing the words to come out in almost a stutter. 

“I would stake my career on it. She doesn't have long left, you need to start to prepare yourselves since this will be terminal.” Dr. Morad insisted as Dr. Tian nodded. 

“I agree, this will be terminal, I’m so sorry.” Dr. Tian offered consolingly as you laid there in shock and felt completely numb from the news. 

“How long does she have?” Your mother asked. 

“If she was feeling fine months ago but her pain has increased in such a short time and the tumor has grown this much in such a time. And since she has shown such a steep decline in health, she could live for another 3-6 months without issue, but in a year, her abdomen will swell like she is with child and then it may be a matter of weeks after that.” Dr. Morad speculated. 

“If that long, my diagnosis is she has 6 months to a year at the most, maybe three months at the soonest.” Dr. Tian professed apologetically. 

“What can be done? Surely there is something that can be done- magic, medicine, I don't care how, but she can't die! Too much is… ” Your mother pressed. 

"Duchess, there is no medicine for this, there is no magical cure. Even the strongest, most powerful Wizard or Witch would die from this and even fully collared mouras have great difficulty in trying to heal this ailment. And it would cost you and your family everything you have ten times over to even try to buy a moura’s cure for this. I'm sorry but this condition is always fatal and the moment it's detected, it's already too late. Surgery would kill her. She is already so weak." Dr. Morad explained. 

“But surely there is something that can be done!” Your mother insisted. 

“We can prescribe some herbs and healing teas to preserve what life she has left. Some medicine for pain and discomfort. But otherwise, we need to keep her comfortable. But from now on- no more corsets, that will make it worse and possibly progress it faster.” Dr. Tian suggested. 

“I second that council. I have some medicinal oils to press into her skin that will help with the pain. And help her have an appetite so her body doesn’t waste away before her spirit can. But yes, no more corsets and she must be kept comfortable. Turn her frequently so she does not get bed sores. And medical rubbing is a must to keep her comfortable and preserve her body and her spirit. And make sure she gets fresh air and sunshine from now on. But otherwise, all you can do is try to keep her comfortable.” Dr. Morad urged. 

And just like that it felt like you were in a coffin and the nails were being driven in and you felt like you couldn’t hardly breathe as everything fell out of focus as your mind stopped your ears from hearing and stopped paying attention to their words as you looked out the window at the tree where a bird was over it’s nest and you felt so jealous of the bird. To have wings and to fly freely, to be slave to no will but your own. All you could hear is the bird’s chirps and whistles to it’s mate who had come to feed it a grub so it could stay sitting on the nest before the male left again. 

You were all of 20 and your whole life had been controlled. Every breath, every movement, every step, carefully calculated and measured before it could be taken. And now you were facing death when you had never really lived.  

Then a thousand and one regrets came barreling over you. Maybe you should have run away with that stable boy when you were 16, or even that elven hybrid merchant’s son at 17, or even that dashing blacksmith in town with the large, muscular arms and eyes that while dark, burned bright like the coals he worked with at 18. Or any number of suitors that had come up since then. At least you would have had a few years of happiness. Of course, if you had gotten sick with any of them, both would have had to resort to begging to pay for your care now and it would have been looked at as the gods punishing you for running away from your responsibilities and duty with the betrothal. 

But now? Was it just bad luck? A cruel twist of fate? 

You had lived your life so carefully, afraid to make a misstep to ensure your family’s safety and success. And now, you were going to die and you were suddenly so angry that you would never get to see the pay off or reward for all of this hard work. And you knew that once the truth would be found out, that Count Lavine would probably dump you on your parents’ doorstep and demand one of your sisters in your place. All your plans and hopes and dreams as Countess Lavine seemed to vanish into smoke. 

Although, you had only met him once when you were 15 and he had barely been a boy of 13 and all he wanted to talk about was shooting and hunting and he didn’t like the fact that you weren’t that pretty. To be fair, you had been an awkward teenager but you had grown into your looks and blossomed into a beauty within the last few years but still, you would last only for one more, if that. 

