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dilfscvm · 2 years ago

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Fitzgerald Grant x Female! Reader

Hi! This is my own work, I wrote it and I much don't like to have it posted in other social media flatforms without my permission.

WARNINGS : This contains smut, if you don't like such content please skip it and don't read it. Vulgar words has been used also. Do excuse my grammatical errors and typos, correct me nicely or else I'll block block you. English is not my first language:)) Enjoy reading!<33

Special thanks to the owner of this gif<3

“I told you to stay away from him!” Fitz yells at you, he's in the pit of rage and you know you just crossed the line.

Making him jealous because you wanted to make him pay at what he did to you a week ago. He thought you got over it, but looks like his naughty wife has a better plan. And that is to make him angry. What's on his mind right now?

I'll get you bend over this dining table, fuck you and breed you.

That's what his brain tells him to do. You're his property, you're his and he doesn't like to share. And you absolutely knew it. That's why you make everything on planned.

"I'm sorry, but you really need to stop working." Fitz firmly stated, you're shocked at his sudden statement.

"W-what?" you scoffed.

"I said... I want you to stop working." he repeats as he slowly strode over you, like a lion ready to attack its prey. His eyes tells he craves. You stumped in front of him, face to face, nose almost touched. Eyes raged.

"I. Won't. Stop. Working." you said what is to be said, "I love my work, Fitz, I love working as a professor and you know how much I love my work and you can't just barge here in my office to tell me to resign and stay with you at the white house and fulfill my duty as a first lady. How did you get in here anyways?"

"You don't need to know how I get here, what you need to do is to get all your things and sign these resignation papers and let's go at the white House." his frown deepen, but you can see his eyes averting from your eyes to your lips, his breathing getting heavy as you argue with him.

"I won't resign just because you're jealous of my colleague who haven't done anything but to do his job." you continued. He scoff, he backs away a little shaking his head.

"Believe me, you will." and that's the last thing he said before he walks out your office. You stared at the door where he just walked out of, jaw drop, can't believe that your husband can do such things.

Well he's the president of the United States after all.

You're at his birthday party, talking with some guests. Not paying attention at your husband who's been such a attention seeker for you.

Since he made you sign those resignation letter you give him silent treatment that he deserves. He can't just manipulate you just because he's jealous.

“Dance with me?” you heard a voice from your back making you turn around. It's your colleague, the man Fitz don't ever want to see.

“Well why not.” you giggle and took his hand that been waiting for you to take.

You wanted him here. His name is Race, and he's a colleague, a married man but it's a private marriage. Fitz were a fool, he doesn't even let you explain it, and now, you will take advantage of it.

Race lead you to the dance floor where there's already some people who's dancing, including your husband who's with a old lady which you can recognise as the 40th president's wife.

Well watch me turn the tables around, darling.

“So, I bet he still doesn't know.” he smiled at you which you returned with a naughty smirk.

“This is a lesson, he has been fooling himself. You know that I would never cheat on him, I love him too much to break his heart.” you factly stated. He sighs as he slowly sway you, syncing with the music.

“I know that you cheeky minx.” he whisper that makes you both laugh together.

Both of you continued to dance and talk about random things up until Fitz finally notice, well actually you've seen him, he got his eyes on you. Watching you dance with the man he despise right now, and all he wanted to do were to yank you off him and take you right in front of everybody, specially him. You're playing with fire.

“Ma'am if you'll excuse me.” he politely smiles at the woman who nods with a smile. As soon as he turns around, his face contorts into a deep frown, raging eyes glued at you.

He walks with power, greeting every person he walk pass with a smile then immediately turns back into a frown as soon as he looks at you.

“I think that would be great, I like it and I know-”

“Mind if I steal my wife for a while?” firm, and low husky voice. Fitz says as he folds his arms across his chest. His face shows it all. Anger, rage, jealousy... Lust.

Well you were about to say that you like race's idea to surprise his wife for her birthday.

“Why sure, Mr. President.” race politely agrees as he smiled at the man, not paying attention to fitz's face, looking like he's ready to punch him.

Fitz did not waste anymore time as he possessively pull you away from him by your waist. He then pressed his lips on yours, taking you by surprise. Race sealed his lips containing his evil grin. Success.

You on the other hand, didn't give what Fitz wants. You did not kiss him back making him pull inches away from your lips.

“You like him don't you?” Fitz slowly said. You stared at him, slowly, a smile formed in your lips, mocking him. You know it makes him more hungry for you, and you like every bit of it.

Knowing your husband, he loves you so much, he's a very territorial, possessive, and obsessive at you. Well because you're his wife, and he needs you to know it.

“I love you.” you smiled at him. He'll say it back. No matter how he's mad at you. You know he will.

“I...love you too.” he whisper, as he look down on your lips, almost looks ashamed. I know you too well.

“Dining room.” you whisper at him before pulling away to walk out of the room.

“What?” he asks confusedly. His brows knitted, his signature look. You smiled evily, seductively bit your lower lip as you said;

“I know you like it anywhere, baby.”

Fitz is a kinky man, you must declare.

A knowing smirk were now plastered on his face making you giggle.

“Meet you there, baby!” you turned around and walk off.

Did he waste more time? Of course he didn't. He quickly walk off the room full of guest and walk towards dining room, where you waited there. Wearing nothing but a pair of black lingerie and a black stocking.

“Y/N-” his breath caught above his lungs as the view in front of him completely astonished him. “What's all of these?” he asks, as his eyes continue to hungrily Starr at your body up and down.

You hop ontop of the table and crossed your legs. He slowly walk towards you.

“A lesson.” you simply said when he's already standing right in front of you and tries to open your legs.

“A lesson for what?” he looks confused. You smirk and parted your legs, you hooked him with your legs on his hips and forcely pull him using it.

You put a finger on his lips and it just parted for you, “You know what you've done, Fitz, and now I'll teach you.. A.. Lesson.” you lean closer to him, he thought you will kiss him, so he lean forward to reach your lips but you pull back. “Ah, ah, darling... You need to be taught and punished—”

“Screw you.” that's all he got to say before he slam his lips on you, you tried to pull away but you're too intoxicated at his taste and scent. He kissed you hungrily, both hands on either side of your cheeks. Both with heavy breathings, both were panting, and moaning in each others mouths, as their tounge collide, exploring the insides of it adding more heat down your womanhood.

Fitz grab ahold of your stockings and rip it apart making you gasp into his mouth. But keep on kissing him still anyways. He pushed your legs more apart and start to kiss your neck. His hands were now roaming you body, specially down your area.

“F-fuck, Fitz.” you moaned as his kiss went down your cleavage, to your stomach up until he reached where you wanted him to be. He place a kiss on your lingerie, as his eyes stilled on yours.

“You can't punish me. I will punish you... For being such a brat, for ignoring me, for teasing me, you think you'll get away with it? Think again...” he snarled. You scoff at him. He just smirked. That devil smirk he always does when you both on bed. It turns you on.

“Fuck you.” you smile and press your lips on his kissing him ever so roughly as your hand went to his belt and undo it. He slapped your hand away and grab a hold of your ass and yank you off the table and put you on your feet as he turn you around, panting as he retrieve his breath, as well as you. He continue to kiss on your neck as he unbuckle his belt and push his pants down.

“Fuck you, you mean.” he chuckles, he ripped your panties and thrown it on the floor leaving you gasping. There's nothing can make you more turned on than you are now.

He latched his lips again on your neck as you grab ahold of his head pushing him more to it, moaning as you did. Fitz let his mouth open while he teased your hole with the tip of his enormous cock. Confusedly you is when he put his hand tightly on your mouth, but it didn't take long when he rams his cock inside of you with a guttural groan, trying to contain his own sounds.

You swear if he hadn't covered your mouth, you would scream. You never got used to his cock, up until now.

“I will never get tired fucking this sweet, tight pussy of yours, Y/N.” he whisper erotically in your ear, while you left there moaning in his palm, grinding your hips with his as he thrust slow but you can feel the roughness.

“Now tell me, my sweet, does teasing me satisfy you?” he asks as he slowly fastening his thrust, breathing were getting more heavier. You shook your head. “Liar.” he grunts, he let's go of your lips and push you down the table, making you lay your front to it as he grab onto your hips and continue his bruising pace. He pause a little when you began to moan, as much as he wanted to hear it, you must minimise your moans so no guest will get traumatised, “Please do be quiet for me, sweetheart, there's people outside. I don't want them knowing I'm screwing my bratty wife while I have party to be at. Wouldn't want to look disrespectful yeah?” he whispers at your ears. You only nodded, panting. “Good.” he smirk before he bit your ear gently. He then suddenly pushed in roughly making you squeal and him shushing you.

Fitz won't let you dominate him, we'll at least not now. He doesn't have much time for you to tease and edge him. But he will let you do that later, when no one's in the house.

He spread your ass to watch his harden cock penetrate your wet cunt, he couldn't help but whimper looking at the beautiful view. He sure is won't ever get enough of you.

No one can ever make his cock this alive, only you, his wife. You always turn him on even in small things you do. Like the way you walk, you talk, your smell, he gets turned on easily, if it's you who'll make him.

“Fuck, Fitz, I'm close.” you quietly moan, Fitz was too lost in pleasure. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pull you against his chest as he thrust up to help you cum for him. He's nearing, as much as he doesn't want this to end, he has visitors to entertain.

“Darling, I'm gonna cum.” he whisper against your skin. His eyes closed, mouth open, eyebrows were knitted, pleasure takes over him. “I know you want to cum too. Cum hof me.” he place a kiss on your neck.

“Fitz..” you moan, almost out of breath. His hand went to your breast and squeeze it tightly as he left his other arm wrapped around your waist. “Ah! Fuck!” your walls clamped around his cock that enough to edge him, and leave him moaning as you cum.

“Oh God, you feel so good.” he groans through gritted teeth. He continues to thrust in you as he breed you, filling you with his cum—wait he breeds you?!

“Fitz!” you yell at him. He frowned at you.

“W-what?” he says panting.

“You finished in me!”

Not to be rude but you both talked about having another baby and he said it's not the right time yet to have another one, and you agreed with it.

“So?” he asks confusedly. He's still inside of you, still thrusting very slowly as he just reached his climax. “You're my wife, I have the rights to do so.” he said, he slowly pulls away making you bite your lip. You turn around to face him.

“Yeah, but I thought you don't want another baby yet?” you ask, he sighs and pull you closer to him as he wrap his arms around your hips.

“Jerry's not a baby anymore, he's four—well he'll still remain our baby but I miss having a small human in my arms,” he chuckles. He place a hand on your cheek, a finger in your lips and continues; “I want to have another baby, I know that you also want another but I choosed to deny you. I'm sorry.” he whisper, your eyes were glistening as he rub your cheeks.

“Thank you, and I love you.” you smiled at him, which he returns.

“I love you too.” he says back with a chuckle. You giggle and tiptoed his lips. Kissing him deeply and passionately.

It didn't last long when he lift you up again and sat you on the table before he push you on your back. He pulls away with a smirk dancing on his lips.

“Fitz!” you giggle when he pulls a chair and sat on it before he pulls you by your tighs to the edge of the table. He smirk at you making you part your lips.

“What? I'm hungry.” he teasingly said before burying his head between your tighs leaving you breathless as you throw your head at the back, moaning as you did.

#fitzgerald grant #scandal #olivia pope #imagines #oneshot #y/n #wattpad #romance #tony goldwyn #actors #readersgonnaread

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heizlut · 1 year ago

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Me & The Devil

alternative (dual yandere) version here

cw: non-con, dub-con, heavy manipulation, gaslighting, somnophilia, dacryphilia, yandere, DARK CONTENT

this fic is no joke when it comes to darker content, extreme trigger warning. read at your own risk

tags: yandere!dottore, fem!reader, mostly proofread but there still may be some minor errors here and there

word count: 4.5k this is the longest one i’ve written so far.

check out my masterlist here!

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Finally you have a chance to break free. The sound of your bare feet slap against the cold floor as you try to run for an exit. Your breathing is heavy, teary eyes full of hope thinking that today is the day you can finally escape him. Right before you can reach the exit, a large hand grips your arm tightly, causing you to stumble and fall to your hands and knees. You’re flipped over onto your back with him looming over you with a smirk on his face, “Going somewhere, my love?”. Dottore. How did this even start? When did it even start?

—

You were just a curious akademiya student. Many said you were too curious for your own good but you always brushed them off. You couldn’t help that you were so curious about the things that were forbidden to be researched. The more someone tells you not to do something, the more you want to just say ‘fuck it’ and do it anyways. It didn’t help when you found some curious files and notes left behind from a student named Zandik. After asking around and getting strange looks from others, you were about to give up on this Zandik guy. You bumped into something hard causing you to drop the notes and files you had found and you land hard on your ass. When you looked up, you saw a tall man with blue hair wearing a mask that hid his features.

He didn’t think anything of you at first until he saw what had scattered on the ground. With a smirk, he held out his hand to you, “I apologize. I must not have been paying attention to where I was going.” You grabbed his hand, trying not to wince at the pain from having landed so hard, “I should be the one to apologize. I’m the one who ran into you.” The man laughed it off and bent down to help you gather your papers which caused you to push him away.

Your reaction made him raise an eyebrow under his mask, “What? Do you have something to hide, little one?” You felt your face heat up at the accusation and the nickname. It felt like he could see right through you, “N-no.. It’s just-“ You sighed as you gathered your thoughts. “If you’d like, we could go somewhere else if you’d like to tell me about it?”, he offered with a smile that you couldn’t quite decipher. You nodded and gave a small smile in return, “It would be nice to have someone to share this with. Thank you.”

The man you learned was named Dottore. He listened to everything you explained with just a sly smirk on his face. The mask he wore made it hard for you to decipher his true feelings, but the fact that he had sat there and listened with some sort of intrigue to what you were saying made you feel like you were finally understood. He made no move to berate you for what you chose to have an interest in.

Little did you know that the files and notes you had found were all from him and his previous research from before he was expelled from the akademiya and changed his name. He was more than happy to entertain your curiosity. It shocked you when he offered his hand to you for the second time that day and asked if you would like to pursue your curiosities further with him as your mentor. You stared at him in surprise, then you took his hand. That’s where it all began.

—

At first, Dottore kept some distance from you. You didn’t mind as you were so caught up in finally being able to pursue your true interests. Little by little he began to cut you off from the rest of the world without you paying it any mind. It started with him offering for you to stay one night since it had gotten late. He said he worried about you going home alone in the dark. You naively accepted and soon it became a habit to stay with him after long days of researching and experimenting together. Dottore was good at hiding his true intentions and the dark things he was doing without your knowledge. You had no idea the other types of experiments he conducted. He was so careful to show you only what he wanted you to see.

Next he made an offhand comment about you just dropping out of the akademiya and studying under him full time. He had only said it when you came to his place after yet another tough day at the akademiya. You were going on and on about how you wish you could fully pursue your true interests without interference. After he made the comment about you just dropping out, you gawked at him for a few moments to which he smiled, “It’s all up to you. But just know… You’ll never reach your true potential if you’re trapped under the akademiya’s thumb.” You mulled over his words.

What he said was true. You just wanted your freedom. To do as you pleased without anyone getting in the way or giving you dirty looks or rejecting your proposals time and time again. “I can give you everything you need. All you need to do is say the word.”, is what he said as he watched the gears turn in your head. You looked up at him, letting out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding, “I’ll drop out. Just promise me that you’ll help me pursue what I want.”

The smile on his face grew. If you hadn’t been so naive to his real intentions, you would have noticed that his smile held insanity and obsession. He wanted you all to himself and he was finally getting closer to what he wanted.

—

Days turned to weeks, which turned to months. Dottore was everything to you whether you had realized it or not. You had fallen right into his trap. You had become dependent on him, cut off from the world around you. When was the last time you saw the sun or felt it warm your skin? You didn’t really seem to care. You had gotten incredibly far with your research all thanks to Dottore’s help. He gave you everything you needed. Everything you wanted. No questions asked. He never even asked for anything in return.

Now that began to bother you. You felt like you had to repay him in some way but whenever you brought it up, he would brush it off with a laugh and smile saying that seeing you happy with what you were accomplishing together was more than enough. You always failed to notice the way his gaze on you would change when your back was turned to him. The way it travelled down your body, taking in every inch of you, committing it to memory… It was dark and hungry…

You had reached up to grab a new test tube from a shelf you couldn’t quite reach when you suddenly felt hands touch your waist. A hard chest pressed against your back. Hot breath on your neck… “Let me get that for you.” You blush at the closeness. Dottore had never touched you like this. You didn’t see him as anything other than a mentor and a friend. He never made it known that he had felt anything different for you.

You didn’t know whether you liked his touch or closeness or if you wanted to push him away. You were frozen. Conflicted. You snap out of your thoughts when he let out a breathy laugh, the test tube held in front of your face, “Aren’t you going to take it?” You swallow hard and take the test tube from his hands, muttering your thanks.

His hands linger, moving down your body. You swear you could feel something hard poking your ass but you shake your head to push the thoughts away. There’s no way he thought of you like that. No way you thought of him like that. Sure he was handsome in his own strange way but you never really saw him this way. You turn around to move from his grasp only to be pushed further into the shelf, the spare glassware rattled from the impact.

