#harriet lockwood

[splatooshy]

OC ASK GAME

doing an ask game for our best girl, harriet lockwood. you can find the numbered questions here

[unwillingadventurer]

[athenamikaelson]

Complaints and Harriet Styles

Klaus Mikaelson x Reader

Summary- The reader likes to complain a lot, everyone in Mystic Falls knows this. Klaus Mikealson finds it quite entertaining though. 

Word Count- 2.2k

Warnings- Swearing, biting, one innuendo from Santa Klaus

Note from Author- Might do a part 2 to this is ya'll want it, let me know.

“Listen, Damon. This whole, “I’m the scary brother” act you got going on it’s such a cliche man. Why not try something different, switch it up. It has got to be hella boring to have been playing the same role for over like 1,000 years, or however old you are. I wasn’t listening when Stefan was telling me the story of you two.” I try explaining to Damon as he stares blankly at me while holding a bourbon in his hand. 

“Y/N, who let you into my house?” Damon asks me as he throws back the rest of his drink and then starts to pour himself another one. I just shrug my shoulders.

“You left the door unlocked and I thought, why not? Elena and Bonnie are off somewhere and Caroline is planning some dance for Ms. Lockwood. So I had no one else to talk to.”

“You mean to complain to?” He asks with a roll of his eyes. Which in turn makes me roll my eyes.

“I don’t complain a lot.” I defend myself, which only gets me an annoyed look.

_____

“This is too heavy!” I yell to Caroline as she hands me a box of party supplies that she roped me into to decorate her house with for some stupid party. I look into the box and pick out a long hot pink boa scarf. 

“The hell is this for?” Caroline looks at me holding the scarf and rolls her eyes.

“To wear obviously. And stop complaining, that box is like less than five pounds.” She tells me as she takes a balloon from his pile of decorations and starts to blow it up. 

“Ok 1. You’d have to hold me down and knock me out if you ever wanted to put that thing on me. And 2. I’m not complaining, you just have inhuman strength so you can’t tell when something is heavy to frail humans like myself.” Caroline just rolls her eyes at me placing the balloon back onto the table by her. She walks over to me and grabs the box from my hands, “You complain too much.”

______

“Ok, listen up, fellow soon to be seniors! If I get superglue stuck on my fingers one more time I’m throwing in the towel and going on home, it’s past my bedtime anyways.” I say walking into the classroom that holds Elena, Caroline, Matt, Tyler and Bonnie. They all turn to me, I hear a giggle come from Elena as she looks at the clock on the wall.

“Y/N, it’s only 8 p.m.” I look at her in confusion then glance at my watch, “Oh.”

Tyler walks over to me and grabs the super glue from my hand. 

“If you have such a hard time with the super glue then Caroline and I will go and do it.” He glances at Caroline who just shakes her head and laughs, “And you say you don't complain a lot.” She says to me as she passes me and squeezes my shoulder. 

“I do not complain a lot!” I yell to her as she walks out of the classroom. Elena walks up behind me and wraps her hand around my shoulder. 

“Come on, you can help me superglue Ric’s desk, but don’t worry I’ll handle the superglue.” She giggles to herself as she leads me out of the classroom and into the hallway. I’m about to start talking about how hot the hallway is but Elena halts us as a man walks in front of us. 

“Yo dude! Didn’t you see us walking here? Move!,” I look at him as he slowly takes his eyes off of Elena and onto me. He stares silently at me, a crease in between his eyebrows as if he’s debating something in his mind. The hallway is dark so I can’t quite see his features as well as I would, but the features I do see are very nice to look at. 

“Dude you deaf or something? Usually when someone tells you to move you’re supposed to move,” I frown to myself and then turn to Elena, “Wait, was that offensive?” Elena just looks at me like I’ve grown a second head. A look of fear in her eyes. I look back at the man in front of us.

“Sorry if that offended you man. Sometimes I just say things, but also like to move out of my way now please, thank you.” I go to walk around him bringing Elena with me but I feel the man grab me by the elbow pulling me into the opposite direction. 

“Hey! What the actual fuck man!,” I see that he also has Elena by the elbow as he says something to her, but I’m too busy trying to break myself free from his grip. 

“Dude literally let me go, also your cologne literally smells like the pre teen-boy section of an Aeropostle.” We halt. I see the man turn towards me with a dark look in his eyes. 

“What did you just say to me?” Oh. He’s british. God that’s hot. 

“Um, the let go of me part or the shitty perfume thing?” I watch as he looks at me also like I’ve grown a second head. I really need to find a mirror because I’m starting to wonder if I actually have. 

“Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?” He asks me with a hard tone. 

I tap my chin with my finger in a thoughtful manner and shrug one shoulder, “The sixth member of one direction?” I look up to him with a sarcastic smile and then laugh at the incredulous look on his face, a very nice looking face. 

He begins to open his mouth to speak before he shuts it and shakes his head in frustration. And starts dragging Elena and I again.

“Dude-,” “If you open that mouth of yours one more time the next thing to come out of it will be your tongue.” Mr. British cuts me off without giving me a glance. Ok then. 

_______

Ok, so Mr. British guy’s name is actually named Klaus. The same Klaus who killed Elena, or he thought he killed her then she came back to life or something. I keep on getting bored with all these stories people keep talking about. Klaus is here though I think to not kill Elena again, or to kill Elena? Once again no clue. But he made me sit on the bleachers and just watch as he snapped Tyler’s neck and told Bonnie to contact some witch or something. There was also a pretty blonde girl, but she left with Tyler’s body and Caroline. I sit on the bleacher for another moment then stand up, screw you British guy. 

I step off the bleacher and walk over to Elena who is shaking in fear. I pull her into a hug since I think she might need one. I feel a hand pull me away from her after a moment though and come face to face with the brit. 

“Oh, great. It’s you.” I say sarcastically. 

“Did you not hear me when I told you to stay seated on the bleacher?” He asks me angrily. His hand was tightening on my shoulder.

“Obviously I heard you man. You like to talk loudly and a fucking lot. You must love to hear your own voice huh? And besides, my ass started to hurt. And also, who died and made you the boss! Just because you’re all strong and have a hot accent doesn’t mean you can just go bossing people around, asshat.”

“Y/N! Stop!” Elena yells to me desperately. I just turn to her and shrug my shoulders, then look back to wannabe Harry Styles. Harriet is looking at me with a dark look, but the grip on my shoulder has lessened. 

“Have you always had no self-preservation skills? Or are you just stupid?” He asks me. 

I stare at him in disbelief, “You know what dickwad? Just because I don’t want to deal with whatever mid-life crisis you’re currently having doesn’t mean I’m stupid. To actually let you know I have straight A’s,” I stop my rant and then roll my eyes, “Ok, mostly straight A’s, I have one D in art but that’s because my art teacher is like you,” I point to him, “A jackass, and he thinks that only his tastes and thoughts are correct. So it actually isn’t my fault. I personally think my art is much better than his.” I look back up to Klaus and he’s looking at me with an almost contemplative look. 