Your maid got you dressed only in something soft and comfortable and then another left to get you some tea as that was the only thing that brought your mind out of your reverie  as you realized that your mother and the doctors had left you alone in your room.  

“Mildred.” You called. 

“Yes My Lady?” She said as she paused from leaving. 

“If I drink one more cup of bitter healing tea, I will vomit. Please bring me some fruit tea or lemonade or something like that.” You pleaded from your bed as your mother and father were still arguing with the doctors down the hallway as you could hear your father’s rising voice in anger and denial and demands that the doctors contact other doctors but to do so under the greatest secrecy while also demanding what their price would be for their silence but also insisting for more doctors to come to do a fourth and a fifth consultations and diagnosis. 

“Yes my Lady.” She answered with a small, rather pitying smile. 

Within a week two more doctors came and all five of them did the same examination, retested you and your bodily fluids and all of the tests came back with the same result- terminal cancer from advanced side sickness. Your father paid them all more than double their fees to keep their silence and their visitation to your family’s estate a secret. Because if this got out- it would ruin you and your family and every plan they had ever had regarding your future, much less the futures of your younger sisters. 

Then the next two weeks after that were just a blur of sleeping, taking medicine, getting medical rubbing which had been prescribed. The medical rubbing all over your body from a female practitioner to help ease and relax you was something you quite enjoyed actually. Otherwise you got to eat all your meals in bed. You also got to read some really good novels your sister Milli had picked out for you from the library. The ones with the happiest endings where the hero whisked his princess off into the sunset to rule in a perfect castle, far far away with a happily ever after being her personal favorites. Which you appreciated her efforts to try to keep your spirits high by keeping entertained. But sadly, you couldn’t relate to the stories because such a thing was never going to happen to you. 

Your mother informed you that your father was taking the news of your illness very hard, but you wondered if it was only a hard blow for him because he could no longer use you for his business and political purposes. And only when all five doctors had come to do their examinations had been the only time you had seen your father since the diagnosis of the second and third doctors. 

Then one morning Milli came bursting into your room, her red face and puffy eyes accompanying her wail. 

“Tessa! It’s not fair! You have to help me!” She begged as she knelt down next to the bed and reached for you. 

“What’s happened?” You asked. 

“Papah! He’s married me off to orcs!” She wailed. 

“What?” You breathed in shock. 

“Some merchant orc, some filthy sailor! Who somehow struck it rich and is trying to buy their way into nobility!” She cried. 

“H...how?” You asked. 

“Instead of my inheritance of 30,000 gold bouillon, he’s offering Papah 50,000 gold bouillon for my hand and Papah already accepted! He didn’t even give me a choice or ask for my opinion at all!” She said. 

The sum raised your eyebrows, that would not only pay off every debt your father had but it would also set your family up for at least 3 generations at it’s current spending habits and then some.  

“How many heirs are they demanding?” You asked. 

“I don’t know! One is too many! I would rather trade my life with yours than marry a barbarian!” She continued to wail into your bosom. 

“Help me out of bed.” You told her. 

“What?” She asked. 

“Help me out of bed, if Papah will not come to me, I will come to him.” You insisted before she helped you out of bed and put a shawl around you before she helped you walk to your father’s office where your mother was equally hysterical inside of it. 

“Tessa! What are you doing out of bed?” Your parents chastised. 

“I’m not in my grave yet! There is still life in my breast and I demand to not be treated as if I’m already in my coffin.” You growled. 

“Tessa this is not like you.” Your father urged. 

“How would you know?! Since the doctors came you have not come to see me once!” You snapped angrily at him which caused him to turn downcast and flush with shame. 

“Now, will someone tell me what in all of the gods’ graces is going on?!” You demanded as you took a seat across from your father’s desk and looked expectantly at your father. 

