#bella darling: threads

[exmcrtis]

location: daily grind

closed starter for: @callofthxvoid (val)

"i get married in less than four months, and i have yet to do any in-depth planning. i'm not suited for this life, val. i'm not a bride, i'm some nebulous vampire creature that only exists at a certain time of day. what the hell business do i have getting married?" bella was scowling to themselves as they placed their planner on the table. it had several tabs poking out of it, a clear indication that they had, in fact, done more wedding planning than anyone had expected them to. "catch me up on your life, or something. i need the distraction."

[exmcrtis]

bella had gone quiet. even as jerico pulled them into his lap and kissed their nose, all they could do was scowl and stare down at their hands. who knew that planning a wedding would make them feel like a complete failure? "it's just a lot," they finally muttered, their eyes rolling before they lifted them to meet jerico's gaze. "and i hate to say it, but i'll be glad when the whole thing is over, if only because i feel like a ball of stress most days. i don't like that." bella huffed, slipping off of jerico's lap once more and leaning to press a swift kiss to his lips. "i'm gonna go take a bath or something. maybe rotting in the tub for a couple hours will help me stop being so miserable? unlikely, but it's worth a shot."

END.

"Hey - don't look so sad," Jerico immediately scooped Bella back up into his lap, kissing across the bridge of her nose. "We're still making good time. You and Val will definitely think of something. I'll see if I maybe can't get some extra help from our friends. I'm sure Lucy, Parker and probably even Jessie would be happy to help, even if it's just something small." He leaned forward to kiss her this time, lingering an extra beat. "We're gonna figure it out. I promise."

[miidnighters]

@yxkanna | continued from ☾

Part of the reason Bella had bought this apartment was for the tub, though she hadn't been considering sharing it with anyone at the time. But she'd taken one look at him when he'd come home, how he was favouring that shoulder just a bit, and ushered him in without a second thought.

She threads soapy hands through his hair, massaging gently at his temples as he lets out that pleased hum, sinking a little further into the water between her knees.

"I don't think you have, Nicky darling." She's speaking in almost a hush, not wanting to disturb the calmness of the moment. "Will you tell me?"

[rollercoasterwords]

monsters are always hungry, darling.

a fun one!! decided 2 go with. a little canon-compliant bellatrix <3

this prompt list

monsters are always hungry, darling

on the day she finds out that andy is pregnant, she slices herself open with glass.

it's an accident. an outburst. she used to be prone to them, magic shattering out of her skin, chaotic and crackling. as a child, she broke all of her toys--china dolls and wooden puzzles and even the ivory keys of a piano. snapped all the strings on her violin. it didn't matter the emotion--happy, sad, angry. all of it was too big, too bright for her body, bursting out of her like a supernova, like an explosion. 

that changed, of course, as she grew older. when she went from bella to big sister, to role model, to firstborn and oldest and your sisters are watching you, bella, behave! bella to crypt-keeper, to ghost-hunter, always the one to usher her sisters out of the room once their father started drinking and their mother slipped away. what did it matter if druella was an apparition, something haunting the halls, a spineless husk that withered and withered and withered? to her sisters, bella was a giant, somebody important--a warrior, like her name. she would uphold the family traditions, and remind them all where they came from, the blood that ran through their veins. she would make sure her sisters knew that they were special, would always be special. guards and gatekeepers of a time when magic was undiluted and pure. 

so she learned. she kept all the shattering inside. she kept her sisters in their bedrooms, tucked up nice and tight. she kept her mother tethered, poured salt in front of doorways to make sure she couldn't float away. crazy bellatrix, with her superstitions. she kept her father happy. poured more whiskey in his glass and nodded along to everything he might say, all the angry words that came bubbling out of his throat, growing more and more slurred as he drank. fucking useless bitch. fucking useless. three daughters, and not a single son. bellatrix knew. bellatrix had heard the speech, a million times. her favorite part was the end, when her father got drunk enough to smile at her, put his hand on her cheek, thumb pressing into her skin. you're my good girl, bella, he'd say, my good girl. you understand, don't you? you're not like her. 

yes. yes, yes, yes--bellatrix was not a ghost-girl, not a woman who haunts, like her mother. bella was a star, a warrior, nestled safe in the constellation of her family. she would be better. she might not be a son, but she would get it right--she would be the best kind of pureblood woman, the kind who burns bright, the kind who always does her duty. the kind who has heirs, and cares for them, raises them. not the kind who becomes a spectre in the corner of her children's rooms.

she thought so, anyway.

she really thought she would. 

rodolphus barely looks at her, only raises his eyes for a moment when the glass in her hand breaks. he has that look of repressed disgust on his face, the one bella sees more and more. ever since the appointment at st. mungo's, where the healers peeled her open and poked inside and told bella that she was a desert; a crypt; a tomb. something where nothing could grow. 

unlike andy, apparently. 

"can't believe she's degraded herself like this," rodolphus mutters, eyes returning to the letter from cygnus. "a mudblood--might as well fuck a dog. and to carry its spawn..." 

bella feels sick. her husband's words are sharp, cold, with that accusatory thread woven through. like it's her fault her sister turned out this way. like they all know who was raising who in that haunted, haunted house. 

fucking useless bitch. fucking useless. 

in a few month's time, bella will meet a man with dark hair and sharp eyes and magic so powerful it feels like a supernova. a man whose words will reshape the world, who will paint pictures with his speeches of a new and glorious age. he will smile at her like an angel, benevolent, and take her hands. it does not matter how broken the body, he will tell her, there are other ways to preserve the bloodlines...in a few month's time, bellatrix will stroke the dark mark on her arm, gently, the way a mother might stroke her child's hair. 

for now, though, she watches the blood trickle from palm to wrist. rodolphus looks up, irritated.

