#don't talk me I'm very angy of myself

[shinmiyovvi]

Me when I'm trying my hardest to practice anatomy and being productive but still end up not feeling the mood:

[thisgirlnamedblusy]

pspspspspsps here kitty kitty kitty (Joking,... now you laugh) ....

Italian, Fem!Reader, that had traveled briefly to the village, to sell some books, movies, and whatnot -- just to grant the vilagers some sense of like.. the outside world? If that makes sense?

Reader, having already timed their escape, decides to go to that peculiar house up on the hill, across the bridge, before their departure, -- maybe the residents, who, Reader thought, was an old couple, or a very wealthy woman, .. maybe even one of those trust-fund families.. yes! Reader BET that the inhabitant of a place so grand would spend a pretty penny on some foreign knowledge.. maybe, Reader could even upsell. Yes! That would be enough to pay off Readers risky carriage fees.. (nervous laughter)

Reader, ignoring all darkness, all red flags and blatant signs of danger, because, well, Reader is very oblivious, and very optimistic, -- and, well, they barely know English, so, .. how would Reader know what the villagers say about the owner of said.. Oh-so large mansion? Pfft. As if.

'Oh.. its getting dark. Jeez, the trees sure do make this place gloomy!' 'Uhhhh.. why do i have a blaring sense of discomfort, nausea, unease, and a will of fright that makes my stomach churn with instinct to yeet myself the opposite direction? Oh, man, i knew i shouldnt have eaten that un-refrigerated fruit!'

Angie, if i remember that dollies name correctly, answers .. takes one look at Reader, in all of their 'Italian-beauty-standard-fitting', 'italian-book-carrying', 'Donna-language-speaking' glory (Donna language speaking because.. Italian. That was also a joke. Plz laugh), and immidiately, with that screechy voice calls Donna over

Donna fucking FAAAWNNNSSS over everything Reader has, buys their entire stock, then, out of pure gushy-ness, of how nostalgic, and amazing, and flavourful (meaning, how much stuff that Donna was desperately searching for, Reader has in stock) Readers 'for-sales' are, that she, spur-in-the-moment, ushurs Reader inside, makes them tea and whatnot,

well.. so much for Readers plan of escape. Poor bus-maid Reader hired, they thought, as they sat awkwardly beside the lady in black, veiled thickly, who was talking in Italian, since, well, Reader has little to no knowledge of english. Atleast shes also Italian. Thats nice. Wait.. why does Reader feel their cheeks heating up? Gosh, darn it, Reader has read (aha) far too many romance books.

Make it so that, since Reader, who, now, cant escape the Village, since their little plans of flight had been SPOILEDD!! (reference. Chuckles) they stay with Donna, then, after awhile, after teaching Donna everything they know about Italy, and get really comftorable with her, and sees her without her veil on accident, and cooks traditionally, does fucking .. house chores, because, well, they're an unpaying guest in a strangers home, they both start catchin' feelsies and all that sweet stuff. I'll leave the deciding of when and how to you! How generous of me!

(No smut, please. Aroace look'enne for sum intimate, not-so-intimate love. Aha. Joke again. Just a little giggle, please 😨)

Hope ya have an amazing day!! Yes, i know im too descriptive, im just awesome like that. Much apreesh, Anon. 💗

(p.s, thank u blusy 🫂🫂🫂 virtual hugs from italy. ciao bbg.. or.. bbb.. i dont .. i dunno)

Yesss!!!! Well, that was quite long request, but it was funny to write!!! Thank you for sending it and for your funny words!!!! I hope you like it and sorry about the language(s) mistakes!!!!

Foreign Business

Pairing: Donna Beneviento x Fem, Italian! Reader

Warnings: fluff, Donna being Donna

Word count: 8,585

Summary: Should you leave that gloomy village?

N/A: Sorry about the language mistakes!!! Requests are open!!! I'm waiting yours!!! I love you all!!!

“17:30, do you hear me?” the young woman driving the small bus said.

You rolled your eyes and nodded, picking up your stuff.

“I don't think it will… How do you say… take long,” you murmured with an innocent smile, taking out your suitcase as best you could, letting it fall into the snow.

“Hey, stranger,” the girl said, with a gloomy look. “You have to pay me now.”

“Cosa? No, I'll pay you when I get back,” you said with a frown, crossing your arms.

“I'm leaving,” the girl whispered, starting the vehicle again.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey! No, no, no…” you said comically running towards the small bus. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Look stranger, it's clear that you have no idea of what’s going on in this place, right?” the driver asked, with a raised eyebrow. You shook your head and smiled innocently.

“Hey, I was invited,” you protested confused, giving up and taking out your wallet.

“Who has invited you?” she wanted to know.

“I have a relative in this country who is also a businessman,” you explained, putting on your coat because of the cold. “He says he is known as… The Duke.”

The girl looked at you curiously, but finally shook her head.

“No idea…” she murmured. “Besides, that doesn’t matter to me. My job is to bring you here and take you back to Bucharest. If for… Well, for whatever reason you don’t come back, I’ll be left without my money, do you understand?”

“Why wouldn’t I come back?” you asked nervously, looking down the hill, where the old village stood in a frozen mist. “I'm just going to sell my stuff and…”

“You bore me,” the driver sighed, with a mocking laugh that made you burn with rage. “Just pay me now, spaghetti.”

“Mm, politeness is not your best virtue, is it?” you murmured, wishing to say other things, other not-so-elegant words.

After all, that stupid girl was your only transportation in that place in the middle of nowhere… You should control your desire to insult her with all your might.

“I'd rather be rude than stupid,” the young woman laughed, extending her hand for you to give her the money you were holding, squeezing it tightly.

“Ugh, here, your money,” you grumbled, getting a satisfied look from the driver, who turned off the engine, reclining her seat and picking up a magazine.

“A pleasure doing business with you, spaghetti...” she sighed with a sinister laugh.

You, without her seeing you, made fun of her, angrily picking up your suitcase and walking towards the path where you had met with the Duke.

“Stupida...” you hissed, shaking your head, observing the landscape around you.

The trip had been exhausting. Dodging the mountains, those snowy landscapes had taken you too much time, but, that seemingly remote place had a special charm that made it worth it.

You were always a saleswoman, descendant of a family of merchants that expanded throughout old Europe decades ago. Sell, buy, repeat… That was your way of life. Trading in the villages of your country, Italy, was something simple for you, perhaps too simple.

The lack of interest of people in the modern world for something as simple as books, films, or any element of culture, had caused your business to falter, and you had no more than four clients in your area.

You always believed in tradition, in following the family legacy, even when circumstances were not in your favour. You could say that you were also a bit stubborn. Your family branched out to all possible places, places like France, Germany, Spain…

They all seemed to be haunted by the same curse, the same lack of interest in a good book, in knowledge itself.

But there was one place, a place where the tentacles of your family had arrived to stay for a long time, a place where the past lived, where present and future seemed not to exist at all.

A distant relative, the Duke, was for you the luckiest member of the family. Not even your parents knew how long that man had been in that village, in Romania. There were even rumors that he never came, that he never left, he had always existed.

Nonsense and legends in your opinion.

What you did know was that in that place, there were some business opportunities.

You had heard many things about the Duke, about the place where he worked. Apart from old superstitions and legends of witches and vampires, things you didn't believe in, you had heard that the people of the place lived completely oblivious to the outside world.

A unique opportunity. How much would a person pay to know what the world around them was like?

You didn't really care much about the reasons, those strange rumors. You didn't even wonder why that village seemed to be frozen in time. The only thing you thought about when you got on that plane was business.

“Qui...” you sighed when you reached that meeting point the Duke marked.

Without having anything else to do but wait, you sorted your merchandise while you studied the snowy forest that surrounded you, trying to decipher the old wooden signs that indicated illegible directions.

“Re-Reser-Reservoir...” you stammered, removing the snow from one of those signs, looking around. “Un bacino idrico?” you asked, scratching your head. “Mm, interessante...”

Yes, maybe if you finished soon you could do some sightseeing and, above all, you could see the enormous castle that seemed to guard the village.

The minutes passed, you couldn't tell if quickly or slowly. Nothing, there was no sign of the Duke. You might not have known what he looked like, but… In reality, you hadn't seen anyone pass by that path.

The cold began to mix with impatience, making you shiver.

“Ah!” you shrieked when, out of nowhere, a flock of black crows appeared, passing over you, close, too close.

Those black birds seemed like an evil omen, but you were too eager to know that place to realize it. Simply, with a proud cough, you stood up from your crouched position, shaking the snow off your dress.

“Uccelli…” you growled furiously, watching how that flock of crows moved away with sinister sounds.

Checking that your merchandise was still intact, you closed your suitcase, crossing your arms, slowly losing patience.

As you sighed for the umpteenth time, you realized that maybe you were in the wrong place. Asking wouldn't do any good, and besides, there was no one you could ask.

“Mm?” you muttered when you noticed something different among your stuff, a sealed envelope that you could swear wasn't there before.

Looking around confused, thinking no way those crows left that envelope, you slowly picked it up, opening it with a frown. As you began to read, you looked nervously at that forest again. It was a letter for you, in the middle of nowhere.

Dear (Y/N)

I'm afraid something unexpected has come up. It prevents me from attending to you, even though I was certainly looking forward for us to meet. I suppose that, since you are my family, to trade in the village on your own won't be a problem for you.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

PS: A word of advice, listen to what the villagers tell you, I wouldn't want the wolves to devour you, or anything worse. Please take care of yourself.

Duke

There was no doubt about it, that letter had arrived there by magic. The idea of ​​messenger crows seemed less and less crazy. But the reality was overwhelming: you were alone in that unknown place.

You had two options: You could take your suitcase, walk back in your tracks and go to the bus, writing yet another failure in your diary, a very expensive one. On the other hand, you could ignore those chills, that feeling of being where you shouldn't be and do what you had come to do.

I wouldn't want the wolves to devour you, or anything worse…

That warning seemed like an irony, a little joke that was surely common to all outsiders like you. Well, it's not like it was a place where there could be wolves but… That wasn't the disturbing thing. What could be worse than being savagely devoured by those beasts?

Curiosity or cowardice, that was your dilemma.

With a thoughtful sigh, you looked at those two possible paths, imagining that, under each of them, there was a line of text that told you which page to go to, like those adventure books that offered several possibilities, some of them fatal ones.

You always fantasized too much thanks to those books. Maybe if you had been as rational as the protagonists of those great adventures, you would have considered your possibilities better.

Shrugging, not wanting to have wasted your money on a fruitless trip, you didn’t listen to the Duke's letter. After all, your job was to talk to people, you didn't need his help, or so you thought.

The castle was increasingly imposing as you approached. It was fascinating, a place from a novel, full of possibilities. Surely when you returned home and read one of those books, you would imagine that gloomy and mysterious landscape.

The glances traveled to your eyes passively. These villagers were definitely strange, they seemed to either fear you, or wish you away, you weren't sure.

Unfortunately, your eagerness to offer knowledge to these poor souls was unsuccessful.

Muttering things you didn't quite understand, in an English that was practically incomprehensible to you, which, on the other hand, was bad luck, since you didn't fully master the language either, each one of the doors of those old cabins closed in your face.

“Hey, I haven't even said my name!” you protested after the tenth disinterested grunt from one of the inhabitants of that place. “Cazzo…”

The door opened again and a young woman with an apologetic look appeared.

“Forgive my father. He doesn't trust outsiders,” the young woman said. Well, at least she spoke to you. “My name is Elena.”

“Sono (Y/N),” you said politely, shaking your hand with the young woman's, who frowned upon hearing you speak that way.

“It's clear that you're not a villager,” the girl joked, closing the door.

“No, I'm Italian,” you said, with a business smile that you had already rehearsed.

The young Elena nodded curiously, glancing at your suitcase.

“Are you a merchant?” she asked, pointing at your merchandise.

You nodded slowly.

“Yes, I've come on behalf of a relative... His name is, or he calls himself... Duke,” you explained with a trembling voice. Your nerves couldn't fail you. At least you had managed to talk to someone.

“The Duke?” the girl asked, with a surprised look. “Wow, I didn't know he had a family.”

“Yes, but he seems to be the only one who is successful,” you murmured jokingly, pronouncing the words in the best way possible. “Well... Elena, right? Are you interested in something?”

“No, I'm sorry. I'm afraid we have everything we need,” she said, shaking her head with a kind smile. “My father says that books are a waste of time.”

“Sciocchezze,” you sighed with a mischievous smile, showing her a vinyl record. “What about music? It's the sound of the soul.”

“No, no, I... I'm afraid we don't need anything like that,” Elena shook her head again.

“Oh, great,” you said, letting your smile fade at the thought that you couldn't even get enough money to recoup the investment of the trip.

“Don't be offended, just…” the young woman said, gesturing with her hands to emphasize her apology. “… We just work to live, that's, that's all we do, anything else would be entertainment.”

“Oh,” you said curiously, arching your eyebrows.

“But, um…” the girl said, looking around. “Maybe, maybe I know someone who might be interested.”

“Do you?” you asked.

Elena nodded, briefly pointing to a large house that stood out from the orchards.

“Luiza has always been a very cultured woman, and she is very kind. Maybe she would want to listen to you,” the young woman explained, in a kind tone. You blinked, looking at the indicated place, and smiled. “She lives up there, in the orchards.”

“Elena!” A loud voice was heard inside the cabin and the girl shuddered.

“I'm coming, father!” Elena shrieked, with another apologetic look. “Sorry, (Y/N), but…”

“Oh, of course, there is no… Pro-problem,” you said nervous about the impatience of that unpleasant man. “Luiza… Okay. Ciao!”

At least that girl helped you not to lose hope.

Elena wasn't lying, that Luiza seemed a bit different from the rest of the villagers, kinder, smarter, with an understandable English... It seems that you interested her enough to invite you into her house.

“Wait there, I'll make tea,” she said kindly, indicating that you sit at a table where a man seemed to be sharpening a knife with a distrustful look. After a few tense seconds, the man left his task, looking at you with distrust.

“So you're a merchant...” he whispered, tilting his head and crossing his arms.

“Yes,” you answered, with that well-rehearsed smile.

“And an outsider...” he whispered, with a sinister smile. “Luiza says you are related to the Duke...”

“That's right,” you said, without losing your merchant composure.

He laughed, shaking his head.

“Wow, I didn't know the fat man had a family,” the man said, with the same surprise in his voice as the young woman before. “Where are you from?”

“Italy,” you said proudly, ignoring those dark eyes, which hardened when they heard you answer.

“Italy, you say?” he asked, leaning a little towards you, narrowing his eyes. “You say you're related to the Duke?”

“Y-Yes,” you stammered, confused by that change in attitude.

“Mm, are you sure you're related to the merchant?” he asked suspiciously, making you nervous. “Hey, maybe by any chance you know...”

“Ahem,” Luiza interrupted, serving you the cup of tea. “Marcus.”

“What? I'm just asking, the girl says she's Italian,” the man, her husband, apparently, protested. “You and I know who…”

“Marcus,” Luiza said, with a firmer tone. The man shook his head, sighing in defeat. “Don't scare the poor girl.”

“Bah, if she's not scared yet, she must be brave, or stupid,” Marcus commented, laughing amused. You made an effort to smile at that little joke, smelling the delicious aroma of tea.

“Okay, (Y/N), unlike my husband, I’m interested in those foreign items… Do you have any opera records?”

“Oh, sure, sure,” you said, as if coming out of a confused thought, opening your suitcase and putting on a display of everything you had.

Well, you did manage to sell a few things. You would always be grateful to that woman, the only kind woman in that place, apart from the young girl, of course. But even with that partial success, you didn't have enough to feel like you had succeeded.

If that woman had bought you something, nobody was telling you that there couldn't be more Luizas in that place. You just had to find them.

You were ready to leave that house, when a small book caught your attention. It looked like a book full of old photographs of the village. You approached it with curiosity while Luiza kindly opened the door for you.

“Um, sorry, but... Can I take a look?” you asked, pointing at the book. The woman looked at her husband and he shrugged, making a vague gesture of farewell.

“Of course...” the woman sighed, faking a smile. You returned it gratefully, starting to turn the pages of that album. “This village is an old one.”

“I see,” you commented nodding, turning pages and pages full of snowy landscapes. “My family had told me about this place, but... Well, not much. What is this?” you asked, pointing to a kind of square guarded by four large statues.

“Those are the… The four founders of the village,” Luiza explained. “The Dimitrescu family, owner of the castle; the Moreau family, owner of the lake lands; the Heisenberg family who owned a metal factory on the outskirts of the village, and the… The Beneviento family, the doll makers.”

“Oh,” you sighed interested, not even hearing the names very well, you were more attentive to those old photographs. “Does anyone live in the castle? I'd like to visit it.”

“Um, no, I…” the woman stammered, making you frown. “I don't think you should go near it, (Y/N).”

“Isn't it open to the public? What a pity,” you said with a disappointed voice.

Luiza made a strange gesture, shaking her head.

“Young lady, take some advice from me,” the woman said, speaking in a very low tone, approaching you with a hand on your shoulder. “You must leave this place.”

“Why?” you asked, confused, looking away at another of the photographs, one with a beautiful mansion, guarded by a waterfall.

It quickly caught your attention, even making you ignore the kind woman's warning words.

“Because…” Luiza sighed, with a broken tone, as if she were afraid of something. “It's not the best place for an outsider.”

“Oh, yeah, well,” you said, amused, gesturing with your hand. “I have people skills. That's not a problem. Tell me, is this house in the village?”

“Oh, that house…” Luiza murmured, looking at the same photograph.

“It's impressive,” you said curious. “Does anyone live there?” you insisted, running your hand over the drawing of what looked like a symbol, one with a moon and a sun.

“It's, it's far from here,” the woman commented, closing the album and subtly pushing you towards the exit. “Listen to me, don't go near that place. It's very dangerous.”

You shook your head with wide eyes, pulling your suitcase.

“Everything here seems very dangerous,” you commented with a low voice and a frown. The woman put on a sad look, caressing your cheek in a strange way.

“Go away, (Y/N), go away before the shadows invade you,” Luiza whispered, turning her back on you and closing the door softly, leaving you petrified on the floor.

“Cosa diavolo non va?” you asked yourself with a strange grimace, slowly moving away from the house.

Ignoring these strange warnings, you walked aimlessly through the village, looking for someone who wasn't afraid of your presence, or who wouldn't bow their head, ignoring your greeting.

Tired from your erratic walk, you decided to lean against a stone sculpture, in the middle of another snowy square. Failure loomed in your thoughts, in your mind, wondering if perhaps with the Duke present, things would have been different.

You looked at your watch and sighed, it was still early to leave, and even more so when you had barely sold four things. You had to make an effort, either that, or try another nearby village.

The crows flew above you like a bad omen that you couldn't interpret. The sky was dark, gloomy.

Don't let the shadows invade you...

Luiza's words echoed in your ears, words you didn't know how to interpret, or rather, that you didn't want to interpret. You were in a different country, in a different culture, lost in that snowy, sinister village. Even though you believed that nothing could go wrong, a bad feeling began to haunt you.

Yes, maybe it was time to leave.

You stood up with a defeated gasp, shaking your head, depressed by your ridiculous failure. But, you had barely taken two steps when something caught your attention.

In front of you was a wooden door, a kind of fence that separated a private property. Above the frame, there was a symbol, one that you remembered having seen before: that moon and that sun.

Your mind was left thinking. Yes, surely that would be the way to the waterfall house. It had to be. Luiza warned you to not get too close but… Curiosity was calling you.

Okay, it wasn't a huge castle but… Still, that mansion couldn't belong to just any villager. The curious relationship of wealth, bigger houses and kindness that you found in the village made you think that maybe someone rich lived there, a person or family with enough money to think about leisure or wisdom.

“Mm,” you murmured curiously, approaching that place, looking at that symbol closely. The door was open. You almost thought you heard whispers that encouraged you to enter that dark path.

You swallowed when a cold breeze came out of that darkness. Your body trembled for no reason, but your mind was blinded by greed. You couldn't miss that opportunity to know what or who was on the other side, who lived in that place.

The sunlight illuminated the path you had to follow with increasingly less intense rays. Slowly, you followed that luminous advice, entering through the wooden door, walking towards the unknown.

It didn't seem like a very strange place, or so you thought. The trees seemed sad, that place seemed devoured by time. Strange objects hung from the almost rotten branches, which you passed by without flinching.

You simply kept your mind busy, like a danger blocking mechanism that seemed to alert your subconscious. Instead of worrying, when you saw that those things hanging from the trees were dolls, you simply whistled, making your way through the branches with a slow walk.

You passed an old wooden bridge, one that said: go away in all possible languages. You were never good at interpreting those words, those screams from your mind that demanded your attention.

The sunlight diminished as you walked, it was getting dark. The branches of the trees drew disturbing shadows that surrounded a pair of ruined cabins.

“Brr,” you shivered when you saw those wooden claws stalking you.

The smile never left your face, but your body began to notice the symptoms of that inner fear; a dizziness, a feeling of heaviness in your stomach... All of these were physical signs that seemed to want to stop you in your tracks.

You even thought that the tea or the fruit you ate at Luiza's had upset your stomach. No, you didn't see the danger in any way, or rather, you didn't want to see it.

Finally you reached a clearing, where a mound showed a sinister grave you didn't want to approach. Your stupidity and your desire for wealth were so strong that you thought it was perhaps a simple decoration.

“Un ascensore...” you murmured when you reached a red door, surely the entrance to that curious mansion.

Biting your lip, you rubbed your hands entering those metal bars. Of course, whoever lived in that place had to have a lot of money, and, above all, a great desire to spend it. You fantasized about what you were going to find: a rich family? A widow, perhaps? A wealthy man? Maybe one of the founders of the village’s descendants? It didn't matter who it was, but you could smell money from miles away.