“Milli has had an offer of marriage.” Your father began. 

“Which I refuse!” Milli insisted but you raised your hand to hush your sister, before you reached out to hold her hand. 

“Tell me the whole offer, read it word by word if you have to.” You insisted calmly before your father picked up the letter from his desk. 

“’Baron Thaddius Salgria offers his hier’s hand to my daughter Millicent who he has heard is unbetrothed. He is looking to legitimize his family into the nobility since King Grenver has bestowed the title of Baron onto him and his family and he is currently building an estate in northern Solowards and the estate will need a Great Lady to ensure the estate’s success and is offering me fifty thousand gold bullion for her hand in marriage’.” He paraphrased from the letter before he handed it to you for you to read it yourself and tried to look at this with the utmost objectification, not letting any emotions get into your mind or your thinking. Because such an offer from anyone else would have anyone with reason doing all they could to agree to such a thing. Newcomers to nobility were both a novelty yet treated with weary suspicion because they were unknown and the fact that they were of orcish descent was the farthest thing from your mind, if this had been a human or elven or any other offer from any of the other “high” species, this would have been a done deal and your sister would not be reacting like this.

“What do we know about the Salgria family?” You asked calmly as you kept the letter in your other hand as your other was still holding Milli’s. 

“They’ve made their great fortune in Forestrong from the Brighway Line. They’ve also gained great fortune in Fitsdale which was just outside of Brighway Line. And now they’ve increased their income almost a hundred fold by being the first to have a hand in doing business in Wakanear and Yekemeni. Especially since Yekmeni now owns Wakanear as it’s territory. The Yekmenians killed off the pirates and built it up to be a trading outpost and since both places are now ruled by human Dorierran royalty as queens and princesses. Dorierra now has two more jewels in it’s every growing crown of the Dorierran Alliance. But the King of Yekmeni is an orc, and his cousin, the Prince of Wakanear is an orc as well. But they married sisters to my understanding. And since the sisters have started to rule both places have practically doubled several times in wealth and success ever since. Especially having Dorierra as an ally and they now do business with all of Dorierra’s allies which we are a part of as well.” Your father began to list off as you kept his gaze steadily. 

“The Salgria’s hired their clan connections to work and build up Wakanear and their fleet of sea ships and skyships are now a constant in all four places and now that they have connections in Yekmeni and Wakanear, their shipping and trading with Dorierra has also greatly increased. And even in Dorierra they keep ships there so their presence is even to be had there with great success thanks to Yekmeni and Wakanear’s backing. Salgria Shipping is now poised to be a major monopoly in shipping in the whole supersphere. And their ships from their multiple shipyards are the finest ships in the supersphere. And they have shipyards churning out ships at almost an alarming rate at all five places. And even though their quantity is going up, their quality has not lacked at all. If anything the quality of their ships has improved as well. They have just as much money as the royal family at this point, if not more. And it was because of their very generous donation to King Grenver for his fleet and his treasury that he gave them the title of Baron, only last year along with the allotment of land in the kingdom. Hoping to keep the Salgria’s here and their taxes to fuel the empire and the king has since ordered for me to see to it that they stay here so of course Milli is the obvious choice. Since then everything the Salgrias touch practically turns to gold. If word got out that they were looking for a lady, the Harringtons, let alone any other and every other family in the nobility would slit our throats for this offer. The fact that they offered it to us first and only us right now is a great advantage.” He insisted as he gestured to the letter.  

“How many heirs are they asking for? Because this offer doesn’t say, I take it you’ve had some correspondence with them since. This letter was dated weeks ago, a letter like this demands a prompt response.” You asked as you held up the letter and pointed to the dated- noticing it was only days after Dr. Tian and Dr. Morad gave you- your terminal diagnosis.  

“It was not mentioned but I would wager it’s implied.” He answered. 