"would you heal that already? you're going to stain the carpet."  

[prettytm]

💞

Want some love? Get In The Box ;; Accepting

Bella, oh Bella.

I adore you. Not only do I love how much thought you put into your portrayal of Karen, I'm a stalker and have snooped on a few of your other blogs and you take just as much time and care into writing them as you do our darling Ms. Page. You breathe new life into Karen, giving her more than what the show did, in your hands she's alive. A living, breathing reporter bothering Billy whenever she can get the chance. [ He secretly likes her too. She had moxie. ]

And outside of how well you write all your muses, you're a fucking sweetheart. Who reads all my threads and headcanons and will just come.. Threaten me with violence when I break your heart. You're the best. And I will fight anyone who thinks otherwise.

[exmcrtis]

"jerico's sister is here, too," bella confessed, her voice soft as she glanced up at her mother. "wandered in a couple months ago, just before cullen showed up. and i know jerico feels the same way that i do, but he had a harder time coming to terms with the fact that caper came looking for him. meanwhile i got so excited to see cullen i nearly cried." she let out a little sigh, settling in closer to dahlia in a prolonged moment of weakness. but then she was laughing, pulling back to flash her mother a sweet smile. "don't i know it. i think the universe took one person with opposing interest and personalities and split them down the middle to form me and cullen. we grew up really close, if you can believe it. he always supported my stupid interests and i made sure to always support his, even if it involved being in a fraternity."

Dahlia felt a small smile tugging at her lips as she reached out to smooth down Bella's hair. "You're allowed to be happy that he's here with you while also wishing he wasn't stuck here," she replied, thinking back to how she had felt when Eva had come into town, or how DJ had felt about Zel and Ian showing up. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her daughter's ear before going back to simply holding her. "I feel that way about my sister being here. And I know that your dad feels that way about his cousins." She paused and let out a soft chuckle. "I do find it amusing that you and your brother could not be more different from each other. It's the same with the Dutton twins."

[the-book-queen]

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[v0guereality]

TO BELLA.

i’ve written love letters to people who didn’t really deserve it. to people who ended up having my entire heart, without ever leaving me to feel like what i gave was enough to keep them around.

you deserve the type of love letter that transcends the concepts of romantic, platonic, or any love you can buy a card for.

i want you to know how important every single fiber of you is to the way this world works. every single time i think my world is about to tip off its axis, it’s like an invisible thread on my sweater secretly gets caught and lets me see that there was something or someone to hold on for.

you are a soul bond, my darling angel. for what it’s worth, i’m a delusional dramatization of what could otherwise be directly said, but i feel like it’s only worth it to really stress emphasis on every single word i say about you.

you are anything but simple. your complexity is woven delicately through layers, and only the lucky ones truly make it through to the central you. i imagine this particular feeling is how the kids felt entering Narnia. it’s like a euphoric rush; discovering that past the guarded, gorgeous fortress that is a fierce woman, there is one who as equally fierce in her love and loyalty.

you are a lover, a fighter (a little agressively at times, but i digress), a strong woman, a sweet baby, an intelligent queen, and a crazy fun (indoor only) adventure seeker. i feel quite fortunate that even under unfortunate circumstances, i got the amazing luck of meeting you. your love, life, the energy you bring, the love you have. me being part of it of it is nothing short of fucking astounding to me. you make sydney what it is for me. you are my go to, the first person i want to tell everything good to, and the one who knows what to say when it may not be as celebratory.

meeting you was so quick, i was swept up in the us of realizing you are my fucking soulmate (insert euphoria GIF here) and delving into you. you get me on an interstellar level, and i honestly think that regardless of what life before or after we were and will end up in, my golden retriever heart will always be lucky to find comfort in your black cat arms.

i love you so much bella. happy birthday you perfect, couldn’t be more loveable, human. as i write this, im giggling at the inevitable eye roll, fankssss and dood that i’ll receive to this. but you know i can’t help but yap, and writing is my brains way to quiet yap. and when it comes to celebrating another year of you, the yap can’t stop won’t stop.

i love you B 🫶🏼 happy birthday my soul sister. thanks for being you. cheers to the first birthday i get to do with you, and rip to the many more years that you can’t rid me from 🖤

- 28th April 2024

[exmcrtis]

location: family video

closed starter for: @backmaskcd (jerico)

on family video's slower days, it wasn't uncommon for bella and jerico to dim the lights and put a movie on. it gave the illusion that they were at a movie theater, cuddled up next to each other in the dark like it was some sort of date or something. she would never admit it out loud, but those days were her favorite. so as she finished picking out a film and making a ozy viewing area out of blankets she kept hidden under the counter, she couldn't help the excited look on her face.

"okay, i put something dumb on," she muttered now, plopping down on the floor, arguably too close to jerico. but before bella could settle in, she was turning to face him, hands coming to grasp at his thigh as a means to get his attention. "we need to pick out our costumes for the pumpkin festival. i know it's stupid to do something matching, so we don't have to do that, but we do need to dress up. that's the best part about this thing."