Dottore’s sly smile. The dark look in his eyes. It made you shiver. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours, huh? Anything you want to share?”, he was taunting you. You just knew he was. You gently push him away to create distance and he lets you, letting out a small laugh, “You don’t have to tell me. Your face says it all.” Your eyes widen at his words and you quickly make your way back to your experiment table.

—

Nothing else happened for awhile after that. It bothered you. Did he really see you as something more than just someone he was mentoring? You feel yourself grow slick with arousal as you lay in your bed. You kept replaying the way he looked at you, the way he touched you… You let out an annoyed groan as you rub your thighs together to quell the aching need you were feeling. You couldn’t be thinking of him this way. You didn’t even know what your feelings were towards him, let alone his feelings towards you. You let yourself fall asleep, frustrated, sexually and emotionally.

He stood there over your sleeping form. His cock stirring to life and he rubbed himself through his pants at how innocent and soft you looked as you slept. You turned onto your back in your sleep, muttering his name. His eyes squeezed shut as he palmed himself with even more pressure. You had said his name in your sleep.

You must be dreaming about him. Dottore lets out a soft groan of satisfaction. His sweet little student was thinking of him even in their sleep. He pulled his aching cock from his pants, pumping his length over your sleeping form.

Suddenly you let out a soft, breathy moan of his name, causing him to release all over your face with a choked groan of his own. He smirked as he kneeled down next to you, tucking himself back into his pants, and admiring how much prettier you looked with his cum splattered across your sweet face. He takes his finger, running it through his release. Once he gathered some on his finger he gently pressed it into your slightly parted mouth.

He hoped that you would wake up with the taste of his essence still on your tongue. Dottore removed his shirt and used it to gently wipe the remaining cum off your face. He pressed a kiss to your forehead and whispered, “Sweet dreams, little one.”

—

You woke up the next day with a strange taste in your mouth. You swallow a few times to get rid of the foreign taste which doesn’t help. You sigh, pushing yourself up to sit on your bed, your knees pressed tightly to your chest. Flashes of the dream you had the night before flutter through your mind. Images of Dottore touching you even more than he did that day in the lab against the shelves. Images of him kissing your neck and down your body…

The dream felt so real, you swear you could almost feel the lingering touch of his soft lips and calloused hands on your body. You faintly remember when the dream changed to him entering your room, jerking his cock over your body as he came on your face. The strange taste in your mouth comes to mind but you brush it off. It was all just a dream… right?

You let the water from the shower run down your body as you feel yourself starting to overthink everything that had to do with Dottore. He was just your mentor. You had to keep it that way or you may risk him finally kicking you out and leaving you on your own. The thoughts made you realize just how much he consumed your life little by little. You were in too deep to let it all fall apart just because you were confused by your feelings. You needed him.

—

A few days had gone by. Things seemed to have gone back to how they always used to be between you and Dottore. You felt like maybe you were just crazy for thinking he saw you as something more than just his student. Little did you know that Dottore was planning even more deep in his twisted mind. His careful image and manipulation guided you exactly where he wanted you. Dependent. Needing him. For everything. He wanted your thoughts to be on him. Only him.

As time went on, you noticed the little lingering touches he gave you. The way he would press himself against you. How close he would get, just inches from your face with that sly smile on his own mostly hidden face. It was driving you insane. You were so confused. Did you want him as more than a mentor to your forbidden research? No. You couldn’t. You didn’t want to.

You sat across from Dottore, pushing the food around your plate with your chopsticks, caught up in your own thoughts. He studied you curiously, wanting to pry into your mind, “Is everything alright? You know you can tell me anything. I’ll listen.” You snap out of your thoughts, looking up at him with a dazed expression, “What are we doing…” He tilts his head slightly at your words, “What do you mean by that? We are research partners. I am your mentor. Does that not satisfy you?” Your face heats up, “N-no.. I-I mean it does satisfy me. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. You didn’t have to do all this-“

Before you could continue rambling he cuts you off, his palms pressed against the table as he leans over it. So close to you now… “Always so humble and sweet…” Dottore tucks a strand of your hair behind your hair and leans even closer, “Too bad I’m not satisfied.”

His words chill you to the bone. You’re frozen in place as he smirks, “Be mine. I can give you even more than what I give you now. After all… it’s only fair.. You owe me so much…” You push him away, quickly standing from your seat, “No.” He looks up at you, a dangerous glint in his eyes as a distorted smile creeps onto his face. He stands up, walking closer to you. Your heart is pounding, threatening to break free from the confines of your chest. “No?”, He laughs, but there is no humour in it. “You think you can tell me no?”

Dottore moves to caress your cheek, but you grip onto his wrist before he can. He huffs out a laugh, a crazed look in his eyes. He grabs both your wrists in one hand, pinning you to the wall, “You think you can stop me? You think I don’t know about the way you think about me? The sweet little dreams you have of me…” Your face pales. How did he know about the dreams…?

He now caresses your cheek with his free hand as if you were truly his lover all this time, “You’re easy to read, little one…” You try to squirm from his grasp only to make his smile grow wider, “You’re not going to leave me. Not now…” He leans in close to your ear and whispers, “Not ever.” He nips at your earlobe, pulling a gasp from your throat. You don’t want this. Maybe you do… Maybe he deserves it after all he’s done for you… No. No. Stop thinking like this. Suddenly you feel dizzy. Was it the way he had you pinned against the wall? How close he was? No. He had drugged your portion of the food. He smirks as your vision begins to fade to nothingness. “Mine.”

—

Your eyes slowly blink open. You move to stretch, only to find that your wrists have been cuffed to a metal bedpost. You look down and sigh in relief to see that you still had the clothes on that you had the night before. That was last night… right? Your heart jumps in your chest when Dottore appears in the room with a tray of food. “What’s going on? Please let me go, I promise I’ll do whatever you want”, you plead desperately. He just smiles and sets the tray down on the nightstand by the bed before sitting down on the bed. He reaches out and tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear, “I’m afraid I can’t do that, little one.”

A tear slips down your cheek as you turn from his gaze. He clicks his tongue as he gently wiped the tear away, “Now, now. There’s no need for tears. Haven’t I treated you so well? What is there to cry about?” His saccharine voice made your heart ache. You turn to face him again, looking at him with glassy eyes and bottom lip trembling. Dottore tilts his head as he studies your expression.

He admits to himself that the sight stirs something within him and the feeling was not sympathy. He reaches for the bowl of warm soup on the tray and scoops a small bit into the spoon and holds it to your lips, “Be careful now. It’s still a bit hot.” You look from the soup spoon to his eyes, then back down. You give in and part your lips slightly. Your obedience bringing a smile to his face as he feeds you the first spoonful, “Such a good girl.”

You sputter from the heat, the soup dribbles down your chin causing Dottore to click his tongue again in annoyance as he slams the bowl back down onto the tray, “What a waste.” His voice is sharp and it feels as though it cuts right through you. Before you can apologize and beg for another chance, he begins tearing open your shirt; buttons flying across the room. He cups one on your breasts as he looks into your frightened eyes, then he squeezes.

You can’t help but bite down on your bottom lip as a sick sense of pleasure washes over you. Dottore chuckles softly at your change in demeanor and begins pinching your pebbled nipple between his fingers, “See? You like it…” You shake your head in defiance but he quickly grabs your throat with his other hand, “Don’t try to deny it.” The hand toying with your breasts travels down to your thigh and one finger presses against your soaked panties.

Dottore smirks at you as he moves your panties to the side and presses down on your clit with his thumb, drawing a small whimper from you, “Your little cunt is so soaked, it’s just begging for me to claim it.” You can’t help the tears that slip down your cheeks. You feel so ashamed for enjoying his touch when you felt that you shouldn’t be. You feel like you’ve been used this whole time. Was his true goal to mentor you or did he just want your body…to make you his?

Dottore leans in and licks the tears from your cheek as he slips a finger into your wet cunt. A shiver racks your body from both actions, letting out a quiet moan. He begins pumping his finger in and out in a slow, torturous way as he watches your face twist in both pleasure and disgust. His voice is low and sultry as his hot breath tickles your face, “You’ve thought about me doing this to you before, haven’t you? What a sweet little student you are… Here I was trying to be your mentor and you were thinking filthy thoughts about me…” Dottore lets out a devious chuckle when he feels your walls clamp down on his finger.

“For someone who doesn’t want this, you seem to be enjoying yourself so far”, he teases. He adds a second finger and begins to pick up his pace; his thumb rubbing circles on your clit. You try to hold back your moans but fail. It feels too good even though you’re trying so hard to hate it all. Dottore lets go of your throat and graos your chin, tilting your head slightly to the side. He licks a line up your neck then begins nibbling and sucking at your sensitive pulse point. He’s determined to leave his mark on your body to show you that you now belong to him and him alone.

The way his fingers pump in and out of you, his harsh kisses to your neck, and his thumb pressing and circling your clit bring you closer to orgasm, “G-gonna cum”, you mumble out as you moan. Dottore immediately stops what he’s doing, pulling his fingers away from your core and his lips away from your neck. More tears fall as you groan in dissatisfaction of having your orgasm completely ruined. He simply laughs and presses a kiss to your cheek, “Oh I apologize~ Did I ruin your climax?” His voice was dripping with sarcasm. He was immensely satisfied by your reactions and the tears you continue to spill.

Dottore begins unbuttoning his own shirt as he stares down at you, “You cum when I say you can cum. Besides… You’re only allowed to cum on my cock.” His words alone make your eyes roll back and your walls clamp down around nothing. He discards his shirt and tugs his pants down just enough to free his long, girthy cock. He gives it a few pumps as you watch, completely mesmerized yet terrified at the same time. There was no way you could take his cock in your pussy.

Dottore smirks at your expression and leans down, positioning his cock to your entrance, “Don’t worry, my love~ I’ll make it fit.” You try to move away from him, but your handcuffed wrists and your position on the bed make it impossible. He leans forward, rubbing his aching cock against your soaked cunt, letting your arousal coat his length. You let out a small whine when the head of his dick catches against your clit, your hips move upwards on its own accord. Dottore raises an eyebrow under his mask as his lips curve up, “Oh? Looks like someone wants more.” He brings his lips to your ear and whispers, “Beg for it. Tell me you want my cock inside this pretty little pussy of yours.”

You feel your heart flutter, unsure if it’s from fear of what he’s asking you to do or if you truly wanted this. You shake your head slightly which angers him yet again. Dottore grips your jaw tightly, his lips inches from yours, “Say it.” You let out a broken cry and his grip tightens further, “P-please.. Put i-it in…” His demeanor shifts back to satisfaction, “Put what in~?” You let out a shaky breath, “Y-your c-cock.. Put your c-cock in my pussy, p-please.”

He releases your jaw and presses a kiss to your forehead, “There you go. That wasn’t so hard now was it~?” You sniffle and shake your head. Dottore caresses your cheek gently, “This might hurt.” Without another word, he pushes his thick length inside your tight walls. Your cry morphs into a moan when he hits that spongy spot inside you in just the right way. Tears spill down your cheeks yet again, the pain and pleasure of having him inside you was incredibly intense. Seeing your tears only turned him on even more.

Dottore begins thrusting deep and hard with reckless abandon. The way your gummy walls gripped his cock was intoxicating to him. He needed more. You struggle against your restraints, desperate to grab hold of him as he battered your insides. Heavy breaths mix with moans and grunts as you both begin to lose yourselves in this moment. You can’t deny the way his cock made you feel despite wanting to push him away in disgust. You were disgusted by him and even more disgusted by yourself for finding any ounce of pleasure from what was happening to you.

Dottore’s thrust start getting sloppy as he gets closer and closer to orgasm, “Cum with me. Cum on my cock.” His voice comes out ragged and breathy as sweat beads on his forehead. As much as you wish you could stop yourself, you find yourself coming undone all over his cock. Your walls clamp down on his length, milking his own orgasm as he spills his sticky seed in your pussy. Dottore’s cock throbs inside of you as you both ride out the intense orgasm.

“You’re mine now. You’re never going to leave me. I’m going to pump you so full of my cum each day you won’t ever be able to leave”, his dark words haunted you as he pulls his cock out of you and tucks himself back into his pants. He takes a moment to admire just how ruined you look and his lips curve into an uncharacteristically sweet smile, “Beautiful…” he mutters. Dottore gets up from the bed and opens the handcuffs. Your arms fall to your sides and you rub at the chaffed skin of your wrists. Dottore holds his hand out to you, “Come. Let’s clean you up.” You hesitantly take his hand and follow him on shaky legs to the bathroom where he takes his time bathing you and giving you such care it makes you dizzy.

—

Weeks have gone by since the first time he forced himself on you. Not a day went by where he didn’t repeat his actions, making sure to stuff you so full of cum that it leaked from your sore pussy. This day in particular, although your wrists were cuffed yet again, Dottore didn’t cuff you to the bed. After he took care of you, he left you in the room alone. It took you a few minutes to realize that you weren’t attached to the bed. You get up from the bed and quietly make your way to the open bedroom door, peeking your head out to see if you could see or hear him.

You let out a breath and begin making your way down the hall as quietly as you possibly can. You didn’t know what he would do to you if he found you out of your room. Soon your eyes fall to a door further away that seems to have sunlight pouring out from under it. Your eyes well with tears and you no longer care about being stealthy.

꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒷

a/n: honestly if you read this all the way through, i am sending a billion kisses to you through my phone. no i will not pay for your therapy, sorry

#dottore smut #genshin smut #dottore x reader smut #dottore x reader #genshin impact smut #genshin dottore #genshin impact dottore

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taesanluv3r · 7 months ago

Text

chronicles of an overly in-love woonhak.

kim woonhak x reader

entirely in woonhak's pov (he's just yapping to himself the whole time), this is so dumb n stupid but i think it's silly cute idk 😓 cuss words!! lowercase intended, pls excuse any spelling mistakes / grammatical errors <3 enjoy :3

wc: 1,401

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖

"relax woonhak, it's not that hard"

all i needed to do was make a move. seriously, how hard could it be? i mean it was easy to help riwoo make a move on the girl he liked, so why would it be hard for me to make a move on someone myself?

but of course, the difference was that riwoo was hitting on someone random from his dance class while i, little pathetic old kim woonhak, just had to have a crush on the ever-so untouchable, and insanely stunning…

yn fucking ln.

i mean she's like- way way way out of my league, right? the other day i confided in taesan, i always talk to him when i feel lost...well only when i'm lost in the thoughts of her. that's only cause she's rather close to him, they're like siblings who aren't related at all- i think it's pretty sweet. otherwise, i wouldn't ever confide in that menace.

but he knows her very well, and he knows me very well, it's the perfect combination. anyways, i told him about my feelings for her, how she absolutely drove me insane. i mean who wouldn't go insane? she's just so effortlessly...her, in a good way, of course. god nothing bad about her would ever come out of my mouth...she's just perfect.

okay maybe I'm lying, she can be a little stubborn and bitchy sometimes...but that's just another thing I can go on and on and on talking about. i'm always talking about her.

taesan laughed at me, he told me i was oblivious and delusional if i couldn't see that she felt the exact same way. i mean can you believe that? she feels the same?! about me?! about kim woonhak?!

i don't believe it for a second...okay, i lied again. the statement did fuel my stomach up with butterflies and make my head spin and cheeks flush and all that…jazz.

and then he said one thing, the one thing that's making me think about everything all over again.

"if you love her so much, make a move!"

and so now here i am, sitting in bed at one o' clock in the morning. only eight hours until i have to go to school. which means that i only have eight hours to construct the most perfect plan to finally make my move. i mean how hard could it be? it's just like chess! not that i'm good at chess, i actually kinda suck at it…

"ugh cut it out woonhak, you're wasting your time!"

she probably doesn't even like me back. maybe she's just as nice as she is to me with everyone else. and surely that drawing she made me was just a friendly gift! and of course the poems she sent me were probably drafts for someone else…though she did send one with my name in it once…

wait.

wait a fucking minute.

SHE PROBABLY DOES LIKE ME BACK?!

OKAY, okay calm down woonhak. no need to get your hopes up too unecessarily high…

this does give me confidence though, just keep thinking positively and make your move at school FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!

"i got this!"

maybe i lied a little to my reflection in the mirror whilst getting ready for school this morning. cause she was right there when i arrived, alone and ready for me to go tell her I love her, but fear got the best of me…as per usual.

so now i'm here, in fucking science class having to listen to professor lee rant about whatever problem he had with lamarck's theory as opposed to darwin's. interesting one though, i know yn has a real interest in the theory of evolution and just about everything else biology related- maybe not plant biology, she didn't look too happy when we were told we're gonna study plant science next week.

just as i started thinking about her all over again, a piece of paper struck my head from behind. it landed in between my back and my chair, not very comfortable. i turned to reach for it, checking out whoever threw it at me as i did so.

yn ln shoots her unique smile at me, her lips tilting crookedly. she never smiled with her teeth because she doesn't quite like how it looks. i strongly disagree, i think it's adorable when her uneven fangs show, it's just another peculiar thing i get to love about her.

i stare too long, too long that she has to raise her eyebrows to remind me of the paper i was supposed to retrieve from behind me and read. my cheeks were probably redder than the ripest of strawberries- ironically, her favourite fruit.

the page was off-white, a cute rilakkuma print bordering the lined-sheet…classic yn ln and her cutesy stationary. i couldn't help but smile as i opened it to find her neat, yet absurdly tiny handwriting.

i admired it for a second, not quite reading the actual note just yet, but once i did…

the ink was pink, one of the gel-pens she usually used to write her overly pretty notes for literature. and the words she scribbled on the page were simple. well, as simple as such a complex and interesting girl like her could ever get.