“Well then I think the solution to this problem is clear. Count Lavine’s offer of marriage was always contingent on my ability to produce heirs. And with my current state of health, that’s no longer possible. Switch Milli and I.” You proposed as you put the letter back down on his desk. 

“How? You’ve been betrothed since his birth.” Your mother contested. 

“And Young Count Roncharles has never once liked it or been agreeable to it! He has always fought against it and resented it! Look, Milli is prettier than I am and the reason why Young Count Lavine has chafed at the betrothal was because he thought I was too plain and simple the one time he met with me face to face. And he has never tried to meet with me or converse with me or exchange a single word with me since and despite all of your best efforts and his parent’s efforts. It was always going to be a strenuous dutiful arrangement. There has never been any effort on his part to incite any kind of affection in our match, despite my best efforts- so there is absolutely no love lost here.” You pointed out as you dug your index finger into a letter from the Elder Count Lavine on your father’s desk. 

“All we need to do is to arrange for Milli and Young Count Lavine to meet in a setting he will feel comfortable meeting her in. Make it a ball where his peers and friends will be in attendance so he will actually want to attend. Put her in the prettiest dress we can buy or have made for her. Using Young Count Lavine’s favorite colors that compliment her. And have it set the bar in fashion. Have her dripping with jewels, even if they’re paste. Make her up to be the most ravishing lady in the room. The belle of the ball. And Young Count Lavine is only 18 now, like any young man his age- his eyes will be more influential on his mind than anything else. Make Milli into the prize any young man his age would want and be enraptured with. Stuff her corset with stockings to make her bosom larger if you absolutely must. Do whatever it takes to make her as appealing and appetizing to him as you can.” You pointed out as you kept your gaze locked with your father’s but you could see in your peripherals that your mother was realizing you had a good point and was nodding in agreement. 

“Especially since he is the same age as Milli, hopefully she will catch his eye and all of us will just have to pray that he likes her more than me. Or that his friends will also find her even more attractive and interesting than she has already demonstrated to be- to stir his own competitive streak to take action and take an interest in her to assert his dominance among his peers. Then tell Senior Count Lavine, very secretly that I have seen many doctors and they all say I am barren. That I fell from a horse or I have been in an accident, or whatever lie you wish to tell because I sincerely doubt you’ve told them I’m terminally ill yet.” You wagered as you pointed to the letter from the elder Count on his desk and noticed it was dated only recently, your father cast his eyes down at the letter as his cheeks flushed with even more shame. 

“Pay the same doctors who gave me the diagnosis- give “an official report” to Senior Count Lavine as “proof” if need be. Because if you can buy their silence, I would wager you could also pay for them to change said diagnosis to suit Senior Count Lavine’s ears too because he doesn’t need to know the truth, all he needs to know is all he would want to hear.” You insisted as you gestured to the diagnosis reports from the doctors still on your father’s desk to this side. 

“And for Senior Count Lavine to hear that I am barren will be enough to induce him to release me from the betrothal and if and when he does- and Milli can secure the Young Count Lavine- the switch will be a success. Because Young Count Lavine wouldn’t be fighting against it, but would be fighting for it to secure the most beautiful diamond of the season and the season is still new and still full of excitement. Because Milli has already gotten a lot of interest from Young Count Lavine’s peers. So I would wager he has at least heard about her beauty and would be eager to see it with his own eyes and if his father gives him the freedom to choose anyone but me, he will most likely go for Milli with much more enthusiasm.” You insisted as your father was impressed by how you were dealing with this and being so quick to find an equitable solution. 

“Then tell Baron Salgria that Young Count Lavine has fallen in love with Millie, broken off his betrothal with me, when he saw her. And make it sound like love at first sight for the pair.  And then offer me instead but stress that I’m not broken hearted about it. But that I too was not agreeable to the match either. And that I am grateful and relieved to be released from the betrothal. Which if this switch can be successful, I will honestly and truly be. My marriage into the Salgria family will be just as legitimizing as Milli’s would be. And since Milli refuses the offer from the Salgrias, I will accept it in her place- if she can secure the Young Count Lavine.” You proposed as you pointed to the letter from Senior Baron Salgria again for emphasis.  