[exmcrtis]

bella let her lips form into a releived smile, her fingers giving lucy's hand an affectionate squeeze. "so, we need to make party favors. we don't have a lot of people coming to the wedding, but i still found a bunch of little things that i want to give them as a thank you. the job will be tedious, but i think we can do it. you up for the challenge?"

Lucy shook her head. "I'm not too busy," she assured her. She didn't have a job aside from her carving, but those were mostly gifts and Roman's cabin was nearly done. "I want to help." She reached out to take Bella's hand a bit shyly. "I want you to have a good wedding. You deserve it."

[likmacuhylang]

Results of 2023 Year

January

Manga: "The Reason Why Raeliana Ended Up at th Duke's Mansion" by MIlcha |09| Manga: "Who Made Me a Princess" by Plutus |12| Book: "The Signal-Man" by Charles Dickens |13| Book: "New Pass" by Amelia Edwards |13| Cinema: "Amsterdam" by David Russel |14| Book: "The Portrait" by Margaret Oliphant |15| Anime: "JoJo Bizzare Adventure" by Naokatsu Tsuba |15| Book: "Fight with Shadow" by Carl Jung |16| Book: "Diagnosing of Dictators" by Carl Jung |16| Book: "Western Nationalism and Eastern Nationalism" by Benedict Anderson |22| ------------------------------------ 6 Books; 2 Manga; 1 Cinema; 1 Anime

Febrary

Manga: "Mutant wa Ningen no Kanojo to Kiss ga Shitai" by Giba-chan |01| Manga: "Ishuzoku Joshi ni ○○ Suru Hanashi" by Suimin |12| Book: "99 Stupid Questions about Art and More One" by Alina Nickonova |16| Manga: "Frau Faust" by Kore Yamazaki |18| Manga: "Secret Alliance" by Lero |18| Manga: "Yuusha Goikkou no Kaerimichi" by Ryouji Hirano |19| Anime: "Happy Sugar Life" by Nobuyoshi Nagayama |19| Manga:"Kyuuketsuki Marguerite to Kuenai Gokinjo" by Yuu Aikawa |24| Book: "Edgar Allan Poe. Burnt Life. Biography" by Peter Aykroyd |25| Manga: "Hanamachi Oni" by Hina Sakurada |26| Cinema: "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Stanley Kubrick |26| Cinema: "The Pale Blue Eye" by Scott Cooper |27| Cinema: "Menu" by Mark Mylod |27| ------------------------------------ 2 Books; 7 Manga; 3 Cinema; 0 Anime

March

Anime: "Darling in the FranXX" by Atsushi Nishigori |03| Manga: "Bara no Tame ni" by Akemi Yoshimura |03| Cinema: "Cowboy from Copenhagen" by Nicolas Winding Refn |04| Cinema: "Breakfast on Pluto" by Neil Jordan |05| Cinema: "Holy Spider" by Ali Abadasi |06| Cinema: "Youth" by Paolo Sorrentino |07| Manga: "I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss" by Anko Yuzu |09| Manga: "Goodbye, Eri" by Tatsuki Fujimoto |15| Book: The Entire Collection of Prose by Edgar Allan Poe |21| Cinema: "i am thinking of ending this" by Charlie Kaufman |23| Cinema: "We Need Talk About Kevin" by Lynne Ramsay |24| Manga: "Beware the Villainess!" by Yeolmae |28| Cinema: "Phantom Thread" by Paul Thomas Anderson |29| ------------------------------------ 1 Books; 4 Manga; 7 Cinema; 0 Anime

April

Anime: "Konosuba" by Natsume Akatsuki, Kurone Mishima, Yuujirou Abe, Takaomi Kanasak |01| Anime: “Only Yesterday” by Isao Takahata |02| Manga: "My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness" by Kabi Nagata |02| Manga: "Koroshiya 1" by Hideo Yamamoto |03| Manga: "1" by Hideo Yamamoto |03| Book: “Tradition of Literary Gothic” by Bella Nacpock |08| Book: “Metamodernism. Historisity, Affect and Depth” by Robin van den Akker |10| Anime: "GTO" by Tooru Fujisawa, Noriyuki Abe |14| Book: “The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious” by Carl Jung |16| Manga: "Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku" by Yuuji Kaku |18| Cinema: “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” by Laura Poitras |24| Cinema: “New Old Play” be Qiu Jiongjiong |25| Book: "Octet" by David Foster Walllace |25| Cinema: “Benedetta” by Paul Verhoeven |27| Manga: "Cells at Work! CODE BLACK" by by Shigemitsu Harada, Akane Shimizu, Issei Hatsuyoshi |28| Manga: "The Villainess Needs Her Tyrant" by Ta-Hong Il |30| ------------------------------------ 4 bOOKS; 6 mANGA; 3 Cinema; 3 Anime