When you got out of the elevator, the sight in front of you forced you to stop. There was that house, that huge house with a beautiful waterfall next to it.

“If this doesn't work, I'm leaving the business,” you said, rehearsing in your head the phrases to say to the inhabitant of that place, greetings, smiles, all your charms.

The sound of the falling water relaxed you, although you didn't know why you were even nervous. The word danger whispered in your mind like a premonition or intuition, but you let the waterfall completely eclipse it. The beauty of that place couldn't entail any danger, you were convinced.

You cleared your throat as you approached the door, slowly climbing the steps. At the moment, there was nothing that matched Luiza's warnings, nothing, until, before you could knock on the door, it opened with an ominous creak.

“Um, hello?” you asked, seeing how, in front of you, there was nothing but a beautiful wooden room, with a rocking chair that moved by itself. “Ciao...” you repeated in a lower voice.

There didn't seem to be anyone in that place and you sighed, relaxing your shoulders and looking around.

“Oh!” you squealed in fear when you looked down, where, what looked like a ventriloquist's doll was standing looking at you. “Oh... Cazzo... What...” you said upset. “Good... Good trick...”

Smiling, thinking that, like the gravestones in the clearing, this was just a joke, you crouched down curiously, looking at that puppet.

“Hello?” you repeated, standing up again and ignoring the doll, which, perhaps because of the accumulated fatigue, you thought was following you with its gaze.

“Down here, stupid!” a high-pitched screech scared you again, making you fall backwards, tripping and crashing your body against the hard stone of the porch.

But neither the pain of the fall nor the fright were the worst. Yes, you were not dreaming, if it was a joke, it was the best one you had ever seen.

That doll, that damn doll moved, moved its articulated mouth, laughing out loud.

“Who are you?” the puppet asked, approaching your collapsed body. You backed away scared, crawling until you reached those small steps.

“Ahhh! Una bambola parlante!” you shrieked in fear, standing up as quickly as possible with your hands in front of your body.

“Who are you calling a talking doll, you silly, silly?” the puppet asked.

No, there was no doubt. There were no strings, no ventriloquist, it was alive.

“Ah, io, io… What?” you stammered nervously, shaking your head, blinking hard to make what was undoubtedly a hallucination go away. It didn’t.

“Wait, wait, wait, can you repeat that?” the doll said, approaching with a comical step. “What did you just say?”

“Cosa?” you asked, grabbing your suitcase, ready to run away. “Sorry, I… No, no… What?”

“You called me a talking doll,” it said, crossing its arms.

 You nodded confused.

“I'm, I'm, I'm sorry... No, no...” you stammered, still shocked and scared by the impossibility of that old toy. It couldn't move, it just couldn't.

“Who are you?” it asked again. “Why do you know Italian?”

“I-I-I'm Italian,” you stammered, shaking your head.

The doll tilted its head curiously, looking you up and down.

“You're a long way from home, you silly Italian,” the doll commented in a mocking tone.

You blinked again, scratching the back of your neck, searching all over the doll for the mechanism that was supposed to make it behave like that. You didn't find it.

“I-I'm a merchant,” you said with a broken voice. The doll nodded, walking towards you quickly, climbing up your dress. It was too close, you couldn't move.

“Merchant?” it asked again, looking at you as if it was reading your soul. “What do you sell?”

“I sell… I sell… Books and… Vinyl and… Movies…” you explained when the doll finally got off your body, without taking those cold eyes off you.

“Books and movies?” the puppet asked.

You, nervous, still scared, nodded erratically.

“Do you have Italian stuff?”

“S-Sure I have,” you whispered in a small voice.

“Mm,” the doll murmured turning around, but looking at you several times before disappearing into the darkness of the mansion. “Donna, Donna! You have to see this, come, come!”

“Donna?” you asked yourself, gathering enough courage to walk back to the door, where, after a few seconds, the sound of heels approached.

In front of you was a woman, a woman dressed completely in black, with a veil covering her face. She had a stoic pose, she emanated danger, and even more so when you saw that she was holding the doll in her arms.

Even if she was the most experienced ventriloquist in the world, she could never have done that, it was simply impossible.

“She's pretty, huh, Donna?” the doll said, nudging the lady, who sighed tiredly. “An Italian beauty knocking on your door, not even in your dreams could you imagine something like that.”

“Angie…” A hoarse, dark voice came out of that black veil while the woman lowered the doll to the floor. It laughed amusedly, staring at you again.

“Um, well…” you murmured confused, with your gaze fixed on that black veil, on those invisible eyes that you knew were watching you. “H-Hello…”

There was no answer. The lady didn't even seem to be bothered by your words.

“Um… I'm… I'm (Y/N),” you said, putting fear aside and politely extending your hand towards her, who looked at it briefly, without returning your greeting. “No? Okay… Well…”

“I'm Angie!” the doll shrieked, grabbing your hand instead of its owner and shaking it roughly. “Nice to scare you!”

“H-Hello… Suppongo…” you whispered, still confused but, mysteriously, more relaxed.

“Forgive her, she doesn’t like to talk,” the doll explained, pointing at its owner in a mocking way. “Shall I tell you a secret? She's Italian too.”

“Oh, really?” you asked, looking at the lady, who nodded briefly. “Che strana coincidenza…”

“Perché strana?” that hoarse voice asked again, the voice of that mysterious lady.

“Oh, well…” you said embarrassed, of course, that doll hadn't lied to you. “No, it's nothing…”

“Che vuoi?” the lady in black asked again, her tone lighter, but reflected impatience.

“I'm, I'm a merchant,” you said again, trying to smile, making a superhuman effort to make that strange situation stop being so strange.

After all, she was the inhabitant of that place, and she was also Italian. The business seemed to call you…

“She sells a lot of things, Donna!” the doll shrieked, pointing at you. “Things you like!”

“Mm,” the woman in black murmured, looking over your shoulder at the merchandise. “Me li può mostrare?”

“Oh, sure, sure…” you said nervously, heading towards your suitcase and opening it on the floor, closely followed by that strange doll, which didn't seem to want to leave you alone.

“Look, Donna, your favorite record!” the doll squealed, rummaging through the merchandise without any kind of hesitation, under your watchful gaze, and hers.

The lady took that vinyl, observing it carefully. You almost thought you heard a slight laugh coming out of that veil.

“È, it's a special edition,” you murmured when you saw how interested she seemed to be. “You, you know… Come prima… Più di prima…” you sang in a timid and horrible way.

The veiled lady looked up with a sigh.

“Are you also a singer?” she asked with a weak, whispering voice.

You laughed nervously shaking your head, with your cheeks slightly blushed.

“No… The truth is, I’m not… Although, although they've always told me that I have a beautiful voice,” you said timidly, looking sideways as Angie rummaged through the books.

“Mm,” the lady murmured with disinterest, looking at the vinyl again.

“Donna, Donna! Nonna's favorite book!” the doll squealed, handing her one of your books in perfect condition. “Look, look, this one isn't broken!”

“I have that one on sale… If, if you're interested… Donna, right?” you said with your voice cracked by nerves, playing with your sweaty hands.

“Donna? Lady Beneviento for you, silly!” the doll snapped at you, in a haughty tone.

“Beneviento?” you asked involuntarily, knowing that you had heard that name somewhere.

Of course you heard it. Like a whisper of help, your mind recalled Luiza's words, those that explained to you the families who had founded the village. Of course, that Donna Beneviento was an important person in that place. Despite everything strange, your greed took precedence, she seemed truly interested in what you were selling.

The mysterious woman nodded slowly, leafing through that book with curiosity.

“I’m sorry, Lady Beneviento,” you said elegantly, lowering your head. You knew she was not an ordinary villager and therefore, you could not treat her as such.

“Vieni,” she whispered, gesturing for you to enter the house.

You nodded nervously, closing your suitcase and pulling it into the mansion, with an extra weight. That living doll had climbed on top of it, swinging its legs in a playful way.

“Hey, do you mind?” you said nervously. The doll, obviously, shook her head.

You groaned, still in disbelief, and when you looked again you saw something strange.

There was a portrait, a portrait hanging on the wall of the stairs. On it, there was a woman, a really beautiful, gorgeous woman with a pale face, serious eyes and black hair. Next to her, there was that puppet, the Angie doll. Would she be the lady?

Lady Beneviento cleared her throat, getting your attention, letting you know through her non-verbal language, that she didn't want you to look at that portrait. You decided to be good and obey.

“Sit down, I'll make some tea and we'll talk business,” the woman whispered, pointing to a cozy corner of that house.

“Sure... Yes, um... Thank you,” you said with a kind smile.

The woman in black looked at you for an almost awkward moment and then turned around, walking slowly towards a hallway. You followed her with your eyes until she disappeared.

It was a strange situation indeed. Perhaps you should have listened better to your survival instincts.

After what seemed like an eternity, the lady returned, serving you a cup of tea with an elegant gesture and sitting in front of you.

“Grazie…” you whispered with a grateful smile, blowing on the steaming liquid. “Truth be told, I didn't expect to find someone who spoke my language… I've never been good with English.”

“You seem to speak it quite well,” she commented, with a regal pose, barely moving, not letting anyone see for a moment what that black veil was hiding.

“I have no choice, I guess,” you sighed, shaking your head.

“Do you trade all over Europe?” she asked curiously as you opened your suitcase again, your hands shaking.

You weren’t there to chat. You had gone to do business. You couldn’t forget that.

“No, I… Well, I used to trade only in Italy,” you explained with a sad smile.

“Where in Italy are you from?” she asked again as Angie, with the suitcase open again, rubbed her wooden hands, rummaging through your stuff with an evil laugh.

You looked back at the lady, a bit confused.

“Da che parte d’Italia vieni?” the lady repeated with a slightly darker voice. “Nord, sud…?”

“Oh, yes, Well… I was born in the city of… This may seem like a joke to you but… I’m from the city of Benevento,” you said with a shy smile.

 You didn’t want her to think you were laughing at her. It was just a stupid coincidence.

“Mm, why would I think it's a joke?” she asked, with a tired sigh.

“Well, because of your… Your last name… It's quite similar, isn't it?” you said with a fake smile. “Are you from around there?”

“No,” the lady answered dryly, without bothering to shake her head. “I was born here.”

“Oh, okay…” you murmured, glancing at the doll, who was shuffling through your books. “Hey, um… be careful…” you said to the doll, who made a mocking gesture, imitating your voice in an unpleasant way. “Hey, la, la bambola…”

“Angie”

“Yes, Angie…” you repeated with a frown. “Why is she alive?”

“That's none of your business,” she said, with a cold voice, one that ran through your nerves, putting them on alert again.

“O-Okay, sorry,” you murmured, looking down.

“Do you have Italian movies?” she asked after a tense moment, one that you took advantage of to hide your embarrassment in the teacup. “Film.”

“Oh, yes, yes of course…” you said nervously, reaching for the suitcase, rummaging through your messy things due to the Angie doll, who protested with a grunt at your hand. “I have a lot of these.”

“Mm?” the lady murmured, looking at the cover confused, opening it and taking out the disc. “What is this?”

“A, a movie,” you said, clearing your throat. “A DVD.”

“DVD…” she whispered, looking at her reflection in that shiny disc, visibly confused. You couldn't believe she didn't know it. That village was definitely stopped in time. “I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand you.”

“Um, well…” you said, scratching the back of your neck, wondering how you were going to explain that to this mysterious woman. She didn't seem to be joking, at all.

“Hey, it's like a mirror!” Angie squealed, climbing onto her owner's lap and comically looking at herself in the disc, turning it curiously. “I want one, Donna, I want one!”

“Ugh, va bene…” the lady whispered, putting the DVD back in its place and handing it to the doll, who jumped victoriously. “It's still not what I'm looking for.”

“What… What are you looking for?” you asked, flashing your fake saleswoman smile again.

“Don't you have any 28mm rolls?” the woman wanted to know.

You nodded confused.

“Yes… But, but they are, they are special, I mean, I mean… They are… They are molto costose, you know… They are, they are almost museum relics,” you said, taking a metal box out of the suitcase and opening it, displaying its contents.

“Fine, I want them,” she murmured, nodding and snatching the box from your hands. “Money is not a problem.”

Well, that phrase fostered a more sincere smile on your face.

“Va bene… It is…” you said nervously, taking out a notebook in which you wrote down your sales.

“I'm not finished,” she interrupted you, leaving the box on the floor. “I also want those books.”

“Those? Which ones?” you asked confused by her vague description.

“All of them,” the lady said abruptly, leaving you glued to the seat. “I've been asking the Duke for that classic novel collection for a long time.”

“The Duke? Oh, well, I'm related to him,” you said smiling, taking the books out of the suitcase and leaving them on the table.

“You?!” Angie asked in a shrill voice, getting too close to you again. “Come on! You don't look like that fat greasy guy!”

“Fat greasy guy?” you asked amused. “Well, I don't really know him, but it seems that in this village you do it quite well.”

“Oh, yes, he's a scammer!” Angie shrieked laughing amused. “Isn't he, Donna?”

“Mm…” the lady nodded, distracted by the books.

That scared you.

“Oh, I… I'm not like him. I'm always fair with prices and… Cazzo, don't think I'm trying to rip you off or anything like that… Cazzo.”

“Do you mind stopping talking like that? I don't like rude girls,” Donna snapped at you, with a dangerous, annoyed tone.

“I'm, I'm sorry, it's just that... Well, I'm not used to being understood,” you explained with a different blush, one that was accentuated when a shy laugh came out of her veil.

“It was just a joke,” she said amused, more relaxed, surely fascinated by that collection of books she was looking for so much. “Do you want some more tea?”

“Oh, yes, per favore,” you said, extending your cup towards the teapot, with a calm smile.

“I still don't know what a girl like you is doing in a place like this...” she whispered after a moment of calm silence, one that served to, little by little, get you used to that sinister atmosphere, and that doll.

“It's a long story...” you sighed, leaning back on the old sofa.

“I have time,” she said, with the same tone as you. “I'm sure you'll appreciate having a chat in your native language, right?”

“S-Sure…”

As if you had suddenly forgotten what you were doing there, or how much time you had left to leave, you began to chat calmly with that strange woman.

At first she seemed gloomy, reluctant to hold any kind of conversation but… As you explained everything that led you to the village, your concerns, your goals… Well, her attitude relaxed quite a bit.

The short, dry sentences turned into a soft voice, into shy laughs from time to time. It seemed that she had gained some confidence with you, or so that living doll hinted. After your hectic trip through Romania, a chat in your language effectively lifted your spirits, it was almost like feeling at home.

On the other hand, that erratic behavior of the lady in black never ceased to surprise you. Like the rest of the villagers, she seemed not to understand or comprehend very well the outside world, the time in which you lived.

To your surprise, she had never even set foot on Italy. Yes, her family came from there, but, incredibly, Donna had never been there. But that was not the only thing that was curious, so were the words that claimed she had never left the village.

It might seem that this woman, with money, with power, from an important family, had little or no interest in traveling, in leaving this sinister time capsule.

But that was not the case. Her words were full of sadness, her sighs, that nostalgia with which she listened attentively to your words... It seemed as if deep down she wanted to leave, as if, for some reason, her stay in the village was some kind of condemnation for her.

The mansion grew darker as time went by as you talked, sharing impressions, tastes, hobbies… It was almost as if you had just met a friend, a friend with an interesting voice, with a beautiful body, with a subtle but intoxicating lavender perfume…

Your cheeks betrayed those erratic thoughts about the lady in black and you shook your head several times.

You, a cultured girl, a fan of romance novels, always tended to idealize that kind of situations. You didn't want to believe in love at first sight, but you certainly didn't know what it felt like, if it was even possible.

No, no, no, no… You couldn't think about that, despite how attractive Lady Beneviento was to you. Everything had an end, and sooner than you would have liked, yours came.

Sighing, finishing your last cup of tea, you looked at the clock and almost choked.

“Oh, cazzo!” you said hurriedly, getting up from the sofa. “5 o'clock, if I don't hurry…”

“What's wrong?” the lady in black asked, getting up too, playing nervously with her hands.

“I'd love to stay and chat but… If I don't make it to that stupida’s bus, she will leave without me and…” you explained, gathering that was left in your suitcase. Donna had bought almost everything without thinking about it.

“Are you going to leave?” she asked in a whisper, with a voice that, at least to you, seemed sad.

You looked at her and nodded with a polite smile, extending your hand towards her, a hand that, this time, she shook briefly.

Damn, her hands were very soft…

“It's been nice meeting you, Donna,” you said kindly, turning around to walk towards the hall.

“Are you going to let her just leave? Silly Donna…” you heard the doll whisper in an indiscreet manner.

“W-Wait, wait a moment,” the nervous lady said, running to meet you, making her veil move, inducing your mischievous eyes to look at what was underneath. “D-Do you really have to go?”

“Yes,” you said with a confused look, totally innocent.

“W-Wait, I… I…” she murmured, approaching slowly. “It's dangerous to go out at night.”

“Hey, can someone explain to me what it is that scares you so much about this place? And why are there living dolls?” you asked with an impatient tone, remembering each of the villagers' warnings.

“I'll explain everything to you, but, but only if you stay with me a little longer, just a little longer,” the lady said, in a tone that sounded curiously desperate. “Per favore…”

“Please, please!” the doll repeated in a shrill tone.

“Um…” you stammered, unable to find an answer, a desire to stay that you knew existed. But that village had already given you so much trouble, you wanted to leave, but at the same time, you didn't.

Damn senseless crush… How can you even know if you really liked that woman?

“Okay,” you said, letting your words speak for themselves, sighing as you looked at your wristwatch, knowing that, even if you ran, you wouldn't make it to the bus on time. “Hai un telefono?”

The lady nodded, pointing to a small table.

You walked slowly past her, checking how, in a disturbing way, the doll and owner followed you with their gaze.

“Irina?” you asked when someone finally answered, after a few tense moments.

“Oh spaghetti, it's you!” the driver of the bus screamed. She seemed agitated, as if she was running away from something, or so you sensed, there was too much interference. “You have to… Help me! Wolves… Monsters…! Call the… Lice!”

“Cosa? I don't understand you, are you okay?” you asked with a frown, that stupid girl seemed to be in danger.

“No…! No…! Mother Miranda!”

After those screams, the call was interrupted, leaving you disoriented. Seeing you like that, Donna approached, taking the phone from your hand and hanging it slowly, as if somehow those screams hadn't surprised her.

“It seems that there are some connection problems,” Angie mocked, laughing, but stopping when the lady suddenly looked at her, as if she had said something she shouldn't. “Oops…”

“I think she wanted me to call the police… Who is Mother Miranda?” you asked confused, with your heart racing.

“She’s the leader of this village,” Donna murmured, with a somber voice. “But don't worry, she won't hurt you, I won't allow it.”

“Hurt? Um, hey, Donna, I think, I think Irina was in trouble,” you said nervously, focused on finding out what had happened.

“You'll be in trouble if you go out at night, silly! You have to stay here!” Angie yelled at you, pointing comically at the floor.

“Oh, no, no, I don't want to disturb you,” you said with a trembling voice.

Your intuition wasn't wrong at all, but... In that house, you didn't seem to be in danger.

“You're not disturbing me, I like your company,” Donna said, with her hands in front of her body, with an elegant posture, unfazed by what seemed to be the death of the bus girl. “Do you want...? Do you want to cook something for dinner?”

“Oh, um, yes, dinner... Um...” you said confused, nodding without really knowing why. “Va...Va bene...”

As if you had forgotten what had happened, as if that call hadn't taken place, you went down to that dark basement with the lady in black and started cooking. It was a fun, entertaining time.

You both shared your own recipes, your special ways of doing things. Your mind had forgotten about going home, it had forgotten where you wanted to go, why you wanted to leave. The only thing you knew was that you wanted to stay with that dark Italian Lady. You wanted to talk to her, laugh with her.

Yes, you started to believe in love at first sight, you had no doubt that it existed, you were experiencing it.

Day and night began to dance before your eyes, the sun and the moon. How long had you been there? You didn't know. Had it been days, weeks, months? You weren't sure.

Cooking, reading, watching those movies… Any excuse was good enough to forget about your problems, to forget you had a place to go back to.

 Maybe darkness had invaded you but… You had become addicted to her, to Donna Beneviento, to that strange woman and her doll, to her voice, her words, her laughter… To the lavender of her perfume…

“Sale,” Donna said, extending her hand so you could give her the jar she needed while, like so many days, like so many times, you cooked with her.

A curious routine, cooking, cleaning, sewing… Something that your own conscience used as payment for being a guest who didn't pay for her stay but… Were you really a guest? What were you?

“I've never seen anyone making pasta,” you said curiously, leaning your elbow on the counter. Donna laughed amused, shaking her head. “Well, my grandmother usually…”

“You say I'm like your grandmother?” she joked, kneading calmly.

“No, not at all,” you said, amused, looking hypnotically at that curious dough. “I buy it ready-made, it's easier and faster that way.”

“Chi va piano…”

“Va lontano…” you finished, smiling again, with that damn blush on your cheeks. “It's true, you're right, Donna.”

She glanced at you briefly, giving you another of her beautiful laughs. You were so dazed that nothing mattered anymore, only waking up in that guest room again, only going downstairs to share moments with her, only her, only Donna mattered to you.

“Wait, let me help you,” you said, picking up one of the flour sacks and putting it on the counter with a loud thud, raising a thick cloud of white dust. “Cazzo! Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!”

The lady coughed, brushing the flour away with her hand, clearing her vision. It could be a comedian or a dangerous one, you didn't quite know. Her little apron was unable to stop all the flour, which landed on Lady Beneviento, including her veil.

“Tutto bene?” you asked timidly, brushing the dust out of your hair.

“Sì,” the woman in black murmured, accidentally removing her veil, shaking it in front of your wide-open eyes.

When she realized the mistake she had made, the mistake of showing you her face, she gasped nervously, shaking her head.