“I have trained my whole life to be Countess Lavine. But I wager I can’t muck up being Baroness Salgria anymore than I could muck up being an Archduchess at this point. Just tell the Salgria’s I have a delicate disposition and constitution since my “accident” but that I will make a full recovery soon. But that should be enough to explain why I need as much medicine and tender loving care from the physicians as I am getting. I don’t look that sick yet and I can put on a show of being well long enough for a quick courtship, engagement and wedding to the Salgria’s. Because surely their business will pull them away quickly again and they can simply take me with and I can always come down with my illness while I travel. It happens all the time, it wouldn’t be suspicious to anyone else.” You proposed. 

“Once Milli can capture Young Count Lavine’s interest, and that switch is set. Then make the plans for my own wedding to Young Baron Salgria as quickly as you can and marry me off before I show any more signs of sickness. That way when the truth of my illness may be known, it will be in their care and the blame for it will be on them. And if they want to spend their enormous wealth on a collared moura’s cure then so be it. But the blame and responsibility for my cure will not be on you. I may be dying but I will rest in peace if I know that Millie and Gwen are taken care of, and have a measure of happiness and comfort in their matches. And for all we know Milli will be much happier with Young Count Lavine than she will be with anyone else right?” You insisted. 

“Yes, I would.” Milli confirmed with an emphatic nod of her head.  

“If Baron Salgria has fifty thousand bouillon to offer for Millie’s hand or even mine for that matter. They have more than enough money to make sure my final moments are in comfort if even they can not afford a cure. And it will ensure our family’s position and prosperity for generations. For at least three by the calculations off the top of my head at our current spending rate. I have spent my whole life preparing for a future that will never be mine. The least I can do is trade what life I have left to ensure that all of you will live well. Let my dying wish be to sacrifice myself for this cause. At least this way I’ll get to travel and be able to see a little bit of the world before I leave it.” You negotiated with your father as your mother and Millie were both crying, being touched your effort to at least try to sacrifice yourself for the good of the family as all three of you were looking expectantly at your father for his answer before he nodded in agreement and got up from his seat and walked around his desk and pulled you to your feet before he hugged you tight. 

“Alright, alright.” He agreed softly before he started crying as he held you in his arms as you hugged him back just as tightly and couldn’t help but give way to tears to as you finally got to feel the love your father had for you before your mother and your sister joined in the hug before your father brought you back into your room so you could get back into bed. 

“I’ll take care of everything.” He reassured you. 

Within a week, carts full of yards and yards of new fabrics and laces came into the house as the seamstresses came en masse and fitted Millie for new dresses as you sat down in the salon with her as she stood on top of the pedestal as your mother went over all the kinds of lace that had come in and directing another seamstress about where to put each one on the dress while your father was picking out a selection of jewels since several jewelers and other people with their accessories, had come with the best jewels they had for your father to choose for. Each one setting their wares out on a table for him to peruse from the comfort of your mother’s dressing salon. Your father was not just shopping jewels for your sister but for you, Gwen and your mother as well- using your own dowry to pay for all of it. The bank had come with stacks of bills since your father kept your dowry at the best bank in the country that accrued interest off of it.  Your father’s steward and your mother’s head mistress were making plans for the ball your family would be hosting where Count Lavine and his family were promised to attend along with Baron Salgria and their family along with everyone else in nobility too as your whole family’s estate was being transformed to host the largest ball of the season. 

In that week your father had paid off all five doctors to give the report that you were kicked by a horse in a riding accident, and had become barren. Senior Count Lavine immediately believed the lie and immediately released you from your betrothal. And secretly accepted Milli in exchange and your father even offered to increase Millie’s dowry by five thousand gold bouillon for the ‘inconvenience’. Which was also immediately accepted. 