"hi woonhak, i like you. like a lot. see you under the bleachers at lunch. :) <3 ★"

not even a question. if it weren't for the doodles of hearts, smiley faces, and stars all over the note i would've deemed it a threat.

another lie. i should stop lying. she could tell me to throw myself off a cliff or threaten me with a knife and i'd still be flustered and in love.

the lunch bell came a lot sooner than i calculated. perhaps my brain had been overstimulated by the test i had just finished, or maybe time is just that unpredictable when you're anxious.

i desperately needed to piss- another lie that i told myself to postpone the possible embarrassment i might encounter with my crush under the bleachers today. fuck. why am i so nervous?

i decided it's best to just YOLO and speed over to her usual spot under the bleachers. what's the worst that could happen? you know...besides her revealing it was all a prank and then totally making fun of me!!!!!!! ha ha...ha...

i'm cooked.

she was already there, a slight worry on her face as if she had been waiting and wondering where i had been. i was about to mutter an apology for being late, saying i needed to go to the bathroom and such but she didn't let me talk.

"i know you like me, woonhak"

at this point i was shitting sweat.

"um-"

i was interrupted.

"you took too long to say anything and frankly, i got impatient. cause i like you too- like- a lot. lol"

lol, she ended every serious sentence with that abbreviation to lighten the mood- cute.

all i could do was chuckle in relief.

"can we kiss now?"

she asks, her words coming out a little stale and hasty, but sweet. in a way that made my heart break and melt into bits and pieces. who am i kidding though, she does anything and i'll melt into bits and pieces.

"yeah-"

her lips halted my chatter. she tastes like an odd mixture of banana milk and…honey garlic fried chicken- but it tasted kind of good...?

remind me to ask her where she got her lunch from cause...damn.

the kiss lasted longer than i would've earlier expected, her hands were in my hair and mine held her waist. i had to bend down a little, she's not that short but she's definitely not tall. not as tall as me, that is.

alas we seperated. she giggled softly and i can see a faint pink tint brushed against her cheeks as she caught her breath. then she looked up at me, with the most precious set of eyes. it didn't last long as her complexion changed completely in a matter of seconds before these words left her mouth:

"ask me out, loser"

and that's just the push i needed.

"yn ln, be my girlfriend and take me to whatever place you got the fried chicken your lips tasted like!"

she giggled again- i swear a braincell of mine disappears every time she so much as smiled- stepping forward to hug me, which i happily accepted by the way…she smells good. she smells like a...fresh...teddy bear? yeah.

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖

"i can't believe you actually like me back" i blurted out, watching as she stuck a chicken wing into her mouth. the sauce got on her face and i helped her wipe it off like the gentleman that i am.

"and i can't believe you confided in taesan, of all people!" her words were muffled as she chewed.

"whatever babe, now why don't you eat first and talk later"

she almost chokes as she stares at me with this bewildered look on her face. how could a person be so adorable? like? this???? this cutie??? SHES my girlfriend???!!!???

she speaks with half a drumstick in her mouth and her eyes were opened wide.

"DID YOU JUST CALL ME BABE?!"

lol.

the end.

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖

LMAOOO idek wht i was going for in this one 😭 i pulled this straight out of my drafts tbh </3 reblogs n feedbacks r vv appreciated!! love u tysm for reading. love, kona.

#kona's work ♡#boynextdoor #boynextdoor drabbles #boynextdoor imagines #boynextdoor x reader #woonhak #woonhak x reader #boynextdoor woonhak #bnd x reader #bnd woonhak #kim woonhak

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deathbxnny · 4 months ago

Note

Alrighty, time for a follow up on my previous request.

So, I'd like to request Baizhi (not "Shinxi" lmao), Jianxin and Chixia in the same scenario as Yangyang and Jinshi, that being with an S/O who is immune to poison. Because it's fun imagining these virtual waifus almost having a heart attack because they think their S/O is gonna die only for them to... not, lol.

Hello there, Anon! Thank you again for clarifying your error, and I'm sorry this took so long to get to. Life hates me, lmao-

Content: Unserious, established relationships, poison consumption, sfw

Reader has no set pronouns!

((Not proofread))

》BAIZHI

"Very well... the liquids should be ready for testing." Baizhi hummed whilst gazing down on the many vials in great interest. They had been delivered to her personally to check whether or not they were poisonous/harmful, and you just happened to pass by that day. "Testing? Isn't that going to take a while?" You ask with a frown, remembering that you were supposed to go on a little dinner date right after. But Baizhi just nodded with a sigh.

"I'm afraid so... my apologies, I know you were looking forward to our outing." She said before beginning to prepare the work area and putting on some gloves. Turning away for a moment to grab some testing tubes, she didn't hear you slipping off the chair you were resting in and approaching the table.

"That's fine! I have a quicker way to test these anyway." Baizhi raised a brow at your reply, her head turning to you carefully just in time to see you casually gulp down one of the vials. Her mouth opened, eyes widening to tell you to cut it out... but all you did was shake your head as though you've sipped on some strong liquor before giving her a thumbs up.

"One down, three more to go." She watched you with an unreadable expression, as you easily found out that only three of the four were filled with poison. Writing this down, you handed her the paper with a wide grin. "Well? Our date still stands, let's go."

Baizhi blinked until she just sighed and allowed you to drag her off. She honestly was too tired to even bother asking how the hell you did that... but she hoped that you wouldn't mind her conducting some harmless experiments/studies on your unique condition later...

》CHIXIA

You and Chixia were just casually patrolling the area around the city when you bumped into a traveling merchant who was trying to sell you two a mysterious bottle of liquid. You were both 99% sure that it was probably poisoned and tried to wave the man away, yet he didn't stop pestering you.

Sighing in slight annoyance, Chixia crossed her arms with a frown. "Hey now sir! We already said no." She huffed, obviously really irritated with the situation. Giving the man an unimpressed glance, you pointed at the bottle with a tilt of your head.

"If I drink it all in one go, will you leave us alone already?" You asked, as you ignored Chixia's concerned whisper of your name. The merchant had no chance to answer however, when you just snatched the bottle out of his hand, popped the cap off and tilted your head back to drink it all down just as you said you would. Chixia and the merchant were flabbergasted, practically frozen in surprise before the girl finally grabbed your arm in panic. "Hey! What the-" "-Oh... this actually tastes pretty good... You're still getting arrested for attempting to poison us, though." You threw the now empty bottle back to the man who just barely caught it. You should've dropped dead seconds ago and yet, you still stood there as unimpressed as you did before.

"How... what?" Chixia asked, practically speechless, before she let out a sudden laugh at the absurdity of the situation and called for backup to take the defeated man away. "When were you going to tell me that you were able to do THAT?" She was rather excited about this new thing she learned about you and definitely wanted to know every small detail on your way back home.

》JIANXIN

You and Jianxin were meditating somewhere in the mountains together. It was perhaps a rather odd way to have a date, but it fit your girlfriends vision of what a relaxing day should be like. With that said, she eventually handed you a bowl filled with an unfamiliar liquid. You glanced at it curiously, the urge to drink it, making you hold it up to your face in wonder.

Closing her eyes with a wide content smile, she sighed in relief. "This is truly a good way to end the day! Now, this liquid is there to help us relax further and tap into our inner world -" As she spoke, she didn't hear the sound of slow sipping in the background. "In order to do so, however, we have to hold out this bowl of water mixed in with poisonous flowers and recite a prayer." The silence was deafening when you chuckled awkwardly.

"... so uhm... You're not supposed to drink it?" "... Huh?" Cracking an eye open, Jianxin felt her soul leave her body when you casually held out the now empty bowl to her with a sheepish smile. She didn't know what was worse at that moment. The empty bowl that she worked hard on preparing or the fact that you just drank something that could absolutely kill you in a couple of minutes?

"Hey, Hey, don't worry, I won't die from this-" You quickly waved away her concerns before putting down the bowl next to her still full one. "Sorry, I should've waited for you to finish, haha..." The silence stretched on until Jianxin held her chin in thought. "Hm... maybe this is a sign from the spirits..." You chuckled again, alot more relaxed this time, as you were glad to know that she just brushed over that instead of questioning it too much for now...

#wuwa #Wuthering Waves #wuthering waves x reader #wuthering waves x you #wuthering waves x y/n #wuwa baizhi #wuwa baizhi x reader #wuwa chixia #wuwa chixia x reader #wuwa jianxin #wuwa jianxin x reader

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hp-hcs · 1 year ago

Note

Hello.

I really like the way you wrote gay Mattheo. Could I request another fic from this "series"? Thanks in advance 😘

(Fine, I’ll do it my damn self: part 7 of my silly lil mlm stories <3)

ENGLISH AIN’T ALWAYS ENGLISH (Chapter Three of Gay Awakening) — british! mattheo riddle x male! american! reader

basically the pair realize their cultural differences

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“Here,” you grin, plonking down on the couch next to Mattheo and holding out a cut-out paper turkey shaped like a handprint. “I’m thankful for you this year.”

He took the paper with a baffled expression on his face. “…what?”

“I’m thankful for y- oh. Right. England. Sorry, American holiday, I forgot.”

Mattheo blinked. “You have a holiday where you give each other paper fowl?”

“No. Well, yes, but- y’know, it’s complicated.”

“I see,” he said slowly, in a way that suggested that he did not, in fact, see. “Is it like your… Freedom Day? America Day? Er… what’s it called again?”

“Independence Day. And not really. Sort of. It’s complicated.”

“Well, then what does this holiday celebrate?” Mattheo asked, somewhat amused as he shook the paper turkey to emphasize his point.

You hesitate. “Well…”

“It’s not good, is it?”

“Nope.”

“Ah. Why the turkey?”

“Americans make abhorrent amounts of food for Thanksgiving. Turkey is the main dish, usually.”

“Thanksgi- oh, is that why you said you’re thankful for me?” He looked quite pleased with himself for deducing that.

“Yeah,” you laugh. “It’s a pretty odd cultural event, I guess. We eat a shit ton, watch football, have to see our homophobic relatives; it really is a wonderful holiday.”

“Football? Like the… muggle sport? Where you can’t use your hands at all?”

“Oh, no. I’m talking American football; where they only use their hands. And like, tackle each other and shit.”

“…right. Anyways, back to the turkey day. When is it? Is it today?”

“Nah, it’s in a couple weeks. It’s the fourth Thursday of every November.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me.”

~~~

“Y/N, could you hand me a rubber?”

Mattheo looked up at you after he didn’t hear a response. You were sitting there, dumbfounded, mouth hanging open slightly.

“…Y/N?”

“Jesus Christ, ‘theo, that’s one way to be forward.”

“…what?”

Your face was burning in embarrassment as you fumbled for words. “Please tell me that means something else in snobby Brit.”

“What, rubber?”

“Yes!”

“A… a rubber. You know, to remove errors?” He gave you a baffled look.

You paused. “…I mean you’re not wrong.”

“No, I’m not…?” He trailed off before shaking his head and laughing. “Oh, Salazar. Tell me what it means in American.”

“A rubber is a condom.”

“Oh!”

Mattheo looked startled, a pink flush rising in his cheeks. “A rubber- it erases, Y/N. Pencil lead.”

“Then why wouldn’t you just call it an eraser?!”

You’re both silent for a moment, with matching blushes, before you both crack up.

“Oh, god, you don’t wanna mix those up, huh?” You get out between laughs.

~~~

“Hey, ‘theo, you oughta read this A&E article. It’s hilarious.”

“Hilarious feels like an odd term to use, Y/N,” he says, looking puzzled.

“American,” you say reflexively, after months of these vernacular conflicts. “Stands for Arts & Entertainment.”

“Ah,” Mattheo nods, used to your immediate explanation. “Accident & Emergency.”

You both snicker.

~~~

“Oh, man. Looks like Enz and Nott went on a bender,” you snicker.

Mattheo raises an eyebrow wordlessly.

“Got absolutely shitcanned.”

“Gotcha.”

~~~

“What the hell is an aubergine?”

“A vegetable. Purple?”

“An eggplant?”

“Americans really suck at naming things.”

“Like you’re one to talk, Mr. Pants-Aren’t-Actually-Pants-In-British.”

“You’re still mad about that? Well, I’m still disappointed from when you made me ‘biscuits’.”

“Oh, shush.”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

had a very awkward conversation today with a british friend and we had that eraser/rubber mixup ourselves 💀

thank you for requesting, you a real one homie <3

#harry potter #hp #fuck jkr #hp x male reader #x male reader #these bitches gay good for them #mattheo riddle x reader #mattheo riddle x male reader #mattheo riddle

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scarletwritesshit · 5 months ago

Text

🌙 Xiangli Yao x F!Rover 🌙 The Huanglong Moon is Beautiful, isn't it?

Rover trudged up every rickety stair and uneven mound on her way up to the wishing tree. The night was still young after the successful display of the Loong lantern, so there should be some time left for her to catch him before he retired for the night.

"Xiangli Yao!" she called out.

Hopefully, he would at least still be up working away at fulfilling any wishes that have been left under the tree since they last checked. Sentinels forbid yet another citizen silently voices their plea for a death sentence as a cover-up for what truly ailed them. The source of error and lack of wishes being granted may have been rectified, but Xiangli Yao could not take any chances, and so he had decided to personally fulfill whatever further wishes the people of Huanglong bought to their tree tonight.

Rover was very much aware of his secret to granting wishes, but that didn’t stop her from confronting him. Her wish wasn’t something that a piece of paper could do justice to, and it certainly wasn’t something a robot could fulfill.

Xiangli Yao was standing at the base of the tree, gazing down at the bustling festival out of view of the general public. From the gentle smile on his face, he seemed fairly confident that all had gone smoothly with the Loong dance and plans for the fulfillment of any remaining wishes. After what horrors she and Yao were subjected to within the Sonoro Sphere, it was a relief to see that the light had not dissipated from his eyes.

"There you are!" Rover said, dragging her feet the rest of the way up the hill.

Xiangli Yao turned towards her, and he smiled a little more upon seeing Rover.

"Ah, a delight to see you like always, Rover," he said. "Is there something that I can do for you?"

"Yeah," she said as she was still catching her breath, "you still owe me a wish.”

"You didn’t need to run all the way up here to catch me. Signing your name on the paper and hanging it on the tree would’ve sufficed.”

Rover shook her head. “It’s something unfit for a piece of paper, something that only you, personally, can fulfill.”

Xiangli Yao was rather perplexed by Rover’s words. She hadn’t even begun to tell him, and she already felt herself slipping up. When she thought about it for longer than three seconds, the implications did sound rather questionable. At this point, though, there was no turning back for Rover.

Thankfully, Xiangli Yao spoke up before she could utter any more dangerously questionable nonsense.

“What can I do for you?” he asked.

Rover looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Normally, one wasn’t supposed to reveal their wishes to others, otherwise, it would not come true. Should anyone overhear them, it could spell great humiliation for Rover, and unfortunately Xiangli Yao as well.

Plus, given the nature of her request, out in the open was not an ideal spot for any sort of confession anyways.

She glanced over the edge of the cliff to see that nobody had bothered to look up at the tree that towered over them. They were all too distracted indulging in festival games and chowing down on Moon-Chasing Festival specialties at the food stalls.

"Everyone’s preoccupied down there,” Rover said, grabbing his metal hand and gently pulling it, “We can sit by the wishing tree and have it all to ourselves for the time being.”

A little too, straightforward, perhaps? If she said any more, Rover would end up blatantly confessing the feelings she had for Yao. Any less, and it would only leave him with confusion, and Rover with more humiliation.

Xiangli Yao smiled and closed his hand around her fingers. "I can’t say no to helping a good friend with her wish, now can I?”

He turned around to once more gaze at the bustling stalls below.

“Besides, I could use a break from the excitement myself.”

A break from the excitement. Temporarily, for him anyways. Rover doesn’t get a break. She hasn’t had one ever since heard Yao speak those painfully sweet words for the first time.

Rover led him to spot against the trunk just far enough away from the edge of the cliff that nobody without an eagle eye could spot them from below. She didn’t see any stray onlookers around, or take note of anyone appearing to make the wishing tree their next visit. If anyone were to catch Rover in her current position, she would probably turn into a Gulpuff and have Xiangli Yao fling her halfway across Huanglong.

Rover’s body felt rather stiff as she was sitting next to him. She wasn’t deterred by his cold metal arm, but was rather frozen stiff from sheer nerves. Xiangli Yao was seemingly unaware of Rover’s rather awkward stance, as he was gazing up at the moon lost in his thoughts.