You stood petrified, admiring every inch of her beauty, a hidden one, one that you only sensed and you had just confirmed. No, a stupid scar couldn't be that important, it wasn't capable of hiding anything, of overcoming her beauty.

“Non… Non…” she whispered, turning around and covering her face with her hands. “Non guardami!”

“Donna, wait, wait…” you said nervously, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t, don't cover yourself, You are… Sei bellisima…”

“No, no, no…” she repeated, nervously, pushing away your comforting hand. “Sei una bugiarda!”

“I'm not lying, Donna, really, I…” you said, trying to reason with those incipient sobs, with the trembling of her body.

“Now you'll want to leave… You'll make me hurt you!” she shrieked, completely out of control. You shook your head, ignoring that dangerous last sentence.

“Shh,” you whispered softly, turning her around, taking advantage of a slight moment of weakness. “I won't leave, I like being here.”

“No… Non é vero…” she said, moving away from your gaze.

You snatched the veil from her so she couldn't put it back on and, without thinking, you launched yourself at her lips, kissing them fiercely, just as you had wanted to do for a long time, you didn't know how long.

“Donna…” you sighed when you pulled away from the kiss, a messy kiss that she had a hard time joining.

Finally she did, caressing your cheeks, mouth agape by that sudden reaction, one that she was apparently also waiting for.

“You have come into my life like a savior, like a light that has passed through the darkness…” she whispered, kissing you again, losing that fear, that cowardice, the fear of being discovered, of you seeing her wounded face.

What Lady Beneviento didn’t expect, is that you would feel something for her.

“Per favore…Non partire…Rimani con me…Per sempre…” she murmured while your lips caressed each other, while the warmth of that unexpected love slowly passed through your body, until it reached your heart.

“Per sempre…”

[russellsppttemplates]

Papa loves you so much, princess (Mick Schumacher)

Mick and Y/N find out their family is growing

Note: english is not my first language. this is another long piece that I hope you enjoy! I have been talking about this since January, so this is ver long overdue!

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!

my masterlist

Tw: mentions reader's period and pregnancy

Getting up from the bed, you were fortunately quick enough to reach the bathroom in time to pour your guts out on the toilet, leaning on the toilet's side to support your torso. You were already up by the time Mick walked inside the bathroom, his sleepy expression with some traces of concern, "I told you I shouldn't have had that last piece of dessert", you pointed your finger at him through the mirror while you splashed your face, "you kept looking at it like you were a dog that was abandoned on the road, and then when I asked if you wanted my piece, I swear I saw happy tears in your eyes", your husband teased you, rubbing your back in a comforting manner, "do you want me to get you anything?", he asked, "just some cuddles in bed should do the trick", you muttered, allowing him to carry you back to the bed for a few more hours of hopefully uninterrupted sleep.

.

After leaving work, you stopped by the grocery store since you and Mick had noticed you were running low and running out of a few items at home, "we just had a snack break and the next part of the meeting should be the last one, I'm sorry I'm not helping you", he said over the phone while you browsed the aisles, "it's okay, handsome. You can still help me out here, though. I'm the cleaning section and I already have dish soap and the spray for the wooden cabinets, anything else?", you asked, earning a negative answer from him, "no, that's all I think. Next is the bathroom one, right? We are running low on toilet paper, and I used the last plaster yesterday. You only had one box of tampons in the cabinet so given that you are about to have your period, see if you need more of them", he pointed out, grabbing your attention to the matter. It should have started by now, you checked the date on your watch. And you were never late.

"We also need those tissues you keep on your bedside table, I used some today and I noticed they were the last ones", you could hear the smile on his voice, "alright, bub. I'll see you at home, have a good meeting!", you dialed off, grabbing the things he mentioned before looking at the pharmacy section.

You were never late, so it had to be this, right? Barring any other health situations, all of your symptoms aligned with pregnancy symptoms: you had been nauseous, feeling sick (and maybe it wasn't the stolen dessert's fault), you kept falling asleep whenever you rested on the sofa at home and Corinna had complimented the way one of your summer dresses fitted you, claiming that the neckline looked beautiful on you. And you and Mick had been trying, not with a whole calendar but rather just not using protection and seeing where it led you, and maybe this was it. Grabbing two boxes for the sake of it, you put them in your shopping trolley before heading to the till to pay for everything so you could go home.

When Mick got home, dinner was already on the table while you also fed Angie her own dinner, his kiss on your forehead coming with an apology for having arrived just in time for it, "no need to apologise, myself and miss Angie kept ourselves busy", you petted her soft fur before heading to wash your hands, joining Mick at the table and enjoying the meal.

"Does it taste okay to you?", you asked Mick, the taste of the broccoli seemingly off to you, "yes, tastes like this dish always tastes. It's very good, why do you ask?", he questioned, "I don't know, tastes funny to me", you mumbled, using your fork and knife to push the green vegetable to the edge of your plate, "maybe you got a bad one", he noted. That was another symptom, you thought, remembering when one of your friends couldn't eat her favourite meal while she was pregnant because she claimed it tasted different.

"Actually, I've been having a few symptoms, and they are all compatible with-", you were interrupted by your husband, "pregnancy", he smiled, seeing your brushed and stunned face, "I've noticed them too. You haven't told me you are craving your usual sweets when you're on your period, your boobs look even more amazing but the moment I so much as graze my finger in the skin you hiss because of the pain, you're not one to take naps during the day but the moment your head hits the pillow you're out like a light, and it's not common for you to have a bad stomach", he reasoned, making you blush even harder, "Why didn't you say something though?", you asked softly.

Mick shrugged his shoulders, "I just didn't want to burden you, or maybe I was keeping my hopes up and I didn't want to ruin yours, or point out something about your body like that, I'd never want to do so in a way that could be harmful", he answered apologetically, making your get up and go sit on his lap, "you could've said something, I wouldn't be offended, I think anyway, apparently pregnant women get mood swings so I can't speak for sure", you shrugged your shoulders, "truth is, I got some pregnancy tests at the store today because I also thought the same thing, but I wanted to do them with you", you looked at him, "but I don't know how to deal with this hope, like, I could just have some bug, but it is also true that everything checks out...", you fiddled and played with his fingers, "we take it step by step, if you'd like", your husband began softly, "and if you're not pregnant, we can keep trying", he explained, grabbing your hand once you nodded, heading to the bathroom so you could do the tests.

The plastic sticks were on the counter, Angie lying on the bathroom floor while Mick sat on the edge of the tub wirh you on his lap, "just a little bit more, liebling", he kissed the side of your head, "I'm sorry", you whispered, gaining his questioning look, "if I'm not pregnant, I got both of our hopes up for nothing", you explained, feeling his fingers lift your chin up to look into his eyes, "no need to apoligise, liebling. We just keep trying, it's not like we mind trying", he winked, looking at his watch to see the time was up, "I'm ready when you are", he said soflty.

You got up, picking up the sticks and seeing that both of them had the same information, "it won't be trying for a baby, but I've heard that sex while you're pregnant is a whole another level of sensations", you smiled at Mick, showing him the positive results.

"We're having a baby?", Mick mumbled, still not sure if he had grasped what you said in the right way, "we are, baby Schumacher is going to be here in nine months", you cried out, smiling as Mick cuddled you, his arms circling your before spinning you, "Angie! You're going to be a big sister!", Mick said once he put you down.

.

"I remember reading about these old wives' that help you guess the gender of the baby, and your grandmother did some on me for both of you and they turned out pretty accurate, I think", Corinna said as she sat in the outdoor sofa in front of you.

Since Gina was visiting, you and Mick decided to invite her and Corinna to spend the day together, Angie sitting next to her auntie while you sat next to Mick, "Oh, that would be fun!", Gina said as she straightened her back, picking up her phone so she could look them up on the Internet while Corinna started with the ones she knew, "they say that if you have a pointed belly towards the front, it means you're having a boy, and if you have a rounder bump and wider hips, it means it's a baby girl", she said, seeing Mick quickly ask for you consent before he helped you stand as he lifted your t-shirt, "what do we think? Pointy or not so much?", you did a turn around yourself, "I think it's rounder", Mick said earning a nod from his mother, "me too", Gina said, "but I've always had wider and rounder hips", you tried to reason as Gina wrote girl and a stick next to it to help count.

"The next one was that sweet cravings were sign of a baby girl, and salty cravings were sign of a baby boy", and Mick wiped the smug smile off his face, "I've been eating a lot of savoury stuff", you nudged your husband while his sister wrote down the tie.

Gina opened the lunar calendar on her phone while the four of you looked at all the details they asked for, "it's a girl according to this one!", Mick yelled way too close to your ear, "another point for babygirl then", you said, cuddling back to his side and giggling at everyone's exciting.

You saw and tested a couple more and, without realising it, you tried the last one without noticing it was the last, only for it to make another tie between babyboy and babygirl, "so that's it?", Mick said, not expecting it to turn out like this, "you just have to wait and see, you know, like all the people do because you can know for sure on the ultrasound", Gina teased him.

.

Once you got to the OB/GYN, Mick offered to go get you checked in at the desk while you went to find a comfortable chair to sit in while you waited, "final bet: are they a baby boy or a baby girl?", Mick said once he sat down with you, his hand holding yours to calm down your nervous thoughts. The ultrasounds always made you nervous, always wondering if everything was alright and as it should be, so having Mick there to support you and distract you was appreciated, "I think they're a baby boy, and he looks like his papa", you cradled his cheek on your palm, "I think they're a baby girl, and she has your kindness and empathy. It's just my gut feeling", he smiled, kissing the top of your head while he moved your conjointed hands to rest on your bump, feeling the baby kick, "not my chubby cheeks?", you playfully gasped, "what can I say? I think the Schumacher genes are much too strong", he teased you, looking up to the door when your name was called.

Entering the room and greeting your doctor, she asked you a couple of questions before asking you to lay on the little bed, the gel cold on your bump as she moved the wand around, "okay, everything looks good, strong heartbeat for little one and mother as well", she smiled, "I can see it. Do you still want to know?", she asked one last time, earning a nod from both you and Mick, "you're going to have a baby girl, congratulations!", she announced.

Your hand squeezed Mick's, feeling him press a kiss to the top of your head as you both looked at your baby on the screen, "we're having a little girl? Liebling, it's a little girl", he said, his eyes tearing up as he kept looking at the screen. Despite having feelings and guesses about it, neither of you didn't have any preference, feeling happy just with the idea that you were carrying a combination of you and Mick, but you couldn't help but get all goddy as you imagined Mick with a little daughter, knowing she would have him wrapped around her finger from the moment she was born. Even thinking now, she has him wrapped around her finger since you both found out you were pregnant.

"She looks good, there isn't anything that looks concerning. The measurements are all within the norm, everything looks good. Congratulations, mama and papa!", she smiled, "do you want copies to take home?".

While she went to get the slightly exaggerated number of copies of baby Schumacher (Mick wanted everyone that was important in his life to have one), your husband helped you clean the skin on your bump, "are you happy?", you looked at him, not seeing any signs of uneasiness but feeling his a little bit tense, "I am, liebling", he said, "but she's going to be here soon, you know? Little one is growing so fast, I can't believe we're past the half way point", he admitted, "I just don't want to disappoint any of you", he gulped, making you craddle his face with your hands, "My love, I know you and believe me, if how everything has gone until now is any indicator, we are going to have princess treatment", you smiled softly on an attempt to calm him, "thank you for sharing this with me, though. You can always share your worries with me, Mick", you finished, kissing his lips passionately, "I love you, liebling", he kissed you back, "and you little one, papa loves you so much, princess".

[snellyfish]

Why is Angie your favourite character?

This is really funny I just got off call with Glownary and was talking about how much I don't miss Danganronpa discourse. Anyway I hope someone finds a way to get mad at me in this post!

((Admittedly I'd probably actually place Korekiyo above her because he ACTUALLY has a relevant and specified canon story,,, but, y'kno))

Plain and simple, she just has a handful of design and character tropes I super adore in characters! As a base, I'm usually not super into,,, well-adjusted, well-liked , reasonable, and rational characters. LMAO. They're fine but I live for exaggeration. I LOVE when they're little freaks and not watered down at all for the viewers sake/comfort, I love when they (both the writers and the written) just keep twisting the knife for no good reason other than the bit despite how unconventional it may be.

One could argue that her not being watered down and being as shitty to the other players as she is is a trauma response, or just a mentally ill person being mentally ill. It can be neat to think of her that way sometimes! It's of my opinion that almost all Danganronpa characters are super open-ended lore/personality-wise and we as fans are just making up canon as we go because it's FUCKING FUN, and, as such, all the ways that Angie can be interpreted is very interesting to me-- EVEN if that's seen as "the irredeemable annoying religion-force-feeding zealot antagonist." Which is, of course, an objectively awful way to view anyone REGARDLESS of media illiteracy, but, you know! I like weird freaks so this "flaw" they see is simply more food for me. Yippee!!

Whether I think she's canonically A) genuinely malicious and sadistic, B) traumatized from an abusive religious sect, C) honestly caring about the other players, and/or D) none/all of the above? I'll never tell! Oops all bangers!

Tropes I enjoy, whether or not I found myself enjoying them BECAUSE of Angie herself;;

Religion, especially if it's horrifying and...bad! (Most of my own characters deal heavily with religion and religious trauma, I think it's cool to play with, whether or not it's a fantasy religion like I think Angie's is)

CULTS! Cult behavior! Let's live in a commune!! (GUYS I LOVE MIDSOMMAR)

Dark skin / light hair contrast color combo goes hard!!!

+ The pansexual flag palette is literally my favorite color combo ever!!!!

Manipulative little shits!!!!!

Small scary women!!!!!!

Islander stuff, it's very nostalgic to me and I just have a deep love and appreciation for the beach and ocean!!!!!!!

Piercings!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cutesy sunshine character who could and would stab you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BLOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IDK HOW THIS WASN'T MY FIRST POINT!!!!!!!!!!

AND SHE'S JUST FUCKING SILLY!!!!!!!! SHE'S GENUINELY SO FUNNY AND CUTE ESPECIALLY IN HER INTERACTIONS WITH SHUICHI!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE HER SO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She was an IMMEDIATE favorite when I played V3 and when I found out that, like, everyone fucking HATED her and she's probably the least liked character in the entire class by the fans, my brain immediately went the contrarian route to find reasons to like her even MORE. I tend to do this a lot, but when it's a character I already enjoy, it's even worse, dude.

ummmmm obligatory Shinnaga mention sorry but I frequently tend to appreciate a character a lot more based on potential dynamics alone. Ships, romantic or not, have legitimately gotten me to enjoy characters I hated before, based on interesting interactions unique to them alone. So while Kiyo and Angie's (they're making out btw) ingame dynamic and dialogues aren't REALLY what my sick and twisted mind views them as, it's worth noting that my honest belief and interpretation of the two of them could even give me a sliver of that dynamic being possible .......... means she's fuckin slay ............ it means love wins..... It means Vote For Yonaga 2024

[mitsukisnekson]

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Ch11 Leaks

Just writing out my thoughts about the chapters. Just gonna put this under the cut because this is based entirely on leaks that just came out. I have not actually read the chapter myself.

Will be talking about character's fates and stuff.

SPOILERS!

(FYI, I'm only commenting on Inojin's fate rn)

As I had expected, Inojin had managed to survive the wound thanks to Himawari. According to the text leaks, she healed his wound (unclear if its a full heal or partial).

Read leaks here: https://x.com/Borugod_EN/status/1803351941495378149

(This is just the part I'm talking about, more leaks on this person's profile)

So many people are madge and calling Boruto a Disney show for not killing Inojin off lmao. While I think set up to and the fake out death itself was narratively very poor and a little unnecessary (there could have been many interesting ways Himawari to go angry mode instead), I don't know why people are being so angy that he survived.

There was literally too much set up for a potential Asuma-like Team 10 arc with saving Moegi and fighting Matsuri. That was the main reason I believed that Inojin would survive. Inojin's death would have no purpose at this moment. I'm certain if author-san wanted Inojin to die, there would be reasonable build up to it (hopefully anyway).

Also just might be me because I am a huge fan of Kingdom Hearts, but man do I take issue with the whole 'Disney Show' comment. You don't need characters to die to make a story dark or interesting. My take is 'Characters may not die, but they will live with unspeakable trauma'. Inojin still got gutted and even if he heals, I doubt that he's gonna forget what just happened to him. While I don't believe the manga will touch on the post-stab emotions, I am hoping the eventual anime will take time to flesh out the experience for Inojin.

Anyways, yay, Inojin lived, I am literally so glad that Sai was able to keep his son 🙏🙏😭😭

[imaginespazzi]

I'd just like to say I've had a super busy week with personal stuff and work, and you have no idea how much seeing a new chapter perked me up! Your writing makes me so happy. I'm stuck working on a presentation for work this weekend and it is really draining and boring, and I've allowed myself to reread and review a section of this chapter for every 5 slides I finish. Productivity Queen.

May 2033 - Locker room eye fucking

alright so it took me a hot minute to figure out what the HELL this chapter had to do with chapter 2, but I think I have it. Paige is worried Angie Davis will shine, the Valks will not need 2 PGs the next season, and P will have to go to the liberty… so her plan is to… kill Angie?

Also I feel like you didn't tell us who their coach is on purpose! You crafty minx.

Of course they watched the draft together, as I am sure they do everything together, cause they are wifey. Azzi keeps referencing she doesn't know what 'this' is yet, but I am curious why. Like they are clearly committed and exclusive… why not slap a GF label on there you fools. Honestly at this point though GF doesn't seem like enough.

Azzi being distracted by P's biceps…. me too girl, me too.

Paige being distracted by Azzis abs… me too girl.

Hickey on the collarbone from last night. I hope these two idiots are being quiet. Poor Stephie being in the same house at night as these two horn bags.

Ok I love this sexy little banter in the locker room, they are such idiots for thinking they wont get clocked.

The tidbit about Paige suggesting first that they keep it on the DLDL is so sad to me, babygirl trying some self preservation.

Tessa is a menace and I love it.

LOL Jana being so relieved to have SOMEONE to share her misery with.

"They're kind of disgusting" clocked.

May 2033 - Domestic car ride #1

I need to admit, as I've been critical of her in the past - I am SO PROUD of Azzi. She is all in on this, and despite her constant nagging fears, she is fighting against them cause she wants this. A+ growth Azzi, you go Azzi Bueckers.

Also I am just loving how much they call each other Baby it is very very cute and makes my heart and my vagina swell with happiness.

“I’m okay with the fact that you’ve probably fucked other people. I mean other than the woman you married as well that is.” HEHEHE yes thank you for this, I think there needs to be an 'Azzi spitefully brings up Olivia' occurance at least once a chapter. Bonus points when she uses a word other than Olivia's actual name to describe her.

"then hear about some whore who had the audacity-” HAHAHAHA. Paige Imma hold your hand when I say this, but I think there were probably a few whores and at least one man-whore.

The hand holding in the car, the knuckle kiss, "all mine"… SQUEEEEE

I am proud of these two idiots for their communication on this though! Azzi for gently coaxing, Paige for realizing its best to talk it out together. “it’s nothing we can’t get through.” Awwww.

May 2033 - Enter Stephie

I have to say Stephie is the absolute STAR of this chapter. Too many zingers to list. I love it, you write her really well cause its hard to make a 5 year old engaging or believable.

I am absolutely shocked Azzi hasn't threatened to withhold sex unless P stops giving Stephie so much junk food. Azzi is gonna have an aneurysm. Prob cries into her green juice daily.

'you’re more than that, you two are the reason my world keeps turning' I'll say it again, I am so proud of Azzi. Bitch is ALL IN.

Wow they have fully uhauled eh? I LOVE IT.

Paige with kids is TOO CUTE. I don't blame Stephie I'd be pissed if Paige wasn't giving me all her attention either.

HAHAHAHAHA Curry clocking them since high school. You bitches are not slick.

“No thank you Coach Bueckers,” ouch.

AZZI IS WAITING FOR THE RIGHT TIME TO SAY I LOVE YOU? I PRAYED FOR DAYS LIKE THESE.

The whole exchange with Claudia's whore mom was absolutely spot on. Paige would be obliviously smiling along chatting away thinking nothing of it. AZZI with the bicep crushing hold.

NOT CLEMENTINE! Stephie is more of a menace than I thought possible.

“Well is she allowed to hug and carry and kiss Claudia’s Mama then?” - CLOCKED AGAIN. Does Stephie suspect something?

October 2022

I know this is gonna hurt cause a Drew + Azzi Pookie pairing realllly has my heart

Paige freaking out about waking up alone on her birthday is so accurate

“you won’t ever hurt my Paigey will you?” OH DEAR GOD 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

May 2033 - Drew is Scary

Shocked Paige didn't yell at him immediately with that attitude he's giving her girl

Not Stephie with the kisses, she is diabolical

Oh so he HATES HATES Azzi

Drew just finished his rookie NBA season! I love that for him

"you’re my Miss Buecks’s Mommy's brother so that means you’re my Uncle Drew .” Fixed it for you.

This was so good and I cannot fucking wait to see what happens next. Thank you for blessing us with another chapter Nivi!!! 🤱🏽🤱🏽🤱🏽

Bestiiiieeeee hi <3 Aww I'm glad to provide a little reprieve in your life and i know you're gonna crush your presentation for sure!

I love that you title parts of the story lmao

Does Paige ever actually have a plan or she just doing what the vibes tell her? Which i mean yeah I guess might be to kill Angie?

Yeaaaaah this is not one of those Nivi has a plan situations. The Coach doesn't have a name because I haven't figured out who it is yet and so she's just unnamed til I do whoops.

No labels because they're going with the flow (what could go wrong you know?)

LMAO they're trying to be as quiet as possible I'm sure

I'm so glad you see Azzi's growth like girlie's done a lot of it since she ran out of Paige's house and is definitely fighting all her intrusive thoughts.

