#but business professional is the recommended attire... so to that i went...

[orcelito]

Bought a stupid suit thing. Disgustang.

[koshirulynn]

//coffee lovers//

College AU- Shu yamino x gn!cute!reader fluff

//coffee lovers//

In where,you are a college student working part time as a barista in a local cafe and a charming coffee lover takes interest in you.

(This is just for fun,do not take this seriously and to the included streams,lmao I'm sorry if you read this)I hope you enjoy!

The smell of fresh coffee beans surrounded you as you stretched your stiff muscles. You yawned before dusting off imaginary dust from your plain apron. Coming straight to the cafe after your morning lectures was tiring for you.

Yet you didn't mind it. You loved the smell of freshly brewed coffee,it was heavenly yet bitter at the same time. You exhale in exhaustion but you wanted this day to be over faster.

Assisting your co-workers by making the beverages. You were going to grab the almond milk but your co-worker called your name.

"Y/n can you do the next orders, need to talk with the manager for a second?" they asked with hope in their tone.

"sure sure, make it quick though" you implied as you finished the order quickly and served it.

There was only 3 people working today the cafe and that included yourself,your manager and the co-worker that went to talk to your manager at the back.The cafe wasn't as busy as you expected but you worried that it will get busy in the matter of minutes.

You were silently crying to yourself as you were going to take the next order.

"Hello,what may I get for you?"not looking up to see who's order you were taking.

"Ah can I get your recommendation?"A charming voice spoke to which you look up. Eyes meeting,his violet eyes was mesmerizing yet captivating. His attire was simple yet you liked it very much.

"A-ah yes,the most popular coffee beverage here is the cappuccino"You tried to keep it professional but ended up stuttering at the start.The tall male looked at you up and down and smiled at you thinking you were cute. Your hair was slightly messy and how you stumbled with your words just made him awe.

He was dying inside 'argggg they're so cuteee' His cheeks tinted a light pink.

"Yes can I have that please"You could listen to his voice on repeat.You found him very charming. The raven haired male smiled at you again before sitting down at a table.

Every now and then you would glance over at him and didn't think too much of it as you continued to work. His cappuccino was finally made,you decided to give him one of your homemade muffins that you brought for lunch and to share to your co-workers.

Holding the tray with the cappuccino and muffin carefully,you realized that he was looking at you as you made your way over to him. You placed the mug and plate down on the table. You were about to leave but his voice stopped you in your tracks.

"oh excuse me but I didn't order the muffin"You smiled at him and replied.

"It's on the house"He chuckled and thanked you for your kind gesture. Shu found the cafe very aesthetic and decided to take a picture before sipping the slightly bitter beverage. He took a picture and sent it to his friends with the caption 'the cute barista gave me a free muffin'

He stayed there for a good 30 minutes before leaving. Shu was going to be late for his afternoon lecture. Your co-worker finally came back from talking to your manager and when she came back you realized that the raven haired costumer had left.

You slightly frowned, thinking that you wouldn't see him again. Sighing as you made your way over to the table he was at to clean up. You saw that he left a little note.

'Thanks for the muffin' and his number was written on it.

[horsesarecreatures]

.

.

.

So this is another part of the introvert book that I’m finding really interesting - it talks about how some of the best schools in the world like Harvard are actually run in a way that is really the opposite of advantageous to a lot of introverts. The author, who herself is a graduate of Yale law, went to Harvard Business School to interview some of its students and asked if there were any introverts around. One person said to her, “Good luck finding an introvert around here,” and another informed her that, “The school is predicated on extroversion. Your grades and social status depend on it. It’s just the norm here.” A former president also admitted that the school was more likely to accept “well-rounded, outgoing young men” than “nerds.”

A lot of people close to me were perplexed as to why I didn’t apply to any Ivy League schools. My lsat score was a 165, which is a good score especially for the first time, but they generally like to see scores in the 170-180 range. And I’m sure I could have broken into the 170 range if I studied another month and retook it, but frankly, I didn’t want to. It just didn’t seem worthwhile to me. I never felt like I would fit in at those schools. My cousin Kelsey went to Yale and told me about how everyone always showed up in full blown business professional attire for class everyday and she felt like she had to do the same.

I’m very happy so far with the school I’m at. There are still large gladiator-style classrooms and we get cold-called all the time, but business casual attire is perfectly acceptable, and there are no pre-made study groups that you have to meet with daily like at Harvard. Some people do go out for happy hour, but it’s neither expected nor recommended (seriously, how the hell do Harvard people have time for that? When do they study if they’re out late almost everyday?). I eat lunch with my classmates sometimes either on or off campus, which is perfectly pleasant to me, and I’m glad I don’t feel pressure to do more. And I can genuinely say that everyone I’ve met so far has been really nice. No one interrupts in or out of class, and no one has been nosy about graded assignments or lsat scores and tried to make a competition out of it. The professors don’t mind if you ask questions.

I would never deny that the resources and connections Ivy League schools have are incredible, but I feel that my mental health would suffer from being a “closeted introvert” as some Harvard students in this book referred to themselves as.

[dragonfiremage]

When We First Met

Author’s Note: I couldn’t get this out of my head last night so I spent all day on this. I wanted to build on Under the Moonlight so I wrote a prequel for it. I hope you enjoy it! 

Summary: With the rise of insurgents and the recent break-in in his room following his coronation as Firelord, Zuko agrees, at Suki's recommendation, to increase security around the palace and hire a Kyoshi warrior guard at him at night. Good thing Suki knows the right person for the job - you.

At first, you weren't sure how you felt when Suki asked you to babysit the Firelord. When she first told you, you scoffed at the idea. Babysitting the firelord? How boriiing. You wanted where the action was! You wanted to chase down people and chi-block them...not watch over some Firelord while he slept.

But after some begging from Suki (and maybe a bribe of extra vacation day or two), you agreed.

The Firelord was a lot more handsome than you first thought when Suki introduces you to him. Zuko stood in front of you with a sheepish smile, before giving a small wave, "Hello, uh, I'm Firelord Zuko, but uh..you can just call me Zuko."

Beside him, Sokka guffaws and elbows Zuko, whispering, “Nice one, sifu hotman. You sounded real smooth there.”

Suki, who stood next to you with some notebooks against her chest, playfully throws a glare at Sokka, “Sokka, be nice."

Zuko turns red as he elbows Sokka back and glares at him before glancing back at you. A small smile tugs at the corner of your lips as you properly bow to him, your gold Kyoshi headband glinting from the oil lamps that were lit around the room.

"Its an honor, Firelord Zuko. I'm (YN) from Kyoshi Island."

Somewhere behind Zuko, Sokka snorts at the word honor. He walks past Zuko, who looks at Sokka with a perplexed gaze, and greets you warmly with a small hug, “Hey, (YN)! Mind if I whisk my girlfriend away now? I have this whole date night planned for tonight and we're on a tight schedule!"

Zuko blinks back in surprise. Sokka knew you? He watches you laugh warmly as you before patting Sokka’s shoulder, “Nice to see you too, Sokka. Have fun Suki, I can take it from here."

"Thank you again, (YN). I owe you one. Bye Zuko!"

Both Suki and Sokka leave the room, ther laughter echoing down the hallway as they talk over their date night plans. You glance back at Zuko who looks like he doesn’t know what to do next and you briefly think he looked rather cute when he was lost. You look over at his attire, his red and gold robes fitting him very well - the chest piece accentuating his shoulders and the gold bringing the color of his eyes.

'Definitely more handsome,' you think.

A beat of silence seem to stretch before Zuko cleared his throat to break it and asks, "So...uh...do...you need anything?"

Zuk mentally kicks himself. Why am I being so awkward?

You grin, one hand on your hip and the other motioned to the room,”No, but…do you mind if I take a look around?" Zuko nods in reply as he watches you slowly make your way around the room.

Zuko decides to lean against his desk and asks, “So.. you know Sokka?"

You were in the midst of inspecting his bookcase that shelved some books, trinkets, scrolls when you hear his question. Touching the at the dusty scroll on the shelf, you looked over your shoulder to meet Zuko’s gaze, wrinkle your nose at him as you replied with an amused tone, “Yes, he's kinda dating our team leader."

Zuko flushes with embarrassment and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, “Right! Suki..."

He watches you disappear outside of his balcony before coming back in to inspect the area around it, moving some of the curtains around that framed the door. His eyes furrow in confusion, “What exactly are you doing...?"

You look over at his direction again and motioned to his balcony, “I’m just checking for any weak areas. Your balcony is high up along the wall which is good, but there are some blind spots below that might be a potential risk. I'll let Suki know to increase security around those areas after my shift."

All he could do was nod at you before you turn around again to look at the rest of his bedroom. You were thorough, Zuko gave you that and, instantly, he felt a little bit more at ease knowing you were doing your best for him.

Zuko quietly admitted that he felt unsure about having a Kyoshi warrior that he didn’t know guard him while he slept. He hoped Suki would take that task, but he knew that he asking too much from her and her busy schedule. But she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and recommended you instead. Praising your strength and loyalty. He agreed hesitantly. However, as he watched you examine his room closely, his concerns vanished. He was actually looking forward in getting to know you better.

Zuko pushes himself off the table and moves over to a shelf containing a tray of tea assortments that his Uncle gave him. While he poured some water into the pot, he wonders what kind of tea you would enjoy before grabbing the Jasmine.

"Would you like a cup of tea?” Zukko offers.

You peek from his walk-in closet and a easy smile tugs at the corner of you lips, “That would be lovely."

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

Your friendship with the Firelord quickly grew after your first night at the palace. And, just like you promised, you had let Suki know about the blind spots by his window the following day and Suki thanked you graciously.

The more time you spent with the Firelord, the less you were thinking of your assignment as babysitting. In fact, you were day dreaming about him more and more, especially during the times when you weren’t working.

Was he safe?

Did he eat lunch yet?

Was his advisors too demanding again?

…Was he thinking of you too?

When you were working, you tried to stay professional but amicable towards him, but you longed to get to know him in a more intimate level. It didn’t help that you would melt in a puddle every time you glanced over at him while he slept peacefully.

Other than that, watching over Zuko was an easy job.

For the most part, Zuko kept to a routine, whether he knew that our not. You would arrive at your post just before sunset, and by that time he was either wrapping up his last meeting with his advisors, or he was already in his room, reading some official documents or signing proclamations before dinner. He would then drink tea, making sure to pour you one as well. Then he would retire for the night as you took your post against a pillar in the balcony.

So when you had arrived for your post that evening, you were surprised when the guards directed you to the palace gardens. And even more surprised when you saw the Firelord leaning over a pond, as he played with the turtleducks. Zuko greets you with a nod and goes back to to observing the ducklings.

You quietly took your post, placing your hands behind you, one hand grabbing the opposite wrist. You made sure you were were far away enough to give Zuko some privacy, but close enough to reach him if danger arose.

The setting sun lit everything with an orange glow, and you couldn’t help but close your eyes at the warmth, the winds picking up briefly and causing your your tassels to sway lightly. You peeped over at Zuko and the gentle curve of his smile makes your heart flutter with fondness. He lightly strokes the head of one of the ducklings as he coos at them sweetly. You couldn't help but let a smile spread across your face as you looked around the grounds for any threat.

When you first agreed to look after the Firelord, you thought it was going to be some boring assignment. However, being his guard gave you a glimpse behind the curtain and see Zuko on a more personal level.

For the past few days, Zuko kept surprising you with his commitment to maintaining peace among the nations, the way he listened to the problems of his people before jumping into action, and the way he stood firm on his convictions and values.  He was a man of honor and it made you that much more loyal to him.

But, as you watch him pet his turtleducks, you realized that you would do anything to protect Zuko. The way his eyes gleamed with affection when he watched the turtleducks, the way he cooed at them so sweetly, and the way he carefully petted them as of if they would break under his touch. Despite the pain and abuse he faced from his father and the personal trials he went through to get where he was now, you concluded that Zuko was just a gentle dragon with a heart of gold. And you would do anything to protect that.

With great interest, you watch him grab some feed from a bag as he approached one of the ducks. However, one of the ducklings accidentally nibbles too hard at Zuko’s finger, mistaking it for feed. He yelps in surprise, scaring the turtleducks away as they scatter and before you could control it, you snort in before turning your head to the side to stifle your laughter.

“You think that’s funny?"

Your eyes widen at Zuko’s voice, embarrassed at being caught you laughing at him. You shift uncomfortably, trying to come up for a excuse while silently thanking the spirits for the white face make up you wore that was currently hiding your red cheeks.

Clearing your throat, you reply, "Uh, it was nothing, your majesty. Just something in my throat." You lie quickly, your face back to it's stoic expression.

Zuko stood and dusted his robes before smirking, "Right, so what I heard was coughing just now? Not laughing?"

Your cheeks burn with embarrassment, “Uh, yes sir.”

Keeping your eyes trained in front of you, you maintained a straight face.

He hums in acknowledgement before adding, “Lying considered a criminal offense in the Kyoshi code, is it not?”

You braved a glance his way, catching his eyes before looking straight ahead. His tone was serious, but his gaze was soft and playful.

A smirk tugs at the corner of your lips as you stood your ground, shoulders rolling back straight before replying, “Yes, Firelord Zuko, that’s correct.”

Zuko crosses his arms as if trying to look intimidating, but you knew better, “So, let me ask you again, (YN), did you think that was funny?”

Your smile at the teasing. Instead of responding to him, however, you break from your post to walk over to him by the edge of the pond. A puzzled look came over his face as he watches you stand near him, his eyes catching yours before crouching down. He watched with curiosity as you bring your hands together and place it in front of you your mouth before releasing air through it and creating a series of sounds resembling that of a turtle duck call.

Zuko’s eyes widened at the sound but gasped when he saw the baby turtleducks swim over with excitement. You playfully twirl your fingers around them as they swam happily before extending your hand out to him. But Zuko just blinks at it with a blank stare, confused.

You laugh lightly at his expression, bringing Zuko’s gaze back to your face. His heart quickened at the slight smirk of your red lips. “Can I have some feed, my lord?”

A flush of embarrassment rushes to his face as he coughs nervously. “Oh! Uh…yes, here some feed.”

You grab some from his hand, trying to not think how your fingers tingled where they touched his warm skin. Bringing it to the pond, the turtleducks quack with delight as they swim closer. You let out a squeal of delight when they pushed their beaks into your hand, tickling the palm of your hand.

A smile breaks across of Zuko's face as he feels his insides flutter at the sound of your laughter. He quietly observes you with a lazy smile as you continued to kneel by pond, the sun setting behind you. The orange glow made you look more radiant that evening and he couldn’t help but feel a tug towards you.

Zuko chest tightened as he observed your more tender side. He honestly thought that you took your job a little too seriously. You were always on edge, as if ready to pounce at danger at any given moment. You were always thinking about his safety. Always checking and double checking the area to make sure it was clear before he could walk in. Always looking through his room in case someone was hiding within the curtains or under his bed. Always making sure he was safe. He hope to see this side of you more in the coming days.

But ever since you took up this job, Zuko noticed his sleep improving, even if they were minor improvements. Just knowing that you were there to protect him was enough to quiet his nightmares and worries. He smiles fondly above you, mentally making a note to thank Suki later. After all, she was the one who recommended you for the job.

As Zuko watches you observe the turtleducks fondly, Zuko realizes that he, too, would do anything to protect you.

[imjusthereforbatfam]

Never-Ending Encore, ch 7.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Chapter Summary: Very Drinks Café. That’s the name of the café. I’m literally not even joking. Anyway, would you like a slice of unresolved childhood trauma with that stalker mix-up?

Warnings: minor swearing, extremely minor mention of su*cide (like, you might even miss it), panic attack

Note: Ede is pronounced “EE-d”, like “need” or “greed”, and Edie is pronounced “EE-Dee”, like “needy” or “greedy.”

---

Being a professional actor was a more tiring and time-consuming line of work than Eden had originally thought. She was so accustomed to her old community theater’s three hours of practice three times a week that she’d expected something similar when she arrived in Gotham. Landing her first “real” gig was a wake-up call. Six 8-hour days in a row taught her just how much time and energy professionals put into their craft.

In Gotham’s theater world, Monday was considered the weekend. There were no performances for audiences to view and no practices for cast members to attend, so Sundays were often filled with tired actors excited to go for drinks or eager to sleep in.

This particular Sunday, Eden was brimming with energy. So much so she actually volunteered to take someone’s place on the daily mid-afternoon caffeine run. The director, Daphne, gave Eden a half-amused smile as she put in the usual order on her phone then sent the small group on their way.

“Somebody’s chipper today,” Aaron grumbled, still sour about not being able to convince anyone to take his turn.

Eden ignored his mood. “Yep! A sort-of friend of mine might be coming over tonight and I’m excited to see him.”

Veronica glanced over her huge sunglasses with an approving smirk. “Oooo, yeah?”

Even when it wasn’t her turn on the caffeine run, Veronica, one of the show’s leads, almost always joined the group. She had a very particular drink from a very particular café in the area she adored, and she would always lead the group there before grabbing everyone else’s drinks at Stardunks. She always bought the other runners something for their trouble too, which was probably the politest thing Eden had seen in Gotham.

“Good for you, Edie,” Veronica went on. “I didn’t take you for the friends-with-benefits type.”

“Friends with—?” Her brain froze. It lumbered over itself, trying to comprehend the idea of Red Hood – big, strong, muscles-for-days Red Hood –, the infamous vigilante, being friends with benefits… With her.

Her face exploded with color.

“Ohnononono! I mean, I meant like, meaning we aren’t exactly friends yet, is what I meant! Like we’re almost friends but not exactly, like— I mean— You know— Not— Not that there’s anything wrong with being friends with benefits, of course! Of course not! Who doesn’t like a good benefit— friend— thing?”

Aaron let out a low, dry “Woooow” and Veronica made an unimpressed face, the girl not caring at all for Eden’s fumbling. Knowing this, Eden’s face grew hotter and her words came out higher and faster.

“It’s just that I, you know, I personally— I mean, the guy’s sweet-as-pie and funny-as-heck but I don’t really know him that well and, you know, it just seems like a bit of a personal thing to jump into, and I’m really not all that—”

“Oh my god, it’s fine, Eden!” Veronica finally shouted with a roll of her eyes. “You’re not in Alabama or Indiana or whatever backwater state you’re from—”

Eden nearly lost her footing, her body stumbling as her brain stumbled over the insult. Veronica, now tuned into her phone, didn’t notice.

“—I was just trying to be supportive. No need to be a spaz about it.”

Eden gaped at Veronica, still not quite believing her ears. But disbelief didn’t stop her blood from boiling.

“Excuse—”

“Anyway!” Aaron said quickly, grabbing Veronica’s attention. “Have you seen pictures of the dress they’re putting you in for the ball scenes yet?”

“Have you? Ugh, it looks atrocious. Can you believe they want me to wear that shade of yellow? Like, seriously? I’m supposed to be the most beautiful sister, not the one who looks like she’s covered in mustard!”

Eden glared at Aaron from behind Veronica’s ranting head. He caught it and threw a warning look back, shaking his head minutely. Fuming, Eden sharpened her gaze then turned away, ignoring the both of them as best she could.

Veronica was a bit spoiled. The way she spoke about the vacations across Europe and the galas she and her father attended up and down the Northeastern coastline made it impossible to miss. Even so, Eden usually thought she was nice enough.

She was incredibly friendly for a Gothamite – especially a wealthy one – but she often tossed out carelessly ignorant comments that left Eden balking. It didn’t help that no one in the cast ever really corrected her, either. Even the director, though firm, was careful when critiquing Veronica.

Eden didn’t understand why they did it, but she didn’t care for it at all. It left a burning itch under her skin in desperate need of a scratch. But every time she went to, someone else interrupted her or stole Veronica’s attention away and gave her a warning look. It was infuriating.

As they approached the fancy café, Café Très Boissons written in thin white print across the window, someone’s phone started to buzz.

“I have to take this,” Veronica announced, shoving her purse into Eden’s hands.

Eden, not paying attention, nearly dropped it. “Whoa! Wha—”

“Go in and ask for my usual drink and whatever you two want. Use the pink card, yeah?”

“Huh?”

She put the phone to her ear. “Hi, Daddy, how was your flight?” She made a shooing motion at Eden then turned to focus on her phone call. Eden gaped at her, but she didn’t notice.

Aaron, who didn’t seem offended at all, nudged Eden and headed toward the door. She looked between him, the purse, and the infuriatingly oblivious young woman who’d handed it to her, before shaking her head and following him in.

She’d been to Café Très Boissons once before, about a week ago with Veronica and another cast member when it had officially been her turn on the caffeine run. Letting the door close behind her, she found the place just as unpleasant as the last time.

Everything was too… crisp. Too light and bright and minimalist. It was like stepping out of real-life and into a far-too-expensive décor magazine. The air was stiff, too. Suffocating, even. How anybody was supposed to relax in a place like this, Eden didn’t know.

The other patrons weren’t very welcoming either. They all dressed in smart, sleek clothing and held themselves like incredibly important people, all too busy with incredibly important things to pay anyone else any mind. Those who did happen to notice Eden and Aaron – who looked distinctly “artsy” amongst the ironed slacks and sleek skirts – quickly dismissed them.

The only ones who didn’t match the rest of the crowd – in both attire and actions – was a group of young men tucked into one of the corner booths. Eden could immediately guess which of them had suggested the spot, as he was the only one who roughly fit the dress code and seemed to be enjoying himself. (The pre-teen next to him fit it perfectly, wearing the same fitted attire as everyone else, but he had a distinctly unimpressed frown fixed to his face.)

The other two with him were easily Eden’s favorite people in the place. Amongst all the prim and pomp of everyone and everything else around them, those two were wearing hoodies.

The tired-looking teen in the black Superman hoodie still sat up nicely and gave some regard to where he was, but the one in red did not give into the café’s demands of refinement in the slightest. In fact, the way he was lounging in his seat with his arms crossed and hood drawn up, he almost looked ready to take a nap. His resolve to not give a damn was nothing if not admirable.

“Hi, Veronica!” the barista chirped, startling Eden both with the name and how happy he sounded to see her in this unfriendly place. “I already started your usual but what else can I…” He blinked at her. “Oh, whoops,” his tone, though still professional, dropped. “Sorry, miss, I thought you were somebody else.”

“Uh, that’s alright. I’m actually ordering for a Veronica who comes in here every day, so…”

“Veronica Bradford?”

Eden nodded slowly, then turned to Aaron to be sure.

“Yeah, that’s her,” he confirmed. “And I’ll have the same, but with the blueberry whip and no caramel.”

The barista nodded, writing that down, then turned to Eden, who was awkwardly fishing through Veronica’s big white purse to find the girl’s wallet.

“And you, miss?” he prompted.

“Oh, uh, do you have sweet tea?”

“We have tea and sweeteners we can add? Sugar and sugar-free options.”

“No, that’s— I’m good actually, thank you.”

“Are you sure? We have plenty to choose from.”

“No, that’s alright. Thank you.”

“Just get what we’re getting,” Aaron pressed. “It’s not bad, and you’re not paying for it anyway.”

“Neither are you,” she reminded him.

He shrugged.

“They are really good, miss,” the barista added. “It’s not tea but it is a sweet latte. It’s one of my favorites to recommend.”

“Oh, alright,” she sighed a little. “I guess I’ll take one, too.”

She went back to digging through the purse. When she finally found Veronica’s wallet, she almost blanched at the luxury brand name printed clearly across the front. Carefully, she opened it and delicately handed the barista the pink credit card. Aaron took over from there and left a huge tip that almost made Eden faint.

She stared at the receipt, blindly following him to a table. The three-digit number stared back.

“You’re giving her this,” she said suddenly, shoving the thin paper at him. “I don’t want nothing to do with that.”

“Oh, calm down, Eden. Her daddy dearest is so rich she won’t even bat an eyelash.”

Eden carefully set the purse onto their table, noticed the same brand name in rose gold on its front, and gently pushed it away from her. “I feel like a thief.”

Aaron scoffed, pulling out his phone. “With that bag? You look the part.”

“Ha ha, very funny.”

After a moment, she straightened and lifted herself up to see out the front window. From their high table near the corner, she could just catch the top of Veronica’s head. It moved in such a way that clearly meant she was still on the phone.

“Do I really look like her?” she asked in a small voice, sitting back down. “Like Veronica?”

Even if she wasn’t currently happy with the woman, Eden couldn’t deny she was a little flattered to have been mistaken for her. Veronica was undeniably pretty; beautiful in the way rich folks could easily afford to be. Like every inch of her was perfectly tailored to meet the highest of society’s standards.

“Hmm.” Aaron briefly glanced up from his phone. “I guess I can see it. You could easily be her double for some, like, security reason.”

Eden snorted. “Well if I was, I might just call out sick with the way she was talking to me earlier.”

“Oh, don’t let her get to you,” he said waving a hand. “That wasn’t too bad. She orders everyone around like that every once and a while.”

“That’s not what I was talking about, but that’s definitely rude, too.”

He raised a brow.

“Whatever backwater state I’m from?”

It took him a moment, then, “Oh. Yeah.” He went back to his phone. “Don’t take it personally. She’s just a spoiled little heiress.”

“She basically called me a moron from a state full of morons. How am I not supposed to take that personally? And then she just threw out different states like everyone south of New Jersey is a moron.”

Aaron shrugged, not really caring. “Veronica says things without thinking all the time. She’s nice enough most of the time, right? She’s still buying you a drink.”

“I really don’t give a damn that she’s buying me a drink,” Eden threw back. “She upset me, and she should know it and apologize. Nobody says anything when she does something wrong, and I’m sick of it. I hate how everybody walks on eggshells with her just ‘cause she’s rich.”

“Listen, Eden.” He sounded tired. “You can do whatever the hell you want but I’m trying to give you a heads-up. You’re not from around here and this is, what, your first show with Veronica?”

She nodded.

“Well, the reason nobody says anything,” he said copying her accent (and earning a glare), “isn’t because she’s rich. It’s because if you get on her bad side, you get on her dad’s bad side. And William Bradford pours a lot of money into Gotham’s theater scene. Understand?”

Eden blinked at him. There were a few old, well-to-do families that lived near her hometown who liked to have their fingers in a lot of pies – the Henriksens especially so – so she understood what he was saying perfectly. But still, she couldn’t quite believe her ears.

 Pulling that kind of nonsense in theater? And in Gotham City of all places? Wasn’t there something a little more… underworld-y that Mr. Bradford could focus on?

 “You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope,” Aaron said popping the p. “Happened to one of Veronica’s best friends— ex-best friends, Christina. They had a huge falling out and Christina couldn’t get a single call-back for over a year. She ended up moving to New York to try finding work there, and I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how cut-throat their theater scene is.”

Eden frowned at the table, then looked up at him again. “Well, that’s a best friend she got in a fight with. I’m nobody to her. If I’m polite about what’s bothering me, she won’t have any reason to ask her daddy to do something like that to me.”