May

Book: “Tell me a sto…” by Una Hurt |02| Manga: "The Villainess's Maker" by Jeongu, I-Su Seol |02| Book: “Lectures on aesthetics” by Georg Hegel |05| Book: “In the Shadow of the Silent Majorities” by Jean Baudrillard |06| Anime: "Cowboy Bibop" by Hajime Yatate, Shinichirou Watanabe, Shinichirou Watanabe, Akira Toba |14| Anime: "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie - Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Hajime Yatate, Shinichirou Watanabe, Toshihiro Kawamoto, Kimitoshi Yamane |14| Cinema: "The Whale" by Darren Aronofsk |15| Cinema: "Lamb" by Vladimar Johannsson |16| mANGA: "Love Advice from the Great Duke of Hell" by Unfins |17| Cinema: "Bones and All" by Luca Guadagino |18| Cinema: "Alcarras" by Carla Simon |19| Cinema: "Everything, Everywhere All at Once" by Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan |20| Manga: "The Villain's Savior" by Myeong Rang, Zetson, Seur-A Yeon |22| Cinema: "The Hateful Eight" by Quentin Tarantino |26| Book: “Chrysanthemum and Sward. Models of Japan culture” by Ruth Benedict |27| Book: "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" by J.D. Salinger |29| Book: "A Haunted Monastety" by Rober van Gulik |30| Manga: "When the Villainess is in Love" by HJ, Gwi-Jo Seo |31| ------------------------------------ 7 Books; 4 Manga; 6 Cinema; 2 Anime

June

Manga: "Croa Chimera" by Kairi Sorano |02| Cinema: "Django Unchained" by Quentin Tarantino |02| Cinema: "Interstellar" by Cristopher Nolan |04| Cinema: "The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear" by David Zucker |07| Manga: "Coffin Jackson" by Chongtak |08| Manga: "Babelheim no Shounin" by Shouichi Furumi |08| Book: "Seven Night" by Jorge Luis Borges |09| Book: "Watch Cinema" by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio |14| Cinema: "Call of the Night" by Kotoyama, Tomoyuki Itamura |18| Cinema: "Crows are White" by Ashen Nadeem |18| ------------------------------------ 2 Books; 3 Manga; 5 Cinema

Jule

Manga: "Scroll if You Dare" compilation webtoons |08| Manga: "Hell is Other People" by Yong-Ki Kim |08| Cinema: "Dreams" by Akira Kurosawa |09| Manga: "The Witch and Her Zombie Son" by Sinyura |09| Book: "Metaphysics" by Aristotle |24| ------------------------------------ 1 Book; 3 Manga; 1 Cinema

August

Cinema: "Master Gardener" by Paul Schrader |03| Manga: "Nude Model" by Tsubasa Yamaguchi |09| Book: "The Silence of the White City" by Eva García Sáenz de Urturi |10| Anime: "Akudama Drive" by Tomohisa Taguchi |12| Manga: "Miageru to Kimi wa" by Makoto Kobori |16| Anime: "Elfen Lied" by Mamoru Kanbe |17| Manga: "Shingeki no Kyojin" by Hajime Isayama |24| Manga: "Final Girl" by You Kokikuji |24| Manga: "Itoshi no Living Dead" by AidaIro |25| Manga: "Adolte and Adarte" by AidaIro |25| ------------------------------------ 1 Book; 6 Manga; 1 Cinema; 2 Anime

September

Manga: "Vanilla Jingai x Jingai Yuri Anthology" |04| Manga: "Cinnamon Jingai x Ningen Yuri Anthology" |04| Anime: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" by Hideaki Anno |07| Cinema: "Murder on the Orient Express" by Sidney Lumet |08| Cinema: "Men" by Alex Garland |09| Manga: "Neko no Otera no Chion-san" by Makoto Ojiro |10| Cinema: "Amélie" by Jean-Pierre Jeunet |10| Book: "Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects" by Bertrand Russell |11| Cinema: "Crimes of the Future" by David Cronenberg |11| Cinema: "The Scent of Green Papaya" by Tran Anh Hung |16| Anime: "Inu-Oh" by Hideo Furukawa, Taiyou Matsumoto, Masaaki Yuasa, Fuuga Yamashiro |17| Anime: "The Duke of Death and His Maid S1" by Inoue, Yoshinobu Yamakawa |27| ------------------------------------ 1 Book; 4 Manga; 6 Cinema; 2 Anime

October

Cinema: "Death Proof" by Quentin Tarantino |05| Cinema: "Jackie Brown" by Quentin Tarantino |05| Cinema: "Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood" by Quentin Tarantino |07| Cinema: "American Psyho" by Marry Harron |08| Cinema: "Fight Club" by David Fincher |08| Cinema: "Leon" by Luc Besson |09| Cinema: "Lost in Translation" by Sofia Coppola |11| CinemaL: "Autumn Sonata" by Ingmar Bergman |12| Cinema: "Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon" by Ana Lily Amirpour |14| Cinema: "El Conde" by Pablo Lorrain |14| Cinema: "Asteroid City" by Wes Anderson |15| Cinema: "Mona Lisa" by Neil Jordan |20| Book: "The Master of Petersburg" by John Maxwell Coetzee |26| Anime: "Serial Experiments Lain" |31| ------------------------------------ 1 Book; 12 Cinema; 1 Anime