Young Count Lavine had never been more happy or relieved to hear the news as he felt like he was finally in control of himself and his own destiny and your father simply gave Young Count Lavine the option that if he wanted Milli instead, he would have his blessing. But that Young Count Lavine was not obligated to accept her in order to give Young Count Lavine the illusion that he had a choice in the matter. Which for once Young Count Roncharles was looking forward to attending the function to finally meet your sister of who he had heard many reports that she was exquisitely ravishing and he was for once eager to see if the reports were true as he actually seemed excited at the prospect. 

And only an hour later- your father got in touch with Senior Baron Salgria and told him the news that Millie was no longer available but that you were. And that you were happy and relieved to be released from your formal betrothal. Because there was a small clash in personality that made the betrothal a little bit strenuous for the Count. Senior Baron Salgria also immediately agreed on the switch upon hearing how Young Count Lavine had fallen in love with Millie. 

And all you could do was pray that young Count Lavine would play along and just like Millie. And this switch would work out successfully. You immediately reached out to Young Baron Salgria and his family. Getting the names of every member of his family and their approximate ages as you made sure to send individual letters to all of them. You did so in attept to try to get on some kind of good terms with them which worked. The letters you got back from the whole Salgria family were encouraging and they were happy and eager to have you join their family as their daughters especially were keen to have a sister who knew Solowards and it’s fashions and how to adjust to it and how to navigate the social spheres. Which you were more than happy to offer any and all advice you could. 

But all Young Baron Kragan Salgria responded with -’was that he would be looking forward to meeting you at the ball’. He did not make any other efforts to contact you further. And from that moment, you took that as face value. And frankly you didn’t care if Young Baron Salgria would only tolerate you, like Young Count Lavine always had. For you- all that mattered was that Young Count Lavine would actually like Milli and go along with this and “choose her of his own free will”. But you were pleased that the rest of the Salgria family seemed to be eager and pleased with your correspondence and especially between his mother and his sisters, an easy friendship was struck with them and so there was regular correspondence with them in such a short amount of time as you had just gotten letters from the Baroness and her daughters just that day as you sat down at your mother’s writing desk and were reading them and replying to them about your own eagerness to finally get a chance to meet them in person.  

Once you were done and you handed your responses to an attendant to send them to the post- post haste. You finally got up and walked past the tables of jewels. Before you sidled up next to your father and helped your father pick an exquisite set of jewels for Milli as you handed your father your correspondence with the Salgria’s so he could read them and see your progress with them as he read them and gave you his approving smile before he handed them back. 

“Very well done Tessa, at least you’ll have friends among his mother and his sisters. The Salgria’s are good people, and Baron Thaddius is an exquisite businessman. Very practical and very reasonable and his son and hier- Kragan is a lot like his father- very practical and reasonable too. I’ve been using Salgria Shipping before and after his receiving a title. Because usually his ships are so well manned and run in protective formation that very rarely do they fall prey to pirates. And especially since his ships are now armed with Yekmenian armaments, any cargo the ship's hold is practically insured and guaranteed to make it to its destination in pristine condition. But they have come from humble backgrounds and have had difficulty adjusting to the formal manners of nobility here in Ramer. But you are handling this very delicate situation very well.” He praised. 

“Thank you, I’m doing my best to simply appeal to them as a friend rather than anything else, like you’ve suggested.” You answered. 

“And that will get you far. The Salgrias for the most part have a hard time discerning genuine interest from polite manners. It’s led to some very awkward encounters at court. So at court I’ve done my best to try to take Thaddius under my wing so to speak to help him navigate the unfamiliar waters.” You father admitted. 

“Who have they managed to offend then?” You asked. 