“That’s just it though!” he said leaning over the table, lowering his voice. “Veronica didn’t ask her dad to do it. She didn’t have a clue what was happening with Christina! Just like she doesn’t have a clue why she keeps getting a lead role in every show she auditions for!”

“It’s… not because she’s a good actress?”

Aaron gave her an annoyed, unbelieving look. “Would you have cast her as Jane?”

“Well—” Eden sat up straight. “Well, I mean… Maybe not me personally, but— I mean, she is very pretty, and Jane is canonically the prettiest girl in town, and— and she’s certainly not a bad actress, I mean…”

“No, she’s not,” he agreed. “But she’s definitely not lead-role material. Daphne’s lucky she wanted to play Jane and not Elizabeth. Can you imagine her playing Elizabeth?” Aaron made a scandalized face and obnoxiously rolled his eyes at the thought.

Eden, unable to deny how awful Veronica would likely be in the role but also unwilling to say such a thing aloud, stumbled over a response until a barista called out Veronica’s name.

Eager to take the escape, she hopped out of her chair. “I’ll get that and you guard the purse.”

Aaron just hummed and picked up his phone again.

On her way to the counter, Eden spared a glance at the nearby corner booth, the one with the boys in the hoodies. The four of them were having a lively conversation and she enjoyed the small snippets of back and forth she could catch.

The one in the red hoodie no longer looked ready to take a nap but was instead hunched over the table, his jaw resting in his hand as he made small jabs at the people around him. The younger two snapped back quickly, and the smiling, eldest-looking one laughed while still trying to keep the peace.

The way they were digging at each other reminded Eden of her own “brothers”. She couldn’t help but smile. She sighed, unintentionally loud, missing her loveable idiots.

The one in the red hoodie lifted his head toward the sound but, thanks to the hood covering half his face, Eden was able to turn away before he caught her eavesdropping.

The barista waiting with the drinks gave her a wide smile. “Hi, Veronica! We’re still making your last drink but—” She cocked her head suddenly and squinted. “Wait…”

“No, I’m not Veronica,” Eden said with an amused smile. “But I am here for her drinks.”

“Oh.” The girl laughed at herself. “Sorry about that. The last one’s just going to be another minute.”

Eden nodded, picking up the two that were ready. “Thank you.”

As she returned to her and Aaron’s table, she glanced toward the boys again. This time, the smiling eldest was grinning and whispering something towards red hoodie boy, who was looking in the opposite direction and not-so-subtly flipping him off. The teen in the Superman hoodie accidentally locked eyes with her and the both of them quickly looked away.

Eden then noticed a man in the opposite corner of the café watching her. When she looked at him, he jerked his head away and quickly took a sip from his cup. Eden slowed her walk and furrowed her brows, a tightness forming in her gut.

“Yaaasss,” Aaron called, stealing her attention as he reached for his drink. “Give me that Rich Bitch Latte.”

“Is that what you call it?”

He shrugged, taking a sip. “Mine has blueberry whip cream. If that doesn’t scream rich bitch, what does?”

Eden made a slight face. Blueberry whip cream didn't seem all that luxurious to her – it certainly wasn’t hard to make – but even if it was, she couldn't imagine it tasted good with a latte.

“That barista mixed me up for Veronica too,” she said after a moment.

Aaron snorted. “Maybe you should be her double. You’d get paid good money for it, I’m sure.”

Eden hummed. She turned her attention back to the curious man in the opposite corner.

At first glance, he fit the establishment fine. He wore a simple grey suit and a hat and was now totally engrossed with his phone. But the suit was a little too non-descript and untidy, and the hat a bit beat-up. Not to mention, slouching in his seat like he was, he didn’t match the prim, properness of most of the other patrons.

Though… maybe she was being unfair to him. After all, she’d praised the guy in the red hoodie for the same thing, hadn’t she?

She glanced to the booth of boys again. The one in the red hoodie must have been looking at her because his head moved the second hers did. Eden didn’t get a tight, sinking sensation in her stomach when he did, though. Nor had she when she locked eyes with the teenager.

She turned back to the older man, still fidgeting with his phone. What was the difference between them? Maybe it was weirder because he was older. The other guys were closer to her age and therefore… what, safer?

Eden huffed at herself. Age wasn’t an indication of danger, she knew that. The people who came to the farm looking for safety were hiding from men of all ages. (They were almost always hiding from men.) From young men full of piss and vinegar and a sense of superiority; old men with strings to pull and favors they could call in; men of any age with a brutal mean streak that came from years of privilege, or hardship…

So it wasn’t their age. And none of them were dressed “appropriately” for the cafe – though the hoodie boys even less so – so it wasn’t that either. Maybe it was how stiffly and forcibly the man had reacted when Eden noticed him staring. Though that, too, didn’t necessarily mean any—

“Veronica Bradford!” the barista called again, breaking Eden’s thoughts.

On her second trip back to the table, Eden watched the man from the corner of her eye. It seemed like he was looking at her again too, adding to her concern. He moved his hands a bit and then—

Eden stopped. She turned to stare directly at the man, who hurried to shift his torso so his phone was no longer pointing at her. She scowled. She knew exactly what he was now. But what in the world was a scout doing here of all places?

A scout – as Mama always called them – could be anybody. A private investigator or a random person off the street; it didn’t matter. Their job was simple: find their mark and get proof of where and when they were and who they were with.

But… who was this guy’s mark? It couldn’t be Eden. He was taking her picture, sure, but… The only people who might be looking for her were her parents, and neither of them would have recruited someone so… obvious.

Still, she reported it to Aaron as she sat down. “There’s a man taking pictures,” she told him gravely.

He glanced up at her, giving her a weird look. “O…kay? Everyone takes pictures here. It’s a wannabe Snapstagram influencer’s wet dream.”

“I meant,” she said frowning, “he’s taking pictures of me.”

“Huh? Who?” He looked around without a hint of subtlety.

Eden smacked her head with her hand. She could’ve kicked him. Of course, it was her own fault for thinking he would understand. Aaron wasn’t one of her “cousins” or semi-siblings. He was just some guy from Gotham who knew nothing about life on Paradise Farm.

“Would you stop!?” she hissed, trying to hide her face from the scout. “He’s behind you, in the corner booth by the windows. Grey suit, brown hat— Don’t be obvious.”

Aaron, bless him, finally caught on. He turned his head slowly from one end of the café to the other. He stared at the man a few beats too long then turned back to her.

“Are you sure? He just looks like his phone’s giving him trouble.”

Eden shook her head. “I caught him doing it, so now he’s nervous. He was just staring at me the first time I got up, but the second time he had his phone pointed at me and everything.”

He looked over his shoulder at the scout, then back again. “Maybe he’s paparazzi,” he offered. “The baristas all thought you were Veronica. Maybe he does, too.”

Eden blinked at him. She hadn’t thought of that. Despite not being anywhere near the farm, the idea the man could be anything but a scout hadn’t even crossed her mind. But it made some sense… After all, who would he even be scouting? Nobody here was in hiding.

“She has paparazzi?”

“Local heiress constantly landing lead roles who models on the side?” Aaron shrugged.  “She’s not headline news or anything, but she pops up in local shit every once and a while.”

Eden frowned at her drink. She glanced over at the man again, taking a sip of her latte. “And are paparazzi people always so nervous when they get caught?”

“Do I look like I know the answer to that?”

“You’ve been around Veronica longer than I have,” she insisted. “You’d know better than I would.”

“I guess,” he huffed, rolling his eyes. He thought about it a moment. “I don’t know. She doesn’t usually notice them, but I guess some of them get a little embarrassed when other people do. But, like, it’s their job. They can’t exactly be bashful about it or they won’t get paid.”

She nodded thoughtfully and took another sip, reluctant to admit it tasted extremely good.

Her eyes slid over to the man once more. Then she stopped and glared. Loudly, she slammed her cup onto the table — startling Aaron and catching other patrons’ attention as well. Including the man, who’d been pointing his phone at her again.

He scrambled to put it away, stood, and started grabbing his things.

“I think you scared him, Veronica,” Aaron muttered sarcastically.

“Good.” She leaned back in her chair and took a celebratory drink, not taking her eyes off the man. “Paparazzi, huh?”

“Well, what else would he be?” Aaron asked, rolling his eyes again. “A stalker? The guy doesn't exactly scream danger. Anyway, he’s leaving now so it doesn’t—”

Eden jerked up in her seat. “Uh-oh.”

The real Veronica stepped through the door. Looking around, she spotted Aaron and Eden near the back corner, smiled, and started walking toward them. A flabbergasted expression crossed the man’s face when she passed him by.

“Uh-oh.”

The oblivious heiress didn’t notice him stop walking or the way he was watching her. But Eden did. And she knew that look in his eye.

“Oh, no.”

The scout had found his mark.

Eden didn’t think about it. One second she was sitting in her chair – buzzing with wild, nervous energy – the next she was grabbing Veronica’s drink and taking long strides across the café’s shining floors. She grinned playfully at the unsuspecting girl.

Veronica’s smile didn’t fall, but her brows furrowed slightly as Eden approached. “Hey, sorry about that. Daddy always calls me when he gets to a new hotel.”

“Oh, no problem, Eden!” Eden said handing Veronica her drink.

Veronica took it, went to speak, then seemed to short-circuit — suddenly blinking and staring at her in a baffled way. Eden took the moment to link their arms and move her away from the scout, who seemed stuck in place.

“Actually, my daddy does the same,” she said in the same, polished Rich-Girl-Gothamite accent she’d used before. “We’re super close. Oh, and tell me if you like the drink, yeah? It’s my favorite. I get it every day.”

Veronica glanced down at her drink, then up at Eden, totally lost.

As they approached the table, Eden did a quick sweep of their surroundings and was glad they were sitting where they were. Their table was near the side exit and all the nearby tables were empty, save the now silent booth of boys.

Though none of them were looking in her direction, Eden couldn’t help quirking a brow in theirs, wondering what had dulled their lively spirits.

“So… what’s going on exactly?” Veronica asked in a nervous pitch as they reached Aaron.

“Eden thinks she has a stalker,” he explained.

“No,” Eden corrected in her own voice. “I think Veronica has a scout— stalker— whatever thing. And they think Veronica is me.”

“They…” Veronica looked between the two of them, then laughed nervously. “Oh, Edie, that’s… I seriously doubt anyone would think you were me.”

“Two of the baristas thought I was you.”

“Brayden thought she was you,” Aaron confirmed.

Veronica’s mouth fell open. She stared at the guy behind the register in disbelief before turning it on Eden. Eden just grinned and moved her head to the side like she’d heard something funny.

There, in the corner of her eyes, she could see the man inching back to his corner booth. Watching them.

“Oh my god, Edie!” she said loud and clear in her Veronica voice, setting the real Veronica into a seat facing away from the man. “You are just too cute!”

“Wait.” Veronica leaned over, talking low. “Why are you talking like a normal person now?”

A flash of anger broke Eden’s character. “Excuse me?”

“Why are you talking like a normal person now?” she repeated, apparently unaware of her offense. “And why are you calling me Eden?”

Eden took a deep breath, trying to regain her cool. “I’m not talking like a ‘normal person’,” she explained slowly, being sure to sit up straight and hold her head in the proud, haughty way the rest of the patrons did. “I’m talking like you. And I’m calling you Eden so that scout-stalker guy leaves you alone.”

“She’s being your double,” Aaron said with a grin. Eden glared at him. “Am I wrong?”

She looked away. “No,” she grumbled.

He nodded, satisfied.

Veronica looked between the two of them, not getting it, then turned back to Eden. “Why are you doing this exactly? Are you expecting me to pay you for it?”

“What? No! I’m helping you because you're in trouble, obviously.”

The other two stared at her. Somehow that simple concept seemed foreign to them.

“Oh, please,” she scoffed. “Don’t you two act like you’ve never helped anybody out before just to be nice. I know this is Gotham but come on now. Not everybody in this city can be that heartless.”

“Oh, you sweet summer child,” Aaron cooed, resting a hand over his heart. Eden glared at him.

Veronica tried to say something, stopped, then tried again. “But… why? It’s not your problem, so…”

“So what? That guy’s trouble.” Eden tilted her head. “Do you… want some scout-stalker taking your picture? Knowing where you’ve been and when you go?”

“No, but… Are you sure he’s trouble?” she asked. “Maybe he’s just, I don’t know, some weirdo who likes taking pictures of pretty girls.”

“Could be.” Eden shrugged. “But I seriously doubt it, the way he’s been acting. It’s just sorta… obvious he’s here for you.”

“Obvious?” She made a face and started looking around the café – thankfully never over her shoulder – trying to find the trouble herself. “I don’t see anyone making it obvious.”

“You’re just not used to it.”

“And you are?”

Eden opened her mouth and shut it. She shuffled in her seat, not really sure how to explain it. Back home, she’d never had to explain it. Everybody just knew. And not just her small town. The whole county knew.

They knew Paradise Farm and its famous little bakery. They knew Mama and Eden and her mismatched group of semi-siblings (or of them, at least). They knew if you needed a place to go, Paradise Farm had its doors open, and “cousins” were always welcome.

Some who came, came for simple reasons. Wandering free spirits who enjoyed earning their stay and living more-or-less off the land, people who needed a little space after an argument, a partygoer looking for a safe place to sober up before heading home; simple things like that.

But sometimes it was more. Sometimes the reasons were complicated. Kids who’d been kicked out of their homes, kids trying to escape their homes, abused spouses who just wanted to disappear, people who couldn’t go to the law because an officer or a judge was a part of the problem; the kinds of folks who had nowhere else to go, no one left to turn to. The kind who needed help.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Aaron lowered his voice and moved closer, his eyes sparkling. “Are you, like… some kind of small-time hero? Is that why you moved to Gotham? To like, meet Batman and become a vigilante?”

Eden recoiled at the notion. “No! No, no, I’m—!” She chomped down on the words trying to fly out of her mouth, trying to control herself. “I’m not— I don’t— Don’t get me wrong, I like helping people and stuff,” she said fiddling with the table’s edge, very aware of Aaron’s eager, penetrating expression. “But I’m not like— I’m not a, a—” she couldn’t even say the word. Not when it was being tied to her.

Still, Aaron just nodded along. Looking for all the world like an unmasked hero was sitting in front of him and begging him to keep their secret. Eden’s hands started to shake. It was like talking to her father all over again.

“Really, Aaron. I’m… I’m not,” she said, trying to be firm. “I couldn’t do the things they do.”

“You could try,” he insisted, sounding just like him.

Eden went numb.

She couldn’t. She really, really couldn’t. She knew because she had tried. She’d tried, and tried, and tried so many times. But no matter how many times she tried, no matter how many times Frank had told her it was her purpose, her destiny, her responsibility, she just plain couldn’t.

When Mama found out, she was furious. Not with Eden. But with Frank. It was too much for a kid to handle, especially one like Eden, she’d said. She never wanted her daughter to endure that kind of sacrifice and pain—

Oh, the pain! Every time – every goddamn time – there was always so much pain!

Not that she had any right to complain, as Frank would remind her. She was a metahuman; her body always healed.

And it did.

It healed, and healed, and healed. Erasing every bullet, every blade, every hand that ever left its mark on her; stealing away every scar she might’ve earned, every wound she might’ve carried. It healed, and healed, and healed. So perfectly, so flawlessly, so unnaturally — and it never stopped.

Even when she died, it didn’t stop. It didn’t matter if someone killed her themselves or if she took on someone else’s death. Even if it was by her own hand, it didn’t stop. She always came back. Her body always healed. The universe always demanded an encore.

It never, ever, ever stopped.

“Are you okay, Ed— I mean, Veronica?” Veronica said obviously, garnering some of Eden’s attention. “You look a little sick.”

“She’s just freaking out ‘cause I figured out she’s not the everyday normal person she pretends to be,” Aaron said smugly.

Eden still couldn’t speak.

Veronica smacked him. “Don’t be an idiot, Aaron. You’re freaking her out because you’re insisting there’s something remarkable about her when there isn’t at all! E— Veronica is completely normal and average in every possible way.”

Eden winced at the unintended insult. Aaron made a slight face too, but, of course, Veronica didn’t notice.

“Anyway, Veronica,” she continued, turning back to her. “You’ve done this sort of thing before, yeah? What do we do now?”

Eden blinked a few times, still pulling herself out of her spiral, then glanced over at the scout. “Well… Normally I’d try to get a picture of the person, but…”

“But?” Aaron asked eagerly.

She froze again. She took a long, deep breath. “Well… since I made such a fuss catching him in the act earlier, I don’t think we’ll see him again.”

He pouted. “Really? You think a stalker’s going to give up just like that?”

“No, he—” Eden huffed and shook her head. “He’s not the real problem. He’s just some guy who’s supposed to be taking Veronica’s pictures. Maybe figuring out her routine or whatever. But he got caught twice, so whoever sent him probably won’t send him again unless they’re desperate. Or stupid, I suppose. Either way, I doubt taking his picture would really help much. Though I guess it could help us figure out who hired him in the first place, but I don’t really know who I’d send it to here—”

She stopped her rambling, noticing the open-mouthed, wide-eyed way her companions were staring at her.

“Oh— I— Uh—" She quickly took a sip of her nearly forgotten latte, trying to hide behind the cup. “Sorry,” she murmured.

Aaron shook himself, almost violently, out of his stupor. “Oh, okay, yeah, you just know all this crap and you’re not a vigilante or something?”

“I’m not,” she grumbled. “My mama taught me what to watch out for, so I do.”

“So your mom’s the vigilante?”

“My—" Eden blinked and shook her head fervently, trying to follow his logic. "What?”

Not that she’d admit it to a pair of acquaintances, but anyone who her mama – like, really knew her, not the role she played – knew Louanne Smith was more likely to be on a most-wanted list than be considered a vigilante. Though Red Hood was probably on a few wanted lists himself, now that she thought about it, and her mama certainly broke the law not turning over certain people to the sheriff, so maybe she would be considered a vigilante?

“Ugh, ignore him, Edi— Veronica,” Veronica said rolling her eyes. “Aaron has a total hard-on for Gotham’s bats. He loves the way they break the law and—"

“What is wrong with breaking the law if it means helping people?” he burst in.

“We have laws for a reason, Aaron,” Veronica insisted. “I can admit Gotham’s vigilantes help the little people here and there—” Eden bristled at her tone “—but in the grand scheme of things—” 

“In the grand scheme of things, they help people. End of story.” Veronica shot him a dirty look, but he made no move to try and placate her. This, apparently, was a hill worth dying on. “End of story,” he said again.

“Oh, yeah right, like you really care. Everyone knows you’re just in love with Red Hood’s thighs.”

“I can care about what the vigilantes do for this city and still appreciate how sexy they are,” Aaron said proudly. “Red Hood’s jacked and has the thighs of a god and I’m not ashamed to admit I would tap that in an instant.”

Eden made an involuntary high-pitched sound. She stared dead at the table, trying not to think about Red Hood as her face grew piping hot and she curled in on herself.

“Besides, you’re one to talk,” Aaron continued, either ignoring or not noticing Eden’s discomfort. “You always go on and on about how hot Nightwing’s ass is!”

“Which it is, but that’s not the point! They might be hot but vigilantes are the reason we have so many crazy supervillains in this city!”

“Those hot vigilantes are the only reason we have any sort of justice in this city!”

Hiding her burning face in her hands, Eden just shook her head, trying to phase out of existence as they went back and forth on their stances of law, order, and whether or not Batman was a dilf.

Eventually, she peeked through her fingers and found the scout watching them with an uncertain look on his face. His phone was still in his hand, however, close to his chest and pointed in her direction, so they weren’t out of the woods yet.

Eden groaned and ran her fingers through her hair as she dropped her head. Then she popped back up, her expression taut, like an heiress who’d been ignored for far too long.

“Ex—cuse—me!” she said clapping her hands, forcing the bickering to finally stop. She gave them a tight smile, speaking lowly in her own voice. “Y’all can have this… discussion some other time – preferably when I’m not here – but right now, we’re in the middle of something.” She stood from her seat. “So I’m gonna need you two to stop. Now.”

The guilty party shared a look then muttered an annoyed agreeance.

“Thank you,” she said with a nod. “Now then.” She grabbed Veronica’s big white purse and confidently slung it over her shoulder. “Are we ready to go?” she asked loud and clear in her Veronica voice, gesturing to the side door. “I’m sure Daphne and the rest of the cast are waiting for us.”

“Sure thing, Veronica,” Aaron said a little louder than usual. “Lead the way.”

Eden smiled and linked arms with the real Veronica, constantly shifting to keep the girl’s face hidden from the scout as much as possible. As they exited the café, she pointed to something down the street, giving Veronica an excuse to keep her head turned.

Eden on the other hand tried to catch a glimpse of the scout from the corner of her eye. Instead, she ended up latching on to the group of boys one last time.

A few of them looked uncomfortable but all four were quiet, each seemingly lost in their own thoughts. But Eden could tell that wasn’t right. Even if they didn’t seem focused on anything in particular, she knew they were. It was almost like she could see that they were… were… She didn’t know what to call it. Ready? On? Something like that. But why? What for?

The guy in the red hoodie shifted back, leaning lazily against the booth cushions. His hood stayed in place despite his head tipping up toward the ceiling. Though unable to see his eyes, Eden had the sudden sense that he was watching her.

Should she be nervous? Had she set too much of her attention on the man on the other side of the café? Should she have been watching these boys as well? She didn’t feel like she needed to worry about them. Had she made a mistake?

She walked arm-in-arm with Veronica until they reached the end of the block and crossed the street. There, she released the girl and spun around, scanning the stream of people for the face of the scout, or perhaps even one of the boys.

She suddenly wished she had snuck a picture. Maybe back home it wouldn’t be such a big deal, but this was Gotham. And Veronica was a high-profile local. As much as Eden preferred giving people the benefit of the doubt, this wasn’t a safe situation to assume anything but the worst.

Not seeing anyone from the café, she sighed and rejoined Veronica and Aaron, who were giving her nervous looks. She smiled at them.

“All good.” She took the purse from her shoulder and handed it back to Veronica. “You might want to consider having someone else get your latte for a while. Maybe an assistant or something? And maybe some kind of security for yourself. Just to be safe.”

Veronica nodded mutely, then muttered out a small thank you before taking Eden’s arm again. She held it tightly, with a concerned look on her face, so Eden didn’t complain. Every few blocks they would stop or slow down and she would check the crowd around them for caution’s sake.

The walk to Stardunks and back to the practice hall was fairly quiet, giving Eden plenty of time to think. Mainly she wondered if she should bring up the day’s events to Red Hood. It wasn’t anything vigilante-worthy, not yet anyway, but Veronica’s status certainly made it a possibility. And Eden stepping in as her double probably counted as doing something stupid, which, even though he'd been joking, he’d asked her not to do.

In fact, when they stepped into the practice hall and Veronica started telling everyone what had happened and how Eden had “saved” her, and Aaron reiterated her “vigilante-like knowledge”, and a number of people started looking at her with a curious sort of twinkle in their eyes, the stuttering, blushing Eden was quite certain she’d done something very, very stupid indeed.

---

Next chapter

[twistedtummies2]

Mia Corazón (Commission)

Another commission I got via my FA page. This is from the same person who commissioned “Tick Tock” and “A Grim Dinner.” It features his OC based on Tick Tock the Crocodile, Tock Crockwork...BUT, more importantly, it also acts as an introduction to his newest OC, Caelyum De Macabre - a character based on Davy Jones (with hints of Tia Dalma) from “Pirates of the Caribbean.”  And it’s NOT A KINK STORY. HERESY, I KNOW. I had a LOT of fun with this one; my only major regret is that I couldn’t make it longer than it already is. XD Also, just for the sake of making sure people know, I did not make up the lyrics to the song featured here. They’re actually fan-made lyrics for Davy Jones’ theme from the movies, originally created by a YouTube artist called Fiajela. I highly recommend looking up the song - it’s been covered by her and Man on the Internet, and they even made a duet version with the two stitched together. Anyway...hopefully you all enjoy. :)

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Valentine’s Day had come to Night Raven College. As you and Grim walked through the halls of the dark castle, you couldn’t help but chuckle at the decorations: pink paper hearts and streamers of white and crimson were everywhere, making it feel almost as if Heartslabyul had somehow managed to take over the entire palatial academy. Grim frowned up at you, trotting at your side, trident tail swishing as he went. “Nya? What’s so funny, Minion?” he demanded to know. “Nothing, nothing,” you responded with a shake of your head. “It’s just…everything looks so different.” Grim sniffed snootily, crinkling his nose at a poster of two young lovers embracing. “I don’t like it,” he remarked. “It’s all…mushy. It just doesn’t feel right for a School of Villains to be so…nya, what’s a good word…?” “Sentimental? Sappy? Saccharine?” “Gross,” was the word Grim chose, sticking out his tongue and shuddering like a small boy afraid of getting the dreaded cooties. You snorted with laughter. “Well, bring it up to the Headmaster,” you smirked, stuffing your hands in your pockets as you went. “I’d rather not,” Grim grumped. “Besides, we all know Crowley would just ramble on about it, or say he’ll get things done and never do…how come he’s Headmaster, anyway? He doesn’t do anything!” “Your guess is as good as mine,” you shrugged. “All I know is the only home I have is thanks to him, as is the only job. I’d like to keep both, thank you.” Grim shrugged back with an accepting sort of rumble as the two of you ascended the spiral staircase that led up to the Headmaster’s Office. Crowley had sent a call that morning; classes were dismissed for the day, so the university was a little quieter than usual: many of the students were off visiting family or loved ones, and those that were hanging around the campus still were largely engaged in…ahem…PRIVATE affairs. You, of course, could not leave; at least for now, Night Raven was your home, and as you were currently not in a relationship, Valentine’s Day wasn’t much different than any other day. Not that you minded much; it was still nice, in your mind, to see others happy and relaxed, and a holiday was a holiday, at any rate…though it seemed even St. Valentine’s holiday would not be saving you from helping clean up whatever mess Crowley needed dealt with this time. As you passed an image of two small, fluffy kittens holding a heart, a random thought came to your head: “Grim?” “Nya?” “Have you ever wanted to be in love?” “Not really,” the cat-like monster said. “Love is all…icky.” You frowned. “Icky?” you repeated. “All the kissing and hugging and…bleh!” Grim shuddered again, then went on: “Besides, it seems awfully difficult; makes you humans and even beast-men all crazy. I’ve got too much to deal with as it is, thank you very much! Nope. The World’s Greatest Mage won’t ever let love make him all soppy.” Grim stuck out his fluffy chest proudly at this, sticking his nose in the air. You smirked, and paused, reaching down to scratch behind his ears. He froze up…then purred and nuzzled into your touch. “Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…o-okay…maybe I love some things,” he admitted.