‘Rover,” Xiangli Yao said, “it’s been a while since we last had a Moon-Chasing Festival on a night as clear as this one.”

“Really?” Rover asked. “You’ve had Moon-Chasing Festivals…without a moon? What were you even chasing, then? Daybreak? Clouds?”

Yao laughed a little at her confusion. “Well, the clouds would often obscure at least part of the sky. The display wasn’t as spectacular without the natural beauty of the moon and the stars.”

Rover leaned back on the wishing tree’s trunk and took a deep breath, gazing up at the sky as well. To tell the truth, she hadn’t had a moment of respite where she felt as if she could breathe without any TDs or freaks on her trail. Only now was Rover realizing just how beautiful the night sky was.

“I never really had the chance to see it for myself,” Xiangli Yao said, as if he were reading Rover’s thoughts. “Most of my long nights were spent inside the research lab, in the windowless rooms surrounded by machinery and computer screens.”

He looked down with a glint of regret in his eyes.

“Even during the festival, I am working behind the scenes more than anything. At most, I am but a witness from the sidelines, having no one but Patty and Xiang-LEE to pass the time with.”

“You’re not alone tonight at least,” Rover reassured him, patting him on his steel shoulder.

It had only just occurred to her that his metal arm was most likely unable to feel anything, let alone her touch. Nevertheless, Xiangli Yao looked at her with a smile on his face yet the glint of sadness still lingering in his eyes.

“I’m deeply thankful to be with you tonight. I haven’t spent this much time with a friend since…”

He once again looked down and sighed.

“The display was a success, Patty was fixed, and everyone is off doing their own thing at the stalls. I’d say you’ve earned some time to yourself,” Rover said. “This isn’t something that comes around very often.

She looked up once again at the clear night sky, a faint glow of reddish-orange radiating around them from the festival lanterns. Rover hadn’t realized it, but the tension that was previously stinging her body into motionlessness dissipated. Her original reason for pulling Xiangli Yao aside had somehow managed to slip her mind completely. Mending the feelings of loneliness, the two of them were finally at peace, sitting together under the same tree and gazing at the same night sky.

Still, Rover had a lingering tinge of guilt that his artificial arm was unable to feel her touch. Inconspicuously, she stood up and walked over to Xiangli Yao’s other side.

“I can get a better view of the sky over here,” she said before he could question her.

Rover once again comfortably rested herself against the base of the tree. Her body settled against the side of Xiangli Yao, but he seemed to hardly mind at all. Whether or not it was intended or subconscious, he adjusted himself to be more comfortable next to her, gently enough to not force her off.

“…I’ve been so engulfed in my research that I haven’t bothered to stop and cherish the little things such as this; something as simple as gazing at the moon with dear friend. It’s nice. I wish I could do this more often,” he said.

“Despite all of our unanswered questions that still remain, it brings me a feeling of peace…and comfort,” Rover said.

“Ah…the moon truly is beautiful, isn’t it?” Xiangli Yao said, completely enamored of the night sky, at least, that’s what he looked like to Rover at first glance when she turned to look at him.

She could see the reflection of the moon and the stars twinkling in his eyes. They were filled with a gentle warmth that warmed her soul on this cool night. Or maybe that warmth Rover was feeling was, in actuality, her face turning red. Regardless of the answer, it was hard not to feel at ease around a soul as kind and gentle as Yao.

“Beautiful indeed,” Rover said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xiangli Yao noticed that she was looking at him when she said that, and not up at the moon. The fleeting thought of Rover directing her “beautiful” comment towards him and not at the sky abruptly set his heart aflutter. For having spent so much time in self-inflicted isolation while forbidding himself from forming any deep, personal bonds, this sort of feeling was all too new to him.

Xiangli Yao can recall the exact moment that this all had started; right when she showed him simple, genuine kindness. No comment about being a renowned researcher, no comment requesting any form of help, nothing. Rover treated him as an equal, not needing any reason to greet him with a smile. He wondered, just how long has it been since he last met someone this genuine?

Has he ever been treated with any real affection at all?

It really seemed like the most basic of gestures, but Xiangli Yao couldn’t help himself falling for a girl who didn’t need a reason to smile when she saw him. He almost felt the need, the desperation, the clinginess that he had managed to keep repressed for so long. He looked away from Rover, in an attempt to save himself the shame of alluding to what he felt within.

“So…about my wish,” Rover said.

“Oh, right. You never did tell me what it was. Helping you make it come true is the least I can do as thanks for all of the trouble you went through for me.”

“It’s not really a matter of you having to help me, but it’s more like…if you want to.”

Rover took a deep breath.

“My wish is to be with you forever.”

“F-forever?” he said, completely caught off guard. “You wish to be with someone who can’t even maintain a singular friendship? Clearly, you don’t know what problems you’re setting yourself up for.”

“I know that isn’t true, Yao. I’ve seen it for myself firsthand. You don’t have to force yourself to go through everything alone.”

Rover placed her hand on top of his, and gently curled her fingers around Xiangli Yao’s hand. It had suddenly occurred to him that his prosthetic arm couldn’t truly feel the sensation of Rover’s touch. If he may confess, the softness of Rover’s hand felt…quite nice. The most warmth he had ever felt from another human came from the accidental run-in with colleagues within the laboratory. This was absolutely nothing like that. It was pleasant. It was intimate. It was all that he could ever ask for.

Would it be selfish of him to accept her love? Theoretically, if he was greedy for caring about one singular friend of his, then that would make Rover far worse than him: a blatant falsehood.

“…Even… if it’s just together as friends,” she continued.

“Rover, would you by any chance, consider…being more than just friends?”

“Consider? Why, it’s something I’ve had my heart set on ever since I first met you.”

“Surely, I can’t be all that,” Xiangli Yao said with a sigh, trying to inch himself away from Rover.

She refused to let him budge, as she gently held his hand tighter.

“Part of you is made of metal when you have the softest heart of any man I’ve met,” Rover said.

“Your kindness remains unmatched, Rover, going out of your way to help a lonesome man out of the goodness of your heart.”

“It’s impossible for me to resist the biggest sweetheart in Huanglong.”

“Ah…you flatter me, truly.”

“I mean it, Yao.”

“I…I thank you,” he said, losing track of his words. “I wish I could better express how much this genuinely means to me.”

Xiangli Yao went silent for a brief moment.

“And… thank you… for fulfilling my wish in return, Rover,” he continued.

"You never told me that you had a wish yourself. I don’t think I’ve even done anything of note for you personally," Rover said, a little surprised.

"You’ve done plenty for me, going as far as to fulfill a wish I deemed far too selfish to share with the world."

"And what would that be?"

"For you to love me as much as I love you.”

#wuthering waves #fanfiction #fanfic #rover wuthering waves #wuwa rover #female rover #xiangli yao #xiangli yao x rover #yaorover #damn ship names

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mah-t-wordblog · 7 months ago

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hello, I am back once more! ( ﾉ^ω^)ﾉ I got a new request because AAAAH THAT NEW EPISODE WAS JUST PERFECT !!! I still haven't recovered from watching it and I'm soo GLAD you watched it too now so my request wont spoil anything for you (^ω^) SMILING MUICHIRO IS TOO ADORABLE!!!! AND WHAT'S UP WITH THE NAME OF THE EPISODE BEING LIKE THE FIC YOU WROTE, IT EVEN HAD KANAMORI IN IT LIKE THE FIC!!!! (*≧∀≦*) And that brings me to my new request! Can you please write lee!Muichiro and ler!Tanjiro after they have their paper plane contest? Because that paper plane moment was CUTENESS OVERLOAD! I LOVE THE SYMBOLISM AND EVERYTHING, IT MADE ME SO. HAPPY!! I LOVE HOW TANJIRO AND MUICHIRO ARE ABSOLUTE BESTIES NOW AAH If possible, can you include Kanamori as well please because he's just amazing and I love how he and Muichiro are always connected now (^-^) If you need to decline then thats alright, no worries!

I hope you've been well and you're having a good day! PS. sorry for screaming so much in my message (*･ω･)

I wrote that one fast cause I was in the mood haha now I have to go back to my list 😊 u can scream all u want DONT WORRYYYYYYYY

Paper Plane Competition

Draw by hana_ni_nare_haru_yo_koi 👆

Lee: Muichiro Tokito

Ler: Tanjiro Kamado

❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜❤️🧡

Ships: NONE (or Tanjiro x Muichiro if you want)

Warnings: This is a tickle fic, if you don’t like it, just scroll down

This fanfic is originally in Portuguese, my English is translated using an automatic translator, if there are any big errors you can tell me so I can fix them

❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜❤️🧡

“Muichiro! Muichiro!” Tanjiro came running towards the boy

“Tanjiro? Haven’t you left yet?” The boy turned to see who was calling him

“No, I needed to go back to make you a proposal” the boy panted

"What?"

“A rematch!”

"Again?" Muichiro laughed “do you still think you can beat me?”

"Yes! Ten rounds, if I win just one you lose!” Tanjiro said excitedly

“And what do you get if I lose?”

“I’m going to tickle you~”

Muichiro widened his eyes “what? Out of the blue?"

"Yes! To cheer you up a little, I know you get really tired with all the training you have to do with the others.”

Muichiro thought for a while “okay… but if you lose, I’m the one who will have that right”

Tanjiro already expected this, in fact this was all an excuse for him to win and make Muichiro relax a little, if he loses, at least it will have been worth it, right?

“Kanamori-san! Kanamori-san!” Muichiro ran into the house where the man was staying and asked him to come and help count the points.

“Alright, do you two have your paper planes yet?” The man asked the two

"Yes!" Tanjiro responded excitedly

Muichiro just smiled

“Ready? Then 1… 2… 3… go!”

The two planes were thrown, to the surprise of zero people, Muichiro's plane flew further

Tanjiro sighed

“There are still nine matches” Kanamori said, laughing a little because he knew Tanjiro didn't have a chance.

Second match: Muichiro

Third: Muichiro

Forth: Muichiro

Fifth: Muichiro

Sixth: Muichiro

“You haven’t given up yet?”

“I going to win” Tanjiro said determinedly

Seventh: Muichiro

Eighth: Muichiro

Ninth: guess what? Muichiro

“It’s the last chance, Tanjiro” Kanamori warned

Tanjiro sighed “ahhhhh, I need to win!”

Muichiro smiled, he felt a strange urge to do something unusual

He felt a little embarrassed but he did it anyway

“1… 2… 3… go!”

The planes were thrown, Tanjiro's continued forward, but Muichiro's turned back

"What?" Kanamori exclaimed “Tanjiro’s victory?”

“Muichiro! You let me win?” Tanjiro asked the other

"M-me-"

“You wouldn’t make your plane do that by accident” Tanjiro smiled “why did you let me win?”

“I just… thought it wouldn’t be so bad…”

"What? For me to tickle you?”

“I-I like to smile” Muichiro said embarrassed

Kanamori sat on the floor and waited for what was to come.

“Muichiro~”

"Don’t do that!" Muichiro said laughing, he felt more foolish in Tanjiro's presence

Tanjiro jumped on top of him, tickling him all over his body.

“Nohohohohoho, Tahahahahanjiro”

“You should be more understanding with other hunters, don’t you think?”

Muichiro shook his head

“Are you that cruel?”

“I think Mr.Tokito just needs a good lesson, why don’t you teach him Mr.Kamado?” Kanamori commented as he was watching the two fighting

"You’re right!"

Tanjiro tried to tickle the boy a lot, touching his weakest spots, especially his belly.

“TAHAHANJIROHO”

“Don’t say it like you didn’t want me to do this, you let me win!” Tanjiro laughed

Muichiro blushed a little more at the statement, who doesn't like to laugh sometimes, right?

“Can you be more understanding with the other swordsmen?”

Muichiro said yes with his head

“You can't be loved like that just with me, Muichiro, give that smile to others and make them try even harder, okay?”

“YEHEHEHEHES, NOHOW STOHOHOP”/

"Okay, okay"

Tanjiro laughed

Muichiro curled up with a ball to protect his body from the sensations

“Thank you for always making me smile, Tahanjiro” he said

Tanjiro smiled

“Who doesn’t like to smile, right?” Kanamori said, helping the boy to get up “you don’t need to be ashamed of this, Tokito”

Muichiro smiled “it looks good to me”

Tanjiro smiled "now I'm going to training with Miss Kanroji, thanks for everything Muichiro"

“I appreciate it, Tanjiro, I’ll try to be more understandable to others” he laughed

“If you need it, send your sword so I can sharpen it, Kamado” Kanamori completed

"Of course sir! Thanks!"

Tanjiro ran towards the horizon, until he was out of sight of the two.

“This boy is special, isn’t he?” Kanamori said

“Well, he reminded me of everything that is most important to me, he is special” Muichiro said smiling

Kanamori poked him “your smile is beautiful”

Muichiro laughed and walked away “stop it”

They both left laughing

❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜❤️🧡

Thanks for reading 💛💛

#tickle fic #demon slayer tickle #demon slayer tickling #kny tickling #lee!muichiro #ler!tanjiro

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imtooscaredforthis · 2 years ago

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So Two Murderers Walk Into A Room…

Chapter Three: The Truth Isn’t So Bad

Mentions of: Murder, Homicidal Thoughts, Knives, Homicidal Tendencies, Mental Illness, etc.

A/N: I was super sleepy while editing this so please forgive grammar/spelling errors

Tags: @vandeaad @dead-bxxxtch-walking @moonshineinasippycup @stwbwwychan @mama-miya

He was right. You hate to admit when you’re wrong, but boy were you wrong. You truly are in some sort of fucked up dimension. And that entity thing, you saw it. After you sacrificed all those survivors. It was real.

In some strange way, you felt connected to it. Like it was controlling you. You shouldn’t want to be controlled. You never want to be controlled. But you like how you feel.

You get that familiar blissful feeling whenever you kill, but multiplied by ten. Right now, you feel amazing, the buzz and adrenaline running through your veins. You feel better than you’ve felt in a long time. Honestly, you wouldn’t mind doing this for eternity.

“Boo.” A voice suddenly whispered in your ear, making you shriek and turn on your heel, waving your knife around. A gloved hand caught your wrist, stopping you before you could do any damage.

It was that masked freak from before. He chuckled to himself lowly, and you could feel the smugness emanating from him. “Seems like I caught you red-handed, Sweetheart. You finally ready to confess?”

And just like that, your mood soured. Sweetheart. Who does this condescending prick think he is?

“Don’t call me that.” You hissed poisonously. “And I don’t have to tell you anything.”

“You don’t, but I’m sure I can get it out of you. You do have quite a bit of blood on you after all. Cute. So how many did you get? Two? Three?” He examined the knife in your hand, before releasing your wrist.

“Four, actually.” You corrected him, doing your best to stop your smile as you felt some sadistic pride grow in your chest. What are you doing? Why are you trying to please him?

“Ooooh, four. You got them all?” He asked. “Yeah, not like it was hard or anything. I was a district champion in track in High school, and I did gymnastics in college. So I have some extra skill when it comes to the hunt.”

You can’t help but find yourself getting sucked into this conversation with him. No one’s ever talked to you about murder before. It’s such a taboo subject, and yet, you’re here, talking to this man and treating it so casually. It’s so…freeing.

“See? Isn’t it nice being able to be yourself? Your true self? I knew you’d admit it eventually.” He remarked.

“Okay, you might’ve been right about some things, but not everything. Who are you, anyway?” You asked, realizing he never told you his name.

“Mmm, I go by a lot of things, but most people know me as Ghostface.” He said.

You repeated the name to yourself, before giggling. “You’re so weird.”

“Laugh all you want, but that name terrified anyone who heard it, especially those who read my name in the paper. The stories of what I did kept countless up at night, and I would’ve scared you too.” He stated in an irritated, almost threatening tone.

“Oh really?” You challenged him. “Yep. I’d have you changing your locks and everything. Maybe I’d even get you to move.”

“Well, you’re wrong, Ghostface. Because I’m not a pussy. I’m not scared of anything.” You replied, gesturing at him with your knife in hand, a big grin on your face.

He was oddly quiet for a moment and stood as still as a statue. Still, you could feel his eyes following your movement. Then, he spoke. “I have a feeling you and I are going to be good friends.”

Huh? Just when you thought you got under his skin, when you thought you finally deflated his huge ego, he bounced back immediately. Seems like you can’t push his buttons like he can push yours.

“Now, there’s lots for us to do. I need to show you around to the other realms and have you meet the other killers. That’ll be fun.” He remarked.

“Other killers?” You repeated. “Yeah, you didn’t think it was just us, did you? Now c’mon, let’s go.”

He wrapped an arm around your shoulder, leading you out of the woods.

–

It didn’t take long, just a little more walking before finding the other killers. There were around eleven, all grouped up together, waiting for another trial, you assumed. Many had more monster-like features, but others appeared to be human.

You weren’t afraid, but you were intimidated, and curious. Why did they look the way they did? Did they always look like that? Or did something change them? Do you look like that?

