#another thing that was perhaps interesting 20 years ago when people first started doing it but is now stale and infuriating

[firendgold]

If you're still doing the choose violence ask game: 2 (👀), 9, 10, 22 ?

I got such a rush from finally answering the first ask that I'm doing this for as long as people send me questions. So here we go again!

2. a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom

anon, I'm at work. I'm seeing this at work. :'D

Okay, serious face. Albus Dumbledore is probably my fave if I have to choose between him and Harry on this blog. I just have to figure out why he would never...

Bottom. Albus would never, I'm sorry. He won't. He can't. Like, maybe when he was having his whirlwind summer romance with Gellert, he bottomed every single time they fucked because he was so in love and this was his equal and his partner and so what if he was a little rough and distant sometimes in the bedroom, and always wanted to top and tug his hair and hiss out orders? This was The Man The Universe Had Crafted For Him, and he would absolutely bottom for him every time... and then the summer of 1899 ends. And Ariana dies. And Aberforth breaks Albus' nose. And Gellert fucks off to go be a fascist.

And Albus, alone and heartbroken, resolves to never trust someone that completely again, never love someone that same way, and never let anyone get into a position of power over him where they might be able to use his knowledge and talents for ill. That means physically, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically... carnally. So he has sex with plenty of other people, and even falls in love with a few of them, but he is in control at all times. He never bottoms again.

That's all I've got for that one.

9. worst part of canon

So the first answer that came to mind is posted here, but for fairness' sake I'll try to come up with another worst thing. (That's not related to ships, because I'm trying really hard not to be THAT violent on the violence ask game.)

I think... that if That Woman was going to introduce international schools, students and characters in the middle book of the series, she should have done more with them than having them vanish after Goblet of Fire, only to come back for either fake romantic tension and one line of exposition about the Hitler allegory Dark Lord of the Before-Times (Krum, Deathly Hallows) or to be married off to a Weasley for an aesop of It's Not About His Looks Now That They're Jacked Up (Fleur, Half-Blood Prince). I'm not saying Fleur and Viktor HAD to be best buddies forever with Harry, but it is weird that they have this unique bond that no other young students have had with each other in hundreds of years, they even lost one of their fellow champions, Dumbledore gives this very moving speech about remaining connected and not letting darkness and prejudice sever new ties, and then... nothing. No side adventures in France or wherever Durmstrang is, no communication from either side, nothing.

Feels like a huge letdown in hindsight.

10. worst part of fanon

Oh, no. That's not fair. There's just so many.

If I had to consolidate what I currently don't like about the HP fandom/fanon into a few lines, I think I would say that I hate the pureblood/Dark side apologism. I do believe in nuance in characters. I do believe redemption and/or walking different paths is an important theme in Harry Potter, and I think it's fascinating to explore that with any and every character you can think of, even characters I may not personally like. But I really, really hate the way the fandom has taken that and twisted it into this idea that we were sold a lie at the start: that the British magical government was fine the way it was, and so was the society around it; that Dark magic Isn't All That Bad, Really, and there are actually Good and non-prejudiced things about a few rich bitches passing down their knowledge and secrets and slurs for generations within the Family, and keeping the Family "Pure" is cool actually, and none of this has any relation to real life ideas about miscegenation and classism and racism and eugenics, what are you talking about?

It's just so worrying. As a minority, when I see people on tumblr/twitter/AO3 gleefully agreeing that we need to eat the rich and fix society and eradicate all the horrid -isms and -archys ruining all our lives, then watch them turn around and write a 200k epic where Dumbledore was the evil one for locking the Horcrux books away and championing marginalized members of society, Hermione is just uppity for wanting to make necessary changes to the darker parts of magical society that That Woman was literally pointing out for a reason, and Tom Riddle is only bad because he took the good segregationist pureblood ideas and added murder to them... and when that fic gets thousands of comments agreeing with them full stop with no examination of any of that... it makes me anxious, at a minimum. The same thing is happening now with Grindelwald now that he's actually a figure on the screen and not just some dude mentioned a few times in the book series: same apologism, same justification of atrocities, same good-guy-blame-games, same blorbofication even.

On the one hand... fiction doesn't always directly reflect or affect reality. On the other... this unironic pro-pureblood meta is a pervasive concept that has popped up in thousands of fics written by thousands of fanfic writers. It's happened for years, and it keeps happening, and I see very few fans speaking out against it or even acknowledging it as a problem. So that makes me ask myself, who actually is willing and able to examine the injustices of our society and build a better imaginary society through the lens of HP fanfiction, and who's okay with the prejudice in the HP world as long as it's coming from the faves they're attracted to?

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

Happily, this is a harder question to answer because I've been finding so many like minds in the past 5 years who go feral over the same 20 HP scenes as I do. ^^ But give me a sec, I'll think of something.

...

Okay. Got it.

In order to answer this question, I have to go back to the first time I, young teenager, avid reader, recent reader of the HP series once book 5 was out, realized that Harry and Dumbledore had a much deeper relationship than just headmaster and student. The thing that made me latch on to them and project like crazy, basically.

It's the scene in Goblet of Fire chapter 36 where Harry has been rescued from Fake Moody and he's in Dumbledore's office with Dumbledore and Sirius. Dumbledore asks Harry to relay everything that happened to him once he touched the Portkey in the maze—and immediately Sirius tries to protect Harry from having to relive it now, so soon after it's happened. And then this scene happens.

Dumbledore stopped talking. He sat down opposite Harry, behind his desk. He was looking at Harry, who avoided his eyes. Dumbledore was going to question him. He was going to make Harry relive everything. “I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze, Harry,” said Dumbledore. “We can leave that till morning, can’t we, Dumbledore?” said Sirius harshly. He had put a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Let him have a sleep. Let him rest.” Harry felt a rush of gratitude toward Sirius, but Dumbledore took no notice of Sirius’s words. He leaned forward toward Harry. Very unwillingly, Harry raised his head and looked into those blue eyes. “If I thought I could help you,” Dumbledore said gently, “by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened.” The phoenix let out one soft, quavering note. It shivered in the air, and Harry felt as though a drop of hot liquid had slipped down his throat into his stomach, warming him, and strengthening him. He took a deep breath and began to tell them. As he spoke, visions of everything that had passed that night seemed to rise before his eyes; he saw the sparkling surface of the potion that had revived Voldemort; he saw the Death Eaters Apparating between the graves around them; he saw Cedric’s body, lying on the ground beside the cup. Once or twice, Sirius made a noise as though about to say something, his hand still tight on Harry’s shoulder, but Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him, and Harry was glad of this, because it was easier to keep going now he had started. It was even a relief; he felt almost as though something poisonous were being extracted from him. It was costing him every bit of determination he had to keep talking, yet he sensed that once he had finished, he would feel better.

This is one of the best scenes in the entire book, the entire series. It completely refutes the fanon Dumbledore who is often cold, cruel, inflexible and unrelenting in his quest for whatever the author wants him to be inflexible and cruel about at the time. It shows that Dumbledore, the real Albus Dumbledore, is one of the few people who understands what Harry needs and is able to provide it to him, even when others who also care for Harry would rather protect him or shield him from what he needs.

Kid me was particularly taken by how gentle Dumbledore is with Harry here. It made me look back and see how in some ways this scene, this closeness, is the culmination of all the times they've met and spoken before.

(You can imagine how painful it was reading Order of the Phoenix right after this.)

But yeah, that's probably one of my favorite scenes that other people ignore or haven't talked about/drawn/written about much. Which is ironic, because the scene right after that where Harry talks about Voldemort taking his blood and Dumbledore's eyes do the triumphant "lol Voldemort just fucked up" gleam is probably one of THE most talked-about scenes in the fandom (even though to this fucking day in 2023 people still don't realize what the gleam meant, when even That Woman has clarified what it meant in INTERVIEWS).

...And for me, safely at the end of the questions, that's all she wrote.

[senkusphone]

Happy Stone Day, everyone!

On this day, when celebrating the onion man is what most people indulge on, let's also turn our eyes to the fascinating civilization that is Ishigami village, in this mini post (compared to what I usually do anyway).

Starting with the reason I am doing this in the first place, Stone Day. It is a celebration from Ishigami Village that takes place in January 4th, which happens to be Senku's birthday, likely an easter egg left by Byakuya in the hundred tales. Unfortunately we weren't shown anything regarding what this celebration involves.

As the manga itself points out, Stone day is significant in several ways, for one, 1/4 is i-shi in japanese, which also means Stone. It is Senku's birthday (and if you've been following me you'll know that the day Senku was born in, January 4th 2004, was the day that Nasa's Spirit rover landed on Mars).

Another tradition is of course the grand bout, which there isn't much left to say about since it was explained in detail in the series, even down to its specific rules

Rule 6 is the only one that wasn't relevant in the series as far as I can tell.

It's been also vaguely implied that there are other fighting tournaments that take place in the village, which makes sense, since why would you keep an open arena just to use it once very 20 years or so?

(Sideways to save vertical space, Suika will pray for your neck)

However it's never explained how this tradition started to begin with; did it exist in treasure island and disappeared after the Ishigami branched off, or did it start with them in the mainland?

The society structure of contemporary treasure island is substantially different, with a number of small villages that are all (at least in theory) managed by a centralized government composed of the master (or "head" much to our amusement) and the prime minister, where most power is held by the master, who also serves as the main religious figure, being the one who largely keeps the hundred tales, which are passed from generation to generation along his lineage.

In Ishigami village things kinda flipped and thus spawned a system that is at least half matriarchal so to speak. Now political power is split between the chief and the priestess, where the chief holds most executive authority while the priestess holds most of the religious power, and it is the lineage of the priestess that keeps the tales and that power in-family, with the chief being some allegedly suited rando from the village.

Even though it's the obligation of the priestess to marry the chief, she is rarely if ever shown as a subordinate to him and both can be seen directing the village, which I think it's very interesting. The anime went as far as expanding on this, by implying that it was Ruri who told Kokuyo to abdicate his position to Senku.

Sneakily she gets to keep being the priestess without having to be engaged, and we see her taking leading roles from then on.

Now I've talked about religious figures but what is their religion to begin with? Hard to tell, we know that they believe in multiple gods who control the forces of nature such as lightning. Similarly it's also been shown that prior to Senku's arrival, they believed themselves to be the only humans on earth, at least some of them believed the earth was flat, and most bizarrely, they believed the moon was something akin to a floating lake, owning to its small apparent size, however that works.

Perhaps they took note of how water tends to form spheres due to surface tension? This reminds me of how some scientist a few centuries ago (but idr who at this moment) believed the moon to be a solid mass of congealed air.

The last thing I want to bring up is the Ishigami village rope, reportedly made with a special technique that's unique to them.

It is also said that the rope reflects rank and profession somehow, but this is not reflected in any noticeable way on the series itself. Boichi probably hadn't been told about this when he designed all 40 known villagers in the span of one week.

The rope is worn somewhere around the body, and it contains a single red thread spun into it, serving as a symbol of kinship among them.

For now I'll leave it at that, as it's getting pretty late in the day, and pretty much all of this is written on the wiki article to begin with. Hope you enjoyed it, I'll see you all some other day.

[thebrilliot]

Current project: Rubik's cube solving agent

Many years ago, when I first started learning to code (I learned C from a textbook using geany on a Linux machine my brother gave me), I tried and failed to write a Rubik's cube solver (the brute force way, mind you). Did I realize how hard that was? No, I did not, and after I gave up I don't remember ever attempting to use C again. In fact, I never thought I would attempt to solve the same problem again.

Fast forward to yesteryear when I discovered these fascinating math subjects called group theory and abstract algebra and I learned that apparently you can make a Rubik's cube multiplication table. Suddenly, Rubik's cubes (3x3x3 cubes being subgroups of the S48 group) are fascinating to me again and I have a very interesting problem which is that it took a super computer to find every possible Rubik's cube state and the shortest paths to the solved state for every one of them and then to discover that the diameter of the graph of Rubik's cubes is 20 which is now called God's number.

Well, 20 doesn't sound like a lot but remember there are 43 quintillion states and that is a lot. It takes supercomputers to get that far. But we do have tricks for simplifying problems such that computers can do more with the resources they have and those are called models. Now, are models perfect? Absolutely not. By definition they are simplifications. But models are useful (and fun). And we have found a way to model almost anything such that we can make heuristics which are fairly accurate and faster than simulating the entire universe. We have managed to replicate exactly two phenomena in the brain using computers: learning and spatial awareness.

Neural networks can learn, and the parallels between training a neural network and teaching a person something new are uncanny. Perhaps I will make another post about that sometime. Pedagogy is another special interest of mine. The other thing we can do is replicate spatial awareness. I can't find the video for the life of me, but I know I watched a YouTube video by a neuroscience student who used structures in the brain to design a deep learning model that would replicate a simple experiment that was originally designed for rats. It required that the model could relate temporal and spatial variables. It was great because he visualized the activity in both the brain and the model and you could see the similarity. My point is, his resulting model was almost identical to modern transformers used in LLMs today (not that LLMs should be worshipped the way they are but that's a rant for another day), so I would think that it is safe to say we can replicate spatial and temporal awareness.

Now most people think of Rubik's cubes as spatial problems. That is one of my questions. If you take the group of rotations of a cube, S4, you might think it is quite simple. There are only 24 ways to rotate a cube after all and each can be annotated with 2 or less "simple" rotations around the X, Y, or Z axis. But trying to draw the graph of all 24 elements with just the simple rotations as edges (1/8 of the multiplication table) is extremely hard to do. There are 72 edges and 18 interconnected "circles" (cycles of length four that are traversed with the same simple rotation). So is it a 3-dimensional space? Is it an 18-dimensional space? Does it even have dimensions? What's the best way to visualize it? I think it should be possible to train a transformer-based model in that space, have it learn how to navigate it, and then take a peek inside its brain to find the answer.

But since cube rotation is a solved algebra, I think the Rubik's cube is a better place to apply this idea. I'm making this summary/abstract a little late, but I wanted to put my thoughts down somewhere in writing, like a dev log. I have a horrible time documenting things and finishing side projects, and I want to be able to both share what I learn and finish this darn thing so I can say I have done it. For now, I'll pin this post and continue in another.

[lucentlycanthrope]

(The first line on the page is scratched out in several ways as if someone hadn't really known how to start. The words 'Journal', 'hi', and a few other letters of incomplete words litter about half a page's width at the top of the page.

It's evident by the way that words are scratched out and ink drips are along the edges of the paper that the author isn't used to journal writing yet.)

Well...

In some summary of the past little while:

My mentor best friend fellow wolfkin made his outie an innie and has left the lands known as the Enigma Isles to raise children with his spouse... spouses? As well as most of the Himura leadership... Will the remainder stick together?

While I am ecstatic for him, I'm also not super happy with my position. He was my first contact in this place, introducing me to a goblin that no longer looked like a goblin, a kobold, and a lot of particularly interesting folks. Some of whom I don't think I get along with. Some who I do. I don't want to abandon them as the things I keep jumping at in the shadows grow stronger but... There's only been a couple around...

It's not his fault that the people I've met are as they are. I hope where I end up I can keep Drunns and Nuv around. And Sunavi. And Inara. And maybe Araeili and Lorilen too... Little clan of misfits, perhaps...

(There's a scratched out heavily line here, something about interesting and shitty folks. Next to it was a frustrated tossed-pen-drag mark.)

Never mind. Dumb thought. Details of demons and other garbage folks don't matter, do they? Does it make a difference if I dislike folks? Does it make a difference if I champion my cause? Does it make a difference if some general of Tiamat cursed my friend to tend his garden of living rocks because I fucked up? I fear writing his name would give him more ammo against me. Honestly, enough people have ammo against me these days.

I need to fix that somehow. I never did figure it out... Doing my best is hard.

(Space is left for the next thought.)

Red left me his journal to try to give me some kind of edge here as time goes forward.

I don't know what he expects me to learn from his thoughts. What can I even learn from my own?

(There's another set of tap marks on the page.)

Went to a 'date auction' and got bought out by a Khitai priestess named Ping. She's nice. I bet we'll just go for tea or something.

Fendoru reappeared while I was sitting at the auction. The old steel looks no older than when he left almost 20 years ago.

The Mitraens and some of the other clans of the Isles look like they're preparing for a massive fight. After everything that's happened - the kidnappings and the skirmishes and the shadow demons in the prisons that killed me... It's a bit late but I suppose it's at least happening. I hope that in the time that we're fighting the remaining 'good guy' normal human Mitraens turncoat and help us. I doubt they will, but I can hope more turn out like Lane. Lorilen.

I hope he stops being scared of me someday.

(Tap... tap tap...)

This is all stupid. I should have stayed in exile instead of going through the portal. Look at me, writing thoughts on a set of pages instead of fixing things.

Thanks, though, for the ideas, Red... Maybe it'll help someday.

Right now I feel lost and stupid and tired.

(There's one last set of unsteady scribbles... before a single letter is left at the bottom.)

-K

[merriammusicinc]

Zimmermann S6 | Upright Piano Demo & Review | Designed by C Bechstein

Famed high-end German piano maker C. Bechstein offers a wider range of product offerings in terms of price than perhaps any other manufacturer. From the C. Bechstein Concert Series which are among the most elite pianos on Earth, to the new Zimmermann pianos available at an affordable price, built to compete with Japanese-made grands and uprights.

Today, we'll be taking a look at the Zimmermann S6 upright piano, an exciting new product for us, and an instrument that to this point is pretty well unknown to the North American market.

Utilizing a timeless design and Bechstein-supervised exacting quality standards, we're excited to be carrying Zimmermann instruments moving forward and thrilled to be diving into the S2 for you here. Let's start by checking out the action.

Zimmermann S6 - Upright Piano Action

Why Action Matters

it's really important that whatever piano you ultimately choose for your home, you're happy with the action and how the instrument feels.

It's more difficult to create a good connection between player and instrument as far as actions are concerned with upright pianos because you don't have the benefit of gravity working as the counteracting force as you do in a grand piano.

On an upright piano, it's a little more complex to get that really nice fluid motion because it has to be done with springs, counterweights and counter-movement. Often times upright actions feel slow, and a little bit clunky, and the repetition speed isn't quite ideal unless you're ready to drop $20,000 or more on a handmade upright piano. Here, great pains have been expended to produce a truly dynamic action.

Bechstein’s Bronze Line Action

With that preamble out of the way, let's jump back to the S6. We had a chance to try the S6 at Bechstein's Berlin showroom about a year ago and were quite surprised to see a product from Bechstein that was very much in line with what you'll pay for a Japanese product from Kawai or from Yamaha.

Naturally then, we're of course instantly thinking about how this action, the Bechstein Bronze Line Action, compares to a taller Kawai such as a K-500, or Yamaha U3. First of all, we noticed the S6 definitely has a more robust feeling construction than a U3, and that's obviously by design as the S6 has a heavier hammer.

There's more power that you're able to extract from S6, so particularly for people who already have some acoustic experience, they might really appreciate going to an instrument with such a pleasant touch that also happens to be very responsive.