“Good kitty,” you teased, and snickered as Grim growled at you and half-heartedly swiped at your hand with a paw. You retracted it and the two of you kept moving. “Come on. The sooner we deal with Crowley, the faster we can get to our own stuff.” Grim nodded, as the pair of you drew nearer to Crowley’s office. You knocked on the door and waited for the sing-song call of “Come in!” before entering. Inside the office, things looked the same as ever, floating portraits of the Great Seven and all…aside from a vase of roses, plus a couple of heart-shaped ornaments on the desk, as well as the fact the purple-and-green curtains had been exchanged for solid red velvet drapes. Dire Crowley himself was seated behind his desk, sorting through paperwork, dressed in his usual attire. His feathery cloak rustled as he lifted his top-hatted head, and smiled at both yourself and Grim as you shut the door to the office behind you, his yellow eyes sparkling behind his Plague-Doctor-esque Venetian mask. “Ahhh! Prefect of Ramshackle Dorm! And the Little Monster!” he greeted warmly, rising and waving his hands, bidding you closer as he stepped around his desk. “Come, come, you’re right on time!” “On time for what, dare we ask?” Grim meowed. “Aren’t you celebrating Valentine’s Day, too, Headmaster?” you asked, politely. “Later,” Crowley smirked, winking and tapping the side of his mask’s long nose. “I’ll be entertaining a cute little fairy sorceress from the Land of Oz later tonight.” He let out a dreamy sigh, placing a hand to his heart. “Ahhh, Miss Upland…one day, you will be mine…” You and Grim gave each other a look, shrugged, then turned back to Crowley. “What’s the problem, then?” you asked, knowing better than to think this was a social call. By now, Crowley had firmly established yourself and Grim as the chief problem solvers of the Academy, so it stood to reason he had a mission for your both. “Oh! Yes, well,” Crowley muttered, and cleared his throat, adjusting and straightening his stance before going on in a business-like way: “As I’m sure you’ll both know, tonight there’s a special performance, directed by our own Vil Schoenheit, for the holiday.” “Nya? Isn’t it that play about the Sea Witch?” Grim checked, tilting his head. “Correct,” nodded the Headmaster. “And the Little Mermaid she assisted. We have a special guest coming to see the show tonight…” He reached into the folds of his cloak and pulled out a small photograph, handing it over to you. You knelt down to get closer to Grim’s level, and showed him the photo as you both looked it over: the picture was a portrait of a dark-skinned mermaid, with hair black as ebony and scales of red and gold. Her eyes were brown and soft and warm as milk chocolate, and a silver locket in the shape of a heart was clasped about her throat. “Oooh…she’s pretty!” Grim smiled. “Very,” you agreed with a smile of your own. “She,” the Headmaster spoke up, “Is Young Lady Mia Corazón. Her family is one of the richest in the Coral Sea.” “Which is why you invited her,” you guessed, trying not to sound as bored as you were. To your surprise, Crowley answered, “I didn’t invite her! She wanted to see the show on her own…but there is one difficulty: her family insists that she be accompanied by at least two bodyguards at all times. Much like the Al-Asims, they’ve had…ISSUES in the past, and if their daughter is going to be on land for a spell, her parents want to make sure she’s adequately protected.” “That’s fair enough,” you supposed. “Let me guess,” sighed Grim, crossing his arms, “You want us to be the bodyguards then?” “Well, I suppose I COULD hire professionals,” Crowley murmured, scratching his chin in thought. “But they can cost a lot…I’d probably end up having to cut your pay just to-” “Forget it,” you grumbled, while Grim growled and slapped a paw to his forehead. “We’ll do it. But something is worrying me, if you don’t mind my bringing it up.” “What’s that?” “Are you sure WE’RE the right ones for this job?” you pressed, then before Crowley could speak up, you went on quickly: “We’ll do it, like I said, but…are you certain we should?” “How do you mean?” the Headmaster questioned, tilting his head. “Well, we’re not from the Coral Sea,” you explained. “Wouldn’t someone from that area be a better choice? Perhaps Azul could loan out the Leech Twins for a day!” Both Grim and Crowley looked at you as if you had grown a second skull. “…Right,” you sighed, quickly catching on. “Azul. ‘Loan’ us the Leech Twins. And us NOT expect things to go HORRIBLY wrong, one way or another. Yeah, that was a dumb suggestion, sorry.” Crowley chuckled and shook his head. “I have every confidence in you,” he said, with a wide smile. “You’ve solved so many problems in the past! And it’s only for tonight! What could possibly go wrong?” “Well, great, now something will DEFINITELY become a problem,” Grim grumbled. “Look, it’s not that I’m ungrateful,” you pressed on, “Or even that I’ve got a whole lot else to do, just…I’m worried because I don’t have magic. And Grim is…well…Grim.” “Hey!” Grim yapped indignantly. “I could roast any bad guy’s butt if they tried to get to Miss Coronation!” “Corazón,” corrected the Headmaster. “Whatever,” shrugged Grim. Crowley rolled his eyes, then turned his head upward. “You do raise a good point though, Prefect,” he conceded. “I didn’t think of that…at the very least, you two will need some help.” You were just about to agree…when suddenly, you heard Grim shiver. Both you and Crowley looked down as the cat-like demon quivered and hugged himself, the fire in his ears flickering. “Are you okay?” you asked, worriedly. “Y-Yeah,” Grim answered with a slight chattering of his teeth. “But…does anybody else feel like it suddenly got colder in here?” Now that Grim mentioned it, you DID suddenly feel a light chill crawl up and down your back…and it wasn’t too long afterward that the source of the cold made its presence known. With an authoritative BANG, the Headmaster’s office door burst open, causing both yourselves and Crowley to yelp and jump in alarm. You turned around fast, and gulped nervously as you perceived the imposing figure of Chief Jehan – the school’s head of security, garbed as ever in his military style cap and long, black trenchcoat. “Headmaster,” the darkly dressed security chief intoned, bowing his head respectfully to Dire Crowley, “Forgive this intrusion.” “Oh, it’s alright, Claude,” Crowley sighed out, then frowned. “Whatever is the matter?” “I apprehended this rule-breaking scallywag in the school cafeteria,” Jehan stated, indicating a second figure. “Ow! OW! H-Hey, let go of me, you old…! I’ll bite your legs off, you hear me?!” You and Grim were surprised to see the short, thick-hipped, green haired figure struggling in the icy grip of Claude Jehan, trying to pull away as his ear was all but being yanked from the side of his cranium. “Tock?” the two of you chorused. Tock Crockwork just snarled as Jehan glared at him. He tried to return the glower, but it came off more akin to a wounded animal trying to look tough than…well…looking tough. Crowley’s frown deepened, and he stepped past you and Grim – uttering a quiet, “One moment please” – before approaching the chief and the unruly Octavinelle student. “What is the meaning of this?” the Headmaster boomed. The Security Chief pushed Tock forward, releasing his ear. Tock stumbled a bit and caught himself, massaing his sore lobe. “This young ruffian,” Jehan explained, “Started a brawl with Mr. Bucchi over the last Deluxe Menchi Katsu Sandwich. As the latter student was merely defending himself, I felt his punishment should be more lenient; both have been banned from the cafeteria for the rest of the week…but as the one who started the whole affair…” He trailed off as Tock growled rather pathetically, looking down at the floor sullenly. Crowley scowled and hummed thoughtfully, clearly trying to determine a fitting punishment. Your eyes, as well as Grim’s, widened, and you looked to each other. “Grim,” you whispered, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” “I think so, Minion, but a show about a math teacher who’s also a criminal mastermind? Who’d want to watch that?” You facepalmed. “What are you two whispering about?” Jehan asked, suspiciously, as Tock and Crowley both looked to you as well. “I think I know a way to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak,” you suggested. “You mean, a way to deal with Mr. Crockwork while also dealing with your dilemna?” Crowley guessed. “Exactly.” “Dilemna? What dilemna?” Tock asked. You grinned.

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“Thanks for sticking up for me, snack meat,” Tock groused, petulantly pouting as he walked by your side. “You’re the one who decided to pick a fight with the hyena,” you shrugged. “Honestly, I think I did you a favor.” “Nya…my Minion has a point,” Grim nodded. “Do you really think things would have been better if Crowley had decided to punish you himself?” “Or worse,” you put in, grimly, “Leave you to Chief Jehan?” All three of you shuddered, and Grim even crossed himself at the mention of the security chief. “Fine, I guess that’s fair,” Tock grumbled. “But I don’t like having to protect a fish filet from harm. I eat fish!” “Well, you won’t be eating Mia Corazón,” you sniffed. “Alright…guess I’ll just have to eat YOU instead,” smirked Tock, and licked his sharp teeth. Grim mewed and hid behind your leg. You blushed. “…We’ll worry about that later,” you grumbled, making Crockwork snicker with a wicked smile. “For now, let’s focus on getting you some actual lunch.” “You ARE an actual lunch,” snorted Tock. “I am not on the menu!” you snapped, flushed with embarrassment as Tock gave you a knowing grin. “Well…not till your work is done,” he teased, winking deviously, then smirking down at Grim. “Maybe I’ll have the little hairball for an appetizer, too…” Grim hissed at being referred to as a “hairball,” but said nothing. “Do you always have to be so antagonistic?” you sighed. “It’s what keeps getting you into trouble, you know.” Tock just shrugged carelessly, hips swaying as he walked side by side with you. “So, where are we heading?” he asked. “Can’t go to the cafeteria, and the Mostro Lounge is way too expensive…” “The Mystery Shop,” you answered. “I’m sure Sam’s got something in stock for us all to snack on before we head to the beach to pick up our special guest.” “Nya! Between my fiery awesomeness, my Minion’s brains, and lizard-breath’s strength, we’ll be the best bodyguards ever!” declared Grim. “Call me ‘lizard breath’ again,” Tock warned, “And we’ll be back down to two people, fuzz-face.” “Fuzz-face?!” Grim snapped. “How’d you like to BURN off a few of those calories you’re so proud of, hah?!” “Girls, girls, you’re both pretty,” you droned. The pair glared at you, then each other…then growled in unison as they stopped. “Thank you,” you sighed with relief. “Now, let’s be on our best behavior: I don’t want Sam’s Friends to give us a hard time…” As you spoke, your little trio reached the entrance to Mr. S’s Mystery Shop, and the three of you walked inside. Aside from a simple banner reading “Happy Valentine’s Day!” over the door, the shop was completely as it usually was…at least on the outside. To be fair, once you all entered the building, the store within seemed its usual self, too; no heart-shaped décor here, only the usual assortment of voodoo accessories. The strange part came when you not only realized Sam was nowhere to be seen…but you all also noticed who was tending to the store. Or rather, what. “Crabs?” all three of you gasped in surprise. Sure enough, crawling all over the Mystery Shop was an assortment of strange white sand crabs. Their shells seemed to have been made from smooth, ivory-colored stone…and as if the presence of the pale decapods wasn’t bizarre enough, their activities certainly would have gotten some unusual reactions. A few of the crabs were straightening out and sorting through items on the shelves, making sure everything was in top-notch condition. One crab was holding a miniature broom, while the other held a dustpan, the pair of them sweeping the floor. Still another crab was changing a lightbulb, while two more – clicking their claws encouragingly – were supervising. A bunch of crabs carrying a spray bottle and a wash cloth scuttled past you all, near your feet. Yourself and Croc stepped back, but Grim – with typical feline curiosity – leaned down and actually sniffed at one of the crustaceans… “ME-YOWCH!” he yelped, and jumped back, mewling and covering his muzzle after one of the crabs pinched his nose with their pincer. The crab seemed to strut away importantly afterward. “Heh…guess the crab cake bit back, huh?” teased Tock. Grim just growled and massaged his stinging snout. “This is new,” you muttered. “Where’d all these little guys come from?” “Cruel and cold, like winds on the sea. Will you ever return to me? Hear my voice sing with the tide: My Love Will Never Die…” The melodious voice soon sang into your ears, and you and your companions looked towards the source. In a corner of the shop, a lone figure was quietly mopping, and singing the lonely, haunting sea shanty you had heard. The figure was a young and slender man, dressed in a tan-colored jacket with ruffle-ended sleeves, and a brown hip-skirt. His legs were covered by dark beige trousers, while plain brown boots were on his feet. A fishnet scarf was loosely slung about his shoulders, almost like a shawl, and an orange muscle shirt festooned his abdomen. His hair was a curious pink hue, and done up in dreadlocks. “Ahem!” you coughed, catching the young man’s attention. He froze and looked up to you, blinking his brown eyes. For a moment, you noticed there was a look of pain and something…hollow in his face, as if something inside of him was missing and he longed to get it back. An overwhelming feeling of loneliness and sorrow seemed to wash over you…but it disappeared in an instant when the youth smiled. “Oh! Ahoy there! Didn’t hear you come in,” he greeted, bowing his head respectfully as he put the mop in its bucket and then walked towards you and your group. “Can I help you?” “Well, you can start by telling us who you are, and what happened to Sam,” Grim frowned. The young man chuckled, flipping his fishnet scarf over one shoulder. “Sam is taking the day off for the holiday,” he explained, then slowly added, “I don’t…make merry on Valentine’s Day, so I volunteered to keep the shop open and do some cleaning.” “Well, that answers one question,” Tock snorted, crossing his arms over his chest and lookin the taller youth up and down. “Mind answering the other?” “Oh! Right, right,” the young fellow chuckled, and cleared his throat before giving a mock-salute and answering: “Name’s Caelyum. Caelyum De Macabre. I’m Sam’s new assistant.” “Pleased to meet you,” you smiled, and shook Caelyum’s hand, and tilted your head. “Say…can I call you Cael for short?” The young man’s smile flickered, and he paused before quietly beseeching, “I’d…rather you didn’t, thank you.” “No problem, I’m sorry,” you apologized quickly. “Not at all, not at all,” the young man chuckled, and straightened his stance, recovering quickly. “So! What can I do for you, me hearties? Supplies, clothes?” “Food,” growled Tock. “I’m STARVING.” Caelyum chuckled and jabbed a thumb to one part of the shop. “You’ll find everything you need in that direction.” Tock nodded, and sashayed in the direction De Macabre had indicated. Caelyum smiled back at you and Grim in the meantime. “You’re the Prefect of Ramshackle Dorm, right?” he guessed. “That’s right,” you nodded. “It’s nice to meet you, then,” Caelyum smiled. “Sam’s told me all about you: he says you’re his favorite customer.” “He says that about everyone,” Grim snorted. Caelyum chuckled and knelt down. He extended a hand carefully. Grim sniffed it carefully…then smiled and allowed the shopkeeper’s assistant to pet him softly. “You have a beautiful singing voice,” you couldn’t help but comment. Caelyum looked up in surprise…then blushed a bit. “Oh, uh…you heard a little of that, did you?” he chuckled with embarrassment. “Nya! It sounded really sad, but…it was also really nice,” Grim mewed. “Thanks,” Caelyum said as he stood back up to his full height. “What song was that?” you asked, curiously. “I’ve never heard it before. Is it from your homeland?” Caelyum’s smile fell, and he looked askance. “Not exactly,” he murmured, then informed you aloud, in a matter-of-fact way: “It’s a song from the Coral Sea. I come from the Jubilee Port, near the Swamplands: same place as Sam. A…friend taught the song to me.” Catching the hitch in his voice, you smiled sympathetically. “It sounds like you two were close.” “We were,” Caelyum said softly. “Very.” “Nya…what happened?” Grim asked. Caelyum paused…then shrugged. “They left,” was all he said. Sensing the sensitive subject, you decided to drop the matter; Grim caught on and did the same. “How long have you been working for Sam? I haven’t seen you around before.” “Not long,” shrugged Caelyum, seemingly grateful the subject had changed. “He and I have some similar interests, and when I joined Night Raven, I applied for work.” “Oh, so you’re a first year?” “Yep.” “What house? Octavinelle?” you guessed, wondering why Tock wouldn’t have recognized the youth if so. “Scarabia, actually and weirdly enough,” laughed Caelyum, as if the placement struck him as some sort of very funny joke…he paused then leaned in and whispered: “Um…is it just me, or is the dorm head of that house a little…you know…how would you say it…?” “Too pure and innocent for this cruel, unholy world?” “…Yeah, that.” “Yes. Yes, he very much is.” The two of you were interrupted by the sound of Tock snarling in the food aisles. You all turned to see him trying to pry a bag of chips out of the pincers of one of the crabs, who looked very insulted to be interrupted in his work. “Hey! Can somebody make this crab cake let go?!” he snapped. “Oh, sorry!” Caelyum called out, and then snapped his fingers. Suddenly, every single crab inside the building froze…and then their claws and extremities retracted into their shells, leaving only a series of what looked like smooth, white stones scattered around the shop. With a second snap of his fingers, the stone crabs disappeared; there was no puff of smoke or flash of light. One second they were there…the next, they were not. Grim whistled, impressed. “Nice trick,” he murmured. “Is that your Unique Magic?” you asked. “Yep,” Caelyum nodded. “They’re called Locker Crabs, and you’d be surprised the kinds of things I can do with them…” “Cool!” Grim commented. “Hey, Tock!” you called out, hearing the rustling of snack food bags. “Leave some stuff for the rest of us, and hurry up! We need to get to the beach quickly!” “I’m hurrying, snack meat, I’m hurrying!” Tock called back dismissively. “The beach?” Caelyum spoke up, looking interested. “Why are you three heading there? What’s so important?” “We’re on a mission!” Grim cheered, puffing out his chest once more. “Oh, really?” smirked Caelyum, looking amused, and scoffed as he moved behind the front desk. “What for? Some sort of Valentine’s Day meeting, or something?” You frowned, sensing a bitterness to two particular words. “You mentioned you don’t make merry on Valentine’s Day,” you said slowly, approaching the desk and leaning on it. “What do you…y’know…have against it?” “Hm?” Caelyum murmured, then shrugged as he leaned back against the shelves behind the front desk. “Oh, well, it’s…not the day itself. More what it represents.” “Nya? What do you mean?” Grim asked, tilting his head. A shadow seemed to fall over Caelyum’s face, and he looked askance. Something icy and stormy flickered across his features. “Love,” he said, as if the word were some repellent toxin. You and Grim shared a look, then looked back to Caelyum. “Love is a lie,” Caelyum went on, seemingly talking more to himself than to either of you. “It’s like a parasite that burrows into your chest…and even once the sickness it spreads is cured, something in there remains, keeping you from ever knowing real peace. It pulls you along a blind alley, and just when you feel safe, it stabs you in every place it hurts most, and then leaves you to either heal on your own or die. It weakens your defenses, and confuses your resolve. And yet every year, every time this day comes around…I just see people acting like it’s the best thing in the universe.” He shuddered violently, looking positively ill. Grim meowed almost sadly. “I think love is mushy and gross, but…I don’t think it’s THAT bad,” he mewed. His words seemed to snap Caelyum out of it. The witch doctor’s assistant glanced up at you both…and, with a light chuckle, his helpful, friendly smile returned, the shadows departing in an instant. “Well…being mushy and gross doesn’t help,” he joked. Grim sniggered. Your own expression didn’t change, even as the employee leaned forward again. “Seriously, though, what IS your mission?” “We’re gonna be bodyguards!” Grim announced joyously. “Bodyguards?” “There’s a special guest coming to the show on campus tonight,” you explained. “The Headmaster assigned the three of us to look after her, since she’s a VIP.” “A really RICH VIP,” Grim added. “That’s our Headmaster,” Caelyum scoffed with a roll of his eyes. “So, who is this special guest?” “Mia Corazón.” Caelyum’s smile vanished, as if it had been smacked off his face. “Mia…Corazón?” he repeated. “Nya? Do you know her?” Grim asked. Caelyum didn’t answer, looking away; that hollow, haunted stare came to his face as he seemed lost in another world. “Mia Corazón,” he repeated again, then let out a soft, slightly hysterical laugh. “Of all the cursed days of the year…she chooses now…” Before you could ask what was wrong, Tock came lumbering over, arms loaded with various snacks and drinks. “There! That should be enough for all of us…or at least, for me,” he grinned, flashing you a wink that would have made you blush in an instant if your mind weren’t on other matters. He looked towards the assistant…then frowned, eyes narrowing. “Hey…who are you upset with?” The words once again snapped the brooding Caelyum out of it. He looked at Tock with surprise…then shook his head fast and brushed some of his pink hair away from his face. “No one. Nothing,” he insisted, and forced his smile back onto his face. “Now! Let’s, uh…let’s ring this up, aye?” In casual, business-like fashion, Caelyum charged Tock; you were grateful for the recent raise Crowley had given you as you paid for it all. The three of you then left the shop. Just before you exited, you turned to bid Caelyum one last farewell. He smiled and waved back… …But the moment you left, the darkness flooded his face once more, and he looked away, eyes smoldering like hot coals as he reached into his shirt… …Revealing the silver locket that was around his neck. The same sort in the photo Crowley had given you. The young man’s face became cold as an iceberg once more as he opened the locket…and sang to the tune the music box inside played. “Wild and strong, you can’t be contained. Never bound, nor ever chained. Wounds you caused will never mend, and you will never end…”

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“Why did you ask him that question?” Tock Crockwork belched and grunted as he finished up his lunch, licking and sucking on his fingers before looking to you, cheeks bulging as he still chewed his food. “Whuh queshun?” he mumbled out through a full mouth. “About why he was upset?” Grim spoke up, tilting his head. “I mean, he certainly looked upset, so…” “That wasn’t the question he asked though,” you clarified to Grim, then looked to Tock. “You specifically asked, ‘WHO are you upset WITH?’” Tock swallowed and let out a hiccupping burp before speaking. “Mph…yeah, and?” he grunted, patting his stomach and licking his lips free of any crumbs from the sandwich he had devoured. “Well…why did you assume he was upset with someone?” “I didn’t assume, I knew,” snorted Tock, and slung his arms behind his head as the three of you neared the beach of Sage Island. “That was the same look I saw in the mirror every day when I thought of Leona, or those boys back home.” Knowing what had happened in his conflict with Leona, you gulped at Tock Crockwork’s words. “Well, I hope he wasn’t mad at us,” murmured Grim. You smiled thinly; you had a very good idea you knew who Caelyum was mad at, given the context of things…and you were very much hoping you were wrong. You had the sinking feeling those hopes would be dashed as the three of you drew closer to the beach…and a familiar-sounding song, accompanied by the tinkling notes of a music box, drifted through the greenery and into your ears… “Over waves and deep in the blue; I will give up my heart for you. Ten long years I’ll wait to go by: My Love Will Never Die.” The source of the singing soon became clear as you pushed past the last few bushes of the wilderness and stepped onto the open, sunny beach. There was a single white bench nearby; standing beside the bench was a man in what looked like an almost Spartan uniform…and seated upon it was a young woman, with dark skin and long, black hair, dressed in a red and gold dress. In one of her hands, she lifted the pendant of a locket; the source of the music box tune. The lady snapped the locket shut, and she and her chaperone turned fast when they heard yourself and your companions approaching. She smiled, chocolate-toned eyes lighting up with interest. “Oh, hello!” she chuckled, seemingly a bit embarrassed at being caught in her reverie, and stood up as her suspicious compatriot narrowed his eyes at you. “Are you…my bodyguards?” “Yes, ma’am!” chirruped Grim, proudly. “Mia Corazón, I presume?” you smiled, respectfully. “That is right,” the young woman greeted, bowing her head in matching respect and lowering her locket. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” “Wait a minute…why do you need us to guard you?” Tock spoke up, and pointed to the Spartan-looking fellow. “Wouldn’t he be enough?” “Oh, that’s Firme. He actually has a date with his wife,” Mia answered, giving the man a teasing smile.

The guard blushed. “Miss Corazón, not in front of civlians!” he pleaded. Mia chuckled. “Sorry, Firme,” she apologized. “Now go on; I know she’s waiting for you.” Firme nodded gratefully, then glared at the three of you more seriously. “Protect her at any cost; we’re depending on you,” he ordered. “Aww, don’t worry, we’ll keep the little fishstick safe!” Tock smirked, cracking his knuckles and neck. “You can start by NOT calling her ‘fishstick,’” you droned, noting the nervous look on Mia’s face and the anger on Firme’s. You gave both an apologetic smile. “Sorry. He’s half-crocodile. Trust me, though, he’s a softy when you get to know him.” “HEY! I AM NOT!” snapped Tock, angrily. Grim just giggled. The interaction and your promise seemed to relax both denizens of the Coral Sea. Firme bowed to Mia, and then walked towards the beach…and kept walking, straight into the sea, until his head disappeared under the waves. “Well!” Mia smiled, and cheerily hurried towards your group. “Can we go see the show now? I don’t wanna be late!” “Of course…um…Your Excellency?” “Oh, don’t bother with titles like that,” the girl giggled. “Just call me Mia! Everybody does!” “Okay, Mia,” you chuckled, quite liking her warmth and energy. “Follow us, and stay close.” “I will,” Mia promised as the three of you set off along the beach. “Thank you, by the way; I hope this doesn’t cause you too much trouble.” “Quite the opposite,” grumbled Grim, remembering what Crowley had said earlier. “Why do you wanna see some silly show anyway?” sneered Tock. “Oh, it’s not silly!” exclaimed Mia. “The story of the Sea Witch and the Little Mermaid is important among my people…and besides, I think theater is exciting! I always enjoy seeing it!” “Hopefully our show won’t disappoint,” you smiled. Tock just rolled his eyes and scoffed. “I still think it’s for wimps,” he mumbled…then abruptly froze. The rest of you stopped, too, looking to the croc boy as he sniffed the air and growled. “What is it?” Mia asked. “Something wrong?” “Very,” Tock nodded. “We are being watched.” “How do you know?” you asked. “Instinct? Intuition?” Tock growled and narrowed his eyes, looking at you determinedly. “No, meat. We. Are. Being. Watched.” “By who?” whispered Mia, nervously. “I have an idea,” you murmured with some dread. Before Mia could comment on your remark, all three of you heard a sharp yelp, and turned to see that Grim had inexplicably toppled over. The feline-like creature sat up and massaged his bumped noggin. “Owwww,” he moaned. “What happened?” Mia asked, sounding concerned. “I dunno!” Grim whined out. “Just…s-something seemed to come up from under me and…” “GAHR!” You jumped as, right on cue, Tock toppled over as well. Then it was your turn, as you felt something shift under the sand where you stood, and you dropped to the ground. The wind was knocked out of you for a moment, but you managed to sit up just in time to see three large, round humps in the sand…which seemed to move of their own accord. The three humps began to trace a path, circling Mia, who froze up and squeaked like a mouse, clearly confused and frightened. It only got worse when, suddenly, more and more humps seemed to appear out nowhere: at least a dozen or more, which shot through the sand, burrowing through it with a barely-audible scraping sound… …Then, dust flew up as the shapes burst from the ground. As the dust cleared, you and your friends watched wide-eyed as a consortium of familiar white crabs toppled Mia Corazón, and – working together to lift her, carried her off across the beachside. “HEY! PUT ME DOWN! STOP!” Mia cried out, but the crabs wouldn’t listen, and soon vanished from sight. “Nya…we’re off to a good start with this job,” sighed Grim dismally. “After them!” you barked, and leapt to your feet as you dashed after Mia and her arthropoid captors, Grim hot on your heels. Tock grumbled sourly as he dusted himself off then jogged after you. “Taking orders from my lunch…I’m gonna eat that stupid, mask-wearing, feather-loving…!”

