#i have to imagine he found that (somehow) sent it to tom and then posted it

[s-and-n-writes]

you are my north

a/n: hey guys! here's the soulmate fic i've been working on for a while. it's an outline-style because i didn't want to write out the whole thing. enjoy! -s ps. i can't write summaries to save my life. pps. this fic is rated teen only because of two curse words, and while there is some major character death, i didn't mark it in the warnings because it's temporary.

quick links: | crossover masterlist | 

People get many types of soulmate bonds

Some are romantic and some are platonic

Platonic can be friends, family, found-family, etc

Bonds can include marks, writing on arms, switching bodies, etc

Everyone has a soulbond but some aren’t visible or obvious

Marinette grew up in Gotham named Marianne

She didn’t have a visual bond so hers would manifest when she met her soulmate

Her parents were killed when their house burned down (she was 5)

She was sent to an orphanage and ran away after a few months (she was still 5)

Lived on the streets for a year until she met Jason Todd (she was 6 and he was 10)

They met when two older boys tried to steal Marianne’s money since she was small

Jason beat them up and gave her his hand to lift her up

When their hands met there was a flash of light

Marianne - My mama told me about this. She said it was a soulmate bond and the person it was with was really really really special to me.

They both have a compass on their palms pointing to where the other is

They go off together and live together on the streets

She calls him “Jay-Jay” and he calls her “Pixie” or “Mari”

2 years later (Marianne is 8 and Jason is 12)

Jason goes out and finds the Batmobile and proceeds to get adopted

He refuses and wants to find Marianne

Jason - Let me go old man!

Batman - No. You’re coming with me.

Jason - I need to find my sister!

Batman - Fine. Find her and you both will come with me.

Both go in search of Marianne

Earlier Marianne woke up and found Jason missing so she went out to search

She couldn’t find him and was upset and was sloppy

A Parisian couple found her and adopted her

The people at the GCPD were like ????? because who adopts a Gotham street kid?

Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng apparently

So Marianne is taken to Paris while Jason and Batman are looking for her

They can’t find her and Jason goes with Batman and gets adopted and everything

Jason believes she must have been taken out of Gotham because his compass points towards the harbor and towards the water

Eventually gives up because he won’t be able to find her since across the ocean is a massive place

Gotham proceeds as normal

In Paris...

Marianne is refusing everything because she didn’t want to leave and she misses her brother

Tom and Sabine didn’t want two children so they didn’t bother looking for her brother

They rename her Marinette

She goes to school and makes friends with two boys named Nino and Kim and is enemies with Chloe, the mayor’s daughter

Reluctantly starts calling Tom and Sabine ‘Maman’ and ‘Papa’ because it would look weird if she didn’t and she didn’t want to talk about her past

They treat her nicely but she still misses her old parents

Marinette makes more and more friends but they don’t know about her past or her brother

When she’s 11 she sees on the news that Jason Todd-Wayne died

She’s really sad because her brother and soulmate died but also insanely confused because he somehow got adopted by Bruce Wayne???

Back to his death

Her compass stays but her compass needle disappears

She withdraws and doesn’t go to school for a week

She asked everyone not to give her any nicknames (not that she had any in the first place)

Nobody knows she had a brother except Tom and Sabine but even they don’t know his name

Everyone is told one of her family members died and her parents try to console her but eventually give up

Continuing on and time skips

Her parents start leaving her alone more as she got older

It helped when she became Ladybug

Marinette also slightly resents them for forcefully adopting her and then kind of neglecting her but let’s not get into that

Becomes friends with Alya and starts crushing on Adrien

Alya posts everything and is very intrusive

Marinette is constantly questioned about her soulbond but always refuses to answer

Did I mention that she always wears gloves ever since Jason died?

Because she does

She doesn’t want to see the compass and be reminded of him

Anyways, Alya keeps trying but is always refused

She calls Marinette ‘Mari’ one day and she just…snaps

Marinette goes on this big rant about personal information and privacy and respecting boundaries and ends up screaming at her and curls in a ball crying

Alya leaves and stops being friends with her because Marinette is ‘mean’ and ‘sensitive’

They occasionally talk but they’re not really friends anymore

Very soon after, Lila comes and that's why Alya turned on Marinette so quick

Adrien tells her to “take the high road” and her crush on him dies

Marinette becomes even more miserable because everyone has left her and she is alone

Luka and Kagami aren’t her close friends here

And Chloe is not in her class anymore

Tikki is her only friend until Master Fu gives her guardianship and she is in charge of her kwamis

She is incredibly stressed because of Ladybug, Guardian duties, bakery shifts, and school

Tikki gives her the idea to get rid of bakery duties and not focus on Guardian stuff and instead do a hobby

She tells her ‘parents’ that she’s too busy with school to work at the bakery

They roll their eyes and ignore her again and sometimes she thinks they only adopted her to get her to work for them for free

There isn’t too much to do for Guardian stuff anyways

She designs more and more as a hobby and ends up opening a commission website (that’s completely anonymous so Lie-la and her cronies can’t do anything to it)

It’s more work but it relaxes her and is great for making money

Her pseudonym ‘MAT’ is famous because of Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale constantly mentioning her

MAT stands for both Marinette And Tikki, and MariAnne Todd

Eventually she gets a request from the Waynes

Marinette just cried because this was her brothers family and takes the request

She makes everything extra personalized and charges a bit less and writes a note to them

The note says something about how she knew Jason before he died and he was like a brother to her and she misses him so much and she can’t imagine what they’re going through

By this time she’s 16 and Jason would have been 20 and he is currently being Red Hood (not that she knows that)

Stuff happens, Hawkmoth is defeated, and she takes the ring away from Chat Noir because he’s an asshole who can’t take no for an answer

It’s Adrien Agreste...thank god she didn’t have a crush on him anymore

Time passes, and Marinette is now 18

She has moved out of the bakery and into her own apartment

She’s still in school but it’s her last year

She is now insanely famous and her identity is the best kept secret in the world

She is completely alone except for the Kwamis

So Marinette had entered a contest sponsored by Wayne Industries and won

The prize is a trip to Gotham for the entire class...fuck

If Marinette had known she probably wouldn’t have entered

Why would she go back to the place where her brother died?

She has to go though because she is the contest winner

Lila took credit for it and is spinning lies about how she’s so close to the Waynes and is dating Timothy Drake

So now onto a plot twist yay

On the morning of the trip Marinette is getting ready

She hasn’t looked at her hands in forever because she doesn’t want to be reminded about Jason

Keep in mind that she wears gloves constantly

That morning she looks at them because she wants to prepare for being in Gotham again and memories sake and things

Marinette is shocked when the compass needle is back and pointing in a direction

She doesn’t know what happened since as far as she knows people can’t come back to life and her needle was definitely gone before

So after interrogating Tikki and Plagg for a while she finds out that yes, there are ways to bring someone back to life and some aren’t very good for you *cough* Lazarus Pit *cough*

On the plane ride she is thinking and being both excited and scared/worried

Excited because Jason’s alive!

Scared/worried because some ways of bringing back the dead don’t work very well��

The plane lands and they get out of the airport with no big issues

Except for Lie-la hiding her luggage and getting the class to leave without her

So now Marinette has to walk across Gotham at night, alone, while carrying heavy luggage and looking like a tiny, weak, foreigner

She is practically begging to get mugged but what can you do?

Around halfway to the hotel she hears footsteps behind her

Before she can do anything, Red Hood jumps down from a roof and takes them down

He ties them up and calls the police

Marinette thinks he is familiar but ignores the feeling and goes on her way

Red Hood (Jason) also thinks she is familiar but also ignores it

Now is the time for normal Maribat field trip tropes and ideas

Nothing big happens to advance the plot

The last week of their trip is at Gotham Academy and then they go to the Wayne Gala

Again, normal first day at GA tropes until there’s a Rogue attack

For plot reasons (can’t reveal the akuma situation, Ladybug can’t be in Gotham, she has nowhere good to transform, etc), Marinette hides in a storage closet

She rubs her compass-palm to calm herself and looks at it

The needle is moving as if her soulmate was walking towards her (or the closet where she’s hidden)

But that’s not possible because Jason should be 22 and definitely shouldn’t be in a school right?

Marinette is freaking out and then the needle is pointing directly in front of her

And then the doorknob turns and the door opens and she sees…

DUN DUN DUN

Red Hood!

Marinette is kind of shocked but shrugs it off for a minute

Red Hood tells her the attack is over and she can come out

He helps her up but when their hands touch there’s a flash of light

Marinette - Jay-Jay?

Jason - Pixie?

Then there’s a very heartwarming reunion that I’m too angsty to write properly

Marinette starts going by Marianne again and meets the Bats

They love her immediately (and more when they realize that she is MAT who personalized their commissions and wrote that note long ago)

Lie-la’s lies get taken down

At the Wayne Gala she is announced to be Jason Todd-Wayne’s platonic soulmate, Marianne Todd

They live happily ever after

a/n: if you would like to be tagged for any of the maribat drabbles we post, shoot us a message and we’ll tag you!

[melanielocke]

Lost in the Shadows - Chapter 35

AO3

Taglist: @alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @foxglove-airmid @alastair-esfandiyar-carstairs1 @justanormaldemon @styxdrawings @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised

Previous Chapter: Chapter 34

Next Chapter: To be posted

Thomas woke up in his bed, Alastair beside him. He tried to push away the thought that if this hadn’t gone well, he could have found Alastair’s dead body here when he woke up. But Alastair was alive, he pushed himself up and out of the bed. Thomas didn’t know how fast he had to pull those blankets off of him. The fever was gone, his memory made sense again, and those blankets were far too warm for this weather. Alastair seemed a little disoriented still, rubbing his head painfully and blinking sleep out of his eye.

‘We’re back,’ Thomas said.

‘And alive,’ Alastair added. ‘Where are Lucie and Cordelia?’

‘They came to the realm of the thief in their bodies,’ Thomas said. ‘So I assume they entered a gateway back to the equivalent of that palace in this world.’

Alastair groaned. ‘That means they could be anywhere now. They might not even be in this country.’

Thomas nodded. He didn’t know what else to say. He guessed they could call Lucie and Cordelia. But he also knew he needed to speak with Alastair about what he’d done, and Thomas had no idea how. He tried not to let it show, but he was very upset about the choice Alastair had made.

It had worked out in the end, he had to give Alastair that. They’d won and they were all alive. If Alastair hadn’t done what he did, Thomas would not have survived. His soul might have been saved, but there was no way he could have come back to life.

Part of him was grateful. Part of him was terrified. Part of him was angry. He didn’t know how to make sense of those feelings. He was terrified of what else Alastair would do when it came to Thomas’ safety. He knew Alastair was not quite alright, he knew he did not believe he was worthy of love and affection, but he had not expected Alastair to give up his soul for him. Alastair couldn’t have known it would work out in the end. He had not counted on it, nor had he told anyone of his plans. He’d done this on his own.

Alastair had found his phone and was calling Cordelia, promising to come pick her up.

‘She and Lucie are still in Scotland, fortunately, but it’s a bit of a drive. They sent me their location, I can go pick them up there.’

Thomas frowned. ‘Are you sure you’re up for it?’ he asked.

‘Shouldn’t be a problem,’ Alastair said. ‘I’m tired, but not worse than usual. Had not expected that, but I have been asleep for longer than I have in a while.’

Alastair leaned in for a kiss, but Thomas did not reciprocate. A bit unsure, Alastair turned around and left. ‘I’ll see you when we get back.’

Thomas changed into some clean clothes, his pajamas weren’t that comfortable anymore. He guessed he could use a shower too, but that would come later. He vaguely remembered his sisters being here, and he wanted to let everyone know he was alright.

As expected, his father was pacing back and forth through the house, to everyone’s annoyance. His father needed something to do in stressful times, and lately he’d been unable to do anything.

‘You’re alive,’ his father said, pulling him into a hug. ‘You really are alive.’

‘We did it. Cordelia killed the thief, no one owes him souls anymore,’ Thomas said. ‘It’s over.’

Thomas sat down on the couch next to his mother. Unlike Alastair he was still exhausted from everything and did not feel as if he’s been sleeping at all. His mother instantly felt his forehead, Thomas suspected she did it without thinking by now.

‘You don’t seem feverish anymore,’ she said.

‘No, I’m not sick. Still a little tired, but the fever should be gone,’ Thomas said. ‘What time is it?’

‘Eight in the evening. You must be starving, Tom.’

Thomas guessed that was true. He had barely eaten anything the past days, and he had his appetite back.

‘I’ll make you something to eat,’ his mother said. ‘If you’re hungry before it’s done, you could heat up some leftover soup.’

Thomas started with the soup, eating while lost in thought. Why had Alastair done it? Could Thomas still be with him? He didn’t want them to break up, he would miss Alastair terribly, but he also wasn’t sure if he could make it work if they stayed together after this. He didn’t know what to do.

***

‘Where the hell are we?’ Cordelia asked.

She and Lucie appeared at the parking lot of an old castle somewhere. It didn’t look anything like what the thief had built, but it did appear they were still in Scotland. Cordelia hoped they weren’t too far away from the others. Alastair and Thomas weren’t with them, but Cordelia guessed that made sense. They’d gone back to their own bodies, which were still in Thomas’ bed.

‘About an hour’s drive away,’ Lucie said. ‘And I’m all out of snacks.’

‘Alastair’s calling,’ Cordelia said.

Alastair agreed to pick them up at the parking lot and Cordelia texted him her live location. Nothing to do but wait now, and she found a bench for the two of them to sit down on.

‘I still have some snacks,’ Cordelia offered. ‘I imagine you’re exhausted.’

‘I could probably sleep for a hundred years,’ Lucie said. ‘But I won’t. Waking up alone in a new century is not how I’d planned my life. Maybe I’ll sleep for a week though.’

‘We’re in our world now, not in between,’ Cordelia said. ‘Your mother slept in the land in between and time moved differently then. I think that’s why when she woke up, over a hundred years had passed.’