Wide Dynamic Range

The geometry has been set up to produce a bigger dynamic range than what you would get out of a Kawai K-500 or Yamaha U3.

When you dig in, you feel a little bit more resistance, but it delivers this huge big tone, and then you start to understand why this is a very credible and interesting option to consider.

Action Wrap-Up

To sum up the action, we've got an instrument that is very responsive but also happens to have a few extra grams of resistance. The trade-off to that is if you already are familiar with how a grand piano feels or already have the muscles built up from spending lots of time with an upright, this is going to respond very naturally to you.

Let's dive into the sound now and some of the design features contributing to that tone.

Zimmermann S6 - Upright Piano Tone & C Bechstein Design Features Features

Our impression is that the S6 is giving us somewhere between 15% to 20% more upward dynamic range than what the K500 and U3 are able to produce. Now, whether or not you like the type of tone that it's producing is a very subjective thing, but it needs to be noted.

The S6 simply doesn't sound like a Japanese piano and instead sounds a lot closer to what you would normally be getting out of a C. Bechstein Academy, W. Hoffmann or some of the darker German pianos that are out there in terms of tone. Steingraeber would be another example of this general tonal profile.

Hammer Materials & Design

There are several interesting design choices contributing to this specific sound. One of them is the hammer, which as we've mentioned, is a little bit bigger than what you'd normally expect out of a 50-inch piano. What's more, the hammer on here is actually mahogany. This is somewhat unusual until you get up into the $15,000, $20,000 range, though Kawai notably uses mahogany on all of their K series pianos.

Most pianos in this price range use Maple for the hammers as it's less expensive and easier to work with. Mahogany is superior though because it's a bit lighter and thus doesn't stay on the string quite as long, meaning any potential distortion is cut down.

Solid Spruce Soundboard

Second, we're dealing with a solid spruce soundboard here. Some people will assume this is somewhat of a given considering the price class, but it's always nice to see manufacturers still putting a white solid spruce soundboard on new pianos.

We've got hand-wound bass strings here and nice premium-grade Roslau strings in the treble.

Designed in Germany by C Bechstein’s R & D Department

Now, let's talk about where and how it's made since it says right on the piano "Designed by Bechstein" as opposed to "Built by Bechstein". Does that automatically mean that they've submitted the design to the factory and now they don't have anything to do with it? Not at all.

Bechstein has designed this piano from the ground up with their own Bechstein scale design, and Bechstein-produced hammers and a technical staff member from Germany directly supervises the assembly process at the production site.

C Bechstein Quality Management

Now, a lot of manufacturers with a sub-line that gets produced in another factory make the claim that they supervise the assembly process without really being able to back it up. In this case, Bechstein's Quality Management team has a full-time German engineer that literally lives at the factory and supervises a small group of employees who exclusively assemble the Zimmermann product in a separate area of the factory.

The factory we're talking about is of course the Hailun plant in China. This is a factory that was set up as a western-style factory, a business experiment a couple of decades ago. It has achieved a great level of success to the point that it has set a new standard for quality control and consistency for Chinese piano factories.

You'll notice that on all the Zimmermann products, there's actually a badge on the left-hand side of the keyboard that says, "The Bechstein Quality Management System." Obviously, a company with a reputation like Bechstein's wouldn't put a quality seal badge like that on something unless it was a high-quality instrument.

Limited Production

When some people hear Chinese assembly, they immediately think mass-produced, without much if any actual hands-on human attention. One of the most special parts about the whole Zimmermann project for Bechstein is the fact that it is actually a limited production piano.

This is an instrument that is only being outputted at a rate of between 750 to 1,000 units per year, maximum. In fact, we're only at number 8,217 for the particular piano here that we're reviewing. This project is a little more than 10 years old, so that gives you a sense of how much individual attention each one of these instruments is receiving.

Closing Thoughts

To wrap up, we've got a piano here that is a 50-inch class upright that is going to compete very well against other pianos in the size and price range like a Kawai K500 or a Yamaha U3. It is part of the Bechstein family with a Bechstein design, Bechstein components, and is assembled in China at the Hailun factory.

We think it's delivering an extremely unique and interesting option in a price range in the size range that is usually just a binary decision between Kawai and Yamaha.

So, if you have a chance to check it out, get into a showroom close to you. Of course, if you're anywhere near Toronto, come visit us. We've got the Bechstein Zimmermann product, both the grands and the uprights, like the Zimmermann S2, on the floor.

The post Zimmermann S6 | Upright Piano Demo & Review | Designed by C Bechstein first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

merriammusic.com

(905) 829–2020

[writteninscarlet]

“I don’t know, I think I could be pretty problematic if I tried,” she mused, as though truly pondering the thought. However, Wanda had no intention of being an issue fare today. Maybe a little annoying and pestering, potentially. Maybe. She’d see how things were going. She wasn’t as averse to meeting and learning about others as her brother was - or as she herself had been even just a few years ago. She knew Marc, she knew Steven (as well as she could know both at this stage perhaps, but enough to want to know more, to feel that pull). It was Jake’s turn in the spotlight. And he was probably thinking along the same track. Was it time for 20 questions yet? But no, perhaps that wasn’t necessary. His company seemed easy enough so far - too early to make any judgements, of any kind, but comfortable enough.

She gave a laugh, not bothering to hide or squash any emotions. What would be the point? This really was an opportunity to learn more of one another, so some give and take was perhaps necessary. And if she put up a front with one of them, she’d have to do so with them all. And that was far too tiring a thought. Wanda would remain Wanda, and they’d find out how well Wanda and Jake could get along well enough. With a grin, playful glint in her eyes, she glanced at him with eyebrow raised, “A simple cabbie? Is this when I’m supposed to say no one is simple…? There’s always something interesting, I suppose.” Her grin remained in place at his comment on the music, a soft shrug of acknowledgement then she continued. “A simple cabbie… sounds nice, if I’m being honest. I don’t think I could do the job. I like a drive but it has been a while since I’ve done so.” A soft huff of air, amusement there but not quite a laugh. “Putting my driving skills aside, I wonder if I have the patience. Hmm~ let’s see how things go, and I’ll rate the experience later. I wonder if a review from me would help or hinder,” she joked, happy to continue his own joke.

She glanced out the window, thinking on the matter semi-seriously. “I can be patient, at times. I don’t think I mind traffic today but if I was dying to be somewhere, that’s a different story, isn’t it? But I prefer scenic. I like the sights. The good and bad.” She almost added some nostalgia, that she had always used to enjoy making up backstories for people she passed whilst growing up - and even into her teens, and first years in her twenties. Curious and wondering what everyone else was doing. But Wanda silenced herself, a slight smile on her features.

Her head tilted slightly, glancing at him as he continued. She considered his words then nodded. Before she could reply, his laughter brightened her look, the sound enough to twitch her lips up in a brighter smile. A shake of her head, good natured roll of her eyes. “Glad you appreciate it. I was telling the truth. I’ve been in… many not so nice vehicles. And I can’t think this is the safest place to drive around, picking up fares. Better you than me. It’s just—“ she paused, thinking it over, then shrugging, “It’s important to take care of these things, isn’t it?” Was that what she meant? Maybe. It was hard to describe. Clean was just one way he was keeping his job and life here ‘good’, keeping it his and taking care of it. It was hard to put into words.

Wanda gave another laugh at that. “True. You know I couldn’t work out what to think when I first got to the city. It was so big and bright! …but also dirty and rather, uhm, dank. DARK. I suppose. Truthfully, some bad public transport experiences put me off at the start - and it was ‘Pietro’ transport I used a lot at the start. Didn’t like the stares or questions.” She gave a soft snort, that glint of amusement and playfulness back as she looked at him. “Jake Lockley, keeping the city fresh and nice for the tourists. It’s a tough job, someone has to do it. I’ll remember this for your review.”

Jake returned her grin with one of his own. "Don't think I'll have to put on my 'problem fare' playlists with you." One for every kind of problem imaginable. "What I listen to solo isn't the same as what I listen to on the clock. Klezmer. Lotsa klezmer. Pop whatever the genres call it. Ach." He chuckled about her brother and her sneaking into punk and rock concerts. "Punk? Oh, we'll get along. We got a soft spot for it." With certain exceptions, pre-aughts rock and metal was still okay for Marc. Jake had scrubbed the existence of it from his cab. She likely wasn't going to trip on the mine from any aux usage. Soft flipping of CD pages in protective case tipped the whole aux experience away anyway.

Marc knew some sides of Wanda. The protector, the one with hexes, and old deeds. Grant was familiar with the dancer, the gala attendee. Both knew this new shopkeeper version. Visible as a sign saying there was a snake (curve) up ahead, Jake can see the champagne fizz and fire crackles of Marc's crushes. Grant knew and kept the cards close; Marc hadn't named the emotion. Jake needed his own time with her. Determine if what he saw in the back lined up with the outside. See where he fit in -- friend, getaway driver, or if he was swept up in her kind wake. Fair's fair right? Considering how long it took to go from favorite verbal sparring partner to a match to a fiancé to ex (the later steps far too close), Jake wasn't especially working on a quick timeline.

"Well, Wanda," Jake said conspiratorially, arching his eyebrows, watching the road. "I'm a plain, simple cabbie. When I see someone stuck inside on such a nice day, I gotta bust em out. If I surpass your expectations, give me a good review." He laughed over the opening guitar solo of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' at his own joke. "Nice choice."

Glancing over from his purple (peripheral), "No? Travel by brother sounded like point a to b. And I know a flight with the team isn't the same neither. We can take the scenic route. Make you get sick of the traffic." He was on the highway, pointed back towards the City. "See a lot. Some good, some not so good." Something he knew they had in common. Scaled different. "Ah well. I don't get roughed up nearly as much since I got back in town. Only put the cab into the water once so far. Why it's clean. Brand new." Another belly laugh. "No, no. I do appreciate you saying that. I like keeping it clean." Beyond tips and the nice comments. The cab was his home. Grant had the mothballed Long Island Mansion, Marc had the Midnight Mission. Ol Lockley had the cab and was content.

Bright and genuine, "s like first impressions. Poor tourist's gonna think all cabs are filthy."

[thevoidfishsminstrel]

Lena let out an undignified squeak as she grabbed hold of the bookshelf beside her in an effort to not land on her face.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”

Lena turned, wiggling her foot back into her heels properly, before freezing, eyes widening at the caped figure now scrambling to her feet.

An array of books and magazines were spread out on the floor, presumably the culprit of her latest near death experience. It was as though National City’s newly revealed superhero had been sitting in between the bookshelves on the library floor… studying?

Lena clutched the cheesy romance novel she had been too busy reading to her chest as Supergirl looked at her in concern.

“Miss?”

Lena’s brain finally restarted and she cleared her throat, straightening her blazer. “Yes. I’m fine. Thank you.”

“You’re sure you’re not hurt?” Supergirl was wringing the edge of her cape in her fingers, looking far too nervous for someone who was suspected to be the strongest being on Earth by several sapphic blogs that Lena most definitely did not read.

“I’m fine.” She reached out to put a hand on Supergirl’s forearm in an impulse comfort gesture. “I promise.”

Supergirl seemed to relax slightly, some of the tension seeping from her shoulders. She held out a hand. “I’m Kara.”

Any tension that had left her immediately returned tenfold, eyes widening in panic as she froze.

Lena bit back a smile and took Kara’s hand, shaking it despite Kara’s lack of movement. “Lena. And don’t worry - your secret’s safe with me.”

Kara deflated, running a hand through her hair. “Alex is going to kill me.”

Lena laughed and patted Kara’s bicep (definitely the strongest being on Earth). “Maybe you should stop saying names now.”

Kara grimaced. “Oops.” She looked like she was about to say something else but stopped and looked at Lena again. “Wait… are you Lena Luthor?”

Lena straightened up, careful mask falling into place to try to hide the way her heart sped up and her throat constricted. “Yes.”

But before she could launch into her speech about how she was different from the rest of her family and only wanted to help, Kara lit up, crouching down to shuffle through her piles of literature until she came up with an issue of a science magazine from a few years ago.

“I just read your article about sustainable building and how we can introduce cost-effective eco-friendly measures to construction to reduce the damage done to the environment and promote a symbiotic relationship with nature.”

Lena blinked.

Kara almost poked herself in the eye before redirecting the movement to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. “Sorry, I just thought it was really interesting. You’re probably tired of people asking you about your work.”

Lena’s eyebrows rose. “No I… I don’t mind.”

Kara smiled and Lena found her heart racing for an entirely different reason. She redirected her attention to the books scattered on the floor.

“So what’s National City’s resident superhero doing studying civil engineering, first aid and… veterinary science on the floor of the library?”

Kara blushed and knelt down to start scooping up all her things. “Sorry - I know I should have been at a desk I just got carried away.”

The pile of books was up to Kara’s eyebrows when she stood up and Lena laughed, taking the top third of them from her. “And I shouldn’t have been reading and walking. But that doesn’t answer my question.”

Supergirl shrugged, toeing at the worn carpet with her red boots. “I’m new at the whole superhero thing. I don’t know where to freeze breath a building to hold it up or how to save someone who’s got water in their lungs from almost drowning. The other day I rescued a snake from a tree and tried to wrap it up in my cape to keep it warm and the owner told me ‘thanks, but reptiles are cold-blooded so they don’t warm up like that.’” She pouted at Lena. “The owner was a ten year old.”

Lena bit back a smile. “So you’re trying to learn how to be a better superhero?”

She shrugged and bit her lip. “I just don’t want to mess up.”

Lena considered her for a moment. “You know, I happen to have degrees in a few different kinds of engineering. And I made everyone at L-corp, including myself, take a first aid course when I took over.”

Kara looked as though she was trying to contain her hopeful expression. It wasn’t working very well, although that probably wasn’t surprising since her motto was ‘hope, help, and compassion for all.’

Kara bounced on her toes excitedly. “Would you help?”

Lena grinned and gestured to the left with her head. “Come on, I know which desk is the best in the library.”

———

It became somewhat of a routine after that. Every Saturday, Lena would go to the library as normal, pick out a new cheesy romance novel for the week and some kind of thick science book to hide it underneath, and then meet Supergirl in the back corner of the library, at the desk hidden behind the spare computers from the 90s where no one would find them.

Kara would normally already be there, pouring over texts and making notes in coloured pens and highlighters. Lena had bought her a rainbow of folders and dividers for each of the aspects of superheroing she was trying to improve in, and they had spent one very unproductive but fun day labelling and decorating them. They were now covered in random doodles, squiggly multicoloured patterns, and stickers that Kara had found in a rotating rack by the front desk, immediately claiming were essential for her learning.

During the week, Lena would keep an eye on any news of Supergirl, getting some strange looks from Jess when she walked into her office to see Lena cheering as Kara did something they’d worked on together. At the weekend she would listen to Kara excitedly retell those same events until the librarian came over to shush them. She seemed to be the only person in National city that wasn’t completely charmed by Supergirl, and it always led to half an hour of Kara pouting and asking Lena why the librarian didn’t like her.

It was a few weeks before Lena got there first. She frowned, checking the surrounding isles of books for any caped figures but they were all empty as usual.

She sat at their desk and opened up the book she had randomly grabbed off a shelf, putting her latest romance novel inside it to covertly read. It was called ‘Lost and Found: A Love Story’, the back of it claiming it was about a woman who ‘drops her scarf at a train station but ends up finding something much more meaningful in the woman she bumps into at the lost and found.’ It was exactly as awful as it sounded.

Kara bounded up to the table about 20 minutes later, a coffee cup in each hand and a satchel slung over her shoulder that made her cape bunch up awkwardly. She beamed at Lena and set a coffee down in front of her.

“Guess what I just did.”

Lena slammed the books shut inside each other, scrambling to put her arms over them and rest her chin in her hand casually. “What?”

Kara either didn’t notice or didn’t care, rounding the desk and putting her bag down on it with a grin. “I laservisioned the supports of a broken crane back together using some metal from a billboard and now it’s totally fine for use again.”

Lena’s eyebrows rose. “What happened to the crane in the first place?”

Kara’s cheeks heated and she looked away, rubbing the back of her neck as she mumbled, “I may have flown into it a little bit.”

She scowled at Lena as Lena started laughing but it was undermined by the way her lips tugged up.

“Oh!” Kara lit up and started rifling through her bag. “I brought you this.”

She held out a book with a bright smile. Lena’s eyes widened as she looked down at the cover of what was very clearly another cheesy romance.

“It’s my favourite love story. It’s a bit like the one you’re reading at the moment but better, in my opinion. I thought you might like it.”

“What?” Lena scoffed. “I wasn’t reading a romance. I was reading…” she glanced over to check what book she had picked up, internally filling with regret as she read the title, but she had already committed to the facade. “The rhyming dictionary.”

Kara was very clearly trying not to laugh. “Ok. Well I’ll just leave this one here. And in case you didn’t know,” she leaned closer to Lena’s ear as she climbed into her seat, and whispered, “I have x-ray vision.”

Lena blushed, refusing to look at Kara’s smug grin. She cleared her throat and moved her books off to the side, along with the one Kara had put down, as casually as possible, and attempted to change the subject.

“So you remembered about weight distribution in support structures?”

Kara paused in taking folders and notes out her bag to turn to Lena excitedly, rambling on about her save, gesturing wildly with her hands.

Lena picked up her coffee as she listened with a soft smile, absentmindedly taking a sip.

She frowned down at the cup. “Is this my usual?”

Kara paused in her rambling. “Yeah. Does it not taste right?”

Lena shook her head, staring back down at her perfect coffee, cheeks heating at the heart drawn in latte art that Kara probably didn’t even have anything to do with. “No I just… I didn’t know you knew my order.”

Kara grinned, raising an eyebrow (Lena should never have taught her how to do that). “Perhaps you’re not as elusive as you think, Lena Luthor.”

———

Lena arrived at the library one Saturday to find Supergirl staring at the front doors like she might set light to them any moment.

“What’s wrong Supergirl? Lose a fight with a door handle?”

Kara turned to her with a pout, pointing at a sign hanging on the other side of the glass. It read ‘Library closed until 23rd due to water damage. Apologies for the inconvenience.’

Lena sighed.

“Where am I going to get my books for this week, Lena? I’m never going to understand civil engineering without them.”

Lena bit the inside of her cheek, the rational part of her brain at war with the part that was helpless to the superhero’s pout. It had to be one of her superpowers because Lena would never admit she was actually soft.

She tore her gaze away, trying to seem casual. “I actually have some engineering textbooks at my apartment. I guess you could borrow them if you wanted.”

Lena squeaked as Supergirl crushed her in a bear hug, lifting her a few inches off the ground. “Thank you thank you thank you!”

Lena laughed, trying to turn it inconspicuously into a cough when a passerby gave a slightly shocked and confused look at the sight of a Luthor and a Super laughing on the library steps. Kara dropped her back to her feet, stepping back with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, I got excited.”

Lena shook her head with a smile. She turned to go but as she went to gesture for Kara to follow, her hand caught against Kara’s. Her brain misfired and decided in the split second where her index finger hooked onto Kara’s pinkie that the best course of action was to commit to it and simply hold hands. In an attempt to make it seem less affectionate and more practical, she walked off quickly, dragging Kara along in the direction of her apartment.