It’s been a while since you looked in a mirror, but you don’t think you do. You hope you don’t. One of the few things you pride yourself on is your looks. You’re beautiful. You know you are.

Not only is it nice to be pretty, but it’s good for sex, and it’s also easier to lure in your prey. That’s how you’ve killed and gotten away with your murders.

“Hey guys, welcome our newbie, _______! Isn’t she just the cutest?” He pushed you against him, before reaching up and squeezing your cheeks. Glaring at him, you smacked his hand away, slipping out of his grip.

Feeling all the attention on you, you glanced at the group, suddenly feeling shy. “Uh, hi.”

It’s strange, being around people and creatures that all now know your secret, even though you’ve spent your whole life hiding it. It’s even weirder knowing that they’re just like you.

Well, not just like you, but they obviously have to have some involvement with killing to be there.

“Well, hello there.” A lilac-haired man purred. He approached you quickly, taking your hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. You blinked at him, processing his actions.

Okay, now some guy dressed in what seems like a ringmaster’s outfit is hitting on you. Not that you minded. He was quite good looking after all, with a pretty face, and a toned upper body. Great abs too.

“Oh, where are my manners? I’m-”

“Fuck off, Trickster. She’s mine.” Ghostface interrupted, shoving him away. He said something to him, you weren’t sure what because it was in another language, but whatever it was didn’t sound nice.

You opened your mouth to object to Ghostface’s statement, but the next thing you knew he was ushering you away from the killers. “You’ll get to know them later. Let me show you around.”

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queenlua · 11 months ago

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i rewatched schindler's list last night (extremely scattered random thoughts)

* the main motif that jumped out to me this time was that of paperwork

which makes sense, right. the list. in the title. is in fact a piece of paperwork

but (1) the last time i watched this i was like 15 and a dummy, and (2) i guess paperwork's been on the brain lately ever since i saw brandon taylor calling for a comeback of the "paperwork movie" and i was like so true bestie

the paperwork thing isn't the movie's primary preoccupation. it wasn't trying to make a specific statement about The Inhumanity Of Machines And Bureaucracy as far as i could tell (even though that'd be an easy angle for something like this to take), but even so. the endless lines with some harried typist at the end of it, the shots of ppl checking every coat pocket for their work papers, Itzhak's goofy-ass typing technique as he's making that list of names, the paperwork error that sends the train of women not to his factory but to Auchwitz, etc...

but there's a missing middle in there, right, with some honest examination of these typewriters and databases and keyboards and emails and files as part of the air we breathe now. (i think the automated-job-assignment-system in Le Guin's The Dispossessed and the City of Mind in Le Guin's Always Coming Home are both her kind-of-inchoate-but-deeply-felt AHHHHH reactions to bureaucratization and the internet, respectively—a lot of scifi from that era reads like that, nervous but not really sure what to say yet.) like, Schindler's List was not wanting to examine that angle overmuch, but because it's not so front-and-center preoccupied with the papers in-and-of-themselves it probably comes away with stronger imagery/riffing on the idea than it would have otherwise

when taylor was talking about paperwork movies he was talking about stuff like legal thrillers, romcoms, stuff like Air, and so on. things where bureaucratic competence is the way to win. and there's no shortage of midcentury stuff where The Bureaucratization Is The Horror, the act of putting anything on a paper or in a database is the itself the thing to be feared

but it'd be interesting to see a film that did take that front-and-center. (probably one exists! i don't watch very many movies.) i guess the closest thing to what i'm thinking of is Red Plenty, which is a novel about a lot of things, but one of those threads is definitely Egghead Soviet Math Nerds Doing Paperwork, & yeah it's so so so good. I Am Once Again Asking You To Read Red Plenty

* the other new thing that jumped out at me, this time around, was just how bad at business Schindler was lol. this went over my head as a kid, because the guy is always dressed fantastic and slots so easily into the Charming Business Magnate Archetype, and also because as a kid i hadn't spent enough time around Charming Business Magnates to realize how often they are full of shit... but yeah, the movie makes it super clear upfront that this is essentially a Wall Street Bets guy who has identified exactly one weird arbitrage opportunity ("hire slave labor") and is good at calling in favors from the other nazis he parties with and that's it. utterly unsurprising he failed at every single other business he ever tried. reading the details of Actual Oskar Schindler's life makes him seem both better and worse than how he's portrayed in the film, and it would've been really interesting to see all those angles explored, even if i get why Speilberg opted to sand down those edges and i'll concede he was probably right to do so for the thing he wanted to make

anyway yeah. that's a film

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tuttle-4077 · 1 month ago

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Unknown Chapter number for upcoming, in the hopper, End of War story.

So, when @annieslytherpuff21 requested the 'scar reveal' story (entitled Damaged Goods), she also requested a story where Hochstetter tortures Carter at the end of the war. And, well, that story is already in my plans. But it'll have to wait for several more stories that are ahead of it in the queue.

But because she requested it, I started thinking about it. And then the thought wouldn't leave me. So I hammered out a chapter that will potentially fit into that story. I kinda, sorta, have an idea of the outline, so while I may make changes to this later, I don't think the changes will be too drastic.

So, yes. This is a part of an as-of-yet unnamed, and un-er-started End of War Story.

A few notes:

In The Christmas Song, we learn Olsen's name outside the wire is Jannik Hansen.

2. It references how Olsen ended up at the Russian front as seen in Chapter 18 of my Inktober Shorts

3. I don't think I've actually done this: written a scene that fits into a story to build around it later. I've had ideas of scenes that come later in the story, but I'm very much the kind of person who starts at the beginning and goes from there in case my characters decide to derail everything I have planned. So I guess we'll see how this goes...

4. I'm pretty vague when it comes to gruesome details. I don't particularly like writing torture scenes, so I leave lots to the imagination (as I did in Journey of a Little Deer). So... yeah. If you want graphic descriptions, there are other writers out there. I focus mainly on the emotional fallout of torture rather than the torture itself.

5. Oh, and yes, Hochstetter mentions that the boys have been in his custody for two days while in Hochstetter's Revenge, he tells Carter he had him for three days. That's not an error. Hochstetter is just a jerk who is trying to throw Carter off balance.

Anyway, onward!

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Hochstetter slammed his fist on the desk. Nothing. Two days, and nothing. Neither prisoner would betray Colonel Hogan, no matter what Hochstetter put them through.

“Perhaps they don’t know,” Lieutenant Elsholtz said. “Admit it, Major, the idea was ludicrous from the start! Everyone has told you time and time ag–”

“Shut up,” Hochstetter growled, whirling to glare dangerously at his underling. “Shut up!”

“But, Major, what more can be done?”

“What more?!” Hochstetter cried. “You think I have run out of tricks?” Elsholtz opened his mouth but quickly shut it. “I have been kind until now,” Hochstetter sneered.

Elsholtz grimaced. “But, Herr Major, I think that–”

“I did not ask you to think! Do you hear that?” Hochstetter threw out his hand, pointing to the window. The glass did little to muffle the sounds of artillery. “The Allies are at our doorstep. If I do not get my answers now, I never will.”

“Which is precisely why we should just drop it,” Elsholtz pleaded. “I hate Papa Bear, too. But the war is all but over. We should–”

“I told you to shut up! Shut up and meet me downstairs. And bring Bruno.”

“I–” Hochstetter turned up the fury in his eyes, as the embers of his frustration built into a raging fire. “Uh, jawohl, Herr Major.” Elsholtz saluted and left the office.

When the door closed, Hochstetter cast a glance at the window. “Just a little more time… Model, please, give me a little more time.”

He doubted the Generalfeldmarchall would be able to hold them off for long. The Allies had encircled the area not three days ago and were putting pressure on the ‘Ruhr Pocket’. Soon, Model’s forces would be overwhelmed, the Allies would capture Hammelburg, and any chance Hochstetter had to capture Papa Bear would evaporate.

Hochstetter growled at the thought and tapped his fist on the table. This was it. He had run out of time. He needed answers. Now.

Straightening his back, Hochstetter took a breath and marched out of his office. As he walked through the halls, he heard other Gestapo agents yelling at their staff, demanding papers be burned and loose ends be tied up. From the courtyard he heard a gunshot.

Fools. Now was not the time to panic.

Hochstetter hurried down the stairs to the basement. Most of the cells were empty, but there were still a few pathetic prisoners waiting for either liberation or death. Hochstetter hoped they received the latter. But he wasn’t in charge of all the prisoners– only two.

He stopped in front of their cells. The Englishman sat against the wall, his legs stretched out, and his hands– swollen and bruised– cradled in his lap. He looked up at Hochstetter and glared, an act that was probably less intimidating than he hoped due to his swollen eye and bloodied jaw.

“Come to break my toes, now?” Corporal Newkirk growled.

“A good idea for later,” Hochstetter said.

In the cell beside Newkirk, Sergeant Carter rolled his shoulder. “Can we please skip the thumb hanging,” he said. His words hadn’t come out as a plea. Rather, he sounded more exasperated at the idea. “I think my shoulder is dislocated. Geez, my shoulder hasn’t hurt this much since I fell off my horse back during that cattle run I did with my uncle. See, there was this big old thunderstorm and–”

Hochstetter stamped his foot. “Enough!” He had had enough of the sergeant’s ramblings. Why didn’t he ever say anything useful?

“Sounds like a thunderstorm outside, too,” Newkirk drawled as the sound of artillery could be faintly heard even in the basement.

“Sounds close. You know, I don’t think the Allies will take too kindly with how you’ve treated us, Major,” Carter said disapprovingly.

“But if you take us back to camp now, we’ll try to put in a good word for you,” Newkirk said.

Carter looked over with wide eyes and blinked. “We will?”

Newkirk shrugged. “We’ll tell ‘em to give him a blindfold before they shoot him.” The two prisoners grinned. The action caused Carter’s lip to split open and he scrunched his nose as he gently patted his fingers on it.

The casual banter made Hochstetter furious. Two days of torture hadn’t yet broken them. He had applied all sorts of tactics– electrocution, beatings, whips, chains. He had strung Carter up by his thumbs. He had even broken all of Newkirk’s fingers. And still they had the audacity to joke and smile. They should be grovelling on their hands and knees, licking his boots, begging him to let them go. They should be confessing to all their crimes.

Hochstetter had never hated anyone more in his life, save for Hogan.

At that moment, Hochstetter heard Bruno and turned to see him and Elsholtz coming down the stairs. Excellent.

Elshotz brought Bruno to him and handed Hochstetter the leash. The dog growled and strained against him, trying to get to the prisoners. Hochstetter grinned as he looked over his prisoners, who exchanged wary glances.

Now who would have the pleasure of Bruno’s company? The American? He was young, wide-eyed, and seemingly oh-so-innocent. Or the Englander? He was tough, sarcastic, and angry. What a pleasure it would be to break him.

Oh, he had tried to use the men of Stalag 13 against each other before. This hadn’t been his first time interrogating any of them. But there had always been someone to stop him. But now, with all the chaos of the Allied approach, his superiors had given him more rein. Or, rather, they were more worried about what they were doing than what he was. It was time to take the gloves off and see how long they could really hold out.

Surely the American would crack first. He was weak. He wouldn’t be able to bear watching Bruno attack his comrade.

On the other hand, the Englander had already shown a protective streak towards his naïve companion.

Who would scream the loudest?

If neither chose to save the other, Hochstetter could at least have that.

“Him,” Hochstetter said, pointing to the cell. Elsholtz fished out his keys and unlocked the door, but kept his hand on the bars, waiting for Hochstetter’s order before opening it.

“Please, gentlemen,” Hochstetter said sweetly. “Confess now. Don’t make me do this.”

Again, Carter and Newkirk exchanged looks. Hochstetter tried to follow their unspoken conversation as Newkirk’s eyes darted from Bruno to Carter. Carter took a breath and, after glancing at Bruno, nodded slightly. Newkirk frowned and shook his head, but Carter just licked his lips and nodded again.

“No?” Hochstetter said. “Very well. Elsholtz?”

Elsholtz opened the cell. Bruno whined and pulled on his leash.

“Last chance…”

Both men looked at him and hardened their gaze.

“Very well.”

Hochstetter unhooked the German shepherd’s leash. Immediately it raced into the cell and jumped at the prisoner.

If Carter thought he could hold out against the attack, he was wrong. Hochstetter grinned in satisfaction as Carter cried out as Bruno latched onto him, dragging him to the floor. Bruno tore off the sergeant’s sleeve like it was nothing. Carter vainly tried to fight off the dog with his free hand, but it was useless.

Hochstetter watched with morbid fascination as blood splattered on the floor, and through the bars as Bruno shook his head wildly, his teeth still embedded into Carter.

“Get off!” Carter cried as he twisted and grabbed Bruno’s ear. That just made the shepherd angry. He snapped at Carter’s hand, causing the sergeant to pull it back. And then, again, Bruno tore into the man’s shoulder. Carter cried out, but the more he fussed, the more he tried to fight off the dog, the more agitated Bruno became and the more frenzied his attack.

Hochstetter tore his eyes off the sight to gauge Newkirk’s reaction. The Englander was red, shaking with rage. “You can call him off, Corporal,” Hochstetter said lightly. “Anytime you’re ready to confess.”

“There’s nothing to confess,” Newkirk said through gritted teeth, glaring at Hochstetter.

Carter’s scream brought both their attention back to him. Hochstetter looked away. Although not unused to violence, his stomach shifted a little. He saw Newkirk go pale.

“Stop. Stop it. Stop it!” Newkirk cried. He jumped to his feet and rushed his cell door. He banged on it with his palm. “Hochstetter, stop!”

Hochstetter grabbed the cell’s bars and put his face right in front of Newkirk. “Tell me who Papa Bear is.”

A whine rose up from Carter’s cell that didn’t sound human. Both Newkirk and Hochstetter looked over. The noise hadn’t come from Bruno, who was biting at Carter’s chest. Carter kept hitting the dog to no avail, and his strength seemed to be waning.

“Well, Newkirk?” Hochstetter spat, turning back to stare into Newkirk’s eyes. Newkirk’s breath quickened as he looked back at his friend. Hochstetter could feel his panic. “Well?!”

“I don’t know! I don’t!”

“Then neither of you are of any use to me!” He turned to Elsholtz. “Leave the dog. We will come back for the body after some tea.”

Elsholtz nodded and the two Gestapo agents turned to leave.

“Wait! Hochstetter!” Newkirk yelled. “You have to stop it!”

“Why?” Hochstetter asked over his shoulder even as he continued towards the stairs. “You have nothing to tell me.”

Newkirk was quiet. Hochstetter’s foot landed on the first step.

“Hansen.”

Hochstetter blinked. “What?”

“Hansen. That’s his name,” Newkirk said, again looking at Carter. “Hansen!”

“Newkirk,” Carter gasped before crying out in pain.

“Hansen! It’s Hansen!” Newkirk cried.

Hochstetter snapped his fingers. Immediately, Elsholtz went to retrieve Bruno. “Hansen, who?” he asked as he slowly made his way back to Newkirk’s cell.

“I don’t know any more than that, honest!” Newkirk exclaimed. “I… I tried escaping once and was told Hansen the grocer… they said he was Papa Bear!”

“They who?” Hochstetter demanded.

Newkirk licked his lips. “I… I don’t remember.”

“Lies!” He snapped his fingers again, signalling Elsholtz to release the dog once more. Bruno barked. Carter screamed.

“No! No, stop!” Newkirk yelled. “Stop! They were an old couple. On a farm. They helped me! But I was picked up by a patrol before I got to town.”

“Their names!” Hochstetter demanded as the chaos in the next cell continued.

“I don’t know! The Wetzels or Wetzigs. I don’t know!”

Hochstetter snapped his fingers again. Bruno whined as Elsholtz pulled him off Carter.

“Hansen the grocer? Jannik Hansen?”

Newkirk nodded, his eyes wide with terror.

No. It couldn’t be. Hogan was Papa Bear!

Hochstetter knew Jannik Hansen. He had initially been suspicious of the Danish nephew of Max Ofner and the timing of his arrival. But some sleuthing had led Hochstetter to discover that Hansen had joined the German army shortly after the occupation of Denmark and had served on the Russian front with honour before he had been shot. Unwelcome back home, he had moved in with his uncle. He had proven a valuable ally to the Gestapo, ferreting out those who spoke evils against the fuhrer, and even exposing members of the underground.

But what if that had all been an act? What if Papa Bear had simply used the Gestapo to rid him of his enemies. More than once Hochstetter had been surprised to find a certain individual called out by Hansen had been working against the Reich. What if…

No! Hogan was Papa Bear! And, besides, Hansen had been picked up by the Heer months ago and forced into service. But… now that he thought about it… Papa Bear’s activity had decreased somewhat since then…

No!!! Hogan was Papa Bear!!!

“Hansen is gone,” Elsholtz said, interrupting his thoughts.

“If he is Papa Bear, there will have to be proof at his house or the grocery shop,” Hochstetter said. He shoved his finger into Newkirk’s face. “If you are lying, I will make that–” he pointed to Carter without taking his eyes off Newkirk– “seem like child’s play.”