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Mia cried out as the crabs carried her along the sand, her “volunteer” bodyguards soon out of sight. She tried to fight free, but the crabs pinched and held her fast, keeping her in place. She wasn’t sure how far or for how long they carried her…but suddenly they stopped, and she let out an “eep!” as they moved into a pillar, and pushed her up, allowing her to stand. The mermaid-in-disguise turned around, panting for breath as she watched the crabs swarm about each other…then, they seemed to coalesce and mesh together; their pale shells took on more colors; hints of pink, brown, and orange… …Until, finally, standing before her was a familiar young man with dreadlocks and a fishnet scarf. In his hand, he held a heart-shaped silver locket. “Come my love, be one with the sea. Rule with me for eternity. Drown all dreams so mercilessly, and leave their souls to me.” He snapped the locket shut at the end of the verse, and paused before uttering, in a mechanical, robotic tone, two words: “Ahoy, Mia.” Mia blinked slowly, absolutely stunned. “…C-Cael?” Caelyum blinked back and said nothing, his face emotionless and blank. Mia slowly smiled, her eyes lighting up…then squealed with joy and rushed forward, throwing her arms around the young man…who stood stiff and rigid, not even looking at her, as she hugged him close. “CAEL! I…oh, Gods, what do I even say?! It’s…it’s been so long…I’ve missed you so much! Where have you been?! Cael…Cael, I-I’m so happy…!” “Let. Go. Of. Me. You. BITCH.” Mia gasped as Caelyum harshly pushed her back, nearly knocking her over. Her heart sank as she stared at the young man, who glared at her, grinding his teeth and clenching his fists. She looked deeply hurt…and not because of the push. “Cael?” she whispered. “Cael…wh-what’s wrong? Why…why are you upset with me?” Cael’s eyes flashed with anger. “What’s wrong?! Why am I upset?!” he repeated. “What in Hades do you THINK is wrong?!” Mia flinched as the boy from the swamplands’ voice rose to a perfect scream. Cautiously, steadily, she approached. “Cael…please…I-I don’t understand. I…I’ve wanted to see you again for such a long time, and now-” “How DARE you?!” shouted Caelyum, silencing the aristocratic mermaid. “How dare you say something like that to me?! After what you did to me, do you expect to believe you’ve ever cared?!” “I…what…I do care!” Mia pleaded, and tears began to twinkle in her eyes. “Cael, what are you talking about?” Cael laughed; a dangerously unhinged, malicious sound. “Oh-ho-ho, you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about! You should!” he spat…then, the bitterness was replaced by pain as he went on. “Two years, Mia. Two years I waited, and you never returned. You…y-you broke your promise to me…and did you ever think of me in those two years? Did you think of me even once in all the time since, until now?” Cael’s eyes began to brim with tears of his own; he was shaking. Mia felt her heart sinking further in her chest. “Of course I did,” she said, softly. “You’re…you’re my best friend.” One could almost hear Caelyum’s last heartstring break. “Best friend,” he repeated, in a dead, soulless voice…then hung his head. “You still don’t get it, do you, Mia? You broke my heart, Corazón…” Head still hung low, dreadlocks casting shadow over his eyes, Caelyum De Macabre lifted one arm, and snapped his fingers…and Mia nervously stepped back as a swarm of crabs appeared to trail across his arm and mesh together…forming a silver cutlass. “…And now, I’m going to break yours. Literally.” Ominously, Caelyum began to approach. Mia felt panic rise in her, and started to back away…then yiped, almost comically, as she tripped on her own dress and tumbled back. “C-Cael…Cael, PLEASE!” she cried out, as the boy loomed over her, his face twisted in anger as he began to lift the sword above his head… “HEY! BACK OFF!” FWOOSH! A jet of blue flame shot between Mia Corazón and Cael De Macabre; the lad from the swamplands jumped back, then growled angrily, turning to face the source. You had finally arrive, with Grim at your side, both of you glaring at the bokor’s assistant. “That’s enough, Caelyum,” you warned. Cael sneered. “It’s not enough,” he hissed, “Until she endures the same amount of PAIN and AGONY I HAVE!” With a roar, he rounded about to try and strike Mia down…then froze in place when he found she had seemingly disappeared. Startled and caught greatly off guard, he was unable to avoid the green scaled fist that grabbed hold of the back of his jacket, and cried out as, with a roar, the owner of the fist hurled about seven feet away, sending him rolling through the send. His sword spun through the air before stabbing into the ground right at the edge of the shore. Caelyum coughed and snarled and spat as he got onto his hands and knees…then glared as he found Tock Crockwork – now in his full “true form” – glaring at him, fangs and claws bared. “Keep away from the fishstick, swamp meat,” he spat. “Thank you,” Mia whispered. Tock just smirked at her – somewhat cockily but not cruelly – then glarde back at Caelyum as yourself and Grim moved to stand beside him, all of you making sure to create a barrier before poor Mia. Cael rose to his feet shakily. “Leave her alone, Caelyum,” you said. “This is not your fight!” he snapped back. “Uh…yeah, it kinda is,” Grim snorted. “We told you, this is our job today!” “You don’t know who you’re protecting,” Cael viciously sneered, his shoulders trembling with fury, his fingers clenched so tight that his knuckles turned white as the bones under his skin. “She cursed me!” “Cursed you?!” Mia exclaimed. “Caelyum, I never did ANYTHING to you!” “Yes, you did!” Cael answered…and gulped back a sob before explaining: “You made me love you.” All eyes widened; you and your friends looked to Mia, then back at Caelyum. “Ohhhh…now the pieces are coming together,” Grim murmured. “I know the look in your eyes, meat, and it’s not love,” Tock said, darkly. “Not love as it should be, anyway.” “Cael…I-I’m so sorry,” Mia quavered. “Of course you’re sorry,” Cael scoffed. “Everyone’s sorry when it’s too late.” So saying, he lifted his hand…and the sword that had stabbed into the ground “dissolved” into a group of crabs. They scurried across the beach, crawled up his side…and reformed into a cutlass in his grasp once more. “Put the weapon away, Caelyum!” you beseeched. “It doesn’t have to be like this!” “Yes it does!” Cael yelled. “Don’t you get it?! I can’t be free! I’ll always remember! I’ll always feel that pain! Love is a curse; a curse that hurts me, every day of my existence…but after today, I’m going to change that.” He closed his eyes. You had a bad feeling you knew what you’d see when he opened them again…and you were correct. One of his eyes was suddenly surrounded by a fiery aura. “Today, I break the curse.” KA-ZAM! The familiar black cloud of Overblot surrounded the shopkeeper’s boy. Blue and orange light flashed in the gaps between the vapor as it swirled around the fellow from the swamplands…until finally, the mist parted. When it did, you all found that Caelyum De Macabre had gone through an alarming transformation. His brown-tinted clothes had vanished, replaced with a blue-gray uniform like a navy seaman. One of his arms was stuck into the sleeve of a long, tattered cerulean coat with gold lining, which hung about his shoulders almost like a cape. A blood red sash was lashed about his middle. While his left eye was surrounded by orange aura, a tattoo had appeared over his right, in the image of a pirate medallion. His dreadlocks had transformed into a head of writhing, wriggling, pinkish-purple tentacles, like those of a squid; each tendril’s tip was smeared with ink. His left arm had become a white crab claw, ink oozing from its joins; his right leg had become a crab’s leg, too, and was also oozing with Blot. A single black boot covered his one human foot…and he still held his cutlass in his one human hand. Cael grinned viciously, pupils pinpricks as he pointed his sword at you. “Yo-Ho, me hearties!” he bellowed. “Shiver ‘em from stem to stern!” At these words, the ground before his feet seemed to ripple…and then, a swarm of Locker Crabs came scrambling from the ground, racing towards your group. “I’ll take care of this!” Grim pronounced, and summoned a wall of flame. As the fire struck the crabs, they vanished in a cloud of silver smoke…but more just kept coming! Caelyum laughed and began to move towards your group, swaggering as the point of his crab-leg stabbed into the ground repeatedly. Seeing the approaching dark mage, Grim paused to hurl a fireball in his direction…only for Cael to split in half, crab legs showing in the “seam” of his being, as the fireball hurtled past without causing any harm. He stitched himself back together and kept moving forward, as if nothing had happened. Tock Crockwork roared and charged at Cael, swinging a punch at him…but De Macabre simply swept up his crab claw and, in a fluid, wrenching motion, whirled Tock about and flung him to the beach floor. He grinned with deranged excitement as he moved closer to yourself and Mia, leaving Tock to choke in the dust. “Hold them off, Grim!” you called out as he continued to scorch the crabs. “I’ll try!” Grim called back. “Run for it, Minion! RUN NOW!” And you did, holding onto Mia’s arm as you dragged her after yourself. With a wild laugh, Caelyum lifted his sword up…and then “melted” into a swarm of crabs, which scurried after the two of you as you raced along the beach. Behind you, Tock snarled, clutching his banged skull as he watched the horde of crabs vanish. He angrily kicked away a few that Grim didn’t manage to stop, and then charged forward. Grim panted; he was already growing weary. “I…I can’t hold them off!” he meowed. “There’s…there’s too many-EEP!” “Stop whining and shut up,” snarled Tock, whisking Grim up in one arm and sprinting on, the pair pursued by the remaining Locker Crabs. “We’ve got more important things to worry about, come on!” Unaware that your friends were on the chase, you hurried along with Mia Corazón. The crabs that made up Cael’s being clicked and scraped behind you with a deeply unsettling sound, urging you to go faster and faster. “Wait!” Mia gasped. “If…I…can…talk…to him…!” “I don’t think he’s in a mood to talk!” you replied. “Right now, all we can do is…!” You trailed off and stopped short as the crabs suddenly caught up with you…and then moved around you, reforming in front of you into a column. Thinking fast you looked around… …And were just in time to grab hold of sturdy tree branch, as a sword reshaped and then stabbed at you. You barely had a moment to parry the strike, the blade cutting a notch into the wooden limb you held. “Stay behind me!” you hissed to Mia, as Cael reformed fully. “So, it’s a duel then?” Cael cackled. “Alright! EN GARDE!” You yelped, instinctively blocking as the sword slashed at you once more. The slash was followed by a lunge; you jumped back quickly and parried that strike, too. CLING-CLANG-CLING-CLANG! The cutlass and the branch clattered against each other, the sound of the steel against wood that was tougher than it looked ringing out. Each time Cael tried to get around you to lunge at Mia, you blocked his path. You laughed softly, amazed you were holding out; guess one didn’t know how good they’d be at something like a swordfight till they tried! You ducked another slash, and responded by swinging your stick around. WHACK! Caelyum reeled as you managed to smack him across the face…then slowly turned back. He looked…annoyed. “Ow,” was all he said, almost sarcastically, before swinging his blade around again. You quickly lifted your branch… SWACK! And gulped nervously as the cutlass sliced it clean in half. “Oh, boy.” “HA HA!” laughed Cael, and lifted his crab leg, kicking you hard in the stomach. You coughed, dazed and winded as you crumpled to the ground. Now, nothing was standing between the enraged Caelyum and his prey: Mia. The mermaid with legs began to back away in fright…then cried out sharply as Cael thrust out his crab claw and grabbed her by the throat with it. A grin of evil triumph spread across his face as he lifted his weapon above his head. “And here we are at last,” he crooned with twisted delight, and squeezed, making Mia gasp for air. “Any last words, my dear?” Mia gulped…and looked pleadingly into the Swamplander’s eyes as she uttered five simple words. “Cael…please…I love you!” Just before the last three words were uttered, Cael had prepared to attack…but then he froze. The grip of his pincer loosened as she said those three golden words, and the demented smile vanished from his face. He hesitated, as if those words had caused something in his brain to just shut down… Which was all the opportunity you needed. CRACK! “GAH!” exclaimed Caelyum, and dropped Mia, who coughed as she hit the ground. His tentacle hairdo wriggled like a horde of angry snakes as he glared at you in rage: the stone you had thrown at his shoulder had hurt! With a furious roar, he swung his sword around his head three times, trying to cut you into pieces. You ducked and dodged each strike as fast as you could…only to fall back as Cael summoned a horde of sand crabs. You squirmed and grimaced as the crabs pinned you to the ground, acting like organic shackles. You winced as each time you moved, they pinched you hard, making you stay still. Caelyum smirked victoriously, and pointed the tip of his cutlass at your heart. “Tell me, Prefect,” he taunted. “Do you fear death?” “Do you?” CHOMP! Caelyum began to turn around towards the voice, his face etched with surprise…and stayed perfectly still, as if he’d become a statue, paralyzed in shock. The red marking of Tock Crockwork’s unique power – One Minute to Die – was evident on his left arm. “NOW!” the crocodile shouted, as Grim hurried over. The feline-like creature wasted no time: he focused his power, a bright blue aura surrounding him…before, with a spiteful hiss, sending a huge jet of flame towards Caelyum. Caelyum was sent flying through the air, clothing scorched, and rolled across the dirt, still in the position he had been stuck in. Only a few seconds later, he convulsed, and groaned, trying to stand up… …Only to find Tock looming over him. “This,” the crocodile hissed, “Is why I’M top of the food chain, snack meat!” WHAM! He spun around, slapping his tail across Cael’s face…and the Overblotting mage fell still and silent, rendered swiftly unconscious. The sword disappeared without warning from his hand, as if it had never been there. The crabs he had summoned all vanished in the blink of an eye: just like at the shop, one moment they were there, and the next they were not. All four of you – yourself, Mia, and your friends – sighed with relief. “Thanks,” you nodded to Tock as he helped you to your feet. “Hey, I’ve gotta protect my territory; that includes you,” Crockwork shrugged. You decided not to comment on that. “Are you okay, Miss Corazón?” meowed Grim, nuzzling up against the mermaid’s side. She smiled weakly and patted his head before standing. “Physically, yes,” she said. The teenaged girl’s eyes then lit up with concern as she hurried over to Cael’s side. “Cael…Cael, are you okay? S-Speak to me!” she pleaded. “He just tried to kill you!” Grim snapped out. “He wasn’t thinking straight,” Mia defended him. “Just…h-he didn’t understand…” She sniffled and bowed her head. “…C-Caelyum…I’m so sorry…” You and Grim shared a sad sort of look. Tock just looked confused, above all else. “What happened between you two?” the croc grimaced, crossing his scaly arms. “I think we’re about to find out,” you said, and pointed as silver mist began to wisp off of Caelyum De Macabre’s form. A moment later, a blinding white light surrounded the young man…and the mist formed a cloud, inside of which – as always seemed to happen – pictures from the past began to appear… “Tag! You’re it!” “I’ll get you! Ha Ha Ha!” In the swamplands of the Jubilee Port, a small boy with pink dreadlocks giggled and hid behind a tree by the riverbank. For several seconds, he sat anxiously…then yelped when, out of the river burst a familiar, dark face with flowing raven hair. “GOTCHA!” sang out the girl with the gold and ruby tail, and reached out a hand to playfully tap his shoulder. “No fair!” huffed the boy. “I always have to stay near the water; you never let me have an advantage!” The girl giggled and smirked teasingly. “Not my fault you’re a lousy swimmer,” she cooed. The boy grumbled and pouted. She smiled gently. “I’m sorry, Cael; I didn’t mean it,” she said, placing a hand on his leg… “AHA!” the boy laughed, and tapped her hand before jumping away. “You’re it again!” “HEY! THAT’S CHEATING!” The two laughed as the girl swam through the river, chasing the bayou boy up and down the banks…before finally leaping out of the river with a victorious cry. “RAAAAH!” “EEK!” Young Caelyum yelped as he was thrown to the ground. The girl with the fish tail grinned, flippers wagging happily as she kept him pinned. “Gotcha again!” she sang out. Young Cael giggled and wiggled under her. “Hey, lemme go!” he demanded with a slight laugh. “Hmmmm…if I do, will you just tag me again?” “…Maybe?” The mermaid glared…and tickled her friend with her tail. Cael squealed with laughter before flashing an evil smile. “Ohhhhh, you wanna play that way, huh?” He tickled her back and the two rolled across the bank…before yelping and splashing into the river. A moment later, both rose from the depths Caelyum coughing and floundering. “Help! Mia, help! I’m drowning!” “I’ve got you, hold on!” Mia said, and helped Cael back to shore. The boy sighed with relief and began to wring out his clothes. “Thank you,” he gasped out. “No problem,” Mia smiled. “I’m sorry you got all wet…” “It’s okay; I’ve got other clothes,” Cael smiled. Mia nodded, then smiled a bit more sadly. “I still should have been more careful: there may be more clothes, but there’s only one Caelyum.” Cael blushed. “Hush, you’re just teasing me now…” “No. I’m not,” Mia said seriously. “You’re my best friend, Cael.” Cael blinked, pausing in his activities. “…But…don’t you have other mermaid friends?” “I may have OTHER friends, but you’re my BEST friend,” smiled Mia. “And there’s only one of you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Cael blinked again…then smiled sentimentally. “Heh…well, um…you’re my best friend, too, Mia. And, uh…a-and I feel the same.” “I’m glad,” Mia smiled. A pause. “You should really suck less at swimming though.” “Oh, hush. Say! Maybe you can teach me?” “Sure!” That word seemed to be a cue, for the scene changed to a few years later; the same river on the bayou, the same boy and girl, just a little older. “MARCO!” “POLO!” The Mermaid floated with her upper half above the water, eyes closed, flapping her tail as she blindly searched for her friend. Cael would pop up now and again with a gleaming, gloating grin as he watched her try to find him: he’d learned to swim VERY well in the years since that time playing tag. “MARCO!” Mia called out again. “POLO!” laughed Cael. “Oh, this is impossible, you’re too fast!” “Suck less at swimming,” teased Caelyum. “I’m a MERMAID, all we DO is swim!” “You can walk!” “I need a potion or a spell for that,” huffed Mia, and turned around, trying to feel about for her friend. Cael smirked and dove under again, swimming cautiously around her in the wide river… …But as he popped up again, he was due for a terrible sight. He gasped as he saw Mia blindly reaching closer to the shore…where a venomous serpent glared at her oncoming form almost hungrily… “MARCO!” “MIA, WATCH OUT!” Confused, Mia opened her eyes…then gasped as she saw the snake rearing back to bite her! She pulled away just in time, and at the same moment, Cael glared and snapped his fingers. The snake heard a clicking noise, and turned its head to find a white crab snapping its pincers. The pincers swung towards its throat… SNICKER-SNACK! And that was the end of the snake. Mia swam back to Caelyum’s side as she snapped his fingers again and the crab disappeared. He hugged her close. “Are you okay?” he whispered, worriedly. “Yeah…i-it didn’t get me,” she panted with relief, and squeezed him tightly. “Thank…th-thank you…” Caelyum smiled warmly and returned the hug…then froze up as Mia leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said again, and nuzzled against his bare chest. Cael blinked…then blushed red as a tomato and grumbled. “…Hey, what are friends for…? More time passed, and the swamp disappeared. The scene now became a lonely pier. On it sat Caelyum and Mia, who was now in full human form. “Do you really have to go?” he whispered. Mia nodded sadly, hanging her head. Cael bit his lip, and looked away, tragedy in his eyes. “…When…w-when will you be back?” he asked, timidly. “I don’t know,” Mia admitted sadly, then smiled gently up at her friend. “My mother said I need to start learning more about the family business; spending less time on land and…well…with you.” Cael frowned and clenched his fists. “I see.” Mia’s smile fell…and she gave Caelyum a hug. He relaxed. “She’s set in her ways,” she said softly. “But I will never forget you. And I WILL come back.” “Do you promise?” “Of course. You’re my best friend,” smiled Mia…then reached into a bag she had with her, stationed between the two. “Here…I have proof…” Cael tilted his head as out of the bag she pulled two silver necklaces with heart shaped lockets. She gave him one, and clasped the other around her neck. “What is this?” Cael asked, crinkling his nose in confusion. “A sign that we both share the same heart,” Mia said, and giggled. “That’s the really sappy way of saying it, anyway. Put it on and open it!” Cael did, and at the same time he opened the locket, Mia did too…and soft, beautiful melody chimed from the music box contained. Caelyum’s eyes widened. “That’s the song you taught me,” he recognized, and looke dup to Mia. “The one about the pirate and the goddess of the sea?” Mia nodded. “It’s your favorite…my favorite…OUR favorite,” she said gently, and took Cael’s hands in hers, looking into his eyes with deep-rooted affection. “And as long as we share these lockets, share these songs…we’ll never truly be away from each other.” Caelyum smiled weakly. “I don’t know about that,” he chuckled, wryly. “But…thank you, Mia.” He paused. “You…you know I love you…right?” Mia blushed. “Yes. And I love you too.” Cael gaped. “You do?” “Of course, silly! You’re my best friend!” Cael blinked…then smiled and shook his head wearily. “Yeah…I know,” he said softly. “I…I know.” A pause…and the pair began to sing together to the mingled tune on their music boxes as they watched the sun sink on the horizon beyond the sea. “Warm and welcoming as the sea, someday I will return to thee. Hear my voice, sing with the tide: Our Love Will Never Die.” Time passed once more, but the music box still played. The next scene played in silence, as Cael lay on his bed silently one night. He hummed to the tune on the locket, and glanced sorrowfully towards a calendar on his wall. Every date was crossed out with a red X. He sighed…then snapped the locket shut…before a lightbulb seemed to go off over his head, and he reached towards his book case, grabbing a specific spell book… This short tableaux was followed by another as Caelyum was now found…underwater. His lower half had become a white-scaled fish’s tail as he swam through the water, using a spell that would turn him into a merman for a few short hours. He’d taken a boat out to the coordinates where he knew Mia lived. Now, he swam quickly and quietly through the city, looking for Mia. His eyes darted this way and that, seeking some sign of his long lost friend; two years without any sort of contact – never a call, never anything written – and he was now so close to seeing her again! He smiled wider as he moved into one of the higher rent neighborhoods of the underwater area, carefully brushing past other, natural merfolk going about their business. His heart was beating fast in his chest; when he found her, he’d tell her everything. How he felt, how much it hurt to be without her, how much he never wanted to be separated again! Then he found her, as he turned an alley…and that fast beating heart seemed to skip a beat… …As his face filled with sorrow. Only yards away – never noticing he was there, he saw a strong, burly-looking merman with blonde hair…hugging his Mia and kissing her full on the lips. He clamped his eyes shut…and swam away, out of the city and back towards the surface. His tears were lost with the tides. Thus ended the vision, as the blinding light faded, leaving an unconscious Caelyum De Macabre lying on the ground, back to his usual self. “…Prefect?” “Yeah, Grim?” “Is it, like…a requirement that we stand here for several seconds in total silence after we see those?” “No, I think it just happens.” “Ah. Okay then.” Tock Crockwork said nothing. A few moments later, Cael groaned and began to stir. He blinked his eyes and clutched his pink-haired head as he started to sit up. “Ugh…what…wh-what happened?” he slurred out. “You tried to turn my food into shish-kabob,” droned Tock, thumbing towards you. “Shut up,” you grumbled. Confused, Cael turned towards your voices, and looked about to say something…until he heard sniffling and whimpering. He turned…and found the teary-eyed face of Mia staring back at him. “C-Cael,” she whimpered…then let out a squealing cry that caught him off guard as she threw herself upon him and began to cry. “CAEL, I’M SO SORRY! I’m so, so sorry…please…please, I’m sorry, PLEASE…!” Caelyum, as you might imagine, looked beyond uncomfortable…and with a growl, he managed to push Mia off of him. She whimpered like a kicked puppy as, without a word, he got to his feet and turned away from her, one hand on his chest, clutching his silver locket. “Sorry isn’t enough,” he answered, coldly. Mia gulped…and stood up. “Cael…please don’t walk away,” she begged. “Why not?” Caelyum snarled back over his shoulder, and began to stumble away. “Because I love you!” Cael stopped. He didn’t turn around…but he stopped. Mia paused…and took a deep breath. “I love you,” she said, firmly now, not desperately. “I…I always loved you, but…but I was…I don’t know, I…I was worried…” She hung her head and paused before going on. Cael turned his head slightly to show he was listening. “When I returned to the sea, my mother didn’t want me to ever go back to the land. She forbid it. She told me I had to stay under the water, and…and find a proper husband. She told me to forget about you, and…that merman you saw? He was…my betrothed.” Cael growled. “WAS,” Mia pointed out, and then went on quickly: “Cael, I could NEVER forget you, and I could NEVER stop loving you. Those two years…they were agony for me. That time in the alley…I asked him to kiss me because I wanted to show him we WEREN’T right for each other. He agreed; there just…wasn’t a spark. We liked each other, but…we both knew it would be wrong.” She swallowed, and lifted her head. “So…we both spoke to my mother. And…she realized what she’d been doing was wrong. The very next day, I went back to the swamplands; I looked everywhere for you…you weren’t there.” Silence. “I’m so sorry, Caelyum,” she sniffled. “I’m…I’m so-” Cael stopped her with a raised hand…and slowly turned towards her. All of you were surprised to see tears in his eyes. “…I just tried to kill you.” “Yes.” “I ran off over this whole misunderstanding.” “Yes.” “All this pain, all this time…and you really loved me?” “Yes.” “And…you…still love me? After all that?” Mia smiled. “Yes.” Cael blinked…then let out a wet laugh. “Wow,” he chuckled. “I…I guess swimming isn’t the only thing we both suck at. I mean…we’re n-not very good at this whole ‘relationship’ thing, either, are we?” Mia shared a sniffling laugh…and the pair promptly ran into each other’s arms. “I’m so happy I found you,” Mia sobbed with joy. “I’ve missed you so much…” “Not half as much as I’ve missed you,” Cael choked. The pair squeezed each other…then backed up, holding each other’s hands and staring lovingly into each other’s eyes. “Play the song you sang long ago,” Cael began. “And wherever the storm may blow,” Mia continued. “You will find the key to my heart,” both finished. “We’ll never be apart.” “Aaaaand…kiss,” you murmured to yourself with a smile, as the pair did exactly that. Tock snorted, rolling his eyes as Grim stuck out his tongue and grumbled something about “soppy mush.” The two lovebirds parted after a few seconds…then seemed to remember you were all standing nearby, and blushed before backing away from each other like scalded cats. “Um…s-sorry,” Caelyum mumbled. “About trying to destroy us, or for that sappy display?” droned Tock. “Because I can forgive one of those…” “It’s the destroying us part, isn’t it?” you guessed. “Yyyyep.” Cael hung his head and shuffled his feet guiltily. “…I’ve…had a lot of pain bottled up for years,” he said silently. “And…when I heard she was coming here…I…well…” “It’s alright,” you soothed, moving closer. “I can understand. And for the record, we won’t tell the Headmaster.” “Nya…or Chief Jehan,” Grim added. “Claude Jehan?” Mia spoke up, and tilted her head. “Is he really as scary as they say back home? The Ashengrottos and Leeches have a LOT of stories to tell.” “I’d imagine,” you snickered. “And no. He’s not that scary.” “Right. He’s WORSE,” Tock responded. “Amen,” you and Grim chorused. Mia gulped nervously; Cael chuckled softly, smiling at her with puppy-eyed affection. “I…hope he’s not going to be at the play tonight,” she said slowly. “Trust me, you’ll be fine,” you soothed. “Well, we won’t be if we don’t get there on time!” Grim reminded you. “We’re already behind schedule, thanks to all this!” “The hairball has a point,” nodded Tock, stiffly, then grumbled under his breath: “I still say it’s all for pansies, though…” All of you chuckled…except Mia, who took Cael by the hand. “Can…can he come, too?” she asked, shyly. Cael looked shocked, as did Grim and Tock. You just smiled wider. “If he wants to,” you answered. Cael blinked…then grinned so wide his face nearly seemed to split in two. “Please!” he nodded eagerly. “Then come on!” you called, and gestured for the reunited lovers to follow. “Let’s get moving before my pay gets docked! I have a pet to feed, you know!” “I AM NOT YOUR PET!” snapped Grim, while Tock cackled with amusement, snapping his fingers and resuming his humanoid form. Caelyum De Macabre and Mia Corazón just smiled and squeezed each other’s hands, following at a steady pace. It took longer than it should have to reach the theater, in the end, but you still made it in the nick of time. When asked why it took so long, you had an honest answer: Cael and Mia were so busy staring into one another’s eyes with everlasting love, it made getting there quickly difficult. In your mind, and theirs, it was more than worth it.