“Has anyone ever told you, you stare a lot?” I ask him with a sarcastic tone.

“Has anyone ever told you, you complain a lot?” He says with the same tone of voice that I used. The corner of his lip starts to move as if he wanted to smirk.

I look up in thought at his question and tap my chin, “You know what, I actually have heard that before. I personally don’t think of it as complaining though. More of, sharing my annoyance with the world.” 

The smirk on his lips is very present now and for a second I could’ve sworn it started to turn into a smile.

“To answer your question, I only tend to stare at people who gain my attention.” He tells me, making me stare at him for a second too long. 

Ya. Ok. Whatever that means. I go to give him a snarky remark but Stefan runs in looking more brutish than usual.

“Oh look! Stefan’s back!” I say, smiling at him. Which doesn’t even get me a glance in my direction as he keeps his eyes on Klaus who I now notice is standing a little too close to me. Weirdo.

Stefan goes on to say something about something but once again I don’t quite care to listen. So I go and lean against the wall until Blondey from earlier comes in and bites Elena for some reason. I quickly lean up and start walking over to her.

“Hey bitch! Hasn’t anyone ever told you to keep your hands to yourself!” The blonde, who as she looks at me I now notice is very attractive. I have to stop my ogling though because after Klaus rips her from Elena she starts to storm her way over to me. Before she can get to me though my vision is blocked off by Klaus’ back.

“Not her.” He tells blondey rather sternly. 

“Whatever.” She says as she storms off out of the gym. Klaus turns back to me and looks at me, eyes moving over my face oddly.

“You need to go home.” He tells me then turns around dismissively. I walk in front of him, stopping him from confronting Stefan. 

“You are not the boss of me, and besides why the hell would I ever leave Elena, who is my friend, alone with vampires?” I yell at him, which makes him just roll his eyes.

“Y/N, I’m not going to ask you again, you need to go home.” He tells me.

“Bitch what? You didn’t even ask me shit! You demanded me.” I want to start ripping him a new one but Elena places her hand on my shoulder

“Y/N, I’m going to be ok. Please go home, I need to know at least you’re going to be ok.” She says to me with a dreary smile. I go to argue but she interrupts me again begging me to leave quickly. What the heck is up with people interrupting me. 

“Fine,” I turn to Klaus, “But, if anything happens to her, I’m going to rip your dick off.” That makes him give a slight flinch. I give one more look to Elena and Stefan, who gives me a small nod and then head to the door. 

 When I grab the handle of the door I hear Klaus call my name from behind me, I turn around and jump when I find Klaus standing right behind me.

“Jesus man, warn a woman.”

“Next time we see each other Y/N, I’d like to see that artwork of yours that you believe deserved better than a D.” Klaus says as he looks down to me. I go to speak but nothing seems to want to come out. Klaus must’ve noticed this because a smirk forms onto his face. 

“Is this the first time you’ve ever not had a response?” He has the audacity to gain a bigger smirk, “What a shame, I was growing fond of that mouth of yours.”

“Um, ya. Um,” I start to feel my face heat up under his gaze, “I’m leaving now, oddball.” I say as I book it out of the gym. As i make it to the end of the hall I glance over my shoulder and make eye contact with Klaus who’s still standing in the same spot with the same stupid smirk on his face. 

“I’ll make sure to wear different cologne next time we meet Y/N.” Klaus says as he walks back into the gym leaving me alone.

“What the actual fuck?”

PART 2- HERE

[petratherrock]

We're obsessed with only child, middle child, eldest child aesthetics so let's list them in terms of ✨The Ships ✨

1. Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa

Youngest child - only child

2. Anthony Lockwood and Lucy Carlyle

Youngest child - youngest child

3. Darlington - Galaxy Stern

Only child - only child

4. Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson

Only child - only child-ish

(i mean it took him abt a decade before having a younger sibling so does that count? Not sure.)

5. Jude Duarte and Cardan Greenbriar

Middle child - youngest child

6. Suren "Wren" - Oak Greenbriar

Eldest child (ish?) / Only child - youngest child

Does it count when you've been separated for ages but you did kinda spend a few years with the unsister and you still care abt them a lot? Idk either

7. Henry Tilney - Catherine Morland

Middle child - middle child

8. Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy

Middle child - eldest child

9. Harriet Smith and Robert Martin

Only child - eldest child

10. George Knightley - Emma Woodhouse

Eldest child - youngest child

11. Anne Elliot - Capt Frederick Wentworth

Middle child - middle child

Okay that's it for the books ships.

Interesting when you look at their dynamics from the perspective of which child they are in the family, and it also makes sense how they act

Also interesting that Miss Austen said, justice to the middle childs let them have their own stories!! Love it xD

After listing down the Austen ships I can't wait to do one with my fave dramas and shows because my brain immediately went to Edith Crawley, my favourite middle child

But ah well for me, anyway, the science of which child you are is probably as reliable as the meyers-briggs test which I'm not sure is that reliable but still fun to discuss and think abt anyway!

Edit : as the youngest child, I do acknowledge and claim these sillies

[truckreincarnation]

"Heroes...! Heroes from beyond, heed our call! Heed our summons! Heroes, we cry out to you for salvation. Come! Come to our aid!"

The summoning is a success, the light fades. Eighteen spirits gather before the collective of witches. Eighteen picked specifically for this purpose. The body binding process can begin.

---

Thank you everyone for your interest in TRUCK. It was a difficult choice, but we eventually narrowed the roster down to eighteen participants. The written version of the roster is below the cut.

19 | Model | Played by Shrimps Bian Le | Haunted House Designer | Played by Pastry Esmée Fournier | Latte Artist | Played by Ser Francis Foxe | Secretary | Played by liv! Frank Cross | Contractor | Played by Ana Germain Bonheur | Fantasy Author | Played by Luca Harriet Lazuli | Webcomic Artist | Played by Diddgery Lars Larsen IV | Cheesemonger | Played by Pilot Luz Moreno | Job-Hopper | Played by Moon Meili Løken | Bartender | Played by Faust Manami Kodaka | Indie Video Game CEO | Played by Roark Miles Avery Flynn | Explosives Expert | Played by Erin Nao Smith | Secretary | Played by Zwei Perennial Harbor | Baker | Played by Chula Shinjuku | Mercenary | Played by Hes Theophania Valentine | Crown Princess | Played by Lovely Vivian Lockwood | Therapy Hotline Responder | Played by Sandy Yuliya Kravtsov | Figure Skater | Played by Ash

[bowl-of-shortness]

feel free to send me asks about the characters and the kingdoms/places! I’ll link the posts here for you guys!