‘Still, I think I need a nap,’ Lucie said.

Cordelia allowed Lucie to lie down in her lap, closing her eyes. She sometimes envied Lucie’s ability to sleep everywhere. Cordelia was tired too, but didn’t know how to rest. Besides, someone had to stay awake until Alastair got here. An empty parking lot was not exactly a safe place for women at this hour. Of course, if some human tried to harm them, they wouldn’t know what they were up against.

She gently stroke Lucie’s head. She didn’t stir, she really was in a deep sleep. It was another one and a half hour until Alastair showed up. She was lucky she and Lucie hadn’t ended up in another country. That would have been problematic without a passport or money.

Cordelia felt changed, somehow. As if a piece of the darkness had traveled with her. The reaper had told her she could return to the land in between and the land of the thief whenever she wished, all of them could now. She didn’t know what else had changed. Had Alastair changed too? She wasn’t sure.

‘Thank god, you’re safe,’ Alastair said. ‘Come, let’s go back.’

‘Thank you for coming,’ Cordelia said, waking Lucie.

‘Any time,’ Alastair said. ‘I’m glad you ended up here, rather than in a different country, even if still doesn’t seem like a safe place to have waited so long.’

Cordelia nodded, she and Lucie got in the car and Alastair drove back, going a little above the speed limit, but there was no one else here.

‘How’s Thomas?’ she asked.

‘Alive,’ was all Alastair said.

‘Is he very upset with you?’

Alastair sighed. ‘I don’t know. He didn’t say much, and someone had to come pick you up. We didn’t have time to talk.’

‘Why did you do it?’ Cordelia asked.

‘You read my letter, didn’t you?’ Alastair asked, his voice betraying little emotion.

It was frustrating when he did that, Cordelia knew this could not be anywhere near the full extent of his feelings.

‘Yes. It was upsetting,’ Cordelia said. ‘I’m worried about you, dâdâsh.’

‘No need for that, Layla. You killed the thief of souls, we’re safe,’ Alastair said.

Cordelia began to get frustrated. Did he really not understand why everyone was so upset about what he’d done? She knew it had worked out in the end, that he’d saved Thomas, and she was glad for that, but that didn’t mean what he’d done was right, or healthy. If he’d discussed it as a method to buy them the time they needed, Cordelia might not have liked it, but it would have been a decent plan. But that wasn’t what Alastair had done. He’d chosen to sacrifice his soul for Thomas’, and although that sounded sweet, it wasn’t what any of them would have wanted. It wasn’t what Thomas would have wanted, and to Cordelia it only showed that Alastair still did not value himself.

‘What if it happens again?’ Cordelia asked. ‘We still haven’t found Tatiana, what if she finds some other creature to deal with and comes for us again? Will you sacrifice yourself for Thomas?’

‘I would have done the same for you, Layla,’ he said quietly. ‘You know that, right?’

‘That’s the problem!’ Cordelia yelled. ‘I would not want you to sacrifice yourself for me. I never wanted that, and neither did Thomas.’

‘I only did it because I love him,’ Alastair said. ‘Because I wanted to put his safety and happiness before my own. That’s what it means to love someone, doesn’t it?’

Cordelia didn’t know how to explain what she meant. What he said wasn’t completely wrong, when you loved someone you wanted them to be happy, even if it wasn’t with you. But this wasn’t the same, was it? There was the matter of consent, of course. No one who loved you would want you to make such a sacrifice. She imagined Charles would have, or her father. Perhaps not to the extent Alastair had done, but Alastair’s love for both of them had been closely tied to sacrifice and in the end it had turned bitter because Alastair had gotten hurt over and over again and her father nor Charles had cared about him. The kind of person who would want such a sacrifice from you wasn’t someone who deserved it.

‘Love does not mean sacrifice,’ Cordelia said. ‘And right now, we’re all scared you’re going to hurt yourself.’

‘I don’t want to die, Cordelia,’ Alastair said. ‘I am not suicidal. How many more times do I have to tell you that?’

Cordelia didn’t say anything else. She didn’t know what to say, how to reach Alastair. He didn’t understand, how could she make him? Perhaps Jem would know, or Gideon. Perhaps Alastair would listen to them if he didn’t listen to her.

‘Just so you know, Thomas feels the same way,’ Cordelia said. ‘As I said, he never asked for this, and that why he’s upset.’

‘I saved him,’ Alastair said. ‘If he doesn’t want me anymore after that, it still would have been worth it. Him being upset with me is better dan him being dead.’

***

Jesse was still around, away from his mother now that she’d lost her power. He no longer knew where Tatiana had gone, or if she was still a threat. Lucie knew his soul was free now, but he was still dead, even she could not fix that.

He’d been spending time with Barbara. The dead Barbara that was, as Thomas’ sister Barbara was here too. It was all very confusing, but Lucie had helped Barbara and Eugenia meet their grandmother, and their cousin Jesse. Both had died too young, but were ready to let go now. Uncle Gabriel hadn’t been able to get much time off from work, but had come to meet his mother. It had been a long drive for the little time he had here, but he’d taken it anyway. Gabriel did not remember his mother, but had taken the chance to meet her now, and left shortly after.

Lucie was sitting outside with Jesse. She knew she’d have to say goodbye, he did not want to stay here. Nor should he. It wasn’t much of an afterlife, to stay behind as a ghost, and Jesse should get to have a proper death. That didn’t make it easier though.

‘I cannot promise that you will be alright when you leave,’ Lucie said.

‘I know,’ Jesse said. ‘You do not need to promise me. I will be alright. I have faith in what comes next.’

Lucie had no clue what would happen. The reaper had been unable to tell her, it had to be kept secret. Lucie wasn’t sure why, but guessed it would make sense once it was her time. Hopefully, that would not be anytime soon, for any of them.

‘I wish there’s more I could have done for you.’

‘You saved me from the thief, Lu,’ Jesse said. ‘You gave me a chance at a proper afterlife. There’s nothing more I could have asked for.’

‘Do you remember anything from your time there?’ Lucie asked.

‘Bits and pieces. I think you’re supposed to forget there.’

‘I didn’t forget.’

‘You’re alive,’ Jesse said. ‘You entered that place with a living body, as did Cordelia. I think Thomas remembered because he had to, and Alastair never forgot because he cannot forget. But souls who go there are meant to forget. Barbara remembers only because Alastair made her.’

‘Perhaps Alastair could help you remember too,’ Lucie said.

‘It’s not so bad, to forget,’ Jesse said. ‘I remember who I am, my life. I don’t need memories of that place.’

Lucie had to admit he had a point. Forgetting wasn’t always bad. It made her wonder, was it difficult for Alastair too, that he could never forget?

‘I understand,’ she said. ‘When will you go?’

‘No time like the present, right?’ Jesse said. ‘Barbara will come with me, we’re going together. I’d say I won’t forget you, but I do not know what will happen to my memories on the other side.’

‘That’s alright,’ Lucie said. ‘Because I will remember you. And I hope it’s good, what you find there.’

‘Goodbye, Lucie. It was an honor to know you.’

Jesse walked to Barbara. He looked so normal as he did, almost as if he were alive. Then he took his grandmother’s hand, and they both disappeared. Lucie knew she would not see them again. She knew it was for the best.

***

In the next few days, Thomas continued to avoid Alastair. Whenever he entered a room, Thomas left, and Alastair didn’t know what to do. It was alright, he told himself. Thomas was safe and it would be alright if he didn’t want Alastair anymore. It was bound to happen anyway. But Alastair still found himself longing for Thomas. His silence was more painful than he could have imagined, and Alastair didn’t know how to fix this. How could he, if Thomas wouldn’t even speak to him?

‘Just so you know, if he dumps you, Kamala and I are keeping you,’ Eugenia said. ‘I’m sure dad feels the same way.’

He’d spent time with Thomas’ sister and her girlfriend the past few days. Lucie and Cordelia were mainly together, and Alastair understood. They were recovering from what happened, and wanted to be together now that they’d finally realized they loved each other.

Barbara had returned home. Alastair liked her, but didn’t get along as easily with her as with Eugenia. It wasn’t her fault, really, Alastair just didn’t know what to talk about with her. Eugenia and Kamala were both students at the same university Alastair went to, Kamala as a medical student and Eugenia was a year ahead in sociology. She could tell him exactly what to expect.

James was still around as well, he’d spent most of his time around Thomas and Lucie. Alastair hadn’t spoken to him apart from a short apology for what happened in school. He’d apologized to at the end of the school year before he’d transferred, but wasn’t sure James remembered at all. He’d put his school days behind him. He hoped James could do, but wasn’t sure if they could ever be friends. He found Lucie easier to get along with, which Lucie claimed was because they were probably both autistic. James seemed to have accepted his apology this time at least.

‘I’m not sure that would be right,’ Alastair said. ‘I don’t think Thomas wants me around anymore.’

‘If he’s dumping you, he’s an idiot,’ Eugenia said. ‘I hope you two can work it out, but if not, you’re still our friend.’

Alastair frowned. ‘We just met.’

‘Does that matter?’ Eugenia asked.

‘I don’t really have friends,’ Alastair added. ‘I don’t know how to be someone’s friend.’

‘Even more reason to accept me and Kamala as your friends. Doesn’t look like you have many options, and you’re not getting rid of us that easily.’

‘Genie is very determined,’ Kamala added. ‘I don’t think it’s wise to try to escape us. You live in London too, right?’

‘Yes,’ Alastair said, although he was not yet sure which part of London. Jem’s offer was tempting, but could he leave his mother now that she was having a baby?

Alastair had called her every day since making it back from the thief’s realm, discussing the baby, potential names, and what he’d do after the summer. His mother had encouraged him to choose for himself, not her, and she would be fine if he moved out. Alastair had not yet made a decision.

‘Great, then we’ll have plenty of opportunities to spend time together,’ Eugenia said. ‘Kamala currently lives in a cupboard under the stairs, but I live with my parents and have the space to host us.’

Alastair frowned. ‘A cupboard?’

‘It’s not a cupboard under the stairs. But it’s small,’ Kamala said. ‘My parents disowned me, had to take what I could get.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Alastair said.

Kamala shrugged. ‘It’s fine. Without them, I can finally figure out who I am, rather than who they want me to be.’

Although he didn’t know them well yet, Alastair did like Kamala and Eugenia so far. He guessed he had no clue how to be a friend, but he was figuring it out, and they provided a decent distraction from Thomas, who still refused to speak to him. Eugenia claimed Alastair should just go talk to him, but he didn’t dare. He was scared he would be abandoned again, although this wasn’t exactly a great situation either.

After dinner, Alastair was reading on the couch, a book Kamala had recommended to him. She and Eugenia both liked to read, which was nice because if he was unable to keep a conversation going they could always discuss books they liked.

‘How have you been?’

Gideon had come to sit down next to him. The past days he’d mostly been around Thomas, which Alastair could understand. It must have been very upsetting to almost watch him die. His arm had been broken, Alastair had learnt, but Kamala’s magic had sped up the healing process considerably.

‘Eugenia and Kamala have been kind to me,’ he said.

‘Yes, it’s nice you’re getting along so well with them. Genie likes you a lot. But you haven’t spoken to Thomas at all, have you?’

‘I haven’t,’ Alastair admitted. ‘He’s been avoiding me. I knew he’d realize I wasn’t worth it eventually, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon.’

Nor had he expected it to hurt so much, but he didn’t say that out loud.

‘Why do you believe you aren’t worth it?’ Gideon asked.

Alastair wasn’t sure what to answer. ‘He deserves someone whole, someone who’s not broken like me. I’m too broken, too difficult.’

‘You’re not too broken to be loved, Alastair,’ Gideon said. ‘Thomas is very upset about what you did. He knows he needs to talk to you, he’s been avoiding you because he doesn’t like difficult conversations.’

‘He doesn’t want me anymore,’ Alastair said. ‘But I don’t understand why he’s upset that I saved his life.’

‘You scared him,’ Gideon said. ‘You scared all of us. I knew you were hurting, but sacrificing your soul for someone… That’s not a good sign.’

‘I did what I had to do to save your son,’ Alastair said. ‘Aren’t you happy he’s alive?’

Alastair was confused about why everyone was so upset. He knew he’d made a difficult choice, and maybe he shouldn’t have done it without telling anyone, but it had worked out and without it Thomas would be dead. Didn’t they understand why he’d done it? He found it hard to believe someone else would not have done the same.

‘I am. And I am grateful for what you did for him. But you must understand that it’s not what he wanted. If you hadn’t killed the thief in time, if you’d died and he’d lived, he would have to live with that guilt. I do not think it is right to make these decisions for him in secret. It all worked out in the end, but I’m also concerned about you, and why you did it.’

‘I did it because I love him,’ Alastair said. ‘I guess he doesn’t love me like that, and that’s alright. I just wanted him to be happy.’

He tried to wipe away the tears in his eyes, but he couldn’t hide that he was crying.

‘I imagine that after everything that happened to you, you came to believe that love meant sacrifice. But I don’t think that’s a healthy way to approach relationships. Someone who loves you would not want you to sacrifice yourself for them. If it had been reversed, and Thomas had traded himself for you? Or Cordelia?’

Alastair pictured the scenario, him dying and Cordelia or Thomas making that deal. He wouldn’t want that, Gideon had a point.

‘I would have done everything in my power to stop them,’ Alastair said.

‘So you understand then, why Thomas is upset?’ Gideon asked gently.

‘It’s not the same,’ Alastair said stubbornly.

‘Why not?’

‘Because…’ Because he wasn’t worth that. Because Thomas could be happy without him, and Alastair was just broken. Because he was awful and bitter and did not deserve to be saved.

‘Because you believe you’re worth less than him,’ Gideon finished for him. ‘I know you do not love yourself very much. I think I understand why you did it, and I cannot blame you, but if you want to talk it out with Thomas you need to understand why he’s so upset.’

‘He doesn’t want me,’ Alastair said.