 The End

[ourkarlanicoleuniverse]

Sweet Nothing (MHA Staff AU Fanfiction)

Chapter 2

Warnings: None, swf. 

If you prefer reading this on wattpad, I posted the story there too. My account name is @ KarlaNicoleM I have the same profile picture and backdrop. Hope you enjoy 😊

Due to there not being many things to do during this first week, I've been mainly sitting at my desk or hanging around the class with Aizawa and watching over the students. I was currently wrapping up my day with some late lunch and a Netflix at my desk when I heard a booming voice walking into the teacher lounge. "M&M!"

I choked on my soba. "Mic! I'm eating damn it!" The tall man tackled me once I turned my seat over.

He continued to hug me into his chest, "I'm sorry, I just missed my sweet little M&M. Now that it's Friday, we should hang out and catch up." Mic's green eyes looked lovingly at me with glowing excitement.

"I missed you too. Even though we've talked nonstop while I was gone. But don't you have your radio show tonight?" I pushed him back slightly, still wanting to be held by my best friend. The dude smelled like vanilla and hairspray, which wasn't the best combination, but I'll sacrifice my nose to hold him.

"It's not until one in the morning. And it's almost 3:15, so I got more than enough time to give my lovely shrimp attention." He patted my head and grinned.

"When do you sleep?" I asked while swatting away his hand.

"Don't know." I shook my head—same old Hazashi Yamada. The biggest doofus, I know. "Plus, it won't be just us. Iris and Kayama are joining, and I am still trying to convince Aizawa to come. It's just dinner; that's it."

"Eeee, I don't know. Did you invite Lily... errrr... Ms. Rowell? Iris knows her, and I don't want her left out."

"Of course she's invited! But she did say she'll only go if you are."

"What about All Might?" I raised my eyebrow.

"He said no." The Yamada pout just made a comeback, folks!

"Awe no, I guess I'll still go. I'll just leave my soba for another meal." Mic shouted with glee and nearly busted my eardrums again. He went in for another bone-crushing hug, but this time he picked me up and twirled me around. I couldn't help but laugh at his excitement.

"Mic be professional, or I'll write a complaint to HR." Aizawa walked in sluggishly with his sleeping bag in hand and papers in the other. He looked even more beaten up today.

"Oh, is someone jealous? Don't worry, Aizawa; I got some love for you too." Hizashi put me down and went open arms in Aizawa's direction only to meet with Aizawa's capture weapon clinging onto his body. "This is just mean. Are you going to dinner with the rest of us?"

Aizawa retracted his weapon and sat down at his desk, "No. I have papers to grade and then go on patrol. I told you this."

Mic went to sit at his desk next to Aizawa's, "Yeah, I know, but dinner is happening at like 5. It gives you roughly more than an hour to grade, and patrolling is late at night while I'm at the station. PLUS M&M is coming this time. It's like the old gang is back together!" The six-foot-one man hunched over and clasped his hands together while his friend just stared at his computer, ignoring him. I slowly sunk in my seat; I don't think me coming along would convince Aizawa to come.

I tried to make myself look busy and pretended that I ignored their conversation, which is hard given how loud Mic was. "You still go by that dumb nickname?"

I looked up at Aizawa. His charcoal grey eyes bore into me, "Hmm, well yeah, I never minded it."

"Are you really going to dinner? Don't you have work to do?" His eyebrows scrunched in annoyance, but his voice shredded a little curiosity.

I pursed my lips, "Nope, no students feel the need to meet with me at the moment. And you haven't addressed any concerns about them, so I have a pretty open schedule."

"What have you been doing this whole week, then?"

"Helping 1-B's counselor adjust to how things work here mainly. I also have been reviewing the student files and my notes if a random student comes in without an appointment or helping Toshinori adjust and give him my advice on teaching. Oh! Mic also gave me a few of his English assignments to review and grade." I swiveled in my seat as I talked to him.

Aizawa looked a little surprised but tried to hide it quickly. The raven-haired mess of a man turned to Mic. "You make her grade your papers?"

"ONLY WHEN SHE ISN'T DOING ANYTHING!" He held his hands up.

Aizawa hung his head and sighed, "I'll send you a file of things I noticed about the students and my recommendations on what to talk to them about sometimes this weekend. Just please stop making things easy for Mic." I just nodded and muttered thanks while he logged out of his computer and got ready to go home.

"Get some sleep, Eraserhead!" Mic yelled after Aizawa left the lounge. "Now, that it's just us. I'll take you home and wait for you to get ready to go out."

"Um, what about you? You're in your hero outfit?" I say as we packed up.

"I'll change at yours." He shrugged. "I have a bag with my civilian clothes in the teacher's lockers."

He's only saying that because I literally live on campus, the walk wouldn't be bothersome. Principal Nezu was nice enough to give me my old "dorm" from my high school days at UA to live in while I work here. Now, UA wasn't a boarding school by any means. But when I started going to school there, I was, well, a special case. Due to my quirk, and my family problems growing up, the staff thought it was a good idea to live on campus to keep other people and myself better safe. My dorm was pretty much a quick home improvement project. It was located in the back of the campus, away from students' line of sight, and many trees covered it. Nezu told me after I left, he decided to build more dorms for staff that didn't originally have a place to stay either. So, you'll find Lily and Iris here too, aside from me.

When we got to my dorm, Mic had no shame in going to the guest room/my office to change. I almost forgot how well he knows this place because of high school. I made my way into my own room to change out of my work clothes. I took my hair out of my bun and let the wavy dark brown locks fall and give my scalp a rest. Looking into the closet, I yelled for Mic, "'Zashi, what's the dress attire?"

I hear a knock, and the door opens slightly, "Are you decent?"

"Yes." I saw while taking out a grey sweater and showcased it to the man. "Is this okay, with a skirt and boots? Or do I have to pick something else out?"

Mic was wearing a maroon long sleeve with... white pants... Am I really asking this about what to wear? Then he still had his hair up. He was holding a black bomber jacket and had a gold chain around his neck. He also switched his sunglasses to his normal glasses. "Considering what I am wearing? That outfit should be fine. It's supposed to be dressy casual." He scratched the back of his neck, "Do you have a hairbrush I can use? I can't find mine in my bag, and I want to brush out the hairspray."

I pointed him to the bathroom and then proceeded to change. I went with a navy blue skirt with a white cross-line pattern and some thigh-high black velvet boots. I got to add some height to myself while hanging out with my colleagues that are all 5'8 and above. Don't want to look like anyone's child. Because of how my hair had a weird bump from the bun I wore all day, I decided to go for a half up half down hairstyle, mimicking Mic's man-bun, and then I just touched up the makeup I had one from work. Hizashi and I were about to walk when he stopped me and handed me my glasses with a stern look. I smiled and grabbed them and put them in my bag, "I don't need them right now."

"This is why you're blind." He shook his head and opened the door for me. I simply smiled and made my way out with him behind me.

"Kayama, I said I didn't want to drink, I still have my radio show." Mic continued to push Kayama's third beer away as Kayama laughed.

I was sitting between Iris and Lily and enjoying the show Mic and Kayama gave the whole restaurant. "So, ignoring them, how's your first official week in Japan?" Iris spoke up. The cute strawberry blonde brunette was so excited to hear that Lily and I were coming to work at UA. At some point, we were all working together at the Rebel Agency; Iris was my age, but I skipped a year in school, so I graduated with Mic and Aizawa. So, she didn't come to the agency until a year after I was already working there, but as soon as she came here and Lily became close friends, so it wasn't hard for her to settle in. I remember Lily even commented that the agency needed a little more cheeriness when Iris joined.

"It was alright; I didn't know rusty my Japanese was going to be. I literally sound like how I did when I was in school." I took a sip of my glass. "Literally worked so hard on my R's and L's, and now I am back to square one."

"At least you knew Japanese before working here. I learned a little through you and Iris. But before this job, I had to take classes, and I still mess up." Lily took a bite of her food.

"Good thing, the students are learning English, so it makes it easier for both of you, right Mic?" Iris was looking at the two of us and rolled her eyes at Mic and Kayama.

Mic and Kayama both had stopped their shenanigans to join in on the conversation, "I'm just glad to have the whole gang back together, and some new people. Lily, you are just as amazing as my M&M says."

Kayama was looking towards the direction of the entrance and tapped Mic's shoulder, "Yamada, didn't you say that Aizawa wasn't joining us?"

"Yeah, why? OH HEY SHO!" Aizawa strolled to the table wearing a long sleeve black shirt, dark washed jeans, boots, and his capture weapon wrapped around his neck. "What are you doing here?"

"I ended up having a little extra time on my hands. I came mainly to speak to Montoya, though." He shifted a little on his legs with his hands stuffed in his hands and his dark hair falling out his small ponytail. "It's about work."

I moved to get up, smoothing out my skirt, and grabbing my purse. "Alright, let's go outside then." Aizawa held his hand out to guide me back to the entrance as I stepped out in front of him. The winter air of January lightly kissed my cheeks and ears, definitely intending to make my skin blush. I faced Aizawa and hugged myself as it noticeably got colder. I should've brought a jacket instead of relying on this sweater. "So, what did you need to talk to me about?"

"It's a few things. First, I want to ask you if you would like to assist me in training the students?" He folded his arms—the long sleeve shirt doing a really horrible job hiding his arm's defined muscles.

"I don't have a teaching license in Japan. Literally, the only thing I can do is counseling because of my psych degree. Plus, I don't feel comfortable using my quirk on students." I hugged myself harder and shifted my weight to my left foot.

"You could say it's for counseling purposes. You're able to absorb their quirk and mimic them, making it better to understand them and counsel them. And it's better for someone to have a similar quirk to train them." He countered.

"I only like using my quirk on villains. Even out the playing field and also have them be punished for misusing their quirk." I was getting annoyed. He, of all people, should know how I never like to use my quirk on innocent people. Let alone students.

"Can you at least think about it? I think it would be great for the students. Plus, you made a huge impression on them. They won't stop talking about the number two American Hero." He smirked a little. "They'll probably listen to you more than they do with me."

I huffed, "Don't kiss my ass; it makes me uncomfortable to know you have the ability to do it." I paused a little. It wasn't a completely illogical idea. And he's right; I could say it's for counseling purposes. But then that would put Class 1-B at a disadvantage... "Oh my god! Are you asking me because you and Vlad have some weird rivalry when it comes to your classes?"

The stoic man just stared blankly at me with barely noticeable wide eyes, "No..." He looks anyway but my face. He's lying.

"I can't believe you asked me to... I can't... I have no words." I started laughing.

"Stop laughing." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and held a scowl. I swear no one would believe me if they knew that the Eraserhead had a childish side.

"I'm sorry. I'll have to think about it." I wiped the tears coming from my eye as I clutched my stomach from laughing too hard. "What was the other thing you needed to tell..." I was interrupted by a crashing sound and screaming. Aizawa and I looked over in the direction of the sound to see people running towards our direction. The next thing we see is a huge guy with molten rock and lava quirk terrorizing everyone in his path. "Shit. I can't do anything while on my suspension. Any bad move I make that ends up on the news, and I could say goodbye to my license forever."

"Go back inside and tell the others. I'll take care of it." Aizawa motioned me back inside the restaurant.

"But you don't have your suit. Your goggles! People will see that you in your civilian clothes, then what? You'll be exposed." I grabbed his arms to pull him inside with me, but he stopped me.

"I'll be fine. Trust me; stay inside." He placed my hands gently in his and gave me a soft look. It was like I was looking at the seventeen-year-old boy I left years ago. I was frozen. Next thing I knew, I stood beside Lily while Aizawa called for the rest of the table to help him out.

Not being allowed to do hero work sucks.

———————————————————————

My master list 😊

Tag list:

@inumorph @thatgirlwithcamera @mel-sanch

[songtoyou]

Chapter One: West Bridgewater

Paring: Ransom Drysdale x Fabiola Rossi (OC)

Rating: This story will mostly be rated 18+ as it is revolves around a relationship that is Dominant/submissive. For each chapter, I will do my best to rate it accordingly, but please know that the overall story will have very adult themes.

Warnings: None for this chapter

Word Count: 2,305

Description: Huge “Ransom” Drysdale always thought of himself as a powerful man. With his family’s money and status, Ransom could get away with anything. He had the power and control others would envy. Ransom could get any woman he wanted with a snap of his fingers. He was always in charge. He commanded attention. And he hated it. Never having a job in his life (thanks to his mother, father, and grandfather always there to supplement his bank account) or any real-life goals, Ransom felt incomplete and directionless. That is until Fabiola Rossi entered his life and turned it completely upside down.

A/N: I have not seen Knives Out. This is an AU of that world. I do not own any of the characters created by Rian Johnson. I have always thought of Ransom as a sub rather than a Dominant and this idea has been on my mind constantly that I needed to write it down. Anything in italics are to represent Ransom’s thoughts. 

I do not permit any of my fics to be distributed on other sites without my permission.

Updated for grammar and punctuation edits.

What is a dominant-submissive relationship all about? As mentioned previously, there is an energy dynamic between the two partners. It is the Dominant’s duty to protect and guide his or her submissive. The submissive, also called “the bottom,” relinquishes some or all control to the Dominant. He or she is playing out their own kinds and fetishes through the guidance of a Dominant. No actions or scenes can be played out unless the submissive has consented to everything the Dominant plans to do during a play session. A D/s relationship is not solely about sexual activities but exploring new and interesting ways to connect beyond sex. For example, the Dominate can set up simple rules that the submissive must follow, such as asking permission to stay out late or have ice cream for dessert. A healthy D/s relationship can lead to a life of self-improvement. 

“You got some mouth on you…I bet a ball gag would fit nicely around those pretty lips of yours.”

For some reason, Ransom could not get that comment out of his head. It was so unexpected and out of leftfield. He never had a woman said anything so bold towards him. No stranger to bondage with the opposite sex, it was always Ransom who was the one in charge. Women were more than happy for him to lead the charge. It was the only time Ransom was ever put to work, so to speak. Fabiola Rossi had managed to not only mystify the spoiled playboy, but he was not determined to find out more about her. 

So, Ransom did one any person in their mid-30s did when trying to find information about another person, he stalked her social media. He came up short. No Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram that he could find of her unless they were private.

“This is Fabiola Rossi. She is an inspiring editor herself. I have taken her under my wing as a mentor.” Ransom remembered from the night before when creepy old Charlie Van Houten introduced his grandfather and him to Fabiola. 

Of course, Fabiola had a LinkedIn page as she was a young working professional. Ransom saw that she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Psychology at Boston University. He noticed it had only been five years since she graduated from the university, so he suspected she was in her late twenties. Most of the jobs Fabiola received were internships or part-time positions. Not unusual for graduates looking to enter into the workforce. There was not much to offer due to the Baby Boomers not wanting to retire or companies being stingy with providing decent living wages or health benefits. 

“Intern. Van Houten & Thompson Publishing. March 2019 to current. Performs proofreading and editing of manuscripts and additional documents before the final publication,” Ransom read out loud as he continued to look through Fabiola’s profile.

He got up to reach for his coat to pull out his wallet. Inside was a business card of Charlie’s that he gave Ransom before leaving his grandfather’s party. Charlie told Ransom to keep in touch and that they both could talk about possibly working together. 

“If you have been working on anything, send it over. In fact, send it over to Fabiola. She’d probably love to read it and give you feedback. Give him your email address, honey. Any work you send over to her will be in great hands,” Ransom remembered Charlie saying to him last night. He looked over the business card and traced his thumb over Fabiola’s handwriting of her email address. 

He could not understand why this particular woman intrigued him so, despite only meeting her briefly the night before. However, Ransom knew he had an itch to scratch, and it was better to get it taken care of now before things got too out of hand. Before he became too obsessed.

Turning on his laptop, he waited for it to boot up. Opening his email account, Ransom began composing a new email to Fabiola. He kept it short and simple by asking if she was still up looking over what he was currently working on. 

Hi Ms. Rossi,

It was a pleasure meeting you last night. Hope you are doing well. If you are not too busy, do you mind if I send over the story I am currently working on? I do not want to impose if your schedule is too busy, but Charlie had such high praise for you, and I would appreciate the feedback and insight from you.

Talk to you soon,

Ransom 

He clicked the ‘send’ button and waited. Thankfully, he did not have to wait too long for a response back.

Hi Ransom,

I am so glad you reached out. Please call me Fabiola. 

Yes, I would be more than happy to beta read anything you send over.

Sincerely,

Fabiola

“Hook, line, and sinker,” Ransom said to himself with a smirk plastering over his face. He knew exactly which of his work he would send over. It was one Ransom had finished a while back. A story about the measures of what a mother would do to prove her child’s innocence when they are accused of a crime. It was one of his more personal pieces of work. He was somewhat anxious to get feedback on it. He sent it over to Fabiola as an attachment. Now, Ransom was in wait and see mode. ‘Who knows how long until she gets to actually reading it,’ he thought to himself. 

Three long agonizing days later, Ransom finally heard back from Fabiola when he checked his email that afternoon. 

Ransom,

How are you? 

Sorry I have not gotten back to you sooner. Your story is amazing! I could not put it down. I actually read it twice. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and had a lot of heart. You are such a good writer.

I do have some suggestions for you if you do not mind. However, I do not want to merely give them to you via email or comments in the document. Would it be okay if the two of us meet up for coffee sometime this week? It would be easier to talk to you about the recommendations face-to-face.

Any suggestions on where we could meet up? I don’t mind traveling to your neck of the woods if it is more convenient for you.

Fabiola

Ransom was thrilled that not only did she like his work but was willing to meet him in person. He quickly wrote her back suggesting a meeting at a little coffee shop in West Bridgewater. It would only be a 34-minute drive for Fabiola to get to him. Honestly, Ransom was a bit taken aback that she was willing to drive all the way out to the boonies to talk to him in person. 

The two decided to meet up on Saturday afternoon at The Bridge Coffee House, a new town establishment. A Starbucks it was not, thankfully.

When Saturday finally rolled around, Ransom dressed in his usual simple attire: gray cardigan, white long-sleeve shirt underneath, dark blue jeans, and Louis Vuitton black loafers. He gave himself a look over in the mirror one last time; he exited the house, got in his 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi, and headed to the coffee shop.

Once there, Ransom ordered an espresso and settled in a seat near the corner, but still visible for Fabiola to see him. As Ransom waited for Fabiola to arrive, his leg was shaking underneath the table. He was nervous, which was an unusual feeling for Ransom. Women hardly ever made Ransom nervous, but the woman he was meeting was for business, not pleasure. 

‘Note yet at least,” Ransom thought to himself as he sipped his espresso. 

The ding of the bell on the entrance door made Ransom lookup. There Fabiola was wearing a white long-sleeved fitted sweater with light blue jeans, white sneakers, and a light gray messenger bag slung over her shoulder. She looked around and noticed Ransom. Giving him a smile and wave, Fabiola made her way over to him. He stood up as she neared the table. 

“Hi. How are you?” she asked and stuck out her hand for Ransom to shake.

He reciprocated the gesture and replied, “I’m good. Do you want something to drink? My treat.”

Fabiola accepted Ransom’s offer with an iced tea. “Is there a restroom around that I could use?”

Ransom pointed to where the restrooms were, and Fabiola excused herself while he got her iced tea. Paying for the iced tea, Ransom went back to the table and proceeded to wait again. 

“That was quite a drive,” spoke Fabiola as she sat down in the seat across from Ransom, “Gorgeous scenery. I tend to not venture too far outside of Boston much.”

“Yeah, it is a nice quiet town. Not much goes on here.”

“I’m kind of surprised that you don’t choose to live in Boston. Figured you would want to be in a more urban area,” said Fabiola.

Ransom shifted in his seat to cross his legs, “I used to live in Boston during my 20s. Decided to move here a couple of years ago. Helped clear my head a little.”

Taking a sip of her iced tea, Fabiola asked, “Is that when you really began to write?”

Ransom let out a small laugh and cleared his throat, “Yeah…I just…needed a hobby to preoccupy my time.”

“Well, I have to tell you that it was a good idea,” said Fabiola as she began to rummage through her bag and pulled out a binder to place on the table.

“This story is outstanding,” she complimented.

Ransom felt the heat on his cheeks from her praise. It felt good to have someone appreciate his work, which was not a feeling he was used to. 

“I do have some questions if you don’t mind me asking? Nothing bad, just some clarifications.”

“Sure. Ask away,” Ransom responded casually. He was doing his best to not seem too eager. 

“What made you decide to have the main character a mother rather than a father? I ask that because, normally, male authors tend to write the protagonist as male. You don’t really see many male authors write crime novels with a main female character,” Fabiola pointed out and went on to tell him, “You also wrote the character really well. Like, she feels like a real person. She was fully developed and fleshed out. I was totally rooting for her throughout the whole story. And the side characters are nicely written as well. Each chapter kept the reader on its toes. You never knew what to expect. Nothing felt forced or out of place. Nothing dragged on. Here is a copy of my notes. Nothing too major. Only certain suggestions like clarification or more descriptive details for certain paragraphs.”

Ransom looked at her incredibly detailed notes. “I appreciate you doing this. Thank you,” Ransom said earnestly.  

“Do you plan on getting that published?” Fabiola asked him.

Letting out a light chuckle, Ransom told her that most likely he would not.

“Why?”

“I prefer to write for myself. Not for an audience. Plus, there is the likelihood that I’ll get compared to my grandfather or people thinking that nepotism is involved,” answered Ransom as he continued to flip through Fabiola’s notes.

Fabiola merely sat back and took the time to really look at the man before her. With dark hair and blue eyes, a strong jaw, and a somewhat crooked nose, Fabiola could not deny that he was handsome. Before the meeting, Fabiola asked Charlie about what he knew about Ransom. Boy, she got an honest earful from Charlie. While Charlie complimented Ransom, there was a hint of pity in his voice.

“He’s got so much potential, but he wastes it with booze and women. The poor boy did have a stint in rehab when he was younger. It’s so parents of his. Always giving him money instead of love and affection,” Charlie shared with Fabiola. 

 “You don’t want to fail at the one thing you believe you are actually good at,” Fabiola stated to Ransom and added, “So, it is easier to not put yourself out there in the first place.”

Scoffing, Ransom sat back and stared at Fabiola. Now it was his turn to really look at the woman before him. With her long dark hair, brown eyes, and slender figure, he had to admit to himself that she was beautiful. But he could tell that there was more to this woman than meets the eye.

“You like to think you have me all figured out, don’t you? You think I’m some poor little rich poor?” Ransom asked with a hint of defensiveness in his voice.

“Yes,” Fabiola simply said as she folded her arms to rest on the table and continued, “You’re not some riddle, Ransom. You are quite easy to figure out. Just as I mentioned to you at the party, you are bored. However, it is not the excitement that you seek. Instead, you want guidance. You want someone to look after you and care for you. You want to surrender control. Am I wrong? Tell me I’m wrong, and I’ll shut up.”

With his silence, she had her answer.

“I can give you what you need, but to do that, we need to develop trust between one another,” Fabiola communicated and reached out to grip one of Ransom’s hands. She entwined her fingers within his.

“How much?” Ransom spoke up as they looked at their entangled hands. 

Fabiola shook her head and clarified, “Nothing. I’m not proposing you sex Ransom. I’m proposing to you something completely different. What do you know about BDSM or a D/s relationship?”

[kpoptrashibnida]

Enough Pt. 7

A/N: Sorry about the delay everyone! It’s been a hectic week and I wasn’t able to write as much as I would have liked. But finally here is Part 7!!!!! I hope you guys all enjoy it and don’t be shy to let me know what you think! Also, big DISCLAIMER: I think i used the word smiled a little too often in this chapter. I hope you’re not as annoyed by it as I am. Anyway, enough of that; here is part 7! Happy Reading!!!

Your first week working in the New York branch went by extremely fast. Everyone had been extremely welcoming and you loved your team. There were a few receptionists here and there that did not seem too keen on your arrival, but you ignored them because you were there to work and you were their superior; therefore, you were not going to engage in any kind of workplace drama. 

Mark and Johnny have been extremely helpful to you that first week, introducing you to everyone and teaching you the ropes of the company. Jaehyun has also been helpful, but he had been so busy that week, he had not been able to help you as much as he would have liked. You didn’t really mind though, since every time he was around your mind would not work properly and you had severe hypertension. He would stop by once in a while to your office to see how you were doing or if you needed something, which was extremely sweet of him and most likely the reason why a certain receptionist wasn’t too fond of you. 

“Hey, working hard or hardly working?” Jaehyun teases as he walked in your office, holding two cups of coffee.

“I’m working hard at hardly working.” You said with a grin, playing along with him and making him chuckle.

“I usually need another cup by 10 am, so I figured you might need one too.” Jaehyun said as he walked over to your desk, placing the cup of coffee in front of you and taking a seat on one of the chairs.

“You know, I was thinking about getting some coffee. It’s like you read my mind.” You said with a smile, happily accepting the cup of coffee he brought. Taking a sip, your face lit up once you realized it’s the same coffee you always get.