She could feel Kara’s smile like rays of sun behind her. At least her hair was down to cover up the heat that was creeping up the back of her neck.

Her apartment was only a few minutes from the library. She had to slap Kara’s hand away from the elevator buttons before she pressed them all, marveling at how many floors there were.

“So this is where you live?” Kara looked around the hallway, panicking when she snapped a leaf off of a decorative plant, while Lena unlocked the penthouse door.

Lena pretended not to see her discreetly dropping the leaf into the plant pot but raised an eyebrow at her. “No, Supergirl. I just decided we should come and stare at this random person’s door.”

Kara ignored her, walking past into her apartment and looking down at the city below through the large floor to ceiling windows. “Nice view. I should take you flying sometime - it’s even better from up in the clouds, especially at night.”

Lena closed the front door, trying not to think about romantic flights and being cradled in strong arms. “I’ll go get the textbooks.”

She moved towards her home office, Kara trailing behind in interest. The engineering textbooks were over in the left corner and she scanned the alphabetised section for the ones she wanted.

Kara ran her fingers over the spines of books until Lena was done. She smirked at Lena, letting her hand trail teasingly down the bookshelf before she left. Lena blushed as she realised why. Kara had found her fiction section, over half the books in which were very clearly a certain genre.

Lena groaned and followed her out.

They spent the entire afternoon on the floor around Lena’s coffee table, going through the textbooks, laughing over Kara’s constant puns, and eating the seemingly endless supply of snacks Kara produced from her bag. It wasn’t until the sun had started to set that Lena realised how long they’d spent simply telling jokes and stories.

It was alarmingly easy to just be around Kara. Strangely, Lena didn’t think she minded.

———

Lena frowned as someone knocked on her door. It was a Saturday morning and she was just about to leave to meet Supergirl at the library.

She only grew more confused as she opened the door to see a fluffy white cloud panting happily at her and squirming in her direction. A head poked out from behind it, looking just as happy.

“Lena, hi! Sorry to just turn up but the mean librarian lady threw me out because apparently you aren’t allowed to play fetch in the library.”

Lena stared at the woman currently holding a large puppy in front of her, familiar blonde curls pinned back and glasses slipping down her nose. “…Kara?”

Kara blinked at her for a moment before she seemed to realise. “Oh! Right. Sorry - this is what I look like normally. When I’m not being Supergirl I mean. Alex said I wasn’t allowed to wear the suit all the time because it had to be washed.”

Lena nodded slowly, trying to reconcile the image of this Kara with Supergirl and to not think too hard about the implications of Kara being comfortable enough around her to show her her civilian identity. “Right. Why do you have a dog?”

Kara lit up. “I saved an animal shelter from a fire and they let me adopt this guy. Isn’t he adorable?”

Lena looked at the matching faces of excitement. “Very cute. But why is he here?”

Kara shrugged. “Well I couldn’t leave him after I’d just adopted him so I thought he could join us for our study session?”

Lena crossed her arms and Kara pouted. It was somewhat undermined by the puppy licking her face and making her giggle but Lena was still helpless to resist.

“Ok but he better not mess up any of my stuff.”

“Yes!” Kara grinned, wiggling the puppy excitedly, his ears flopping about.

Kara kissed her cheek on her way into the apartment and Lena’s heart skipped a beat. The puppy licked her in an attempt to join in but even that didn’t stop the way her heart raced.

They settled on the couch, facing each other as Lena quizzed Kara with flashcards. The puppy alternated between curling up in Kara’s lap and zooming around Lena’s living room, falling over his own paws.

“Ok, last one. How do you treat a sprain?”

“Ice it with my freezebreath, wrap it so it’s compressed but not cutting off circulation, keep it elevated.”

Lena grinned proudly. “That’s it! Done.”

Kara threw her hands in the air in delight, squealing as she propelled herself forwards to tackle Lena to the couch. She pulled back just as quickly, pushing up to brace herself over Lena.

“Sorry. I got excited.”

All the breath had deserted Lena’s lungs and she stared up at Kara. A light flush rose on Kara’s cheeks, pale pink against the deep blue of her eyes, bringing out the freckles that dusted her skin.

The flashcards slipped from Lena’s grasp as she surged up to meet Kara’s lips. Kara’s arms almost buckled but she caught herself. And then she was kissing back.

Lena’s hands slid up Kara’s back, practically pulling Kara down on top of her.

They were both breathing hard when they pulled apart, eyes closed and foreheads rested together.

Kara was smiling softly down at her when she finally opened her eyes. She had shifted to hold herself up on one hand and one elbow, her free hand gently stroking back Lena’s hair.

She looked like she was about to say something when she did a double take over the armrest of the couch behind Lena and her soft look turned into a wince. “What was it you said about the puppy not messing up any of your stuff?”

[rcksmith]

The Agreement part.2 — Kaz Brekker

Resume/Masterlist

Couple: Kaz Brekker/ Fem!Reader.

Warnings of series: Convenience/arranged marriage, swearing, mention of fight, mention of death, mention of desire, fluff, sensual, mention of post-traumatic stress.

Warnings of chapter: swearing.

Word count: 4k

A/N: I hope you guys like.💖

English is not my first language, so I so sorry if have a mistake.

Requests are closet. Love you ❤️

— — — —

“What?!” Your exclamation came out louder than intended, and perhaps sharper than expected.

The salty sea breeze came through the window once more. The smell of salt and ocean invaded the room and for a second it felt like being in a ship's cabin at sea.

Kaz looked at you as if you were some child. Or someone deaf. But if he was swimming in acidic thoughts, he didn't say them.

"Think carefully." His voice was firm and explicit, the ones men use to convince women of something. “You want freedom, don't you? Live your life without having to fulfill a man's whims or your father's expectations. You wants to be able to snow on a ship without having a date to go back and make your own destiny. You want just needing to care what new adventure knocks on your door and what promise of wonders life awaits. It is not?"

How did he figure it out so well in such a short time? Was he too shrewd or were you too transparent?

You nodded, unable to say anything. Perhaps out of perplexity at how Kaz read you so easily. Or maybe the way he looked like an overpoweringly beautiful fallen angel in the moonlight.

“And the only way to do that is to get married.”

You frowned. “As I recall, Brekker, I came here just so I wouldn't have to get married.”

“And it's a stupid plan.” God, you wanted to kill him. “You asked me to have the Dregs take you to the harbor without your father's spies noticing. But it turns out your father's spies already know you're here.”

Your breath was lost somewhere between lungs and nose.

“Since you arrived, the noise from the Crow Club downstairs has become less shrill. And this is not typical criminal behavior. Either they have adopted good manners or someone they know they should fear has joined the Club.” Kaz sat more relaxed in the armchair behind his desk, his dark blue eyes locked on you. “I would bet on the second option.”

“So I came here for nothing?” You were starting to get angry at his beating around the bush. Because you knew it was manipulation. Brekker was laying the groundwork and you understood that.

“I did not say that. Turns out you can never get rid of your father. Not when he's a man with the purchasing power able to buy an entire country. There will always be someone who will recognize you, someone who will find you. And for the right price, the whole world is capable of being bribed. You would run away only to be chased by other spies, other people wanting the reward your father will give to whoever brings you back home.”

Very early on, you realized that Kaz Brekker was capable of crushing dreams as easily as crushing an insect. His destructive power was colossal and you saw all of your desires floating under his palm. Waiting just for him to brutally clench his fist and crush them.

But that's not what he did.

“You'll only get what you want if you follow his orders.” The breeze came through the window once more, ruffling her charcoal hair. “But if you can't defeat your enemies, change the rules of the game.”

“And is that where marriage to you comes in?”

“See it.” His body leaned very gently across the table towards you, it was a millimeter and ridiculous gesture, but it felt like him standing a breath away from you. “What you need is to get married. But marrying someone who doesn't give a damn about what you're going to do, and don’t have expectations of you. Someone who is not interested in home life, family life or Any other things you can offer other than money.”

Any other things you can offer. The night breeze this time was accompanied by an impure, almost obscene scene of the fallen angel in front of you on a bed of black duvets and caustic weather. A moment when the ends of his black hair brushed your forehead and your nose, moving back and forth as followed the rhythm of his hips and…

The sea breeze was gone, taking the obscene image with it and bringing back your common sense. For a second you wondered where that came from! You hadn't been in his presence for more than two hours and the entire compilation of what it was like Kaz Brekker, so far, had frightened you and attracted you in an absurdly dangerous way.

"And are that you came, I suppose." You hoped your voice couldn't give away your impure thoughts from seconds ago. “Do you want us to form an alliance where you receive my dowry and in return I am free from my father's demands and can do as I please with my freedom?"

“Alliance is a very strong term for what we are doing here.” He was succinct, “I would tell you to look at this as a business transaction. A marriage document is still just a piece of paper. And nothing else. Don't get carried away by sentimentalism. Things only have feelings if you want them to.”

Kaz was right, you knew that. For all your belief in true love and the many books romance novels you devoured, you still understood that a marriage could very well be seen as a business translation. It are a sad, cold way to see something so beautiful, but it still true.

“I have no interest in anything other than your dowry and you have no interest other than freedom. So what I'm proposing is something very sensible and objective. When we get married, your father will set you free, and you won't have any husband to please or any other crap. I don't want and don't expect anything from you, I don't care if you're sailing to Ravka or venturing on The Fold.”

“Do you want the money out of greed or despair?”

Kaz took a second to get a better look at you after that sneaky question. You had asked the correct question amid so many banalities and he realized that you were more cunning than you looked.

If he wanted to know your secrets, you also wanted to know his.

“A bit of both.” He was sincere.

“And what do you intend to do with my father's industries? Because you would win them too. And any misdirection could end up reducing my father's empire to nothing, and I don't want him to see the thing he loves most in ruins.”

Brekker heard the feelings in your voice. There was a hidden pang of hurt, but a lot of determination and honesty. You loved your father and understood him, even if you didn't agree with his principles. You had a fair and upright nature and were able to move mountains to get things done the way you thought was right. That was a red flag for Kaz. You were a good person. And he not.

He could never promise you things that go back to a good guy. But he could promise you honesty and justice. Kaz Brekker would never take something from someone the way it was taken from him so many years ago. He was a monster. But never in the same category as Pekka.

“I have no interest in having an empire doomed to fail.” His eyes were serious. “My motivation has always been greed. Why would I sink the company that is capable of making me such a rich man?”

He would have to be an idiot to let such a lucrative business go. And Kaz Brekker was anything but an idiot.

“Would you let me do anything I want?”

“I have no interest in what you don't or do.”

You hesitated for a second, as if remembering another detail. “My father doesn't believe in divorce, and even if he did, I would be pressured to remarry. Do you understand that we couldn't divorce?”

“I have no desire to marry again. And you might as well get other men you want without making a fuss, without your father finding out.” Always rational and objective. Without any inclination to the heart's desires. “There is no room in this world for feelings. Much less in this agreement. If you fall in love with someone you will have to be content with just relating to them, not getting married. And it seems like a small price to pay for so many benefits.”

It was the perfect plan. Did you know that. It was rational, objective and cunning. Something advantageous for both without costing too much. But why did you feel that something could go very wrong? You were a romantic person and you knew you could see things where they didn't exist. The truth was, you would have to leave your heart completely out of the picture.

Just a business transaction.

Brekker seemed to see a hint of hesitation in your eyes.

“It's very simple, Ms. Y/L/N.” That voice that gave you goose bumps hovered in front of you. “You marry me and you still have your freedom, because I don't give a damn about what you do after.”

“20 million from Kruges. Rich.” his eyes gleamed with a deep glow.

“And how do I know this isn't a trick?”

“I don't promise lies.” His firm face was serious “I won't give you happiness, Y/n. Much less love. Love doesn't exist in Kerch. But I will give you freedom, independence, a comfortable life that you are accustomed. And it seems to be much more than you have now.”

You knew you could be making a deal with the devil. Selling your soul to that man with the face of a fallen angel and the aura of Lucifer. But what choice did you have?

You couldn't go back if you sealed that deal. That man would be bound whit you, even by a piece of paper, for a lifetime. Was it worth the price? You didn't care for your father's press to want to be in the management and you had a lot more money than twenty million Kruges. What would you be missing? Your chance to marry one day whit someone you came to love? But if you came home without someone one day from now your father would marry you to a gargoyle. And the way out to flee no longer seemed a viable option.

Yes, it was worth it.

Seeming to see from the glint in your eyes that you've made a decision, Kaz Brekker, Bastard of the Barrel, reached out a leather-gloved hand toward you. His eyes sparkled with a mysterious spark, the scent of male cologne with a hint of danger lurking around the room. And for a moment, you felt a shiver go up your spine and the feeling that your life had just begun.

“Agree to marry me?” He said.

The feeling was that you were about to embark on the greatest adventure of your life. You didn't know what that little stunt with Kaz Brekker awaited you. But you would find out.

“Yes.” You took his hand in a firm, intense handshake that held a million secrets.

A satisfied, victorious smile came to his lips. And whenever Kaz gave him that expression, it felt like seeing the fallen angel that was the reason so many humans sinned. The clouds in the sky shifted, moving out of the moon's path and making the distilled rays of light shimmer more brightly. His black hair and white skin were graced with those bundles, and for a second his beauty was overwhelming.

You held your breath.

Brekker continued to say something, but you couldn't pay attention. Your heart began to race, the moonlight following in his footsteps as Kaz got up from his chair and went to fetch some papers from across the room. You couldn't tear your eyes away from him. His body was taller and thinner than you deduced when he was sitting down. Kaz had long, slender legs beneath black straight-cut pants, his chest was broad and his waist was narrow. For a second, you felt like running your hand over the contours of his body.

You shifted your attention forward abruptly. Focusing eyes on something else.

That was the curse of handsome men. They fooled women and made them daydream. With his underworld god beauty and mysterious aura with a touch of danger, Kaz Brekker was overwhelmingly attractive. And your blood reacted to that. Any woman would have reacted the same way.

“And we'll have to leave tomorrow morning…” he sat opposite you again.

“Sorry, what?”

You turned your attention to his words, not remembering half of what he said seconds ago. Kaz looked at you intently this time, squinting his eyes millimetrically, as if he was trying to guess which paths your mind had wandered in for the past two minutes.

“Your deadline is the day after tomorrow, isn't it?”

"Yes." You got back to the core of the problem once more. “The trip to my house takes a few hours. Half a day if it's raining.”

Kaz had his eyes on the papers in his hands, maybe they were maps or documents, but you didn't feel like craning your neck to see what it was. Leaning over to view the papers meant getting closer to Brekker, and two hours in his presence was enough for you to understand that nothing good would happen if you got any closer. Or maybe you didn't trust your own feelings and emotions.

“This will have to be done very discreetly.” He didn't look up from his papers. “If any rumors about our deal reach the wrong people, your father will hear about our plan. And that meant you will being forced to marry someone else, and me without my money. Does anyone know you're here because you planned to run away?”

You shook your head. “No. I didn't get to tell my friends. But now that the plan is different, I intend to tell a friend that…”

“You can't tell anyone.” Kaz lifted ocean blue eyes to you in an electrifying look that made you shiver.

“And what is supposed to say to my friends?” You felt a pang of indignation.

“That we are in love.”

This time, your breath was gone. The phrase was like pouring gasoline on an old, flammable woodpile. And you were afraid of what might be the match that would set off a fire.

Kaz noticed your reaction and was amused by it. “Just say some nonsense about falling in love with a criminal. It wouldn't be the first time a rich little girl has fallen in love with the bad guy, and I guarantee it won't be the last.”

“And you won't tell anyone about the truth too?” You wanted to change the focus you.

“I don't have to answer to anyone.”

This time you gave a smug smile and crossed your arms in an insolent gesture. “So everyone will think the infamous Kaz Brekker, Dirty Handes and Ketterdam's most dangerous gangster is in love with a rich little girl?”

Kaz narrowed his eyes at your teasing.

“It won't be the first time that the man with a bad temper and dangerous soul falls in love with the little girl. And I'm sure it won't be the last.” You said.

You were provocative, witty and stubborn. You would always hit at the same height and loved to show people that could very well play their game. Brekker unraveled this perfectly. You weren't the kind of woman who would be peaceful, serene, and calm. You wouldn't be like Inej. You would not take his orders and his taunts in silent, contained rage. You were intense. And that was a danger.

Why did he get the feeling you were so much more than he imagined?

“Let's go to your house tomorrow morning. Nine in the morning.” He changed the subject. “I'll go with you and we'll get married.”

"My father must be preparing everything by now." You sighed. “He takes his promises very seriously and I have no doubt that, when I returns, the ceremony scene will be set in the party garden.”

Partly you were relieved about it now. Planning a ceremony are intense and personal. You never really thought about getting married, but you always imagined that if one day it happened it would be the man of your dreams. And you didn't know if you would want to organize a fake wedding. There were certain things that were inevitable to keep the heart from breaking.

“Better yet, the faster the better.”

The two of you discussed some more details of the plan in the next few hours. It was agreed that Kaz would pick you up at nine from your hotel tomorrow, in an elegant hired carriage (which you obviously would be paying for) and the two of you would go to your house in Kerch. For all intents and for all people, the truth would be that the two of you were in love. It was such a typical cliché that it wouldn't be the least bit hard to believe.

And after a while, you two could already show yourself to the world as a couple who barely saw each other. Rich society was full of them: marriage with coldness and distance, where the man has his bets and lovers and the woman her travels and her jewelry. Your father would surely understand and leave you alone. After all, he had gotten a son-in-law to inherit his empire. A young son-in-law with blood for business who would make your father extremely satisfied. However, now the two of you had to look like a couple in love. And the reality of the situation was a secret that only the two of you would take with you to the tomb.

But, that night it was difficult for you to sleep. Anxiety, restlessness and fear gnawed at you like cunning mice, rolling you from side to side in bed, whispering in your ears millions of futures where everything could go wrong. Where not even Kaz Brekker's plans could free you from the clutches of one of your father's suitors.

When the clock struck seven in the morning, you jumped out of bed with unsettling, restless energy. You didn't like feeling helpless and waiting for Brekker to show up was exactly the definition of a princess in trouble. You had to do something.

- -

“What do you mean to get married?!” Jesper choked on his breakfast, and Nina nearly spit out all her orange juice.

Kaz rolled his eyes and continued sorting through the documents on the large round table. He was going to be gone for a few days at most and needed the people he trusted most to take care of business while he was gone. There were a lot of robberies to do and Kaz spent the night crafting and modifying plans for options where he wasn't involved. He had made a list of what needed to be checked at ports and what needed to be resupplied at Crow clube.

The plan was to marry you when they arrived in Kerch and return to Crow Club the next day. Kaz knew he would have to bring you, the two of you would have to stay together until your dowry was delivered to him. After that you could go on any adventure you wanted.

But dealing with the Crows was being more exasperating than Kaz could have expected.

"I didn't even know you had a girlfriend!" Wylan was in shock.