I'm a whore for the word "baby" and so are they because this is my fic tee hee

One thing Azzi's gonna do is make sure everyone knows she does not like #thatwoman

I'm so glad y'all love Stephie and she's both adorable and believable. She's like the perfect cumulation of all my kids at work and so I really do hop I do her justice.

I mean l don't know if Azzi could survive withholding sex lmao

Stephanie Katarina Fudd: smartest kid in the world fr fr - she doesn't suspect per say but I think she can tell that what her Mama has with Miss Buecks isn't the same as with her other Aunties

Paige just dramatic as hell all the time I fear

DREW IS SCARY LMAO

Stephie's gonna get her kisses no matter how awkward everyone in the room is lmao

[kaistrashbin]

Of course I'm doing good, I get to talk to you after all <3

But! I have a question for you :)

What's your favorite thing about Donna?

-Valentines anon

Daaayummm, that was a good line LOL got me there XDD

Favorite thing about Donna though! That's a very good question, I really can't pick because I deeply love all of her and think every aspect of Donna ties together wonderfully to create a very interesting character that just appeals more to me personally. Though, if I have to answer, I'd say that it's her personality! Sure, most of it comes from fan interpretation BUT, I just love it as well as that the mainly softer and more timid self she mainly shows (and ofc along with the darker, unhinged, etc. side 💕) feels more natural for her because of her in-game behavior. To me at least!!

More in depth under the cut!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before we get into this, everything down here is written from my memory of RE8 and Resident Lover. Just in case anything is a bit inaccurate or incorrect

We can't forget that in-game she was the impressive mastermind of a terrifying labrynth, and the hallucinations she used to mess with Ethan's mind to draw him further into the "game" were very interesting as well as scary. I've heard from others, and I myself agree that Donna's house is the scariest part of RE8. She herself may appear to be a very timid, mysterious and grief-stricken woman but she is very smart (Miranda's notes of her being "mentally underdeveloped" are likely due to things like mental illnesses she may have, or if she is neurodivergent. We don't know because it doesn't say but clearly she can be a very capable individual, even if she wasn't to Miranda's standards...which were really just trying to get as close to "perfection" as possible. Not even Miranda's more "favored" children were good enough for her true purpose. Just good pawns and fodder). It's clear she knew what she was doing and regardless of why (whether it's because she wanted to toy with Ethan or simply out of desperation to follow orders and either keep him there or kill him), she was definitely creative, calculated, and targeted deeply personal things about Ethan (that being his wife Mia and him being a father).

But just looking at her and reading up on her (as well as listening to her only voice line- which I'm still sad about), you can see she's very mysterious and reserved. Angie is quite literally the most "personality" anyone sees in comparison to what Donna brings. I love that it leaves so much room for you to mess around with things but also that through so little you can really see a lot at the same time.

The fan game Resident Lover especially had me falling in love with Donna lmfaoo. She's just so sweet and shy and jumpy. <3 But then you can clearly see multiple times that she's not some helpless thing. She can and will take charge and be serious (and even dangerous/frightening) when she needs to (this is also shown in other routes). And then when her and MC get together, she's just constantly showering them in love and affection and id be lying if I said I didn't absolutely adore that XDDD I think Resident Lover did a good job of making Donna feel like well...Donna! While also adding to her.

Honestly I like most interpretations of Donna, especially when they incorporate all those different aspects. 😄😄

[littlelesbinonny]

The Devil's Den

Chapter 37: In Which The Rabbit Hole Is Deeper Still

You can read this also on Ao3 at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46831621/chapters/117962293

Alcina leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, savoring the slight burn of the blood-wine trickling down her throat.

"At this rate we're lucky we're not humans," Donna mused from the neighboring table, "we'd have blown through so much money in these vain military efforts we may be stricken down by our people."

"Have you paid much attention to the human world above recently?" Alcina asked flatly, "their idiocy knows no bounds for the make believe thing they call money that 'makes their world go round', we'd likely get away with much, much more if we felt the need."

Donna smirked, "well then I guess this will continue until we bare fruits from our labor?"

Alcina huffed heavily and shoved herself from the wall, rejoining her comrade at the table, "I'm growing as tired of this as you are," she slumped, in a very un-Alcina like fashion, "though I can't come to terms with giving up either. I don't know what else to do but to stay stationed and wait."

"I don't believe anyone else has any better ideas. Mother Miranda remains silent and I'm resigning from reaching out to her any longer. It's pointless. There's still no word of Angie. And Karl, your girls, Dmitri, Sylvia, and the myriad of other eyes and ears we have set loose remain... empty handed."

Donna's verbal vomit continued, and try as she might, Alcina wasn't much able to remain present for it. She was still very consumed with you and what had happened the other night. She still didn't quite feel right, or normal, or whatever she was supposed to feel. With everything going on, which was largely underwhelming, yet just as stressful and annoying, Alcina felt pulled in far too many directions than she liked and that her control was still dangling on a thin thread. She was beyond her threshold for anymore 'what if's', and preparing for an impending unknown, that she was ready to throw in the towel all together and let whatever happens, happen. 

And you. What would become of you?

"Uh... Alcina?"

Came the inevitable tug from her own thought vomit.

"Hmm?" she replied lazily.

Leaning harder on her elbow, Donna propped her chin in her palm and mused over her friends mental absence, "it's none of my business, and I made a promise with myself to never ask or insert myself, but... do you want to talk about what happened yesterday?"

Alcina didn't look at Donna right away, in fact she took another long swallow of her wine and adjusted her poor posture mindlessly.

Finally her icy grey eyes met her friends and she took a deep breath, "what makes you think something happened?" she deflected almost pitifully.

Donna scoffed, not lightly, "I've only seen you that ragged and disjunct maybe a handful of times in the long, long time I've known you. You were very much off when you came back last morning... very off. So, while it's still none of my business, you and your wellbeing are, therefor I can't help but wonder and have a little concern about you."

Their gaze remained fixed to each other and Alcina chose her next words very carefully; "she is... special, Donna. Very special. And no, not in the way I have viewed all my lovers. I'm beginning to fear..." her voice continued, betraying her inward caution, "that I may be in a bit over my head. At least with everything happening. I don't do well with fear... or uncertainty."

Her response was so calculated Donna nearly dared to roll her eyes, but at least Alcina had given her that much, though she knew she would likely not be getting much more.

"I know you dislike being open and vulnerable, even to me, but I hope you know you can always confide in me if you need someone to lean on. And I know telling you you can't always be the unbreakable pillar means nothing, but you really ca-"

"She's got powers of her own, Donna."

Donna became very still as she watched the deadly concern deep in Alcina's eyes urging to be released. That was not something she had expected to hear. Now, more things suddenly made a lot of sense.

"What kind?" she asked timidly.

"I don't know. But I was overcome by a blood-rage I've never experienced before yesterday because of her, her blood, her power, and she witnessed the whole thing."

Oh how the silence was painfully deafening.

"What are you going to do?" Donna asked.

Alcina shook her head shortly, "I haven't the faintest. I feel like I'm caught in a mangled net I can't escape from. My biggest fear, which I have no real concrete evidence for, says that she could be in danger. And, the more I go to her, the more I see her, the more I may risk her safety... and I... don't know how I could live with myself if..." her voice broke off with a crack as she stared down now at the table, reliving her painful past with a bitter bile in her throat.

She huffed, breaking that thought off, "simultaneously, I'm fighting with the guilt that I should be protecting her, keeping her by my side in case something were to ever happen, all the while battling the very infuriating reality none of this would be taking place if it weren't for me, doing exactly what I shouldn't have done," her eyes, now coated with the deep sea slate, locked on Donna once again, "she is my undoing as much as she is my long lost home of comfort and love. She's given me a breath of life I never thought I'd feel again, and I am riddled with guilt and shame for loving her, for not being all she deserves, for knowing with such likelihood our lives will never coexist the way she deserves them to. I... should not love her the way I do, I never should have loved her, but I cannot fathom letting her go now, as selfish and devastating my ignorance may be. Whatever powers she holds, whatever gifts hide in her soul, I feel them in me now. I feel her in every waking and sleeping moment. I am petrified, Donna. Petrified. I don't know how to save everyone."

Her last admission made Donna wince.

She reached for Alcina's hand and grasped it firmly, scooting closer to her at the table, "Alcina... you don't have to save everyone. No one is asking that of you -"

"It's my job, Donna! Am I not the Matriarch? Am I not the Figure Head of the underground?" she jerked her hand away and rose from the table with haste, "Is it not I that everyone looks to when it all goes wrong? Am I not the one who makes the final decisions, has the final say, and ultimately is held responsible for everything that goes on down here?" her eyes and features grew sharp as she continued, "I never wanted any of this, I never asked to be made the ruler of the tiring, undead, caught and lost in time world that we're forced to live in! But here I am, doing a better job than Mother Miranda or any of my predecessors ever did - so yes, dear Donna, it is my responsibility; it is my job; to save everyone from whatever inside and outside threats we face."

She'd paced at least nine times along the floor by now, rubbing her forehead with her plight of anger and remorse, huffing one last time before she stopped, dropped her head back to look at the ceiling and release the breath that had another pending slew of upset words.

"I'm sorry..." she offered softly, "my emotions have been burdensome. I feel more than I have in a long while. I'm not used to having no control."

Alcina found Donna at her side with a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure it means little now," Donna also offered, "but I'm in your corner. Always have been. You won't weather this alone. And we will nail this bloody problem to the fucking cross, and things will get better. I'll fight tooth and nail to see it through."

She smiled genuinely down at the brunette and relaxed, "they say the quiet ones are those to really be wary of... I have no doubt in my mind you'll make good on your threat."

"When have I ever not?"

Alcina chuckled.

-

Currently, you were laying sprawled out in your bathtub; leg hanging over the side as you were half submerged and resting, recuperating from the exhausting morning you had spent 'working your magick'.

The baby fern Malka had given you was now on the kitchen counter in the largest bowl you owned since you'd overgrown it far too much and it burst from the tiny pot it had come in. You'd be needing to get some more soil and a proper planter as soon as possible. After you'd successfully grown it Fern Gully style, you'd grabbed the next item you could think of to manipulate; a candle.

This time you used your greyer magick. Melting it. Burning it. Reforming it. Lighting the wick with no flame. It was... excruciatingly exhilarating. And, utterly draining. Malka said practice was key. Little by little, you'd figure all of this out.

You'd also been up till around 3 in the morning reading over your books. The book on magick was as interesting as it was vague, cryptic, and a little oddly written. There was no doubt the books age just by the language and spelling. It covered mostly Celtic and Norse witchcraft; history, practices, etc., and gave a good index of symbols and deities. You'd not yet gotten to the chapters containing folklore of Fae, Fairies, Nymphs, Dryads, and the like, but were itching to get there.

You'd also gotten a few chapters into the vampire book when you woke. So much of the lore about the myths of them, oddly enough, were written as debunked as Alcina had told you forever ago upon your many nights of incessant questioning. You found it strange since this book was also quite old, and wondered if perhaps a vampire himself, or herself, didn't write it. The wives tales and superstitions around vampires lasted long into the 1900's, and this book easily predated that. It gave you a little bit of a warm feeling to think a vampire author had gotten some of their truth out there.

Secretly, you were hoping to find names, lineages of the vampire bloodlines, and see if you could track down this Mother Miranda that had wreaked havoc on Alcina, and certainly many others. But to your disappointment you'd found nothing. Yet. There were still many chapters to go.

The bath was helping you regain some energy but your fingertips were still uncomfortably tingly. 

You were finding your magick a very physical thing. Malka had introduced you to learning how to feel it out, locate it and harness it, and you found so many certain sensations went with each emotion and intention the more and more you focused.

Helping plants grow was a warm, soft sensation deep in your chest. The tingling in your fingers gentle but thick, the lightheadedness that came after was bright and intense. 

Burning down the candle came from below your lungs, deep in the pit of your core. It wasn't anger or rage, but pure intent to control and manipulate. The tingling from that was hard, firm, and a little steely. And you felt breathy afterward.

Lighting the candlewick was in the front of your face, like an Icy Hot mask on your cheeks and forehead. That tingling sensation was liquidy, silky, and prickly. It gave you jitters after and you felt startlingly awake.

As much as you wanted to revisit the darker of everything you'd done, you didn't dare without Malka present. Lighting your apartment complex on fire or something wasn't anything you wanted to risk.

It was now a little passed 2 PM when you were trying to read the book on magick while simultaneously making a plate of cheese and crackers to munch on on the kitchen counter. Unfortunately, as you were reskimming a paragraph you'd read twice, you slipped and sliced part of your finger with the cheese knife.

You reached for your paper towels, but in the process dripped three drops of blood on the way.

"Ah fuck," you blurted, quickly wrapping your finger and rushing to wipe off the little red droplets on your book.

But something caught your attention, vividly.

There where the text was as stark against the aged paper as you blood, hovering above and over said text was another text; glowing, violet, and in markings you did not recognize, but even odder still is that you could unmistakably read and understand it.

You blinked several times as the realization that you were clearly looking at archaic symbols, yet they translated in your brain as simply as regular English set in. Your heart sunk to the pit of your stomach as your eyes read on:

Of this point in your crooked journey, there are many things to find; the Courts are vast, but none too far -  be true of heart  and sharp of mind.

The truths you seek shan't escape you long; for the Courts call home those who've been gone - through troubles unnumbered, and hardships unmatched - slithy toves wicked games, both brutish and strong.

Darkness endures while you brave the new sea;  uncharted and rough may these deep waters be. Fear not the voyage for you'll be lead through the mist, on the backs of your lineage you'll be able to drift.

The path you've found, is but only the start.  Be swift and be brave,  keep faith of the heart. Come back once more when time gives you wear - as the Courts do not dabble, not here or to there, for Magick is not born of the weaklings to bear.

What... the... fuck did this mean?!

You slammed the book shut and rushed for the door.

~

"Malka!" you called as you burst your way through the shop entrance, "Malka! I need to show you something!"

"Aye aye aye," Malka replied from around an isle, "ketzeleh! I'm just closing shop, lock the front, will you? Come meet me behind the counter."

You did as instructed and hastily made your way to the counter, nearly beating Malka there.

"What has you so spun up?" she asked wiping her hands on her apron, "out with it."

Without another word, you gave her a wide-eyed look of 'please tell me I'm not insane', plopped the book down on the cluttered counter, and opened to the pages where your blood stains were.

"I - I bled on the book by accident - and this text, this floating, purple writing appeared and it was some weird riddle and -"

"Oooyyy vey, ketzeleh," Malka interrupted, gently pushing you out of the way grabbing for the book, her bright eyes staring hard at the pages, "how did you get this?" she asked as her hues shot up to you.

You were stumped, but now very concerned, "uh, Louis, I asked him for books of magick and he gave me this."

The older woman eyed you closely and held the book tighter, "do you know what this is?"

"Clearly not," you stated quickly, your eyes just as wide as ever.

"This is a Blood Arcane."

...

"A what?"

"This is a book of magick, not just a book about it. How this Louis got possession of it I would very much like to know. There are not many left in the world," Malka's voice dropped lower and she came closer to you, "a blood arcane is quite literally an enchanted book made from the old lines of witches and shamans to hide their secrets in plain sight. The red leather binding is a hint to those who knew the old code; this dark stain of red indicates that to unlock it's secrets you must spill your blood to reveal what it has to share with you. Inadvertently you did just that!"

You couldn't help your slacked jaw as Malka, now beaming with glee and intrigue, explained this to you like a school child.

"What did it say, what did it say to you?!"

"I, uh, it was, uhm, it was some kind of riddle? Or poem? I - I don't really remember al of it, it wasn't very forward."

Malka put the book back down on the counter and tapped her finger to her thin wrinkled lips, "I see... but you could read it?"

"Y-yeah, but it wasn't English, it was like -"

"Symbols, yes. Each book is filled with various teachings from various walks of magick, all set to a language special to each reader."

"If I bleed on it again will you read it with me?"

"No, no, it doesn't work like that ketzeleh," she said softly, smiling up at you, "the message you receive will not translate to me, nor would my blood translate for you to read, that's the true magick of these texts! So intricately designed and woven, they are so rare and truly special. This book... it was meant for you, and you were meant to find it. Keep it close. Don't tell anyone you have it, and don't let anyone see it, you understand?"

You nodded mutely and relaxed a little, leaning on the counter while looking back to the book, "it told me to come back after time had given me wear... whatever that means, that part I remember pretty well. What does that mean, though? And how could I read it and understand it even though it was just weird markings?"

Malka grinned, "it means you're not quite ready to read all of it's secrets, but don't be discouraged. Many witches and others gifted with magick cannot read these even after years and years of practice and guidance by elders. As for the understanding; when the book chooses to be read by the reader, it will come through as normally as you and I are speaking now, another impressive mystical trait. I would consider yourself very lucky dear, this is extraordinary!" she turned to face you again and placed her hands on your arms, admiring you with those twinkling eyes, "the more and more you learn about yourself, and the more you learn your magick, this book will bare itself to you in no time. The secrets you find here may have many of the answers you are searching for."

With a gentle sigh, you slumped your shoulders and returned her grin, "life just keeps getting weirder and weirder, Malka," you chuckled, "I'm starting to feel like Alice In Wonderland; next thing I know Leo will be grinning from ear to ear and telling me the Red and White Queen are in the kitchen ready to take me to my coronation to be Queen myself."

"Well, let me know if Sid Caesar shows up dressed as the Gryphon - he's so handsome!"

You laughed out loud and wrapped her up in your arms for a hug.

"If I end up battling the Jabberwocky and jump through the mirror, do you think this craziness will end?" you asked through the hug.

Malka hummed, "do you really want it to, ketzeleh?"

-

"You know if we had cellphones this wouldn't be nearly as difficult," Cassandra said from the other line of the old rotary phone, "we could just call you at any given time at any given place, then you wouldn't have to worry about where we are and the like -"

"You know mother is never going to agree to cell phones!" Dani's voice interrupted, "But we love you all the same, mother!"

"Oh for heavens sake, give me the phone - let - go!" Bela clearly struggled.

Alcina allowed herself a heavy blink and blew cigarette smoke from her red lips, arching back into her chair while tapping some ash into the tray.

"Hi mom, sorry about that."

"Don't worry, I'm sure this argument about cell phones will follow me to the very grave."

"That'll be a long, relentless endeavor."

Alcina chuckled at Bela, "it is your sisters we're talking about."

"Well, I - "

Bela was rudely interrupted once more and Cassandra's voice came chiming through; "Mother, you know the human city council is scared shitless of you, I know the coverage down here isn't ideal but I have no doubt in my mind you can convince them to install a tower -"

Cue Daniella and her boisterous agreement; "Yeah! But then we'll lose Cass entirely to the internet; she'll be on bookface and twatter and god forbid one of those dating sites! Easy pickings for blood though I guess."

"Oh shut up, Dani! You know it's called FACEBOOK and TWITTER, my god don't act like such a dunce."

"I simply love to annoy you!"

The unintelligible bickering went on on the other line until Bela finally reclaimed possession of the phone. Alcina remained pinching the bridge of her nose while taking steadying breaths. At least they were always entertaining.

"Oh my god... ANYWAY. That's about all we have to report at the moment. Though we have learned a great deal about the hidden passages and other tricky gems of the underground while we've been at it."

"Do nOT let Dani get any ideas, please?"

Bela laughed, "of course not, mother. Even Uncle Karl knows better. And you're doing alright?"

Alcina paused briefly, "of course, dragoste - right as rain. Missing my girls, I suppose," she smiled weakly.

"We miss you too. I think we'll be coming home soon, at least for a visit before another lead comes through."

"And I look forward to it. Give the battling baboons my love, and I shall see you all soon."

"I will. Love you, mom."

The click on the other end felt a little heavier than it needed to, but Alcina hung the receiver and took a thoughtful drag, staring blankly onto her desk, pondering if anything was ever going to happen on any end of the spectrum. She hated being in limbo more than she hated preparations for a war that was certain. Trusting Donna's instincts was easier than trusting her own at this point, and hers said this wasn't over, so at least there was something to lean on.

There were only a few more hours before sunset and Alcina was struggling internally about coming to see you. Oh how she wanted to. Escape from all this and pretend it didn't exist for a night, but then, the troubles with you and your newly exposed power made her uneasy.

She rose with a huff that hid none of her annoyance; tired of living and wandering aimlessly through her stupid thoughts of uncertainty was growing old and quickly.

Alcina returned to her bedroom and began to get dressed. 

Donning a white turtleneck, black jeans, her knee high boots, her trench coat, and last but not least; the gloves you'd given her. The smile on her face was warm and wistful, all the hesitations she's fought being shoved in the other direction. She loved you, dammit. She would make this work if it killed her.

As she was closing the gates to the Manor behind her, a shouting from up the street caught her attention. Her name was being called, urgently, by a voice she did not recognize.

Swiftly she started to rush towards the sound, and there trotting down the cobblestone towards her was a young vampire. Her face was twisted with worry and confusion.

"Lady Dimitrescu!"

"Yes, what is it?" she hastily replied.

"There's a Father in the tunnels! He's asking for you, but we wouldn't allow him any further - he's covered in blood - says someone was attacked in the church - he's demanding you come to him!"

Alcina's eyes went wild as she looked down upon the young lady, the shock of this news to her system sending her fight response into action.

"Take me to him!" she commanded with urgency.

The vampire took off and Alcina was hot on her heels.

By the time she reached the tunnel she could already hear the panicked, angry arguing.

"Let me pass! I demand you let me in! I demand to speak to the Lady Dimitrescu! He was just a boy! A boy! How could she let this happen!?"

Pushing her way passed the wall of vampires, Alcina broke through to see this father. He was indeed covered in blood and looking terribly frantic.