‘You won’t know that unless you talk. I don’t know what Thomas wants, but you should not leave anything unsaid between you two. You owe that to each other, and yourselves.’

Alastair guessed Gideon was right. He did understand why Thomas was upset, but Alastair could not bring himself to regret it. Not when he’d saved Thomas, not when it had all worked out.

Alastair found Thomas at the Herondale manor. He stood up from the couch as soon as he noticed Alastair, about to leave.

‘Do you want to take a walk?’ Alastair asked.

Thomas didn’t say anything.

‘I won’t go far,’ Alastair clarified. ‘I guess I just wanted to be outside.’

‘You can do that without me,’ Thomas said, avoiding his gaze.

‘I also thought we should talk,’ Alastair added.

‘Another time?’ Thomas asked.

‘If you need to, but I think you’ll postpone this indefinitely,’ Alastair said. ‘It’s been difficult for me, the way you avoided me.’

Thomas nodded. ‘You’re right. No time like the present, I guess.’

It was a warm evening, the sun was disappearing behind the trees, and a soft breeze caressed his cheeks. The kind of weather Lucie would use for a romantic scene, he guessed. Alastair hoped it worked out for him as well.

‘I missed you,’ Alastair said softly.

‘Me too. I missed you, I mean. Not myself. That wouldn’t even make sense.’

Thomas was rambling, and Alastair could tell he dreaded this conversation. Alastair did too. It was like a weight pressing on his stomach, Alastair felt he might throw up.

‘I understand why you’re upset.’

Thomas turned to face him, and took his hand. ‘Promise me you’ll never do something like that again.’

Alastair hesitated. ‘If I am to make such a promise, I would at least need you to be more specific.’

Thomas looked away and clenched his fist.‘You’re not taking me seriously.’

‘No, I am. But I don’t understand what you want me to promise. That I will never hurt myself? I do not think I can make such a promise. I wish I could, but I do not know what the future will hold. I might get worse. I do not want to make a promise unless I know I can keep it.’

Thomas hesitated. ‘No, I guess I cannot ask that. As much as I want you to feel better, it’s not something I can demand of you. But if we’re going to make this work, I do need you to promise me one thing. Promise me you will not go behind my back again. Perhaps, if you’d discussed what you were planning, I could have stopped you. Or perhaps we could have worked it into a plan we could all agree with to improve our odds of winning. I cannot deny that you saved me, that I would have died if you hadn’t done what you did. But I do not ever want you to keep your plans to save me hidden from me, nor do I want you to give up your life, or soul, for me.’

‘I guess I can promise that,’ Alastair said. ‘I should not have gone behind everyone’s back, you’re right. But I cannot regret what I’ve done.’

‘I understand and I can live with that,’ Thomas said. ‘Just don’t do it again.’

‘I’m hoping there won’t be a reason to,’ Alastair said. ‘But I promise I won’t keep you in the dark about my plans to save or protect you.’

‘I’m sorry I avoided you,’ Thomas said. ‘I knew we needed to have this conversation, and I didn’t know how. I thought I could just postpone it until I was ready, but it wasn’t going to get any better.’

‘You did a pretty good job,’ Alastair said. ‘Although it helped that your father talked to me.’

‘He’s worried too, isn’t he?’

‘It’s odd, to have people concerned about me,’ Alastair admitted.

‘You’re just not used to it,’ Thomas said. ‘But my parents are experts at being concerned about people, so you might need to adapt.’

‘It’s nice,’ Alastair said.

He used to hate the feeling, but lately not anymore. It felt so good to be allowed to let go, to break down and know there would be someone to help him pick up the pieces. He’d always wanted to be strong, but he’d been so tired of it lately.

‘It can be too much,’ Thomas said. ‘But that’s better than people not caring at all.’

‘Can I kiss you?’ Alastair asked shily.

‘Please.’

Alastair grabbed hold of Thomas’ shoulders, standing on his tip toes to be able to reach his lips. Having a tall boyfriend had its downsides too, but Thomas leaned down a little and Alastair could kiss him.

Their lips met, and Alastair realized he’d been starved for this, even if it had only been a few days since they’d kissed. Thomas took control off the kiss, a bit more experienced by now, and Alastair loved it. He wanted to let Thomas drown him in affection. Thomas put his arms around him, pressing him closer. Their bodies fit together nicely, Alastair could feel his muscles, his chest, strong arms enveloping him and keeping him safe.

‘I forgive you,’ Thomas said. ‘I don’t like what you did, but it’s alright. I know you don’t believe you’re worth it, but you are and I hope one day you’ll see that too. Let’s give this another try.’

[zodiyack]

Like Mother Like Daughter

Requested by anon: Hello love! Would you write something about the reader being Polly's lost daughter that finally found her and she goes to her house and Polly of course is insanely happy and they catch up all night ,immediately connected. The next day she gets introduced to the rest of the family and Tommy is super rude to her because he thinks she's there for money,but she's just there for Polly and just as fierce as her mother, putting him in place? :)

Pairing: Shelby & Gray family + Gray!Female!Reader (No romance)

Warnings: Swearing, angst, fluff, probably a trash story that was also probably really horribly written, posting with out proofreading oops

Note: I apologize sincerely for the likelihood of a shitty background story of how reader discovers Pol being her mum. I am also so sorry if this sucks lol, I couldn’t think of good responses for the angsty part sigh. I really hope you guys like this one, again, I’m sorry if I didn’t quite write the situation all too well. However, the more I write, the more I get to know the characters, so this is a start haha

Taglist: @matth1w​, @redspaceace​, @simonsbluee​

masterlist | peaky blinders masterlist

Today was the day. Polly fiddled with her fingers nervously, anticipation for what was to come. Her daughter, Michael’s sister, was just confirmed alive and well, and was being sent to their home. Michael didn’t know he had a sister and Pol had been uninformed of her daughter’s state of health.

It was a surprise, the only person of the family who knew was Polly herself. Y/n was her daughter anyways. The boys could wait until after they caught up; she was eager to reconnect with this girl, who very dear to her heart. Her palms were sweaty, thanks to her nerves.

The news graced her ears just last month. Her lost daughter, alive and well, and pleading with her adoptive mother to let her go and seek out the mystery woman who’s name was with her’s on papers in her father’s office. The girl had no success, getting rejected over and over due to her parent’s hatred for her discovery. Polly, however, found a way to anonymously convince the parents to let her daughter go. Whether it was legal or not, it got it done, and that’s all that mattered.

The door creaked open, the light from the sun shining onto Y/n like a spotlight. Polly’s eyes filled with tears as she scanned her daughter with a small smile on her lips.

“Hi mum...” Y/n smiled back at her, inhaling deeply, not sure if it was real or just a dream. She wished, if it were a dream she could have it every night for the rest of her life.

Polly’s mouth opened slowly, but no words left her mouth. Her hand began it’s journey up to her mouth, stuttering half way, and covered her growing smile. She didn’t know what to do. She was so happy, she could hardly move. True, she was excited to have Michael back, but this was her daughter. A year younger than Michael. More naive than Michael. Lost longer than Michael.

Her words betrayed her, but her body made up for their faults. Pol stumbled towards Y/n and wrapped her arms around her in a bone-crushing hug. “Is that really you? My baby girl?” Her tears soaked into Y/n’s dress clad shoulder, but neither of them cared.

“Mhm.” Y/n too had no luck with her words, too caught up in emotions and snotty tears to give a shit. They chose to make use of their wordless greetings, hugging tightly for a few more minutes. Once they separated, Polly took Y/n’s face in her hands and let her eyes take in the image before her.

“You’re so beautiful... I wonder what you looked like as a child...” More tears fought to escape her eyes. Her breathing was unsteady, like she had just calmed herself from a crying fit, when really, she was doing the opposite, tears greeting her warm cheeks.

“Polly, it’s alright-”

“Mom.” She chuckled softly, “You can call me mum, dear. You are my daughter, after all.”

Y/n didn’t respond. She wracked her brain for words, but they fled at the quiver of her bottom lip. So, she did her plan B. She removed Polly’s hands from her face and quickly surged forward into Pol’s arms. Y/n felt Polly’s arms wrap around her figure protectively, like she was scared that if she let her go she would lose her again.

“Well, mom, we have a lot to catch up on...” They finally separated, but Polly’s hands gripped Y/n’s, the same fear as the hug taunting her heart.

“That is true...and you and your brother have some catching up to do as well, but that can wait until tomorrow.”

Y/n raised an eyebrow with pure curiosity, “Brother?”

. . .

Tommy was walking calmly and sleepily to the kitchen area until he heard laughter coming from a voice that he didn’t recognize. His pace quickened with the need of settling his confusion.

A girl sat next to Michael, laughing at something he said. Tommy felt a slight jab of anger at the sight of a stranger in their home, everyone seeming so comfortable with this new person not even a day into her arrival.

He stepped into the room fully. His brothers and aunt tried to greet him good morning but they were interrupted when he glared at the girl next to Michael. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Might as well as you the same thing, greeting not only a lady, but a relative with a shit attitude like yours.”

“She does have a point. Tom, this is Y/n, Michael’s sister and Pol’s daughter. Which, if you haven’t guessed already, means she’s our cousin.” Ada smirked, astonished at Y/n’s retort.

“Mhm. And she just, somehow showed up over night, am I correct?” 

“Actually she showed up before dark. You boys just didn’t meet her because I wanted to catch up with her as much as possible first. You would too if you had met your daughter whom you thought was dead for seventeen fucking years.” Pol’s attitude seemed to drop from cheery to annoyed.

“So? You chose to believe her?”

“Yes! She’s-”

“She could be a complete stranger who just wants out money or- or- maybe she is your daughter but she also just wants our money.” Tommy turned to Y/n, “Is that it? You’re just lookin’ to take from us? Is that your tactic? Pretend to be our Aunt’s daughter and steal? Or are you not after money? Maybe you work for someone? One of our enemies perhaps?”

Michael rubbed Y/n’s back, he was unsure to why Tommy was acting so shitty today. His reaction was more controlled than this when he met Michael, so why was meeting Y/n any different? Michael furrowed his eyebrows to his older cousin and squeezed Y/n’s hand. She smiled to her brother in reassurance before smiling back at Tommy, not letting his not-so-good-first impression get to her.

Polly, having enough of Tommy’s angsty mood, walked out of the room. She mumbled something about him ruining her day and the reunion.

He grunted and walked past the family, poured himself a shot, leaned against the wall next to the counter, and crossed his arms. Y/n snickered to herself as she viewed his actions. “Oi, what’s so funny?”

“You’re crossing your arms and leaning against the wall in an act of dominance. An attempt to intimidate others, but honestly, your word and argument choices betray your failed claims of top-dog.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well,” she got up from the chair and pushed it back in, walking over to Tommy, “you’re acting childish. Throwing out accusations willy-nilly without reason, acting over dramatic when we could talk like civilized adults, and to top it all off, crossing your arms and pouting when you don’t get your way.” She paused, smiling mischievously.

Her cousin stayed silent. His breathing was a bit off, telling her that she had indeed managed to, if not the tiniest bit, piss him off.

“I came here to see my mother, who I’ve never seen in my entire fucking life, and then I find out I have more family. You can imagine my surprise, happy and finally feeling at home. But now, can you imagine my reaction to the cousin my mum spoke so highly about acting the way you did?”

She didn’t give him time to answer before continuing, drawling out some words and sentences with the intent of mocking the Peaky Blinder.

“You see Tommy, tough guys are what Birmingham sees you, and those of your brothers who are adults, to be, yet I only see two out of the three of you as ‘tough guys’. And now, I’m looking at the missing piece to their ‘tough-guy’ count, but all I see is a whiny child who would rather believe paranoia than his own family. Which, by the way, Polly said you cared most about.”

Tommy’s jaw clenched. Y/n’s face held a victorious smile. “Oh, and one last thing.”

“And that is?”

She swiped the glass from his hands and walked back to her seat, holding Tommy’s shot-glass cautiously. “Trust me or don’t trust me, I don’t care much, but for you and your reputation's sake-” She downed the shot, “you should really man the fucking hell up, cuz.”

Y/n set his glass onto the table, giving him the bird joined with a kind smile before she left the room to chase after her mother. The family, minus Polly and Y/n, sat in silence, processing the personality shift of their newly discovered family member.

“...Yep. She’s Pol’s daughter alright.”

[tundrainafrica]

Title: Hacker

Summary: 

"Education has reached a new frontier. Given the pandemic and the need to continue educating the youth, many companies have started developing ways to eliminate distractions in the online classroom. Eduguardian is an MDM solution designed to support our educators and guardians in their mission to create the optimal learning environment for children."

Brookland starts using Mobile Device Management solutions for the student's devices and Alex naively tries to find a way to bypass it. 

Written for the SpyFest fic exchange, Dec 2020

Link to cross-postings: AO3

Prompt:

"Alex is noticed as having a lot of potential (be it while he's on a mission or just going home from school but is paying a lot of attention to his surroundings and gets noticed by some criminals - not the ones he's investigating- or by some other intelligence agency; either way, they don't recognise him as a spy) and someone tries to recruit him. MI6 isn't exactly happy with the whole ordeal, especially when Alex gives the offer some serious consideration (or he doesn't, it's up to you. MI6 is still pissed)."

Notes:  I am so sorry I took way too many liberties with this hahahah. I hope it's still recognizable? An attempt at crack. (Do people actually follow me for Alex Rider content?)

When Brooklands got into the trend of holding both online and in-classroom classes, Alex was out on a mission. 

In fact, he didn’t even notice that most of his classmates were joining him when he was doing modules his teacher so kindly sent him. Probably because his downtime to actually look at those modules consisted of those times in a helicopter minutes before he was to skydive and land onto the roof of another military headquarters.

The change was gradual but it was there. Alex though, having had too many things running through his head never did notice it. That is until he opened one of his devices during class to see the browser Safari was blocked on his iPad.