November

Book: "Not After Midnight" by Daphne du Maurier |11| Book: "My Lost City" by Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald |11| Cinema: "The Killer" by David Fincher |11| Manga: "Mariage busines" by KEN |16| Anime: "GOLDEN BOY" by Tatsuya Egawa |17| Book: "Men Without Women" by Ernest Hemingway |17| Manga: "Monster and the Beast" by Renji |19| Manga: "Shinonome Tantei Ibun Roku" by John Tarachine |19| Manga: "Bird Collector" by Kang Se Ah |20| Cinema: "Kurosawa’S Way" by Catherine Cadou |22| Book: "Modern Nihilism. Chronicle" by Costantino Esposito |26| Cinema: "Triangle of Sadness" by Ruben Östlund |27| Cinema: "Past Lives" by Celine Song |27| Cinema: "Rapito" by Marco Bellocchio |29| Anime: "Angel's Egg" by Mamoru Oshii, Yoshitaka Amano |29| Cinema: "A Haunting in Venice" by Kenneth Branagh |30| ------------------------------------ 4 Books; 4 Manga; 6 Cinema; 2 Anime

December

Book: "The Lake" by Banana Yoshimoto in English |05| Book: "Aesthetics. Textbook for universities" by Victor Bychkov |10| Cinema: "The Holdovers" by Alexander Payne |15| Cinema: "Chinatown" by Roman Polanski |15| Manga: "Pandora Hearts" by MOCHIZUKI Jun |19| Book: "This Is Water" by David Foster Wallace |20| Book: "May '68 Did Not Take Place" by Gilles Deleuze |22| Book: "Citrons from Sicily" by Luigi Pirandello |22| Book: "Six Characters in Search of an Author" by Luigi Pirandello |23| Cinema: "May December" by Todd Hayness |24| Manga: "The Wife I Loved Dearly" by Touryuumon Takeda |25| Manga: "Our Torsos Align: Human x Monster Love" by Ryou Sumiyoshi |25| Cinema: "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" by Joseph Sargent |25| Manga: "Red Riding Hood's Wolf Apprentice" by Sayaka Mogi |26| Manga: "Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17-21" by Tatsuki Fujimoto |26| Manga: "Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 22-26" by Tatsuki Fujimoto |27| Manga: "Just Listen to the Song" by Tatsuki Fujimoto |27| Manga: "Look Back" by Tatsuki Fujimoto |27| Manga: "Tetteleposan" by Tatsuki Fujimoto |27| Manga: "Imomushi" by Suehiro Maruo |27| Book: "Trilogy" by Jon Fosse |28| Manga: "The King and the Paladin" by Rin-Bi Lee |29| Cinema: "Seven Weeks" by Nobuhiko Obayashi |30| Manga: "Stargazing Dog" by Takashi Murakami |31| Manga: "Star Protector Dog" by Takashi Murakami |31| Manga: "Emergency Rations & Bountiful Feasts" by Nagabe |31| Cinema: "Between Revolutions" by Vlad Petry |31| ------------------------------------ 7 Books; 14 Manga; 6 Cinema

Top the Best Books of Year: 1. "The Lake" by Banana Yoshimoto in English 2. "Not After Midnight" by Daphne du Maurier 3. "The Master of Petersburg" by John Maxwell Coetzee Top the Best Manga of Year: 1. "Frau Faust" by Kore Yamazaki 2. "Bara no Tame ni" by Akemi Yoshimura 3. "The Witch and Her Zombie Son" by Sinyura Top the Best Cinema of Year: 1. “New Old Play” be Qiu Jiongjiong 2. "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Stanley Kubrick 3. "Between Revolutions" by Vlad Petry Top the Best Anime of Year: 1. "Cowboy Bibop" 2. "Serial Experiments Lain" 3. "Call of the Night"

[the-book-queen]

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[klutzyroses]

IkeVamp Suitors HCs: Reaction to being S/O's role model Pt. 2

Part 1 Part 3

How would they react to finding out their s/o has wanted to be like them since childhood?

Suitors: Comte, Leonardo, Theo, Arthur, Mozart

Comte

Oh.

Well now.

He looks away from the pile of letters on his desk to meet your gaze.

He hadn't been expecting that, so he would ponder on what would be an appropriate response.

He is your role model? How sweet.

"You wish to be like me? What a charming thing to say, ma cherie"

He gives the softest chuckle, he is honored to tell the truth. Though he would rather you were just yourself, he is flattered.

So he would pull you close and lean you against his chest as he threads his fingers through your hair.

"That's sweet of you, but rather than aspiring to be me, why not aspire to be the best version of yourself? That would be much better, don't you agree, mon tresor?"

Leonardo

...Well well.

He wasn't expecting that from you, cara mia.

He meets your eyes from his lying position on the floor, amused.

"That so, Cara mia? Didn't think you were a fan."

He's gonna tease you, but he is touched really.

That's really sweet of you, he is glad he is such an inspiration for you.

But be sure not to change on his account. He wouldn't like that. Not at all.

Leo really really wants you to stay the same. Not just as a human but as the person you are and always have been.

He suddenly chuckles and reaches up to tug your arm, making you fall on top of him. He circles your waist, keeping you close to him, smirking slightly with love in his gaze.

"Well, if mia bella thinks so highly of me, I better not disappoint, hm? But try not to be too much like me, the world isn't big enough for two of me."

Theo

...What?

When he finds out it wasn't because you said it to his face.

You actually said it to a colleague of his in front of him. He was shook.

You had joined him at the gallery as he talks business with an important appraiser. The appraiser praised his talents before addressing you directly.