"Nobody knew!" Nina and Inej had their chins on the floor. Matthias was the only one who didn't seem to care so much.

"I didn't know the affairs of my private life were your business." Kaz didn't look up from the papers he kept in folders for the stupid ones.

"But you never said anything." Inej said.

"It was the intention."

"It's with Y/n, isn't it?" Jesper had bright eyes and a gleeful gambling smile stretched across his lips.

Kaz looked up at the boy with chocolate creamy skin, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

“She spent hours in yours office last night.”

"Oh my Santis!" Inej, Nina and Wylan exclaimed at once, eyes wide.

"The daughter of the richest man in Kerch." Wylan said.

"YOUR DOG!" Jesper clapped Kaz on the shoulder with an open palm, a loud laugh echoing and joy filling his voice.

Kaz suppressed the urge to look at the spot where Jesper had touched him. It had been years since he'd gotten over the most brutal aversion to touch, when the mere thought of getting close to someone made him tingle and dizzy with imminent fainting. At 28 years old, Kaz Brekker had proven to be greater than the demons and weaknesses that haunted him, wanting to see his downfall. A man who wanted to defeat Pekka could have no weaknesses. And he prided himself on almost have none of them.

However, offhand gestures made him look at the spot where he had been touched. The sensation brought was not unbearable or nauseating, but strange. And when the situation was skin to skin in a touch that caught him off guard, the feeling was unpleasant. Like a splinter under the skin.

It was easier with people Kaz felt comfortable with, but it wasn't something he cared about. He forced himself to overcome the most brutal aversion just to be a man without weaknesses, no chance of being defeated in a torture, no chance of being defeated by a faint. No for to touch someon.

“I thought you didn't know her in person when I warned you yesterday.” Inej tried to contain her little smile.

“It was the intention. You guys forgot the definition of secret…”

"Boss." One of the employees had entered that exclusive room. "There's someone here wanting to talk to you, Sir." He looked apprehensive.

Kaz frowned. The crow club had no movement at eight in the morning.

"Who is?"

"I think…"

"Will you please let me through!" The female voice sounded outside the room.

Jesper and the rest of the gang were wide-eyed, mouths opening in amusement and bewilderment. Kaz was catatonic. What the fucking hell were you doing there?!

"What do you mean I can't talk to your boss?!" And you continued. “I spoke to him yesterday...Don't give me these arguments, my dad tells his employees to tell people exactly that...I swear if you touch out about me again I will...”

"Fucking hell!" Kaz came out from behind the counter, crossing the living room and opening the door.

He came face to with that scene. A short girl who argued with a bouncer who was triple her height and size. Kaz knew the man was arrogant and macho, and had probably nudged your temper. He would have been amused by the scene if he wasn't abgry that you didn't follow his explicit rules.

“Ray.” Kaz glanced at the bouncer, a steady gaze that made the brute immediately back away from you.

You even gave the man an angry look before heading towards Kaz.

"What are you doing here?!" He whispered angrily.

"I couldn't wait." You wiggled your fingers, a tic of anxiety. “I could barely sleep. It was lucky I didn't show up at six in the morning.”

“That's not excuses. We have a schedule!"

“But I couldn't wait!" You whispered too. “It's visseral. I can't just sit there and wait!”

What an insufferable creature!

"Well, you'll have to learn because…!"

"What are you two whispering back there? “ Jesper's voice interrupted the discussion in whispers.

The two of you turned to the troupe standing in the doorway of the Crow room. Playful, mischievous smiles were plastered across their faces, and you felt your cheeks blush. Kaz and you looked at each other, and in that second of silent complicity, the two of you finally stepped into the roles of partners in crime.

Tagged: @aleksanderwh0r3 @thedelusionreaderbitch @hi-there-x @mell-bell @glowingatdawn @subjecta13-thefangirl @itsnotquimey @thatchampagnebitch @lamoursansfin @lostysworld @s3xymoonman @is-it-really-a-secret

[queenshelby]

Just Friends – Part Nine

Pairing: Cillian Murphy x Reader

Words: 4,515

Warning: Smut, Mention of Pregnancy, Birth Control and Abortion

***Worries***

When you woke up the next morning, your little mishap the night before was on your mind and you weren’t quite yourself, worrying about all of the possible scenarios.

Cillian noticed immediately that something wasn’t right but, with everything that was going on, the arguments with your parents and his heavy filming schedule, you decided not to tell him. You believed that there was no need to worry him at this point.

But, after yet another fall out with your father during breakfast on the day of his birthday, you broke out in tears. Your emotions got the better of you.

‘Are you alright Y/N?’ Cillian asked as he followed you to your room. He knew that you weren’t as, usually, your father’s comments would not have gotten to you upset in the way they did this morning.

‘I just don’t know why he won’t just accept you. You are the best that happened to me in a long time’ you cried.

‘Y/N, I am a fair bit older than you and, by what I gather from his comments, he is concerned that I am not genuine about our relationship. He seems to have a strange misconception about actors, but I am sure he will come around over time’ Cillian said calmly, taking you into his arms just as your mother walked into the room and asked you whether you would still be able to pick up your grandmother from the train station at 11 o’clock.  

‘How about I get her and you spend some time with your parents’ Cillian suggested and you reminded him that you were meant to pick up the birthday cake as well and that you promised Max to take him with you so he could go to the toyshop in town. His grandfather had given him $20 pounds and he was very keen to spend it on some more LEGO.

Cillian suggested that he take Max with him instead and you agreed, thanking him for doing this for you.

***Trip to Town***

After Cillian had picked up your grandmother, he remembered that you had been talking about a jewellery shop in Birmingham that you liked. It stocked several vintage items and vintage jewellery was your secret obsession.

It was your birthday in three weeks and Cillian hadn’t gotten you a present yet. Your grandmother was kind enough to show him the location of the shop and suggested that she would go and get the cake while him and Max choose something nice for you for your birthday.

Cillian accepted your grandmother’s offer and him and Max went to the store. It was obvious that you shopped there frequently as the owner of the shop recognised Max and immediately asked about you.

‘So, I guess you are looking for a present for Y/N’s birthday?’ she asked Max and Cillian while Cillian looked at the different necklaces and earrings on display.

He had no idea what to get you, but the shop assistant showed him several necklaces she thought you might like while Max wandered through the shop.

To Cillian, all the necklaces looked pretty much the same and it took him about a minute to realise that Max walked off. He quickly excused himself before looking for Max, who was standing in front of a different display cabinet.

‘How about a ring… maybe this one?’ Max suggested after he took Cillian’s hand and dragged him half way across to the other side of the shop.

The shop assistant couldn’t help but giggle as Cillian took in a deep breath, being surprised by Max’s suggestion. The ring Max had chosen was a $7,000 pound engagement ring with an emerald in the middle and several diamonds imbedded in the gold band.

‘Mum’s favourite colour is green you know’ he added with a big grin on his face as he looked at the ring.

‘Max, you don’t usually give a ring as a present to a woman unless…’ Cillian said as he kneeled down in front of Max in order to have this conversation with him but, before he could finish his sentence, Max interrupted him.

‘I know. You only give a woman a ring when you want to marry her Don’t you want to marry my mum?’ Max asked and Cillian’s eyes widened while his chin dropped. He didn’t expect this question from Max.

‘Uhm…’ Cillian swallowed, unsure how respond to Max’s question and there immediately was an awkward silence in the shop as both, Max and the shop assistant looked at Cillian with wide eyes.

Cillian was speechless and simply chuckled before collecting his thoughts.

‘I am curious Max, how would you feel if I did want to marry your mum? Would you be ok with it?’ Cillian then went on to ask, trying not to answer Max’s question directly. After all, you haven’t even been together for six months but it certainly would be a possibility in the near future.

‘I would like that because then you would be my dad and that would be pretty cool’ Max explained, causing Cillian to chuckle and give him a hug.

‘That would be pretty cool, I agree. But you know that I am looking out for you anyway, right? Even if your mum and I aren’t married’ Cillian said with a warm smile before messing up Max’s hair as he usually does with his boys when they are being cheeky.

‘I know’ Max responded before giving Cillian a hug which was just when your grandmother arrived at the shop.

‘We are still looking at a birthday present for mum’ Max sighed and your grandmother got involved immediately, helping Cillian decide on a nice necklace and earrings for your birthday.

‘I am just going to pay for these and then meet you at the toy shop?’ Cillian asked, hoping that your grandmother would take Max to the toyshop so that he could buy the LEGO he wanted.

‘Sure, take your time’ your grandmother said as she took Max’s hand before leaving the jewellery shop.

***Birthday Party***

The remainder of the day went well, even to the point where your father and Cillian had a couple of beers together after dinner.

Immediately following dinner, Cillian and your father went outside to talk. They were there for thirty minutes, outside in your father’s men shed and you were rather concerned when Cillian and him had left together. Surely this wont end well you thought but, to your surprise, when they returned, all was well. Much better than before.

Curious about what had happened, you asked Cillian what they talked about. But, Cillian didn’t tell you. All he told you was that they had resolved their differences and you didn’t dare to question it any further.

***Sarah***

The following day, you and Cillian made your way to Manchester while Max stayed with your parents. Cillian had to return to filming and you were eager to finally meet the crew and also share a bed with him again.

But, there was one person you were not keen to meet and this was Cillian’s ex-girlfriend Sarah who, out of all people, portrayed Thomas Shelby’s current love interest on Peaky Blinders. She had been harassing Cillian for weeks now, calling him numerous times and sending him numerous text messages.

The thought of her kissing Cillian in front of the camera annoyed you even more so when you finally met her and, after spending an entire day on set, found out about her intentions. It was obvious to you that she wasn’t over Cillian and the fact that he had broken up with her.

She didn’t take you seriously and that was obvious to you. According to Sarah, you are no more but Cillian’s midlife crisis. The young girl he decided to be with to get over her. She was oblivious about the fact that you were living together which is something Cillian never wanted with her.

You were looking after Cillian’s children when he was away and had built a good relationship with Cillian’s family and even his ex-wife. Sarah, on the other hand, never met Cillian’s parents or children.

Regardless of this, Sarah played on the fact that she was having intimate scenes with Cillian as part of the script and she was quite vocal about it.

As such, on your first night in Manchester over dinner with the cast, she even told you about the scene between her and Cillian earlier that day which involved him kissing her and touching her half naked body. She also told you not to worry about it because they had done it before for real which, according to her, made it less awkward and easier to film. She said that they knew each other’s bodies, which made you wanted to vomit.

Things escalated when she followed you to the lady’s bathroom and told you about having had sex in Cillian’s trailer once about a year ago. Following this statement, she implied that she would do it again if he was up for it.

But, the fact that she was acting like an idiot didn’t bother you. It was the fact that Cillian had forgotten to inform you about his earlier scene with Sarah which caused in your first fight with him since you moved in together.

***Making Up***

‘And this is exactly what she wants Y/N, getting us to fight because of her’ Cillian said angrily as he closed the apartment door behind him while you hung up your coat and took off your shoes.

‘We wouldn’t be fighting if you had told me about kissing her on set today…for fuck sake Cillian’ you shouted, throwing your handbag onto the floor besides you.

‘This is my fucking job Y/N, nothing more. Do you actually think that I enjoy filming scenes like this?’ Cillian asked somewhat flustered.

‘Well, you used to fuck her so I don’t know’ you sighed as you started to aggressively unbutton your blouse.

Cillian was speechless. He didn’t know what you were doing and whether you were, in fact, still angry with him or wanted sex. Perhaps both were applicable?

‘Well yes, we used to be together which means we had sex’ Cillian said somewhat annoyed, looking at you as you were getting undressed rather quickly. ‘What are you doing Y/N?’ he then went on to ask, unsure whether he should approach you or not.

‘How thin are the walls of this apartment?’ you asked as you dropped your bra to the floor. By this point, you had undressed yourself almost completely, leaving you in nothing but your panties.

‘Thin’ Cillian responded with a chuckle as it became evident to him what you were doing. Sarah’s apartment was right next to his and she got back to the apartment building before you did. You could hear her TV in the background.

‘Alright then Mr Murphy. I am laying my claim. You better fuck me hard and good’ you chuckled as you walked over towards Cillian, wearing nothing but your panties.

‘When have I ever not fucked you good, eh?’ Cillian smirked, jokingly using his Tommy accent to respond to you before he kissed you hard.

‘Did you think about me when you had this scene today?’ you smirked, biting your lip suggestively, as soon as you pulled away from the kiss.

‘If I would have thought about you, this would have happened and I certainly didn’t want to give her that kind of satisfaction’ Cillian smirked as he brought your hand down to his crotch. You could feel his raging erection strain against his jeans.

‘I never wanted anyone as much as I want you Y/N. You are driving me fucking crazy’ Cillian then went on to say before kissing you again passionately. You parted your mouth slightly and your body ignited at the intrusion of his tongue. Cillian groaned as he tasted your mouth and your nipples hardened as you pressed against his chest, ready for his hands and lips.

He broke off the kiss with a ragged sigh before pulling his t-shirt over his head in a haste and getting rid of his jeans.

Cillian then ran his hands over your breasts and down in between your legs, over the top of your soaking panties. His eyes flickered back and forth. He starred at you with his deep blue eyes, taking in your curves.

‘What?’ you giggled as you noticed his stare. His fingers were gently tracing over your thighs.  

‘I've barely touched you and you're dying for me to fuck you’ Cillian observed before he pulled down your panties.

You stepped backwards, leaving your panties lie on the floor, before letting yourself fall onto the bed.

The wave of anger over Sarah actually made your vision haze over for a second. But you soon forgot all about it as Cillian hoovered over your naked body.

‘You are so fucking sexy, you know that?’ Cillian whispered, his mouth at your ear.

You threw your head back and moaned as he moved his lips downwards and lightly tugged at your already taut nipples. You arched your back, thrusting you breasts into his face, silently begging for more.

Cillian complied with your request and began sucking one nipple between his teeth. His tongue flicked nimbly across your nipple, and you felt your pussy clench in response.

He kissed his way to your other nipple and teased it until you began squirming and whimpering.

‘Cillian, please fuck me’ you cried loudly. ‘I need your cock inside me’ you moaned.

He released your nipple at last and you looked beseechingly at him.

‘Patience babe’ he said before kissing his way down your stomach slowly until, finally, he reached your mound.

Without any warning, his tongue ran through your slit, causing you to moan loudly.

After several licks, his tongue made its way to your clit, licking circles over it while he inserted two of his fingers, pushing them right against your g-spot.

‘Fuck Cillian, oh god’ you screamed. You weren’t prepared for this sensation so quickly. Usually, he was taking it slow so that you weren’t overwhelmed with the intensity.

But not tonight. He gave you no time to get used to the sensation and, while he used one hand to push your squirming legs apart, he used the other to finger you.

The tip of his fingers flicked against your g-spot over and over again while his lips sucked on your clit and it wasn’t long until you felt your orgasm hit you like speed train.

‘Oh my fucking god yes’ you moaned as you held onto Cillian’s hair, your legs quivering and shaking while his fingers thrusted in and out of you.

Cillian smiled against your mound. You were incredibly loud when he stimulated your g-spot, so loud that, previously, one of the boys stormed into the bedroom to see whether you were alright.

Luckily, he saw nothing as Cillian was quick to pull the doona over you both when he heard the door opening and, following this incident, you installed a door lock and you tried your best to control your moans.

But tonight, you didn’t hold back. You wanted Sarah to hear how much pleasure Cillian was giving you after having dealt with her terrible behaviour all day.

Just as you came down from your high, Cillian kissed his way back up to your breasts and neck before whispering into your ears.

‘On your knees’ he instructed, knowing very well how loud you are when he takes you from behind. It was your favourite position.  

Your stomach fluttered as Cillian took off his briefs and lined himself up with your entrance.

Slowly, he entered you, inch by inch, stretching your lips wide. Your legs were fatigued, but that was hardly going to stop you from taking him deeper and deeper until Cillian settled on an animal rhythm that only a climax could complete.

He gave you no time to adjust as he kept thrusting into you, hard and fast.

‘Push back against me babe’ Cillian ordered and you complied with his request, allowing him to drive into you deeper and deeper with each thrust.

You arched you back and gasped as Cillian brought one of his hands in between your legs, rubbing your clit while he kept thrusting into you.

You almost squealed as he was pleasuring you, taking you hard from behind.

‘Louder’ Cillian instructed, enjoying your moans and screams.

‘Cillian’ you cried and, just as you did, he pulled your upper body up against his, forcing you to hold on to the railing of the bedhead.

He kissed your neck forcefully, thrusting into you while rubbing your clit at the same time.

You felt the pleasure between your thighs sharpen to a spring-loaded bundle of nerves that Cillian’s body would set off in a matter of seconds. God, his body was miraculous.

You cried out his name over and over again as your second orgasm radiated through you and he continued to kiss your neck until her body stopped shuddering. Then he buried his face in your neck and grunted with nearly every thrust until, suddenly, he pulled out, allowing his own orgasm to wash over him and covering your back with his hot cum.

You felt his grip on you loosen as he groaned out his pleasure, much louder than he usually would

Between ragged breaths, Cillian quickly cleaned up your back and you almost instantly collapsed on the bed together.

‘Jesus’ he panted. ‘That makes me want to fuck you again’ he added.

‘We’ve got all night babe’ you smiled, pulling Cillian closer for a kiss before getting him ready for another round with your skilled hands and mouth.

***Time for Goodbye***

The next morning you accompanied Cillian to set for two hours before making your way back home to Dublin. Your grandmother and Max were already on their way and would meet you at Manchester airport later.

With a coffee in your hand, you sat on a chair in the make up room while Laura, the make up artist, applied Cillian’s make up.

Sarah was sitting next to him, having her hair done and make up applied and you couldn’t help but grin at her as you were enjoying your coffee.

‘Time for the tattoos Cilly’ Laura said and Cillian reluctantly took off his t-shirt, causing you to giggle. Your cheeks were flushed red and Cillian apologised to Laura in advance.

‘Did you get attacked by a tiger?’ Laura chuckled as she observed several scratch marks on Cillian’s back and a few small bruises on his neck.

‘Not exactly’ Cillian chuckled while Sarah sighed, trying not to look at Cillian but failing miserably.

‘And this is why we don’t usually allow partners on set. It creates too much work for the make up artists’ Anthony grinned with amusement as he sat down across from Cillian, discussing the schedule for the day with him.

‘There must be some kind benefit of being a producer of the show, right?’ Cillian chuckled and Anthony certainly didn’t argue his point.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long after Cillian’s make up was finished until you had to leave, catching your flight back to Dublin.

Cillian and you shared some kisses and, with a small tear escaping your eye, you said goodbye and went on your way.

You knew you wouldn’t see Cillian until your birthday, which was three weeks away.

Not long after you arrived at home, something else arrived and that was period. It was way more than a week early but you didn’t complain following your little mishap three days ago. You were relieved and immediately made an appointment with your gynaecologist Lucy to get the IUD.

She had recommended it to you a few weeks ago when she visited your house and you had an open conversation with her about your forgetfulness.