“This is my favorite coffee! How did you know?” You asked, pivoting your body away from your computer and towards the handsome man in your office.

“This is going to sound a bit stalker-ish, but I sort of asked the barista what your order was.” His ears turn extremely red after his confession, which was a cute tell sign of when he was embarrassed. 

“That’s extremely sweet of you, thanks.” You smiled, you couldn’t believe he went out of his way just to get you some coffee.

“So, got any plans this weekend?” He asked, leg bouncing rapidly and you didn’t know if he was embarrassed or if it had something to do with the coffee. 

“Super exciting stuff actually. I’m gonna go grocery shopping and clothes shopping. I know, so much fun.” You said sarcastically which made Jaehyun laugh.

He saw that this was the perfect opportunity to spend some time with you and he did not want to let it go to waste. 

“Do you want some company? I wouldn’t mind tagging along.” He really hoped you’d say yes, not sure if he’d be able to handle rejection at the moment. 

Your heart skipped a beat at his question. Was he being nice or did this mean he was interested in you?

‘Don’t flatter yourself bitch, he’s probably just being nice.’ You thought, feeling silly at the fact that he could potentially be into you.

“Actually, some company would be nice. I’ll need someone to help me carry all the bags.” You smile cheekily, making a gorgeous smile form on Jaehyun’s face. 

“Cool, where would you like to meet?” He asked, trying not to act too excited at the fact that you wanted his company.

“Shall we meet at Times Square? There’s a lot of clothing shops there.” You said, not knowing where exactly the best stores were. You were not quite familiarized with New York yet. 

“Sounds good. Let’s meet in front of the Steps and we can go from there.” He offered, which you agreed to happily. He bid farewell and left your office, leaving you behind and feeling tingly all over from excitement. You closed your eyes and sighed heavily, knowing you were in deep shit if the thought of Jaehyun going shopping with you made you this excited. 

It was the end of the day and you left your office feeling extremely fatigued from your first week. Since the state of your fridge was very sad and pathetic, you decided to grab some Chinese food on the way home. 

You had just arrived home when your phone started ringing. You looked at your screen and saw Mina’s name appear, making you smile and answer immediately.

“Mina! Oh my gosh, I am so happy to hear from you!” You exclaimed happily, truly missing your best friend. 

“Babe! I miss you so much! Work isn’t the same without you! How have you been? How’s the new job? The new apartment? Is everyone nice? Do I need to kick anyone’s ass? Ooh any hot guys?” Mina managed to say all that in one breath, making you laugh at her interrogation. 

“Well work has been great, everyone on my team is so nice. The new apartment is amazing! We should video chat so I can give you a tour. And there is a hot guy in the PR department….” You said slyly, knowing your best friend was going to freak out and ask for details.

“Bitch give me the tea!!! What’s his name? How hot is he exactly?” 

“Well, his name is Jaehyun and he is like a 15 out of 10. He’s so gorgeous!” You sighed dreamily, chuckling when you heard Mina screech from the other side of the line.

“Do you have a photo? I have got to see what this guy looks like.” She said curiously.

“I don’t. But I might take one with him tomorrow. He’s going shopping with me.”

You had to pull the phone away from your ear at Mina’s screaming, laughing loudly when you heard Suho’s panicked voice from the other end. Mina apologizes to him and told him that she was just excited.

“Oh my god. Is it a date? Are you gonna do the nasty?” 

“Mina, shut the fuck up! We are just friends and he was kind enough to offer to help me since I’m new.” You scolded her, thankful that she was across the world and couldn’t see the way your face heated up at her racy words.

“Okay okay I’m sorry. You gotta send me a photo though.” She insisted 

“Yeah yeah I will.” You smiled, glancing longingly to your Chinese food, which was probably cold by now.

“So, guess who’s been asking for you..” Mina said, making you furrow your eyebrow.

“Who?” You asked as you took out your food containers, doing a little happy dance when you saw they were still hot.

“Chanyeol…” She said cautiously, making you pause your actions. 

“That’s surprising. You didn’t tell him where I am, right?” You asked, not wanting him to know anything about you.

“Of course not! I even told Suho to keep him in the dark. I guess he’s been trying to get in contact with you but hasn’t been able to.” She explained.

“Yeah, well that’s because I blocked him.” You said, taking a bite of your delicious food.

“Damn, that’s pretty badass.” She said impressed.

“I wanted a clean break. And I didn’t want him texting me when he felt like he wanted his favorite fuck buddy.” You shrugged, not really in the mood to talk about Chanyeol. 

“Makes sense. Well babe, I’ll let you go. I’m glad you’re doing well. Don’t forget to send me a photo tomorrow. I love you.” 

“Love you too.” You said before hanging up. You ate your food in silence, not wanting to think about Chanyeol and the fact that he’s been trying to get in contact with you. 

‘It’s not that deep. He probably just wanted to come over to mess around. I’m sure he has many other options.’ You thought bitterly, shaking your head to rid your thoughts and focus on the fact that you were going to have a great time with Jaehyun tomorrow.

***

“Hey! Have you been waiting long?” You asked Jaehyun as you approached him, surprised to see that he was waiting for you already. 

“No, I’ve been here for like five minutes. I stopped by for some coffee first.” He said with his signature smile, handing you a coffee cup. 

“Oh gosh you’re the best. Thank you!” You said happily, accepting the cup from him. You took in his appearance and you weren’t sure why you were as affected as you were. He wore plain dark jeans with a cream turtleneck shirt and a tan coat, his hair styled away from his forehead, looking every bit boyfriend material.

“So there’s a store down the block that has great professional attire. Want to go there first?” He asks, both of you walking away from the large crowd.

“Yeah that’s perfect.” You agreed, following him through the throngs of people 

Jaehyun recommended a clothing store that had plenty of professional options, he was actually being extremely helpful and was helping you choose nice pieces. You couldn’t help but feel warm and tingly at his attention and how genuine his help seemed. You didn’t want to go there, but you can't help yourself. You knew that Chanyeol would never in a million years would want to go shopping with you. He wasn’t about buying clothes but taking them off of you. You shook the thought away, knowing that it wasn’t fair to compare Jaehyun to Chanyeol, they were completely different people.

After purchasing a couple blouses, skirts, pants and blazers, you guys headed out to a different store. You needed to buy some shoes and coats for the winter that was soon approaching. Jaehyun helped carry your bags, insisting that you needed both hands free in order to shop effectively. He trailed behind you as you looked through the racks of clothing, making conversation and making you laugh. You couldn’t help but notice the glances and stares from other women in the clothing store, eyeing Jaehyun and giving you a dismissive glance. You smirked to yourself, finding their petty jealousy funny; and you couldn’t help but feel victorious because he was there with you, even if it was just as a friend. 

“So, I’m getting pretty hungry, any thoughts about dinner?” Jaehyun asked as you both walked out of the store, your own stomach grumbling a bit.

“We should get something soon, I am getting hungry too. I’m good with anything though.” You said as you walked towards your last stop of the day.

Jaehyun’s phone rang and he took it out, answering with an eye roll.

“What do you want?” He asked, making his friend on the other line laugh because of his attitude.

“Come on man, you’re happy to hear from me. Hey so Mark and I are bored and we should go eat something together.” Johnny said, grabbing his keys with a happy Mark trailing behind him.

“I can’t, I have plans.“ Jaehyun said, glancing over at you and noticing you had stopped at a pretzel cart. He smiled when he saw you bouncing happily on your feet, excitedly waiting for your pretzel to be done.

“With whom? Is it a hot date?” Johnny asked, intrigued at his friends secretiveness.

“None of your business.” Jaehyun said, making Johnny howl while Mark made kissy noises. “Real mature guys.” Jaehyun rolled his eyes at his friends childish antics, questioning why he’s even friends with them.

“Hey, sorry I got so hungry and had to get one. Want some?” You offered as you walked up to Jaehyun, not noticing that he was on the phone.

“It’s okay.” He said softly, smiling as he watched you bite into your pretzel.

“Oh my god. Is that who i think it is?” Johnny exclaimed excitedly, hurting Jaehyun’s eardrum.

“Bro! Is it really?” Mark asked, his voice going up a couple octaves.

“Guys, shut up. I’m hanging up.” Jaehyun warned, not wanting to deal with their crap.

“Who are you talking to?” You asked curiously, amused at how stressed Jaehyun looked.

“Johnny and Mark.” Jaehyun said, giving you a tight lipped smile.

“Oh! Can I say hi?” You asked

Jaehyun gave the phone over to you, not being able to deny you of your request. He was a little surprised at himself, but he knew he was attracted to you the second he saw you, so he shouldn't be so surprised.

“Hey guys! How’s it going?” You asked, your bubbly voice making Johnny chuckle and Jaehyun’s chest constrict.

“We were just telling Jaehyun that we wanted to grab something to eat, but I guess you guys are busy.” Johnny pouted, making you giggle at his playfulness. 

“Why don’t we all get dinner together? I have one more store I’m going to and then we are done.” You informed, not noticing Jaehyun’s frown of displeasure. He loved hanging out with Mark and Johnny, but he really wanted to spend some time alone with you.

“Sounds like a plan! Why don’t we have dinner at your place? Mark and I will bring food and drinks and meet you and Jaehyun there.” Johnny proposed. You agreed and said goodbye, hanging up and handing the phone back to Jaehyun.

“So what’s the plan?” Jaehyun asked.

“We are going to have dinner at my place. They’re bringing food and drinks.” You said, stopping in front of the last stop if your shopping spree.

“Sounds good.” He said, trying to hide the displeasure in his voice. He’d much rather have dinner just with you.

“Did you want to wait for me out here?” You asked, not sure if he would want to go inside with you.

“Yeah, I’ll go…” he trailed off, as he looked up to see what store you were going into. It was Victoria’s Secret. “In with you.” He finally finished his sentence. Gulping are his stupidity, he should have looked up before giving an answer.

“Okay.” You smiled shyly, not expecting his answer. “Let’s go.” 

‘Fuck! Fuck! Shit! Fuck! I hope she doesn’t think I’m a pervert! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!’

You entered the store with Jaehyun trailing behind you, still carrying all of your bags. You felt really bad for him, so you told him to sit on a bench inside the store while you do your shopping. He sat down and tried not to look around the store. He got a few glances from women there, some curious and others disgusted. He glanced over to where you were and saw that you picked up a black lace bra and panty set. Looking away quickly, he felt his ears get hot from the sight of the pretty undergarments. He really felt like a big pervert at that moment and hoped you hadn’t noticed him looking.

“I’m going to go pay now.” You let him know, a few items in your hands

“I’ll come with you.” He said as he got up, trailing behind you as you got in line. 

He tried really hard not to look, he really did, but he couldn’t help himself. He wished he hadn’t looked as he saw your lacey black, white and cream items being wrapped and bagged. When you left the store, you noticed his ears were bright red. You felt a little bad, but you couldn’t help the small smile that took over your face. It was an extremely cute sight. You took some of your bags back and stuffed your smaller Victoria’s Secret bag inside another shopping bag. 

You decided to take and Uber back home since taking the subway with so many bags was going to be tricky and uncomfortable. The ride to your house was quiet but comfortable, the soft music was calming as you closed your eyes. It was a long day and your feet were aching, who knew shopping could be so tiring.

Walking into your apartment, you place your shopping bags in your room, telling Jaehyun to make himself at home. He sat down on your couch and stretched out, also tired from his long day of shopping with you.

Before you could leave your room, you heard the doorbell ring, telling Jaehyun you would get the door.

“Hey! We are here and we brought the goods!” Johnny announces as you open the door, hands full of food bags

“Woot woot!” Mark exclaims behind him, waving the alcoholic beverages in his hands.

“Come in guys! You can leave the stuff on the table.” You told them as they walked into your apartment, taking their shoes off at the door.

“What’s up man!” Johnny greeted Jaehyun, the other man giving him a halfhearted response, making Johnny laugh. 

“We brought Chinese food, I hope that’s okay.” Mark said, taking the containers out of the paper bags.

“That’s perfect! Let’s eat guys, I’m starving!” You said, placing plates and silverware on the table for the guys to use.

You all started to eat and make conversation, talking about what you've been up to on the weekend.

“Oh so Jaehyun kindly offered to help you shop today? That’s so sweet!” Johnny cooed, making you and Mark laugh. Jaehyun, on the other hand, just gave him a glare, not liking his friends bullshit. 

Eventually, once the beers had been passed around, everyone was having a good time, including Jaehyun. 

After finishing the food, you all moved to your living room, bringing beers with you. You guys were enjoying yourselves, taking, laughing and drinking. An hour later, Mark was already passed out on the couch. The newly turned 21 year old not having a high alcohol tolerance. You and Johnny were in the middle of a conversation, when he blanked out and stopped speaking. As soon as you called his name out, he passed out on the couch, his body leaning against Marks. You couldn’t help but chuckle, their low alcohol tolerance very amusing. You looked over at Jaehyun, who sat at the end of the same couch as you, and found him peering over at you. A soft smile graced his face and his cheeks were tinged a pretty shade of pink. 

“Why are you so quiet?” You asked, noticing that he had been oddly quiet since Johnny and Mark started to get plastered. 

“I just feel relaxed after the beers.” He said, moving his head towards you and giving you a small smile.

“Same, i'm not drunk, but I’m pretty buzzed.” You smiled, closing your eyes for a bit.

“So,” you started, opening your eyes and looking at Jaehyun, the alcohol giving you some courage. “Are you single or do you have a special someone?” 

His eyebrows raised at your question, amused at your boldness.

“I’m single.” He said, peering at you from below his eyelashes. 

“Hmm. Makes no sense.” You shake your head sleepily. There’s no logical explanation as to why a gorgeous man would be single.

Jaehyun chuckled at your answer, flattered that you thought that way if him.

“How about you? Are you single or do you have someone special?” He mimicked your question.

You hummed softly, closing your eyes and chuckling.

“I am super single. I haven’t been in a relationship for a long time.” You shared, Jaehyun looking at you intently, it made your stomach flip.

“Why am I not convinced?” He inquired,  somehow being able to look right through you.

“Well, there was someone in Korea. But he wasn’t my boyfriend…” You looked over at Jaehyun, who nodded and smiled softly. You took that as a sign to continue speaking. “He was more like a friends with benefits. It started out very casual, but somewhere along the way I started to really care about him. Like, really care about him. I wouldn’t call it love, but I did care for him. I knew he was never going to want to be in a relationship with me, but I couldn’t walk away. There were times where I felt like he cared for me too. But, I started to realize he was only using me for sex. I mean, I knew our relationship was strictly physical, but he wasn’t even trying to pretend. I distanced myself from him for a while and when we finally did...reunite, I found out he was sleeping with other women. We weren’t in a relationship but we had agreed to be exclusive. So when he didn’t tell me he had started sleeping around with other women, I felt betrayed. It hurt and I called things off. And we haven’t been in communication since then.” You hadn’t realized that somewhere along the way you started to cry a little bit. Tears streaming down your face. You wiped at them angrily, embarrassed at having Jaehyun see you cry. 

You felt him shift on the couch and he was next to you in a second, embracing you in a hug. It felt so nice, comforting and soft despite him having a strong and hard body.

He pulled away slowly, making eye contact with you.

“Don’t be hard on yourself. If you’re still hurt and need to cry, then cry. He’s an idiot that lost the opportunity to be with a strong, successful beautiful woman. He doesn’t deserve you.” He said, looking into your eyes.

You both stayed like that for what felt like forever, staring into each other’s eyes, no one uttering a single word. You don’t know who moved first, but Jaehyun was only an inch away from your face. Mark started coughing from the other couch, making you and Jaehyun pull away from each other quickly. Both your and his cheeks turning bright pink, you could blame the alcohol for that. 

“Bro, what time is it?” Mark asked groggily, trying to sit up but failing due to Johnny’s large frame leaning against him.

“It’s time to go home.” Jaehyun got up from the couch and slapped Johnny on the face, startling him awake. He just grumbled and rubbed his face, Mark laughing as he got up and stretched out his numb arm. 

“Thanks for having us, sorry we fell asleep.” Johnny said, giving you a side hug.

“Any time.” You shrugged, smiling at the sleepy giant.

“Thanks for everything noona. Is it cool if I call you noona?” Mark asked, making his way to the front door with the other two men.

“Of course you can.” You smiled warmly at the cute boy, his sleepy face extremely adorable. 

“Good night.” Jaehyun said as he escorted the still loopy men out of your apartment. He had already ordered an Uber and needed to get downstairs as soon as possible.

Once they were gone, you decided it was time for bed. You were so tired and sore and buzzed, you really just wanted to get to bed, your much needed shower could wait until the morning. Once in bed, you couldn’t help but recall the conversation you had with Jaehyun. You really hoped you didn’t ruin things by bringing up your toxic relationship with Chanyeol. Chanyeol. Wow. It really had been a while that you didn’t think about him. That was good, it means you’re progressing. You felt a pang in your chest, your eyes watering again as you remembered the roller coaster of emotions you felt with Chanyeol. You tried to forget it all and it finally felt like you were, you were almost there.

You glanced at your phone, not completely coherent enough to stop yourself. Grabbing the device, you went to your settings, locating your blocked list. You unblocked Chanyeol’s number and sent him a message. Locking your phone, you went to bed. You didn’t realize how much you were going to hate yourself in the morning. 

***

Chanyeol’s phone dinged on his night stand, bringing his mind back to earth. He reached over and his gut twisted when he saw your name appear on his screen. 

I need to forget about you. Why are you in my head?

He couldn’t explain the feeling inside his chest as he read and reread your message. He felt a small smug smile grace his lips. So you did think about him still. He wasn’t the only one that couldn’t stop thinking about you. 

“Who is that, Oppa?” The naked girl on his bed asked, draping her body around his and drawing shapes on his chest in what he assumed was a poor attempt at being sexy.

He looked over at her, no longer needing her presence since he finally heard from you.

“Get out.” He said, looking at her dead in the eye.

“What? You’re not serious, are you?” She asked offended. They had literally just finished fucking, there’s no way he’s kicking her out.

“Are you stupid? I said Get. Out.” He bit out, annoyed at this girls attitude.

She scoffed indignantly and got up from the bed, quickly dressing herself and leaving his apartment, slamming the door behind her. Chanyeol finally got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom, needing a shower before returning to work; his lunch break was almost over anyway. He hummed in the shower happily, feeling like he was on top again.

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[prettywordsyouleft]

A Christmas Date

Summary: When Minhyuk finally convinced you to see his band play this Christmas, you were hesitant to allow your heart to be swayed any more than it already had been.

Pairing: Kang Minhyuk x reader (ft. CNBLUE)

Genre: Christmas au / fluff / co-workers to lovers au

A/N: Welcome to Christmas in July! This mini collab with @this-song-thats-only-for-you has been so much fun to create! Since Minhyuk’s birthday was the same day as Daehyun’s, I chose to write for him now. And I hope @noona-clock doesn’t mind, whenever I think of Jungshin/CNBLUE, I naturally think of her story Something’s Brewing and so a couple of details in this stem from that world. I highly recommend you go read that story if you haven’t some time!

Word count: 3754

“You’ll be there, right?”

Glancing up to meet Minhyuk’s expectant gaze, you smiled weakly. “Christmas in the Park? Listen, Minhyuk, I-”

“You’re not going to ditch me again, are you?” he intervened, shooting you a pout. Oh god, not the pout. He then grinned and your heart began to thump noisily in your chest.

You were doomed.

Working with Kang Minhyuk was a blessing and a curse. You hadn’t expected when the tall man walked into your florist one day with a resume under his arm that you would be struggling this much six months later. He was capable in every way, and whilst that meant you could trust him to ensure that business went well whenever you weren’t in the shop, it also made you aware of all his little mannerisms. How his smiles were able to make everyone who walked into the store feel a little weak at the knee, his arrangement skills impressing even the most sceptical of people that flowers could be more than just beautiful. He was polite yet playful, generous with his skills and his time, and incredibly thoughtful.

How such a man existed, you weren’t sure, and knowing that he had other talents in life seemed completely unfathomable. It was highly unfair that Minhyuk was able to do so much, remain humble and be utterly gorgeous on top of all of that.

And that was why you had a hard time accepting doing anything with him outside of work.

“Y/N,” he called, the slight whine in his voice making you wish for the ground to open up and swallow you whole, and yet you wanted to relish in the sound for the rest of your life as well. It was ridiculous the effect Minhyuk had over you, and as his boss, you struggled with maintaining the incredibly fine line between being professional and falling at his feet.

“I don’t do well in crowds,” you mumbled feebly and whilst it was the truth, it was an excuse and he knew it.

“You’ll have fun, I promise. I’ll make sure that you’re with Jungshin’s girlfriend, Becky, the whole time. She’ll look after you; she’s a seasoned pro at coming to our gigs and at avoiding being stuck in sticky crowd situations. Plus you promised me. This is a huge deal for me and I want you there!”

Staring up at Minhyuk, you could tell you were blushing at that last sentence. Why did he want you there? You knew if you went it would be game over for your heart. He was passionate about his music, that much you could already tell. And with how much you had already fallen for Minhyuk within this garden bed of roses, you knew if you stepped outside with him, away from what you knew, that it would be impossible to maintain your working relationship. Seeing Minhyuk out of this florist could make it harder for you to see him in it the next time. And with it being so close to Christmas, well, you needed him. Orders were only going peak over the next week, and he really did the best arrangements.

“It’s Christmas time, where’s your generous spirit, huh?” You huffed at his question and he chuckled, knowing he was getting under your skin. “I’m not going to let you get out of this, Y/N. You told me that you’d come to see us perform before the end of the year.”

“I have no choice?” you asked and Minhyuk nodded firmly. “What will you do if you make me come and I don’t enjoy your music?” He was genuinely surprised by your statement though he recovered quickly, laughing as he nudged you playfully. “What will you do if you love it?”

You would die, you were certain of it. But you couldn’t tell him that, smiling softly to yourself instead. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

“So you’ll come?!”

Ignoring the puppy-like excitement now filling his features, you nodded once, confirming your attendance.

Though you were truly worried about what you had gotten yourself into.

The day of the event, you had attempted to get out of going. Your bedroom looked like a riot had gone off within it; clothing was strewn across your bed from countless deliberation of what to wear. You didn’t know how to dress for such an outing and since this would be your first time appearing in Minhyuk’s world not as his boss and fellow colleague, you were conflicted further. What if you wore something that he would tease you about on Monday? You were so used to wearing blouses and dress pants or dresses in his company that you almost opted for one of your work attires just to ease some of your anxiety. Yet, Christmas in the Park was an outdoor music event, and you would be spending quite a number of hours out in the cool wintry air.

That left you with not a lot of fashionable pieces to extenuate and to opt for comfort over style. You still wanted to look good, however, scolding yourself for wanting to make a good impression on not only Minhyuk but his friends too. This wasn’t a date, and yet your brain was convincing you otherwise. Settling on your favourite pair of jeans, a woollen jumper, your dress coat and a pair of boots, you fumbled your way through your makeup, picking up your phone and writing multiple renditions of plausible excuses to Minhyuk along the way. You felt uneasy as you did your hair, worrying that you would look clearly older than him and his friends. What would they think of you as his boss? It was nerve-wracking and when your phone suddenly went off in your hand as you thought over how to word being sick in a believable way for the umpteenth time, you shrieked. Managing to only drop the device into your lap and not onto the floor, you retrieved it and opened up the message you had received.

1:13pm Minhyuk: You better not think of a single excuse to send me. I’ll see you at three!

Groaning at his innate ability to read you even this far apart, you sent him back a can’t wait response and stared at your reflection before letting out a big sigh.

You could do this.

Arriving at the park that the event was being held at, you were pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere. It was your first time attending the event, normally opting to remain indoors when it was this cold. Despite the crowds that were already forming, it seemed more welcoming than you expected. Families were setting up their designated spots and fuelling their children with hot food and drinks from their packed bags, and wrapping blankets over their legs. Teens gathered together by the edge of the stage gossiping about the hottest bands that would be attending tonight. Adults like yourself seemed to be relieved for a break from the office and to socialise with ease among their peers, and even elders were set up in camping chairs, discussing how many years they had been attending the event. You eased somewhat until you heard your name being called.

You turned, Minhyuk jogging over to your side with a grin plastered over his face. You mirrored his expression, blinking a couple of times as you took in his attire. Without thinking too much about it, you reached out for his bare arms and chastised him. “Where’s your jacket, aren’t you cold?”

“Oh, I left it backstage, we just had rehearsal before and I got a little hot,” he explained, his gaze on your hand. You slipped it back and he dug his hands deep into his jeans pockets, his skin now flushed. You assumed it was due to the cold and his sudden approach toward you and wrapped your hand around your other wrist, rocking back on the small heel of your boot. Minhyuk cleared his throat and grinned again. “I’m glad you came.”

“Me too.”

“I was expecting some kind of excuse about being too sick to get out of bed,” he continued and you snapped your gaze up to his, shaking your head profusely, hoping you didn’t let on that was exactly what you had been attempting to do.

“Of course not, you told me to have some Christmas spirit, so here I am. Though, are you just performing Christmas songs tonight?”

Minhyuk chuckled, shaking his head. “There will be some groups that do, and at the end of the show there’s a big Christmas medley happening, but most people are just singing their own songs.”

“Oh, so I’ll get to hear what CNBLUE is all about?”

“You will,” Minhyuk assured, his smile ever-present. And then he seemed to process a thought, launching forward to grab your hand and pulled you towards backstage. Focusing on remaining upright and not on how warm his hand was on yours despite the low temperature outside, you were shuffled past various people and tasks going on in the bustling atmosphere backstage until you came to a stop in a waiting area that was for Minhyuk’s group. Immediately you were greeted by a great voice, your movement stilling as you listened to the way the man sang.

“Yonghwa, Y/N’s here,” Minhyuk mentioned and the man you had just been in awe over stopped singing, turning to see you there. He grinned, coming over to shake your hand enthusiastically. And that was how your greetings with Minhyuk’s friends went. Yonghwa was loud and vivacious, much like his voice was. Jonghyun greeted you with a smile and Jungshin teased Minhyuk for bringing his boss to his work for the night. It was then that you met Becky, who not only reminded her boyfriend of where they once met before dating and then came over to your side and shyly reached out to befriend you. Her reaction eased you immediately and you relaxed into the new company, soon forgetting all about your worries of coming tonight.

“We’ll go out and get a spot by the stage,” Becky announced and you waved the men off, following Becky back out and finding a spot that had a great view of the stage without being too close.

Becky then smiled at you and you returned the gesture. “Thanks for looking out for me.”

“It’s no problem. I remember the first gig I went to, though it was in a small bar. They’ve come a long way to do stages like this.”

“So they’re really good then?”

Becky blinked. “You haven’t heard their music yet? They have albums out.”

“Uh, no, this will be my first time.”