"You must be very proud of him mademoiselle. Such talent at such a young age."

Your response is that you expected no less from your role model, surprising them both.

The appraiser is amused and laughs amicably at your sweetness while Theo is stiff and cannot take his mind off that for the rest of the evening.

It's only when you arrive in his room that he brings it up, asking if you meant what you said.

When you confirm this, he doesn't say anything, but he is melting inside. He feels validated, proud, but he will never admit to that.

Instead he just beckons you over and pulls you into an embrace.

"...Silly hondje. Thanks."

His voice is soft with affection, muffled by your skin as he presses a loving kiss to your neck.

Arthur

Wait...really?!

He actually freezes for a second when he hears that.

You looked up to him? You wanted to be like him?

He is happy and kind of conflicted too.

He is proud that you think of him so highly, but at the same time, he isn't in love with the idea.

Actually, the thought of you adopting his less amiable characteristics makes him a little uneasy.

After a few seconds to process that, he looks at you with his usual playful smile, though genuine affection glimmered within his sapphire orbs as he cups your cheek with equal tenderness.

"Aren't you just the cutest, love? Thank you~"

His hand trails down your cheek, gently moving to take a hold of your chin between his thumb and index, peering into your eyes, his smile softening.

"But how about you just stay the way you are, hm? You're much too perfect to change, my darling."

Mozart

Now, he is used to music fans saying such things to him and wanting to be him one day.

But from you? It's a way different story.

He shoots you a slightly incredulous look while you sit by him at the piano.

"You what?"

You repeat that you want to be just like him one day.

"...What are you talking about?"

He isn't entirely sure how to respond or feel, honestly.

He is glad you see him in such a way but he also doesn't really want another fan.

He just wants you.

He sighs and shakes his head slightly as he pulls you to lean on him as he readies his hands to play again.

"Don't put me on a pedestal, liebe. I like you better the way I met you."

Should I do a third part including Sebastian, Shakespeare + Team Vlad?👀

🌸

[exmcrtis]

"i just hate that i had to admit to needing help in the first place." it took a lot for bella to confess that, her eyes shifting to DJ for just a moment before she was looking away again. maybe it was the years of self-induced independence that had done it, but she and jerico had been together for long enough that one would think she'd be able to drop it a little. obviously she still had a lot of stuff to work through. "i spent most of my life convincing myself that i would never need anyone else, and that i could be alone until i withered away and be perfectly fine with that. then i met jerico and suddenly i'm a person with feelings? absolutely disgusting if you ask me." bella rolled her eyes, sitting back a little more as if to slouch and hide away from the world. "does it ever get any less scary? being in love, i mean."

DJ's gaze softened, "Hey you're talking to the King of Mean when stressed, your mother has dealt with more than my share of outburst," he said shaking his head. He cracked a grin and chuckled, "Kid you're getting married, you can say fuck," he said before taking a sip of his drink. "Look key thing here? You know what you're doing when you act that way and you actually let him know, and you asked your mom for help when you needed it. You had a bump in the road and you worked with him to get past it. It takes practice, but just gotta remember it's not you vs him. It's the two of you vs a problem, which is scary. Took way too many years of therapy to be able to tell your mom, hey I'm angry cause I'm scared, I love you a lot and right now it's scaring me that I'm gonna lose that. I need help."

[exmcrtis]

location: family video

closed starter for: @backmaskcd (jäger)

"oh, what the hell do you want?!" bella meant to be teasing, but with their permanently-hardened expression and their natural gruff tone, it came out as more of a grumble. anytime jäger walked through the door of family video, they assumed he was up to no good. he was usually up to no good.

"you coming in here to pick out a cheesy romcom to schmooze an unsuspecting victim? or are you just coming here to get on my nerves?"

[mrsgiovanna]

The Escape Route (Yan! Don Giorno x Fem!Reader)

A request from a lovely nonnie mouse asking how the Don would handle his darling attempting to escape from his home. A bit of a drawn out scenario... I really hope you enjoy the read.

TW: Manipulative relationship dynamics, possessive behaviour, yandere behaviour

Word Count: 2.7k

Your brisk walk was slowly turning into a run as you worked your way through the busy streets of Naples. With your breathing ragged and eyes darting around to make sure nobody was on your tail, you tried to think about how best to put your escape plan back on track.

You knew that Giorno’s influence extended further than most, but you hadn’t expected him to have the power to derail every single option you had thought of to escape from his overpowering grip. You had been running around for hours now, from station to station, none would book you a ticket to anywhere, every cab ride was hastily halted after a dubious phone call… resulting in you being unwillingly ejected from the vehicle each time. So there you were, running into the more dangerous parts of Naples, frantically looking for some kind of shelter to house you while you thought of what you would do next.

Thankfully, you found a tiny inn, sparse amenities, small and far removed enough you thought, to not be on Giorno’s radar. The kindly old lady didn’t ask many questions, and you paid with the cash you had been slowly hiding away for such an event.

You couldn’t pinpoint when your relationship with Giorno had descended to this but you knew that if you stayed any longer his charming brand of captivity would best your common sense and you would be trapped forever. With Giorno, you had access to anything, no request was too demanding… in exchange though he required you to be within his confines at all times, listen to and obey his honeyed instructions with minimal fuss, and to not run off in the occasions when he did take you out of the mansion. I’m just keeping you safe he said… little did you know that the most dangerous one of all was the Don himself with his hypnotic gaze.