Lucy wasn’t just your gynaecologist, but also a close friend. Her daughter went to kindergarten with Max and Cillian’s youngest son. Whilst you were afraid of the procedure, you trusted her advice as a doctor and as a friend and you discussed the available options with Cillian who, again, made it very clear to you that he didn’t want any more children. At that point, neither did you but you certainly believed in keeping your options open.

***Surprise Surprise***

‘Hi Y/N, how are you going?’ Lucy asked before offering a seat in her office.

‘Pretty good, how about you?’ you asked before taking a seat.

You looked around her office for a minute while Lucy brought up your blood test results and the results from the urine sample you had dropped off at the surgery the day before. To your surprise, she didn’t have anything prepared for your procedure.

‘Is everything alright?’ you asked, looking at her as she looked through the test results, one by one.

She took in a deep breath before she responded to your question.

‘We cannot do the procedure Y/N’ she then went on to say.

‘Why? I filled my prescription for the IUD already and I am keen to get it done as soon as possible’ you explained as you placed the box containing the IUD onto Lucy’s desk.

‘Well, you won’t be needing it Y/N. In fact, you won’t be needing any contraception for a while’ she then chuckled before turning the screen around so that you could see it.

Your heart skipped a beat as she pointed to the results of the urine test. The results read ‘PREGNANT’ in red capital letters.

‘Oh my god’ you shuddered, your hands shaking violently just as you broke out in tears.

Lucy handed you a box of tissues before taking your hand into hers. She didn’t know what to say. After all, she knew that you and Cillian weren’t planning on having children.

‘So, tell me, did you bleed?’ she then asked when you finally calmed down a little from your shock. She was curious why you didn’t notice being late with your period as, from your records, you were quite regular when it came to your menses.

‘Yeah, a little, about three weeks ago. It wasn’t much and I didn’t think about it because I figured that it was breakthrough bleeding when I stopped the pill…well I forgot my pill and then didn’t take it again…oh my fucking god…this cannot be happening’ you cried hysterically again, losing your words.

‘My guess is that it was implantation bleeding but I would like to do a quick ultrasound if that’s alright with you’ Lucy went on to say.

‘Is there not something I can take, like tablets or something?’ you asked, still in shock that you were pregnant.

‘Is this what you want?’ Lucy went on to ask and you simply took in a deep breath before telling her that you weren’t sure. You never thought about going through another pregnancy especially after Cillian had told you that he was done having children.

You explained the situation to Lucy and she convinced you to have the ultrasound anyway as, even if you decide to terminate the pregnancy, she wanted to ensure that you weren’t experiencing a pregnancy outside your uterus which could be life threatening.

You reluctantly agreed to have the ultrasound and Lucy took you into another room to perform it.

‘This will be a little uncomfortable’ Lucy said as she inserted the camera before starting to push slightly upwards, looking for your baby.

Then Lucy stilled, taking several screen shots while you held your breath. She was awfully close to your bladder which made you wanting to go to the bathroom badly.

‘Is everything alright?’ you asked as Lucy was silent. She didn’t talk to you while she looked at the ultrasound machine and her mind seemed to be ticking over.

‘Is Cillian home?’ she then asked and you shook your head.

‘He comes back home late tonight for my birthday this weekend. Why are you asking?’ you asked just as she withdrew the camera from inside you and handed you a towel so that you could clean yourself up.

‘Because you might need someone with you to digest the news’ Lucy said before taking in a deep breath.

‘Is there something wrong?’ you asked as you could see the concern on her face.

‘No, everything looks pretty good so far but, you aren’t just pregnant with one baby Y/N. You are pregnant with twins’ Lucy said and you immediately thought that this was a very bad joke.

‘Excuse me?’ you barely managed to say and Lucy immediately showed you the pictures she had taken on which she marked one small black spot as ‘B1’ and another ‘B2’.

‘Two babies, one here and one here…right where they should be’ she pointed out before explaining to you that the twins weren’t identical. There were two sacs and it certainly explained your bleeding. ‘You are just over 5 weeks along by what I can see, which means that you would have conceived the twins when you went over to the UK last’ she explained.

‘Fuck…’ you said before breaking out in tears again. ‘Cillian doesn’t want another child. He was quite clear about this when we got together and now I have to tell him that I am pregnant with not just one, but two babies? Can’t you just give me something Lucy? I beg you’ you cried.

‘I can but you do need to talk to him Y/N. This is my advice as your friend. He deserves to know and make this decision with you, don’t you think?’ Lucy said calmly, holding your hand and you nodded.

‘If you decide to terminate, I will see you next week and we will discuss alright? If you are going to keep the pregnancies, text me and I will give you a referral to the maternity hospital’ she then went on to say and you stayed in her office for another five minutes before having calmed down enough before driving back home.

You struggled with the thought of being pregnant but had to keep calm and collect your thoughts. After all, you had to pick up Max and Cillian’s boys following your appointment.

When you picked them, you barely coped and simply grabbed take away for dinner before putting them in front of the TV for the remainder of the afternoon. Luckily, being a Friday night, they were tired after a week at school and kindergarten and it was easy to get them to bed on time despite the fact that Cillian was due to arrive at 9 o’clock.

When Cillian arrived shortly after 9 o’clock, you didn’t get up to greet him and he noticed immediately that something was wrong.

‘What’s wrong babe? Are you alright?’ Cillian asked worried as he saw that you had been crying. Your eyes were red and your face was flushed.

‘No Cillian, I am not ok. We need to talk’ you said just as more tears began to build up in your eyes.

   Tag List (Cillian):

@lilymurphy03  @deefigs @theflamecrystal   @desperate-and-broken  @weepingstudentfishhorse   @livinginfantaxy  @rosey1981  @atomicsoulcollecto  @peakyboyslover  @nerdy4itall  @elenavampire21  @hanster1998  @mariapaiva13  @fairypitou  @harry-is-my-sunflower  @zozeebo  @lauren-raines-x @kasaikawa  @littlewierdalien  @sad-huffle-nerd  @theflamecrystal   @peakymalfoyscullymulder  @themissthang  @0ghostwriter0  @stylescanbeatmyback  @1-800-peakyblinders @datewithgianni  @momoneymolife  @ntmynouis @lilymurphy03  @mcntsee@cloudofdisney @missymurphy1985 @peakymalfoyscullymulder  @otterly-fey @janelongxox  @uchihacumdump @basiclassy  @being-worthy​  @chaotic-bean-of-smolness​  

Cannot Tag (please check your settings):

@l0tsofpennies @margoo0 @trolleydolly @avonlady1985 @chrisevanshoeee  @daydreamingnymph  @fookingshelby   @chocolatehalo

[tomodachi-z]

A different take on their relationships

So I was scrolling through the genshin thread and soon came to a realization that most of the relationship Hc’s were pretty fluff based, which got me thinking - was that really all there was?  Even if Genshin was a heartfelt game i couldnt really believe that all of them would be pure husband material - which sort of spiraled into this.

- This is purely my take on how some of the Genshin boys would approach relationships, its just some random thoughts though so take it as you will.

Characters: Zhongli, Diluc, Kaeya, Childe

Tw: angst, abuse, toxic relationships, mentions of death, just overall scummy behavior.

Slight NSFW

Minors DNI

Zhongli

Honestly, out of the whole lot of them i think he’d be the most civil. Apart from his bad traits that is.

First of all I dont believe Zhongli would actively pursue a relationship, however he would be open to it, though the chances of it being a special “love at first sight” is practically zero. Hes lived thousands of years and seen humanity evolve as a whole, hes met millions of people over the years and peoples faces really arent that different, they just blur together at this point. So if we were to go by that logic, his love interest would have to be someone he interacts with on a day to day basis - or at the very least weekly.

If he was starting to develop an attachment to you, I believe he would also be fairly upfront about it, asking you out and courting you wouldn't be anything new, he’s had lovers before after all.

But this is where it starts to get a bit off-putting. Even if your relationship is sailing along fine, he’d still compare it to the others he’s had. Your taste in clothing, your choice of books, how you style your hair. Every now and again he’d utter something like “Ah ___ used to style their hair like that.” Or “Your eyes are so familiar, just like ___...” in which case the blank space is a previous lovers name. Not that he’d divulge that to you. Even if you ask him about the people he keeps mentioning he’d brush you off and change the subject. Though sometimes he forgets himself and calls you by a different name.

He would also never tell you he’s a God. And you wouldn’t find out either.

 Hes hidden it from the whole of Liyue, why would you be any different? His role as Archon was over anyway so there would be no point to it.

So you would live your life never finding out about him, not ever truly reaching his heart, because his heart is already filled to the brim with memories, and whatever little space you occupy there would also fade along with your passing. You would have no children, for I truly believe that Zhongli just would not want children, his one and only child would remain Liyue, and your name would be uttered in passing, when he confuses his next lover with you.

Happy Ending?

Zhongli would still love you

He would cherish and comfort you

But there was nothing in this world more lonely than immortality.

He would love again but it would only repeat the cycle unless he truly comes to terms with himself.

It would take a lot of time, perhaps even an eternity, but I believe that his past relationships would actually help him realize something.

That even though humans were much the same he loved you all individually.

At the end of time he would recount each one of your names, in the hopes that you would take him with you, so that he could finally apologize.

Diluc

I honestly believe he just does not want a relationship. Not now anyway, not when hes 20+ years old. So the thought of him forming a crrush on you or any sort of real romantic attachment would also be pretty slim. He’d be your friend, sure, your best friend even, but when it comes to being your boyfriend? It wouldn’t be what you think it is.

If he does form a relationship with you its because you confessed, and you asked him whether or not he was willing to give it a go, and considering you already know each other so well he didn't really see a reason why not. Though it wasn't out of love that he’d agree.

I do believe that he’d still be a gentleman, he would send you flowers, and he would take you on walks, he would also give you gifts, but all of those were just out of courtesy. He was taught to behave like a gentleman, and so he would.

He would never be available, always working, always busy, never in a good mood. “Don't bother me, I'm busy.” He’d coldly order. And if you tried to do something nice to him like cook him a meal whilst he’s working he’d just tell you not to bother, the butler can make it better than you so why even try.

You would be a hitch in his schedule, an added task every day, another time consuming detail he had to take into consideration. But considering he was the one who agreed to the whole idea, he would simply have to deal with it.

As for intimacy, it would be rare. He’d kiss you just because he was curious how it would feel, he’d fuck you just because you asked him to, and sure he might have enjoyed it, you even said you enjoyed it, but it wouldn't become a regular thing between you two. He would come home exhausted, sore and half asleep, so on most days you can expect him to share simple words of greeting before he falls asleep.

If you got tired of it he would just let you go, both of you could see it wasn't working, so why bother try to fix it. You deserve better than him, a man that would love and cherish you, but right now, he simply cannot.

Those are your parting words, he wishes you luck and thanks you for your patience, whether or not you remain friends after that is really up to you.

Happy Ending?

What Diluc needs more than anyone else is time

Time to really heal

Time to forgive himself

Time to start loving the world again.

And I believe he would learn to do those things if time was given.

He would one day realize that his heart yearned for something other than day to day work, something that you tried to show him long ago.

He would fall in love eventually, perhaps not with you, but he would finally open his heart.

He would love earnestly and faithfully till the end of his days.

Kaeya

He’s well known as a flirt in Mondstat, he’s slept with people around town and chances are that’s how he first met you. Whether you slept with him or rejected him didn’t matter, what he was after was your looks after all.

He’d seduce you with praise and compliments, he’d lavish you with gifts and roses, as long as you give him something in return that is.

If you didn’t it wouldn’t really bother him much, he’d simply abandon the thought of you and turn his eyes on another pretty face, if you ever ask him about why he suddenly stopped he’d respond with “I don’t like wasting my time sweetheart.”

However if you give in to his seductions I believe he would eventually start enveloping the idea about being your boyfriend, the idea of you being his and him being yours was tempting for sure. It would take a while but he would also stop flirting so shamelessly with other people, he no longer saw a reason for it now that you were his after all.

But he would never truly yield his heart to you, always keeping secrets, always masking his emotions with sly words. I don’t think he’d ever really open up about his past or about the depths of his mind. But he would love you, and he would protect you, he would cherish you the only way he knew how, by keeping you in the dark, lest you regret your decision in loving him.

Happy ending?

His habits would change as he grows older

They would truly shift when he sees his first child in your arms.

He would cry, not even knowing why

He would fall so helplessly in love with the thought of a happy future and he would be terrified by it

But if you stay by his side, if you make him believe he can have a happy life and a future with you

He would give you the world, if only you make him believe those words.

Childe

Honestly the worst out of all of them.

Now, I firmly believe that he also would not pursue a romantic relationship if given a choice, but his heart is fickle and easily swayed by his own emotions, so when he sees you pop up every now and again he’d undoubtedly would act on his feelings.

He’d charm you, wine and dine you and treat you like a princess if you so wished. He would make sure you had everything you had ever wanted, he’d make promises of love and marriage, but after he gets what he wants, he would leave you.

Just like that, without a word, without a note, nothing. So when you see him after months of confusion, guilt and regret you would ask him why he had left, and all he would say is “What else did you expect?” He’s a Fatui after all, and he has no time for thoughts of tomorrow or promises for the future. His eyes would hold no warmth as he noted that the interaction was rather fair in his eyes, he had treated you like a princess after all.

He has no time to think of anyone else but his family and his duty to Tsaritsa, you were just a toy he liked playing with for a while till you got boring, now move before he breaks you.

Happy Ending?

Now I truly believe that there is someone out there for everyone

Even for someone like Childe

But that someone would have to be exceptional - someone with a commanding sense of self respect, someone with purpose and belief, someone with a fate of their own.

They wouldn't have to be a fighter or even an adventurer, but they would have to be a force of their own to be able to show Childe what kind of life he was truly living.

He knew he was in hell, but meeting someone like that would make it all the more apparent

But if they reached out their hand to him, if they gave him a chance.

He believed he would see a world in colors he never knew existed.

And he would love truly and openly, he would shed his heart to them and only them.

[therealvinelle]

Hi! I was reading through your meta (which is reeeeally interesting) and noticed you said you don't like Eleazar? I was wondering why that was?

Tumblr ate this ask when I had almost finished it and I hate everything. Also, thanks for the compliment, I’m really glad you like my things.

Now to try and remember what I wrote about Eleazar…

I think Eleazar is a disagreeable person whose gift wasn’t useful enough to warrant a place in the Volturi guard, and Aro jumped on the Carmen-shaped excuse to give him an honorable discharge.

To start with the gift, we see him use it twice and neither time is particularly impressive.

Siobhan Siobhan has the power of reality manipulation. Her gift is noticeable enough that Carlisle is certain she has it, so when he gets Eleazar and Siobhan in a room together he pulls Eleazar over to see if he was right. Eleazar squints at Siobhan. And he squints. Finally he says, «I’ve got nothing.» Now, gifts are an iffy, complicated matter everyone has their own theories about, but I think that at the end of the day we can all agree it’s a binary, you’re gifted or you’re not. Some gifts may be weak, but those are still gifts. And maybe someone will touch the gray zone of «is it a gift or is Johnny the vampire just really good at juggling?», but Siobhan has the power to manipulate reality, and she must do it a lot for Carlisle to have come to suspect it in the first place. She has a definitive and powerful gift. And even if I’m wrong about gifts being binary, if Eleazar wants to be useful to Aro he should still be able to say: Yes, this person has a gift, or no, this person does not have a gift. Sadly, he is not. When brought before Siobhan he says «She could have a gift, she could also not have a gift.» This means he hasn’t detected her gift, which is bad enough by itself. Being able to tell if someone has a gift or not should be a dealbreaker. The way he answers, though, that she could very well have a gift he doesn’t know about, makes it clear that people having gifts he couldn’t detect has happened enough for him to be open to the possibility that the gift there, and he can’t see it. In other words, Eleazar isn’t reliable for detecting gifts and will give Aro false negatives.

Bella This is an aside but as it’ll inevitably come up later in my blog I’ll just drop here that I think Bella’s gift is something more complex than a shield. She has prophetic dreams, hallucination!Edward, and there’s a weird inconsistency as to who is blocked by her and who isn’t. I think her gift is self-preservation, and the shield is one of its manifestations. Anyway, onto discrediting Eleazar. (I’ll be pretty closely paraphrasing what happens in chapter 31 of Breaking Dawn, but since the interaction goes on for several pages I’m not going to clutter this post by pasting all of it.) To his credit, he does notice Bella right away, and he identifies her as a shield based on the fact that he gets this sense of nothingness from her. This is all he can do, however, and I can’t stress that enough. He assumes that she can block Edward, but he’s shocked to learn that she can block Aro. He’s just as surprised that she can block Jane and Alec. He has to interview her to deduce exactly what her gift does, which again has nothing to do with his gift. Anyone could ask questions, in fact Aro found all this out two books ago, without the help of Eleazar. Eleazar then starts musing aloud about who-would-win in a Renata vs. Bella showdown (more on that later), which is as tactless as it is revealing. The guy genuinely doesn’t know, and it’s because he doesn’t understand their gifts well enough. Eleazar’s power means he can tell Bella that she has a gift, and he knows roughly what it is. He muses that usually he can’t even tell that much, which again is quite damning. He can’t tell her exactly what she does without a game of 20 questions first. She gives him more information than he gives her, which he then regurgitates back to her with slightly different wording, and everybody claps. «My god, Eleazar, you’ve done it again!» (No, really, this is pretty much what happens. Eleazar brought no new information to the table, yet he blew Bella and Edward’s minds.) It’s all fun and games to do this for Bella and Edward, as they for various reasons genuinely didn’t realize she had a gift. For Aro, who figured this one out on his own, one begins to wonder what Eleazar was bringing to the table.

Carlisle Bonus bullet point! I’ll make this one brief. I believe Carlisle in canon has a gift he’s unaware of (Yes, I have a post planned, but it will get ugly long so god knows when it’ll come), which makes him another one of Eleazar’s gift detection fails. In short, I think he’s extremely charismatic, able to win over anybody. To list a few examples - he has an extremely diverse set of friends who in Breaking Dawn are willing to lay down their lives for him, Jacob muses how his instinctive hostility around vampires doesn’t apply to Carlisle, and vampires are terrifying to humans (don’t be fooled by the movies, people) yet Carlisle is able to work as a successful doctor, meaning his patients don’t mind being exposed to a killing machine even when they’re at their most vulnerable. He’s able to keep his family of sociopaths in line. There’s not a single person in the Twilight ‘verse that dislikes him. (Billy and Caius excepted, but Billy has no direct exposure to him until late Eclipse, and Caius is responding to a coven that’s potentially threatening the Volturi) People are free to disagree with me on this one, but if I’m right (and I have a lot of book quotes as well as a theory on what gifts even are to back me up on this one. I’m right, damnit!) then Carlisle is another gifted vampire Eleazar failed to detect.

So. We’ve established that Eleazar’s gift will yield false negatives, and that he can’t tell you much about the gifts he does detect.

I think his power is to point out the obvious.

Which means that Aro’s eyelid was twitching slightly, but alright, Eleazar could still be useful.

Unfortunately, there is the matter of weighing up your pros with your cons.