She was barely a pace from him when he saw her and lunged himself at her. He was a small, younger priest, one she remembered only vaguely, and posed her no real threat. Alcina barked for the other vampires to retreat and leave it be.

He slammed his fists into her chest and body, babbling and shouting about this boy, incoherent sobs and cries as he stained her white shirt with the still fresh blood all over him.

"I need you to calm down, father," Alcina soothed with a sternness, finally grabbing hold of him and rendering him immobile, "look at me, look at me!" she demanded, stifling his irregular sobs, "I cannot help you unless I know what has happened."

His eyes were blood shot and his face streaked with tears, "You! Your - y-your devils! Come with me and I will show you!" he shouted, ripping himself from her grasp and dodging back through from where he came.

[poisonedspider]

This is just my 'safe place' (ironic since it's full of demons and sinners haahahaha) so I just need to vent a bit. But I'll put it under a trigger warning for drama, cancel culture, blocking, whining, whatever else you want to say. It is against no one in particular, for the record!

I just hate that I legit have PTSD from Tumblr fandoms. Like. That sounds silly, but it's true - and I can say it's true, as a therapist, because I meet all the criteria. And I've talked to my own therapist about it (which is kind of just....sad me thinks). Like. I am a big believer in this is your space and make it how you want. Curate it how you want. This is a hobby, you owe no one, blah blah. Yet I still always go into full blown panic mode when someone blocks me out of nowhere. Especially when we were either a) having great reactions and nothing out of the ordinary seemed to happen or b) we had yet to interact but wanted to and suddenly...nope.

Like if I didn't have the PTSD behind it, I'd still be sad. I adore writing. I adore storytelling. I want to create with every single person on here. But it wouldn't send me into this absolutely distressing DREAD. The fear the rumors are being spread about me again. (If you ever need/want to know what happened in past fandoms, my inbox is always open, but I can tell you that as of January 2023 so literally a whole ass year ago, the person apologized directly to me *I have every screenshot trust me I made sure to cover my ass so fast* and took down the faked call out). The fear that people still believe those rumors. The fear the people see the name 'Strode' and immediately block because they heard something that was just never true. The fear that I'm going to wake up to anons in my askbox telling me to k*ll myself again, or see the 400+ reblogs of hate against me saying scum like me shouldn't be on this website.

And honestly? Even if that stuff had been true (again, it wasn't, and I'm....so annoyed and hurt by it all but - ) that was still A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. Do people not change? Or are they not given the ability to? Tumblr can be so whack in how it crucifies people and does not allow room for growth. So at the end of the day, it's hard for me to see a block as 'innocent.' It could be ANYTHING. Maybe I post too much ooc. Share too much fanart. Didn't reply in enough time. Who hecking knows, right? It could be literally anything. Hell, maybe I'm interacting with someone they don't want to see. But because of my trauma, it always comes down to fear. Fear of what do people think I did. Why am I the bad guy now. What is going to make me scared to survive in this fandom as well.

This is all very much Benadryl/Mucinex inspired but....I like to share my thoughts. I think it can be helpful for someone to see and be like "I needed to hear this, because I have felt this way too." To realize people aren't alone. Because in October 2022, I felt the loneliest in my life due to 'cancel culture'. To watching my followers drop from 600 something down to 142 (no joke). To realizing I spent some of the last moments I would have with my grandma before she stopped remembering who I was crying about fictional people who suddenly hated me over night.

Sometimes it makes me scared to sleep. Not knowing what I'll wake up to. Not knowing who I'll lose next that I've grown to care about. I guess just know that you all matter to me, more than just a hobby. I see you as friends. I care about your days. And if you were to disappear, I'd be worried sick.

Again, no shame about blocking. But at the end of the day, a 'block' can have a lot more impact than I think people realize.

(Also haaaa the fact that I got an inbox message right as I was typing this and my heartrate peaked so quickly then I saw it was just aracniss like lol for some reason that's hysterical because that brotherly shit WOULD happen just to mess with Angie).

[chained-sweater]

remake of my angieboy headcanons because my last post was BAD.

notes: tagging @fictionalcharactergraveyard bc on my og post they asked for these hcs, and since i like, uh..deleted my old post i need to like—let them see this one.

— angela has a lot of nicknames for ponyboy, and vice versa. they're either very cute/sappy or it sounds like they're insulting each other. there is no in between.

— very, very cuddly couple. they're always cuddling. ya walk into the room and boom: pony and angela are snuggled up on the couch.

— the reaction their siblings had when they found out they were dating, oh lordy loo.

· tim gave pony the classic 'older-brother-talking-to-his-little-sister's-boyfriend' talk, but other than that, he's fine with them being together. ponyboy is intimidated by him and every time he tells angela 'i think your brother hates me' angela's like, 'which brother?' pony says, 'tim' and angela responds with, 'you're fine, he likes you.' yeah, tim's pretty chill w/ it.

· CURLY ON THE OTHER HAND.....

↑ let's just say pony's lucky to be alive. curly's their #1 op, fr.

· darry doesn't care, tbh. he's just glad pony's in a happy relationship.

· sodapop, however, is very wary of angela. he was still recovering over sandy at the time and he's worried that pony would go through something similar to what he went through with sandy.

· don't even get me started on the gang, oh jesus.

· two-bit literally starting cheering and gave ponyboy a big bear hug. he then proceeded to start gushing about how adorable they were 'n stuff. (i can't, i love two-bit sm.)

· steve was just like, 'yeah, whatever.'

· dallas was all, 'ooh, you go horseman.' ponyboy threw a book at his head.

· johnny was still recovering at the hospital (yes, ofc he and dally live), and when he found out, he was SO jealous. *heather by conan gray starts playing in the background.*

— pony and angela never get past the puppy-love stage of their relationship. that is their relationship. (they're so cute, omg.)

— ponyboy gives angela some of their drawings he made (they're of her) and she keeps every single one. she pins them on the wall above her bed in her and curly's bedroom.

· curly's all, 'FOR FUCK'S SAKE, ANGIE, TAKE THEM DOWN' and angela's just like, 'no.'

— you do not want to see these two on a date, sweet jesus christ.

· THEY ARE SO MUSHY, ISTG. THE PDA IS ASTRONOMICAL.

· dally once went to a restaurant to grab some dinner and when he walked in he found angela sitting on pony's lap and they were feeding each other and giggling 'n shit and istg dallas gagged. (tbh, i don't blame him, i would of done the same. 💀)

— angela made them matching bracelets. ponyboy (and angela, ofc) never takes theirs off.

— holding hands is like, their lifeline. they're always holding hands. (i'm making myself feel single writing this, smh.)

— it's basically your average middle school relationship, but it's actually successful.

[mlove44lh]

For a lifetime part I - En/USA Version

part II here

warnings: +18. Childhood friends to lovers, angst, smut, fluff, original character. 

Words: 9.033

Summary: Lewis and Angie met in their childhood and after a short time they were already inseparable, the relationship escalated and soon they became more than friends. But life happened to both and they ended up following different paths. Nine years later they meet again. Is all that love really gone? 

Notes: English is not my first language. I did my best with the translation, but I know there are going to be many mistakes in the writing.

I decided to translate this fanfiction because I'm completely in love with these two, and I want this story to reach more people. Comments are always welcome. Hope you like it. 

Some events are out of chronological order.

June 2002

-Mom, please, I can study at home. I promise to do better on the next tests. -I try one last time to convince her that I do not need this class. But I realize it will be in vain as I look at his usual impassive frown.

-No. None of that, I promised your father that you would take at least one class, and he paid a lot of money for that. Don't belittle your father like that, Angie. -My mom looked straight ahead cautiously on the road, even when there weren't any cars but her old Bentley. I still looked at her with the slightest bit of hope.

-Please, he'll never know I didn't come.

She looked at me in disbelief.

-No, but I'll know. Now come on, I don't have all day, I'm already late.

-All this because of a C. -I said to myself as I finally got out of the car. 

-You can complain to your father tonight if you want, but I did my part. -I watched as she accelerated and left the parking lot, I thought about leaving, going to the park that I saw from the passenger seat a few blocks away, and spending the next three and a half hours doing nothing, but I was already there, and the heat was almost unbearable, so I decided to go inside and watch the review lesson I don't need.

Barely 30 minutes had passed and I couldn't take it anymore, I took minimal notes and tirelessly looked at the clock in search of redemption. I was looking outside the building when I heard the door being open.

-I'm so sorry teacher, I lost the track of time, I was racing and when I saw it, it was already two o'clock, please forgive me. -The boy was out of breath, putting words on top of words and begging for the teacher's forgiveness, it was almost impossible not to find the situation funny. The teacher in turn didn't give a damn, asked the boy to calm down, and invited him to sit down and pay attention in class.

The boy came towards me and for a moment I thought he was going to talk to me, but he just waved and sat down on the bench next to me, which was the only empty one in the room. The rest of the class passed in absolute silence, except for the teacher's voice and the sound of birds outside. From time to time I felt the boy restless, writing down unneeded things and trying to look at my notes. His nervousness started to make me nervous too.

-For the love of God, calm down. After class, I can help you with your notes, but please be quiet. You're making me nervous. 

The boy smiled shyly at me, I could see the small gap between his front teeth and I thought it was adorable, he seemed like a nice person.

The class ended and as promised, I explained the content he had missed and helped him with his notes.

-You don't seem to have any difficulty with this topic. -He said as he finished writing. There was no one else in the room, the class had already ended at least 15 minutes ago. I know my mom is waiting for me in the parking lot but I don't mind keeping her waiting while I talk to him.

-I don't. My father is very strict with my education. I got a C in literature and he decided I needed tutoring. 

-Oh, I see. Not a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon, but at least you're smart. 

-Are you kidding? I love this place. I begged him to put me in this class, I couldn't think of a better way to spend my Saturday. - I say jokingly. Our laughter echoed through the room. -And you? Do you also like to spend your Saturdays in a tutoring class?

-Nah. I came because I had to, I'm not showing up to classes as I should, so they made me come. But I won't need that. -He gestures to his notebook. -My father and I are working hard for me to be a formula 1 driver someday.

-And how is this going? -There was no superiority in his speech, only hope and excitement.

-Very good. -His smile was gigantic. -Very well indeed. I can't wait to finish high school and race all over the world. 

-Great. hope everything works out for you...-I gestured for him to tell me his name, which only then I realized I still didn't know.

-Lewis Hamilton.

-Lewis Hamilton. - I repeated to myself. -Nice to meet you. I'm Angie Woods.

November 2002

I could barely keep still, I was so excited, finally, I would see him racing in person. 

I was in front of my house, waiting for the car that would come to pick me up. Lewis told me that his father would come by at 10 am to pick me up from home and then we would drive to the circuit where the last race of the karting season was taking place, where Lewis was doing exceptionally well. 

Since we met months ago, we haven't let go of each other, Lewis ended up becoming a great friend to me, we see each other almost every day and he had already promised me that he would take me to a race a long time ago.

During these months of friendship, Lewis teaches me everything about Formula 1 and motorsport. I fell in love with the sport, we haven't lost a race since. 

It didn't take me long to see the car coming to the entrance of my house, I ran inside and hoped my parents didn't see it, they had already made their displeasure with my new friendship clear. So I decided not to tell where I was going that morning.

I met his father, his stepmother, and his brother, Nicholas. Everyone welcomed me more than well, and in a short time I already felt almost like part of their family.

❀

I was almost voiceless from cheering for Lewis. His family and I were in the front row of the audience watching Lewis' every move. He was exceptional as a driver, even with older drivers on the grid and with a not-so-good car, he stood out a lot. I could then understand that there was no understatement in his father's speech when he said that Lewis would become a great Formula 1 champion. It was just a matter of time.

I was behind his family when he got out of the car, Lewis ran to his father and stepmother and hugged them, he had won another race, consequently becoming the best driver in his category, and the youngest to achieve this accomplishment. After hugging his family, Lewis jogged to me, I was close to being emotional, I was so happy for him. I hugged him back and we stayed like that for a good few seconds, his arms made me feel like I'd never felt in my life.

After the race we went to his house, it was getting dark but none of us wanted the day to be over. Lewis's father ordered pizza and we all ate together. Anthony, his father, told me all about Lewis's passion for motorsport and all the difficulties they had faced so far. I paid attention to every word and could only imagine the difficulties they had.

Anthony insisted on dropping me off at my place, it was already dark and the night was much colder than usual, so I made no objections, thanked him for the day, and said goodbye to his family. 

Before leaving, Lewis ran down the stairs to me, I was ready to go meet his father, who was already waiting for me outside the house.

-Wait a second. I bought you something. 

Lewis handed me a box, I opened it and found a delicate golden necklace, it had a pendant of a small "A". It was beautiful, I almost didn't react because I didn't expect such a gesture from him.

-I saw it in a store and I couldn't leave without buying it for you. There was silver too but I like your skin better with gold. 

Lewis looked at me shyly, just like he looked at me in the first conversation we had months ago.

-It's beautiful, Lew. Thank you so much, I loved it. -I took the necklace out of the box and give it to him to put on me.

I pulled my hair up and waited for him to put the necklace on me, his hand passing lightly over my neck managed to make my skin shiver, I hoped that it had gone unnoticed by him. As soon as he closed the necklace I turned forward and hugged him.

-I'll never take it off. -I said low, in the middle of the hug, just for him to hear, as if we weren't alone in the room. 

-I'm glad you liked it.

I pulled away from the hug and kissed his cheek, close enough to his mouth to make me blush with embarrassment, I said goodbye with a low "see you later" and left the house, going to meet his father, who was already waiting for me inside the car. 

I walked away from his house seeing Lewis at the door watching as the car pulled away.

February 2003

-Lewis, this is not going to work. I better give up. Anyway, you can be my personal driver. -I said pulling the handbrake and turning off the car.

-None of that, come on, I said I was going to teach you how to drive and that's what we're going to do today.

-I changed my mind, I'm going to cancel the test. Look, I'm shaking and I haven't even walked 20 meters. -I was actually shaking, seeing people driving makes it look easy but in reality, it is far from it.

-Angie. -Lewis took his hand from his lap and placed it on top of mine, which was resting on the gearshift of his dad's Chevrolet. Physical contact with us is nothing new, and I can no longer imagine my life without his friendship. -Calm down, you'll make it, I'll teach you how to drive and you'll pass this test.

I sighed in defeat, I want that so much, and I have to take advantage of Lewis' free time and his kindness to teach me. 

I started the car and released the handbrake. 

-You know what to do. Step on the clutch and engage first gear. -I thanked the universe for Lewis being the calmest person I know, if it was any of my parents here I would already be crying. I did as he said. -Now release the clutch and accelerate slowly.

-That's the problem, Lew. 

-Come on, after a while, this will be automatic for you. 

I started to drive the car and this time it was better than the last, little by little I gained confidence and saw that it wasn't such a big deal. By the end of the day, I was able to stay calm and drive a few miles without freaking out.

❀

I thanked her for the ride and jumped out of my mother's car, barely able to contain my smile. I run to the front door of the house that became my second home, rang the bell, and waited patiently until the door opened. Luckily it was Lewis on the other side of the door. 

-So? How it was? Did you pass? - His eyes were bigger than usual and he looked at me with a lot of curiosity.

I tried to keep my face serious for some suspense but I couldn't hold it for a second.

-Yes! Officially qualified. -I showed him my newest driver's license. Lewis pulled me into a long hug. -Thanks Lew, I couldn't have done it without you.

-Yes, you would. I knew you would do fine. -He pulled away from the hug and looked at me with affection. -Now I have someone to take me to the next race.

October 2003

-Are you sure I can go to this party? 

Our hands were intertwined, which is new, but I have nothing to complain about it. 

-Of course Ang, it's a party of a friend from school but it's not exclusive to those who study there, relax.

I could already hear the loud music coming from the house at the end of the street, I didn't know if I was shivering from the cold or anxiety. Maybe I shouldn't have chosen such a short dress for an evening party. It's my first time at a party this big, and Lewis looks as relaxed as ever.

-Angie, I can hear your thoughts from here. -Lewis chuckled and squeezed his hand in mine. -It's just a party, and if you don't like it, we can leave whenever you want, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. And I will always be around.

-Okay then. -Lewis is the only person who can calm me down with so little. 

We entered the house, which was already full, and Lewis soon found his friends from school. He introduced me to everyone and I didn't take long to make friends, which was good, I didn't wanna hang around Lewis all night without letting him have fun with his friends. There was a lot of booze and I had one or two, I've been drinking alcohol for a while now, so I wasn't even close to drunk. Lewis came to check on me from time to time.

After some time talking and drinking I went up to the second floor to use the bathroom. The floor was empty, with all the doors closed except for one at the end of the hall. I thought I heard Lewis's voice coming from there so I went to the door and opened it all the way to enter. He was there, it was a room without any furniture, Lewis was leaning against the balcony, with his phone on his ear.

-Okay. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything at home. Alright, see you Sunday then dad. Bye.

Lewis hung up the phone and turned into the room, he didn't look surprised to see me standing by the door. 

-Is everything okay?

I asked as I entered the room for good, I pushed the door but it didn't close completely. Lewis called me over and I went to him. He wrapped an arm around my neck and pulled me closer. 

-Yes. My dad, Linda, and Nicholas are going to Linda's parent's house for the weekend so I have the whole house to myself now.

-That’s good. -My head was leaning on his chest and I had my eyes closed. Lewis's hand came to my chin and lifted my face, placing it just inches from his. Lewis sealed our lips calmly, and it didn't take long to deepen the kiss. It's not the first time that this happened, we've kissed before, but never like this. This time it's like there's something behind it like it's for real this time. And it's really, really good.

Soon I wrapped my arms around his neck and Lewis placed his hands on my waist, giving the area a light squeeze.

We kissed for a long time, and when I opened my eyes, I had to get used to the clarity coming from the street again.

Lewis hugged me and I felt like I could stay there forever.

-Are you going to crash at my place today?

I froze in his arms and hoped he hadn't noticed. I've slept over at Lewis's several times before, but I know what this question means right now. I know that Lewis has had some experience before, and I also know that I want to have my first time with him. But even though, it's impossible not to feel nervous.

-You know that nothing will happen if you are not 100% prepared for it, Angie. 

-I know. 

-And we don't even need to do anything, I just think you should sleep there because you told your parents you'd sleep at Annie's today and if you get home at one in the morning they won't like it one bit. 

I smiled at his concern and nodded, still hugging him.

-It’s okay. I do want to sleep there anyway.

After that conversation we were absorbed in something else, so we didn't take much longer to leave the party.

Lewis' house was just a few blocks away, so we walked back together. We exchanged a few words now and then but I was too anxious to have any type of conversation.

❀

Lewis is lying next to me. I am nervous. I'm not naive, I know what's about to happen, we've talked about it before and I feel ready. But as much as I'm nervous I'm also very sure about it. I feel safe and desired by his side. I feel that now is the time and I don't want to wait for another second. But even though, I think fear is normal.

-Are you okay? -Lewis was leaning on his arm, facing me. 

I was laying down, looking up. I nodded and moved my head to see him, he was very close to me. The room was dark but the moonlight outside was more than enough for me to see it perfectly. He looked beautiful, traces of the agitated evening at the party were on his skin that glowed even in the slightest light, he looked happy, he didn't seem to want to be anywhere else.

Lewis approached and sealed our lips very calmly. It didn't take long for me to try to deepen the kiss, which was immediately consented with a small laugh from him. Kissing has become my favorite thing to do with him, not that I have a lot of experience but his kiss is amazing.

The kiss was getting deeper and deeper, I was restless, searching for more, Lewis on the other hand was completely calm, and in no hurry at all. Eventually and finally his hand that wasn't supporting his head left his lap and found my waist, squeezing the place and bringing me closer to him, then moving down and going to my ass, where he stayed for a few moments.

I was hot, and I could feel my heart beating in my throat, I was nervous but more than right about my decision. I felt my intimacy hot and wet, I wanted him to touch me but I didn't know how I could ask for that. He was kissing me like never before, there was something else there that had never been explored inside of me.

-Angie. -Lewis cut the kiss and left his lips millimeters from mine, he was a little breathless and I think as nervous as I was. I looked at him and waited for the continuation, I wanted him to speak soon because I wanted to go back to kiss him. -Can I touch you?

My heart jumped, what I wanted was finally going to happen, and with the right person, the person who showed me what love is when I didn't even know it was possible to feel that kind of thing. I nodded at him. 

- Honey, I need to hear you say. 

-Yes Lewis. Please touch me

He didn't take long to put his hands between my legs, always very calmly and carefully. My dress was short so it had already gone up and the fabric rested on my belly. Lewis put my panties aside and I was exposed to him. 

-Let me know if you want me to stop, okay? 

-Okay.

Lewis touched me, it was like an electric current went through my whole body, I didn't know I wanted that contact so much until I had it. Both I and Lewis sighed. I leaned in and brought our lips together again. Now the kiss was awkward and almost disjointed, as our attentions were somewhere else. I wanted to be able to touch him too, but I could barely think about how I would do it. I had to keep myself from moaning and begging him to go faster. Lewis fingered my clit patiently, even with me rubbing in his hand he kept the same rhythm. I could feel him smiling during the kiss.

Lewis trailed his kisses to my neck, then to my collarbone, his hand still on me. 

-I want to see all of you. -He said very close to my ear, which caused me more shivers than I thought it was possible. 

-Please do. -I wanted to give him what he wanted, I wanted him to see me, kiss me, and tell me how beautiful I look to him.

Lewis then took his hand away from me, I moaned complaining and he laughed. 

-Calm down darling. I'll be back to give you what you want. 

Lewis pulled my dress up and I helped him to take it off, he watched me for a few seconds, I wasn't wearing a bra so I ended up totally exposed to his gaze. I didn't feel ashamed, I wanted him to look at me, so I just lay back down while looking at him.

Lewis, in turn, returned to kiss my collarbone, moving towards my breasts, where he stayed for a while. 