To give him the benefit of the doubt, it could have been much worse, he never harmed you physically, never pushed the intimacy boundaries further than you allowed… in your moments of weakness, it was you who had sought out his embrace. The absurdity of it all- vacillating between love and hate for this man, and so to protect the fraying thread that held your sanity together, you decided to make a run for it. It was not an impulsive idea, you had spent the better part of the year planning your grand escape, trying to imagine every way in which your plan could go awry and possible solutions to the problems. Ironically, this was a habit that you had picked up from Giorno himself, and should your plan actually work, it would be quiet poetic- escaping using the traits of your captor against him. You had gathered small amounts of cash here and there, not enough to rouse anyone’s suspicion, and made sure that any and all evidence of you memorizing the layout of the surrounding areas was completely erased. Perhaps the most difficult task of them all, was to lure Giorno into false sense of security regarding your disposition towards your situation. In the weeks leading up to your escape, you had flawlessly played the part of the dutiful ‘wife’, listening attentively, spoiling him with gentle touches and loving gazes, making sure to build up your affections gradually, as if they had been blooming naturally so as not to trigger any suspicion.

Finally, you saw your opportunity to make your move that morning. Giorno had to leave early to meet with a few associates from Japan, so you rose with him, and watched as he got ready, helping him with his hair and doing up his tie. Looking up to meet his crystalline eyes, you noticed he considered you with an expression you haven’t seen on him before.

“What is it tesoro? Why are you looking at me like that?” you asked in a gentle tone.

“You’re… just so beautiful… would you like to come with me today? I’m sure they would love to meet you… I call them associates but in actual fact one of them is a relative of mine. You’ll only be bored for a little while; after that we can do whatever you would like to,” he asked with a gentle smile. You thought about how you were going to answer, ultimately you knew you didn’t want to go, favoring your grand escape instead, but denying him that quickly would definitely set off alarm bells in his mind.

“Ah! Perhaps next time my love, I’m not going to be good company today, I woke up with a bit of a headache… I’ll probably go back to bed and sleep it off after you leave,”

“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do to make you feel any better bella, I hate the fact that you’re hurting,” Giorno cupped your face in his hands and gently stroked your cheeks with his thumbs, “get some rest bella mio, I’ll be back to check on you as soon as I can,” kissing you on the forehead he left without another word. Waiting for him to be completely out of the villa, you watched as his car exited the driveway before quietly packing what you could, mentally going over your checklist more times than you cared to count. Since your change in attitude, the staff at the villa were more accepting of your whims, partly to do with the fact that Giorno had instructed them to do so - within reason, but also, because you had won over their trust and if you had to be honest with yourself, there was nothing you could fault them for. The dynamic Giorno had with them was not ruled by fear, but rather by admiration… all of them being drawn in by his charisma. Managing to maneuver your way through the mansion and out an exit that saw you climbing over a hidden portion of the eastern wall surrounding the villa, you had finally been outside the confines of the villa on your own for the first time in well over a year.

In the car on the way to meet with his guests Giorno was preoccupied. He had noticed the gradual change in your behavior and as much as he would have loved to give you the benefit of the doubt, a nagging inclination that you might be lying always clouded his thoughts. He loved you- entirely- even though there were days in which you rejected his affections, he was patient with you… eventually you’d understand, the dangers that lurked in every corner made your captivity, as you so unceremoniously called it, a necessity. He had grown so accustomed to making decisions with little to no advice, he had adopted that stance in his personal life as well. He rationalized that once you had accepted the fact that his actions were all borne from his desire to protect you, your lives would be peaceful, until then, he would be patient, enduring your tantrums and snide remarks with the grace of an aristocrat… which only upset you further. To Giorno, you were to be looked after, protected- treasured, and so no matter how much you had tested his patience in the beginning, not once were you ever hurt or taken advantage of. Violence and shackles were much too unrefined for a gem like you, so to correct your behavior, the young don resorted to other, less threatening means of discipline.

“Don Giovanna? We have arrived,” shaken out of his musings by his consigliere, his attention was drawn to the fact that they had arrived at their destination ready to discuss the matters at hand.

“Thank you Lorenzo, would you check if the staff has everything ready while I greet our guests?”

“Of course, excuse me,” with that, Lorenzo had left, hastily attending to a call as he walked.

“Ah, welcome to Italy, I take it you and your associates have settled in well?” said Giorno with a polite bow, being mindful of the cultural conventions of his esteemed guests. Drinks were ordered and everyone present had settled down in the private lounge, except for Lorenzo who had been animatedly conversing on the phone for enough time to make his absence felt. Frustrated by what he was tasked to do, he abruptly ended his conversation and sought out Giorno to give him the news, finally, the staff at villa Giovanna had realized you were gone.

“Don…”

“The expression on your face can only mean one thing… when did they notice?”

“A few minutes ago, she couldn’t have gotten too gar given the timeframe… what would you like me to do?”

“You stay here and keep our guests company, I’ll handle this…” not even bothering to alert the driver, Giorno collected the keys from the valet and zoomed off. Making a short drive even shorter, he arrived home in foul mood, although he did assign some of the blame to himself, recognizing his fatal error when he ignored his gut feeling, he was disappointed at how easily you had managed to slip from his grasp and wondered if his staff had been plotting with you all along. He would have to address that later on though, his primary concern now was to locate you and bring you back home.