The Volturi are, at the end of the day, a group of people who live in a commune together. Coven, guard, evil minions, call them what we like but they’re exposed to each other and some sense of agreeability is required. And Chelsea is not omnipotent.

More, I imagine that in a coven as large and old as the Volturi, they’ve developed a culture of their own. This means that newcomers will need social awareness and a willingness to fit in.

Eleazar, from what we see of him in Breaking Dawn, appears to lack both.

It’s in the way he speaks of the people he used to work with. It’s utterly impersonal. He tells us how their gifts work, no more and no less. When he speaks of Aro, he speaks only of actions Aro took and orders he gave, nothing about the man’s personality. Now, considering the context, he was speaking in a context where Jane’s thoughts and feelings were far from relevant, but it’s still notable.

Also notable is the fact that he has no issue contemplating a Renata vs. Bella scenario, even though this would mean the deaths of two people he worked with for years. Perhaps it’s a thought exercise, but it’s not a thought exercise I would have gotten into when it was days away from becoming reality. If Renata can’t deflect Bella’s power, she and Aro die.

I’ll put it this way - I don’t think he’d do a «who would win» like this involving Carmen.

At no point in the book does Eleazar show any concern for the eventuality that members of a guard he used to be a part of may get killed.

It seems he didn’t form personal relationships with the rest of the guard. I suspect he considered himself... if not quite above them, then still someone who could evaluate them. Their gifts is what he looked at in them. I also think it’s likely he asked Aro not to use Chelsea on him, which in turn would have made him stick out even more as there’s nothing making him and Volturi Guard Member X just click in the way I imagine Chelsea can be very helpful with. Which in turn means that the other guard members will feel close to one another in a way they’re not close to Eleazar.

Also… he’s just a douche. I’m sorry, but I don’t make the rules and the whole guy radiates douche. I can’t even point to a specific quote in the book, it’s just is.

I don’t think this guy never really fit into the Volturi guard, and his gift wasn’t useful enough to keep him. Aro was thrilled to have him at first, but as time went on and Eleazar proved to just not be all that, he eventually realized he had to get rid of him.

Because as others have pointed out before me, the Carmen excuse makes no sense. There would be no problem in one more vampire in the castle, yet Aro wouldn’t let her in and Eleazar had to choose.

It was a solution that sent Eleazar on his way with his ego intact, and no hard feelings towards the Volturi. More, Aro is on record doing this with it’s-not-you thing with at least one other vampire. Laurent wanted to join the Volturi, had nothing to bring to the table, and Aro used past association with the Romanians as an excuse for why Laurent couldn’t join rather than tell him to his face that he was useless. With Marcus, Aro, and Chelsea around, the Romanian connection isn’t a problem, meaning Aro was bullshitting.

TL;DR: Aro is the kind of person who’d lie and say his grandma died if he doesn’t want to go to your party, and Eleazar is the kind of person who’d say «My condolences».

[serendipityjxmn]

Mr. President

Chapter 19

TW: Violence, strong language, cursing

Words Count: 2.3k

Link to Masterlist

Link to Chapter 20

After your heated argument with Jimin, you find yourself in the small library room, the room that you often find solace in. You sit on the couch, hugging your legs tight before letting the sobs take over.

You set yourself into this. You fall for him even when you know it’s going to cause you pain.

For a long hour, you just cry yourself out until your body is exhausted and you just stare numbly ahead.

And that’s when you decided you’re going to leave.

You force yourself to sleep then because you know your body needs rest. But half an hour later you find yourself constantly twisting your body, unable to sleep as you wait for tomorrow’s morning to come with pounding heart.

When the morning finally comes, you pace back and forth in your room. You couldn’t sleep a wink last night. You lean against the door, listening intently.

Once you figured that it’s safe, you duck out silently and heads upstairs into the bedroom. You don’t see your husband anywhere so it’s a safe bet that he’s already out to work.

Wasting no time, you take out a medium size duffel bag and stuff several pairs of shirts and pants. You dig in the small drawer and takes out some cash that you had kept. For a moment, you contemplate whether you should bring your phone with you but then decide against it because you don’t want to risk being tracked by your husband.

You head downstairs and exit the house silently and from then on, it is fairly easy to escape. Your own bodyguard, Taeseok is nowhere to be seen and thus makes it easier for you to slip through the security as they probably wouldn’t think that you’re escaping.

You weren’t stopped until the front guards and you quickly lie about going to the gym with a friend and he doesn’t seem to be suspicious at all.

For a long time, you just walk and walk and just take random buses and sit on a bench at random parks, just watching people passing by, watching people who doesn’t seem to have any worry in their life although you know everyone is far from having zero complications in their life.

Everyone is working hard.

Everyone is working hard living their life.

And there’s you. A foolish twenty three year old girl, who’d married the leader of a dangerous mafia gang and ended up falling in love with him.

You find tears slipping from your eyes.

Jimin..

You wonder if your husband’s looking for you.

Or perhaps he’s decided to let go whatever it is between the two of you.

Had you just imagine it? Every little act that he does?

Perhaps you should’ve just said yes to your husband’s new proposal. Maybe that could’ve made things easier and you don’t have to deal with immense pain like this from heartache.

But you know that you couldn’t share him. You don’t want to share him with another woman.

You let out a long sigh. This wallowing-in-sadness is really getting nowhere.

You get up then and sees that it’s almost dark, dusk almost setting in with the yellow and orange sky. Somehow, you find yourself on the outskirt of Seoul after all those random routes you’ve taken. You checked into a small budget hotel after searching around the neighbourhood. You plop yourself on the bed once you’ve settled into the small bedroom, briefly wondering what you’re gonna do after this.

You don’t have any plan.

Let alone a huge sum of money.

You close your eyes for few seconds.

Nevermind all that. It’s okay. You’re okay. Everything’s gonna be okay.

You can start slow from the bottom. Find some low paying job and make your way from there. You resolve to go for a job hunt first thing tomorrow morning.

After you finish a long shower that night, you curl yourself on the bed. The mattress is rough, not at all soft and comfy like the one you’re used to sharing with Jimin but it’s okay, you don’t mind it one bit since you’re used to hardship before you even met him.

You marvel at the fact that you’re once again out in streets. Not far from before you met Jimin, really.

And your husband..

You feel a laughter of disbelief bubbles up inside you.

You left your husband. You made the decision to leave him when he couldn’t reciprocate the feelings he’d never promised in the first place so it’s a bit ridiculous that you’re missing him now right?

Unknowingly, your fingers trace your lips. It seems so vivid how your husband had kissed you last night. You’ve never been kissed that way before but then again, you’ve never been kissed by anyone.

You want to blame your husband for putting you through such pain but you know it’s not his fault. The marriage and the relationship you have with him is only temporary so he doesn’t do stupid things like falling in love or become emotionally invested because that would be a waste of his time.

He’d given you the choice yet you’re the one who chooses the wrong way and walks away from the opportunity he’s given.

But is it though? Are you making a mistake right now?

If you had just say yes, you could have everything you want.

Except his heart, of course.

Which is ironically the only thing that you want.

But you know deep down you don’t want to lie to yourself and to him.

It proves easier than said to find work in this small neighbourhood. It’s been four days and you still hadn’t find a job and you’re getting more anxious.

But no matter what, you still have to eat. You’ve survived not eating for days before and you can survive on minimal food consumption so this is definitely not a new feeling. Pursing your lips, you make your way to the grocery store and begins stocking up on several ingredients and paid for it.

You head back out, holding a bag full of groceries. After a few minutes of walking, you suddenly had that eerie feeling of being watched, a feeling that felt so similar to the one that you’ve experienced while at the charity function at Jaehyun’s house a week ago.

Shiver runs down through your body and you’re not sure if it is caused by the cold wind at night which is suddenly stronger or your growing paranoia.

Pulling your jacket tighter, you start to walk faster. It’s daytime, though bleak clouds are looming over you but it’s still bright. Nothing would probably happen in this broad daylight right?

You wish you were right.

Something happens really quickly just then. One moment you’re just turning the corner towards your block and the next moment, you see someone jumps out of a van and clasps your mouth and nose with cloth tightly.

And everything becomes black after that.

You didn’t faint, you think once your brain starts functioning. Perhaps only for a fleeting moment, you think. You blink several times but your vision is still blinded and realize your face is covered with a mask. The hum of the car’s engine and the slight shake of your body tells you you’re in the van you saw and you’re being transported somewhere. It’s quite a long distance and you try to think of possible places from the routes they’re taking but to no avail. You haven’t lived in the neighbourhood for long, it’s impossible to know where they’re bringing you.

The van eventually comes to a halt and suddenly you feel your body being dragged out. Your feet struggles to catch up as the person drags you over the rough gravel of the pavement, the cold wind making you shudder immediately.

“Who are you? Where are you taking me?” You ask and it’s obviously a mistake as a harsh slap lands on your cheek instantly. You wince, feeling blood forming on your lips.

“Shut up, bitch.” The rough voice says.

They make you sit on a chair, your hands tied behind your back. Your throat is very dry and you’ve no idea how long they’ve kept you there. You can’t see anything as your face remains covered.

At some point, you doze off and only wake when someone hit your cheeks, not too rough but still leaves a stinging pain. They uncover your face enough to give you some water and that’s it. You’re left alone again.

You’re not entirely sure if you’ve been hit again because the stinging pain on your lips and cheeks are now numb, you can barely feel them. You’re not sure if you fainted at some point either.

You hear some voices then. And despite the mask you’re wearing, you open your eyes to the darkness.

“Well, well, well.” A familiar voice. Too familiar.

And that’s when the mask covering your face is yanked away and your eyes struggle to adjust to the light.

“Hello little sister.”

Jay.

Your own brother.

Your eyes stare fixedly at him as he smirks at you. He looks pretty decent, his cheeks doesn’t sunk so much, his face cleaner and he dresses normally.

“J-Jay-“ you struggle to say, your throats is still very dry. You swallow several times and try to gather your voice. “What are you doing here?”

“Aww little sis, don’t take that tone with me. Don’t you miss me?” He leans forward and cups both your cheeks forcefully making you whimper in pain. “I’ve missed you a lot.”

You spit on him, forcing him to release you and with a look of rage, he slaps you hard on your right cheek. Your eyes widen when you see few drops of blood splatter on the floor. You think your lips had split in a dozen different parts.

Jay spits and then wipes his face clear. You look around and realize you’re in some abandoned warehouse and there are several other guys looking at the both of you with interest.

Perhaps they’ve never seen a brother so willingly hit his own sister.

“Why are you doing this?”

Jay tongues his cheek before smirking. “I know you’re living with Park Jimin now. You think you’re safe now that you’re living with him? Do you even know what kind of guy he is?”

“He’s my husband.” You answer firmly.

He laughs at that. “Husband? Funny how he can let his wife be kidnapped, huh? But that doesn’t matter. I need your beloved husband here.”

You grit your teeth. “Why?”

“You’re asking why? What- you think he can simply takes you as he wish? He needs to pay me before taking you. And if he doesn’t, I will sell you off anywhere. Anywhere that gives me the most money.”

You scoff. “That’s all you always think about. Money, money and money.”

“Don’t we all? You have all his money yet you won’t even share some for me? Some ungrateful bitch.” He spats.

He then lunges forward and nothing prepares you for another stinging pain as he hit you right on the cheek. “This is for leaving me bitch.” And then another. “And this is for being such a slut.”

You feel your vision momentarily blinds as your eyes roll out and you struggle to remain conscious. “Just kill me.” You croak.

“Kill? No no that’d be too easy little sister.. I want you to suffer what I suffered.. you’re gonna die.. eventually- oh you will. But being the good little sister that you are.. you’re gonna let me have my fun first, gonna cut your pretty little face first and then maybe your fingers.. and your cunt.. did you have sex with him already? Of course you did like the slut you are.. and then I’m gonna let all these men here fuck you and if you’re still alive by then.. we’ll see..”

“You’re psycho.”

“Psycho?” He laughs. “Maybe I am. Maybe after all is done, I’ll give you back to your precious husband and see if he’ll take you back..”

“No..” you say slowly. “He’s gonna come and he’ll tear your limbs before you could say my name.”

“Shut up bitch,” is the last thing he says before he knocks you out again.

The next time you wake, you hear a female voice in between male voices.

“Don’t you think you had too much fun with her? What if she’s dead already? Damn it, missed my chance to have fun..” the female says, her voice also strangely familiar.

The other guy you realise is you brother laughs. “No.. don’t worry.. this bitch is tougher than you think.. how do you think she’s survived years of my beating and still breathing?”

“Maybe you hit like a pussy.”

“God damn it, I wanna stick my cock into your mouth so you’d shut up bitch.”

You hear her laughter.

Your stomach churns and you have this sudden whooping feeling as your eyes finally refocus and widens in recognition of the said female.

Clara Kim.

There’s no mistaking her tall and slender figure, although her hair is now changed to blue color.

How is she related to your brother?

“Someone’s awake.” Clara says as her eyes meet yours. She takes several steps forward and leans down to stare at you from top to bottom. “So this is Jimin’s wife huh... no wonder he’s changed.” She says when she straightens again.

“Not gonna lie.. I like Jimin and so does a thousand other girls out there but I don’t demand his heart. I don’t do shits like relationship and so does Jimin but you- you little witch-“ she pauses then leans forward again, her slender fingers clasps your cheeks, turning it left and right, “Not so pretty now with all these blood and bruises huh?”

You stare at her in disdain. “He’s not gonna come. He doesn’t love me.”

“We’ll see about that.” She smirks.

He’s not gonna come, briefly you think.

“Just kill me, kill me!” You yell and someone knocks you out again.

Link to Chapter 20

Posted on 210514 9:00PM

[legobiwan]

Maul, Obi-wan, and Raydonia

I was doing research for an entirely different post and I just...couldn’t leave this scene alone. There’s just too much going on here for me *not* to dip my oar.

So Maul goes to Raydonia and terrorizes the populace in order to send a “message” to Obi-wan at the end of TCW Season 4:

First of all, the panel where Maul says, “face me,” is interesting as Maul is directed away from Obi-wan as Obi-wan looks at Maul’s back, perhaps in facing Maul’s back, he is looking at the past, or, more specifically perhaps not being able to look at his past he cannot face Maul’s holoimage dead-on.

Secondly, this is such an obvious setup. (I know, I know. “Spring the trap.”) But Maul’s hilarious line in Twin Suns really shows us how much he not only knows Obi-wan, but the Jedi at this point (and in Rebels, he contrives this plan because it has worked twice already, on Raydonia and later, Mandalore):

Although this is not the point of this post, you have to laugh. Maul and Obi-wan, to some degree, have been dancing the same tango for over 20 years and the only time there had been a misstep, so to speak, was when Obi-wan left Ahsoka in charge of the second attempt at a Mandalore occupation instead of going himself. But otherwise, geez, no wonder Maul ended up in Obi-wan’s arms at the end of it all, just like a “dip” maneuver at the end of a dance as mentioned above. (They *know* each other’s moves, flit between lead and follow, and if you take this metaphor to its conclusion, then you realize Maul went to Tatooine, sought Obi-wan not because he wanted Luke, but because he wanted closure, knowing what closure would mean in that circumstance.)

But I’m getting off-topic. Maul goads Obi-wan by threatening to burn Raydonia to the ground and Obi-wan, of course, being of “noble heart,” immediately proclaims that he has to go. Alone, of course.

Mace, being the only voice of wisdom in this room, offers a sound strategy:

Obi-wan immediately rejects this perfectly viable option.

This justification is bullshit. Obi-wan is known for being a master tactician and yet he’s refusing Mace’s offer of backup? First of all, between the two of them alone, I’m certain they could have come up with a decent plan. Secondly, Obi-wan had to know that Maul wasn’t going to keep his word. Raydonia was going to burn, regardless of whether Obi-wan came alone or not. 

And, in fact, here is Exhibit A of Raydonia burning:

Even if he isn’t fully aware of this, I posit that Obi-wan rejects Mace’s offer not because he wants to save Raydonia on the premise of a very false promise (if he were truly concerned about Raydonia, he would have taken the task force), but because, as the title of this episode suggests - he wants revenge. 

And I doubt Obi-wan even admits this to himself, using his “noble-heart” to justify going to Raydonia alone to face a massive threat to both the Republic and Jedi in the middle of a war headed by the Sith.

By every logical, tactical measurement, Obi-wan should have taken backup. And he outright refuses it because of a personal vendetta. I have more to say about this in another post, but his actions here seem to be part of this cycle of “fall” and “absolution” that Obi-wan goes through in TCW, each “fall” going lower, each act of contrition more extreme. (And it plays into a theory I have that if the war had continued, if events had been just a little different - Obi-wan would have fallen and Dooku would have eventually gotten his most prized pupil.) It also says a lot that in the mirrored situation during the “Siege of Mandalore” arc, Ahsoka is only able to capture Maul because she brought the backup. Or, more precisely put, because Obi-wan authorized the (illegal) backup of he 501st. 

Mace, however, isn’t swayed by Obi-wan’s pretty terrible argument. (And for pretty damn good reason.)

But here is where it gets truly bizarre.

What the hell, Yoda? I was trying to figure out the thought process that would lead to Yoda authorizing this. Clearly, it’s not stemming from any military advantage or even thought towards the people of Raydonia. They’re already burnt to the ground, both in Maul’s mind and the Council’s mind (despite Obi-wan’s thin rationalizations). 

So then why? If I start with the really wild speculation, I suppose I could say that Yoda had someone form of...Force premonition that Obi-wan going alone to Raydonia would lead to an intervention by Ventress (who Yoda did sense was kicking and ambivalent about her role in the war) which would lead to Ahsoka’s trial and eventual acquittal which would lead to Maul being captured on Mandalore which would lead to the Duel on Malachor which would lead to Luke finding Grogu - 

Yeah, you know what? 

NO way that’s true. Not even Palpatine could see that far into the future so I can BS on that idea.

So why send Kenobi alone?

I think this harkens to what we see later during the “Wrong Jedi” arc.

 If Ahsoka’s trial was her great test, then Maul’s reappearance was Obi-wan’s. Both Mace and Yoda have to know that Obi-wan was teetering on the Dark Side when he beat Maul all those years ago (in fact, the TPM novelization basically states Obi-wan harnesses some Dark Side to beat Maul in his rage.) Mace wants to bring backup, for very practical reasons but also probably keep tabs on an Obi-wan who was at severe risk of becoming unbalanced. 

Yoda, on the other hand, sends Obi-wan alone to face his past, to face his darkness and overcome it (in the middle of a war with the Sith where the balance of power could have shifted significantly if Maul and Dooku and Sidious were able to coexist in the same room without the threat of first-degree murder). 

And here’s the thing. Both Obi-wan and Ahsoka FAIL this test. Ahsoka walks away from the Jedi, Obi-wan gets the snot pounded out of him, taps into his rage (this is not a man in control of himself),

...and then lets a war criminal go free in exchange for her help, all of which set up the disaster that Mandalore becomes in later seasons. In fact, Obi-wan doesn’t pass this supposed test until over 20 years later, on Tatooine. And...is it worth everything that occurred between this episode and “Twin Suns”? Could Yoda have foreseen all of this? Highly unlikely. It’s nice poetry,  but at what cost?