Your school has not provisioned this as a Class App. Please contact your school administrator if you believe this is a mistake.

“What the hell is this?” Alex whispered, mostly to himself.

“Oh yeah, it’s blocked. You have to use the Eduguardian browser now,” Tom answered from next to him. He reached out over Alex’s shoulder and clicked on something on the lower screen of Alex’s ipad, a green app with a badge on it

“What? Why?”

“Yeah, something about ‘educational technology being the new frontier’ and ‘having to protect children in an online setting’…”

With Tom’s mannerisms, Alex could almost imagine the speech drilled into his classmates heads while he was away. He didn’t have to imagine for too long though. An ad of Eduguardian was one of the few things they were at least allowed to access during class. For some reason, Alex found himself more interested in the ad than in the actual class.

Education has reached a new frontier. Given the pandemic and the need to continue educating the youth, many companies have started developing ways to eliminate distractions in the online classroom.

Eduguardian is an MDM solution to support our educators and guardians form a better environment for your children.

MDM?

“Eyes up.” And just like that, before Alex could even figure out the implications of an MDM, his screen froze then locked and he was left with nothing better to do than listen to his teacher.

The teacher flashed the questions on the board. “Pop quiz everyone!”

A link was sent to his iPad. It opened up to a google form with one essay question History was generally one of the easiest subjects to google.

How were peasants in western Europe similar to serfs in Russia? How were they different?

It was an essay so at least they were given time and space to research. Or so that was what Alex thought. Having been a student for many years, and for a long one year, having been a student who was constantly behind. Alex had built very efficient methods for research.

As Alex opened up wikipedia, he soon found out what cruel reality.

“They blocked Wikipedia?”

“Apparently, starting with wikipedia is lazy research.” Tom answered softly back, looking not at all convinced with the school’s strategy.

For the first time since his first mission, Alex was not happy to be back at school.

                                        Hacker

“It doesn’t end there… When you get home, your parents have control of the gadget. They can set curfews, set up restrictions. This invention is fucking crazy,” Tom ranted as they made their way home that afternoon.

For Tom it was. Alex was sure though Jack wouldn’t be too strict about it. She never was. She was more like a sister than a parent to him after all.

All hopes of a normal day though were dashed when he came home to find Jack as confused as he was. “Brooklands never told me about anything like that.”

“You’re kidding...” That was a declarative statement. Alex did not want to even want to plant the possibility that maybe, just maybe she knew nothing about it. “Every student has to have an assigned guardian... “ Alex watched as Jack’s eyes widened in what could have been realization. As she did, Alex was starting to understand what she meant, having stumbled upon the same conclusion.

                                          Hacker

“Alex, you have to understand, MDM is the new frontier. With the internet, we can’t just have kids running around watching porn or war movies without supervision.”

“This is a bunch of horseshit. You’re infringing on my right to privacy.”

“You’re acting like we have never done this before Alex. Besides, it’s not like we’re watching what you’re doing 24/7. Just enough to keep you safe… and your content age appropriate.”

Mrs. Jones’s justification had Alex rolling his eyes. He had checked his web filtering settings that afternoon to see that all violent Youtube channels and subreddits had been blocked. Keywords like blood, guns and suicide have also been filtered out. But you’re so ready to drop me at the line of fire when convenient. He would have wanted to say. By then though, Mrs. Jones was looking back at her paperwork and Alex knew any argument would have been futile.

Any argument towards Jones at least. Alex still had allies among MI6.

“Smithers, how much do you know about this MDM thing?” Alex asked as soon as he closed the door behind him. He was aware that the walls were soundproof and he made little effort to regulate his voice, having wasted too much of his patience talking to Mrs. Jones. He had twenty other things to say more insulting to ‘horseshit’ after all.

“Well, it’s all the rage now but it’s nothing new. MI6 has been using mobile device management systems since before to watch their employees.”

“Why does MI6 have to be the one assigned to ‘parent’ my school account?”

Smithers shrugged. “They are your legal guardians.” The man had a face about him, as if he didn’t want to be involved. Alex knew Smithers had a soft spot for him and he just had to use it to his advantage.

For a few more moments they were silent. Alex though continued to stare at Smithers, widening his eyes a bit and twisting his mouth into a little pout, or maybe a face of disappointment. All he intended to show though was a little bit of hopelessness and awareness of the unfairness of his situation.

It may have worked. It may have not worked. It was enough for Smithers to let out a big sigh, bring out a USB and connect it into his computer. Within minutes, he placed it on the table, gesturing for Alex to take it. “Don’t you dare tell Mrs. Jones about this.”

                                         Hacker

It was a quick install virtual desktop interface.

It was a straightforward solution to the MDM that ravaged his iPad and within minutes of installation and booting it up, Alex finally had access to whatever else prepubescent boys usually preferred to search up privately.

Through the VDI at least. Alex noted. That virtual desktop had become Alex’s one stop shop for blocked content for both days at school and nights at home.

When in school, Alex already had a disadvantage when taking pop quizzes and for once he actually felt that MI6, or at least Smithers, was doing their part to undo the damage of missed classes. He had finished one of his quizzes for literature thirty minutes before the class ended because of the quick access he had had to sparknotes using the VDI Smither’s had given him.

“Alex, what the hell---” Tom whispered. Or it was a little too loud to be a whisper for a very paranoid and guilty Alex. He quickly pushed at Tom’s chair so the boy beside him would lose his balance and distract him. That gave Alex enough time to close his VDI and pretend to struggle as he reviewed his already completed worksheet.

Tom didn’t buy it. “Alex, you know something we don’t.” He had whispered to him soon after students started to file out of the classroom.

Tom was his best friend in Brookland. Within a few minutes of listening to Tom’s outrageous theories and rants, Alex finally caved in and requested for Tom’s USB. Within a day, he had copied that file to Tom’s USB and the latter had it installed on his laptop, just in time for their next exam.

Tom looking a little too relaxed for the next exam was what set off alarms for the whole class. Tom had a secret he didn’t want to share and somehow the class knew. No one just became above average overnight. Especially someone like Tom.

Alex was approached a few days after he had given Tom a copy of the file. It was when he had passed by the toilet which was reserved for things other than conventional uses of the toilet, did he run into someone who reeked of whatever they smoked inside.

“I have a business proposition for you,” he said, a whiff of smoke following suit.

                                              Hacker

A week passed and suddenly everyone was finishing their exams thirty minutes earlier. The teachers had attributed it to the effects of a good MDM. Alex’s wallet was a little heavier so he wasn’t complaining.

That was until he found a black sedan in front of his home with a man in a suit and a quick message from Mrs. Jones.

The ride to Mrs. Jones office was been silent, save for a terse “go in!” as soon as he arrived in front of her office. He heard venom in that voice and was sure she was at least trying to be polite but was probably seething.

Mrs. Jones did not waste any time. “MDMs are an important part of national security Alex.”

“Yes. I’m aware of that.”

“Then what am I hearing about a mass production of VDIs packaged externally.”

Alex shouldn’t have been surprised that she found out about it. He found cold chill brush through him as she pointed it out. “Where did you hear that?”

“We had to investigate the suddenly very impressive results of the students in quizzes over a three week period. And they traced it to one school, Brookland.” Mrs. Jones glared at him accusingly. “You can’t just hack into MDMs!”

Alex brought his hands up defensively. “Why do you suddenly think it’s me?”

“Alex, no boy your age just suddenly stops watching porn for a month."

A week later, all devices were wiped and all USBs ceased. The damage had been done.

At least Alex got to keep the money.

[sunsetfanfics]

All I Want

(Jadon Sancho x Reader)

Jadon imagine where he really likes you but knows you won’t be with him because of his fboy lifestyle and you always joke about it and he tried to get you or something along those lines please if you can x

Warning: a bit of harsh language

You drag yourself into the break room, feet aching. Tom, your coworker, watched in amusement as you plopped down into the chair across from him, a sigh escaping your lips.

"Tired?"

You look up to see him smile, which you can't help but reciprocate.

"A bit, yeah."

"Only an hour left now, then you get to go home." He replies, to which you nod.

"Yeah, only an hour. You say that as if it'll magically make me feel better."

He shrugs. "It should. You've already worked for seven hours. Plus you have off tomorrow."

"I guess, can you get me a water?"

He chuckles and nods, getting up and walking over to the mini fridge in the corner.

"So, do you have any news on you-know-who?" He asks, receiving a groan in response.

"I think he knows, to be honest. It's not like I'm blowing him off or anything, but his lifestyle just,, isn't for me."

Tom nods, walking back over to hand you an ice cold bottle.

"Thank you." You mutter, receiving a nod in response.

"Well, do you like him?" He questions, sitting back down.

You twist off the cap and don't hesitate to take a swig of cold water.

Once you feel somewhat replenished, you put the bottle on the ground and twist the cap back on.

"To be honest,,," you pause, "I do. I really really do. I just,, I wish he wasn't such a fuckboy. Because underneath that layer is a really kind individual.

"I would date him if he didn't play this,, character. I just-"

But you didn't get the chance to finish as the bell rang outside.

You threw your head back, "fuck my life!"

Tom giggled as he watched you stand up and hurry back out to the desk.

━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

As the last hour wound down, there wasn't much to do, but you still managed to keep yourself busy.

Once your shift finished, you went back into the break room, saying goodbye to the few coworkers that were in there on your way out.

Nobody knew about this whole 'situation' with Jadon except for a few people, each of whom you trusted with every fibre of your being. You trusted them to keep this within the group, knowing that if it got out your name along with 'Jadon Sancho's girlfriend' would be everywhere.

As you walked out to your car, you got a text from Tom.

'Did you see his new post on ig?'

You instinctively rolled your eyes. What new flex would it be this time?

'I'll look at it when I get home' you replied as you dug your keys out of your pocket and unlocked your door.

On the whole ride home, you couldn't help but think about him. Even if you tried to think of something else, your mind would somehow twist whatever you were thinking about to always go back to him.

Pulling into the driveway, you had finally managed to stop thinking about him, since you were now thinking about what to eat for breakfast, seeing as it was only 7:18am.

You turned the car off and opened the door, practically hauling yourself out of the driver's seat.

Today was the most difficult 8-hour shift you've done to date, which meant you were beyond worn out.

Your sore feet somehow carried you into the house where, no surprise, your best friend was nowhere to be found.

You both typically worked opposite shifts, so you rarely saw each other, but sometimes you could catch each other just as one was returning home and the other was leaving.

Though it defeated the whole purpose of owning a house together, it was kinda nice to have the space all to yourself after a tough shift.

As you sat down, rather forcefully, on the couch, you flipped your shoes off and grabbed the tv remote sitting on the coffee table. You fully stretched out as you turned the tv on.

This was the routine you had grown accustomed to: you got home, let yourself relax for a bit, then got to work doing something else for a while, then went to bed.

As you pressed the button to turn on Netflix for perfect background noise, your phone went off.

You ignored it, deciding to wait till you had the show set up to check it.

DING! DING! DING!

Notification after notification piled up until you couldn't take it anymore.

You angrily dug your phone out of your pocket and looked at it, the screen lit up with even more texts from your coworker group chat.

You roll your eyes and groan, shifting your attention back to getting The Great British Baking Show on.

Once it started playing, you finally read through the texts.

'Y/N!'

'HAS ANYTHING HAPPENED WITH JADON'

'PLS TELL US'

'omg look at his latest post'

'DAMNNN'

'yall did y/n look @ the post'

'idk but 👀👀'

'he looks like a fboy to me tbh lmaooo sorry Y/N'

You couldn't help but laugh at the last one.

Switching to instagram, you check to see what all the fuss is about.

The post in question? No surprise, a few photos of him shirtless on his friend's expensive yacht.

You roll your eyes, "my god Jadon."

Despite posting classic fuckboy photos on instagram, you couldn't help but get a few butterflies in your stomach.

You double tap on the photo, then go back to the groupchat, only for a new text to pop up.

Jadon ⚽🔥 hey 😛

Another eye roll.

'hey Jadon'

'I saw you liked my recent 👀👀'

Uh oh. This won't end well.

'yeah'

'do you like what you see? 😜'

There it is.

'eh, ig. cr7 has better abs, though.'

'sure, for now.'

'right. I'll hold you to that.'

'wish you would hold something else, if you know what I mean 😉'

Jesus Christ.

'haha. what were you even drinking in that photo?'

'something exotic 🍹'

'yeah, it looks it.'

'haha yeah. anyways, wyd?'

There it is. The holy grail of fuckboys. The three letters everyone dreads. Oh no. Oh god.

'relaxing, I just got home from work.'

'really? it's almost 8 in the morning.'

'mhm. I worked 11p-7a. I'm tired.'

'are you still working @ the hotel we met at?'

'mhm'

'niceee. I'll be in town tm if you wanna meet up'

'yeah? who's the new lucky girl you'll bring this time?'

'no one. it'll only be us.'

'right. that's what you said last time.'

'this time will be different. I promise. you off tm?'

'yeah'

'ok. meet me at our café.'

'I have things to do too, you know, it's not all ab you Jadon.'

'damn, ok. well, if you decide to come, I'll be there at 12:30.'

'ok.'

'see you then, boo 😘'

━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

12:15, you showed up early, as per usual. You were sitting at the table you and Jadon would sit at every time you came, aka the closest to the window.

12:30. You were watching out the window, not taking your eyes away. He was nowhere to be seen.

12:45. He still wasn't there. Why were you even surprised?

1:00. Still no sign of him. You were almost finished with your coffee, and you were getting restless.

1:15. Everyone who had been there when you arrived were long gone, all the tables filled with new customers. You probably looked pathetic.

1:30. An hour after he said he would meet you, and you were fed up. Why did you even bother?

1:35. Nothing. No new messages or anything. You were done.

You walked out, trying your best to conceal your anger. You should be used to this. You should've known. Over an hour of your life wasted.

Just as you get back to your car your phone goes off. With a quick glance, you can tell it's Jadon.

'hey! sorry, something came up. can you do next week? I wanna make it up to you.'