“Well, you’re in for a treat. They’re really talented,” Becky grinned. “Oh, and I’m not saying that even though I have the opportunity to be biased. All four members are amazing at what they do. Their music is the kind that gets right into your soul and makes you addicted.”

“Ah,” you said with a nod of your head, hopeful that you would be able to agree with her evaluation when the night was over.

Becky looked at you for a moment and then smiled again when you caught her eye. “You know, this is the first time Minhyuk’s invited anyone to see him play.”

“Really?”

“He talks about you too. You must be a really good friend to him.”

You contemplated her assumption, wrestling with disbelief. You eventually shook your head. “I’m just his boss.”

“I doubt that,” Becky refuted and then pointed to the stage. “Oh, here they come!”

Much like the attitude backstage, Yonghwa was vibrant and hooked the crowd immediately. And when Minhyuk held up his drumsticks before dropping them to start the beat, you were a goner.

Becky was right; you didn’t know who you were by the time the first song was over. Although you didn’t remember the names of the songs, you attempted to take in every detail, whilst your eyes frequently soaked in Minhyuk in his element. This was unlike in the florist. On stage, he seemed to shine brightly, his smiles as effortless as his skills were. You gasped when he started singing the backups as he continued to drum away and you glanced at Becky, her energetic nod telling you that she understood.

CNBLUE was definitely addictive.

When their set finished, you felt as if your body had become heavy. You were rooted to the spot, the ringing of the last part of the set replaying within your mind. It was Becky who nudged you out of your stupor, tugging you along with her to go find the members backstage. You needed more time, more air, maybe a drink of water to sober up, but before you knew it, you were in front of the four men, Becky leaving your side to hug Jungshin affectionately.

“So, what did you think?” Yonghwa asked and Jonghyun chuckled.

“Give her a chance to process it.”

“Why does she need time? Y/N either liked it or disliked it,” Yonghwa continued, turning back to face you. Smiling gently, you nodded a couple of times.

“I liked it.”

“Liked what, which part?” Yonghwa pulled you to sit down and eagerly waited for your response which was hard to formulate.

“Let her breathe,” Jungshin instructed and nudged Minhyuk pointedly.

You watched as the man you knew the most retreated. You had expected him to be like Yonghwa, after all these weeks of asking you to come see him play. It seemed surreal to see him hesitate, reserved with his approach. His usual smile was missing and you stared at him a little longer before turning back to Yonghwa and answering his questions as best as you could.

The night was still young, and yet you were wondering more about Minhyuk’s thoughts right up until the time you eventually crawled into bed.

You hoped he would share them with you when you next saw him.

Monday morning arrived and you were a mixture of emotions to see Minhyuk again. He had texted you the day before, thanking you for coming to the concert and spending your night with Becky and the members. It seemed odd that his reaction was so formal when you had been laughing and enjoying yourself within his friends’ company until you had gone home. And yesterday you had followed all their social media accounts, grinning when everyone followed you back. You had downloaded the content that you could purchase online, and spent the day cleaning your home and bopping along to CNBLUE. Even on your way to work, you were singing along to Between Us, having played the song so much you could almost sing it word for word.

But now that you were in your usual setting, your mood seemed to resolve, resuming back to the quiet and polite version of yourself. You greeted your supplier gently, carrying in boxes of fresh flowers one after the other until on your final run; they were taken out of your arms.

You blinked. “Minhyuk.”

“Good morning,” he greeted softly, carrying the carton into the back room and opening them up to see what needed to go in which floral cooler.

You stood at the edge of the bench, wondering what to say.

“What did you do yesterday?”

Minhyuk didn’t look up. “Mostly just relaxed.”

“I downloaded your music,” you blurted out and he paused in shifting a box of lilies into the cooler. You took it as a sign to continue. “I really like it.”

“I’m glad.”

“Are you?” you retorted, staring at him as he stood back to his full height. Neither of you spoke and yet you could tell he had a lot to say.

“Hello, is your store open yet?” a voice called out and broke the spell, Minhyuk stepping around you and going out to serve the customer.

It was like that for the rest of the morning, both edging around what happened on Saturday, yet neither coming out with anything productive to say. It was driving you mad and by the time Minhyuk had gone to take his lunch break, you were completely frustrated.

“Why invite me out if he’s going to be this awkward with me?” you scoffed, arranging a Christmas themed bouquet with a little more vigour than usual. “I should have made an excuse after all. Hanging out with his boss clearly was a bad choice on his behalf.”

You grumbled for a few more minutes, your frustration shifting towards despair. It was hard not to feel a sense of rejection. Although you had been invited out as a friend, you had hoped for some kind of reaction from Minhyuk to understand why he had asked you to come. Did he want to be more than just co-workers? Or was he just proud of his achievements and wanted to show you? None of it made sense and as you unravelled some ribbon, you thought of the worst.

“Did I embarrass him? Did I say something wrong to his friends?”

“You did nothing wrong.”

You squeaked at the sudden reappearance of Minhyuk, snipping the ribbon blindly and catching your finger in the process. Your hand was immediately within his and Minhyuk led you out the back, right over to the sink and ran the water over the wound.

“Keep it under the water whilst I prepare the band-aid.”

“It’s not that bad,” you mentioned but the look he gave you made you push your hand back under the flowing water. Minhyuk then reached for your hand and wrapped a towel around it to gently pat it dry.

As he dealt with the wound, you sighed. “Why did you invite me to the event if you were going to be like this with me?”

“I didn’t know I would struggle either.”

“You’re struggling?” you asked and the vulnerable emotion within his eyes was quickly removed much like the backing of the band-aid was. “With what?”

Focusing on his handiwork now that the band-aid was over your wound, Minhyuk continued to hold your hand. You went to pull away but he gripped on. “With how much I like you.”

“Me?” you echoed and Minhyuk nodded. “You like me? Me?”

A small smile played upon his lips. “Should I not?”

“No… well yes. I mean, why would you like me?” you babbled and Minhyuk laughed softly, capturing your attention. You stared up at him, your confusion softening. “You like me? Since when?”

“Since I first met you.”

“But wait, that was…”

“Seven months ago.”

You frowned. “I hired you six months ago.”

“I know but we met before then.” You didn’t respond and Minhyuk smiled. “I was a customer before I chose to try my luck and get a job here. I did need a new job. Working with Jungshin at the coffee shop wasn’t really working out for me when I would have to go to band practice after work too. And I genuinely do like working with flowers too.”

“You came here pointedly?” you breathed and Minhyuk nodded. “Because of me?”

He nodded again. “You mean, I’ve spent all this time trying to avoid how I felt when you’ve been here because of me?”

“To be fair, I wanted to get to know you first. Sure, I could have asked you out on a date as a customer,” Minhyuk mused and then grinned at your still startled expression. “But with how hard it’s been to actually get you to come out with me, I doubt you would have accepted my request from that position.”

“I’m still back at the part where you came here with the intention of getting to know me.”

Minhyuk finally let go of your hand and you blinked away from your reverie, a slight ache within your hand now that he wasn’t holding it.

Logically, that was probably due to the injury you had sustained.

“Seeing you out of the florist was overwhelming for me. And then how easily you fitted in with my friends, I could see this becoming something regular. I wasn’t prepared to cope with how much I felt on Saturday. That’s why I was quieter.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?” he repeated and sighed. “Just oh?”

“You’re the one announcing you have feelings for me, how am I meant to react?”

Minhyuk was thoughtful for a moment and then leaned down into your face, smiling brightly. You blinked repeatedly, unsure if you should step back or grip onto him with how giddy you suddenly felt. “Will you come out with me again if I ask you, Y/N?”

“Where to? I thought that was the last performance you had scheduled for the year.”

He nodded.

“Then?”

“On a date, just you and me this time. They say that dating around Christmas time is much more magical than any other time of the year.”

You eyed him carefully, the smile on your lips forming slowly. “Really, why’s that?”

“Because it’s the season where dreams come true.”

“That’s really cheesy,” you told him with a giggle and Minhyuk pulled you into an embrace, your laughter startled into hiccups.

“I know, but you seem like the type to enjoy cliché romance like this.”

“Where the girl gets the really attractive guy that everyone fawns over?”

Minhyuk chuckled within the embrace. “Not everyone fawns over me.”

“Oh really? Have you seen how our clients react when you start smiling and pointing out flowers? I’m sure half of them would prefer to purchase you then the bouquets they walk out of here with!”

“Are you jealous?” he wondered with a smirk and you tried to slip out of the embrace Minhyuk held you within, your answer evident by your actions. “There’s only one person who I have eyes for, and it’s definitely not a client.”

“One date?” you surmised and Minhyuk gaped at you.

“I’m holding you in my arms; do you think we’re only going on one date?”

“Two dates?”

“If you’re trying to protect yourself from thinking I’ll suddenly change my mind, might I remind you I got this job because I liked you. I haven’t changed my mind since.”

“You’re blinded by the beauty of this place,” you complained and Minhyuk nodded softly.

“Because you’re here.”

You wondered if dating Minhyuk would be a blessing and a curse as well. But admittedly, you were hopeful that the Christmas spirit would help you out a little with that magic. Because you wanted this dream to remain a reality for a long time.

_________________

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Christmas In July: New Traditions // A Christmas Date // Cliche Christmas // With A Bow On Top

[horsesarecreatures]

I feel bad because I haven’t seen Amba since Tuesday and I don’t think I’m going to be able to get to the barn until Friday. I had two days wasted where I drove back to NJ to meet the electrician who was supposed to check the hardwiring of the fire alarm system and certify that it works, and the jerk canceled once and was 2 hours late the 2nd time. After that I had to rush back home to the dogs and was too tired to go out again. Then the day after that I went clothes shopping to buy some business casual outfits for law school. Since I’ve worked on a farm the past five years I have very little professional clothing. I went to TJ Max and Marshall’s and it was a complete bust. They had tons of cute blouses and dresses, but very little in xs sizes, and those I did try on were still baggy around the arms. While I understand the importance of clothes stores including bigger sizes, to me that means they should add some more sizes, not increase the size of the existing ones. Between the two stores I tried on 20 items and they were all loose. :/

So today I went to Kohl’s and finally found three things which in addition to the two outfits I already have is probably good enough to start with. I think everyone is going to get dressed up the first week then go back to normal informal attire (hopefully - otherwise I have more shopping to do and I hate shopping).

Tomorrow I have nothing to do, but unfortunately Westchester County is under the state of emergency for the hurricane and travel is not recommended. It could potentially last until Monday, and then Tuesday - Thursday I have orientation from 8-5 every day and it’s mandatory. I don’t even know what I’m going to do with the dogs; I never leave them alone that long. Tomorrow I’m going to try and find a dog walker.

Poor Amba I hope she doesn’t get lonely. She can see other horses but she has no buddy with her in the paddock. I really wish the barn owner would get over whatever she has against leasing.

[selenecrawford]

Selene Crawford: The Spitfire

Thank you for checking the first post. Had fun writing so now decided to write a bit more. I hope you guys like it. Selene is a complete bag of surprises. Comments appreciated. Thanks.

  Three months had passed since the day of the interview. Selene managed in an unexpected way to secure the job. Sometimes she still found it hard to believe.  Looking back, she went back to the phone to work non stop while Mitsurani, Hideoyoshi and Nobunaga look in silence how she managed 5 of the six agendas like it was fanning with paper fans. Her dexterity and organization impressed them. Until, Mitsuhide and Masamune arrived at the same time.

The two men stopped at the sight in front of them. A girl with a pony tail, shorts and tank top while the three other men were observing with their arms crossed. Selene took a look at the new pair who arrived and a couple of mixed signals hit her. Mitsuhide took an openly examination of her from head to toe making Selene uncomfortable. But  it was Masamune's appreciative whistle that made her blush completely and mortified her the most. Both men were wearing expensive suits, being royal blue,yellow and black predominant with Masamune and white, pale blue and gold for Mitsuhide. Selene found the pressure of silence too oppressive, feeling uneasy she concentrated on finish organizing the agenda and the Outlines for at least 2 days.

(It's the best I can do since it seems it won't work at all.) thought Selene a bit disappointed.

“So,...” she couldn't continue because her stomach decided to make a huge rumble.

It took two seconds for Masamune start laughing out loud.

“So Lass I guess someone is hungry uh? Let's talk about this over lunch. There is plenty for everyone.” he said starting to move to the kitchen on the second floor of the place.

Looking at the others Selene decided to follow them. Mitsuhide passing casually by the desk took the stapler in a smooth yet stealth mode that made Selene question how reliable was him. Based on feeling the vibes alone, he was the most frightening for her. While Masamune was just pure energy spilling from his body. A small sensation like a tingle of excitement started to ignite inside of her.

(Call down girl, too much testosterone is not good. This is just a nice dream. Enjoy the food then go home.) she thought while following the group.

Masamune liked her the moment he saw her in front of the desk. She was concentrated writing until a pair of emerald eyes looked at him. He noticed her surprise for a brief seconds which then he let out an appreciative whistle. He noticed the change almost immediately. She blushed but also a hint of hatred and stone were replaced by the surprise shine of her eyes.

(At least now I know the face of that lovely voice.) he thought.

Breaking the ice he invited her after her stomach rumbled loudly making her look down at the desk while turning into a dark shade of red. He couldn't help it and laugh out loud. He started walking to the kitchen where he put the food on plates and fix the table. Everyone sit and after giving thanks all started to eat except Selene.

It was the first time since she could remember she was on the same table with other people to eat. The feeling was warm and comfortable. A lump on her throat was forming but she decided not to start crying. These men are nothing to her, if she start to cry it will be the same as admit defeat.

-Remember never show your weakness. It will be your doom.- the words of her Professor reverb on her mind once again.

Taking a deep breath Selene started to eat small bites. She was eating one a bite at the time. Concentrating on not letting these men see her scared or sad. She kept facing down her plate, not looking at them. This gave them the opportunity to give some glances. It was Nobunaga who at least spoke.

“Does dressing like this was part of your strategy when you came to the interview?”

“No Sir, I received a call from Mr. Ishida indicating that my interview was today. I was occupied with some personal business and I couldn't coordinate to present myself on a more suitable attire. The logistics were impossible at the moment. So I decided to risk this and see what this could lead me.” Selene stopped eating. The tension took her appetite away and she sensed Masamune's eyes on her.

“Ok, is it possible for us to get a background check on you?” next question was from Hideoyoshi who was looking at her on guard stance with his arms crossed.

“ No problem, you might need to contact Juvenile court in order to get my file. When I was 15 I blew a car and into pieces. I was reckless and after that I cleaned my act. Officer, Lance Kincaid was in charge of my case. After that I went cleaned until today. If there is any other rumors about me was before that age.” taking a look at the same she could see they were weighting the options. But Mitsuhide's small smile made her take note that this was indeed a man with whom she must be extra careful. Masamune on the contrary seemed excited his blue eye was shinning. While Hideoyoshi almost choke on his drink and Mitsurani just apparently crashed.

(Might as well give this the finishing blow now.) with that inner thought Selene took a deep breath and started talking.

“Let's see, I'm an orphan since 6 years, old. This scar is from the accident that took my parents. After being in prison decided to clean my act and be a model citizen. 3 weeks ago my ex left me and I lost my job, my credit and my life. So now all I'm asking is a place to work. I used to be archivist for Fitzgerald's  until  3 weeks ago. I didn't got a letter of recommendation. In this case I can propose a trial time of at 3 months and if you don't like my performance I'm out. Also, so we can clear this out once and for all. I love to bake sweets, and this is how I see you.” Starting from the left she pointed at Nobunaga.

“You are the Boss, the second in command (Hideoyoshi), The Unaware Brain (Mitsurani), The Wild Card (Masamune) and the Snake (Mitsuhide), and I fee like I'm missing someone but eventually I will get it. Well, if this is all I will take my leave, you know my number. It was a pleasure to meet you all and see you. Thanks for the food by the way.”

Selene stood up and was starting to leave when she heard Nobunaga's laughter. She stopped walking until the laugh fade.

“I never seen someone so daring in my life. We know Kincaid, so we can check you. And I want you here tomorrow 8 o'clock sharp. At the office. Just make sure to look more professional. Let's see how you can handle the pressure.”

Selene didn't turn back, she simply managed to say a “Yes Sir.” Before leaving.

Stepping out of her memories,  Selene went back to work.  She never noticed a pair of red eyes looking at her while she was working. Nobunaga, smile softly at the sight of his new employer. She was full of surprises but also she was a complete contradiction. Strong, with some cracks on her armor. She called Masamune a wild card but she doesn't understand she also came like a complete force of nature and managed to land the job. So far she was working, even beyond her job expectations and the office was running like a perfect oil machine. Sitting back into his desk he turn his chair, to face the city he sworn to protect. Perhaps, all what they need was a little feminine touch to complete their team.

@datemasamunemaiwaifu @colivara @unstoppablelinda @mikamiw @ikesenhell @la-piperina @jennacat84 @yeshasays @valfraeyja @elievalentine

[aiiizawa]

your second shot (redux)

Second chances don’t come for everyone, and you’re determined not to waste yours at U.A.  Unfortunately, there’s someone else who’s decided already that you don’t deserve yours.  Only time will tell how you’ll fare from here on out.

Relevant tags: slow burn, reader-interactive, technically self insert oc/Aizawa, second person pov, explicitly nonbinary reader, trans masc reader

Rating: T+ (16 and up)

author’s notes: SO here it is.  This first chapter is technically the exact same one with some minor adjustments since I liked it so much, but after this it’s going to have more dramatic changes and some more snippets that i planned for the original fic.  changes are noted in tags.  without further ado: it begins again.

Principal Nedzu was as dapper as ever.  Perfectly pressed vest, immaculate tie, slacks, and laced boots, he was the picture of proper attire as you shuffled behind him through the vast halls of the academy.  You straightened your tie for what felt like the third time, hoped that your suit was pressed adequately, and smoothed out any stray curls out on the top of your head while he spoke.  He was a cute little thing, but you knew better than to underestimate him based on his appearance or long-winded speeches.    His dark, round eyes were sharp, calculating.  Nothing you said or did would escape his notice, and it was going to be that way for a long time.  “--Are you listening?”  He asked, pausing in front of the large, dual-opening doors.

You nodded.  You had been distracted by him, momentarily, but you still listened to the vast majority of what he said-- Despite it being in part about how recent stress on him had resulted in little bits of his fur falling out in quite the unbecoming fashion.  The rules.  The fragility of it all.  None of what he said was lost on you, or something that you hadn’t repeated to yourself a hundred times before starting here.  You wanted to make a good first impression.

“Good.  The situation has its difficulties, which I know you are aware of, but I want you to have a rewarding experience in your time here at U.A.  Once again, you should be very grateful to All Might for recommending you.”  He carried on as if he’d never stopped, opening the door.  That was definitely something you didn’t need reminding, but you bit it back as the doors opened, straightening your posture with a deep, cleansing breath that Nezu chuckled at behind a snow-white paw.  “I’m sure that you’ll do just fine.”  He reassured you, just once, before walking straight ahead.

At least a dozen pairs of eyes were on you as you entered the room, following after Nezu as he made his way to his seat, giving his greetings here and there before addressing the group.  “Well, well.”  He cleared his throat, pressing his paw to his chest.  “Shall I introduce the newest member of staff?”  He motioned his arm towards you, and you bowed, attempting to find a good mix between a professional air and an open-hearted disposition.  It probably looked like a grimace as he said your full name.  “Also known as the newly anointed pro hero ‘Firefly’, will be joining us this year as a guidance counselor for our first year students.  We all know the circumstances regarding their past.”  Your lips twitched slightly.  You recognized all of the heroes there, more or less.  The sexy woman clad in tights, Midnight.  Power loader.  Snipe.  Your eyes glassed over each and every one of them until you focused on a pair of sympathetic blue ones, hollow but bright.  You felt yourself relax, just a bit, when his gaunt face smiled encouragingly at you.  “But, we will not be holding that against them!  Instead, let us all work together for the safety and security of our future heroes.”

As if on cue, you bowed again, curly brown hair flouncing in front of yo as you focused on the patterns on the floor and your dress shoes, one of which was already untied.  “I’ll be in your care.  Thank you all very much for the opportunity.”  Your voice shook very briefly, but you felt stronger than you did before.  You attributed it to the relief at having overcome your first hurdle.  As if on autopilot, you sank into the nearby plush seat and listened as the principal went over the goals for the coming year.  In your hands was a file containing fthe first year heroics students, classes 1-A and 1-B.  You would look them over later, hands folded and noting what the principal had planned.  U.A. was a school that allowed teachers and staff to create their own lesson plans and dictate how they would train the next wave of heroes, and your job would be no different.  You would have to take into account their lives at school, relationships with their teachers, as well as the throes of adolescence.  Most of it had to do with what would happen after the first few weeks of school as students all over got used to classes.  Exams, the Sports Festival, all things you didn’t necessarily had anything to do with, but what you would need to be aware of.

You tried to focus mostly on that and not the last pair of eyes boring into the side of your head every so often, anxiously curling your hair around one finger as if to provide a shield.  After two hours of discussion amidst the teachers, which you were only occasionally asked to give input on, Nezu dismissed you all for the day.  The first day of class would be the day after tomorrow, and “everyone should head home to rest and prepare.”  You waited as each of the teachers filed out, anxiously straightening and re-aligning the papers you were given.  Most of the teachers smiled at you, or at least acknowledged you in some way.  All Might was in pretty deep discussion with Principal Nezu, but he promised to meet up with you after the meeting, so you decided to wait, shifting your weight between both of your feet.

“Hey.”  An unfamiliar voice caught your attention instead.  Turning your head, you made, unfortunate, eye contact with the man who had been staring at you earlier.  Shaggy, dressed in all black, with bloodshot eyes-- No question that this was Eraserhead.  Despite being relatively underground in the world of hero news, he was pretty famous in the academy.  “I want to talk to you for a minute.”  You blanked at that, anxiously looking from him to All Might, who was still engrossed in conversation.  He sighed.  “There’s no need to worry about him.  They’ll be there for while, and what business I have won’t take long.”  Without waiting for your response, he turned around and started to walk out the room.  You shot a look at All Might, who was kneeling down now as he spoke to Nezu, and he motioned for you that it was okay to leave the room.  Well, there went your out.  You rolled your shoulders and turned to follow the silent man out the door.

He was right, it wasn’t far out of earshot of the door until he stopped and faced you.  You halted in your steps as well, feeling the setting sun warm your face and shoulders as he looked at you.  “I don’t care who you are to All Might.  I was against you joining the staff from the beginning, and I’m still against it now.”  He spoke as he approached you, leaning down to speak directly to you.  Even without his quirk, his intensity was almost smothering as he stared you down, eye-to-eye.  “I don’t trust you, not yet.”  Just as quickly as he was in your face, he was out of it, swiftly turning around.  “I won’t hesitate to ask for your removal if I think that you aren’t of any use here, let alone becoming a threat to the students.”  He looked over his shoulder at you once more, just for a moment.  “You’ve been given a second chance.  Don’t waste it.”

You:

A.  Attempt to match his resolve.

B.  Kill him with kindness.

[darkmystress00]

Babysitters Club - Ch 2

A/N: If you don’t like Real Person Fiction (RPF) DO NOT READ THIS FIC! It does focus on real people and does focus on some heavy REAL LIFE situations that people face.

This fic will be updated every Monday, be on the look out! If you would like to be added to the taglist, please send me an ask so I can keep track of everything. Thank you!!

Trigger warnings: Eventual divorce (YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)

Pairing: Misha x Reader (EVENTUALLY)

Catch up here!

You fidgeted lightly as you scanned your closet. This interview was important. This was the biggest client you’d ever met with and you needed to impress them. When Sylvia called and asked you how you’d feel about traveling you’d thought she was nuts.

“Hey Y/N.” Sylvia’s voice chirped into your ear. “So, I have an interview for your next assignment.” She started tentatively. “How do you feel about traveling?” You squinted as you turn on your car.

“What do you mean?” If she was trying to find a way for you to travel upstate with the James’ you were going to put your foot down and let her know that that was not an option.

“I have a lucrative assignment for you, but there is a catch.” You hum into the phone. “This assignment is based out of your territory but they want you to travel while the father is on set filming.”

“Filming?” You squeak as puzzle pieces click into place. “Is this an R&F?”

“Yes, Y/N.” Sylvia breathed. “I was hoping to ease you into that, but you need to know before I send your profile over to them.” You groan. “Y/N. This is a big step and you can handle this. It’s the chance of a life-time and…”

“Alright.” You groaned again. “Alright. I’ll take the assignment if they pick me.” You sighed and rubbed your temple. “Send them my profile and let me know if they set up the interview.”

“Perfect! You won’t regret this, Y/N.”

“I better not Sylvia.” You grumbled. “Who is it?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Let me set everything up and if they pick you I’ll give you all the details.”

“Alright. Thanks, Sylvia.”

“No, thank you.”

She’d called you later that night and you’d damn near hit the floor when you found out who was interviewing you. You were momentarily glad for the client confidentiality that prevented Sylvia from giving you any information before you’d been selected. You’d have had a car accident if she’d told you that you were interviewing for Misha fucking Collins. You weren’t a big fan of the show he was on (Supernatural?) but you at least knew of him. Had had a crush on him for a short time a few years back but ultimately you’d grown out of the fangirl stage. You were a professional dammit. You knew how to conduct business. Plus, you weren’t there to nanny him (unfortunately.) You were there to watch his kids while he was on set. You’d most likely rarely see him because he’d be busy. You took a deep breath and pulled out your teal silk blouse and black blazer to press before the interview. You were already wearing your favorite skirt, black with delicate white pinstripes. This was an initial interview and you were instructed to dress to impress (which you’d have done even if you hadn’t been told to dress to the nines.) You weren’t expected to be interacting with the kids today, that was going to be a secondary interview if you made it through the first round, so business professional attire was expected.

You made a beeline for your iron to iron your blouse and steam your blazer. You didn’t break out the business professional attire very often, but you were glad for the few pieces that lent to your image of a professional. You ironed out the wrinkles and steamed and pressed everything before donning the outfit. If this didn’t help land you the job, you knew it wasn’t meant to be. You slipped on a pair of comfortable heels, carefully selected not to be too high to seem like clubbing shoes, but not too low as to seem too casual. Every detail of your outfit was carefully thought out.

You chanced one last glance at yourself in a mirror and smiled. You were ready. Nervous as hell, but you were as ready as you were ever going to be. You grabbed your keys, wallet and phone and tuck them all into your purse before heading out to your car. You had about thirty minutes to meet at the designated café. It was standard policy, to protect all parties involved, not to have clients and nannies exchange information until contracts had been drawn up and confidentiality agreements had been designated. Your agency was known for being overprotective, but that was how everyone liked it. The nannies were protected from overzealous families with unrealistic expectations or demands, and families were protected because these were their children, and they needed to be kept safe. So, for the initial interview you and Mr. and Mrs. Collins were going to meet in a nearby café to discuss details and get the general information out in the open. You were expected to be there before them (punctuality was key) and offer them refreshments that you would be reimbursed for regardless of if you were matched.