“Oh almost everyone. Everyone thinks that the Salgria’s have tried to buy and bribe their way into the King’s court with their family’s donation to the King’s fleet in dealing with the pirates south of the Brighway Line that everyone else here has to deal with. And the fact that they are orcs has it’s own prejudice hurdles that they are having difficulty in overcoming. But the King is adamant that he wants them here. And so he has tasked me with helping them ease into society, and this betrothal is pivotal to that. Even if you only have a few months left, any help you can offer them will be invaluable. Especially to Thaddius’ wife and daughters who have had no training whatsoever about how to navigate society.” Your father urged you. 

“Of course.” You nodded in understanding. 

“However it’s Young Kragan Salgria that will be your greatest challenge.” Your father gently warned you as he held a set of jewelry up to you and immediately told the jeweler he would take it for you and to put it into a case and put it with the others he was buying for you and yoru sisters and your mother. 

“Harder than Roncharles has been? Is that even possible?” You couldn’t help but sarcastically retort which got your father to grin in amusement. 

“Simply different kind of difficulty. Kragan is prone to closing himself off completely and is difficult to draw him out. But if you can manage to get him comfortable and draw him out and assure him and reassure him that you won’t judge him harshly, you might stand a chance.” Your father mused. 

“How could I do that then?” You asked. 

“When he comes to the house for the ball, pull him aside, off to the side, somewhere secluded and private. Like the balcony of the music room that overlooks the gardens. Drop the pretenses, drop the formalities and just try to have as open and honest of a conversation as possible without telling on yourself or the family too much. He will most likely be nervous and hesitant. But if you can make him ease enough up and make him laugh, you’ll be doing good. Be genuinely witty and charming but not forced at all, simply be open and inviting, let him know that you are a trustworthy person and can hold his confidence and he will hold yours.” Your father advised thoghtfully. 

“But isn’t it usually prohibited to be alone with a gentleman?” You asked. 

“This will have to be an exception. I will make any and every excuse for your absence and assure that you are being chaperoned to keep your reputation intact. But do anything and everything you can to win him over and make yourself as non threatening, non judgemental, friendly, approachable and not intimidating in any way. Cuss if you have to.” He urged you as your eyes went wide as your eyebrows nearly went into your hairline as you couldn’t help but snort a laugh.

“Really? Cussing?” You repeated in amusement. 

“He’s a born sailor, cussing is like his second language.” Your father muttered to you under his breath which got you both to stifle your laughter. 

“Fair point. I will take and use your advice. Besides, it’s practically a done deal anyway right? Maybe if I give him the illusion of letting him have a choice in the matter- he might go willingly, like Roncharles should be doing.” You mused. 

“That would work too, probably might work even better on Kragan, than it will work on Roncharles. Besides, Roncharles has never appreciated you or your efforts which has always irked me. Kragan no doubt will though. He will be very appreciative and much more willing to listen if he can discern that you’re there to help and not hinder.” Your father reassured you. 

“And yet all I have from him is just this. It barely counts as a letter, much less a note.” You admitted as you pulled out the one piece of correspondence you had gotten from Kragan. Saying that he was coming to the ball. It was only a single line. No other comments and nothing to go on, even though you had written him back. But had not heard from him since, and you dare not send even more to him, for fear you’d come off as insincere and desperate. You had even tried to analyze his handwriting to see if you could glean anything from that because otherwise, you didn’t have anything else to go on, other than his parents saying he was ‘busy with business’ that kept him from writing you back. 

“He’s reluctant and very apprehensive because of his other experiences at court. You must prove to him that you are nothing like the rest of the gentry. That you’re nothing to be afraid of. And that you’re trustworthy. That he is safe to let his guard down around you. You must do your best to not be offended by his manners, while also not giving him any cause to be offended either. It’s a tall order but I have every faith and trust that you can do it. If you’ve dealt with the petulant Roncharles, an apprehensive but infinitely more mature Kragan will be much easier for you to deal with.” Your father encouraged you. 