- Kingdoms & Places

- The Crux Characters

- The Crux pt. 1

Here’s a list of other characters you can ask about (below the cut if you just want to ask about The Crux characters :D), remember, you can also asks things directly to them and they’ll answer in character :>

- The Lockwoods (Valerie and Gabriel)

- Lazarus (eldest son of the Lockwoods)

- Pandora’s Parents (Alexander and Diana De La Dáinn)

- Pandora’s siblings (Victor, Arthur, Vesper, Henry, Theodore, Eleanor, and Harriet De La Dáinn)

- Pandora’s cousins, aunt, and uncle (Elizabeth (aunt), Fredrick (uncle), Clyde, Scarlett, Cecilia, Ellis, Thomas)

- Woodwhisper parents (Balor Blackwell and Dawn Woodwhisper)

[extasiswings]

Top 9 Books*

*I read way too much for this game so instead I'm going with "Top 9 historical romances read for the first time in 2023, no more than one per author and series (with exceptions for honorable mentions)"

Tagged by @tripleaxeldiaz (MWAH) [I don't think this tag game was necessarily intended to be a rec list but here we are - under a cut for length]

The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe

Summary: To escape the shackles of marriage, Nellie Young purposely ruined her reputation a long time ago. Now she dedicates herself to hedonistic pleasures only, like kissing a handsome stranger in the ocean under the moonlight... To save his estate, the proper Duke of Lockwood must marry the perfect bride—wealthy, with an unblemished reputation. While in New York he's the perfect gentleman, and no one knows he's suppressing his darkest desires. The last thing he needs is another scandal. Except Nellie sees through Lockwood's charade, straight to the real man underneath. This uptight duke is far more than he lets on, and she can't resist him. Their secret affair turns scorching, far more than either expected. And when his beautiful rebel finds an unconventional cause, Lockwood has to decide if he's willing to sacrifice everything to keep her. Thoughts: Joanna Shupe really saved the best for last to wrap up her Fifth Avenue Rebels series. There is so much that’s so good, not the least of which is that the tension is immaculate after three books of these two sniping at each other from the sidelines. And when it finally snaps, it’s so satisfying. Also, I have a great appreciation for romances where the stakes feel real and relatable and the obstacles aren’t contrived or easily swept aside and I felt that was true here.

A Convergence of Desire by Felicity Niven

Summary: An insatiable rake falls for an eccentric genius. Too bad she's his innocent bride, and he has vowed never to touch her. Harriet “Harry” Lovelock lives a life of the mind, and she knows she can prove a theorem that has baffled male mathematicians for two centuries. But her stepmother wants her married and the swirl of the Season saps Harry’s energy and distracts her from her work. She has to put an end to the tedium of balls. Now. Full stop. Thomas Drake, the Earl Drake, devotes himself to the pleasures of the flesh, even as he wrestles with his own demons and intractable problems. He needs to marry wealth, but could he ever be satisfied by just one woman? She can spend all her time on her proof. He can have any woman he wants, except her. Their marriage of convenience could prove to be the perfect partnership—as long as love never enters the equation. Thoughts: a new author for me, and wow oh wow. First of all, the heroine—I feel like far too often in HR when an author says they’re writing a neurodivergent heroine what ends up on the page is just sort of shades of smart and quirky (maybe with a side of shy or anxious). That is not the case here. Harry is full out Beautiful Mind, doesn’t sleep, doesn’t eat, doesn’t particularly like or understand most people and can be unintentionally cruel at times as a result, finds most facets of generally being alive incredibly inconvenient because they get in the way of her math—and the author doesn’t try to shy away from that. She is messy, she is flawed, she is abrupt and not the most likable at times, and that’s not only okay, it’s the whole point! And Thomas, oh my god, watching him be like “my wife is encouraging me to be unfaithful and leave her alone, this should be the perfect arrangement…except that somehow all I want is to listen to her talk about math and make sure she’s eating and getting enough sleep and actually I don’t want to be with any other women oh hell” is a truly delightful journey. Reader: I cried. I loved it so much.

The Notorious Lord Knightly by Lorraine Heath

Summary: A scandalous book by an anonymous author takes London by storm, and everyone is convinced its villainous “Lord K” is the greatly admired Earl of Knightly. Heartbroken that he left her at the altar, Miss Regina Leyland impulsively sought revenge by revealing the true Knightly to the world but never expected the uproar to bring enemies to her door. To keep her identity hidden, she must trust the one man with the power to destroy her. Furious to be the object of notoriety and gossip, Knightly confronts the lady he suspects of penning the tome only to discover she is no longer the naïve innocent he was forced to betray, but a woman of strength and conviction, who will bow before no man. Knightly and Regina pretend a reconciliation to salvage their reputations and throw the ton off their scent. But false friendship soon turns to powerful passion. When truths emerge, threatening all they hold dear, they must face the consequences of their past if their story is ever to deserve its happily ever after. Thoughts: Lorraine Heath is one of those authors who is truly in a class of her own (which is excellent because she’s been writing forever so her backlist is a million miles long) and this was no exception. I’ll be honest—I love a second chance romance. But only when done well. And it is way easier to write really mediocre second chance romance than put in the work—a lot of the time I feel like either the original stakes are lacking (so that it’s like “really? This was why y’all couldn’t get your shit together the first time and/or you held a grudge for so long over that?”) or very overblown (so it’s “wow yeah that was genuinely super shitty and the justification sucks, get some self respect you don’t have to forgive that”). But this was such a good example of second chance done right. The stakes made sense, the emotions were valid, the journey felt justified, the payoff felt earned…ugh, yes, so good.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

Summary: Abandoned by his father, Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and well-used to disappointment. Still, he longs for a connection. When he meets a charming stranger, he falls head over heels—until everything goes wrong and he's left alone again. Then Gareth's father dies, turning the shabby London clerk into Sir Gareth, with a grand house on the remote Romney Marsh and a family he doesn't know. The Marsh is another world, a strange, empty place notorious for its ruthless gangs of smugglers. And one of them is dangerously familiar... Joss Doomsday has run the Doomsday smuggling clan since he was a boy. When the new baronet—his old lover—agrees to testify against Joss's sister, Joss acts fast to stop him. Their reunion is anything but happy, yet after the dust settles, neither can stay away. Soon, all Joss and Gareth want is the chance to be together. But the bleak, bare Marsh holds deadly secrets. And when Gareth finds himself threatened from every side, the gentleman and the smuggler must trust one another not just with their hearts, but with their lives. Thoughts: QUEER HR MY BELOVED. KJ Charles’ books always have such a great Energy, I can’t even explain it, but this opener to a new series has so much good stuff. It’s got smugglers, it’s got family drama, it’s got murder and intrigue and disaster queer boys (who can occasionally be extremely competent), it’s got political and social commentary, it is, frankly, just a damn good time. (The second book in the series just came out and I am very impatiently awaiting my turn on the hold list at the library). Just read it.

Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard

Summary: Lord Lysander Blackstone, the stern Duke of Montcroix, has only one interest: increasing his considerable fortune. After a series of betrayals, he keeps his emotions buried deep. Money, after all, can't break a man's heart—or make promises it can’t keep. But when his reputation for being heartless jeopardizes a new business deal, he finds himself seeking a most unusual—and alluring—solution . . . Once an up-and-coming ballerina, Miss Geneviève Valery is now hopelessly out of work. After refusing to become a wealthy patron's mistress, Nève was promptly shown the door to the streets. When she accidentally saves the life of a handsome duke, she doubts the encounter will go any better than her last brush with nobility. But instead of propositioning her, Montcroix makes Nève an offer she would be a fool to refuse: act as his fake fiancée in exchange for fortune enough to start over. Only neither is prepared when very real feelings begin to grow between them. They both stand to win . . . but only if they’re willing to risk their hearts. Thoughts: Amalie Howard is one of the authors I read for the first time this year where I devoured her books like candy in far too short a period of time and was then left metaphorically turning the bag upside down and shaking it while pouting and wondering why there wasn’t more. Because of that (and the fact that choosing just one was incredibly difficult), she gets an extra honorable mention title. Always Be My Duchess though was a really lovely take on basically “Pretty Woman but make it HR” (she has several books clearly inspired by 90s romcoms that are very well done) and it got me big in my feelings. *Runner Up/Honorable Mention: The Princess Stakes

Duke of My Heart by Kelly Bowen

Summary: Captain Maximus Harcourt, the unconventional tenth Duke of Alderidge, can deal with tropical storms, raging seas, and the fiercest of pirates. But he's returned home from his latest voyage to find a naked earl - quite inconveniently deceased - tied to his missing sister's bed. And he has only one place to turn. Now he's at the mercy of the captivating Miss Ivory Moore of Chegarre & Associates, known throughout London for smoothing over the most dire of scandals. Miss Moore treats the crisis as though it were no more serious than a cup of spilt tea on an expensive rug. As though this sort of thing happened on the job every day. Max has never in all his life met a woman with such nerve. Her dark eyes are too wide, her mouth is too full, her cheekbones too sharp. Yet together, she's somehow...flawless. It's just like his love for her, imperfect, unexpected - yet absolutely true. Thoughts: what can I say, I love a romance with a detective story and this heroine is basically a HR Olivia Pope. I love her, I love Max, really I loved this whole series—so much fun.

The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley

Summary: As a master of disguise, Thomasina Wynchester can be a polite young lady—or a bawdy old man. She’ll do whatever it takes to solve the cases her family takes on. But when Tommy’s beautiful new client turns out to be the highborn lady she’s secretly smitten with, more than her mission is at stake . . . Bluestocking Miss Philippa York doesn’t believe in love. Her heart didn’t pitter-patter when she was betrothed to a duke, nor did it break when he married someone else. All Philippa desires is to decode a centuries-old manuscript to keep a modern-day villain from claiming credit for work that wasn’t his. She hates that she needs a man’s help to do it—so she’s delighted to discover the clever, charming baron at her side is in fact a woman. But as she and Tommy grow closer and the stakes of their discovery higher, more than just their hearts are at risk. Thoughts: QUEER HR MY BELOVED, ELECTRIC BOOGALOO SAPPHIC EDITION. God. GOD. This book…it’s so MUCH. There’s so much of this whole series that’s very fun and lighthearted but then unexpectedly you’ll be punched in the gut with emotions, and there were definitely moments in this one that ripped me to shreds in the best way (and then gently put me back together again). You will laugh, you will cry (I certainly did), you may very well cheer, and the HEA here was everything my queer ass ever wanted.

Her Wanton Wager by Grace Callaway

Summary: A Wager She Can't Afford to Lose When her brother falls into the clutches of gamester Gavin Hunt, feisty heiress Persephone Fines will do whatever it takes to save him. Hunt offers her an outrageous proposition: he will release her brother… if she can resist six nights of seduction. Can she withstand the scoundrel's wicked charm—and the shocking desire he rouses with each touch? A Bet He's Determined to Win A product of London’s violent stews, Gavin Hunt has clawed his way to success and power. Now he will stop at nothing to achieve his life-long goal: revenge upon the man who betrayed him. He plans to seduce his enemy’s sister… but doesn't count on losing his heart. Will he give up his need for vengeance—or risk forsaking the only woman he’s ever loved? From Six Nights to Forever As the battle of the sexes rages on and seduction flares into uncontrollable passion, Gavin and Percy must also fight a hidden enemy. Only by trusting one another can they defeat the threats of past and present. In this high-stakes game of love versus sin, what will be the outcome of… Her Wanton Wager? Thoughts: OKAY LOOK. Grace Callaway is another author in the category of “I read her for the first time and within like two weeks I had read everything and was screaming crying desperate for more because she’s SO GOOD.” So she gets one spotlight and then honorable mentions from each separate series because all of her books are so good. I think I had to go with this one (despite the very fierce competition) because at the end of the day Iiiiiiiii am a huge slut for a “dark and twisty criminal hellbent on revenge and the lady who may become the light of his life but will also take no shit” story ESPECIALLY if it involves scandalous (consensual) bets over sexual favors. And this one fucks (pun absolutely intended). *Runner Ups/Honorable Mentions: The Duke Who Knew Too Much (from the Heart of Enquiry series—spinster debutante catches kinky duke engaged in certain Activities and wildly misconstrues the situation, when his lover turns up dead and he’s framed for the murder, she tells the police that he totally must have done it because of the aforementioned kink that she wildly misconstrued, he takes her to a sex club to be like “FFS I’M NOT A MURDERER I’M A DOM” and she feels so guilty that she insists on helping him clear his name. COMEDY); The Duke Identity (Game of Dukes series—policeman and disgraced scientist/inventor goes undercover to become the bodyguard to the granddaughter of the criminal underworld’s most notorious kingpin, a woman who definitely does not want a bodyguard, and they have to ultimately work together to save the day when something turns out to be rotten in the state of Denmark); Fiona and the Enigmatic Earl (Society of Angels series—oh my god you guys it’s HR Charlie’s Angels and it’s the BEST. This particular one is debutante who is secretly a detective solving crimes for women needs to get married so she can get out from under her family’s thumb and have some independence to continue being a detective, enters into a marriage of convenience with a man who is secretly an agent for the Crown, both of them fully intend to just keep lying to each other until their separate investigations turn out to be linked…literally every book in this series is a Delight).