-You are perfect. -His lips went down to my belly, and soon Lewis was already positioned between my legs. He pulled my panties off and got rid of them, throwing them somewhere in the room. He lay down between me and looked at me, waiting for another consent. I looked at him and nodded as if to tell him to go ahead and do it.

And he did it.

Oh yes he did it.

The moan I was trying to keep was released as soon as I felt his tongue touching me. It was the best sensation in the world, Lewis started slow but soon intensified, I moved under him trying to make the most of what he has given to me. One of his hands went from holding my waist to between my legs, where he slowly placed a finger inside me. That didn't hurt, it was the opposite, I almost screamed with pleasure. I was grateful that we were alone, I don't know if I could hold back my sound.

With one finger inside me, Lewis started to make a move and that sent me over the edge, my legs start shaking and I couldn't think straight, I just wanted him with me. He climbed up to me and kissed me with hunger, there was strength and it was almost instinctual. I took my hand to his shirt and helped him take it off. Soon after I took my hand and touched him over his pants, I could feel the exaggerated bulge, I had no idea how to do that but I wanted to be able to touch him.

Lewis got rid of his pants and underwear and positioned himself on top of me. I saw his size and for the first time that night, I felt a certain apprehension. What he seemed to realize. 

-I'll go slowly, you tell me if you want me to take it off. But it will probably hurt a little in the begging. But I promise you I'll be careful. 

-Okay.

Lewis kissed me before putting himself between my legs and slowly penetrating me. I pulled his face down to my neck, not wanting him to see the discomfort on my face. At first, it did hurt, but I knew it would be like this, and I didn't wanted to stop, I wanted him inside me. I mentally thanked the universe when I realized he was already all in, Lewis stayed there for a minute until I got used to his size. Gradually he began to move, which started very slowly and then gained more speed. The pain that was almost unbearable at first gave way to immense pleasure.

-You good? - He looked at me again. I nodded and pressed our lips together tightly. In a short time, we were already in a rhythm that was good for both of us, I moaned low in his ear and I could feel his breath on mine, it was much better than I imagined it would be. At one point Lewis accelerated and started moaning, I knew he was almost there. Only then did I realize that we did everything without any protection.

-Lew, take it off, we're not wearing a condom. 

He didn't seem to hear it at first but ended up granting my request and came out of me, in my abdomen.

Lewis kissed me and stayed between my legs for a while. Then he got up and pulled me with him into the bathroom, we cleaned up and went back to bed. I pulled the blanket over us and snuggled into his lap, our clothes lying on the floor of his room with no intention of being picked.

-How do you feel? -He asked after a few minutes that we were lying down. 

-Impure. - I felt Lewis laughing below me and I laughed with him. It wasn't true, I felt good, happy to have done this with the boy that I love. -I'm kidding. I feel great, it was much better than I imagined it would be. And I'm glad it was with you. 

I lifted my head from his chest and looked at him, Lewis was beautiful in that light, I joined our lips again in a quick kiss and went back to lay on his chest, as much as I wanted to extend that night, the tiredness was already consuming me and I couldn't stand much more awake. 

-I love you. -It was the last thing I heard that night before falling asleep.

December 2005

-You look beautiful in your graduation gown and cape. 

We were sitting on the living room floor of my house, surrounded by pizza and beers. We came here after my graduation ceremony, where we knew we'd be alone since my parents went traveling. I used the money they left as an apology for not attending my graduation to buy us pizza and drinks.

-I don't ever want to take it off. I feel good in this. I feel important. 

Lewis smiled and pulled me closer to him.

-Do you know what you're going to do now? -I relax in his lap and it took me a few seconds to answer him.

-I know what I want to do. I'm going to try to get into that college I told you about, I will apply for it next year. I love fashion design, and I want to do it in the city of my dreams, it would be perfect if I was accepted. But don't worry, until then I'll still live by your side.

Lewis remains in silence for a long time before answering me. 

-This is in France, isn't it? 

-Yes. In Paris. At least I took my French lessons seriously. -I chuckled and lifted my face to look at him. But Lewis wasn't smiling, on the opposite, his face was frowning. 

-Is there a problem?

-There are great fashion colleges in London, where you would be closer. -Lewis took his hand from my waist, where it had been resting for some time. I pulled away from him, sitting down in front of him.

-I know. But Paris has always been a dream, you know that. And knowing that it's possible just made me even more excited. 

Lewis didn't look happy at all, and that pissed me off. 

-I don't think it's a good idea. Going to the other side of the continent alone and venturing out like that doesn't sound right.

-You're talking like my father. - I held myself back from rolling my eyes at that conversation.

-Maybe your father is right, Angie. Have you ever thought about it? 

-No Lewis. He's not, he's never been right about anything. 

I got up and went to the kitchen, I wanted to escape that conversation, I never thought that Lewis would react like that, I never thought that he would be upset that I wanted to follow my dream. I took off my cap and poured myself a glass of water, my mouth was dry.

-Angie, please. I'm just saying that things are more complicated than they appear. The world is not the way you think it is. 

-And why don't you let me figure this out on my own? 

He was standing in the kitchen doorway while I was leaning against the sink, facing him.

-Cause I care about you. I don't want you to regret doing something crazy like that. 

I Laugh without humor. 

-Look at you. You're running for formula 3. How many times have you been told it's crazy and you should give up? Now you come and tell me that?! Are you kidding me?!

-Angie listen...

-No Lewis! You listen. What you want is for me to be here waiting for you while you travel the world with your perfect driver's life. 

I realized that my tone was higher than usual so I tried to calm down.

-There's nothing in this world I want more than that, Lew.

-Not even me?

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I looked at him in disbelief.

-You will not do this to me, Lewis. -I felt my eyes burning. -You would never stop running for me, don't make me abandon my dream to live yours.

Lewis fell silent, his frustrated expression replaced by a thoughtful one. He didn't look at me, I don't think he even paid attention to the environment. 

-You're right. I can't create expectations about you waiting for me here. You have all the right to live your life and go after your dreams. -Lewis looked at me but he didn't even take a step toward me, he was nervous and I could deduce that just by looking at him. There's nothing worse for me than fighting with Lewis. -But do you think it will work? The two of us, when we leave here? 

-I don't know.

February 2006 

-I still can't believe it. - I couldn't get the smile off my face. 

-Well, believe me, this is going to become routine now that you graduated and I have you free for me for a while. 

We were walking through Monza airport, we came for the first stage of the formula 3 championship. The race will only be in 5 days, but Lewis managed to convince everyone that he needed to come earlier to "prepare", even if that preparation means eating a lot and drinking wine every night on his staff bill.

I couldn't help but snap pictures from the moment we walked out of the airport to our hotel check-in, where we were both trying not to look shocked by the size of it all. 

-No fucking way! -I was discredited in that place. And Lewis didn't look any different. The hotel room was more like an apartment than a bedroom. -Lewis, there's a living room inside our hotel room.

At this point, I had already explored every corner of the place. 

-I'll never get used to this. -Lewis was smiling from ear to ear. 

It was at that moment that I stopped paying attention to the immensity of that room and looked at him. His smile managed to move me, the way Lewis was sincerely happy with how his life was unfolding made me more than proud to have seen it all happen up close. As much as he still has a lot of things to conquer, all of this already seems huge close to where he started. The realization of my privilege to be by his side at a time like this hit me and I couldn't help the emotion in my eyes, which he soon noticed.

-Honey, are you okay? -His smile faded a little at his concern. 

-Yes, everything is perfect. -I walked over to him and snuggled into his arms. -I'm just happy. -I didn't tell him but part of the reason for the tears in my eyes was fear, fear of separating, fear of him forgetting me if I go to college, and fear of leaving him and then regretting it. My anxieties related to our future have been keeping me awake for a long time, and as much as I don't talk about it with him, I know he's not much different from me.

-I have an idea. -Lewis said after a few minutes that we were hugging in the middle of that giant room. He broke our embrace and went to the phone. 

-What are you going to d... 

-Hi, my wife and I wanted to order room service. Right. Can you bring a bottle of champagne? Yeah, anyone is fine. Actually, the best bottle you have. Yes. And we also want a portion of fries. That's all. this is charged to whoever booked the room right? Ah yes, so it will be two bottles then. Right, thanks.

When Lewis put the phone back down I was laughing so hard I could barely stand. He got up and walked over to me, giving me his hand.

-So I'm your wife? -I said with a smile on my lips.

-One day. And it's going to be huge the way you deserve it. But meanwhile, we pretend for a week that we're married and spending a few days in Italy, as usual. - I sealed our lips with a smile on my face and a lump in my throat.

October 2006 

We looked at the telephone with a high expectation that it would ring at any second with the news we had been waiting for some time. The anxiety was so big that we couldn't even talk for more than a few minutes without stopping to pay attention to the yellow telephone in his house. Me, Linda, and Nicholas were in the living room waiting for Lewis and Anthony, who were in a meeting with McLaren, a meeting that would determine if the place as second driver in the team was going to be his for the next year.

From Stevenage to Woking it was just an hour trip, but I made lewis promise me that he would call with the answer of the team before he get home, whether it was good or bad news.

As much as we'd been waiting, when the phone finally rang, we jumped in alarmed. Linda didn't take a second to answer. I saw her face go from fear to pure happiness, and then we exploded in joy. Of course he made it. We started celebrating even before they got home. We spent hours celebrating, and for the first time I saw Lewis and Anthony really moved, I wanted to cry with them. After all the sacrifice he finally got the result he deserved. 

Lewis would be a formula 1 driver. the best driver ever.

December 2006

I've already lost the track of time. We've been in this room for hours. I've watched night turn into day and still I refuse to fall asleep and stop noticing his presence and our contact. I've counted his heartbeats and his light breathing for what seemed like hours. We don't have anything to talk about it anymore. We ignore his father calling us to dinner because the feeling is that if someone moves, everything will be over faster. I don't want to leave, but I have to. And so does he.

The last few months were more than perfect, being by his side and accompanying him in his races was better than I imagined it would be, I got to know several countries and saw Lewis conquering and standing out more and more in his sport and that couldn't have made me more proud and happy for my love. But it came to an end as we knew it would one day. Since the fight, we haven't talked about our relationship and our future, we decided to talk about it later, but that “later” never came.

The letter from the college was there the day I returned from a trip with him and we opened it together. Lewis was happy for me, or at least he tried to be, but that hug felt more like an embrace of losst than one of pride and happiness.

So I left my bags packed, waiting for me at home, while I ran the blocks to his house at the end of the street and asked for a few minutes with him since I had to go back home soon because of my flight the next morning. But the minutes turned into hours, hours of talking but not about our future, hours of lovemaking, and now hours of absolute silence as we lay together.

-I have to go. -I didn't feel the words coming out of my mouth, it was like someone else was speaking for me. How dare you open your mouth and disturb a moment like this?! 

-I know. -Lewis didn't move, his arms were still around my body.

-Lew...

Lewis finally let go of me, now he was looking at me, we were still lying down, so close together that we seemed to be one single being. I could see the shine in his eyes through the tears that threatened to fall, I opened my mouth to tell him that everything was going to be okay, but I knew that was a lie. Lewis sealed our lips painfully, our kiss soon deepened and there was a moment when I didn't know if the tears I felt on my face were mine or his.

We already were without any clothes from all the lovemaking moments before, but it didn't feel like enough, it would never feel like enough as we had our minds on what was going to come next. Lewis put himself inside me and we didn't break our kiss even for a second, few birds were singing outside, since it was only five in the morning, and the only sound in the room was our irregular breathing.

There was almost no rhythm in our movements, but that wasn't about pleasure, that was our inexplicable connection in the purest form there was, I wanted to be able to merge with him and not go anywhere, but I know that I’ll never forgive myself if don't leave this place to live my dream. Even though this place has become my private paradise. I can't believe that for a moment I thought Stevenage was a boring place, nothing is boring with him by my side, and it hurts so much to imagine what will be of “us”.

I don't know when it ended, but soon we were just holding each other, our naked chests pressed together, both breathless and trying to hold back the tears. 

-I love you. -The whisper was so low that I almost didn't hear it even with the room completely silent. -I will not leave you. Never.

-I love you too. But you know that's not true. -Lewis wrinkled his eyebrows and opened his mouth to answer but I cut him off. -Please don't make this any harder than it already is. We both know what's going to happen, and I could never blame you for that Lew.

-We can see each other, I can go to Paris whenever I'm not running, and then you come to me when you have some time off.

-Lewis. Please. -I sat on his mattress and looked at him seriously, Lewis looked like a child begging me with his eyes so I wouldn't hurt his feelings. -You are going to be a great driver at McLaren, you know it, I know it, everybody knows it. And when that happens your life will change completely and I will only be a small part of your past. And it's okay. But please don't make me a promise that you know you won't keep.

-Let me have a chance to try. 

I wanted to force myself to answer and say that there was no way, but I couldn't, I couldn't because deep down I wanted it to be true, I wanted him to find some way to make our relationship work even though he was so far away from me in the biggest part of the time. So I nodded. I agreed with the idea even though I knew that in the end, it would be even more difficult and painful for us. As it was.

Lewis left me at home, I lost count of how many times I tried to get away from his embrace and I couldn't, we only separated because I really needed to go to the airport. But not before confirming my new phone number with him at least 20 times. I promised that I would call him as soon as I got there and that we would have a talk about the future of our relationship.

❀

We have talked to each other every day since my arrival in Paris, in the first days we spent hours on the phone, but over time we had to reduce our daily conversations, due to all the commitments that surrounded us. 

Lewis was training every day and I was getting ready for the start of classes, everything was very new and different and I was afraid of what would happen if I didn't know how to get used to everything. But at the same time, I was excited to find out. 

March 2007 

For a moment at the beginning of those days, I truly believed that his plan would work, this long-distance relationship thing. Lewis was willing to keep his promise and every day I believed more that it would work, since it was “just a little more time until we see each other again”. But things are not always as we imagine, we were innocent to believe that it would work for so long. 

We didn't even know when we would see each other again, there was no going back, this is our life now, a life where the other doesn't fit anymore. I had to pretend to myself that I didn't care and understood when he didn't pick up, or when he spoke differently to me because he was clearly too busy to talk. I couldn't be this bitch who thinks it's bad that he doesn't have time for me when he was literally living his biggest dream. All of this is much bigger than us.

Eventually, I found out about his Formula 1 accomplishments on the internet, or through his stepmother who still called me every week to see how I was doing. Since most of the time, he forgot to talk to me or text me or whatever.

Lewis had not spoken to me for some time, I tried to call him but I always ended up in voicemail with a message from him shortly afterward apologizing and saying he would call me as soon as he could. But those calls didn't come as quickly as I wish. But every time his number called me, my heart still jumped and filled with joy at being able to hear his voice, even if in the end it ended up hurting me even more.

I knew what came would come eventually, I knew my fall would be a big one, but I didn't expect it to hurt so much, they say if you expect the worst you won't be disappointed, but that's bullshit.

I got on social media that day and came across the news that I knew would come sooner or later. He was with someone else. Comfortable next to her as if he did not doubt his feelings, as if he hadn't promised me at least to try. I thought to myself that I already knew this was going to happen, but I still felt really bad. I was still trying to assimilate what I was reading when his name jumped on my phone screen, the call I had been waiting for days, but this time my reaction wasn't happiness, I felt like I was going to throw up.

I ignored his call and went to my dorm, the conversation about us that never happened would happen now, and in the worst possible moment. I wanted to calm down to talk to him but Lewis insisted on talking to me right then and there. My phone kept vibrating as I sat on the small sofa in my room, trying to control my breathing so I wouldn't end up having a panic attack or something. He knew I knew, that's why he was calling me, to explain himself, or to end whatever kind of relationship we have, at this point I don't know anymore.

I took a deep breath before answering his fifth call. I accepted the call but didn't say anything, trying my best to postpone the conversation.

"Angie?" 

"Hi." My voice came out almost in a whisper.

"Are you okay?" I could hear in the background that he was in a bustling place. 

"Yes.”

"Good."

"Good."

For a moment I thought he wasn't going to say anything else, maybe he was waiting for me to start the conversation, but I didn't even know where to start. 

"Listen, I don't know if you saw it." 

"Oh, I saw it." 

"I just wanted to tell you that..." 

"You don't have to tell me anything. I told you this would happen, didn't I?"

I could barely feel my body, the blood was running through my veins fast enough to make me tingle. 

"Angie." 

"We could have spared this if you'd listened to me. But you insisted, and you asked me to trust you. And I trusted you, Lewis."

"I told you we would try, and we are trying." 

"I don't think what you're doing could be seen as trying." 

He took a few seconds to respond, I could hear his breathing even over the background noise.

"We never talked about exclusivity." 

"We never talked about anything, Lewis. You've always avoided that kind of conversation with me from the moment you found out we were going to split up." 

"That's not true."

"You know it is. We were naive and you know it. And you know what's worst of all? I can't even blame you, Lewis. I can't as much as I want to and this is killing me right now”.

I had to take a deep breath before proceeding because of the tears that were already burning my eyes. 

"I'll tell you what I should have said from the beginning, but I was stupid and I thought for a moment that this was going to work. Go ahead, go live your life. You know I don't fit in with this anymore. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. You took a path and I took another, things happen, what are we after all? Just childhood sweethearts and everyone knows that kind of thing doesn't go forward."

"’Just’? Are you going to sum up everything we've had into that?"

"It is what it is. I told you it was all going to end up being a small part of your past. We were kids, and we still are. And everything tends to be a lot more exciting when there's no prior experience."

"So that's it?" 

"That's it, that's all it was and all it could have been. Do what you wanted to do from the beginning, focus on your career -I laugh humorlessly. -And your perfect new girl, while I'm going to focus on my life. But please, please, don't look for me anymore. Cause I won't be able to move on with you in my life like a ghost."

"Angie…" I could almost hear his thoughts. There was a lot said in that silence that I would never actually hear. But I didn't have to, I was also feeling the same thing as him, as usual.

"I'm sorry." 

"It's okay Lew."

We stayed on the line for a while without saying anything, just listening to our breaths, trying to stay together even if separated for a little longer, attaching to what was already gone. I don't know who had the initiative to hang up first, but eventually, it ended, what I had almost my whole life ended, what I never thought would end.

And that was it, the boy I fell in love with and promised I would have forever has gone, without questioning, after just a few minute's phone call.

I know I can get over it, I hope that in a short time he really just becomes a good memory of my past, but not for now. For now, I'm broken and have no idea how to get out of this room and move on with my life. I know this will have to happen one day, but not today.

[liviavanrouge]

Letting it out(Angelina Story Quest Spoiler)

You did not break me

Angelina: *Trembles, covering her ears, darkness surrounding her*

Lyney: *Gasps and runs forward* ANGELINA!!

Lynette and Freminet: *Runs after him, their eyes widening*

Angelina: *Curls up midair, trying to block out everything*

Arlecchino: *Runs in with Aether, Paimon and Luna* Angelina!

Angelina: *Shakes her head, the darkness growing around her*

Lyney: Lynette!!

Lynette: *Leaps up and lands on Lyney's shoulder, balancing on one foot, reaching up towards Angelina but still out of reach* Angie! Come on!

I'm still fighting for peace

???: Go away! Leave me alone!

Lyney: *Stares with wide eyes* Huh

Freminet: That stuff is speaking for her..

???: Leave me alone!!

Angelina: *Lifts her head, her eyes turning pale white*

Freminet: Angelina, we're sorry! *Holds his arms out* Come down!

???: I...I...I want to go back, I want to go back before I met ANY of you, so I can save myself!

???: I HATE BEING UNABLE TO SPEAK!!

???: If I could, I'd go back and let those kids be taken, so I could keep being able to speak..

I've got thick skin and an elastic heart

Arlecchino: *Walks forward* You wouldn't do that..no matter what you say you'd save those kids either way..

Arlecchino: *Looks up at Angelina* You're not special because of your inability to speak, you're special because you're part of this family and we all care for each other

Lyney: Yes, and we are sorry for ignoring how upset you've been for the past few days, you're right...we weren't busy and we should've made time for you..

Lyney: You came to us willing to open your heart and we practically stomped all over it and made you feel as if we didn't care

Lynette: We're ashamed Angelina, we really are, you're as much our sister as Leena and Freya are and it wasn't fair that we favored them both over you...

Angelina: *Slowly lowers her hands*

But your blade it might be too sharp

Lynette: You're part of our family and we're gonna try from now on to be there for you as well, no more playing favorites..

Freminet: Yeah, if you want, we can make some snacks and you can talk about how you've felt and how upset you've been

Freminet: I don't mind being the one who sits down with you either, I know you like cookies so we can have some of those while you let it out

Arlecchino: *Looks up at Angelina* Can you come down now, I know you're uncomfortable up there

Angelina: *Stares at them then clenches her fists*

I may snap and I move fast

???: LIARS!! GO AWAY!

Arlecchino: *Moves in front of the kids, her eyes narrowed, cutting off an attack*

Arlecchino: I need you three to do something...

Lynette: Yes, "Father"?

Arlecchino: I need you all to hug Angelina...

Lyney: *Perks up, his eyes wide* We've never hugged her before.....she's never received a hug..

Freminet: *Looks down guilty*

Lynette: ....Never...

Mason: *Lands behind them* Ready?

Lynette: *Nods* Yes, "Mother"

Mason: *Floats the trio up, focusing his power*

But you won't see me fall apart

Angelina: *Stares Arlecchino down, her eyes narrowed trying to hit her with a beam*

???: HOLD STILL!!

Lyney, Lynette and Freminet: *Wraps their arms around Angelina, startling her*

Angelina: *Stares with wide eyes stunned, tears starting to fall*

Lyney: We're so sorry....so very sorry..