You couldn't believe your eyes. You wasted over an hour,,, for that.

'no, I can't. I'm actually busy next week, and the week after that, & every week for the rest of my life.'

'haha, thats funny. what day can you do next week?'

'I just told you, I'm busy. I just wasted an hour of my life that I could've used doing literally ANYTHING else just for you to say that something came up,, & it was YOUR fucking idea!

'I like to think I'm a patient person, but that just sealed the deal. my god Jadon, I knew you were a fuckboy, I mean, we both joked ab it, but I didn't think it was this bad.

'stop dragging me out like this. just say you're using me for sex and go. I'm sick of getting my hopes up just for you to let me down again. I'm over it, and I'm over you. please fuck off Jadon'

It was marked as read the second it was sent. The three dots would pop up, then disappear, then pop up again. It went on for 2 minutes.

The final result?

'I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you.'

You left him on read.

━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

The next day you were back at work for a 3pm - 11pm shift. You had told everyone what happened, and they were angry and upset for you. A few were tempted to text him, but you told them that it would only escalate the already tense situation.

Around 10pm, you were winding down. There was only an hour left in your shift, and you had had a relatively slow day for once. And it seemed like it was going to be a normal shift.

You were sitting in the break room with some of your coworkers, watching a rerun of a golf game which you were, for some reason, invested in.

The bell rang outside, and although you were a bit upset to have to abandon the game, you weren't that upset, considering this was the slowest day you've had in a while.

As you walked out to greet the patron, your heart stopped and your stomach dropped.

It was Jadon, standing there with a white box and a teddy bear.

You glared at him, and a part of you filled with hatred, but the other part gushed at his gesture. He really was going to be the death of you.

"Hey, y/n. I'm really sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to keep you waiting for over an hour. The reason why I didn't come was because I wanted to get you this."

He paused, gently setting the small box down on the desk, "I tried to get in quickly and pick this up, but the line was so long, I wanted to come and give it to you, but I figured I had kept you waiting long enough, so I called it off."

You're not convinced, but you wanna be. Every part of you wanted to forgive him,, but your stubbornness wouldn't let you.

He sees your shifty glance and sets the bear on the counter as well.

"I'm so so so sorry. I know I fucked up, and you have every right to be angry at me. But even if you never wanna see me again, can you please open it? Just for my sake?"

"If it'll make you leave faster." You respond, intending to sound bitter, but instead sounding shaky.

"I will. I know I can't keep promises, but this one I will. If you don't want to talk to me anymore, I will respect that."

You bite your lip and nod, looking down at the box and undoing the red ribbon. It looked very professional and well done.

As you lift the top off, your eyes widen and fill with tears. You can't help but slap a hand over your mouth.

Inside were all of the polaroids you've taken, ranging from the first time you hung out together, to a few months ago. There were ones of him playing football, and of you in various places doing a gesture that soon became an inside joke. You used to travel together all the time, you miss those days all the time.

The light blue camera used to take all of these photos was inside as well.

Jadon watched as you looked through the photos, a shy smile forming on his face.

"The camera still works, if you want to try it out." He said, voice barely above a whisper.

"Jadon, I-" you hesitated, and for the first time in your life, you were truly speechless.

"There's a, uh, there's a note on the bear." He muttered, looking down and scratching his neck.

You looked at him, and couldn't help but smile a bit. Only Jadon would do this.

Your attention turns to the bear, and sure enough, there was a note attached to its paw. Gently removing the handwritten note stuck to the paw, you read it carefully, clinging on to every word.

'Y/N,

I'm sorry if I hurt you yesterday. And I'm sorry if you feel that all we are is friends with benefits. I've always wanted more with you, but was too afraid to act.

I put up this fboy facade hoping I would attract someone who would be into,, that. But the one thing I didn't take into account was if I fell for someone.

Because my whole life changed when I met you.

I kept this act up, thinking you would be into it and fall for me, but that's not what happened. In fact, when the exact opposite happened, I was shocked.

Nobody liked the real me. That's why I started doing this, because that's what brought people in. And it worked, because it seemed as though everyone else fell for it, everyone except the one person I wanted.

And if I'm being honest, let's talk about the elephant in the room: we both know that I've loved you from the moment we met in this exact building 3 years ago.

You're all I've ever wanted. You're all I will ever want. I'm in love with you.

I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be with you, but it's up to you on whether or not you'll accept.'

A grin appeared on your face as tears streamed down your cheeks.

You looked up at him, a soft yet nervous expression on his face.

You came out from around the counter and threw your arms around him, burying your face in his neck.

"I'll take that as a yes, then?" He joked, making you laugh.

You look up at him. "On one condition."

"And what's that?"

"Stop being such a douche."

"Done. I don't need the facade when I have what I want."

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

thanks for reading! this was my first footballer fic & im actually really proud of it! requests are open, and feel free to use one of the prompts I posted before!

this was for you anon, hope you liked it ;)

[maverick-werewolf]

Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends Preview - Story 5, “The Troll Toll”

Release date is even closer now! Just two weeks away! Only one more preview after this, and then the next week, the book is out!

This story is rather different than the rest because it has a different narrator - specifically, the character mentioned in my last post, the knight who will become a werewolf, Tom Drake, protagonist of his own series. You’ve already heard some about him and you’ll absolutely be hearing more too.

So here’s another preview (a little late; sorry about that!) for my upcoming story collection, Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends. It’s a book, but it’s something in-between a novel and a short story collection.

Each story is individual and stands on its own, but they also go in order and build upon each other. So I’m not sure if one should really call it a novel, but it’s also different than just unrelated short stories.

Anyway, here’s another preview - enjoy!

For more info on the book itself, you can also check out this post. Also be sure to check out the Hunt Never Ends tag for a whole lot more book previews!

And remember - Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends is available for preorder (digital only; physical available on release date) on Amazon.com!

Pre-Order Link

Please note that, while the ebook is now available for preorder, Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends will also be available in paperback on October 30 from the same Amazon listing! Paperbacks cannot be preordered using Amazon’s system, however.

Be sure to check back October 30 for the physical (paperback) edition!

If you’re interested in purchasing the book digitally, you can now pre-order it right here and have it immediately on October 30!

(Paperback edition will be available on Amazon on October 30)

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

All day, he had paced and wandered here and there, readjusting his armor – because yes, he wore his armor; he was being knighted, after all – and fingering the silver dragon amulet around his neck, grinning at basically everyone who so much as threw him a look.

Then, things started getting quiet, because the royals went and took their seats on their respective thrones. King Aetius raised a hand from the armrest, and that alone was enough to get the room’s attention. Somehow.

“Let us come together,” he said.

Without word or question, as if in one great, practiced movement, everyone in the great hall assembled. They came out of their chosen corners and away from various presumably – but probably not really – interesting conversations to gather along the sides of the deep blue rug running the length of the room.

And Tom suddenly realized, Oh, hell, what am I supposed to do?

For a moment or two he was left standing there feeling like an exceptional idiot, shifting around in his sleeveless jerkin and he was definitely sweating and what was he going to do, walk up there, or what? Why wasn’t there a rehearsal for this or something? If he screwed up, he would be the biggest dumb—

Silently, Caiden stepped up on his right, and Tom felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder and give it a quick squeeze. Thankfully not the I-have-giant-angry-vices-for-hands squeeze like back in the swamp.

For some reason, it actually kind of helped him swallow his nerves.

“Easy,” Caiden said, low, just behind his head. Okay, behind and a little above his head; who let this guy be the tallest— “They’ll call you.”

Tom took a deep, deep breath and nodded. Sure. Call. My name, right? Yeah, what else would they call, you moron? 

Way too many more moments passed mostly in silence as everyone found a spot to be that wasn’t anywhere too close to the center of the room. Then, finally, Queen Illikoni spoke.

“We ask that Thomakos Drake approach the throne.”

Tom felt every single organ in his entire body violently tie into a good two dozen knots at least, and yet not entirely in a bad way, but, gods, his nerves were on fire. He took another one of those deep breaths to try to stop his hands from shaking as he straightened himself up even more and stepped onto that carpet in the middle of the room.

Everyone watched him already. Not that he hadn’t fully expected that. Somehow, though, now that it was happening, it made some kind of hot pride swell in his chest and chew up all the jitters. In fact, his lips twitched, and he fought not to grin. That would be inappropriate. Right?

Each step toward the throne felt like it put the royals farther away. Each long stride made him keep holding his breath, until he wondered if his lungs would burst before he even made it to the thrones where his King and Queen sat, watching him with eyes attentive to his every single move.

His King and Queen. The ones who had dedicated their lives to this city, his home. Who watched over it every day, tirelessly. Not like the stuffy nobles down south who sat in their castles high above everyone else – not like the ones who refused to ride out and do battle to protect the people they served by governing them.

No, these were the rulers of Illikon, of the Northwestern Empire. A king and queen who knew the value of nobility. Of what was good and just. The ones he had waited to kneel before and accept the burden of knighthood for what felt like so long. Before that, he had only dreamed of the mere possibility. It had felt like an impossibility.

The impossibility of actually doing this: swearing himself to a code, living by honor and by the sword. Putting others before himself and being known, being recognized, as a warrior who did that willingly, whenever someone so much as saw those dragons emblazoned over his chest. To see that, see him, and know they would be safe soon enough.

And now he stopped before the thrones, bowed his head, and lowered himself to one knee. He heard Queen Illikoni rise from her throne, heard the royal guard just off to their right move, offering her a royal sword of the Illikoni line.

The silence in the hall was shattered briefly by the singing of a blade leaving its sheath. Tom didn’t have to look up to imagine her with it: the Queen of Illikon, gilded sword in hand, her attire of deep blue, of sapphires and gold and jewels and the fur over her shoulders, standing tall and proud as she turned to face him, her flowing dress trailing the floor.

But Tom didn’t move. He stayed there, head bowed low, eyes fixed only on the floor – no matter how much he wanted to look up. Not this time.

The cold metal of that sword’s blade touched his right shoulder, lingering.

“Thomakos Vincentius Draconius… Your squirehood is hereby concluded.”

The blade moved, touched his left shoulder instead and came to a rest there.

“Rise a knight,” she said, and the blade lifted once again. Tom lifted his head, and on legs no longer shaking, rose to his feet before her.

This time, Tom clearly saw her smiling as she turned her attention out toward the hall and spoke again.

“We announce to you Sir Tom Drake,” said the Queen, “a knight of Illikon.”

(More preview under the cut, including a look at the troll!)

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

Without even glancing back at Caiden and Gwen, Tom went closer to the southern end of the bridge, where he saw a rocky outcropping reaching out from the bank. He vaulted right over the railing, his boots landing hard on river stones – dry ones. They led him along a surprisingly wide path, right into the shadows under the high stone arches of the bridge.

But here in the thick darkness provided by the structure overhead – plus various reeds and reaching tree branches on either side of it all – his feet still found rocks instead of water. No, the river was lazily drifting by under the bridge off to his right somewhere, making this a nice little secluded shelter.

A second or two later, his eyes adjusted like they always did, and he saw… nothing in particular, really. Nothing that looked alive, anyway. Just a massive boulder big enough that maybe he had finally found something even Caiden couldn’t lift up. Maybe.

In fact, it looked completely out of place and just plain weird. It was jagged and rough, not worn smooth like the river stones, but it seemed almost too round otherwise. Tilting his head, Tom took a step closer and ran a finger along one of the ugly cracks running down the stone’s side.

Just when he wondered if somebody had put this massive rock here for a reason, or if a chunk of mountain had happened to fall off and get stranded here on this little embankment and they built the bridge over it anyway, that giant stone he poked came to life.

It didn’t much like being touched, either.

Turned out that roundness about it was because the rock was a living thing all curled up, and suddenly it had an ugly, squat head and ugly, thick arms, and—

And one of those thick arms – ‘thick’ meaning ‘made all tree trunks envious’ – lifted and took a backhanded swipe at Tom before he even knew what in the name of Athena’s hooting owl was going on.

He didn’t have any time to move before he got a face – and chest, and stomach – full of stone that knocked the breath from him. It slammed into him with more force than he ever thought possible from one creature, and Tom barely had enough air to let out a yell as it sent him flying a good several feet off.

His back met stone – one of the stone support columns under the bridge – hard enough to make him wheeze out all the nothing left in his lungs. Blunt pain spread hard up and down his back, migrating absolutely everywhere from there. Feeling an awful lot like bad paint peeling away from a wall, he curled over forward to collapse abruptly into waist-high water only a second later.

Sputtering and coughing for breath, Tom promptly clawed his way back up the embankment, trying to ignore just how loudly his everything protested. Ow. Ow, his spine.

Then he rose to his feet on the embankment again – and he found himself face to face with his attacker.

The thing was enormous. It rose slowly from where it had been pretending to be a stone and turned to face him. Tom’s first thought was that it looked like somebody had taken a whole load of rock as tall as a shed and carved a stocky, hunchbacked man out of it, without quite finishing the job, and then slapped a filthy loincloth on him – which, filthy or not, thank the gods for that.

A brow almost as heavy as the gates of Illikon barely let Tom see a pair of beady, green-yellow eyes staring at him from out of that stony face. Stony in every single sense of the word.

For half a second, they both stood their ground and stared. Glared, in the monster’s case, because he looked very pissed off. A lip curled up over some teeth even more jagged than the rest of him.

At the same instant Tom reached for his swords, the monster lifted a massive fist and took a step toward him to swing – and then Caiden showed up.

He wasn’t holding any weapons. Not that he needed any, apparently. Because he rushed right in, swung a fist, and punched the rock monster right in the jaw.

It actually staggered.

Tom’s hands fell away from the sword hilts sticking up from his back as he stared, jaw going slack, at the monster that coughed out a grunt powerful enough to shake the whole bridge. At the same time, it went toppling over onto one knee and one oversized stone arm, sending river rocks skittering away in a little explosion where its elbow landed.