“Thank you Papah, I will do my best to not let you down.” You offered to him as you let your head rest on his shoulder before he hugged you from the side. 

“You never have Tessa.” He offered before he kissed the crown of your head which made you both smile. 

“I think these would look best on Milli.” You suggested as a particular pair of earrings caught your eye before you picked them up and left your father’s side to bring the earrings to Milli who was still standing tall on the pedestal, being measured as different fabrics were put to her body to see how she would look in them. 

 “I almost feel guilty.” Milli murmured as you held earrings up to her ears to see how she would look in them. 

“Don’t. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Enjoy my lemonade Dearest.” You urged her goodnaturedly. 

“It’s the sweetest ever, only a sister who truly loved another would do such a thing as this.” She professed. 

“As if there was ever any doubt?” You posed rhetorically in a light teasing tone.

“The pear shaped ones look best with your face shape.” You insisted. 

“No.” She shook her head to your rhetorical question. “Your dress should be just as great as mine.” She insisted. 

“No, you have to be the belle of the ball. Young Count Lavine must take one look at you and in that first moment- fall as much in love with you on sight as possible and then be won over by your charms the next moment after that. There can be no competition for his attention. When he looks out among the guests, you must shine like the full moon among the stars. Baron Salgria will be grateful he’s getting me at all. He shouldn’t fuss about my trappings too much. I won’t be dressing in burlap, I promise.” You reassured her before you looked over at your mother who directed which lace she wanted to see where in which of the dresses as she was ordering so many as the seamstresses were barely keeping up with your mother and her orders and specifications and demands as she had the seamstresses make your sister’s dresses waistline lower and much more pinched while she felt like your dresses were going back in time to the Renassiance. With the waistline just under your bosom. But in order for you not to be in pain in a full corset, it was just how it needed to be.  

“Ma’mah, you must make sure the softest silk lace is against her skin, we can do a second layer of the stiffer lace on top of the soft, she must be in comfort at all times. She can not be itched by the stiffer lace and need to scratch her skin and have it turn red. It’ll be seen as blemish, and she must be the epitome of unblemished.” You urged your mother as you looked at her comparing the lace. 

Meanwhile, nearby, another woman who was a Master of Cosmetics was already mixing powders, pigments and crushed flowers and butters and balms with crushed pearls and dust from gold leaf for Milli’s cosmetics so that it would look like she had a glowing complexion. Using only the best ingredients so that the skin would not be irritated by the cosmetics themselves along with making cosmetics for every woman in your family. 

“Yes of course Tessa, you’re right.” Your mother conceded which made you and Millie smile gratefully back to her. 

One of the few comforts you could get in your final days is that nothing you asked for was ever denied now. And you would use that power to benefit both of your sisters and your younger brothers. 

Meanwhile, against the advice of the first three doctors, the fourth and fifth doctors were working on concoctions to help you look healthier and more vibrant. They were mixing a variety of medicines to achieve this and while it would make you look healthier and act healthier and give you more energy in the moment and mask your current symptoms. When the medicines would wear off, you would most likely feel and look worse than you did before. But it was a price you needed to pay for the foreseeable future until you were married to the Young Baron Kragan Salgria. They all however had warned you and your parents that in the long term such medicines could be harmful to your health. But since you were terminally ill anyway, such cautions were ignored. Since you and your parents insisted that in order for this to work, it was a risk that you needed to take and a necessary measure for success. And at least the concoction was a nice mix of sweet with a twinge of sour. But the aftertaste left much to be desired. 

You needed to appear perfectly fine and healthy to Baron Salgria and his family. So that they wouldn’t be suspicious of anything. The doctors made many bottles of the medicine. So that the moment you felt one dose starting to wear off, you would take another dose and keep up the facade for as long as you could stand to. And while it would ultimately shorten your already shrinking lifespan, this was already a race against the clock and right now you and your parents were desperate to win such a race.