Which leads to another interesting observation - if Yoda feels this is Obi-wan’s test, then both he and Mace feel Obi-wan is more than capable of flirting with the Dark Side. (Yes, all Jedi are, of course, but this seems rather pointed for a man who is considered the pinnacle of Jedi-ness). Again, I have another long post gestating about this topic, but I doubt Mace and Yoda didn’t notice some signs of Obi-wan’s slow fall and attempts at absolution (it’s almost like the habits of an addict - fall, swear off the sauce, and than fall again, even lower) throughout TCW, but between the pressures of the war and trust in Obi-wan, they didn’t see it as a huge threat.

So after Obi-wan leaves for his Revenge Tour, Mace explains, rather diplomatically, that he thinks Yoda’s idea is hot garbage and that his (Maul’s) -

Yes, and Obi-wan at least does learn from this, as stated above...eventually.

Oh, Yoda. This is where I feel the Coucil lost their way. Again, Dooku’s famous quote about Yoda and the Council from the Clone Wars novelization:

"The Jedi Order's problem is Yoda. No being can wield that kind of power for centuries without becoming complacent at best or corrupt at worst. He has no idea that it's overtaken him; he no longer sees all the little cumulative evils that the Republic tolerates and fosters, from slavery to endless wars, and he never asks, 'Why are we not acting to stop this?' Live alongside corruption for too long, and you no longer notice the stench."

It could be argued that Yoda is placing this “test” of Obi-wan above the people of Raydonia, hell, the entire Republic, in priority. Raydonia is collateral damage, and if Obi-wan fails his test, so are many planets in the Republic (which is *exactly* what played out). I suppose, in the very end - again, 20 years later on Tatooine - this was resolved and Luke Skywalker was saved to eventually help redeem his father and destroy Palpatine but...that only really makes sense in hindsight and overlooks the bad decisions the Council and specifically Yoda, are making in real-time. 

And Mace is not convinced here. Too many things could go wrong. Maul could escape. Obi-wan could be killed. Obi-wan could possibly turn, or at least “darken,” so to speak. 

“Trust in the Force,” Mace might say, “but all others pay in credits.”

[atalho-s]

Light Up The Dark

Part 1 | June

pairing: bartender!tom x famous!reader

warnings: some smut +18 (in this particular chapter it’s nothing TOO explicit, but miniors be aware), swear words?, drinking, let me know if anything else!

words: 4.9 k

summary: y/n is a famous horror writer. Her books are on the lips of the people and her face is on all the magazine covers of promising young people.

She has just moved to Los Angeles, the city of celebrities and luxury, when she starts to get a writer's block as she starts writing her newest book. A way to distract herself and seek inspiration leads her to have her destiny mapped out with a simple waiter named Tom who has a delicious british accent.

What happens when her inspiration comes back only after she spends a night with him and she only manages to write after being in the company of that guy she just met? Maybe he'll become her newest addiction.

a/n: english it’s not my first language, so i’m sorry for any mistake! this is a series i started writing a while ago, i hope y’all enjoy :) the reader it’s from brazil here, but you can replace from any country you want lol And obv i’m not from LA and never been there, so if i say something out of reality it’s bc of that 😂

"June arrived at the restaurant, sat down near the bar and looked around vaguely. The strange people's faces made her think better and maybe drink a shot of tequila too.

She opened his folder with the horrifying photos of the mysterious case. She felt sick to her stomach.

People said that by then she should have been used to see this kind of thing, but that was repulsive.

She wish the nightmare she had the night before was a way to solve that puzzle, but believing in the afterlife now wouldn't help her... If...If..."

- Damn it... - Y/n slammed her fist on the table. - Writer's block sucks. - She said and took the last sip of her tea.

It s been a week since she couldn't write anything. She would write maybe two paragraphs, maybe even three if she got lucky, but she always ended up erasing it, because she always turned into something meaningless or too cliche.

Damn the time she had promised to deliver something to her editor by the end of the month. But she hadn't counted on the lack of ideas when she agreed to that.

She got up from her chair in frustration and crossed her arms, pacing, as if her creativity had gone out for a walk and she was waiting impatiently for it to come back.

Why had she agreed to write a new book in the first place? She didn't need money. Their previous four books were already making huge profits, and they were going to make a new television series based on one of them.

So why writing another one? Maybe because, she had been having too many nightmares lately. Many family and friends told her to see a psychologist, see if she didn't have some hidden trauma. But looking for a psychologist? Admitting your weaknesses and personal things to a stranger? Never. That would be horrifying.

Writing helped. Transferring his fears to pages was hers gift. When she wrote she didn't have nightmares, didn't see things, wasn't sad. It was like a drug, a calming medicine.

Maybe fame was also making her restless lately. She hated being the spotlight, being the magazine cover of promising young people. She hated to see her name highlighted. But she loved having readers, yes. She loved when someone felt good reading her books or in the good sense of the word: terrified by her stories.

At the height of her 25 years, he never thought her books would become famous at that point. She had always enjoyed writing since she was a child, but working with it was just an unattainable dream. Until, at age 19, she quit her hideous job as a hotel receptionist and decided to publish her first story.

Obviously there were many rejections, until a publisher agreed to publish their work. From then on, her books became more and more known. They called her the new horror genius, the mystery queen, and sometimes even "Stephen King's lost daughter."

She didn't think it was all that. But she accepted the descriptions gladly. No wonder her books didn't come out of the top spot on the best sellers.

Another thing that motivated her to continue with that story, was a phrase from her own idol mentioned, Stephen King: "good stories are those that stay in the head for a long time". And God only knew how that story had been with her for far too long. She always wanted to put it down on paper, so here she was trying to put into words what her head brought up as random thoughts.

But now she was having one of his first creative blocks. Obviously she had already had it with previous books, but nothing as frustrating as this one. She had been trying hard for days, which was exhausting.

She looked at the clock on the wall: 11pm. Who knows if she took another break before starting writing again? Maybe it would help to come up with more ideas.

She thought about watching a show or movie, but he wasn't in the mood. She looked at her long polka dot pajamas under her favorite warm robe and snorted. Go out? On a Thursday night? On a cold night? No way.

But what if it helped her have more writing material? Watching people on the street really helped. If June, the character in her book, was in a bar, maybe if she went to one too it would help to have something to build on.

Writers did it all the time. Describe places that already existed, situations similar to which they lived. So, it wouldn't be new. Maybe she'd even put the location in her tribute if helped she got out of her creative block.

She took a deep breath and went to take a shower. It was decided, she would go out. She put on her best jeans, a Ramones T-shirt with a leather jacket. It wasn't a fancy outfit, but she didn't intend to go somewhere fancy anyway. Her stylist would have been dying to see her now, but she didn't care one bit.

She went out pressing the bottom of the elevator. Y/n had lived on the top floor of a building for 2 months, right in downtown Los Angeles. Sometimes she didn't even know why she chose to live there, she hated the big city and what came with it: paparazzi, celebrities, crazy people who feel superior, wealth and luxury. She came from a humble family, so she always felt like an outsider.

Y/n arrived downstairs and left the condominium calling a taxi that was passing in the street just in time. She walked in and closed the door, crossing her arms, trying to ward off the cold.

- Good night miss, where are you going? - the driver asked looking at her in the rearview mirror.

- Good night... Actually I don't know, do you have any suggestions for a bar around here?- she asked looking out the window. She didn't even bother to look for suggestions for places nearby.

- Well, it depends on what you're looking for... Something luxurious or something fun? - He said and a smiled played on the corer of her mouth. Luxurious was the opposite of fun indeed.

- Something fun, of course.

- So, I suggest the new Seven Devils bar, it's less than 20 minutes from here... - he said.

- Interesting name... Could be. - She said shrugging.

- The name is kinda creepy, but the place is cozy and welcoming, I went once. - the driver said starting and entering the street that was practically empty for being a weekday.

- Cool... - Y/n said looking at the city lights through the window.

After nearly twenty minutes the taxi stopped in front of what appeared to be a small door with a security guard in front of it. The neon sign indicated the name of the place, it seemed a mysterious place for those who passed by without knowing it.

- Thanks. - Y/n said handing the driver the money.

- You're not the Y/n Y/l/n? I didn't want to say anything, but I'm a fan of you, I love your books, they help me pass the time while I wait for passengers. - the driver asked turning a little with one of the Y/n books in his hand. - Could you sign this for me?

- Sure! - Y/n spoke excitedly taking the book from his hand and leaving a message along with her signature. - Thanks for the tip of the place. Have a good night... - She said opening the door.

- No, thank you, have a good night miss. -he said and she smiled closing the door and the taxi left leaving her alone looking at the door in front of her.

She approached the security guard who wished her good night, giving her room to enter, after she showed her ID. Y/n entered a little afraid of what she would find. The door behind her closed and she looked around. It was really cozy as the taxi driver said, it had a part with several tables, which were a little empty and a bar with stools around. The place had a good atmosphere, one of those that people go there to meet and chat with friends, in the background there was a kind of pop song that she wasn't sure if she knew or not.

He slowly approached the bar and sat down on one of the stools. A woman with several tattoos appeared behind the counter and came to serve her.

- Good night! How can I serve you?- she asked with a smile.

- Good night... Hm... Maybe a martini? - Y/n said taking a look at the drinks on the shelf behind the attendant.

- Okay, I'll be back with your order, anything else?

- That's it for now, thanks. - She replied smiling and the attendant walked away.

Y/n kept looking around, watching people, maybe looking for some inspiration. Something that would turn the key in his mind. Many who were there were in groups of friends and were talking animatedly, laughing. Some young and some older, in suits and ties, perhaps coming out of work.

Until one guy in particular caught her attention. He wore the black uniform with the name of the place, with an apron tied around the waist of the same color, and was picking up some glasses from some empty tables. He had dark brown hair slicked back and eyes the same color, very expressive and large. A boy's face from the outside, but on the inside had a mysterious and confident air.

He balanced a tray full of things with an greatest skill in one hand and smiled at some people, he seemed charming because everytime he left a table he left people whispering and giggling embarrassed behind his back.

He walked over and entered the bar placing the tray behind the counter, came close to the other attendant who already had the Y/n martini ready and she could hear him talking, soon realizing he had a perfect accent.

- Sally, you can leave it to me, go take your break. Whose martini is it?- he asked taking a look around.

- Oh thank you, my feet are killing me. It's the girl over there. -she said indicating Y/n with her head and he looked at her, making Y/n realize that she was staring at him for too long, so she looked away embarrassed.

- Okay. - he said looking at where Y/n was sitting and stopped in front of her with the glass. - Good night miss, here is your order. - He spoke with a british accent. Only at that moment did Y/n realize that his accent was well loaded and God only knows how much she loved that accent.

- Oh yes, thank you very much. - She said raising her eyes to look at him and smiled then he blinked with one of his eyes and gave her one more look, before going to deliver another order to a man who was sitting a few benches away.

Y/n felt a shiver all of a sudden, that boy had made her legs a little weak and she didn't really know why. I mean, he was handsome, very handsome and he had a special charm, but it wasn't that much, was it? Maybe it was because it had been a while since she'd dated anyone. When was the last time? Two months ago? Since she had moved in she hadn't gone out with anyone, she had locked herself in her apartment and was writing like crazy. She didn't have time to go out, not even with her friends when she was working on a new book. Which brought them dissatisfaction from time to time, not just because she didn't hang around with them, but because she didn't even go out on one-night stands.

She never been the one that going out with a guy just for sex, she had to have some good first dates and maybe she would take him to see her apartment or go to his apartment. Friends of hers thought she was too old in her spirit, but what can he do? If she couldn't be bad girl once in a while. For a moment she thought, "For this english guy I would be" but shook her head away from the thoughts. She went back to analyzing him, dammit why did he have to be so fit? She could see that the T-shirt he was wearing highlighted his muscles that were only left to her imagination, she found herself biting her lip a bit and snatching her martini off the counter, taking a big sip.

The attendant approached again, drying some glasses with a towel, and took one more look in her direction where she looked away quickly making him smirk. He stopped in front of her again, bracing her arms on the counter, making her swallow hard. He didn't know why she was so nervous, he was just a guy, no biggie.

- I like the shirt. - He pointed with a smile, which made her think he had a beautiful and endearing smile. She looked down and then looked at him smiling too.

- Thank you... Ramones is everything... - she said and drank the last sip of her drink placing the empty glass in front of her right after. - Can you serve one more?

- Sure...- he said, still smiling, took the bottle and filled his glass again. - Trying to distract yourself on a thursday night?

- Yeah... you could say yes... - she said taking another sip. - Have you worked here for a long time?

- In fact, it's been almost six months since I moved to the United States and I've been working here for four months. -he said putting the towel that was in his hand on his shoulder.

- Hm... You're from London?

- I am, wow how did you find out? - he asked raising an eyebrow playfully and she smiled.

- Yeah, your accent really doesn't give out anything ... - she said and he gave a low laugh making her have more goose bumps.

- You also have a different accent, have you lived here for a long time? - he didn't know who she was, which was good. But it also wasn't like she was recognized all the time, despite her face being on magazine covers, she was still a writer, so she was only recognized by those who liked to read or who vaguely remembered her face.

- I was born in Brazil actually, but I've lived here for years, lived in another city for almost five years and now I've decided to come to Los Angeles two months ago...

- I see ... - he said organizing some drinks that were on the counter. - Do you like it here?

- More or less... It's a busy city, isn't it?

- Yeah, it's not for anyone. - He said shrugging. - I like it, I like the rush, but the glamor part really isn't me. - the attendant said and she smiled.

- You're right... I mean, I don't like the glam too much either... - She looked away at her nails.

- What do you work with? - he asked and she looked at him again.

- I'm a writer...

- Nice! What do you write? - He asked curious looking at her with attention.

- I write horror and thriller books.

- Interesting... I would never read, actually I'm not much of a reader anyway, but I wouldn't, because I'm terrified of those things. - He said crossing his arms and she laughed.

- Oh, it's not that terrifying, it's just stories. - She said leaning her elbows on the counter.

- Still, I prefer to have my good night's sleep intact. - He said and she laughed making him smile looking at her.

When she was about to say something, a customer signaled for him and he excused himself going towards the man who was furthest away.

Y/n sighed. She still didn't have any new ideas about her story, but she was entertained by that conversation. She liked not being recognized, she liked him not being interested in her books, for a moment she felt oblivious to anything, liked feeling disconnected from her world.

He returned shortly after and they started talking again. They talked about bands, movies, superficial celebrities and even politics (an important topic in Y/n's vision, who was very firm with her ideas, thankfully he had passed the test). She found out that he was the same age as her and that he moved to the US to look for something that would give him money or a perspective on life, ended up getting that job and intended to stay until he found a different area. The hours passed and they kept finding subjects to give their opinion or questions to ask each other.

- Did you go to college? - she asked after a while.

- No, I don't think I'm smart enough for that, or have the patience. What about you?

- Everyone is smart enough. I started going to business school, but I dropped out when my books started to pay off...

- Wow, your books should give you a good amount of money to be able to drop out of college and dedicate yourself to them...

- Yeah... You could say that. - She shrugged.

- You know looking at you closer like that...- he said getting a little closer and she held her breath for a moment. - I've seen you somewhere...

- Really? - She said raising her eyebrow and drinking from a straw, now with a different drink.

- I don't know, you're not strange to me... - he said putting his hand on his face thoughtfully.

- Well, I hope it's from somewhere nice. - She smiled and he smiled back looking at her. - Do you have a girlfriend or are you married? - Y/n asked and regretted a little, what was she thinking? He wasn't married, as he didn't have a ring on his finger as she'd noticed. But what was her intention by asking that question? She didn't even know, she just knew it had escaped her.

- Neither darling. - He replied smiling a little mischievously and she felt butterflies with the way he called her by that nickname and with that accent. - How about you?

- Neither ... - She replied avoiding looking at him, those eyes hypnotized her and she didn't like to feel at his mercy of a guy she had just met. She took the cell phone disguising but paid attention to the time. - My God, it's already 2:00 in the morning! I completely missed the time.

- I think the company ended up distracting you. - He said still not taking his eyes off her and she felt her cheeks heat up.

- Yeah, the chat was really good... But I have to go... - she said getting up.

- If you wait I can take you home, I'm already leaving, the bar is already closing. - he said and Y/n looked around seeing that some waiters were already collecting some things from the tables.

She thought for a moment, take a ride home with him? It didn't make sense, she had just met him, but at the same time she had enjoyed talking to him so much. He didn't seem like a bad person, but even so you would never know for sure. At the same time she never took any chances, why not let that pretty boy take her home? Finally, she thought: you know what? Screw this.

-Erm, ok...- She shrugged. - I'll go to the cashier to pay and wait for you outside?

- No need to pay darling, it's on me. - He spoke winking and she smiled.

- Oh no, I'll pay no problem...

- Your company has paid off your debt, it's ok. - He replied and she took a deep breath rolling her eyes.

- If you insist...- she said giving up.

He came out from behind the counter and motioned for her to follow him, arriving at the front door where the security was.

- Tuwaine, you can let her pass, it's on me. - He told the big guy and he looked at the english man, sawing his eyes suspiciously and smiling right away. Making Y/n laugh inside.

- Meet you outside? It will only take a few minutes - the attendant said and she nodded, leaving in the cold night.

She leaned against the door with her thoughts. She had come here just to get inspiration and to have her creative back, but she was coming home with an english guy. She didn't even recognize herself anymore, but to say she wasn't anxious (in a good way) was a lie.

She was lost in her thought, until minutes later he came out wearing a denim jacket, which made him look even more handsome.

- Let's go? - He said and she followed him to an old car parked right in front of the bar.

He opened the door for her to get in and she thanked him by sitting in the passenger seat, pulling on her seat belt as he closed the door. He sat down next to her right away, also putting on his belt.

- Hey, before we go: I didn't ask for your name! If you're going to take me home at least I have to know that- she asked realizing that she didn't even know that yet and he looked towards her smiling.

- Tom Holland. - He said stretching his hand. - Nice to meet you.

- Y/n Y/l/n- she said, squeezing his hand. And you can't deny that she felt butterflies in her stomach as she felt her skin on hers.

- Your name is not strange to me, I must have read it in one of your books in some shop window. - He said starting and leaving with the car.

- Yeah, who knows ... - she said and he turned on the radio leaving the volume low.

They were exchanging a few words until she indicated that they had arrived at the building where she lived. Tom parked and looked up in a daze.

- Wow, you really have money... - he said and she took off her belt turning towards him.

- A little bit...- she replied crossing her arms. - Well, thank you so much for the ride...

- You're welcome darling. - He said turning his eyes to her. Again that nickname that sounded perfect on his lips.

She turned around, but when she was about to open the door, she turned back to Tom, who was leaning with one hand on the steering wheel and watching her with attention. The next words escaped her again and she was afraid she'd regret it.

- Tom, do you want to come in? - She spoke still holding the door and the boy smiled.