Newkirk nodded. Hochstetter hit the bars angrily. “Come!” he barked at Elsholtz as he turned to leave. Elsholtz pulled on Bruno, who tried desperately to go back to Carter. He got the dog out of the cell and closed it. Then he leashed him and scurried up to Hochstetter.

“Let’s pay a visit to Herr Hansen’s house,” Hochstetter said. As he marched up the steps, his hand balled into a fist and it shook with rage. He’d grant his prisoners a small reprieve and check on the story. But even now he knew it had to be a lie. It had to be.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Newkirk fell back onto the floor as soon as Hochstetter, Elsholtz, and the devil dog disappeared up the stairs. He felt dizzy, his breath coming out as quick pants. Hochstetter had bought it. He’d find evidence enough to convince him Newkirk wasn’t lying, but would it be enough to save them?

Newkirk sucked in some air before quickly pulling himself together. “Carter!” he cried, as he crawled to the bars their cells shared. “Carter!”

Carter was sprawled out on his stomach, his face turned away from Newkirk. He was a bloody mess. Red stained his shirt and spilled out on the floor, forming a puddle beneath him. But he was alive. Newkirk could see the rise and fall of his back.

“Carter! Carter!” Newkirk yelled, hoping to rouse him.

He heard Carter suck in a breath. “Nwk?”

Newkirk stuck his arm through the bars and tried to reach Carter’s hand but he was just a little too far. He pressed himself as hard as he could, squishing his face, awkwardly straining his neck, trying to stretch just a little further to reach him. “Carter. Carter, can you move closer to me?” Carter mumbled something unintelligible in response. “C’mon, mate. Wake up. You can do it!”

Carter’s hand flexed and then it pressed against the ground.

“No, Carter, don’t try to get up,” Newkirk said. “Just scoot closer to me. You can do that, can’t you mate?” A terrible whine escaped Carter’s lips. “Come on. Come on!”

The puddle under Carter was getting bigger. Newkirk had to get him close so he could do something! Anything!

Slowly, Carter turned his head to face Newkirk. His eyes were glassy and unfocused, but his brow furrowed with determination. Clawing at the ground he slowly inched himself closer.

“That’s it, Carter. Just a little more.” Newkirk strained and then finally– finally– his fingers grazed Carter’s. One painful movement later, Carter was close enough and Newkirk grabbed his hands. His fingers screamed in protest, as the dull ache that had settled in them suddenly roared to life. Newkirk ignored them and, with a grunt, pulled Carter closer. Carter gasped and tried to pull his hand away, but Newkirk held on as tightly as he could. “Just a little closer.” Newkirk pulled again, bringing Carter’s arm into his cell while the rest of Carter’s body pressed up against the bars.

The effort made Newkirk’s head swim, reminding him that the last two days hadn’t been a picnic. But now that Carter was closer, Newkirk could get a better look at his injuries.

Newkirk peered through the bars at Carter’s other shoulder. He couldn’t see much through the blood, but what he could see looked very much like ground hamburger. The injuries extended down his arm and to his back, and Newkirk could only imagine what his chest looked like.

Newkirk hissed and pulled off his shirt, despite the protest from his fingers. He noted his own blood had already stained the shirt, but he ignored that as he balled it up. Then he reached through the bars and pressed it the best he could against Carter’s shoulder. Carter didn’t react to the pressure and Newkirk had to reassure himself that his friend was still breathing.

“Carter! Hang on. We’re going to get out of here. Hochstetter will have to let us go once he finds everything in Olsen’s house. It’s going to be all right, mate. It’s going to be all right!”

He sounded earnest, but he knew every word was a lie.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Skip to Hochstetter raiding Jannik Hansen’s (AKA Jerrik Olsen’s) house.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Possibly skip to a scene at Stalag 13

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Hochstetter stormed into the basement. He wasn’t going to fall for Papa Bear’s lies. He didn’t care what he had seen. It was a trick. Hansen was simply another pawn in Hogan’s game. He didn’t care about proof. He had all the proof he needed. He always had.

He found Carter pressed up against Newkirk’s cell while the Englander held what Hochstetter could only assume to be his own shirt, against the American’s shoulder. He sneered at him.

“Well?!” Newkirk demanded.

“Ach, lies!” Hochstetter cried. “All lies!”

“Hochstetter, you have what you want! Now let us out of here! Can’t you see Carter needs–”

“You are not going anywhere until you tell me the truth!” Hochstetter screeched. His brain screamed that he needed to do more. Where was Elsholtz? “Elsholtz! Bring Bruno!”

“No!” Newkirk yelled.

“I will–”

The phone rang, cutting him off. Had his men dealt with Max already? Perhaps Max had confessed the truth about Hogan!

Hochstetter grabbed the phone. “What?! Has he confessed?!”

“Major Hochstetter.” He recognized the smooth and subtly dangerous voice on the other end. General Kinchmeyer. Hochstetter snarled to himself. The General was always butting in at the worst times.

“Herr General,” Hochstetter spat.

“Major, have you gotten your confession yet?”

“Bah! It is only a matter of time!”

“I have given you enough time!” Kinchmeyer snapped. “You idiot! The Allies are closing in! I do not want to be charged with your war crimes. Release your prisoners at once or face my wrath!”

Hochstetter felt his face grow hot and he shook with anger. “General, how dare you rob me of–”

“How dare I? How dare I?” Kinchmeyer cried, his voice reaching a frenzied pitch. “Major Hochstetter–” his voice was low again. Low and threatening. It made the hairs on the back of Hochstetter’s neck tingle– “We have not met in person, but I assure you, mine will be the last face you see if you do not release your prisoners. Now.”

Hochstetter growled. “Jawohl, Herr General.” He slammed down the phone.

Whirling around, he glared at his two prisoners. “Elsholtz! Elsholtz!”

The lieutenant failed to appear. Hochstetter grunted in frustration. “Lieutenant Klebs! Klebs?! KLEBS!!!”

There was a clattering of feet as Lieutenant Klebs hurried down the stairs. “Jawohl, Herr Major?” Klebs said, quickly saluting him.

“Klebs, gather our men. All of them. Find whatever Heer scum you can and bring them with you.”

“Where are we going, Herr Major?” Klebs asked.

“To Stalag 13. I want you to go there. Kill everyone.”

“What?! No!” Newkirk yelled from his cell. Hochstetter saw him get up and throw himself against the cell door, but Hochstetter ignored him.

“Everyone?” Klebs repeated with a hint of disbelief.

“Everyone!” Hochstetter screamed. “Guards, prisoners, that fool Colonel Klink. Kill them all.” There was no way he was going to release his prisoners. And if he was going down for war crimes, he was going to go down for something worthwhile. “Spare Colonel Hogan. I want him here, alive. I want him to see what he forced me to do,” he said, waving dismissively towards the cells.

“But, Major Hochstetter, I–”

Hochstetter whipped out his luger and leveled it at him. “Now, Klebs. Now.”

“Jawohl, Major Hochstetter.” Klebs turned and hurried up the stairs. Despite his hesitation, Hochstetter knew Klebs would fulfill his order. The Gestapo and SS didn’t recruit weaklings.

“Hochstetter. Hochstetter, you bastard!” Newkirk cried. “You can’t do that! You can’t!” Hochstetter ignored him and walked to the stairs. Newkirk followed as far as he could until the bars stopped him. “Hochstetter! Hochstetter!”

Hochstetter stepped onto the stairs. Then he paused and faced Newkirk. “You should have told me the truth,” he sneered. And then, without another word, he pulled out his luger and fired two shots. Newkirk hit the ground and Hochstetter continued up the stairs.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#hogan's heroes #hogan's heroes fanfic #sandbox time #Story snippets #Apparently I'm a sucker for fic requests #CARTER!#NEWKIRK!#My babies!!!#You always hurt the ones you love #This will be a full-length story... one day

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lunar-years · 2 years ago

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I agree- I don’t think the show is making Jack out to be “the evil lesbian” at all, and honestly anyone who seriously claims that should calm down. LGBT+ characters having flaws, even bad flaws, doesn’t mean they’re evil or that the writers are homophobic, it means they’re characters. JackxKeeley are obviously not going to be long-term for a # of reasons. Like you said, a show doesn’t introduce a long-term couple by having them drunkenly hook up 10 seconds after one of them admits to not being over their ex (and can’t even say his name). Besides, I can’t imagine Brett being ok with ending the show with them still apart lol.

Anyway IMO as a RoyxKeeley shipper, I don’t think Jack was written to be a shit gf that drives Keeley back to Roy. I think it’s kind of the opposite. You could argue that on paper, power imbalance aside, Jack and Keeley make more sense than Roy and Keeley. They’re both similar ages, fun, bi, independent + rich businesswomen, and good communicators. I think Jack’s biggest flaw will be that she’s just not Roy. It was their differences that made Roy and Keeley such a compelling and electric couple. And remember, Keeley doesn’t even know why Roy ended things. I can’t imagine finding out that Roy gave her up bc he thought she would realize that she deserved better would have no impact on her. Obviously Roy’s arc this season has been learning to accept that he’s worthy of good things, and although it’s less clear cut I think Keeley’s arc is similar to the team’s: succeeding takes a lot of trial and error. I think the second half will see her gain confidence as a boss bitch and go after what she wants. And I think part of that will be confronting Roy. Sorry for rambling lol

No worries on the rambling. My entire blog is just me rambling :)

I do understand where queer people who are upset about the direction Jack/Keeley is going and/or who have concerns re: the "evil lesbian" trope are coming from. As I said in my initial post on this, I think it's a complex issue and mileage is going to vary for different people given their own experiences. A lot of wlw representation in media has been god awful, with wlw characters portrayed as horribly toxic or else killed off needlessly. I see where the concerns are rooted and I am always going to be understanding and sympathetic to queer people who just want to see themselves represented in healthy and loving relationship portrayals onscreen.

Is giving Jack unfavorable traits "fuel" for homophobic people? I mean, of course. I have already seen a number of people latching on to the issues with them last episode and using it as justification to immediately call Jack a "creeper" "abuser" and any other number of things that all more or less translate to "I hate Jack and I think Keeley deserves to return to a REAL MAN, Roy Kent, because I am a flaming bigot." However...that doesn't mean the answer is that the show shouldn't give her any unfavorable traits? The unfortunate reality is these people were always going to be homophobic regardless of whether Jack/Keeley break up or are endgame. It is really disgusting behavior to see, obviously, but I think it's important to remember that it is viewers and not the show itself who are demonizing Jack (at least at this point).

My PERSONAL opinion as a bi woman is this: I think it is silly to say that introducing a wlw relationship to the show is only worthwhile if it's perfect and wonderful and ultimately endgame, or that the writers are only allowed to have a "messy" wlw relationship if they also have a second, "perfect" wlw relationship to counterbalance it. As you said: the writers are just writing characters as people. Putting all these restrictions on the stories people want to tell and demanding they fit into certain boxes to be "acceptable" is going to leave us with a lot of really shitty media, at the end of the day.

We do have excellent queer representation on the show this season and it is in the form of three beautiful queer characters: Colin, Trent & Keeley. I think it is a little reductive to say that the show will only pass the "good representation" checkbox if these characters end up in certain relationships. Keeley is an incredible, complex character who has always been bi, will always be bi, and is wonderful bi representation regardless of whether she ends up with Jack, Roy, Jamie or nobody at all.

OKAY xx now on to the other part, Roy/Keeley:

I agree with so much of what you said. Roy/Keeley certainly had their issues (personally I think it goes beyond just "Roy doesn't think he's good enough for her or deserving of love" even though that was clearly component #1 in the break), but their differences definitely balanced in certain ways that made them an electric, compelling couple! I think both of them really needed this season to explore who they are individually and come into themselves a little bit on their own before their relationship would actually work long-term. And I do think there is going to be a reckoning between them where they lay it all out there (and we learn more about their actual break) and they decide how to move forward together, friends or partners or otherwise.

Personally I do think it would be a little rushed to put them back together at the end of this season with only five episodes left, as there are still so many loose threads between them (together as well as within their individual arcs) and only so much screen time. But the writers tend to surprise me, so if they do it, I just hope they do it in a satisfying way :)

#ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers #Keeley Jones #Jack Danvers #Roy Kent #remember when i said i wasn't going to get into that first part. well. oops.#apologies for discoursing on this random thursday #asks #roykeeley

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achitka · 1 year ago

Text

Doors (Chapter 46) Caja de Recuerdos

(Box of Memories)

The holidays be upon us. It's just past midnight and I somehow managed to get through almost another day - go me. Anyway, on with the show: Pepa gets stuff, Tuli's issues are definitely becoming more apparent, Isabela is not all that sure that being a shut in is working for her anymore, Luisa is the bomb diggity and Dolores - good god, but I love that woman. She is very helpful at stripping everything to its component dialogue. Makes my laziness a little less obvious. Hope you all enjoy.

Pepa sat surprised and staring at what her mother had just handed her. When she had told her earlier that she wanted to help her with the family history she was working on. Pepa never imagined she would give her all this. She knew about this box of photos and had feared it had been lost in the breaking. Her fingers twitched, and she noticed her mother’s small smile before she returned her attention to their guest. She stared at the box of photos and began to gently lift them, being careful not to take them out of the box. Pepa had wanted for years to see the photos that were now, right here in her lap. She paused when she came upon a photo of her father. He was sitting, pen in hand, looking thoughtfully at papers strewn across a very ornate desk. It actually reminded her of the one in Bruno’s room. She wondered if it was taken at her parent’s old home.

She flipped through a few more and paused on another of her father. He was working on a piece of furniture, but had turned back to face the camera, so she couldn’t’ tell what sort of furniture it was. This was actually something Pepa did not know about her father, and she realized that that was the norm. The pain that was always evident when Mamá spoke of him caused herself and her siblings to stop asking questions.

Others were of everyday things like the afternoon market, photos of various buildings and landscapes, usually with one or both of her parents. Some were picture post cards of faraway places. Pepa resisted the urge to dump them into her lap, and had completely lost track of the conversation between her mother and Rodrigo. Bruno had alluded to her before supper that Rodrigo was probably the one related to their mother and the actual focus of that first sponty. He told her that it wasn’t until he completed the sketch that he realized his error. Before the breaking, Bruno had often taken his spontys at face value and disregarded them once they ended. Now that he’d taken to sketching them, something their mother would not have allowed when they were younger, he could get a second opinion. She was relieved that it was Rodrigo, and not Señora Vargas, who was related. Her brother had gone back through the bulk of those sketches and found that Rodrigo was in a lot of them. That’s what sent him out on the patio to wait for Bubo and that also meant that José, Tuli and Bubo were relations as well, distant, but still family.

It was almost overwhelming, and Pepa could feel the cloud forming and started to fidget. Not wanting to rain on these precious items or their guest, she excused herself to go to the table that was a few meters away behind the sofa. She put the box on it as she sat down then began to pick up each photo, then carefully turn them over to see if there were any names or dates written on them. There were a total of seven pictures related to the wedding. There were a few group pictures that showed two pairs of smiling older people. She flipped one of them and read the names of what could only be her abuelos. Some were a little faded, but the people in them could be easily distinguished. Julieta and Bruno came over then, and even though she wanted to snatch all the pictures away, she didn’t. They were just as curious about their family as she was. The three of them looked over at their mother, who was now speaking with Tuli’s Tío. Luisa and Tuli were gone, probably to her room.

They returned their attention to the pictures and Bruno said in a whisper as he pointed, “Pep, you look just like this lady here.”

Pepa flipped it over and read, “Pepita and Sixtos Madrigal – Pedro’s parents” She appeared much younger than in the wedding photos and her hair was very light, but since there was no color to the photos, she couldn’t really say whether the woman was a blonde or was a red-head like her. This was a box of questions, that was for sure. Julieta was looking at another photo of the woman, who Pepa thought, was the same woman in the wedding photos. Julieta turned it over and her eyebrows went up. Bruno was choosing photos, reading the backs and replacing them.

“What are you looking for, Bruno?”

“Just seeing if any of these people have my name.”

Bruno continued to search further into the box, now passing them to Pepa, so she could add them to her growing number of piles on the table as Julieta watched. Bruno got almost to the bottom of the box when he paused and took out a picture of what appeared to be a sleeping child of maybe one or two. He turned the photo over and whispered, “Bruno at rest – October 1884” he set the box down as he handed the picture to Pepa and said, “I don’t think he’s sleeping.”

Pepa and Julieta both looked closely at the photo. The sister’s exchanged glances, and Julieta said, “I think you’re right about that, Bruno.” The handwriting on the back was unfamiliar, and Pepa thought it was likely her abuela’s. She nodded and handed the photo back to their brother. He looked at it again, then gently set it on the table with the others. When the husbands appeared, Pepa got excited all over again as she showed Félix the small piles. Agustín stood behind his wife as she held up the photo of the woman identified as their tía. It was such an odd thought that they even had any. Did she have any on her father’s side? That her mother had a sister who was still alive really made Pepa want to leave the Encanto and meet this person. This also made her wonder about those doors in the tower. Now that her mother recognized a few of them, the possibilities were so enticing, so many left to explore. She was quite looking forward to finding out about that yellow one. She just hoped that nothing would happen between now and noon to keep them from that.