And Caiden just stood there, perfectly straight again now, shaking his fist out like he had just walked into a tavern and hit some completely normal person and this was all nothing remarkable at all.

“Caid— Caid, holy shit,” Tom blurted. “This – it’s – did you miss the part where that thing’s made of rock before you came down here to punch it in the face?”

“Not really made of rock,” Caiden corrected him. “Not exactly. Just something like it.”

“That—wh—” Tom sputtered. “It’s close enough!”

Tom half staggered a step closer and then realized just how much everything liked to spin right now. It didn’t take a stretch to think he probably would have busted his skull wide open if he hadn’t been wearing his helmet. It still hurt, though.

Caiden kept his eyes on the monster, but when Tom nearly fell flat on his face right next to him, he reached his nearest arm out to grab a shoulder strap on Tom’s armor and keep him from toppling like the stupid stone thing had.

Tom landed a hand on Caiden’s shoulder for support. Before he could say thanks, though, the monster moved again.

It stood – couldn’t really say it straightened up with a back like that – and turned to them, reaching one massive three-fingered hand up to its face to pop its jaw, blinking dumbly.

A light crunch of rocks told Tom that Gwen stalked closer now, probably with her bow at the ready. For all the good that did. Still, it looked like they found their culprit. Tom’s back and all the rest of him just wished he had given the monster hunters a little more heads-up before coming down here.

The stony creature’s beady eyes flicked between the three of them before landing on Caiden, and the thing slowly lifted his hands, palms out, looking pretty convincingly placating.

[callyrose1986]

my reality is a fantacy

MY REALITY IS A FANTACY  

Its beginning of April and I've been hearing voices since my birthday last September, I can't say I had the best time of my life... I decided to type it all down of what I went through, let me break it down for you, one day around my birthday I decided to read a few tarot cards online and the more I did they showed the same outcome, that I was to meet my twin flame, twin soul or/and soul mate, not sure if it's all in one or if it's just one of these, that I'm not sure of, now for those of you who don’t know what that is a twin fames or the others twin flame is when one soul splits into two, not sure exactly what twin soul is other what it sounds like, seems to me it is the same thing like the twin flame, soul mate is just that, a mate for your soul, look it all up for yourself.  

For some odd reason I begin to hear voices of a women and she helped me get better at hearing them I can't say exactly what she did I can't remember, I have the worst memory anyway though this times of readings I figured out who my other flame was and I don’t know if it was fate or dumb luck but it was my celebrity crush.... Imagine that, I have no idea who or why it turned out to be him but I was constantly told that I could manifest my desires and welp.... take that as you may I have no idea myself what is truly going on in my life right now..... only the gods and answer that messed up bit of information, not that I'm a religious person I prefer to spiritual instead.  

I tried to contact him online his name was Tom Hiddlston, I had a crush on him since I first saw I'm in the superhero movies when he played Loki in the Thor, tall dark and handsome was my type, I then fell for him even more once I got to know the actor, well as much as I could get to know him behind the silver screen. Anyway, I was reading pictures from his hashtags on Instagram like you read tarot cards and then I would post a reply and put it in Tom’s @page and I would get something like a reply... I could hear him in my head too and then for some reason he told others it turned into something like a little game them who turned out to be the cast of avengers.

it went over pretty good on his side, but unfortunately on my side when I broke it to my mother.... I made one of  the biggest mistake I ever made...deciding to walk from my small town of Coulhurst all the way to the city of Lethbridge to go to chapters. Where I thought the tort card where hinting I would meat Tom, not that I actually though I would I just wanted to go, and they were egging me on to go, something else that I could inform you all about is that there is many different realities not just the one you live in and unfortunately that mean that there are many, many different versions of ourselves and unfortunately, I did not contact just my version of Tom Hiddlston but I contact all of the others two, I have no idea how I managed that... the one that came was not my Tom from my world but from another and that means I could not see him.  

I still don’t know if I have talked to the Tom from my world, I guess I won't know till I get the chance to meet him in person, if that ever happens of course, let's see... I died in other reality's more times than I could count, mainly because I can't remember, being stabbed in the back by a trickster god called Loki a few dozen times and I don’t mean from the Norse mythology I mean by the Loki from the marvel movies, ya because that’s a thing....  

Everything you watch is a window to another reality and dreams are something of the same, now there is more like I can put myself into movies and shows I watch and I can hear what the characters are thinking and saying, not to mention in the begging I thought whatever I do in my mind what actually happen in the other reality's I was thinking I was in, now I changed that it just everyone imagining it but not really having it happen, I did a lot of not so nice stuff and still do but at least it's not real, I was sent to hell a few times wish I know what heaven was like, think I got jipped on that one, worst thing I ever did really was sole chock from when I was at school and church, I did watch some porn that was not meant to be watch by anyone's eyes and played some pornographic games but I don’t think I'm meant to go to hell for it...  

Apparently the ‘devil’ just wanted someone on one time, I brought myself back to life as soon as I knew I was dead, well eventually sometimes, it was just tiering having to do that all the time, oh by the way I can do that bring myself back it along with anything else you can think of, I can do anything I want too in other realities, does not work in my reality but then again I can't be killed by other people from other realities in my reality, also I got murdered on my way to chapters stabbed and molested by some random guy still not sure about the whole story behind that one my mother found me walking still to the book store in my reality, that was a trip I tell you, before I was picked up I somehow jumped into other bodies of the actors who had flown down with Tom and had found me at my house.

I did end up at the store but of cause no one showed up, that was one journey I won't soon forget, I  found out that my other selves where from other realities and that characters I created comes to life, like since tv and movies characters where once created, I was not sleeping and was not eating but I was not tiered or hungry but for a girl who did not have the  waite I didn’t need to louse more of it.

I was seeing signs of that my house was evil and that the color red was bad and everything that was ‘dark’ needed to go so I got rid of mostly everything I had in my room that was considered ‘dark’ on top of that lost a caption America sweeter and Tom Hiddlston doll and Spiderman figure and almost lost my phone, it was found  thankfully but not the others.  

Among all the other versions of me there is a few evil characters evil clowns evil demon things a robot some zombies some vampires and a dnd character and an original character called Cally, among others I'm not sure about, one of them is called the moon goddess who has the power to have everyone fall in love with her looks, and it leaks out into me so others from the other universes feel overly attracted to me because of her, there is an off switch but it keeps turning on and she says it's not always her doing it, I'm not sure if I should believe that, Tom has the same thing but I won't know that till later, names the sun god, I'm not too fond of that one, my fault for calling him the sun to my moon, nether one of them where exactly what I though them to be.

it wasn’t just that everyone was attracted it was harassment and no one would take no for an answer I was raped in a lot of realities, it's gotten better but still not perfect yet, they are lucking they didn’t die from doing that to me.  right after I when walking to the book story my mother had me admitted to a mental health facility, where they drugged me up to take away the voiced, it worked but on the down side I could not eat I could not sleep, I was shaking uncontrollably and it was worse than when I was home,  I just didn’t feel the need to sleep or eat at home.

I was drooling from the shot they game me and I was losing wait because I could not swallow the food, it was not a fun time, I was there for about a month after that I want in to shasha house and I was therefore a day or two and they took me to the hospital to see if they could figure out what was wrong with me, they gave me something for the shot I took to get rid of the voices since that’s what was making me have side effects, it didn’t take long for me to feel better, I was in the hospital for about a week or something close, after that I was at my sisters for a few days, meanwhile my mother had got something called global amnesia from the stress.

Then I was back to shasha house I was there for about a week or two and was thinking of the voices again, I haven't heard from anyone since I had that shot but even with everything that happen I still wanted them back I was lonely I liked talking to them I liked talking to Tom, you may think I'm stupid to start this all over again but I don’t give a damn! This time I would tell no one, have it be my little dirty little secret, don’t really remember how I got them back but I did, I didn’t get the right ones though I didn’t know that, I have been going through so many to find the one from my reality, there is no real way to find out who is Tom from my reality I've told Tom who loves  me by now that maybe we should meet at a comic expo somewhere where I can get to, so in Canada hopefully in Alberta.

let's see this second half I got stepped a few times again and mind f*cked a couple of time no more evil things like seeing red and thinking devil is after me, no more going to hell or dyeing, we tried merging all the realities but didn’t work tried to merge all the Toms still don’t know if that works to our advantage or not. I still have my highs and lose, I've run across the first group a few times and they are merged with a Tom who is now called God... btw I HATE HIM!!! Fuck the sun god GOD, ‘GOD Tom’ IS THE WORST!!! I will MURDER THIS BASTERED WHEN I SEE HIM because he lied about being the ‘REAL’. I also decided to stop giving ‘second’ chances to the villains, they just don’t learn.  

I'm sure there is more I could say but that’s it for now, I still haven't seen anything of Tom going to a Con near me yet, I still have a few weeks to go till I go.  

[tealin]

The Story of the Discovery Hut

You may have noticed that last week I breezily mentioned a visit to Scott's Discovery Hut as though it were just another class on the schedule. It most definitely was not! Wandering around one of the principal locations of the Terra Nova Expedition – of the whole of Heroic Age Antarctic history – was the pinnacle of the sensory overload of my first 36 hours on the continent, not least because the grubby old Discovery Hut is one of the least well documented sites, so most of it was completely new to me. To visit the other locations on my itinerary, I needed one or another sets of training, but Hut Point is only a short walk from McMurdo Station on solid ground, so my coordinator was keen to get me there as soon as possible.

My first full day in Antarctica was the coldest of the whole trip. I noted in my journal that it was -4°F/-20°C – I don't recall if that was with wind chill or without, but it was definitely windy that day, so you can imagine. The previous day's flurries were still blowing around, so the atmosphere was properly polar, and for the first time I was glad I had brought the heavy-duty boots that had been such a boulder in my luggage.

The Discovery Hut is named such because it was built on the Discovery Expedition, in early 1902 when the ship had found its permanent berth in the small bay at the end of the southernmost peninsula of Ross Island. The bay was imaginatively dubbed Winter Quarters Bay, and the spit of land adjacent to it was called Hut Point, the creativity of which was extended to the whole Hut Point Peninsula. The hut itself had been picked up in Australia, where it was a flat-pack prefab intended to be transported to the Outback and used to house cattlemen as they drove herds across the country. As such, it was designed to shed heat – not an ideal feature in an Antarctic dwelling, but it was never intended to be lived in, rather to serve as a warehouse and emergency shelter should anything happen to the ship. Subsequent expeditions used it more than the Discovery did, because of its proximity to the permanent ice of the Barrier, which made it a key staging point for any southward travel. They all complained of it being uncomfortably cold inside.

And it was cold. Not that I noticed much, beyond corroborating historical reports that it somehow seemed colder inside the hut than outside. Antarctic cold is a funny thing: You are certainly aware that it is cold, but it is a surface sensation only, and doesn't feel as severe as the thermometer says it is. Skin exposed to the air registers the fact it is cold, but even at -20 it didn't go any deeper than that. Compared to the seeping, insidious cold of a damp British morning or an air-conditioned animation studio cubicle, which disregards layers and seems to chill you from the inside out, -20 in Antarctica is really quite comfortable, if you're dressed properly and sheltered from the wind. I barely noticed how cold it was until the tips of my gloved fingers started tingling, which I observed with some perplexity until I remembered the temperature. At that moment I understood how one could get frostbite without noticing, because one's outermost extremities could suffer while one's internal thermostat was still reading as perfectly warm, if not hot. Hence the practice of deliberate, conscious reminders every few minutes to observe the state of one's feet – they would be all too easy to overlook, otherwise.

Lithium ion batteries don't much like the cold, and unlike human bodies they neither generate their own heat nor have a core heat bank to rely on. I got a few photos that first visit, but my phone died as I was taking a video, so I decided to leave the image harvest to another day. The photos in this post are mostly from later (warmer) visits, when electronics were functioning fully and I'd got over the initial awe of being there.

But before I can give you a photographic tour of the Discovery Hut, I need to fill you in on the history, so that you know what you're looking at when you see it, as I did.

As I said before, the hut was built during the Discovery Expedition but hardly used except for storage and, occasionally, a theatre. The next expedition in town was Shackleton's Nimrod Expedition, which arrived in early 1908. The sea ice that year was much more extensive than it had been in 1902, and the furthest south that the Nimrod could anchor was at Cape Royds, twenty miles north of Hut Point. Shackleton had been on the Discovery, though, and knew there were a lot of good things left in the little square hut across the ice, so he sent a raiding party to scavenge some of them and bring them back to Cape Royds. When they arrived, they couldn't get the door open, so they broke a window to get in, which was never repaired. After it had served its purpose as launching point for southern journeys and the Nimrod left McMurdo Sound, the hut filled up with drifted snow which compacted into ice.

When Scott arrived in the Terra Nova – which was also barred from Hut Point by sea ice and so had settled at Cape Evans, fifteen miles north – he found the broken window and the interior of the hut one solid block of ice. This did not do much to improve his opinion of Shackleton. The depot-laying party pushed on south with their supplies, but Atkinson, who had got an infected blister on his heel and couldn't continue marching, was left at Hut Point with Tom Crean; while the depot party was away, they employed themselves in clearing the ice from the hut. Once that was done, they used biscuit cases and the discarded winter awning from the Discovery to build a smaller chamber within the single room, which would hold the heat better, and improvised a blubber stove from discarded bricks and metal in the Discovery's rubbish heap. There are lots of seals around Hut Point so blubber was a self-supplying fuel, as opposed to the very limited quantity of coal which had been brought down by the ship.