Angelina: *Stares as the darkness faded away, sending them falling to the ground*

Mason: *Fires wind around, catching the kids and gently setting them down*

Angelina: *Stares with wide eyes then sobs, clinging to Lyney*

'Cause I've got an elastic heart

Arlecchino: *Stares at them then turns and walks away* I leave you kids to handle this

Mason; *Smiles at them and walks after Arlecchino*

Lyney: *Rests his head on top of Angelina, a tear falling down his cheek* It's okay...

Lynette: It's gonna be okay now, Angie...

Freminet: When we get back, you can spill everything to us

Freminet: *Hands Angelina her Speaking Device*

Angelina: *Stares at the device, then presses her finger to the screen*

Angelina: "Thank you....I'm sorry.."

Lyney: *Smiles and pats her head* It's okay..

@queen-of-twisted @yukii0nna @zexal-club @albedomestic-airline

[thisgirlnamedblusy]

Hello! I wanted to ask if we could get an oblivious Reader X Donna? Reader keeps mistaking Donna’s attempts as being friendly and it isn’t until someone else(probably one of the lords or a random villager) flirts with Reader and Reader brushes it off/friendzones/politely yet harshly rejects them that it clicks for Donna that Reader is just that clueless and pushes her to outright spell it for Reader to understand.

Yesss!!!! Thank you for your request!!! I hope you like it and sorry about the language mistakes!!!!

Get the hints

Pairing: Donna Beneviento x Fem! Reader

Warnings: Fluff, Donna's POV

Word count: 7,224

Summary: Are you not able to see that I love you?

N/A: Sorry about the language mistakes!!! Requests are open!!! I'm waiting yours!!! I love you all!!! :))

“Angie, how I look?” I asked nervously, putting on my dress, seeking my doll's approval.

“Dark, as always,” she murmured, with a tired gesture. “Oh, wait, you have something on your face,” she joked, making me grunt and feel the black fabric that covered my hideous face.

“Very funny,” I protested, walking towards the door, my heart beating faster and faster.

My life has always been sad. I lost everything at a very young age, I found myself alone, helpless in that sinister place. There is no hope for me, there never was, I don't even know why I was born.

I, Donna Beneviento, Lord, sick, lonely woman... My name means nothing but terror and fear, my presence is only a bad omen for the poor unfortunates who dare to bother me. I’m nothing but a monster, one which never had to exist, which wonders every day if it would have been better to give up.

Mother Miranda was merciful to me, she gave me the gift of the Black Gods, she gave me a chair at her side, a new family, a new hope. Not even feeling part of something, feeling that I now had siblings, that I could vent my frustration for a lifetime of loneliness on innocent people, was enough to calm the pain in my soul.

Only Angie, only the doll that my father gave me and to which I was able to grant life thanks to the Gods, kept me tied to the reality of my existence, prevented my madness from taking over me completely.

Loneliness, darkness, fear… That was what I saw in my reflection, in my deformed face, in the face of a soul in pain that cannot even die. Shadows loomed day and night over my head, my dolls only served to remind me that there was a past that was better, and it would never return.

Hatred and envy turned me into a fearsome being, a woman who hated others, who refused to speak to them. Donna Beneviento, once a woman, now a monster.

But after a couple of decades, something happened, something that brought me out of my dark thoughts, something that brightened my hideous face every day. I met you.

(Y/N), that was your name. Apparently the Duke's business in the village was the only thing that really worked. It worked so well that even that vermin whose veins ran with golden blood made the effort to hire an assistant. That was you, the Duke's assistant, my only reason to smile.

I never gave importance to the feeling that the books talked about, those four letters that meant the world to the protagonists, that pushed them to do crazy things. Love never interested me, why would it? I was a monster, a Lord. But that day, the day you knocked on my door, the day your eyes took my breath away, that day, I realized.

Yes, I didn't know love, I didn't even bother looking for it. I just wasn't interested. When I met you, I understood. I wasn't looking for love, and it came to me. You were beautiful, a young and cheerful girl who always smiled.

You didn't fear me, you weren't afraid of me. You came to my home, you offered me everything I needed, even things I didn't even know you had, like your presence. Every night I dreamed of your smile, of your gaze... I dreamed that your words had another meaning, that your heart raced the same way mine did when you were near.

Deep down I always knew they were just illusions. No one could ever love me. Donna Beneviento was doomed to live without love.

But my internal struggles, the insults and discouraging words with which the voices in my head tortured me made me not want to give up, made me keep a slight hope, the hope of having you by my side.

“Are you going to do something at last?” the doll asked, while, like an anxious lover, I looked out the window, I saw your presence walking towards my house, I saw your beautiful eyes about to meet mine. “Or are you going to just stare at her like a fool like always? “

I sighed. Angie was right.

“Oh, taci,” I whispered in a dark voice, passing by the doll, which moved its limbs in an exaggerated way.

“Silly Donna …” she protested, pulling my dress unpleasantly, making me even more nervous. “Wake up.”

“Angie, please, l-leave me alone,” I said, feeling my hands getting more and more sweaty, the closer you were. “D-Don't bother us, will you?”

“Oh, yes, right, I wouldn't want to interrupt your constant mating rituals…” the puppet mocked, making me look at her with a fiery eye. “Oh, wait, she doesn't even know that you like her!”

“Will you shut up? You're making me nervous,” I said growling, bringing me closer to the door knob.

“You make me nervous, would you mind stopping acting like an idiot and telling (Y/N) what you feel?” that part of my conscience, the one I created, scolded me.

“You know I can't,” I murmured, putting on my dress before opening the door, before losing myself in your gaze again.

“Coward,” the doll hissed, letting me take her in my arms to welcome you like every day, like every time I wasted my money just for you to come.

I didn't respond to that accusation (which was accurate, by the way) and, with a gentle tug, I let the light enter in the dark hall while your smile turned to me, that beautiful smile.

“Buongiorno, Lady Beneviento,” you said with that sweet voice, leaving the wheelbarrow on the floor, sighing, surely tired. “How are you today?”

“l-I’m fine, thank you,” I answered with a hoarse voice, clearing my throat so you could hear it.

(Y/N)… If only you knew how hard it is for me to speak for myself, if only you knew that only you, apart from Angie, had that privilege…

“Great, because I’m fine too,” you answered with a smile, bringing your hands together before taking out a bunch of objects, objects that I asked you for. “You look good.”

I couldn't help but blush. I knew you said that to everyone, that your profession as a merchant forced you to be kind, but my heart, my wounded mind transformed those compliments into a sweet melody for my ears.

“You, you too,” I said automatically, controlling the inevitable trembling of my voice, the trembling that your divine presence caused in my body, and in my heart.

“Oh… Do you really think so?” you asked with a shy smile, looking at yourself.

“Y-yes, you are, you are beautiful,” -I said without thinking, closing my eye, taking advantage of the fact that you couldn't see my disoriented expression, the increasingly intense blush on my cheeks.

“Wow, you're the second person to tell me that today,” you commented, cutting off my breath. “Mm, I know, you've noticed my new dress, huh?”

I, wanting to escape from my pathetic attempt to flatter you, nodded slowly, while Angie tried with all her might not to laugh at me. Damn doll.

“No wonder, the Duke has made an order for high quality fabrics, look, touch it, touch it, it’s soft, right?” you said, getting dangerously close, offering me a sleeve of your dress.

Timidly, I reached out my hand towards the fabric that covered your skin, towards the wrapper that protected your divinity, your perfect body. I was very hooked on you, (Y/N), and it wasn't going to get better.

“Mm,” I murmured, pretending disinterest, after being so close to touching your hand, containing my impulses to grab you and never let you go. “Did you make that dress yourself?”

“Of course,” you said smiling, moving away from me again, painfully moving away. “In addition to having great quality, this fabric is wonderful to handle. Look, I have a few rolls, in case you're interested…”

“Um, yes, yes,” I said stammering while you searched for the fabric in that mess of a carriage.

I would love to help you organize it, give you a goodbye kiss, wish you a good day at work, and tell you to come back to my arms soon. I think I was obsessing…

“I knew you had good taste,” you said satisfied, showing off a bunch of colorful fabrics. “How many do you want?”

“I'll buy them all,” I said, gesturing with my hand for you to leave them at the door. You nodded with a triumphant smile. Naturally, Angie was there to interrupt my clumsiness.

“Donna! We have plenty of fabric! What the…?” the doll protested, which I silenced by lowering it to the ground and pushing it into the house, closing the door.

“Forgive her, (Y/N),” I apologized on behalf of the puppet. You looked at me with a frown and an amused expression.

“Oh, no problem,” you said sighing, going back to your carriage and taking out the things that I did ask for. “Here is your order, check that everything is okay, please.”

I approached with a slow step, looking at the contents of those boxes, well, pretending to look at them, actually, I was looking at you.

“Y-yes, everything is okay,” I murmured, turning away embarrassed, unable to stay close to you, pretending that I was nothing but a Lord, that I didn't count the hours to see you.

“Great, it's…” you said thoughtfully, calculating the money I had to pay you.

“It doesn't matter, here,” I said, taking out a bag of coins and reaching out to give it to you. “Keep what's left, I know it's not easy to get here.”

“You're very generous, Lady Beneviento,” you sighed gratefully, with a tender smile. “But for me it's not a problem to come here, the road is very relaxing.”

“Do you think so?” I asked, desperately trying to extend your stay, trying to you to not leave me again. “Normally people tend to be afraid of the forest.”

You shook your head, making a gesture with your hands.

“That's because they're cowards,” you said amused, organizing the remaining room in your cart, putting away the coins. “They don't know how to appreciate the beauty that is in the darkness.”

I smiled without you being able to see me, with my breathing agitated by your flattery, false or genuine. Nobody liked the forest, nobody liked me.

“Anyway, I hope you have a good day,” you said shaking your hands, taking your carriage to make me suffer, to disappear from my property. “See you tomorrow.”

“S-Sure… Take-Take care of yourself,” I said timidly, with a broken voice, not wanting to see you walk away, opening the door slowly, with a frustrated sigh.

“Ciao!” you said amused, waving your hand to say goodbye, hiding your smile from me again.

“Ciao…” I sighed, entering the mansion again, relaxing my body tense from the love I felt for you, for a love you would never discover.

“Are you stupid?” Angie asked, crossing her arms. I ignored her, getting rid of the veil with a sad look. “Don't let her go.”

“What?” I asked annoyed, taking a look at those fabulous fabrics. “Angie, leave me alone.”

“Do I have to do everything?!” the puppet shrieked, pushing me and walking out the door. “Hey, you, merchant! Come here!”

“Angie… What are you doing?” I said nervously, looking at the end of the path, where you stopped, looking back with a surprised look.

“Yes, you! The idiot with the carriage! Come here!” Angie shrieked, making me freeze in embarrassment. At that moment the bottom of the waterfall seemed like the best place for Angie.

You turned around, walking back to me. Angie nudged me, pointing at the black veil I was wringing in my sweaty hands. I put it on in time. You didn't want to see me. I would lose you forever if you did.

“Miss Angie, were you yelling at me?” you joked with your hands on your hips, looking at me amused as I tried to put the veil on.

“Yes, Donna wanted to tell you something,” the doll said, pushing my legs to get me closer to you, almost throwing me down the stairs.

“Oh, really? Did I forget something?” you asked confused, scratching the back of your neck, worried in case you hadn't done your job well.

“No, no...” I sighed, reassuring you with a gesture of my hands. “I, I was wondering if... Well, walking so much is exhausting and...”

“Yes, actually it is,” you interrupted, with a feigned gesture of tiredness. “But I'm used to it.”

“Maybe... Maybe you'd like... No, I don't know, maybe you'd like to have some tea... With, with me,” I stammered, daring to tell you, to propose you spend time with me. I shouldn't be surprised by my daring, I'd been dreaming about something like that for too long.

“Oh, I...” you murmured with a shy smile. My nerves kept me firm, motionless, imagining in my head the worst possible scenario.

“You, you don't have to accept... it's also silly... I, I'm sorry, (Y/N), forget it,” I said nervously, thus avoiding hearing your words of rejection.

“No, um... I, I was looking forward to you saying that,” you said in a soft tone, looking away and approaching slowly.

My heart was beating fast with each step you took. I didn't think it was going to be that simple.

“Were you?” I asked curiously, playing shyly with my hands, having you too close again. You nodded, biting your lip, giving me a shiver.

“Yes, because...” you murmured in a tone that seemed seductive to me. “Because I just got an incredible tea that I would like you to try.”

I was speechless, watching you take some tea bags out of your dress that you shook mockingly in front of my eye. Angie couldn't help but burst into a subtle but obvious laugh.

“Oh,” I said confused and disappointed, taking the bag and pretending to observe it. “Um... I'll be happy to try it, if, if you come with me,” I said, again showing the courage I didn't have, taking advantage of the sweetness expressed in your gaze.

“Of course, it will be a pleasure to have tea with you,” you said enthusiastically, walking behind me back to the mansion.

“Um... So, sorry for the mess,” I said nervously, moving away the fabrics and sewing materials that were scattered around my sad living room, guiding you to a small sofa, to my favorite corner.

“Oh, you haven’t seen the Duke's warehouse,” you joked, sitting down as I told you.

I laughed shyly, shaking my head, turning around cowardly to disappear from your overwhelming presence.

“My lady!” you shouted, making me stop. I turned slowly, watching you shake the bag in your hands. “You forgot the tea.”

“Oh, certo,” I said nervously, approaching again and snatching it from your hands roughly, making you blink confused. I was always a mess. “It will only be a moment.”

“I have time,” you said amused, looking around curiously.

I was finally able to get rid of my nerves, boiling the water calmly in the kitchen, not believing that it was happening, that you were in my house, that you were going to have tea with me.

“You're welcome, huh?” a shrill voice interrupted my thoughts. I didn't even notice that Angie came down with me, unfortunately.

“Do you want me to thank you? You don't know how embarrassed I've been…” I hissed furiously while the tea slowly took on its characteristic color. “I guess (Y/N) is now in my house after all… And… And she's going to have tea with me.”

“Yes, yes, so? What are you going to do?” the puppet asked, leaving me without an answer again. “Are you going to tell her that you love her? That you're crazy about her?”

“Don't talk nonsense, I can't do that,” I muttered, shaking my head, frowning. “She can't even guess what I feel for her.”

“Of course, because you don't tell her,” Angie said, crossing her arms, with an accusatory tone. “Do you expect her to be able to read your mind or what?”

“No, cazzo…” I protested, hitting the counter with my fists. “I, I don't know what to say to her… I, I don't know if she…”

“I don’t  know, I don't know…” the puppet mocked, jumping on the floor. “You're a Lord, she would never dare to reject you.”

“That's not what I want, Angie,” I sighed, placing the spoons in a perfect way, everything had to be perfect for you. “I want, I want her to… Forget it… It's impossible.”

“You'll never know if you don't try,” the doll said, leaving me thinking. Once again, she was right, Angie was always right.

“Try…” I murmured, passing my hand inside my veil, wiping the sweat from my forehead. “I don't know how.”

“To begin with, take that off,” Angie said jumping onto the counter and uncovering my face roughly, pulling the veil with her hands.

“What are you doing? Give it back to me,” I protested, chasing the doll around the kitchen. You couldn't see me, you shouldn't see me, or you would hate me, I would disgust you.

“How do you plan to seduce (Y/N) without her being able to look you in the eyes?” the doll said, running away from me in an almost comical way. “Well… In the eye. The eyes are the mirror of the soul.”

“Are they? Well my mirror is broken,” I sighed, crossing my arms, unable to snatch my black veil from Angie.

“Nonsense, now move your ass, get up there and seduce that silly village girl,” Angie ordered me, making me growl again.

“I can't, not with this face,” I sobbed, starting to lose my nerves. “She'll never love me if she sees my appearance.”

“You don't know that,” Angie said, putting a hand on my shoulder to calm the trembling of my hands, my desire to destroy everything again. “Hey, if (Y/N) sees that you trust her enough to show her your face, maybe it will be easier for you to talk to her, don't you think?”

“I don't think so,” I said, taking a deep breath to calm myself.

“Someone is waiting for you…” the doll sang.

There would be nothing wrong with trying, looking at you with my own eye, not seeing your blurred beauty. At least I could see you one last time before you ran away.

“Moon river, wider than a mile, I'm crossin' you in style someday…” your voice made my nerves worse, that sweet song you were singing distractedly made me forget for a moment my uncovered face. Such a beautiful voice… Such a beautiful girl…

“Ahem,” I cleared my throat to get your attention, something I managed, making you shut up immediately, looking at me with an embarrassed smile.

“Oh, my lady,” you said nervously while I left the tray with the cups on the table. I was a bundle of nerves, the tea trembled dangerously, my gaze struggled to escape from yours. “How embarrassing, you heard me sing.”

“Schiocchezze… You have a beautiful voice,” I murmured in a low voice, looking at the floor as I sat in front of you. A compliment that came from my soul thanks to your angelic voice.

“Wow, thank you,” you said amused, blowing on your cup of tea, looking at me with a confused expression.

I trembled, moving my hands in my lap, not looking up, knowing what that expression meant, knowing the horror to look at my true face caused you.

Silence fell over us, I didn't know what to say, you didn't know what to say. Surely horrible thoughts were wandering through your head, surely you would finish your tea as quickly as possible. You would leave forever.

“Um… Wow, it's very hot,” you said nervously, putting the cup back on the tray. “Hey, you look different,” ​​you commented.

I looked at you briefly, hiding my ugliness behind the steaming cup of tea.

“Yes, you definitely look much better like this,” you finally said, slowly picking up your cup, blowing on it to make the scorching heat go away. “I can look you in the eyes… Well, in the… Eye,” you said unsure, reminding me of Angie.

I sighed, believing that you were doing nothing but lying.

“There's no need for you to be complacent, (Y/N),” I whispered in a voice taken over by my demons, by the voices in my head that reminded me how horrible I was. “I know I'm horrible.”

“Oh, no, not at all,” you said, with a nervous smile, looking at the hall door, pointing to the stairs. “So that pretty woman in the portrait was you…”

“Pretty?” I asked in a mocking tone, shaking my head. “You must be blind.”

“Mm, no, I can see perfectly,” you said with a tone that didn’t betray mockery, one that made me frown, had you really not understood my irony? “I have never even needed glasses.”

“How… Lucky,” I murmured a bit confused, taking a sip of that tea. At least it was delicious. “You were not lying, it’s a good tea.”

“È il meglior,” you said amused, with a mischievous look. I dared to look at you, to let my gaze make contact with yours. You were perfect, (Y/N), I couldn't help but smile. “Oh, did I say it wrong?”

“It seems that you take your work seriously,” I whispered amused, feeling for the first time comfortable with your presence. Your eyes didn’t reflect fear. Your body seemed not to tremble. The greatest of my worries was blurred with your shy laugh.

 “Well, I wouldn't want my boss to stop being the lord and master of the business because of me,” you joked, breathing calmly, relaxed, without taking your eyes off mine. Maybe there was something between us, maybe it was worth trying.

“I see, he's very lucky to have you,” I commented with a sigh, with my cheeks burning with embarrassment. Maybe I was going too far, maybe I was making a mistake.

“You think so? Bah, I'm just a girl like any other,” you said, downplaying my words, sincere words, which were gaining more and more strength.

“That's not true,” I said amused, with a murmur that tried to be seductive. “The Duke wouldn't leave his business in the hands of just any girl.”

“Mm, now you mention it...” you said thoughtfully, with a hand on your chin, leaning on the sofa. “…Well, the Duke has always told me that I have a natural talent for attracting clients, but I don't know what he means exactly.”

My body stirred as I studied your innocent gaze. Did you really not know how beautiful you were, how sweet your voice was?

“I suppose you have a natural talent for trading,” I said, hiding my blush in my teacup again. “You are good at talking to people.”

“Oh, no, that's a lie, my lady,” you interrupted, with a silly laugh. “Before the Duke hired me, I was the shyest girl in the village, I assure you.”

“I find it hard to believe,” I said amused, laughing embarrassedly.

“Well, it's true, I never... Well, I've never been the most charismatic girl in the world but... When I started in this business I saw how easy it was for me to talk to people. Normally they are all very kind to me.”

“Kind?” I asked curiously, wanting to know what you were referring to.

“Mm,” you murmured, nodding. “There are villagers who just by seeing me, they want to buy anything, or just want talk to me. Maybe I have an innate talent, right?”

“I-I guess so,” I stammered, not wanting to imagine the claws of any villager on your skin, on the soft fabric of your dress, not wanting to imagine horrible eyes studying your body. “I, I can't blame them... You're a... Very... Beautiful girl.”

“How curious, everyone says the same thing,” you said with a frown. “I really didn't imagine that people could be so kind in a place like this... And, well, all of you.”

“All of us?” I asked curiously, tilting my head, starting to feel uncomfortable in that situation.

“Yes, well, the Lords, you know what I mean. I'm sick of spending hours and hours in the castle, your sister, Lady Dimitrescu is also very kind, she always has nice words for me.

“My, my sister,” I hissed with a dark voice, with the teacup shaking in my hand, with a cold look, with my lips pressed together.

 No, not her.

“Yes, she always invites me to see her paintings,” you commented passively, without giving it any importance. “It doesn't matter if I tell her I'm in a hurry, she always insists.”

“Do you like being with her?” I asked without meaning to, questioning you from the depths of my increasingly wounded heart.

“Mm, it's entertaining,” you said, shrugging your shoulders. “But the truth is that I get a bit tired of her constantly telling me how beautiful I am, she's too kind.”

“Kind, you say? Do you think my sister is kind?” I asked again, repressing my impulse to get up from the chair, to scream and break everything in anger.

“Yes, she always makes me smile,” you said innocently, as if you didn't know what you were saying, something that seemed unlikely. “Well... It’s a bit late and...”

“Yes, of course,” I said nervously, getting up at the same time as you, who looked at me with an apologetic face.

“I've had a great time with you, my lady,” you said sighing, with a sincere smile, one that pierced my chest like an arrow, straight to my heart.