Knockout by Sarah MacLean

Summary: With her headful of wild curls and wilder ideas and an unabashed love of experiments and explosives, society has labeled Lady Imogen Loveless peculiar…and doesn’t know she’s one of the Hell’s Belles—a group of vigilantes operating outside the notice of most of London. Thomas Peck is not most of London. The brilliant detective fought his way off the streets and into a promising career through sheer force of will and a keen ability to see things others miss, like the fact that Imogen isn’t peculiar…she’s pandemonium. If you ask him, she requires a keeper. When her powerful family discovers her late-night activities, they couldn’t agree more…and they know just the man for the task. Thomas wants nothing to do with guarding Imogen. He is a grown man with a proper job and no time for the lady’s incendiary chaos, no matter how lushly it is packaged. But some assignments are too explosive to pass up, and the gruff detective is soon caught up in Imogen’s world, full of her bold smiles and burning secrets…and a fiery passion that threatens to consume them both. Thoughts: LMAO y'all had to know this list wasn't ending without some Sarah MacLean. Anyway, 12/10 no notes, I waited two years for this book knowing it was going to give Everything because the moment these two were introduced back in Bombshell I was obsessed (I mean, who DOESN'T love a girl who likes to blow things up and flirt shamelessly with entirely too honorable policemen who are at their wits end?). As always, thank you Ms. McLean for my life.

[traegics]

#TRAEGICS  .  dependent multi  -  muse  blog for darkskiesrpg penned  by  Sushi (  twenty eight  ,  eastern  tmz  ,  she/her   )  .  this  blog  may  contain  mature  content  so  proceed  with  caution  ,  trigger  content  will  be  tagged as such .

Here

Hayley Marshall-Kenner - Phoebe Tonkin - Werewolf - Future Lorelai Lockwood - Margaret Qualley - Siphoner/Werewolf - Future Oaklee Whitlock - Madelyn Cline - Witch/Werewolf - Future Roxelana Demir - Hande Ercel - Werewolf - Future Charlotte Kenner - Sophia Bush - Werewolf - Present Scout Morgrave - Matthew Gray Gubler - Psychic - Present Skyla Fairlight - Harriet Herbig-Matten - Fairy - Present Ryker Bradenton - Casey Deidrick - Werewolf - Present Ruslan Jamakovich - Can Yaman - Werewolf - Present Abigail St. John - Madison Bailey - Witch - Future Phoenix “Jagger” Hendrix - Tommy Martinez - Human - Past Camille O'Connell - Margot Robbie - Human - Past Maveric Salvatore - Theo James - Human (Cure) - Future Damian Salvatore - Grace Van Patten - Human (Cure) - Future Blade Axston - Jon Bernthal - Human/Triad - Future Maxfield Donovan - Jeremy Allen White - Vampire - Future Reina Mondragon - Ana De Armas - Dragon - Past Devyn Bhat - Anya Chalotra - Witch - Present Xavier Langthorne - Chace Crawford - Vampire - Present Kaidan Meadows - Sebastian Stan - Fairy - Past Jackson "JJ" Randolph - Rudy Pankow - Werewolf - Present Kol Mikaelson - Drew Starkey - Witch - Present Daniel Carter - Jensen Ackles - Human - Present Tobias Campbell - Matt Czuchry - Human/Hunter - Future Leyla Yildiz-Aldemir - Demet Ozdemir - Dragon - Present Jennifer Gilbert - Kristin Kreuk - Human - Future Jade - Giorgia Whigham - Vampire - Future Ignacio Mondragon - Manny Montana - Dragon - Future Josette "Jo" Saltzman - Holly Marie Combs - Witch - Future Ashton Kenner - Henry Cavill - Wolf - Present Christian Wolfe - Chris Evans - Human - Present Evangeline "Maya" Mikaelson - Bailee Madison - Witch - Future

[mischiefxmanagcd]

under the cut is a list of muses i’ll be adding / re-adding from a few fandoms. i’m also going to start queuing up individual starter calls for the all the muses, but i’ll try to space them out so it’s not a constant barrage! 

david rossi // criminal minds

will lamontagne jr. // criminal minds

jennifer jareau // criminal minds

jack hotchner // criminal minds

henry lamontagne // criminal minds

hadley reid // spencer’s half-sister // criminal minds

annabelle lamontagne // jj & will daughter // criminal minds

alvin olinsky // chicago pd

connor rhodes // chicago med

kelly severide // chicago fire

matt casey // chicago fire

anna charles // chicago med

terrence boden // chicago fire

maggie lockwood // chicago med

april sexton // chicago med

gabby dawson // chicago fire

wallace boden // chicago fire

robin charles // chicago med

hannah halstead // erin & jay daughter // chicago pd

penelope dawson-halstead // jay & antonio daughter // chicago pd

tricia boden // wallace & donna daughter // chicago fire

paul strickland // lone star

marjan marwani // lone star

nancy gillian // lone star

billy tyson jr. // billy & npc son // lone star

destinie tyson // billy & npc daughter // lone star

uriel // supernatural

zachariah // supernatural

gabriel // supernatural

chuck shurley // supernatural

charlie bradbury // supernatural

rufus turner // supernatural

harriet kepner-avery // grey’s

henry burton // grey’s

andrew deluca // grey’s

denny duquette // grey’s

nathan riggs // grey’s

geoff kepner-avery // jackson & april son // grey’s

ashley sloan // mark & npc daughter // grey’s

elijah karev // alex & jo son // grey’s

carina deluca // station 19

andy herrera // station 19

robert sullivan // station 19

rebecca sullivan // robert & npc daughter // station 19

danielle ripley // lucas & npc daughter // station 19

[rockislandadultreads]

More Cozy Holiday Mysteries

In the Wick of Time by Valona Jones

December in Savannah, Georgia, is a sight to behold. With all the festivities - including the traditional riverfront luminary display - twin sisters Tabby and Sage Winslow are busier than ever setting up for the big celebration. But that isn’t the only thing on the sisters’ minds. Both Sage and her fellow employee Mary Nicole are vying for the sought-after assistant manager job at the plant nursery. But when Loren Lee, their boss, is found dead, and Sage becomes the police’s favorite suspect, both Winslow girls know that they’ll need more than a flicker of magic and their sisterhood to solve the murder and clear Sage’s name.

This is the second volume of the "Magic Candle Shop Mystery" series.

Mrs. Jeffries and the Midwinter Murders by Emily Brightwell

Harriet Andover was a smart businesswoman who did not suffer fools gladly, yet somehow her house was full of them. While Harriet had every intention of putting her family back on the path to respectability, her ambition was cut short upon being strangled inside her mansion with a house full of holiday guests. It would seem that everyone present had a motive to kill the rich woman, but Inspector Witherspoon and housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries won't rest until they’ve delivered a stocking full of coal to the crafty killer.