Pepa looked up as Casita shifted some floor tiles at the clock and realized it was later than she thought. Julieta glanced up at Camilo’s room, then touched Pepa’s arm. Pepa nodded as she set the picture she was holding back on the table and headed for the kitchen. She quickly put together a tray with a plate of cookies and some really weak coffee that was still fairly hot. She quietly dropped it off and noted Mirabel appeared a bit tired and Camilo was concentrating on something with his eyes shut. Not wanting to disturb them, she exited and headed back to the courtyard.

Julieta and Agustín were gone, and her mother was speaking quietly with Bruno. Rodrigo and José were discussing the two photos Rodrigo was holding as they waited nearby. Félix was going through the piles, being careful not to mess up her ordering system. She joined him and put a hand on his shoulder, and he said, “These will make a nice addition to the ones you were working on earlier, Pepi. Probably a good thing you haven’t placed any in the book yet.”

“Yes, but I am thinking now I should draw up a family tree as well.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea, mi vida,” Félix said, “I’m going to make sure Antonio found his bed. Tuli is still with Lulu?”

“Yes, she’s looking after her while Mirabel helps Camilo study.”

“I wonder how that’s going.”

“From where the piles were when I dropped off some snacks just now, it looks like they are about finished.”

“Very good, I’m off. I’ll see you upstairs, mi vida?”

Pepa blushed and said, “In a few minutes. I’m going to help Mamá see our guests off.”

He nodded, and she watched her husband head for the stairs. She turned back to find Bruno had vanished, along with the picture of that sleeping Bruno. She sighed and began placing the photos back into the box. When she was finished, she replaced the lid, tapped it twice, then went to join her Mamá.

-----------------------

Tuli absently pulled at her locket as she walked with Luisa up the stairs. She wondered if Luisa really did have a collection of stuffed animals in her room. It didn’t make any sense to her. Mirabel’s older sister was really nice, but she was really tall and super strong, so why would she need that? They reached the door and Luisa smiled as she opened it. Tuli went in and was surprised when she looked down to find fluffy clouds surrounded her feet. The floor was covered end to end with rainbow clouds, that billowed softly toward the other side of the room. Tuli noticed then all the shelves and bookcases were crammed with every kind of stuffed animal she could think of in between the books.

“Wow! Señorita Luisa, you weren’t kidding,” Tuli said as she let go of her locket to reach down to touch the cloud that was flowing gently around her feet. This caused Tena to slide off her shoulder and disappear into the misty covering. “Oh no! Tena!” she cried as she dropped to her knees and began frantically searching. Reaching down into the cloudy flooring, she found it was deeper than she was expecting, since her knees had remained on top. She was starting to panic and was searching desperately when Luisa touched her shoulder. Tuli continued searching and said tearfully, “Tena’s gone, and I just got him back.”

“It’ll be all right, Tuli” Luisa said,” and Tuli looked up at her. “Don’t worry, Casita can help with this,” and she asked the house, “Casita? Can you help us find Tena?”

A cloudy floorboard poked itself up out of the top layer a little ways away, and the stuffed rat appeared draped over it. Tuli let out a sigh of relief and gently took the rat with shaky hands as she said, “Thank you, Casita.” The floorboard plopped back into place, leaving behind a small smiley face that appeared just above the surface for a moment, and this made Tuli giggle. She then held up Tena and waggled a finger at the stuffed rat, saying, “Don’t you scare me like that again, Tena.” Tuli paused as she remembered what her Tío said about being afraid when she ran away. Was he as scared as she just was? She decided she didn’t want to think about that, then hugged the rat to herself.

“You okay, Tuli?”

Tuli nodded and said while looking around, “I’ve never been in a room that was so… soft.”

“Best room ever,” Luisa said and did a quick twirl. This made the clouds puff up around her, and Tuli placed Tena back on her shoulder as she nodded in full agreement. She glanced back at Luisa’s door. She’d noticed in Isabela’s room that the image appeared on both sides. She’d examined Isa’s door when she went to get the scarf from Mirabel’s room, and noticed then that Isa’s door was very crisp and clear. Luisa’s picture looked a little fuzzy, and she wondered why there were animals in the background. They weren’t always there, so that made it all the stranger. Maybe it was because Luisa felt the way Tuli did. Stuck in the middle of being who she really was and who people thought she should be. But who wouldn’t want to be super strong?

Luisa had Tuli come sit on the bed as she gathered a number of the plushies from around the room. She piled them up on her bed, and Tuli arranged them in neat lines as Luisa told her their names. While she was doing this, Luisa told her how she used to collect the donkeys after they would get out of their pen in town. She was demonstrating how she would pile them up on her shoulders, and Tuli said, “I think you’re making that up.”

Luisa smiled and said, “If only.”

Tuli was still skeptical, so Luisa decided that next, they would play a game of balancing the stuffed animals atop their shoulders. Luisa managed to get ten donkeys on her first try, then picked up five more without losing any of the others, tossed them in the air and caught those as well. Tuli decided this would be easy, but kept losing one or two when she would reach down to get the next one. She was starting to get frustrated, and it took her several tries, but she was pleased when she managed to get her pile of donkeys seven high.

“Nice job, Tuli,” Luisa said, setting an extra one on top. The donkey pile collapsed, and both started laughing as they put the plushies back on the shelves and Luisa asked, “What would you like to do now?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes I would watch TV, but I was only allowed to watch it for an hour. Then I would go to my room after and read. Tío was usually working, and he has a lot of books… Didn’t go outside much, and besides, I’ve never had many friends.”

“Me neither. Being super strong, I was afraid I would hurt someone accidentally. Once I was done with my chores, I was usually pretty tired, so I would stay in my room and read. But now, I have way fewer chores and,” Luisa said as she pointed to the archway, “I can go to the beach any time I want.”

Tuli could not help but smile. She loved the beach. She loved the ocean.

Luisa noticed her smile and asked, “You wanna go?” and she held out her hand.

“A real beach?” Tuli asked as she looked at the archway. Luisa nodded and beckoned to her again, so Tuli took off her shoes and said as she took Luisa’s hand, “I’ve always wanted to go to the beach at night. I bet the moon is twice as beautiful.”

Luisa nodded and said, “I like to watch the tide come in. Is peaceful,” and they headed across her room to the archway. “Careful in the dunes,” Luisa said. The sand was still warm from the earlier sun, and this felt nice on Tuli’s feet. Luisa pointed toward the shore and said, “I’ve been staying off the sand since there were some turtles nesting there.”

“Real live turtles? I’ve never seen one. Are they as big as the books say?”

“Yes. I even helped one fill in her hole to cover her eggs. Helping animals is why I want to be a veterinarian.”

“What’s that?”

“An animal doctor.”

“Can girls really be doctors?”

“This one will be,” Luisa said confidently. She helped Tuli up onto some rocks to better see the beach. Luisa sat down and indicated Tuli should come sit with her. Tuli did, and Luisa asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I want to be a ballet dancer,” Tuli said. “They’re so graceful, and I want to learn how to standup on my tippy-toes and be able to dance all night.”

“That’s amazing Tuli. I’ve only seen pictures of ballet dancers. I really hope you get the chance to do that. You know, Isabela is actually a very graceful dancer. She learned a lot from our Tía Pepa, and she would take lessons from one of the ladies in town. Maybe she can give you some pointers, without the cacti, of course.”

Tuli smiled, the cactus lady had turned out to be pretty nice. She’d believed Isabela hated her because of who she was. Tuli could see she was wrong about that and asked, “Luisa, do you think he’s having fun?”

“Who?”

“Bubo,” Tuli said and pulled at her locket.

“Hope so.”

“I think Bubo really likes Isabela. He was staring at her all during supper.”

“Yeah, that happens a lot around Isa.”

“Do you think she likes Bubo? A lot of the boys back in the city say girls won’t like boys who are short, like Bubo is.”

Luisa smiled and tilted her head then said, “I’ll be honest, my sister’s never shown an interest in anyone. That includes her former almost fiancé.” Luisa leaned in and added, “Isa did mention this morning that she thinks your primo is adorable.”

Tuli smiled and hoped she would be able to stay here with Bubo. If he had to leave this place because of her, Tuli would never forgive herself. Then Tuli said, “Wait, I didn’t know Isabela was engaged,” feeling a little confused, “How can she go on a date then?”

“Well, she was never actually engaged. It was actually more of a betrothal.”

“What’s that?” Tuli asked, she’d never heard that word before.

“Our Abuela had picked out a husband for Isa and made a promise to the other family that she would marry a certain person from that family. When the other family agreed, then Isa and that other person were betrothed, or just promised to one another.”

“People really do that?”

“Sometimes, but in the end, she didn’t get engaged because... Ummm, well… stuff happened,” Luisa said and shrugged.

“Was it because the house broke?” Tuli asked in an almost whisper.

“Oh, you heard about that?” Luisa asked.

“Toni told me about it,” Tuli replied, “He said it was because Mirabel was fighting with your Abuela.”

“I guess in a way that’s true, but it was a little more complicated than that.”

“Oh,” Tuli said and let out a yawn as she looked up at the moon. The moon was full tonight and it made the sand sparkle. Before the bad stuff happened, her mother had promised to take her to the beach at midnight so she could see the full moon. Tuli frowned and thought, just one more thing she would never be able to do with her Mamí. She felt tired and was a little cold, so scooched closer to Luisa who put an arm around her and Tuli said, “I really miss my Mamí.”

Luisa gave her a gentle hug as Tuli looked out at the water then closed her eyes, listening to it. She took a deep breath and the smell of the sea helped calm her already frayed nerves. Feeling a little better about the day, she opened her eyes to find her Mamí sitting beside her. Tuli blinked. Her Mamí looked just as she had before the bad people came. Tuli turned and realized that Luisa was gone. This made her a little anxious, but at the same time so happy, and she whispered, “Are you a ghost?”

Her mother only smiled.

Tuli pulled Tena from her shoulder and said, “Look, Mamí! I got Tena back. Tío fixed him up, and now he’s just a pretty as he was… ” Her mother put a hand on her cheek, so Tuli stopped talking. Her Mamí would do that when Tuli was rushing and she wanted Tuli to listen. But her mother still didn’t say anything as she turned and held out her hands. Confused Tuli took them and climbed off the rock with her onto the beach. From somewhere, she heard her Mamí’s voice as she sang the first song Tuli ever learned.

Girls are already dancing

With their gloves inside out

And the moon goes without wings,

Goes without wings, without feet.

Oh, round-faced moon!

How from above you see,

Come dance in the circle

Two and two and two are six.

Together, they twirled in the sand and Tuli felt actual joy as she sang those lyrics with her over and over. Not even caring that her scarf had come loose when the song ended. Her Mamí gently touched her face again as she kissed Tuli's forehead and then turned toward the water. The moon was shining very brightly over the waves as her mother started toward that light. It wasn’t fair that she couldn’t go with her, Tuli thought, and she took a step to follow. An abrupt darkness fell, swallowing the moonlight, and her Mamí disappeared. “No!” Tuli cried, “Please, don’t take her from me again! Please... ” the darkness continued to march toward her, and Tuli felt the inevitability of her demise.

Why was every good thing in her life always followed by something horrible? She knew why. She truly was a cursed child, and it would be better for everyone if she were dead. She should have done something to help her mother or died trying. Then at least she would be with her. Everyone thought so. She could see it in the looks they gave her. She felt cold inside and Tuli was down on her knees watching the approaching darkness. It continued to swallow everything around her. Light, sound… everything. She was stupid to think she could ever really be happy. Stupid to believe anyone other than people like Santiago wanted her to be this way. Stupid to believe she should try again. This was the way things were meant to be, she thought, she was a mistake from the beginning. Something akin to peace washed over her as she closed her eyes and let the gloom envelop her.

-----------------------------

Luisa noticed Tuli wavering next to her as she said, “I really miss my Mamí.” Luisa had put an arm around Tuli to keep her from falling off the rock shelf they were sitting on, giving her a gentle hug. When Tuli went completely limp, Luisa thought at first, she’d fallen asleep. So, she picked her up and headed back to her bedroom. Tuli’s stillness made Luisa nervous, so she laid Tuli on the bed and decided she wasn’t sleeping. She’d helped her mother with unconscious folks before, so she moved the pillow under Tuli’s feet and covered her up to her chin and asked, “Casita, can you ask Mamá to come to my room? I think Tuli’s fainted.” There was an answering clatter and Luisa nodded.

A short time later, Casita opened the door and Luisa’s parents came in. Her mother sat beside Tuli and flipped open her eyelids. This made her mother frown, and she said, “Dolores, I’m sorry to interrupt your date, but can you please go to Dr. González’s home and ask him to come to Casita? Agustín, can you get her Tío?”

Agustín left, and she said to Luisa, “Tell me everything that happened before she fainted.”

Luisa did, and her mother nodded and said, “Okay, mi vida, can you please get me some cool water and towels?”

Luisa nodded and felt a little relieved her mother had not requested the tub, so probably no fever. She passed her father and Tuli’s Tío as she made for the stairs. She got the requested items and found her Abuela, Tía Pepa, Mirabel, and Camilo in the hall. Since her door was open, she went inside and set the items her mother asked for on the nightstand.

“Thank you, mija,” her mother said as she wetted one of the towels. After placing it on Tuli’s forehead, she turned to José and asked, “Has Tuli ever fainted like this before?”

“Yes,” Tuli’s uncle replied, “but not for a very long time.”

Her mother nodded and asked, “When would you say the last time was?”

“At least four years ago,” he said.

José was sitting at the end of the bed holding Tena. When Fura appeared and squeaked questioningly at him, he looked at the rat, then at the stuffed one he held. They were all but identical. He gave Fura the barest of nods, and she scampered lightly up his arm to sit on his shoulder. Luisa figured that Tuli’s uncle, Rodrigo and probably Bubo all knew what the rats were saying. It was definitely a family thing. Fura was squeaking quietly, and Luisa wondered what the rat was telling Tuli’s Tío. His expression never changed, nor did he acknowledge the rat further. Just sat and watched Tuli sleep.

Her mother touched her arm and said, “Can you wait in another room, mija?”

Luisa nodded and asked, “If Bubo’s back, should I send him in?” Her Mamá looked to Tuli’s Tío. He nodded, so Luisa headed for the door.

----------------------------

Isa felt Dolores nudge her with her foot and promptly stopped talking. She tried not to blush; she knew she was totally rambling. Bubo probably didn’t need to know all about the life cycle of the wax palm, and he did not seem to mind that she wasn’t actually giving him a chance to get a word in edgewise. She’d never talked this much to anyone outside of her family about things she actually cared about. Isa picked up her coffee and took a long sip. Dolores handed her a plate with a small pyramid of square, bite sized cakes she called pinafores. Isa set down her coffee and accepted the plate, which she set between herself and Bubo.

He picked up one that was coated in dark chocolate and decorated with white and orange stripes and asked, “I wonder what flavor this is?” He broke it in half, smelled it and said with a smile, “Oh, orange.” He was also not shy about putting it back together and popping the whole cake in his mouth. Isa picked one that was covered with a light pink frosting and tiny blue flowers. She set it on her napkin and examined it. She was trying to decide what sort of flower they were supposed to be. Maybe they weren’t even real flowers, but damn they looked familiar. Isa did not like that she didn’t know and restrained herself since she found she wanted to go ask the baker. After taking a bite, she looked at her hand when she felt the slight rustle and almost sighed. Instead, she lifted her hand as she finished the small cake to examine the tiny flower on the end of her finger more closely.

“Do you know what kind of flower that is?” Bubo asked.

Isa didn’t answer right away. The light blue five petaled flower had a star pattern at its base. There was also a smaller yellow five petal-like arrangement at its center, and Isa said with a smile, “Oh, it’s a tiny forget-me-not.” As she said this, the flower grew to its normal size, and she showed it to Bubo, but he wasn’t looking at the flower. He was watching her. She smiled and lifted her hand a little higher, then Bubo remembered to look at the flower.

“I see she’s back to dropping flower petals everywhere,” a voice from a table nearby said. Isabela knew that voice, it was Lorena Ramirez. Isa looked over at her one-time friend as a twitter of laughter came from the two other women with her. She felt her vine sleeve sprout and closed her hand, letting the flower fall apart. She picked up her coffee in an attempt to keep herself from strangling them with vines but caught the look Dolores was giving her. As if to say, screw them. So, Isa set her cup down and regrew the flower. Bubo’s eyes flicked from Mariano back to her, and he asked as he adjusted his glasses, “Tuli was telling me that Cecilia’s mother has flowers like these growing in her backyard. Do they only come in blue?”

In answer to his question, she sprouted a variety of colors on her other fingertips. This time she brought her fingers together and grew out the stems. The stems wound around each other, and she handed Bubo the small bouquet. He gently took it and slowly spun it a few times to look at the different blooms. He even turned them upside down to examine how the stems were holding together and said after righting them, “I think I prefer these paler blue ones.” And after smelling them, placed it in his shirt pocket.

“I’m actually fond of the pink,” Dolores said, “It’s a shame they don’t come in orange, though.”