- Sure ... - he said taking the key from the ignition and she shook her head slightly leaving.

He followed her and they entered the building. Tom looked at everything admired which made Y/n smile a little to herself. They entered the elevator and she pressed the penthouse button causing him to raise an eyebrow.

- You really must be a great writer. - he said and she laughed.

He leaned his back against the elevator wall, putting his hands in his pocket and looking her up and down, making her shy. He kept looking at her and it was making her nervous.

They were silent until the elevator opened after a while and they got out. Y/n put a password on the door and it swung open with a small click, she took held the latch and motioned for Tom to enter.

After the two of them entered she closed the door again behind her and watched Tom standing further on, looking around.

- Nice apartment...- he finally said.

- Thank you... - She leaned against the table at the entrance. She didn't know what to do next, maybe it had been a bad idea to bring him here. Why was she so impulsive that night? -Tom, I don't know why I invite you in, sorry...-she said a little nervous looking at her feet. He turned towards her, approaching and stopping in front of her.

- Are you sure you don't know? - He asked and she raised her head, seeing those brown eyes. She bit her bottom lip watching him closely. Damn he knew how to hypnotize her. He took another step and placed a hand on either side of her on the table, cornering her - Your body says otherwise, love... - he said softly feeling her breath hitch slowly and approaching his face to hers, alternating the look of your eyes to her lips. Y/n found another nickname that was perfect when he say.

He finally closed the distance by pressing his lips to hers. His lips were soft and warm, as if they were meant to be kissed. She returned the kiss willingly and when she laced her fingers in his neck, he licked her lower lip slowly asking for passage in which she opened them letting his tongue explore her mouth.

His hands gripped her waist and roamed her body greedily. As he kissed her, he caught her from behind her legs and sat her down on the entrance table, biting her bottom lip shortly after, provoking a low moan from her. He smiled against her lips and trailed kisses to her neck, attacking her skin with desire, making her throw her head back a little.

She grabbed his hair and pulled him back so she could kiss him. Which he gladly reciprocate. His kiss was urgent, but without being rude, he tasted like mint, making her want him even more.

His fingers found the button of her pants and he undid them quickly pulling them out, tossing them aside. When he came back he took her calf and kissed her leg up to her thighs, making her sigh. He moved up the kisses until he caught the hem of her shirt and pulled it up a little, kissing her stomach as well. Y/n didn't know what to do but feel goose bumps with every touch he gave. He then hiked up her shirt and she lifted her arms where he pulled her off, tossing along with her pants that were also on the floor.

She was just wearing her underwear in front of him, it made her a little excited and embarrassed at the same time, but the way he looked at her made her feel confident. He went back to kissing her body, this time kissing each covered breast in turn and reaching for the back of her bra and opening it. She helped him out tosiing to the side and he stood between her legs just watching her for a second, making her feel her cheeks heat up.

- Perfect... - he said with a low voice, as it was for himself and bent down to her breasts kissing each one of her nipples and then sucking them deliciously. Y/n moaned and bit her lip to keep her moans from getting louder, tangling her fingers in his hair again. He looked into her eyes for a few seconds and smiled slightly lowering his kisses to where she wanted him most.

He reached the hem of her panties and pulled them out slowly, kneeling between her legs and she looked at him with expectation. He returned the look and gave that smirk again.

- Look at you darling.... - That damn nickname. - Extremely wet and I haven't even touched you yet... - he said approaching and devouring her right away making her throw her head back with pleasure, biting her lips again to not sound so pathetic with her moans that insisted in wanting get out. - Oh, please don't drown out those wonderful sounds you make, I want to hear how good I'm making you feel. - He said in a husky tone, returning to his task after and she parted her lips letting her moans spread through the apartment.

****************************************************************************************

Y/n woke up the other day in her bed. She didn't even know how she got there, she just had flashes of the night before and how good she felt in each moment. She stretched and looked to the side seeing she was alone. She got up and put on a robe who was on the side of the bed.

After going to the bathroom and doing her morning hygiene routine she walked around the apartment looking around to see if Tom was somewhere else in the house, but found nothing. Which was understandable, it wasn't like she expected him to stay there and have breakfast with her and all.

She arrived in the kitchen and made black coffee and lean against the countertop. What that simple waiter had done to her was ridiculous, in a good sense, she felt great and kept remembering that accent that was stuck in her mind. He had consumed her in a way she had never imagined it she could be.

Taking a deep breath she set down turning her notebook on. Then opened her book and started writing.

[lillupon]

AEV Chapter 21 Bonus: Canon-divergent AU

If you’ve been following me for a while, you may have seen me blabbing about Wonwoo getting pregnant in this fic! I actually debated for a long time on whether or not male omegas could conceive. If male omegas could not get pregnant, it could be another reason why they occupy the lowest rung in the societal hierarchy. Anyway, I scrapped that idea because there’s something very thrilling about Mingyu knocking Wonwoo up—in particular, while he is still Wonwoo’s student.

But then I thought: Maybe alphas are more virile and omegas are more fertile during their cycles. They didn’t use protection while Mingyu was in rut. So, despite Wonwoo being on the pill, he gets pregnant. He doesn’t find out that he’s pregnant until he and Mingyu have already broken up. He keeps the child. Names her Jeongyeon.

I imagine Mingyu and Wonwoo reconnecting in the same way they did in chapter 20. Wonwoo reluctantly cuts their first meeting short, but this time, not with the excuse of being hungry and having to do more work later:

Wonwoo slips off the table and stretches his arms over head. The vertebrae between his shoulder blades pop satisfyingly. “I’m sorry, Mingyu. I’d love to chat more, but I have to run.”

Mingyu also slides off the desk. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you this long.”

You can keep me for as long as you like. Wonwoo doesn’t voice the thought out loud, but it embarrasses him just to think it. Things have changed. Now, Wonwoo is just one face in a sea of thousands, just one person out of many who loves Mingyu. “Don’t be sorry. I really enjoyed catching up with you and hearing about what you’ve been up to.”

Mingyu smiles at him. “You don’t have to spare my feelings.”

Wonwoo laughs softly. “I’m serious! I would have liked to talk more, but I, ah—I need to go pick my daughter up from daycare.”

The smile freezes on Mingyu’s lips. His throat bobs as he swallows. It’s a beat before he recovers. “I’m sorry for keeping you from your family. I didn’t realise you had a kid and a mate now.”

Wonwoo shakes his head. “It’s just my daughter and me.”

“Oh,” Mingyu says. “Your mate…”

“Not in the picture anymore.”

“I’m sorry,” Mingyu says. Stiff. Awkward. Cautiously curious, he asks, “Did they uh… You know… Kick the bucket?”

Wonwoo’s laugh is genuine. Kicking balls rather than buckets, he wants to say. “No, they’re alive and well. We just went our separate ways.”

* 

Mingyu’s heart falls out the bottom of his stomach when Wonwoo says that he needs to go pick his daughter up from daycare. They had spent the last two hours chatting and laughing. Mingyu had found himself falling all over again. Charmed by this beautiful man with his beautiful smile. 

Of course someone else had been captivated too. He had steeled himself for this before he walked through the doors of Carat Elementary, that Wonwoo might belong to another person now. The mental preparation does nothing to ease his disappointment. 

His heart is saved from its death throes by the words It’s just my daughter and me. It valiantly climbs up to his chest again. It still hurts, but with a different sort of wound. Wonwoo had loved someone enough to have a child with them, but they had walked out.

How could anyone do that to Wonwoo?

Mingyu feels like a gormless and clingy puppy. He trails after Wonwoo as the omega goes to his desk to pack up his belongings. Falls into step beside Wonwoo as they exit through the school doors and head to the parking lot.

Mingyu waits until Wonwoo’s car has pulled out of the parking lot before leaving himself. 

Chaeyoung returns home for reading break. The Kim family all take a trip down to the hot springs for a week. Mingyu had been looking forward to spending time with his family for months, but now that he is actually here, all he wants to do is return to the city. See Wonwoo again. 

As soon as Mingyu is back in the city, he visits Wonwoo again. A lot of people won’t date single parents, but Wonwoo having a kid changes nothing for him. The years they spent apart have not diminished his feelings for Wonwoo. Mingyu still pines, still wants to provide—not just for Wonwoo, but Jeongyeon as well. He just has to figure out whether or not Wonwoo is interested in dating someone. More specifically: whether or not Wonwoo might be interested in dating him.

Meanwhile, Wonwoo is struggling to figure out how to break the news to Mingyu. He wonders if he should bring it up at all. It’s a huge secret—perhaps even more so than the clandestine affair between student and teacher. It’s a secret that can destroy the budding friendship that is starting to bloom between him and Mingyu. Mingyu will feel betrayed, lied to, Wonwoo knows. He doesn’t know if he can withstand losing Mingyu a second time.

It weighs on him, every time they meet. Almost to the point where he feels sick when he sees Mingyu smiling at him, sweet and tender. To make matters worse, Jeongyeon, normally a shy and quiet child, has imprinted on Mingyu like a duckling. It’s as if she knows Mingyu is her father. It hurts Wonwoo’s heart, to look at the two of them playing: Mingyu sitting hunched in a too-small plastic chair, daintily holding a tiny teacup between his forefinger and thumb; Jeongyeon pouring Mingyu tea, sharing with him plastic pastries. This could be his, for real, but he’s so scared. 

They’re both falling deeper and deeper for each other, and they both know it. But as quickly as they had crossed the line years ago, they’re more hesitant now. 

It comes to a breaking point when Mingyu invites him for a day out. An afternoon at the art gallery, where the current exhibition features one of Wonwoo’s favourite artists, followed by dinner at a restaurant along the waterfront. This is different from all the other times they’ve spent in each other’s presence. Wonwoo knows this because he had caught a whiff of the nervousness in Mingyu’s scent before it was swiftly buried, and because Mingyu had said, “I was thinking, it might be just you and me.”

So Wonwoo drops Jeongyeon off at Dahyun’s house that day. He showers and spends an hour rifling through his closet before deciding on a simple turtleneck and dark jeans. He works some product into his hair and spritzes on a bit of cologne. He feels embarrassed for trying so hard, until he opens the door to greet Mingyu and is instead made speechless. He is floored by how gorgeous Mingyu looks. A sweater with a deep v-neck, the colour of red wine. Tucked into thigh-hugging navy trousers that make his legs look a mile long.

Now Wonwoo fears he hasn’t tried hard enough. Except Mingyu quells that worry with an awed, “Wow. You look great.”

If Wonwoo had any doubts that their outing was a date, those thoughts are dispelled in the first two minutes: Mingyu opens the passenger door for him. Wonwoo ducks into the car, wanting to tease Mingyu about it, regain some sense of normalcy. Except the old-fashioned gesture has him giddy and tongue-tied like a young omega being taken out on their first date. 

Fast-forward to the tail-end of their date. By the waterfront. Night has fallen. They had had a late dinner in a floating restaurant. They exit the boat, arms brushing. They stroll up the dock, making their way to the main wharf. Beneath Wonwoo’s feet, the wooden planks sway as a gentle tide ebbs and flows. He had two glasses of red wine with his salmon. Not quite enough to get tipsy, but he finds himself listing towards Mingyu, as if he is drunk. He flounders over his own feet, bumps into Mingyu’s side.

Mingyu reaches out to steady him with a hand on his low back. “Careful,” he says. Keeps his hand there.

All this reciprocated flirting and touching. Wonwoo feels like he’s been turned inside-out, his most vulnerable feelings on bright neon display for Mingyu’s eyes.

Victorian street lamps line either side of the wharf, glowing a warm orange that penetrates through the dark. Mingyu steps up to the railing and leans his weight against it. Wonwoo joins him. Together, they gaze out at the dark waters.

“I’m mad,” Mingyu says, except he sounds anything but. His voice sounds like it has been pulled taut, turned rough and brittle.

Wonwoo turns to Mingyu. Mingyu’s profile is thrown in shadow, and yet it still makes Wonwoo ache. He’s so handsome. “What’s wrong? Why are you mad?”

Mingyu doesn’t respond. 

“Mingyu?” Wonwoo tries again.

Quietly, Mingyu says, “If it had been me, I never would have left you and Jeongyeon.”

Ahh, I’m really captivated by this AU of AEV, but I feel like it would need another 30k-40k words to do it justice. I literally came up with this entire scenario so I could have Mingyu say that cheesy-ass line, hah!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE CONTINUATION BY AN ANON 

[arctimon]

By the Grace of Granville

(Warning: This post is long.  But what else is new when it comes to character analyses?)

One of the bigger mysteries that gets introduced into Big Hero 6: The Series made their introduction in the very first episode, got a little bit of expansion into their background, and then didn’t really see much daylight for the rest of the series sand her becoming an even-numbered wheel. No, I’m not talking about Obake.

I’m talking about Professor Granville, the newly-installed dean of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology.

People, including myself, play Granville up as some sort of Nick Fury-esque figure.  She’s always in the know, gives advice to the team, and seems to have a general understanding of everything at once.

This is further helped by the fact that we don’t know a lot about what she has been up to since she resigned after Obake’s accident. It’s hindered by the fact that there may be some misinformation going on at the Big Hero 6 Wiki.

Here’s the introductory blurb for Professor Granville on her page:

Grace Granville has been a professor at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology for at least 20 years, having taught Wendy Wower and Trevor Trengrove among other modern day geniuses.

She used to teach robotics and had her own star student, Bob Aken, but once he began an experiment to build an energy amplifier, it went awry as the amplifier exploded on his face, the result of which sent him to the hospital.

Though Bob survived, Granville felt extreme guilt from the incident and resigned. However, she kept the remains of the amplifier, possibly unaware that it still worked, as a reminder to not repeat the same mistakes.

She would return decades later to teach thermodynamics when Robert Callaghan, the dean of the institute at the time, was thought to have died, then resurfaced as the villain Yokai and was arrested for putting San Fransokyo in danger. Professor Granville became the college's new dean as she settled into her new role quite well. Now, after rewatching “Mini-Max”, I call into question the very first part that she’s been a professor there for at least 20 years.  As far as I am aware of, that has never been said or confirmed in the show.  She said herself (and the yearbook and Callaghan confirm this) that she worked there 20 years ago.  That’s not the same thing.  Working there for 20 years is not the same thing as being there 20 years ago.  So is that a discrepancy or am I the one who doesn’t remember things correctly?

And let’s go to what Callaghan said about the incident when Hiro went to visit him in prison in “Mini-Max”:

Robert: “She was in the lab after hours.  Something went wrong.  There was...an incident.”

Hiro:  “What kind of incident?” Robert: ”Officially, a pipe burst.  But there were rumors.  An unsanctioned project gone wrong.” Hiro:  ”So she was fired?”

Robert: “She resigned.  The matter was not pursued further.  That’s all I know.” OK, first of all...was Callaghan not the dean twenty years ago?  And even if he wasn’t...

Does anyone think that was caused by a simple burst pipe?  What was in said pipe?  Lava?  TNT?  Mentos and Coke?

That leads to the second possibility: Callaghan was Dean at the time, knew about it, and “pushed” Granville to resign to avoid a messy lawsuit.

But we’re getting away from the original point, which is...what exactly has Granville been doing this entire time? I find it hard to believe that Granville was still at the school when Tadashi, Go Go, Honey Lemon, and Wasabi were there.  You’d think that one of them would have said something about it, and all through the conversations in “Mini-Max” gave no indication of that as well.

So she’s been gone for twenty years (presumably).  Which begs the next question... Why did she have to become the dean? Endangering a student’s life is a very serious thing.  Something like that can’t be just forgiven.  So, why did it have to be her? It’s not like there’s not other candidates:

(From left to right: Monica Rambeau [one of the Physics professors], Grace Granville, Robert Callaghan, Linda Carter, and Timothy Dugan.  Note that these are merely names I’ve given them based off of who I think they are and not canon names.  However, for the sake of simplicity, I will refer to them as such from here on out.) Monica might have been a good replacement.  Linda’s just the nurse, so unlikely.  Dugan’s the Dean of Athletics, so probably not.  The dean doesn’t have to be the robotics professor, right?  Granville teaches Thermodynamics. And then you have Professor Kameela from the comics, who appears to be another Physics professor:

So why her?

Granville’s been out of the game, as far as we know, for a long time.  Did the board at SFIT really have no other options other than Granville?  Why give the top job to someone who hasn’t even stepped foot in SFIT for decades?

And the worst part is that I don’t really have a good answer for that.  The show delves into Granville’s history with Obake a lot and not enough into her actual history with SFIT, so that part is pretty much an unsolved mystery.

And if the info on the Wiki is true, then that means...what?  Granville was teaching for 20 years, and then took a 20 year break.  Wouldn’t that put Granville in her 60s, at minimum? (She looks pretty good for possibly being in her 60s.  Maybe she got some Infinity Formula from her possible Marvel counterpart.)

I think it’s much more possible that she’s in her early 50s.  That gives her enough time to be a professor, have an actual working history, and then have to leave with Obake’s accident. So my personal timeline for her career would be something like this.  For the sake of being simple, let’s assume that Granville is an even 50, and also that Big Hero 6 the movie takes place in the year 2031 (as per movie screenshots):

1981 - Grace Gretchen Granville is born 2002 - Graduates college (perhaps at SFIT; haven’t thought that far ahead) Sometime between 2002 and 2004 - Granville begins her work at [Redacted] 2005 - Granville become a TA in the Thermodynamics department (as per Highway to Hell Chapter 2, “In The Details”) 2006 to 2007 - Given government assignment to [SORT OF Redacted] 2007 - Returns to SFIT 2007 to 2011 - Becomes thermodynamics professor at SFIT; continues periodic work at [Redacted] 2011 - Obake’s accident; Granville resigns from SFIT 2011 to 2013 - Takes a position with [SUPER Redacted] in Symkaria 2013 - Returns stateside and [Redacted] 2013 to 2031 - Various jobs and positions, including start-up at Fathom Blue Incorporated and a instructor at the San Fransokyo Police Academy with Sara Pezzini 2031 (Current Time) - Granville becomes Dean at SFIT (Keep in mind that this is a sliding timeline which is subject to change.  Probably.) Man, that’s a lot of redacted information.  It’s almost like she worked for a secret government organization and did a lot of things that aren’t on the public record or something.

I am going to delve into Granville’s history in future stories, and that will include something that I’ve done a fanart on. Mainly this:

The Wakanda story is going to happen at some point, and it’s going to involve one of the redacted items above (from 2002 - 2003).  What exactly she was doing there is going to stay secret for a little bit. Speaking of which, I had done research on a few pieces of Wakandan technology.  Guess which one I found of particular interest.

The Kimoyo Beads.  A bracelet given to every single Wakandan citizen that stores all of their medical information and serves as an everyday tool for them. It also notes that it doesn’t work outside of Wakanda because of its reliance on tapping into Vibranium as a power source.

Now, what would happen if a very realistic version of Vibranium were to find its way out of the country and into Granville’s orbit?

I wonder if her bracelet would start working again. Mysteries abound when it comes to Grace Granville.  If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll solve a few of them before too long.