“Mista, I have a special request to make, please come to the villa, bring Fugo with you,” said Giorno in a quick call, there were few who he trusted more than his underbosses, and this task was something that required only the most competent people. After a short explanation of the situation at hand, both men had already started making calls to the relevant people in an attempt to thwart your plans.

You would think the most frightening thing about Giorno would be his god-like requiem ability. But over and above the raw power he possessed was his reach, the world seemed so small, as if it had rested comfortably in his elegant hands- and you had been getting reminders of this inescapable fate over and over again. By the time you had given up on the idea of escaping through any traditional means of transportation, you must have tried fifty different avenues, each attempt failing more spectacularly than the last. Having had enough, you resigned yourself to the fact that you would not be leaving Naples immediately, and found refuge in the outskirts of the city. You climbed the rickety staircase behind the lady as she prattled on about her day.

“Shall I get you something to eat dolcezza? You look like you could use something warm and comforting in your system. In fact, let me do just that, you get settled in so long,” said the innkeeper before you had a chance to interject. Deciding to take a shower to wash off the day, you took comfort in the fact that this place was so remote, you were almost certain you were safe for the meantime. The tiny bathroom was a far cry from the palatial one you had grown accustomed to while being in Giorno’s villa, but it served the same purpose, only this time, you had your freedom. The place was peaceful though aside from the sound of what must have been a car backfiring and the small creaks from the natural expansion and contraction of the dwelling, it was quiet enough for you to calm down and organize your thoughts. Now that you were comparatively more at ease than before, you felt the strain of the day in your body, aching muscles, sore feet and cuts and scrapes that began to smart affixed a slight grimace to your face as you rummaged through your belongings to find some sort of pain relief.

A sharp knock on the door disrupted your search. You stayed silent for a moment, contemplating if you should ignore it or answer.

“Dolcezza, I’ve brought you a small snack, you’re going to enjoy it,” you just wanted to crawl into bed and forget the day you had, but you also didn’t want to snub her kindness, you reached out to unlock and open the door.

“Buongiorno tesoro… enjoying your little excursion? Marina here was kind enough to show me to your room so I could surprise you… seems like it worked, look at this charming expression,” turning to the smiling woman, Giorno nodded for her to leave. Your heartbeat thundered in your ears, you wanted to cry, to run, to jump right out through the hazy window but your feet were rooted to the ground.

“Well (y/n) … you’ve been running around Naples for the entire day, have you found what you’re looking for?” his usual honeyed tone was laced with derision as he critically eyed your surroundings. “is this what you were so desperate to escape to? Look at this place… look at the condition you’re in… how is any of this better than everything I’ve given you?”

“I have my freedom here…” was all you could muster as your mind raced thinking of how he had still managed to find you despite all the precautions you had taken. “Giorno, how…”

“How did I find you? I always have my ways…” he said, sauntering over to the window, opening it just enough to make eye contact with whoever was outside, dismissing them with a nonchalant wave of his gloved hand. Pulling out his cellphone, he showed you the opened application, explaining that he had been using it to track your location, following the signal from the diamond earrings he gifted you on your birthday, carelessly left on when you had made your hasty escape. In all fairness, you hadn’t considered that the dainty gems were anything more than that. Feeling your legs starting to give out under you at the revelation that you were the cause of your own undoing, you sat on the bed hanging your head in defeat.

“Freedom, you say? Tell me how has that worked for you?”

“That’s not fair! You’ve basically controlled every single encounter I’ve had, and even when I thought I had escaped you by coming here, you still somehow managed to manipulate the situation…” you shouted, tears of frustration running feely down your face.

“Stop being dramatic, the world is full of horrible people, everyone is looking out for themselves, I wish you would realize that… tell me tesoro, how many people turned you away? Threw you out of their cars, made up excuses to deny your requests? Not one of those people looked into those pleading eyes and thought you were worth helping. Why? Because people are selfish…”

“You… you threatened them all, you…”

“You give me too much credit, it’s not like I was going to kill them, I hate violence, despite your disappointingly low opinion of me, even you have to admit that I’ve never done anything to physically harm you… all I want is to protect you, you don’t understand how things work out there,”

“It’s not like you’ve ever given me the opportunity to find out how things are… I”

“Some people are just meant to be loved and protected tesoro, isn’t that enough? Why would you want to risk being hurt to get a taste of something that’s actually not even worth it… you’re not cut out for this life… I’ve been here so I know this isn’t what you deserve. You’re coming back home with me,”

“But, I- “ you attempted to interject but his intense glare halted you.

“(y/n), I’m very patient under most circumstances, but please don’t test me now, I won’t say it twice…” said Giorno with a slight bite to his voice, it was clear he was growing tired of this conversation, and you were losing your will to fight back. With a quivering lip and misty eyes, you moved to gather your belongings but was stopped by the young don, arguing that he can replace whatever is there, wanting no other reminders of this transgression to follow you both back. Resigning yourself to this fate, realizing there was nowhere beyond his reach, you grasped his outstretched arm and followed him to the car to return to your life of opulent captivity. Months and months of planning all resulting in nothing, it became glaringly obvious to you that escaping was futile…