The only way to reach Cape Evans from Hut Point is over the sea ice, and by the time the depot party returned, that had all broken up and gone out to sea. (I am glossing over The Sea Ice Incident. Check it out if you want some crazy adventure.) There was nothing for it but to wait at Hut Point for the sea ice to freeze again, which took from the beginning of March to mid-May. This was, as yet, the longest period of occupation for the hut, and was full of tinkering to make the place more liveable. Everyone devised what they thought was the best model of blubber lamp: whatever the design, it smoked with a thick black soot which added to the smoke from the blubber stove. As a result the hut was often thick with smoke and everyone looked like chimney sweeps before long. Crean and Atkinson had done a massive job clearing out the block of ice in the main room, but there was still ice in the cavity between the ceiling and the roof which they could not access, and this dripped on the assembled crowd every time they got the hut above freezing, turning their reindeer skin sleeping bags into a soggy mess. Despite the soot, the 'snipe marsh,' and a diet limited to recombinations of biscuit, seal meat, and the odds and ends left over from previous expeditions, the men all had a roaring good time. Some of them even claimed, when all was said and done, that this was the best part of the expedition.

Just enough to eat and keep us warm, no more – no frills nor trimmings: there is many a worse and more elaborate life. The necessaries of civilization were luxuries to us: … the luxuries of civilization satisfy only those wants which they themselves create.

— Apsley Cherry-Garrard, The Worst Journey in the World

The hut served its purpose again the following November as the jumping-off place for the great effort to reach the Pole. This is its classic role, and what it is best remembered for, when it is remembered at all, but something which I think gets lost and which adds a great deal to the emotional understanding of the place is that it's also the first taste of home for returning parties, the first solid walls after months of living in a tent. For both the First and Second Returning Parties it was a concrete assurance that they had made it, they were back to safety; it was only the matter of a day's walk to Cape Evans from there, which they did all the time. Like reaching one's own freeway exit after a long road trip, the Discovery Hut would be a welcome return to the familiar. It's the first comfort the Polar Party would have been pulling towards in their struggle to get home before the weather broke up for the winter.

But, as we know, they never got there. The next role of the Discovery Hut, and its most poignant, to me, is as the staging point for another southward journey, the one to meet the Polar Party with the dog teams. Atkinson had taken the dogs there after using them to help unload the ship at Cape Evans, but before he could leave he was co-opted to save the life of Teddy Evans , leader of the Second Returning Party, who was dying of scurvy not far away. Atkinson had to find a substitute, so he sent a message to Cape Evans requesting Wright, and if he was unavailable, Cherry-Garrard. Simpson, who was in charge back at Cape Evans, sent both to Hut Point, with the advice that Wright was needed for his particular scientific expertise and that it would be very inconvenient to lose him. So Wright was sent home, and Cherry was chosen to go south. He failed to meet the Polar Party; he and the dogs turned up back at the Discovery Hut exhausted, frostbitten, and unable to do any more work that season. Cherry spent a miserable purgatory in the hut with a strained heart and broken wrist, delirious on painkillers and tormented by the howling wind and fighting dogs, gradually coming to realise that his friends were never coming home.

When the Terra Nova finally left Antarctica for good, they left a large depot of food at Hut Point for whoever might come after, an act of generosity whose prescience was not long in the proving. Shackleton's Endurance Expedition is famous for the ship getting crushed in the ice and the last-chance boat voyage to South Georgia to find rescue. Fewer people know that that expedition had another half: a smaller contingent of men were sent to the Ross Sea to lay depots for the Endurance party to pick up as they crossed the Antarctic continent, which was the expedition’s original raison d’etre. They had what can only be described as a mindblowingly horrible time. It started with their ship being blown off its anchor at Cape Evans and out to sea before it had been fully unloaded, and got much worse from there. Winter clothing had to be improvised from a heavy canvas tent left by the Terra Nova Expedition, and they depended largely on the food that had been left at Cape Evans and Hut Point two years previously. By supreme effort they succeeded in laying the depots required of them, all the way to the Beardmore Glacier over 400mi/600km to the south, and suffered terribly from scurvy on the way back, one of them dying. The remainder narrowly scraped their way into the safety of the Discovery Hut, to recover their health and wait for the sea ice to freeze, but two decided prematurely that the greater comfort of Cape Evans was worth the risk, and set out over the new ice, never to be seen again. It turned out that their suffering was entirely in vain, as the Endurance party, whose survival they expected to depend on their depots, never so much as set foot on the Antarctic continent.

These are the layers of history with which the Discovery Hut, and all the geography of McMurdo Sound, are imbued. It was one of my great privileges, while a guest of the USAP, to be a portal to the Heroic Age for many people who were mostly unaware of what had passed before the building of the American station. It's harder to transmit the tangible immediacy of the history via the internet, but I hope this and the next post will get you some of the way there.

[spacecleavage]

what madness is this

here i am, back like i never left.

if you haven’t watched the show Sanditon, give it a try, i really love it and i only started watching it yesterday. anyway here we go with a little post 1x06 fic about the trip home.

Charlotte stared out the carriage window as they meandered through the old London streets. She attempted to keep her mind on the horizon, so that she could memorize it for her next letter home, while her father may have scoffed at it, she knew he would lean forward in his chair as her mother slowly read the details to the rest of their family. The younger ones would be struggling to keep their eyes open, while her dearest sister would be wringing her hands wishing that she had asked (begged, pleaded) with their father that she might accompany Charlotte to Sanditon with the Parkers too. Charlotte would have to write a letter just to her, detailing the ball she had just attended, the styles of dresses, the beautiful arrangements of flowers and the dancing, oh how her sister loved dancing. She tried to focus on composing the letters but a loud snort from Mister Tom Parker disturbed her yet again.

It brought her back to her surroundings all too rudely, back to the jaunting carriage, the loud snoring from Mr Parker sitting across from her, the indomitable presence of Mister Sidney Parker sitting beside her. She tried not think about the rest of the ball, sneaking back to the alcove where Lady Susan was, her paltry attempts at polite conversation with the lady. She definitely tried not to dwell on the fact that neither Mister Parker noticed she was missing until it came time to leave.

Lord did she try. But her mind kept replaying the conversation that she had with Mister Tom as they danced, interspersed with images of Mister Sidney smiling down at her, and the way that same smile seemed somehow brighter as he spoke to Ms Eliza.

Mister Tom Parker snuffled again as they hit a particularly large pothole. That same pothole sent her sliding in her seat to crash into Mister Sidney Parker.

She tried not to blanch as she felt the warmth of him against her. She mumbled out an apology and endeavoured not to notice his smile. The same smile he had worn earlier in the night, or perhaps that was just her imagination because the only light in the small carriage was that of the lamps by the road as they drove back to the London house. Yes, that was it.

She definitely did not notice the way his smile froze on his face and faded back to his mask she withdrew herself, cramming back into the furthest corner of the carriage.

She returned to staring out the window, hoping something would catch her attention enough for her to put the memories playing behind her eyelids to bed.

And even though she was tucked into the corner, so tightly she feared she may never be able to be removed, and even though her breath was slowly fogging over the window, she could still feel the heat of him beside her, seeping through her skin to settle deep down in her bones.

She supressed a shiver as a breeze of cold air rushed through the carriage through some unseen hole. It had been a warm night when they had left for the ball, and warmer even at the ball with so many people (and so much dancing). Charlotte herself had removed gloves as she spoke with Lady Susan, with the hope that it would decrease her perspiration, and she had forgotten them in her haste to depart. But England’s weather would not be thwarted, the cold leeched into everything, and though she had been sitting in the same spot for five minutes, the seat still felt cold.

The carriage lurched again, though this time she was prepared for it, and was able to catch herself from crashing into Mister Sidney again, by putting her hand in the middle of the seat. It saved her a second of awkwardness before the carriage lurched the other way, sending him careening towards her.

He used the exact same manoeuvre that stopped her from falling into him, except his hand landed on top of hers, completely encompassing it.

She knew logically that he would have bigger hands than her. He towered over her; it was to be expected. Yet still, it shocked her. She could feel the second knuckles brushing against the ends of her fingers, how much wider they were than hers and heavier too. They were calloused too, perhaps in ways that a gentleman’s should not be. And the heat of them? They were on fire compared to ice that had coursing through her veins since Mister Parker had revealed who Ms Eliza was and their history together.

She barely heard the shout of apology from the driver as Sidney picked up her hand, her tiny frozen hand. He wrapped his hand around it and Charlotte felt her heart begin to race as he let their fingers intertwine for a second.

He said something then, she made out the word frozen over the thundering blood in her ears.

She watched unable to make a sound as he shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her. There was a trail of fire in the wake of where he had casually touched her, it consumed her as she was not only wrapped in warmth put in smell. The scent of his tobacco, horse and a musky sweat clung to the jacket as she instinctively burrowed into it.

Her eyes fell closed as she lost herself, temporarily, in the smell and heat of his overcoat. But was brought out of it quickly by his hands taking hers again. She stared, utterly befuddled, as he brought her still cold hands up to his mouth and blew gently over them, before rubbing at them softly.

Some faraway logical part of her brain whispered that it was to warm her up, but that whisper was lost. Lost in the heat of his gaze as he stared down at her, bringing her hands up towards his lips again. His full, full lips and his eyes so dark. The heat that had settled in her seemed to pool at her belly and then clenched as his lips came so close to grazing her fingertips.

Her mouth was suddenly dry, and she could not help as her tongue darted forward to lick her lips. His eyes left hers to stare at them, her breath catching in her chest as he leaned ever closer.

Nothing around them mattered at all in that moment, all Charlotte could think about was whether his lips would taste of the same smoke that he favoured from his pipe, or perhaps more like the Alsace white that he had been drinking all night. She lent in as well, she just had to find out. They were so close…

Then the moment shattered, the carriage pulled to an abrupt stop in front of the townhouse and Mr Parker was startled awake.

The driver opened the door on Sidney's side, and he slipped out quickly, followed by Mr Parker.

She took a shuddering breath. What had just happened? Had almost kissed Mister Sidney Parker? A man, who not two hours ago had seemed to crush her fragile heart?

She took another breath, resolving not to dwell on it until she was safely tucked away in her bed. She would thank the Misters Parker for a pleasant evening, return the coat and flee straight to bed. Hopefully Georgiana would already be asleep, and she could escape without having to dwell on anything. Of course, there is a saying about good intentions, hers were quite thoroughly dashed, when instead of finding Mister Parker giving her a hand out of the carriage it was Sidney and the dark look had not left his eyes. Indeed, he clung to her hand moments too long after she had disembarked.

Mister Parker had entirely disappeared in the second she had taken to fortify herself, instead she was left all alone with Mister Sidney yet again.

Indeed, he did not remove his bare hand from hers at all, as he arranged her arm so he could lead her inside.

Charlotte knew that all reason had abandoned her as she tried to find an excuse, any excuse, to head to her bedroom alone. Instead, she found herself led there, her slowly warming fingers interlinked with his.

She was still trying to find the words to say good night when they arrived at her door. Before she could utter her modest words, he spoke.

"If it is amenable to you, Miss Charlotte," Charlotte he said her name, her Christian name and her heart of hearts whispered that she would love to hear him say it for the rest of her days. "I would ask that you dream fondly of me tonight, for I know you shall haunt my own dreams.”

And with that he was gone.

Charlotte stared at the spot he had been and wondered at which point her life had become a romance novel.

[hymnstoalienstars]

building on There Are Rules AU: don’t antagonize voldemort

Don’t antagonize Voldemort was once a rule but it turned out to be an endless fountain of fun and therefore cut from the list.

There was a time, for example, when Riddle thought he was stalked by an entity that could possess bodies. It wasn’t Harry’s fault, really. Was it his fault he kept resurrecting on the battlefield? Was it his fault he didn’t have a minute to adjust his style of dueling? his body language? Was it his fault the bloody Death Eaters kept trying to kill him?

#MAYBE:

#VOLDEMORT'S POV

this is from the prev post

I probably need some actual plot and some info on the First Wizarding War.

i’m just gonna scan the wiki for details (the following is copied from there)

1970 – 31 October, 1981 Cause: Voldemort's return to the United Kingdom in order to begin his first reign of terror Result: Ministry and Order of the Phoenix victory. The disappearance of Voldemort and decline of the Death Eaters. Harry Potter declared the "Boy Who Lived" 

1970

29 November: William Arthur Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley

Sometime after Molly graduated, both her brothers were murdered by Death Eaters in the First Wizarding War. (Dolohov)

Arthur was not a member of the first Order of the Phoenix.

Molly: "It's all this uncertainty with You-Know-Who coming back, people think they might be dead tomorrow, so they're rushing all sorts of decisions they'd normally take time over. It was the same last time he was powerful, people eloping left, right, and centre —" Ginny Weasley: "Including you and Dad." — Molly reflecting on her marriage in 1996[src]

1971

The Whomping Willow is planted.

1 September: Individuals that started at Hogwarts

Sirius Black (Gryffindor)[3]

Lily Evans (Gryffindor)[3]

Severus Snape (Slytherin)[3]

Remus Lupin (Gryffindor)[3]

James Potter (Gryffindor)[3]

Peter Pettigrew (Gryffindor)[3]

Adrian (unknown house)[4]

Stebbins (unknown house)[5]

1972

Muggles Who Notice by Blenheim Stalk is published.[1]

Published in 1972, it covered incidents where Muggles noticed elements of the Wizarding world, including the Ilfracombe Incident of 1932 and the story of "Dodgy" Dirk.[1] (a rogue Common Welsh Green dragon attacked a group of sunbathers in Ilfracombe in 1932)

Remus Lupin's friends James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew discover that he is a werewolf, and resolve to learn to become animagi.[2]

1 September: Individuals that started Hogwarts Regulus Black (Slytherin)[4] Dirk Cresswell (unknown)[5] (was a Muggle-born wizard. In the mid-1990s he became Head of the Goblin Liaison Office, in the Ministry of Magic.)

Births 12 December: Charlie Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley.[8]

1973

Events The Ministry of Magic defeats an appeal against house-elf slavery[2]

Individuals that started Hogwarts Bartemius Crouch Jr

1975

Minister for Magic Eugenia Jenkins is seen as inadequate to the challenge of the first rise of Lord Voldemort, and is replaced by the hard-lined Harold Minchum.[2]

Minister Eugenia Jenkins was Minister for Magic between 1968 and 1975. She dealt competently with the pure-blood riots during the Squib Rights marches in the late sixties. However, when confronted with the first rise of Lord Voldemort, she was ousted from office, being deemed inadequate to the challenge.