This is the 40th volume of the "Mrs. Jeffries" series.

The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

The Christmas season has arrived in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive holiday production to raise money for a new church roof. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking among the amateur theater enthusiasts, not to mention the matter of the dead body onstage. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list? Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they investigate Christmas letters and pore over police transcripts to identify both victim and killer before the curtain closes on their production - for good.

This is a novella in "The Appeal" series.

The Twelve Books of Christmas by Kate Carlisle

In the middle of a wonderful Christmas holiday in Dharma, Brooklyn and Derek receive a frantic phone call from their dear friend Claire in Loch Ness, Scotland. The laird of the castle, Cameron MacKinnon, has just proposed to her! They plan to be married on New Year’s Day, and they want Derek and Brooklyn to be their witnesses. And while they’re visiting, Claire hopes that Brooklyn will be able to solve a little mystery that’s occurred in the castle library - twelve very rare, very important books have gone missing.

This is the 17th volume of the "Bibliophile Mystery" series.

[splatooshy]

OC ASK GAME

@crossedsabers10s

👕 4. Does your character have a favorite material they like to wear?

harriet love love LOVES chiffon. she has two dresses with chiffon overskirts and they are her absolute favourites, only to be worn on the most special of occasions. also chiffon hair ribbons for everyday use. she also scavenges for fabric offcuts to use as hair ribbons & hat bands.

otherwise, silk and satin are good substitutes. basically anything that isn’t velvet. hattie HATES velvet.

in 1860, harriet becomes very fascinated with denim, but has no true need for it, being a founding daughter and all. that doesn’t stop her, though. it’s a shame she’s born too early for the world war housewife girlboss ‘we can do it’ era.

👕 6. How much interest does your character take in trends?

oh hattie is all over the latest trends. she considers herself a trendsetter of the highest order. those who know her would say otherwise, as she certainly keeps up with trends, but isn’t necessarily ahead of the curve by any means. her expert opinion is often used to insult george, who can barely tell a morning coat from a scarf.

🎲 2. Does your character have any secret hobbies?

thing is, harriet has an innate need to talk about herself. nothing is ever truly secret because she HAS to tell somebody - damon, most likely, or george (occasionally. it’s not very fun having your brother know everything about you, okay?)

but her three favourite hobbies are gossiping, people watching, and looking at herself in the mirror. the last one would be a secret, but george caught her in the act.

find the questions here!

[acourtcfmuses]

💕

SEND 💕 AND I WILL TELL YOU SOME MUSES OF OURS I THINK COULD WORK AS A SHIP.

Putting this under a read more because we have so many muses between us! Your muse is in bold and I've provided a key beneath the cut too! I wasn't sure of your muses sexualities, so if any don't match just ignore! <3

@dynastymuses

(OC) - Original Character (CO) - Crossover

Bridgerton Verse

Anthony Bridgerton / Kate Sharma

Benedict Bridgerton / Theodore Fitzroy (OC)

Colin Bridgerton / Harriet Jones (CO - she does have a Bridgerton verse too lol), 

Daphne Bridgerton / Simon Basset, Theodore Fitzroy (OC)

Francesca Bridgerton / Kris Bjorgman (OC/CO), Ben Ricard (CO), 

Gregory Bridgerton / Rosaline Capulet (CO)

Penelope Featherington / Theodore Fitzroy (OC)

Philip Crane / Eloise Bridgerton

Sophie Beckett / Theodore Fitzroy (OC), Anthony Bridgerton, Simon Basset

Kate Sharma / Anthony Bridgerton

Prince Freidrich Hohenzollern / Eloise Charming (OC/CO)

King George Freidrick / Queen Charlotte

Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz / King George

shadow&bone/grishaverse

Alina Starkov / Malyen Oretsev, Inej Ghafa, Kaz Brekker, Aleksander Morozova, Nina Zenik, Nikolai Lanstov

Kaz Brekker / Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey

Inej Ghafa / Kaz Brekker, Jesper Fahey, Tamar Kir Bataar, Nina Zenik, Nikolai Lanstov

Nina Zenik / Kaz Brekker, Jesper Fahey, Tamar Kir Bataar, Inej Ghafa

Wylan Van Eck / Jesper Fahey

Genya Safin / Aleksander Morozova, Nina Zenik, Nikolai Lanstov

Nikolai Lanstov / Killian Jones (CO)

Tolya Yul Bataar / Jaskier (CO)

Matthais Helvar / Nina Zenik, Jesper Fahey

lord of the rings/rings of power

Galadriel / Halbrand, Aleksander Morozova (CO), Geralt Of Rivia (CO), Yennefer of Vengerberg (CO)

Marvel

Yelena Belova / Grant Ward

Marcos Diaz / Darcy Lewis

Esme Frost / Pietro Maximoff

John Proudstar / Wanda Maximoff

Scott Summers / Jemma Simmons

Jennifer Walters / Matt Murdock

Sersi / Druig

DCEU

Barry Allen / Mia Smoak

TVD Verse

Marcel Gerald / Rebekah Mikaelson

Elena Gilbert / Klaus Mikaelson, Elijah Mikaelson, Scott McCall (CO), Lorcan Sinclair (OC/CO), Carrie Hudson (CO), Silver Lycan (OC/CO)

Tyler Lockwood / Rebekah Mikaelson, Caroline Forbes, Scott McCall (CO), Malia Tate (CO) Lydia Martin (CO)

Elijah Mikealson / Dyson Thornwood (CO), Galadriel (CO)

Hope Mikealson / Melinda Halliwell (CO), Ash Redfern (CO), James Rasmussen (CO), Violet Sorrengail (CO)

Lizzie Saltzman / Lycus Lycan (OC/CO), Nate Dunbar (OC/CO), Nick Scratch (CO), Bloom Peters (CO)

Shadowhunters

Magnus Bane / Dyson Thornwood, Lucifer Morningstar (CO), Yennefer of Vengerberg (CO)

Clary Fray / Simon Lewis

Simon Lewis / Cirilla of Cintra (CO), 

Alec Lightwood / Leviathon Delacour (OC/CO), Simon Lewis, Knox Carter (OC/CO), Fynn Calvert-Monroe (CO)

Fate:The Winx Saga

Terra Harvey / Sloane Mairi (CO), Roxanne Driscoll (OC/CO)

Bloom Peters / Sky, Riven, Xaden Riorson (CO)

Flora / Riven, Orion (OC/CO), Rhiannon Matthias (CO)

Musa / Riven, Liam Mairi (CO), Jude Duarte (CO)

Riven / Sky, Fleur F (OC/CO), Calista (OC/CO)

Sky / Bloom Peters, Riven

Stella / Bloom Peters, Riven, Sky, Zion Reinhart (OC/CO)