That wasn’t a natural color for this flower, but since she could, Isa repeated what she’d done earlier and produced a small bouquet of orange forget-me-nots then handed them to her prima. Dolores smiled then turned and gave them to Mariano. He accepted the flowers, and he also placed them in his shirt pocket.

Again, she heard Lorena, she was speaking just loud enough that Isa would hear her over the noise of the other patrons. Commenting on how sad it was that she could only grow tiny flowers now, otherwise she might faint. Isa’s vine sleeves had crept down to her elbows, and Dolores was tapping on the table. Mariano was watching her prima with a look that said, ‘Oh dear.’ Dolores abruptly got up from her seat, and both Mariano and Bubo paused in their rising when she said, “I’ll be right back.” She turned then and made her way into the shop and disappeared from view.

“Where is she going?” Isabela asked Mariano.

Mariano was looking in the direction Dolores had taken with an amused expression and replied, “She mentioned something about eggs yesterday… or maybe it was the day before.” Then shrugged.

That wasn’t an answer and Mariano continued to pretend he knew nothing when he caught her expression and to change the subject he asked, “Dolores tells me you’re working with the farmers to strengthen the food crops with your Gift. Have you had any success with that?”

Isabela was a little taken aback. The entire time they were ‘dating’ he’d never asked her anything about her Gift. But that world had been a very different place, and she nodded and replied, “I’m hoping that I’ll be able to help the plants ward off any diseases that might be in the soil.”

Bubo asked, “Is that the same thing you were doing in Antonio’s room?”

“Mostly, but in a more focused way. I know it would take too much out of me if I tried to do an entire field at once,” Isa said and picked up another cake bite. This one had a light green frosting and yellow dots. She liked the minty taste and asked Mariano, “So have you two set a date yet?”

“No, still waiting for Dolores on that one,” he said with a small smile.

“How’s your mother handling that,” Isabela asked.

“With almost quiet impatience,” Mariano replied.

“I bet,” Isabela said and laughed a little.

Dolores was on her way back, and she was holding a small plate covered with a napkin. She stopped next to Lorena and set the plate in front of her. Lorena sat back in her chair, as Dolores bent down and whispered something as Lorena slowly began to lift the napkin. She dropped it back into place and her face went white. She looked up at Dolores, and Dolores whispered something else as she tilted her head. Lorena looked back at the other women, who were murmuring to one another. Lorena glanced back at the plate, then toward their table, and Dolores patted her on the back and walked away.

When she sat back down, Isa asked, “What was that all about, Doli?”

“An uncomfortable truth,” Dolores said.

Bubo and Mariano both had that look that said, whatever it is, we do not want to know, but Isabela wanted to know and decided she’d ask Dolores about it when they got home. Isabela noticed then that Lorena's friends were no longer at the other table. Lorena was alone, staring at the napkin. Lorena looked back in their direction, then back at the plate. Isabela looked at Dolores. She tilted her head and Isa realized Dolores had heard something, and Isa felt concern for this person she thought of as her former friend. After the breaking, it had been Isa who had pulled back from that relationship. There had been so many indirect piteous comments she’d overheard that she shut herself off from everything and decided she’d go to Lorena’s house tomorrow and see how she was doing. She watched Lorena turn back to the plate and wrapped the napkin around whatever Dolores had brought her, she then got up and left the café.

Still, Isabela wanted to relax and smiled at her prima who patted her hand, then, to Mariano’s delight, turned the subject to a possible wedding date. By the time they’d narrowed it down to a June wedding, most of the desserts were gone. In that time, Isabela had found out that Bubo was an only child, that he was not a fan of thunderstorms. Also, that before he left the city, he’d been saving money to buy a car. Isa had only seen pictures of automobiles, and they seemed a bit frightening to her. She still wanted to ride in one, though.

Dolores was finishing her wine when she let out a squeak and Mariano touched her hand. Isabela knew what that sound meant and asked, “Doli, what’s happening?”

“I don’t know, Luisa just told your Mamí that Tuli fainted.”

“Is she alright?” Bubo asked.

Dolores held up a hand as she closed her eyes, and everyone went quiet as she listened to what was happening in Casita. She opened her eyes and said, “Tía wants me to get the Doctor and bring him to Casita. She didn’t say it was an emergency, so I’ll see you two back there. Mariano, can you please help me with this?” She asked as she snitched the last pinafore, then was up from the table and on her way with Mariano in tow.

Bubo was sitting frozen, staring at his hands, and Isabela could almost feel the guilt. She got up and said as she took his hand, “Come on, Bubo. Let’s go help your prima.” He nodded, and together they headed for Casita.

Casita let them in, and Isa guided Bubo to the back stairs, and they walked around to Luisa’s room. Her sister’s door was open, but Luisa was standing outside talking to Mirabel and Abuela. Camilo and her Tía were headed toward the stairs with a tray. When Luisa saw them, she came over and told Bubo he should go in her room with his Tío to wait for the Doctor. Isabela joined her sisters and their Abuela, then went over to Mirabel’s room to wait.

---------------------------

When the doctor arrived, he was carrying a small bag that he set on the end of the bed, then spoke to Julieta. She relayed everything she’d been told up to this point. He checked Tuli’s pulse and his eyebrows went up. He then pulled out his stethoscope and listened to Tuli’s heart and lungs. He sat back and reached down into his bag and pulled out a small envelope.

“Señora, do you have a small bottle?” the Doctor asked.

“Yes,” Julieta replied, reaching into her apron, “do you need anything else?”

“Just a small amount of water to dissolve this,” he said as he opened the envelope. He placed a piece of paper on the bed stand and poured a small pile of white powder from the packet onto it. Julieta put a small amount of water into the bottle she had with her, then handed it to the Doctor, and he said to Julieta, “These are smelling salts. They can be used to help wake up someone who’s fainted. However, when dealing with a child, it’s better to use much less than a full dose.”

Julieta nodded and the Doctor, with practiced ease, used the paper to put some of the powder into the bottle, the rest he returned to the packet. After closing it with the stopper, he gave the bottle a good shake.

“Señor Bubo,” he said and indicated where he wanted Bubo to sit so he could prop Tuli up. “I’m going to wave this under Tuli’s nose, and I’ll need you to keep her arms at her sides as best you can.”

Bubo nodded, but was still alarmed when Tuli’s head jerked back into his chest. The Doctor handed off the bottle to Julieta, and Tuli slowly opened her eyes. When she saw the Doctor, she cried out and jerked herself away in her effort to get out from under the blankets.

“Tuli, Tuli, it’s okay,” Bubo said, as he lightly restrained her, “I’m here. The Doctor was called because you fainted. No one will hurt you here.”

Tuli’s eyes darted to all the faces around her. She turned and Bubo smiled slightly. She blinked then nodded, and he released her as her breathing evened out. She saw their Tío and flinched.

The Doctor noticed this as well and said gently, “Now that you’re awake, Tuli. Tell me what you were doing when you fell asleep?”

“I was sitting with Señorita Luisa by the beach... ” she paused as she looked at their Tío, he nodded so she continued, “I was thinking about my Mamí because she promised to take me to the beach at night... but we never got to do that. I don’t remember much after that...”

The Doctor nodded and asked Tuli to open her mouth and as he continued on with his regular exam he asked as he looked at her neck, “I see you have a locket.” He touched the hand she was using to hold it, and she released it. He carefully brushed her hair back and nodded. “Try not to pull too hard on it, Tuli. You're cutting into your skin on the back of your neck.”

“Yes sir,” Tuli said and held on to Tena with both hands instead of grabbing the locket.

“Did you enjoy your supper?” the Doctor asked and Tuli nodded, and he continued, “Are you hungry now?” Tuli shrugged then nodded again. “Then perhaps a snack before bed then, eh?” Tuli smiled a little, then glanced again at her Tío. She shrunk in on herself, but it was clear the Doctor knew where she was looking.

The Doctor got up from the bed, then rummaged in his bag and pulled out a small bottle. He removed one small tablet from it and handed it to Julieta, saying, “After Tuli has a snack, crush this on some paper and put a small amount in some water. It will help her stay asleep. I don’t recommend using it more than a few days in a row, else she may become dependent on it.”

Bubo realized that their Tío had Fura sitting on his shoulder. He set Fura and Tena on the bed as the Doctor motioned to indicate that Julieta and her Tío should join him in the hall. Fura pushed her nose under Tena and brought the stuffed version to Tuli.

Tuli smiled as she accepted the stuffed rat and said, “Thank you, Fura.”

Fura squeaked in reply and scampered off the bed and disappeared into the cloudy floor. Tuli turned the stuffed rat in her hands and said, “I’m sorry I ruined your date, Bubo. I wish I could be... not like this.”

Bubo gave her a squeeze and said, “You didn’t ruin anything, Tuli.” he pulled the pillow out from under the blankets and placed it behind her. He moved around in front of her and said, “In fact, I think it went pretty well.”

“Really? Isabela wasn’t mad?”

“Nope, definitely a dramatic ending though,” Bubo replied and pointed, “I see you have Tena.”

“Tío brought him,” she said and held up the toy, “He looks almost brand new.”

Bubo took the toy and said as he hefted it, “Tch, I think Tío’s over fed him. He’s gained some weight,” then handed Tena back to her.

“You’re silly.”

“It is one of my many failings,” Bubo said and adjusted his glasses, “Abuela always said so.”

Tuli pushed back the blankets and looked around Luisa’s room and said, “This room is so perfect... do you think it would be okay if I sleep here tonight?”

Bubo was taken aback and replied, “Really?” then took a good look around and said, “It is pretty girly in here. You sure you don’t want to stay with Antonio?”

Tuli nodded and said, “I love Toni’s room, he’s so much fun to play with and all of his friends are nice… but it reminds me too much of… the forest… and I don’t want to keep you up all night like I did last night.”

“Well, that’s not up to me, nor would I be able to stay with you. You’ll need to ask Señorita Luisa.”

“Oh yeah, you’re a boy,” Tuli said as she pet Tena. She remembered she still had Mirabel’s rosary. She took it off and offered it to Bubo, saying, “Can you give this back to Mirabel for me? Tell her it helped a lot.”

“I’ll do that,” Bubo said, taking it and placing it in his shirt pocket. The forget-me-nots dropped onto the bed, and Bubo picked them up and showed them to Tuli. “Got these from Isabela. They are pretty, no?”

Tuli nodded and they both turned when the door opened again and their Tío came back in. The Doctor and Señora Julieta were gone, so Bubo decided Tuli really had just fainted. There was an uncomfortably long silence that was only broken when Tuli said, “I’m sorry, Tío, I didn’t mean to faint and make everyone worry... ”

He set the tray nearby and held up a hand. Tuli stopped talking and Bubo could see Tuli was terrified of what her Tío was about to say. She was now had a white knuckled grip on both her locket and Tena. He did not indicate that Bubo should leave, so Bubo remained where he was and put his hand on Tuli’s.

He sat at the end of the bed and asked, “You’re not in any trouble, Tuli. Are you feeling better?” Tuli nodded, then let go of her locket as she resumed petting Tena. Their Tío nodded and picked up the plate with a small jelly sandwich which he offered to her. Tuli’s anxiety was clearly visible as she took a few bites of the sandwich. She chewed it very slowly, then set it back on the plate. “Done already?” Tuli nodded again, and he then offered Tuli the cup of juice. Bubo wondered what his Tío was thinking, since this was nothing if not supremely awkward.

But then Bubo thought, maybe he was trying to understand Tuli. Not just the fact that she was a girl, but more importantly that she was a little kid who had been through far too much. He turned to Bubo and said in an almost conversational tone, “I know I said I would give you my answer regarding Tuli staying here in a few weeks. But... something important has changed, Bubo.” Tuli had her eyes closed now with her hands balled up in front of herself as their Tío continued, “After speaking with the Doctor, and Señora Julieta, I’ve decided it would be best for Tuli to remain in the Encanto.” Tuli’s eyes popped open, and she leaned forward “But,” he said, looking around, “She is to stay with the Madrigals. The things we spoke of earlier, Bubo, still apply, but I may have to return to the city sooner than expected, and this will give you more time to get things settled.”

Bubo was not at all sure how to respond to that and just said, “Yes, sir.”

“I can really stay?” Tuli asked.

“Yes, you can stay,” their Tío replied

Tuli got to her feet and asked again, “I really don’t have to leave?”

Bubo knew why Tuli was asking again. More than once she’d been told one thing only to have something else happen instead.

Their Tío then added, “You don’t have to leave.”

“Bubo, I don’t have to leave!” Tuli made a little jump.

Bubo nodded but wondered what had brought about this turn as Tuli rushed over to her Tío and gave him a hug as she whispered, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

-------------------------------------

A few minutes earlier...

Dolores was leaning against the window in Mirabel’s room as she watched Mariano head back home. Abuela had gone to bed saying she was tired. Isa was sitting on the sofa, being unusually quiet. She’d asked her what was on the plate she gave Lorena. When she found out what that was, Isa sat on the sofa and hadn’t moved from that spot. Luisa was half asleep reading a book, while Mirabel was surreptitiously watching the goings-on in the hall. Her mother and Camilo were still in the kitchen making a snack for Tuli, and her brother was telling her about his new job at the school and how he was looking forward to that. Dolores was now half listening to what was occurring in Luisa’s room. Half listening to the Doctor as he explained what was happening with Tuli.

Doctor (Julieta, has Tuli fainted before this?)

Tía (Just when she came to us. Camilo unintentionally frightened her when he discovered her in the woods. But we’ve all noticed she seems to get lost in her memories.)

Doctor (Señor José, would you say that this happened before she ran away?)

José (You are aware that Tuli is not a girl, yes?)

Doctor (That was not the question I asked.)

José (No, not to this degree.)

Doctor (I understand you are considering taking Tuli back to the city with you when you leave here?) another silence.

José (It is a possibility.)

Doctor (Well, then you may want to plan to be here for at least six weeks, possibly more. That child is in no condition to travel any distance at this time. They are under weight, traumatized and probably not sleeping as they should.) there was a pause and the Doctor continued, (Unfortunately, I have been in Colombia long enough that Tuli is not the first child I’ve treated with similar experiences. I am in no way parceling out blame here, but you need to understand how fragile Tuli is right now.)

José (So you’re recommending I abandon my sister’s child here?)

Doctor (Not at all, but I need you to see that it would not be in this child’s best interest to leave a place they feel protected after dealing with all that’s happened to them very recently.) There was another long silence.

José (I’m not against Tuli remaining here. However, my sobrino, Bubo, is not as ready as he thinks he is for this sort of responsibility.)

Tía (If that is the only obstacle, Tuli is welcome to stay here in Casita until Bubo is better prepared.)

José (That is very generous; nevertheless, I couldn’t presume to-)

Tía (It is not a presumption to offer a solution.) There was another pause and her Tía continued, (I am going to assume that your hesitation is actually tied to the fact that our family does not see a problem with how Tuli views herself.)

The silence stretched until José must have nodded because he said, (In a way, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to accept it, but Bubo made the point that I should at least try to understand. Very well, Señora, I will accept your offer.)

Doctor (That’s good news. José, would it be acceptable for me to periodically check in on Tuli?)

José (Yes, of course.)

Doctor (I’ll come tomorrow, then every few days after that. Good night.)

Tía and José (Good night, Doctor.)

Tío Gus (Here’s the snack you ordered, madam.)

Tía (Thank you. Can you please take this to Tuli for me, Señor José?)

He must have nodded, since Dolores did not hear a response. She got up from the window sill and as she walked by Luisa, she tugged at her sleeve, indicating she should come out into the hall with her. She waived to her Tía after Luisa’s door closed behind José. She told her Tía that Tuli had asked Bubo if she could spend the night in Luisa’s room. Her Tía looked to her daughter and Luisa nodded.

“Well, I’m headed for bed now,” Dolores said, “Do you need anything else from me Tía?”

Her Tía was waving for Mirabel to join her and said, “Can you ask Isa to join us, please?”

Dolores nodded and smiled at Mirabel, who looked apprehensive. She went into Mira’s room and sat next to her Prima, nudging her arm. Dolores could see that Isa was having a time dealing with what she’d told her about Lorena. “You better not be blaming yourself for her situation, you know that right?”

“I guess, but it wasn’t until you ‘mentioned it’ that I realized just how much I’ve cut myself off from the town,” Isa said, "from my friends."

“You needed some space. That’s not a bad thing."

“Does Juan know?”

“Do you really want me to answer that question?”

“No, not really. I want to go see her tomorrow... but not because of that,” Isa said as she tugged gently on her braid, “Maybe I’ll take Mirabel with me... ” Dolores just looked at her and Isabela added, “Probably not the best idea, huh.”

"I think you can handle it. Anyway, your Mamá wants you to come out in the hall.” Dolores held up a hand and added, “No. she did not tell me why. I’m going to bed. A night in town is always a bit much these days.” Dolores got up and pulled her prima up with her.

“Oh, okay, good night, Doli,” Isabela said then added, “Thank you, for tonight and... I had a wonderful time.”

Dolores nodded and headed for her room.

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