“T-Then…” I interrupted your game, shyly grabbing your wrist. Your stories made me lose control, the need to have you was unbearable, and even more so when I knew that I wasn't the only one who was able to see your beauty. “Would you like to have tea with me tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” you asked thoughtfully, nodding after a terrible moment of doubt. “Of course, I would love to, my lady.”

“Donna… C-Call me Donna, please,” I said upon hearing your answer, knowing that you would spend more time with me, that you felt comfortable by my side.

“Okay, Donna,” you said amused, winking at me. “Oh, and don't worry about the tea, it’s free for you,” you whispered, walking towards the door. I felt Angie's pushes, her impatient gestures for me not to let you go again.

“Wait, wait a moment, (Y/N),” I said nervously, grabbing your hand again, losing myself in the softness of your skin, one that I could only imagine in my dreams. “I want, I want to tell you something…”

You nodded, letting my hand caress you, without moving it away, something that made the words not want to come out of my mouth.

“Um… I…” I stammered, not knowing what my intentions were, what I wanted to tell her. It was a pathetic, desperate attempt, an attempt to hold you back a little longer, just a little longer. “I… I really want to see you tomorrow.”

“I haven't left yet,” you joked, with a tender look. “But… Yes, I also want to go back, I really like being with you, Donna.”

“Me, me too…” I sighed, moving a little closer, before your hand finally separated from mine, you winked at me and disappeared through the door.

I sighed as I watched the door close again, the light of your presence fade, the darkness returning to my life.

“Well… It hasn't gone so badly, has it?” Angie said, interrupting my thoughts, which were meditating on what had happened, on each of your words, your gestures… I wanted something to tell me that I had a chance…

“Are you kidding? It's been a disaster,” I commented, walking towards the phone, frowning, with one thing very clear, something I had to do.

“Who are you calling?” the doll asked, while I waited for someone to answer the phone. My blood was burning with rage.

“Dimitrescu Castle…” my sister's tired and always seductive voice sounded on the other end. I couldn't do anything but clench my fists tightly, taking a breath.

“Listen carefully, Alcina, because I'm only going to say this once,” I began hissing, with rage and jealousy taking absolute control of my words. “(Y/N) is mine. I saw her first so do me a favor and keep your claws away from her, find another helpless girl among your hundreds of maids, capisci?”

“Excuse me? Donna? What the…?”

“Stupida,” I growled, hanging up the phone without giving any further explanation. I was furious, jealous, thinking about the times you had been with her, the times I lost that opportunity to be with you.

“Wow, wow, easy, Donna,” Angie said, making a gesture with her hands while I ran my hand over my forehead, terribly nervous.

“Angie… This… This is not going well,” I said, finding serious difficulties to breathe, to speak clearly. “Just when I think I've gotten close to her… I…”

“Hey, it seemed like a big step to me,” the doll said, rubbing my back. “She seemed comfortable with you.”

“Comfortable? I've done nothing but flirting to her the whole time, and what has she done? Ignore me, and do you know why? Because she doesn't feel anything for me,” I lamented, trying not to let the tears come out yet, not to let desperation take over my soul.

“Pfff,” Angie said, drawing my anger back to her. “If you call that flirting…”

“It's… It's the best I can do… I, I can't let… them, take her away from me…” I stammered, shaking my head.

“You'll have to be more direct,” the doll advised me, getting down from the small telephone table.

“More? I haven't stopped telling her how beautiful she is… How much I like her company, I don't know what else I can do… Maybe, maybe she's noticed and… And she thinks that ignoring me is the best way to avoid hurting my feelings… Yes, that's it, for sure,” I rambled, starting to see the reality, the impossibility of having your love.

“Mmm,” Angie murmured, thoughtfully. “It's true, it's been even painful, Donna,” she mocked. “But…”

“But…” I growled, about to deactivate that annoying doll.

“Hey, maybe you're wrong,” she finally said, pulling my dress so I relaxed, so I sat in an armchair next to her. “Maybe she's just stupid.”

“Stupid?” I asked, letting myself fall into the armchair, sighing and letting out my frustrations. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe she didn't get the hints,” Angie commented, climbing onto my lap.

“That's impossible... Even a child would get them,” I whispered, looking out the window, pushing away from my heart the desire to cry.

“That's why I tell you that I think (Y/N) is just stupid. If you don't believe me, test her, be more direct,” the doll said, with an air of superiority that got on my nerves.

“No, how do you want me to say it?” I protested with a threatening hiss. “I don't know how to seduce anyone, I've never seduced anyone.”

“Fine, then continue crying alone in your bed, regretting that you haven't dared to do anything, but don't count on me, I'm sick of hearing you talk about that stupid girl...” Angie sighed, tired of my attitude, leaving me alone again, allowing me to reflect.

Angie's stupid theory traveled through my mind, making itself present in my thoughts, diverting my attention from my main problem. No, there was no way I could think that you didn't realize what my words meant. I was always clumsy, I never knew how to express myself, I never knew how to talk to anyone.

The possibility about the doll being right was confusing. If you didn't realize what I felt... No, no, it wasn't possible, my words said it all, my words spoke for my heart, you couldn't just not get it. You would have to be ignoring it.

Even with the certainty that my hypothesis was the most correct, that you would never feel anything for me, doubt continued to darken my thoughts, continued torturing me. After all, I was a Lord, you were a villager... What could I lose by trying?

As strange as it seemed, that option was the best. To get rid of doubts, to see how far your patience would go, how far you could bear my flattery, my desire to be with you. And so I did.

You came the next day and the words came out of my mouth on their own. The bitter taste of the tea contradicted my sweet words, ones that provoked your smiles, smiles that I studied, trying unsuccessfully to see the discomfort or rejection in them. I was not able to understand the reason for your attitude, that shy but at the same time absent-minded look, taking my compliments as a simple gesture of kindness.

As the days went by, with those quiet chats over a cup of tea, my patience began to wear thin. You always came back, you always let yourself be flattered, you never stopped me from telling you how beautiful you were, how good I felt with you. Could it be that Angie was right after all?

It seemed unthinkable, but your behavior only confirmed it to me. I even dared to caress you, to touch the softness of your skin, to make contact with your body to be my greatest hobby. You never turned away, you never complained, you always smiled, always.

Little by little I stopped seeing that smile as something divine, and instead saw it as something diabolical, something infernal, a cruel mockery of fate. No matter how hard I tried, you never took notice. You never believed that my sincere words meant anything else.

“You took so long,” I said with the same smile that I had on my face when I saw you, letting you in for another hellish tea, for another desperate attempt of my feelings to be heard.

“Yes, I'm sorry,” you said amused, walking happily through the house, sitting in the usual place, in front of me. “They've kept me busy at the bakery.”

I smiled again, shaking my head, always apologizing. It didn't matter that you took forever. I would always be waiting for you.

“It doesn't matter, (Y/N), I like waiting for you,” I said with a shy whisper, with a well-rehearsed look, a seductive one, or one that pretended to be.

“Do you know who Roberto is? The baker's son?” you asked, with an amused grimace, bringing the cup of tea to your perfect lips, those that I could never kiss.

I nodded slowly, not giving importance to your question.

“He's been talking to me all morning…” you sighed, rolling your eyes. “He won't leave me alone.”

“Is he bothering you?” I asked in a dark voice. As long as I'm alive, no one would dare to bother you, I assure you.

“Mm, no, well, not exactly,” you commented amused. “He's determined to buy all the books of the Flora and Fauna collection, can you believe it? Him,” you joked with that same casual tone.

The tremors returned to my hands, but I tried to stay calm.

“How annoying,” you snorted, opening your eyes wide. “He keeps telling me I'm beautiful, and, look at this, he gave me a bracelet,” you said, extending your hand so I could look at the shiny ornament hanging from it.

It couldn't be possible, were you really an angel, or a demon?

“That boy gave you this,” I murmured with contempt, frowning at your calm gaze. I looked at Angie confused, who shrugged in an amused manner.

“Yes, he says that the shine of silver brings out the beauty of my eyes. What nonsense, it's just a bracelet,” you said disinterestedly. I was already burning with rage, closing my eye, trying to control my breathing. “Are you okay?”

“Yes… I… Why a bracelet?” I asked annoyed, shifting in the chair, noticing how a cold sweat ran down my neck. “But, but…”

“Bah, I guess he just wants to be nice,” you said, downplaying it with a gesture of your hand. I blinked several times. It couldn't be true, you really were blind.

“Nice… (Y/N),” I murmured, calmly putting the cup on the table, trying to find the appropriate words, beginning to understand your strange behavior, but denying to myself that it was true.

“Yes, I had to promise him that I would go see the stars with him tonight. If not, I think I would still be at the bakery,” you said amused. Not even your sweet voice could make me smile after listening to you.

“See, see the stars…” I repeated more and more nervously, shaking my head, laughing mockingly.

“Yes, it seems like a good plan to do with friends, don't you think?” you said, relaxing your expression, worried about my strange reaction. “Donna, are you sure you're okay?”

“You can't be that naive…” I sighed, getting up from the chair, pacing back and forth in the room, nervous, about to lose control again. “I can't believe it, friends, you say?”

“Y-Yes…” you murmured, moving back in place, confused and a bit nervous. “He wants to be my friend.”

“Is that what you think?” I asked, approaching and grabbing you by the shoulders, staring at you, searching your gaze for the trap, that small gesture that would reveal your intentions to laugh at me.

“Donna, you're scaring me,” you said with a trembling voice. I let you go with a growl, the pressure was too strong, my love for you was already unbearable, as was discovering that your attitude was genuine, clueless and trusting.

“You’re scaring me,” I hissed, pointing at you with my finger, laughing mockingly, almost sinisterly. “Are you really not able to see what's in front of your eyes?”

“Mm, what do you mean? Now I only see you and... You're, you're a bit nervous... Y-You should calm down, do you want me to call a doctor?”

“Idiota!” I screamed furiously, clenching my fists tightly on both sides of my hips. “That guy doesn't want to be your friend, (Y/N), he wants to take you to bed, can't you see it?”

“To bed? What for?” you asked with a frown, getting up to study my movements and try to stop them. Your expression changed when you realized, opening your mouth and blushing embarrassed. “Oh, you mean… Seduce me… Bah, no, I don't think so.”

“You don't think so?” I asked with a disoriented expression, opening my eye wide, not knowing whether to let tears consume me or laugh at that situation. “Gods… How can you be that stupid?”

“Hey, don't insult me, Donna, I, I haven't done anything to you,” you said fearfully, with an annoyed and sad look. “Be-Besides, what do you care if he wants to flirt with me? We're friends, right?”

“Friends…” I said, shaking my head, looking at the doll, who was already afraid of my loss of control. “Stupida…”

“Hey, if you're going to keep insulting me, I'd better go,” you said angrily, grabbing your jacket and walking towards the exit. “It's been a pleasure being with you.”

“Donna, you fool, don't let her go,” Angie said, pushing me by the legs. Closing my eye, risking everything on one last desperate card, I ran to stop you, grabbing your wrist, feeling the soothing softness of your skin on mine.

“Wait, wait, (Y/N),” I said in a calmer voice, pulling you along, with a pleading look.

“What do you want? I'm in a hurry,” you said, visibly upset by my erratic behavior.

 It was now, or never.

“I'm in love with you,” I confessed with a clear voice, looking you in the eyes, sounding as sincere as possible, putting my nerves aside, praying to the Black Gods that you would understand my words.

“What? It's, it's a joke, isn't it?” you asked after a few moments of unbearable tension, with me consumed by your silence.

“Do you think I'm joking?” I hissed, darkening my gaze. I didn't care about anything anymore, if I lost you, at least I would die fighting. “I love you, (Y/N), I've loved you since the day I met you.”

“You… You love me…” you sighed, repeating my words, blinking in confusion, unable to prevent your mouth from rising, your cheeks from blushing. “But, but that's not possible… You, you're a Lord and I…

“You're the most wonderful girl I know. Ti amo, sono pazza di te…” I said again, pulling you closer to me, with a pleading look, caressing your cheek, brushing your hair away from your beauty.

“Wow…” you sighed, joining your hand with mine, with a tender smile, one that told me I hadn't made a serious mistake. “So that was it… Why didn't you tell me before?”

A loud laugh interrupted my statement, Angie seemed to be writhing on the floor laughing, laughing at me, of course.

“I've been trying to tell you for weeks, (Y/N) but you... You didn't want to listen to me,” I said, ignoring the doll's unpleasant laughter.

“Really? I hadn't realized,” you said with a loving whisper, with a look that went straight to my eye, taking a step closer to me. “But, but you have, you have to be joking... You can't feel anything for me...”

“Maledizione...” I murmured, letting out a furious growl and grabbing your face in my hands, pulling it until my greatest wish was fulfilled, until my lips captured yours in a clumsy, messy kiss. “What do you think of this?”

“Mm... I loved it...” you sighed, still with your eyes closed, with a smile that grew wider. “Can you do it again?”

I obeyed, forgetting for a moment the effort it took me to get to that point, forgetting the whole nights of crying, the voices that told me something like that would be impossible, that you would never be mine.

“Mm, Donna… I, I'm in love with you too,” you whispered, hugging me innocently while I surrounded your body with my arms, keeping you close to it.

“(Y/N)…Gods…” I sighed, unable to contain a tear of happiness that slid down my cheek.

“I really thought you would never realize it,” you commented, playing with the buttons of my dress, forcing me to arch my eyebrow and kiss you quickly, not wanting to think that maybe it was another one of my dreams. “I thought you just wanted to be my friend.”

“You can't be serious,” I said, shaking my head, enjoying the warmth of your hug. “My love…”

“Donna,” you sighed, radiating happiness. “Did you really think I came here every day just to sell you that stuff?”

“And you really thought I called any girl who came near my property beautiful?” I countered, laughing amused, enjoying the tenderness of your innocence.

“Maybe you just wanted to be nice…” you murmured, hanging on my neck.

“Nice…” I sighed, kissing you again. “You're such a clueless girl, you know that?”

[russellsppttemplates]

an idea i've had: mick and mama each planning or getting a surprise for each other for the holidays (something different for each of them) but each told from their POV until they open them together?

Mick was on a mission: finding the perfect surprise gift for his wife. Throughout the year, he always made sure that, within reason, you were showered with gifts, but this one was special. It wasn't something you could buy from looking at somebody else wearing it or seeing it in a shop, at least not the way he wanted it.

"This is for my wife, so can I send the pictures to you?", Mick questioned, "if you want, you can make a digital mock up and it will be more accurate, you can do that here and I can help, the shop isn't too busy", the older man said, pulling a chair for Mick to sit.

"Look at these pictures, they're beautiful", he added, "these are from a few years ago, before we got married", Mick looked at the screen proudly as they helped him, telling the story in each one.

"I'm sorry I'm asking, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but don't you have a wedding photo album?", he asked, "I'm only wondering because since those became tradition, I hardly ever do these for people. Technology has come such a long way and some people don't want them either".

"We do, and we love it, don't get me wrong. Our photographer did an amazing job, and we still love going through it. But I wanted something a little bit personal, more us, with pictures of when we started dating all until now with our three kids", smiling as he pulled up the picture you took when you brought Harriet home.

"Very well, sir. I think it's a fine idea and I'm sure your wife will love it", the older man proceeded, grabbing the samples he needed to work with.

.

"You have to press a little bit harder, liebling, like this", you nudged, helping Harriet push the clay down with her palm, leaving the inprint, "now these have to dry?", Sebastian asked.

"Yes, this is mama's present to papa, and this is a surprise, so you can't tell him, okay?", you put your pointer finger in front of your lips, making a shhh sign and winking, delighting Harriet as the little girl laughed away, "we'll keep your secret, mama, don't worry!", Rora said.

With your family's help, you were able to spend the afternoon kid free making a delicious meal for you and Mick while getting the house ready. As much as you loved having your three hurricanes around, you missed the domesticity of being just you and your husband chilling out at home.

Mick was in a meeting, so he had no idea why, when he arrived home, the place was quiet, candles lit on a tidied house, "Liebling, I'm home!", he called, setting the bag with the shiny new photo album on the sofa and following the lit corridor to see the light on your bedroom.

Inside, he could see you in the bathroom bent over your bathtub, and filling it with the foamy product, "hey", he said softly, not wanting to startle you, "what are you doing?".

"It was supposed to be a surprise!", you blushed, "the kids are with my mother, I made that roast we really like, and I was hoping you'd join me for a bath", you smiled craddling his face on your hands and kissing his lips, "sounds great, love", he kissed the top of your head.

Undressing eachother, you both got in, talking about anything and everything, sharing caresses and soft touches, "I love having the kids with us, but I love having you to myself. Especially after Seb steals you from me", he chuckled, kissing your as he did the tie on your robe once you were out of the tub.

"This was delicious", Mick said as he placed his fork down, taking the plates to the kitchen, "I also have something for you", he admitted, pulling the album out of the bag.

"I thought you said no more surprises", you pouted, "I know you still have something for me", he pointed at you, seeing your blush which gave him his reason, "and, besides, I had this made".

"I loved this day! Angie was so little, look!", you smiled, touching the picture of the day when you got your puppy. It was the first family picture and it was a core memory.

"And this day, this was the day I'm sure Seb was conceived", you blushed, remembering the night, "this is amazing, Mick, I love it", you added, kissing his lips before you drank some wine.

(Thank you for your submission ✨️)

[heartknives]

mid-year book freakout

not tagged by anybody i just want to talk about books :)

number of books you’ve read so far: 60! my yearly goal was 64 because if i'm reading a book a week i'm happy... but i don't have other hobbies <3

best book you’ve read so far in 2024: everyone read martyr! by kaveh akbar right now not joking.

best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024: i think i've only read one sequel all year and it wasn't very good lol... i don't read series very often.

new release you haven’t read yet but want to: i have butter by asako yuzuki out from the library right now and have been looking forward to it for a while! ummmm a lot of others. i be on that new fiction books page for my library every week :')

most anticipated release for the second half of the year: private rites by julia armfield, which is out now but doesn't publish until like december in the us fsr?! :(

biggest surprise: um i guess horror movie by paul tremblay, though i was a sucker for his last two releases also so perhaps should not have been a surprise. i had fairly low expectations but it kind of knocked my socks off. go off white boy..

favorite new author (debut or new to you): kaveh akbar, jenny zhang, hanif abdurraqib, ya gyaasi, c pam zhang, maya binyam, emily skaja.. to name a few!

newest fictional crush: cyrus shams from martyr! please call me on thursday when i am free so we can hang out (platonic)

books that made you cry: i don't really cry at books or media much, but beautyland by marie-helene bertino which i just finished did give me that satisfying, heavy-chest, had to take a few deep breaths after finishing feeling.

most beautiful books you’ve bought so far this year (or received): diavola by jennifer thorne and whoever you are, honey by olivia gatwood are probably my favorite covers i've gotten this year.. both through aardvark book club teehee

books that made you happy: extremely ironic pick that is one of the thematically darkest books i've read this year but that was my exact favorite flavor of uncanny & offputting in the writing/execution/subject and therefore made me very happy to read: hangman by maya binyam

actually happy/heartwarming pick that was an absolute delight on audio: how not to drown in a glass of water by angie cruz

what books do you need to read by the end of the year?: more of my physical TBR, but i'm too much of a mood reader to hold myself to any particular list. whatever catches my fancy before the end of the year!

[languajix]

Ello!

I would love to respond to your answer of my ask but I don’t know anything about who your characters are or what they look like… would be able to explain a bit? It’s fine if not!

Hello! Absolutely! Thank you for asking. I'm so excited you want to respond to that :D

I don't make art myself, but a friend of mine drew a doodle of Uncle Mike and his nibbles (nephews) here! I also have a general tag for the art people have made which includes a little more of the kids.

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My characters sitting out by the fire are:

Mike - a 27-year-old 2k3 Michelangelo. His mask goes over his head rather than across his eyes, and at the camp he is currently wearing blue beads in his mask, his mask tails are dyed red, and he is wearing purple nail polish. He has lost his left arm up past the elbow.

He's goofy and determined to be the fun uncle. Chatty, likes pop culture references. Pretty much always grinning. He doesn't like being the responsible one, but if he's the only adult in the room, he will be. Currently trying to set a good example for his nephews.

For actual refs for your mental theatre, here's a pic of him at 15, next to a (future) pic of him at 45 (...kind of, it's complicated.). He's a little more than 1/3 of the way to the future pic.

Then there are his nephews (his brother Don is sort of an adoptive parent to them.) They are the Rise turtles, only a couple of weeks mutated. Mike calls them his 'nibbles' affectionately because they are his 'nephews/niblings' and tiny, 'the perfect size for a little nibble'.

El (Raphael) - Roughly mentally two. Not ready to talk yet, but knows some baby sign - "Yes," "No," "Drink," "Eat," "I love you," and signs they've picked for each of his brothers, to start. Can identify colors and follow simple instructions. The only sounds he currently makes are turtle noises and a little huffing sort of laugh. A total and utter sweetheart. (But he can and will throw an incredible tantrum in the right situation.)

Lee (Leonardo) - One-ish, still very small. Very mobile, likes to crawl/climb on everything, chirps a lot. Likes stimulation! Noise, motion, interaction.

Dee (Donatello) - One-ish, same size as Lee. Does not like to be touched without a lot of warning. Doesn't like loud noises, weird smells, wrong textures... Will let you know if he's not happy by hissing, or worse, biting, and stubborn enough not to let go for a long time. Tends to stare at stuff pretty intently when he's curious or focused on learning.

Angie (Michelangelo) - Tiny baby. Spends most of his time sleeping, staring up at things, occasionally patting someone to comfort them... he likes watching the fire.

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For thoroughness's sake, the kids and Mike first meet in this fic here, but I do not expect you to read any of that! The info up top should be more than enough. Please let me know if you have questions, though :D