Wednesday/Addams Family

Wednesday Addams / Tyler Galpin, Xavier Thorpe, Lorcan Sinclair, Melinda Halliwell (CO)

Enid Sinclair / Tyler Galpin, Xavier Thorpe, Wednesday Addams, Melinda Halliwell (CO)

Other Scifi/Fantasy

Wendy Darling / Peter Pan (CO), Roc (CO)

Elinor Fairmont / Ambrose Spellman (CO), Wyatt Hawthorne (OC/CO), Emmett Cullen (CO), Aurora Lycan (OC/CO)

Juliette Fairmont / Melinda Halliwell (CO), Sam Fraser (CO), Lydia Martin (CO)

Kat Harvey / Luke Patterson (CO), Kelly Schade-Buckhardt (CO)

Harvey Kinkle / Nick Scratch, Melinda Halliwell (CO), Caliban, Agatha Night

Scott McCall /  Lydia Martin, Malia Tate, Charlie Lahey (OC), Nate Dunbar (OC), Chase Argent (OC), Lorcan Sinclair (OC/CO), Clary Fray (CO), Melinda Halliwell (CO)

[historicalnovelsrus]

The River Remembers

Three women searching for life on their own terms...

Samantha Lockwood, Day Sets, and Harriet Robinson come to Fort Snelling from very different backgrounds. It’s 1835 and the world is changing, fast, and they are all struggling to keep up. After she refuses another suitor he’s chosen for her, Samantha’s father banishes her to live in the territory with her brother. He, too, tries to take over her marriage plans—but she is determined to find her…

[too-antigonish]

Thanks for tagging me @hurricane-eva @librawritesstuff @fanficrocks !

Last song: So just this morning a friend sent me this amazing video of the Berlin Philharmonic playing the finale to Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. Seriously, if you have *just three minutes* take the time to watch it. The piece is amazing, the performance is mind-blowingly good, and the musicians are obviously having a blast. 

Favorite color: All of them? No? Well, I kind of go on jags with color combos—like forest green with plum for a while. Right now it's kind of a rust color with indigo blue.

Last book:

Nonfiction: The Cello Suites: J. S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece by Eric Siblin. The six cello suites have an exalted almost quasi-sacred status in the cello repertoire that is hard to explain to even other musicians. This is a book about the pieces themselves, the man who composed them, and the Catalan cellist who both rediscovered and championed them.

Fiction: The Notorious Scarlett and Browne: Book 2 by Jonathan Stroud. Quite good. I don't love this series as much as Bartimaeus or my beloved Lockwood but it's still very, very good and it's fun to see Stroud stretching and trying some new things here.

Last movie: Living, a 2022 film starring Bill Nighy with a screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro. Basically a 1953 London civil servant with an unimaginably dreary life finds out he's dying and…finally starts to live. It was good. Not great, but definitely good.

Last show: The Silo S2:E5 I didn't know if they'd be able to make season 2 work, but it's a winner so far. And it has Harriet Walters.

Sweet/spicy/savoury: Don't make me choose. OK, sweet.

Relationship status: Married—rather miraculously.

Last thing I googled:

Um, "Kálfalækjarbók" because of work.

Last thing I personally googled: "2000iu vitamin d" because winter in Wisconsin is no joke.

Last actually interesting thing I googled: "banana phone" because the person I am married to has spent years torturing me with this ridiculous ongoing joke that involves grabbing a banana and pretending it's a phone and now I've been told that they make an *actual* banana phone and he will pay at last.

Current obsession: Well obviously all things Endeavour and Shaun Evans. Music of all kinds, always—listening to it and playing it (cello). Embroidery and needle-felting and other extremely fiddly ways of making things.

Looking forward to: A certain television show called Betrayal. Getting my cello back from the luthier with a new bridge and a bass bar crack repaired. The loaner instrument I'm playing is lovely but she's not mine. A second year on the new migraine medication that has allowed me to basically interact with the world again for the first time in years.

Tagging (only if you wish to play - no pressure): Many of my usual suspects have all been tagged/played...but if you are interested and have time... @morsesnotes @gaytobymeres @sandfordsmostwanted @shuilian @beatricecawood

Thank you for tagging me @dragonslover98 ❤️

Last song: Hmmm. Been on a mostly instrumental music phase of late, so would have to say the saccharine seasonal songs I cannot escape at this time of year!

Favorite color: Peacock blue; but dusty rose and deep purple are close seconds.

Last book: The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton (physical book); Dead Beside the Thames by Stephanie Laurens (e-book) - looking at this, I seem to have an Australian novelists thing going 😊

Last movie: Lost Ladies (aka Laapataa Ladies), an Indian comedy which yet manages to provide a scathing but hopeful commentary on socially relevant issues.

Last show: S4 of Hope Street (and now I know I won't watch any more of it)

Sweet/spicy/savoury: Spicy and savoury

Relationship status: Complicated

Last thing I googled: Daylight lamp for SAD

Current obsession: The Morseverse in general, classic Christie shows (David Suchet as Poirot and Joan Hickson as Miss Marple), Granada TV Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett version)

Looking forward to: A few days with extended family over Christmas, and then time to myself to decompress after that

Tagging (only if you wish to play - no pressure):

@too-antigonish @oeuvrinarydurian @librawritesstuff @jessieren @season-77

[truckreincarnation]

Wash Away the Rain || Trial 3 Results

After impassioned debate, Harriet finally can’t take it anymore and confesses. From there, the trial stops being about guilt and starts being about guilt.

Kali, looking grim, produces her miniature journal. She begins tabulating the votes while she waits for it to die down. Soon enough, the discussion trails off for a moment, and she seizes that for an announcement. “Any last votes?”

She watches them trickle in, then stows her book away again. “Well, I don’t think this one is going to surprise many of you.” She shakes her head.

“A single vote for Germain.

"A single vote for Vivian Lockwood.

"One abstaining! Even after what happened to Løken last time? Really?

"And, for Harriet Lazuli… 10 VOTES!”

Kali folds her arms. “Well, there you have it. You got it right. Now if you’ll excuse me, we’ve got a repeat offender to deal with before we get to Lazuli’s execution.” She exhales a huff of… irritation? Frustration? Weariness? It’s hard to tell.

[bowl-of-shortness]

Victor and little Pandora's last meeting, I just gotta read that. And if not that, then Noah and Pandora talking about one feeling ostracized by others!

Boy oh boy here come the feels y’all, we’ll see if I’ll be able to do this.

Something is missing

He couldn’t keep up with this for much longer.

Hell, even Pandora had noticed his odd behavior, but is wasn’t hard for her to when he’d been essentially shooing her away and over to Arthur. She’d always been a smart child, sometimes a little too smart for her own good.