The drive would only take you about ten minutes, plenty of time to have everything in order. You checked your folder to make sure you had copies of your letters of recommendations, as well as your educational credentials. Hardly were they needed, but it was always better to be prepared. With one last deep breath you made your way to the café, pulling up with almost twenty minutes to spare. You made your way inside and secured yourself a booth before waiting patiently. It wasn’t long before you spotted the couple making their way inside. One last deep breath as you stood and flashed them a big smile. Alright, it was show time.

~~~

Misha stared at West as he giggled like mad staring at his muck-covered hands. He snorted at the idea of a nanny trying to tame his wonderfully bright and jubilant child. That nanny had another thing coming. He heard someone knock on the door and knew it was time to get West cleaned up so he could go play with friends while he and Vicki went and interviewed the babysitter. “Alright West, come on bud, gotta get you cleaned up.” West let out a groan. “Don’t worry, you’re going to go play with your friends. Remember, Mom and I have to be somewhere super important so you and Maison are going to go to your friend’s house.”

“Alright Dad.” Misha watched as West moved to the bathroom to go clean himself up. He heard as Vicki opened the door and let in their good friends, hugging and greeting everyone.

“Hey guys!” Misha said a bright smile on his face as he greeted Molly and Chuck (good friends from before he and Vicki had gotten married) and they wrapped him in a hug.

“So you’re finally taking the plunge?” Molly said cheerfully as she eyed Vicki and Misha. He gave a weak shrug. “Don’t worry. This agency is amazing. That’s how we found our amazing nanny when we first moved out.”

“I know, I just can’t imagine anyone watching West and Maison besides Vick or me.” Chuck nodded sympathetically.

“They will be fine. And besides you get to decide how hands on you want to be.” Chuck assured. “We have seen some parents that just disappear and leave their kids completely alone with their nanny, while others are still around and helping. Feel it out and see what fits best for you. And it doesn’t have to be a forever thing.” Misha looked at Vicki and they both nodded.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Misha said almost with relief. He watched as West barreled into the room, wrapping himself around Vicki’s legs.

“I’m all ready mom!” Vicki let out a laugh.

“Let me go get Maison.”

“I’ll get her.” Misha supplied. Quickly he trudged up to Maison’s room where he found her playing with her dolls. “You ready to go princess?” She looked up at him and flashed him a big smile before reaching up for him. He scooped her up and peppered her with kisses, eliciting a round of high pitch giggles and squeals. “Come on.” Misha turned on his heel, carrying Maison down the stairs to the waiting couple.

“Ready to go?” Molly called and Maison let out another round of giggles before clapping her hands. “Well, come on. The boys are going to be so excited when you two get there.” Misha watched as Molly scooped Maison out of his arms and turned to start towards their car.

“We’ll call as soon as we leave to let you know how it went.” Misha supplied as he followed them out to help load the kids up in the car.

“Ok. Sounds good.” Chuck responded before clapping Misha on the shoulder. “Just remember…this is what you make it. Don’t crush the poor girl.”

“Me?” Misha gasped looking affronted. “I’d never.”

“Yes…you would.” Chuck grinned before giving him a wink. Misha smiled before waving him off.

“Alright, alright. Now hurry. We gotta be there soon.” Chuck nodded before he climbed in the car and took off. Misha watched as the car disappeared, wrapping his arm around Vicki’s shoulders. “You ‘bout ready?”

“Yeah. Just let me grab my purse.” She said and they turned, walking back into the house. Misha grabbed his keys as Vicki grabbed her purse and made her way towards their car.

“Alright. Let’s go meet the executioner.” Vicki snorted.

“C’mon Mish. It’s not going to be that bad.” She reassured, stroking his arm gently. “She’s just a person.”

“Yeah…that’s what everyone keeps saying.” He grumbled before turning on the car and making their way towards the café.

~~~

“So, Miss…” Vicki started.

“Please, just Y/N is fine.” You smiled politely. You tried to meet eyes with Mr. Collins, Misha your mind chimed in unprompted, but you felt your cheeks heat up. He was just as attractive as you remembered, his blue eyes boring holes into your skull, but you were a professional dammit! You could overcome this!

“Ok. So, Y/N…” She started, “How many families have you worked for?”

“I’ve been employed by over a dozen families since I was in high school, over half a dozen since I joined the agency.” You smiled over at her. “I worked through college and realized this was kind of what I wanted to do with my life.” That didn’t sound pathetic…did it? “I thought briefly about becoming a teacher, but I really enjoy getting to know and work with individual kids to meet their needs. Each family needs something different and I strive to fill the gaps.” You could feel Mr. Collins roll his eyes, and chose to ignore it.

“And what exactly is it that you do?” Vicki continued.

“Honestly, it differs from family to family.” You began. “I am there to do what you need me to do, provided it’s within limits.”

“Limits?” Misha piped up.

“Well, like I wont clean your house from top to bottom while the kids sleep, because I’m not a maid. I’m a nanny. Usually, I cook for the kids, however many meals I need to. I clean the dishes I use. I play with the kids, and make sure they clean up after themselves. I make sure the kids complete their homework if they’re in school, or work on studies if that is called for.” You falter for a second. “Of course, each family has different circumstances, and everything can be negotiated. I’m fairly open with responsibilities, and if something isn’t ok I try to make sure we meet on a common ground so your needs are met without either one of us feeling taken advantage of.” You paused for a moment. “If there is anything you are uncertain about I’m always open to addressing it and I’ll always let you know whether or not I’m comfortable with it. During my years in this career I think I’ve only run into two circumstances where I had to let a client know that I wasn’t comfortable with something.” You watched as he nodded. “Here, I have a copy of a few letters of recommendation for you to peruse if you would like, as well as my transcripts to prove my credentials.” You delicately pulled out two packets consisting of everything you mentioned. “What exactly are you looking for?”

“Well,” Mr. Collins started, “While I’m on set filming I need someone to keep them out of trouble. But they’re kind of free spirits. I don’t want someone to tamp that down.” You smiled at him.

“Each child is special, and I would never imagine trying to change that. Regardless of anything else, I am there to make sure your child is cared for and cherished at all times.” You saw his lips flatten into a line and you sighed. “I’m sensing a little resistance, and I want to just clear the air.” You let out a breath. “I am, in no way, trying to replace anyone as a parent. I am just there to care for your child while you are busy. You are always going to be their parent, and you will always know better than me. I will always ask you what you think is best, or what you want. You get to choose how involved you want to be, and in no way does hiring a nanny make you any less of an involved parent.” You stared directly at Mr. Collins as you talked. “Your child will always love you and having a nanny is not a ding against you. You are not less than.” You took a moment to gather your thoughts. “When your children are old enough you will trust them to a teacher to mold their minds and help educate them. Right now you are trusting them to a nanny to make sure they are cared for while you are working.”

“What makes you so sure you’re the person for the job?” He quipped quickly, narrowing his eyes at you.

“Like I said, I will do whatever it is you need me to in order to ensure that your children are looked after and cared for. Your kids start to feel like my kids.” You took a moment, biting your lip gently. “I shouldn’t admit this, but there isn’t a single family that I don’t miss when they leave. There isn’t a single child I don’t remember and care about. Your child isn’t just a job to me. That is a little human being that must be cared for and loved and tended with the utmost care. I will work twenty-four hours a day to ensure your child always feels loved and cared for, and I will do it with one hundred percent of my effort.” You answered emphatically. You watched as they met eyes with each other and seemed to silently have a conversation. In a moment, you were struck by how deep their relationship was. To be able to talk to one another without speaking was just amazing.

“I…” Vicki started. “I think I would love for you to meet the kids.” She said softly. She looked towards Mr. Collins and you noticed the softening of his face. He nodded. ~~~

Misha paused to stare at first Vicki and then at you. You had blown him away with your answers. You weren’t some robot. You were a person, and you proved you would care about his kids just as much as he did. A small part of him, the reluctant part of him, acknowledged that maybe…just maybe you might fit in with his family. He looked at Vicki once more before giving a soft nod. “Yeah. I’d like to see you work with the kids…see how everyone gets along.” He mumbled and watched you brighten. He had to smile. You looked so happy, and the look suited you.

“Wonderful!” He heard you chirp. He was impressed with how excited you seemed to be, and the letters of recommendation (even though he’d just glanced at them) seemed to just glow with how wonderful you were. It was hard to believe you were as good as it seemed, but so far you’d said all the right things, and you were convincing him. “If you would like…” He heard you start, “I can call Sylvia and let her know to go ahead and contact you to schedule the second interview?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” He cracked a small smile.

“Perfect. Now, just so I know what to expect. Do you want me to plan something or am I just meeting and interacting with the kids?”

“No, nothing planned. I’d like to see you just talk to the kids.” Vicki supplied. “Interact with them. Maybe spend some time at a park or…I don’t know…” She trailed off.

“Don’t worry. It can be as casual and relaxed as you want it to be.” You reassured. “I’ll have Sylvia hammer out all the details when she calls you.”

“Sounds great.” Vicki stood, and Misha watched as you stood as well, shaking her hand. He stood and met hands with you, shaking yours gently.

“I look forward to working with you.” He heard you murmur quickly before flashing an infectious smile.

“Us too.” He supplied before following his wife out the door. As he left he watched you pull out your phone and start a conversation. Your smile really was infectious as you smiled into the receiver while you talked. Yeah, maybe you were just the woman for the job. He followed Vicki to the car and climbed in. “So…” He started, looking at her quickly before starting the car and making his way back towards the house. “What did you think?”

“I like her, Mish.” She said quickly. “She has the credentials. I mean, her education alone is impressive. She seems to really care about every kid she cares for. I…I think she might be a perfect fit. If she gets along well with West and Maison…I want her.” He nodded, listening to what she was saying.

“Yeah. She really seems like everything we need.” He looked at Vicki. “Do you trust her to take care of the kids, even if I’m not able to be there?”

“Yes.” Vicki said without hesitation. “She’s been caring for kids since she was a teenager. She has more practice with kids then even we do, and we’re their parents.” Vicki heaved a sigh. “I trust her Mish. Do you? You’re going to be the one interacting with her the most.” Misha paused for a moment, really thinking. He liked you. He thought you were really knowledgeable and really well prepared. He needed to see you with the kids before he made a decision. If you had no clue then all bets were off, but as of right now…yeah. He trusted you.

“Yeah. I think I do. Let’s see how she does with the kids.” He saw Vicki nod and smiled before gently taking her hand. “Why don’t you call Molly and see how the munchkins are doing?” She smiled at him.

“Alright Mish.”

~~~

“Hey Sylvia.” You almost whispered into the phone as you sit in the café.

“Hey, Y/N. How did it go?”

“It went ok. They want to schedule the second interview with the kids, but, I don’t know.” You start, tapping your fingers against the table. “The wife seems really ready, but the husband seems a bit reluctant. I think they’re just nervous. They need to make sure I’m good with the kids, and I understand that. Can you set that up?”

“Of course! I’ll call them in a few minutes once I finalize everything.”

“You are amazing, Sylvia.” You smile into the receiver. “Let me know the details. I’ll swing by the office this afternoon to deposit my receipts.”

“Wonderful, I’ll try to have the information for your next interview by the time you arrive.”

“Have I mentioned how amazing you are?”

“Yes, but it never gets old.” She teased.

“You are an amazing woman and I pledge my undying love to you.” She gave a hearty laugh. “We need to have a girls’ night. It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to hang out.”

“Most definitely. Now that the James’ have released you from captivity we’ll have to set something up, at least before you get snagged up by this family.”

“I hope so, Sylvia. I really hope so. Although…” You trail off.

“Although what, lady? This is an opportunity of a lifetime.”

“I know. I’m just nervous. I’m stepping up to the big-leagues and it’s terrifying. I don’t want to have to worry about the paparazzi. I don’t like the lime-light Sylv. People are going to know who I am if things aren’t handled carefully, and that scares me.”

“That’s something you’ll have to talk to them about. I can add in a standard privacy clause to the contract when it’s drawn up if you’d like. That keeps your name and personal information out of the public eye. Any information about you has to be directed to the agency where we can field what is put out for others to know. Then the only thing you’ll have to worry about is the paps snapping pictures of you while you’re out with the kids.” You thought for a second.

“That is better than nothing. Plus, I’ll be out of town for most of this gig. No one is likely to recognize me.” You hear Sylvia hum into the phone. “Alright, well that will be something I have to mention if they decide to hire me.”

“Which they will.” Sylvia chimed in quickly. You gave a snicker.

“Alright, well I’m going to head out and run a few errands and I’ll be stopping by HQ maybe in a couple of hours.”

“Sounds great, Y/N. I’ll see you then.”

“Ciao, love!” You hung up after you heard one of your closest friends bid you good bye and you smiled, tucking everything into your purse. You cautiously walked out to your car, watching the traffic and strangers bustling around you on the street. You checked your watch and smiled. You needed to grab some groceries and stop by your house before you headed to the office.

~~~

You pulled into the parking spot in the back of the small line of offices. You’d gone grocery shopping and then popped back to your place to change out of your constricting business attire. You opted for a pair of soft jeans, the cuffs rolled up to become a pair of vintage capris, and a flowy top. Soft tennis shoes finished your casual outfit and made you feel ready to take on the world. While you loved dressing to impress, casual comfortable was more your style. You grabbed your purse and popped out of your car, punching in the code to the backdoor and letting yourself in.

“Hola Sylvia!” You call as you rounded the corner and spied her sitting at her desk, phone tucked between her shoulder and ear while she rapidly scribbled something down on a pad of paper. She ripped the top page off the pad and mumbled something into the phone, distractedly handing the page to you while she finished her conversation on the phone. You plucked the paper from between her fingers and read the time and place for your next meeting.

Before you could turn and hightail it out the door, she hung up the phone and smiled brightly. “Hey there superwoman, way to impress today!” You cast her a confused look. “That was Mr. Collins, Misha,” her cheeks tinted red and you resisted the urge to roll your eyes. “he was very excited to set up the next meeting with his littles. He chose a park in the general neighborhood of where they live. I guess Mrs. Collins will not be able to make it to the meeting, but he was really curious to see how you interact with his children in their element.” You couldn’t help but feel yourself grin.

“So he just wants to see me play with the kids? That’s it?”

“Seems like it. If I were you I’d go home and familiarize yourself with the kids. He does some videos with his kids and their personalities seem to really come through.” You nodded. “I’d binge on them to kind of get a feel for them before you show up.”

“I can do that. No problem. Anything else?”

“Didn’t seem like it. Just be yourself. You are amazing at what you do and you know it.” You smiled and wrinkled your nose.

“I wouldn’t say I’m amazing, but I am pretty good at this gig. Haven’t met a kid I didn’t like.” Sylvia winked at you. “Well, I guess I have homework to do tonight.” You sighed and look at the time and address again. For some reason your heart thumped a bit faster thinking about meeting with the kids and Mr. Collins. It wasn’t because he was extremely attractive, no, that definitely wasn’t it. You bit the inside of your cheek and remind yourself for the millionth time, you were a professional dammit.

Taglist: @imamotherfuckingstar-lord @big-to-beautiful

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[imagine-that-one-thing]

Dripping In Diamonds. || 2

Authors Note: Hey everyone! This is part two to ‘Dripping in Diamonds,’ it is something new I am currently playing around with and I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Thank you if you decide to read! Previous Chapters, Dripping In Diamonds. Harry Masterlist found HERE If you’d like to send me feedback feel free to send me an Ask. It sometimes helps to see what the reader feels and thinnks. :) xx

I’m the kind of woman that acknowledges what she desires and when she desires it. I’m a woman of various means and fortunes, but I️ concede the prying eyes of people on the outside to judge me and ridicule me. I️ allow them to understate me, merely because it gives me extra dynamism over their weakened, obnoxious, ignorant individuals. I’m associated with several conditions, wealth, fortune, diamonds, Nate, but what the outsiders peering in fail to notice is the contempt lathered on the walls of the house or bogus words written between the lines of business and a wedding certificate. One could suppose that I️ enjoy playing with fire for the quality of the ache and the burn or because I️ prefer to play with fire instead of putting it out. It’s more of a thrill.

“Eleanor, darling,” Nathan’s voice is a rich sounding melody that reverberates the metaphorically abandoned hallways, his footsteps inching closer and closer to our lavishing bedroom before he’s stepping in and granting me a petite smirk. 

I️ glance up at him from my position at the end of the bed, my leg crossed over the other as I️ watch him take his suit jacket off— sliding it leisurely down his arms. I️ smile at him, more so admiring his charming good appearances and the body that thrives beneath the clothes, “Nathan,” I️ greet as I perpetually do. From the way he’s grinning at me I️ can only assume he requires something from me. He doesn’t smile lovingly at me anymore, he hasn’t since our honeymoon ceased. “Would you mind accompanying me tonight?” “Do I️ have to?” I️ question as his fingers begin to unfasten his button up. I can’t help but lick my lips subtly at his exposed skin. He has a magnificent physique, he always has. Intriguing, very intriguing— he always has been. Nathan provides me with a small exhalation and nods, “it’s business, Eleanor. It would look wrong not to have you by my side,” his voice is more firm than it was previously and he’s doing his best not to appear like a dick. Something he has the tendency to do. “I’m going to need more convincing,” I️ respond as he lowers his shirt to the flooring of the bedroom and he moves closer to me. “How much more?” He murmurs before his lips graze against my own, “because I️ only have five minutes,” his voice is muffled and faint before he kisses me considerately. I️ hold back my own chuckle and the rolling of my eyes, “that’s all it takes.” “Ouch, that’s harsh Eleanor,” Nathan mutters as he extracts away with a heavy exhalation. I️ give him a shrug as I️ press my hands behind me on the bed and lean back, purposely making it easier to toy with him. “Jus’ the truth, Nathan.” His eyes dip from my own and scan me up and down, “Nice dress,” he utters before sauntering his way to the extensive wardrobe that holds more clothes than I️ could have ever envisioned. After a few moments of silence, he steps out and is launching a new button up on, “where’d the chauffeur take you yesterday? What’s his name, Henry?” Nathan questions with a weary tone, his eyes becoming darker as I️ take note of the exhaustion that is settling into him. “I️ don’t know a Henry.” Nathan rolls his eyes at me, “I️ forgot his name,” “That’s because you’re too stuck up to remember any of the names of those who serve around here,” I️ bluntly inform him with a smirk and he huffs, well aware that I’m undividedly correct with my statement. He doesn’t make an effort with the ‘help’, if it wasn’t for me he would forget to pay them half the time. It isn’t uniquely his liability, he doesn’t know any better and sometimes forgets that not everyone is, well, rich. “I’m working on it,” Nathan grunts, “His name is Harry by the way, and your assistant’s name is Brooke, the name you called out during sex one time.” I️ smile widely, my eyes observing the way his jaw clenches at the sound of her name leaving my lips. I️ can’t honestly help but bring it up for entertainment. “It was two years ago, I️ told ye I️ was sorry. Are you going to tell me where you went?” “Mmm, no. But I️ am going to change my dress,” I️ acquaint him as he repeatedly huffs, but this time for my defiance. “The theme is black and white,” “Excellent, I’ll wear red.” I️ overhear him grumble something under his breath before he speaks up, “Eleanor,” Nathan’s voice laments. I️ love when his voice comes off as more of a plea and a beg, particularly when my name is attached to the imploring tone. “Nathan,” I️ mimic his pitch of voice as I️ glance over my shoulder to observe him staring at me. “Woman, you’re going to put me in an early grave.” “That’s the plan,” I️ wink with a grin plastered across my lips. I️ abruptly feel his hands on my waists and he lures me into him as I️ tilt my neck to the side, his lips caressing against the bare skin. “Quit toying with me,” He whispers against the tender skin of my neck and I️ giggle as he lets me go, knowing very well and good he has to leave in a few minutes, despite what he craves. “I️ have to go, I’ll see you in a bit?” I️ turn to face him, my hands now touching against his chest, “Mhm,” I️ hum, “wearing red, of course.” “Please, don’t.” “Going to need more than that to change my mind.” “Fuckin’ hell, you’re definitely something-“ he shakes his head, “behave, don’t wear red for Christ’s sake. Black or white.” He commands substantially while doing his best to read my intentions and my eyes. He can’t determine if I️ am bluffing or not and I️ love it. It’s driving him nuts. Poor fella, he’ll have to wait and see. He kisses the corner of my mouth, “goodbye, be there at seven, sharp. I️ mean it.” Nathan keeps a steady voice with me and I️ nod.

I’ll see him some time at around seven, maybe eight. I make my way down the extravagant staircase, my palm caressed to the bannister as it glides down supremely and effortlessly. I beam as I notice Harry at the bottom of the stairs waiting with a bright-eyed smile. He is attired excellently in a plain, collared white dress shirt, a matching black suit jacket and suit pants accompanied by a black tie that has Nathan’s company logo embroidered on it.

There is something about a man in a suit that turns me on. A man in a uniform executes him to resemble a sophisticated and sharp appearance. A black suit and tie presents my head to spin.

He has this representation to him that is engaging and charming, he is easy on the eyes and just someone that constantly has eyes gazing at him, surely there is a Mrs Styles or a soon to be Mrs Styles. It is hard for me to pry my eyes away from such beauty. He possesses these luminous green eyes that have a tinge of grey to them depending on how the sunlight catches them. His lips are this astonishingly addicting tone of pink that are plethoric and probably harbour the richest, delightful taste one could think of.

I reach the last stair of the staircase I put aside my meandering observations that I shouldn’t be holding, but I can’t help it. “Mr.Styles,” I give him a slight grin as he offers his hand to me. I press my hand delicately in his as I step down off the last stair.

“Mrs Archibald,” Harry nods professionally. He leans closer, giving us just enough distance for him to whisper, “you look lovely, Eleanor.”

“Thank you,” … “You look the same as you always do when you pick me up,” I respond softly as I shift a stray piece of hair behind my ear presenting the diamond earrings the dangle.

Harry guides me towards the doors and we walk out into the cool summer breeze that whistles around the two of us on this early July evening.

Something about the breeze exhibits a strangely calming and soothing feel, maybe it is the warmness that whisks past me or maybe it is the man accompanying me towards the car.

Harry opens the door and I slide into the vehicle with ease before he closes it behind me and resumes to his position in the driver’s seat.

I take a deep breath as I incline against the comfort of the leather seats. It has become a habit that Nathan and I show up to functions separately, half the time it is strictly due to him being too busy to meet me, the other half has an unexplained purpose. It is rare for us to show up coincidentally and to be honest, I considerably love it like this. I cherish having the drive to the varied locations to myself and without Nate speaking business with me.

I lean forward slightly, my dress feeling uncomfortable and I attempt to adjust it before abruptly recognising what the issue is.

Great, just great.

I️ break Harry’s attention and the silence that has swept over us since we left the house. “Harry, would you mind helping me?” “With what, Love?” Harry challenges as I️ adjust my dress and wiggle around slightly, endeavouring to arrange it to better fit my body. “I️ need you to pull over and help me,” “Eleanor, we don’t have time. You’d be late.” I️ raise a brow, somewhat humoured by Harry’s sense of punctuality, he apparently doesn’t know how I️ appreciate irritating my husband and not satisfying his every demand and expectation. “Harold, do you like the paycheck you receive?” “Yes. Ma’am.” “Good, then I’d recommend you pull over. I️ have a wardrobe malfunction.” I️ instruct with authority, not granting him any room to dispute me. I️ grasp the reins when it comes to him when we are alone. Nathan has no damn say in this moment. Harry nods and pulls over rather instantly. He turns to glance at me and I️ give an innocent smile. “My bra strap unclipped, can you please help?” “Uh… hum yes…, no…. I️…um,” he stutters, “I️ don’t think I should.” Harry shakes his head. “Harry, I’m sure you have seen bras and you’re aware most females wear them. Please, just clip it back in.” I️ mutter, positioning myself so my back is facing him. I️ hear him clear his throat before the rustling of his body moving against the leather seats of the car sounds. The stroke of his hand on my bare shoulder transfers shivers down my spine and I️ can’t help but clamp down on my lip.

There is something about his touch that ignites something that I don’t think I have felt before. I can’t put my finger on what it is, nor can I discover the words to desribe it. After a few hushed moments, Harry manages to clip the bra strap before he transfers my hair back over my shoulder. I️ turn around and give him a petite smile as he stares at me for a brief moment.

Did he feel that same unexpected spark? “Thank you,” I️ manifest my appreciation as he shifts around and goes back to driving, taking me by surprise when he grows withdrawn. “Harry, is there a reason why you’re suddenly quiet?” “Eleanor, you are married,” Harry’s voice is thick as the words escape the delicate lips that I desperately desire to latch onto and taste every desiring of them. I roll my eyes and scoff to myself, paying him of no attention despite the fact I can regard him staring at me through the rearview mirror as we are stopped at a red light. “You know, I can still see you roll your eyes at me.” “I didn’t intend to hide it from you, Harry,” I respond swiftly as I cross my leg over the other, adjusting my dress for it rest at my knee modestly. As much as I’d love for it to be bundled up my thigh with a pair of torturous, brazen hands sliding against them, I don’t think that’ll be happening, sadly. I apprehend a heavy breath leave Harry’s lips as we grow soundless and he focuses on driving. It’s not for a brief moment before he again states the obvious, “you’re married and I️ just clipped your bra and—” he trails off. What a sweetheart. Guilty for touching my bra strap. Oh, if only he would touch so much more than just the strap. “Oh, Harold,” I chuckle, observing how his brows furrow into a small frown as he continues to stay concentrated on the road, “my dear, you’re incredibly sweet and naive.” “Ms.Eleanor, I’m not naive. Are you talking down to me?” “No, I am not. But, yes I am married… but only by paper.” “What do you mean by that?” I divert my eyes to rest on my dress, doing my best to avoid any sort of eye contact with Harold, “Again with the innocents,” I breathe while I shake my head subtly to myself. Considering the fact he works for myself and my husband, I would have assumed he grasped by now that marriage is a binding contract that doesn’t necessarily imply it consists of Love. “Harry, my marriage is nothing but a piece of paper scribbled with my initials.” The truth is, I️ doubt there’s any tender devotion left in the marriage, it burned out like an old flame. “I’m not quite sure I understand… so you’re not in love with him?” “Perhaps not,” I lift my shoulders into a shrug, not desiring to deliver the response undeviatingly. I desire to stay vague when it comes to several circumstances and I’m not positive on where Harry’s allegiance lies, with me or Nathan. “Why do you stay with him?” Harry’s voice is effortless as he asks the question that I had anticipated. “Because my vows were until death do us part… neither of us are six feet under, yet,” I respond with honesty as the car proceeds to come to a halt. Harry has successfully driven me to Nate’s obligation— his business function where I️ will be settled on display— similar to a necklace of diamonds.