He watched as his youngest sibling fiddled around with a clock, carefully taking it apart to look at the parts for her own entertainment. She was eight now, how is that even possible? Eight years, gone like that.

Eight years and he still had no idea what he was doing.

It was different, when he was younger, his mistakes were passed off as him simply being a kid. But in his own mind he found it hard to do that as a teenager. The kingdoms were expecting the best from him, he was supposed to be the next lord after his mother. His mother seemingly had no issue with taking on everything, she did it with grace and kindness. But it was hard to stay kind towards people who are constantly whispering about you.

He never knew what they were whispering about. But he could only assume given the treatment from his tutors and teachers. They were harsh towards him, and frustrated that he couldn’t understand the material they were giving him. He was frustrated with himself for not understanding the material. How could he ever be lord of nine kingdoms if he couldn’t even understand the principles of government?

They were going to put him in a position of power anyways, whether or not he was prepared to be put there, he knew that. Why they would continue to put him in place of his mother was beyond him. It was stupid, and not to mention dangerous. He was a depressed and anxious mess, it wasn’t just dangerous for him, it was dangerous for everyone!

It was then that the terrifying thought occurred to him.

If he was put into power, the kingdom would be incredibly vulnerable due to his unknowing in how to govern. Which could lead to another similar situation to the one that happened with the Lockwoods. The stories had been told to him again and again, about how his aunts and uncles, his grandparents, everyone except his mom and aunt, had been murdered that night. How the kingdoms were in ruin and chaos after the Lockwoods took over.

How could he sit by and let it happen again, completely powerless to stop any of it? He knew they were probably waiting, waiting for their opening.

What could he do?

Victor looks over at his siblings, laughing and chatting along with one another. And a second thought dawns on him. He won’t be able to convince them to change which one of them should be heir, but he could force them to. He wouldn’t just throw this onto another one of his siblings, he had to choose who to talk to and gain their opinion on it.

Without letting on about his idea.

Looking at his siblings, he thinks to himself.

Vesper and Henry had explicitly said they never wanted to be lord or lady of the kingdom.

Theodore and Ellie were unfortunately too rowdy for the job.

And Harriet and Pandora were far too young.

That left Arthur. The one with big dreams for Morgana. He had always asked for Victor to relay what he learned to him, and ultimately that’s how Victor actually learned. By repeating it back to Arthur and having Arthur explain it to him.

He was the best equipped for it. So he’d talk to him.

It was nighttime now, and Victor laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His suspicion was correct, Arthur’s dream was to either be lord of Morgana or to serve next to Victor as his right hand. They had a family photo taken, it happened at noon, and he could see just how tired he looked. He knew his smile was fake, and he thinks Pandora knew too, judging by her stubbornness of not wanting to leave his side.

He loved his family, loved his country, but he couldn’t keep up.

His love for both of those things is exactly why he planned to leave once it struck midnight. He had everything he needed packed, everything else was going to stay here. And soon, he heard the grandfather clock chime, and he gets up and grabs his briefcase of things.

Heading out of his room, he walks down the hall and eventually arrives in the front foyer, quietly making his way over to the two large double doors. He reaches for the handle, until,

“Victor?” A small voice says quietly, despite the quietness, it makes him jump violently. He quickly turns around to be met with tired and curious golden eyes.

Pandora.

“Ah… Pan, what’re you doing out here? It’s midnight?”

“I couldn’t sleep again…”

Right. She was an insomniatic child. She struggled with night terrors and the inability to sleep.

Leaving could wait for a little bit, if he was going to say goodbye, at least it would be to the one person who noticed his odd behavior. He walks up to Pandora and pats her head.

“Here, I’ll see you back to bed.”

“Okay, but why are you up?”

“I… couldn’t sleep either.”

“Why are you dressed like you’re going out?”

Shit, why did she have to be so observant?

“I didn’t realize, I guess I was so tired I forgot to change.” He laughs nervously.

“Oh, okay.” She seemed to accept the answer.

The two make their way back to Pandoras room, and he picks her up and tucks her into bed. He then sits on the edge of the bed and rubs her head. He thinks for a moment, before deciding to tell her his goodbye.

“Pandora, even if there are those who seek to rid you of your existence, you will find a way to persevere. However, it’s up to you whether you do good or bad in the world. I hope, when the opportunity comes, you choose good. I love you.”

He gives her a quick peck on the forehead before heading towards the door to the bedroom, he opens it, and just before closing it, tells her a simple,

“Goodnight Pandora.”

“Goodnight Victor” and thus she turns over and goes to sleep.

Victor heads back towards he front foyer, and making sure the coast is clear, opens the double doors and leaves the mansion.

He sheds a few tears on his way out of the kingdom.

And then, boards the train.

Never to be seen again for the next 14 years.

Pandora, now 18, has her back against the door, knees close to her chest, crying. In the background there are yells and sounds of things being thrown.

Things hadn’t ever been the same since he left, things became a living nightmare for everyone, particularly her.

And she can’t help but wonder what might’ve happened if she didn’t accept his answer and kept pushing for information.

Eventually, she tidies herself up, wipes away the tears, and quietly slips out of her room. She walks towards what was Victor’s room, a room that always brought her comfort whenever people were fighting. She opens the door to the abandoned room, closing it behind her and sitting on the floor.

Pandora looks around, seeing all the things he left, she was the only one who’d come in here, the only one who kept the place clean and tidy for the one day that he might arrive home again. But everyday that hope was dwindling.

She’s lost in her thoughts until she sees something shiny, shimmering underneath the small patch of moonlight coating the area. She’d never seen that before, it was in one of her old hiding spots, when the two would play hide and seek.

She crawls over to the area and grabs the shining object, picking it up. Dusting it off, she realizes that it was a journal.

She read for what seemed like hours, reading through the pages her eldest brother poured his heart into, until eventually, she reaches the end.

This… this can’t be it, there has to be more than one journal. She re-reads the last sentence of the last page.

“I will be leaving these journals all around Selcouth I hope. My next destination is hopefully an inn in the next neighboring kingdom, Myalis.”

Myalis… that was a ways away from here. But she had to try. This was the only lead she had, that they had, after so long.

Taking the journal, she runs back to her room and grabs a piece of paper, hastily writing down a neat letter. She explains what she found, what she wants her family to do in her absence, how she’s felt about the whole situation, and when she’ll be back.

“I will come back under three conditions: There is a bigger cause for concern than finding Victor, I haven’t been able to find anything on him at all, or if I find him dead or alive and have answers. If I find him alive, I will ask if he wants to come home, I can’t promise he will though. - Pandora”

And with that, she packs her things and quietly sneaks out the front foyer’s double doors.

She arrives at the train station soon after she leaves, and boards the train.

And begins a journey of her own.