The Squib Rights marches were an action by a mass group of Squibs in favour of the betterment of the rights of Squibs[2] that took place in 1968 or 1969, during Eugenia Jenkins's term as Minister for Magic. This demonstration was, presumably, unsuccessful, as a group of extremist Pure-bloods broke out in riot while it was taking place.

Minister Harold Minchum was Minister for Magic between 1975 and 1980. He was seen as a hard-liner, and placed even more Dementors around Azkaban. But he was unable to contain what seemed like Voldemort's unstoppable rise to power.

Regulus Black receives his Dark Mark, thus becoming a Death Eater.[8]

Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew create the Marauder's Map.

1976

22 August: Percy Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley[6]

James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Evans and Severus Snape sit their O.W.L. examinations in June. Lily Evans dissolves her friendship with Severus Snape after he calls her a "Mudblood". Sirius Black runs away from home to live with the Potter family[1] Sirius Black sees his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange for the last time before they are both in Azkaban. Sirius Black gets his own place (either in 1976 or 1977) with money he inherited from his uncle Alphard Black.[2]

1977

James Potter and Lily Evans become Head Boy and Girl[1] Sirius Black gets his own place (either in 1976 or 1977) with money he inherited from his uncle Alphard Black.[2] James Potter and Sirius Black are chased by two police men, Fisher and Anderson, as well as three Death Eaters on broomsticks, while riding on Sirius's motorbike. They escape, however, by using magic to lift the police car, causing the three Death Eaters to crash into it.[3] Vernon and Petunia Dursley purchase and move in to 4 Privet Drive.[4] Regulus Black plays for the Slytherin Quidditch team during the 1977 to 1978 school year.

Deaths Dorea Potter née Black[9] Amarillo Lestoat[10] Alphard Black (possibly)[2]

There was some speculation that Dorea Potter was the mother of James Potter and so the paternal grandmother of Harry Potter. However, the actual names of James's parents were revealed to be Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, via Pottermore.[4] In spite of this, it is still more than likely that Dorea was possibly an aunt or a cousin by marriage of James.

It was once presumed that Charlus Potter and Dorea Black, who appeared on the Black family tree, might have been James's parents (since it was known that Charlus and Dorea also had one son). However, J. K. Rowling revealed via Pottermore that that was not the case. It is still more than likely, however, that Charlus Potter is somehow related to Fleamont.

I personally like the idea of Dorea Black being Harry’s grandmother. There’s next to nothing on Euphemia but Dorea Black being bold enough to “run away” with a Potter makes a good story. And it’s a headcanon active in all of my HP stories, I think.

1978

1 April: Twins Fred and George Weasley are born to Arthur and Molly Weasley[3]

Universal Brooms Ltd goes out of business.[1] James Potter, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and Severus Snape leave Hogwarts.

1979

Regulus Blacks dies by drinking the Drink of Despair and gets killed by Inferius while trying to destroy a Horcrux of Tom Marvolo Riddle.

The Wedding of James Potter I and Lily Evans took place, with Sirius Black as the Best Man.

Peter Pettigrew begins passing information to Lord Voldemort[3]

Deaths Orion Black[5] Regulus Black[6] Fleamont Potter Euphemia Potter

Births 19 September: Hermione Granger

1980

Professor Sybill Trelawney tells Albus Dumbledore the prophecy concerning Harry Potter and Tom Marvolo Riddle.[1] Death Eater Igor Karkaroff is captured by Auror Alastor Moody and sent to Azkaban.[2] Millicent Bagnold succeeds Harold Minchum becoming Minister for Magic until her retirement in 1990.[3]

(a lot of birthdays)

Deaths c.1980: Evan Rosier and Wilkes, both known Death Eaters, are killed by Aurors.[8] c.1979-1980: Dean Thomas's father[9]

1981

Marlene McKinnon an Order of the Phoenix member is killed by Lord Voldemort who also wipes out her entire family. Harry Potter's first birthday

September: Sirius Black makes Peter Pettigrew the secret keeper

The Order of the Phoenix was founded by Albus Dumbledore during Lord Voldemort's first rise to power in the 1970s. Dumbledore formed the Order to combat Voldemort's increasing threat and power. Aurors from the Ministry of Magic also joined the Order to participate in more secretive, sudden assaults aimed to crush the Dark Rebellion. Dumbledore created a method of communication among Order members by inventing a way to make Patronuses speak. Although the Death Eaters had been attacking mostly Muggles and Muggle-borns to spread terror, they soon turned to attacking "blood traitors" such as Order members as well. The Order had to work hard, as they were outnumbered by a ratio of 20:1 by the Death Eaters. Fabian and Gideon Prewett were murdered by a group of five Death Eaters led by Antonin Dolohov. Caradoc Dearborn disappeared, the Bones family was almost completely destroyed, Benjy Fenwick was brutally murdered, and Marlene McKinnon and her family were murdered by Death Eaters, including Travers. Even as the Order suffered great losses, they continued to fight, and four of their members — James Potter, Lily Potter, Frank Longbottom, and Alice Longbottom — defied Voldemort himself three times.

First WW notes

"Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing... The Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere... panic... confusion... that's how it used to be." —The uncertainty of the first war[src]

Werewolves were a big part of a confict...

Voldemort promised rights to [Dark] Creatures so it was a solid base

Voldemort’s base:

Dark magic - stop the laws that forbid it

that wouldnt be such a thing if all branches were for killing and torturing

like necromancy, for example

or maybe some family magic, blood magic

maybe even random spells or schools of magic... just because people were scared of “the dark”

it probably was the “Light Era”, before the 1970th, Scuib rights, maybe increase in muggleborns and newblood-oldblood marriages

Dark was weaker politically

maybe some bad attitudes towards “dark ws”

Pureblood supremacy

[Dark] creatures’ rights

"Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing... The Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere... panic... confusion... that's how it used to be." —The uncertainty of the first war[src]

Now going exclusively by his preferred name "Lord Voldemort", Riddle laid low and travelled around Europe and Asia. Little is known of his activities during this period, though he explored the Dark Arts extensively, studying the most obscure and arcane branches of magic and consorting with an array of dark wizards, who would all turn out to become his followers in the years to come. As a result of unnamed “magical experiments and transformations”, Voldemort underwent several physical and mental changes, which made him more powerful but less human, and was occasionally accompanied by a group of followers he came to call his "Death Eaters". By the time he was a full-fledged adult, around 1968, Riddle donned a hooded cloak (though he physically still did not resemble the montrous creature he would later in his life) which concealed him completely and he began plotting a wizarding coup, claiming that he was greatly dissatisfied with the current state of the Wizarding World and that he would succeed where so many, including Gellert Grindelwald and Salazar Slytherin, had failed. Voldemort convinced his underlings that to truly create a world full of peace and power, the old regime needed to be torn down at any and all costs and only those who shared pure blood, will and idealism would be allowed to live and thrive in it. In truth however, Lord Voldemort had little interest in political idealism himself. He was completely devoted to amassing his own magical power, and in becoming the most powerful and skilled wizard to have ever lived, invincible and eternal.

Though the Death Eaters were generally even less tolerant of them than wizarding society in general, these creatures were receptive of their violent and destructive goals. Dark activity suddenly arose throughout Great Britain, a country that had been totally untouched by dark magic; even during the reign of terror of Gellert Grindelwald; and Voldemort began surreptitiously killing poor and homeless Muggles (whose absences would not be noticed) with his followers so that he could reanimate their corpses with Necromancy until he had created an army of Inferi, a feat no other dark wizard in history had ever done.

In 1962, Minister Of Magic Ignatius Tuft was forced out of office for promising to institute a controversial Dementor breeding programme for Azkaban. He was replaced by Nobby Leach, who became the first Muggle-born ever to hold the Minister position, leading senior members of the Wizengamot to resign in protest. In 1963, Muggle expert Mordicus Egg published The Philosophy of the Mundane: Why the Muggles Prefer Not to Know, which posited actual theories about why Muggles continued to be unaware of magic. This was a different take on the subject, as it did not assume Muggles to be stupid nor ignorant.

Between 1965 and 1971[9], Dumbledore, who was noted as a social progressive believing strongly in the rights of Muggles as well as Muggle-borns and other oppressed minorities, ascended to the post of Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation Of Wizards [ICW] and Chief Warlock of the Wizenagamot. In these positions of great and influential power, Dumbledore passed extreme legislation to prevent any possible dark forces from threatening overall security around Great Britain

In 1968, Nobby Leach left office for mysterious health reasons, leading to a conspiracy theory that he had been poisoned by his Muggle-prejudice advisor Abraxas Malfoy.

[1970] the Death Eaters and their allies (including the particularly destructive Giants) began openly carrying out attacks on Muggles for sport and to sow chaos. Cleaning up these attacks, healing survivors, modifying memories, searching for the perpetrators, and attempting to prevent future attacks occupied more and more of the Ministry's time and attention. As their confidence grew, the Death Eaters began targeting Muggle-born and blood traitor witches and wizards as well, torturing and sometimes killing their victims, which shocked wizarding society. Other "inferior" magical beings such as house-elves (who were treated like vermin) and Goblins (a family of which was slaughtered) also suffered under their reign of terror.

Voldemort himself personally killed hundreds of wizards, though he tended to only fight those he considered worthy of his attention or too powerful for his followers to defeat. In these encounters, he displayed his extraordinary abilities, many of which were thought impossible, and he very quickly earned the reputation of the most powerful and dangerous dark wizard of all time

[1971]Though the Ministry officially viewed the Order as a renegade outfit, a number of powerful Ministry officials (such as Elphias Doge and Dedalus Diggle; and the famous Aurors Alastor Moody and Frank Longbottom and Alice Longbottom) joined instantly to participate in more secretive, sudden assaults to crush the dark rebellion.[12] When Dumbledore helped black market trader Mundungus Fletcher out of trouble, he joined the Order and, due to his extensive knowledge of the criminal underworld, proved very useful. 

To protect the organisation, Voldemort ensured that Death Eaters did not know the identities of too many of their fellows, and, to society at large, their identities were completely unknown.[13] Increasing the confusion and paranoia even further, Voldemort placed many dozens of innocent victims under the Imperius Curse simulaniously, and forced them to carry out his orders. Even friends and family members were not above suspicion of one another.

Evan Rosier, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, Sewlyn, Jerome Jugson, Jugson, Regulus Black, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Thorfinn Rowle, Gibbon, Augustus Rookwood, Igor Karkaroff, Crabbe, Goyle, Travers, and Antonin Dolohov. Likely at Snape's urging, Voldemort attempted to recruit Lily Evans, whose prodigious talents made up for her status as a Muggle-born

He took only Severus Snape and Bellatrix Lestrange under his personal wing, sharing with them his personal-secret knowledge of the Dark Arts; and inspiring in Bellatrix a delusional-psychotic attraction bordering on loving obsession, which Voldemort never returned

[1980]Shortly afterwards, due to Pettigrew's betrayal, Death Eaters began systematically murdering Order members and the war entered its most desperate phase. Marlene McKinnon was slaughtered alongside her entire family by Travers, Nott, and Mulciber. Edgar Bones, his wife, and their children were murdered by Thorfinn Rowle and Fenrir Greyback. Gideon Prewett and Fabian Prewett both fought bravely but were ultimately killed by Antonin Dolohov, and Dorcas Meadowes was murdered by Voldemort himself. Caradoc Dearborn disappeared and was never found, though he was presumed dead. Benjy Fenwick was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, Evan Rosier, and Julius Jerome; and so brutally mutilated that only bits of him were recovered.[12]

In response to this brutal onslaught, Barty Crouch Snr, who despised Voldemort, the Death Eaters, and the Dark Arts entirely; issued an edict giving Ministry Aurors full permission to employ the use of the Unforgivable Curses against their enemies. A massive Ministry campaign, spearheaded and led by Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shackelbolt, and Frank Longbottom; ensued, immediately turning the tide of the war against the Death Eaters.

28 pureblood family names (sacred 28)

Abbott Avery Black Bulstrode Burke Carrow Crouch Fawley Flint Gaunt Greengrass Lestrange Longbottom Macmillan Malfoy Nott Ollivander Parkinson Prewett Rosier Rowle Selwyn Shacklebolt Shafiq Slughorn Travers Weasley Yaxley

Although the Malfoys were noted as respectable members as one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight (a title they are proud of), they did not take the pure-blood supremacy to the point of inbreeding: they were willing to marry half-bloods, many of whom are shown in their family tree.

[leah-halliwell92]

Too Much Love Can Kill You

Summary: Soul marks are found through touch and song, one must sing to find their half and touch completes their connection. To reject your mark is to sentence them to death. you have been on tour with Brian, Roger and Rufus for a year and have known them for nearly four. What happens when you find out along the way that you are the mark of one Brian May?

AUTHOR’S NOTE: First of all THANK YOU!!!!!!!! Every single one of you that has been following me for a while and just followed. Thank you for following, thank you for the reblogs on my stories and posts and for your feedback! Hope to see more of it in the future with requests and the stories that will be coming. Don’t hesitate to drop request or questions in my ask!

Love you all!!! <3

Disclaimer: I own nothing all is a work of fiction. I don’t own Doctor Who either...12 and River are my fave ship.

Prologue – Chapter 1 – Chapter 2 – Chapter 3 – Chapter 4 – Chapter 5

Previously:

Desperate to show her that he truly is real, Brian pulled her close frustratingly pulling away at the blanket you had wrapped yourself in.

He lifted your shirt up slightly exposing your mid section and placed his hand on the curve of your middle.

Skin to skin contact feeds bonds, he hoped this fact aided theirs.

“Please…” he said pulling you to him pressing his forehead to yours as the hand on your middle tightened.

Throwing caution (and his man bits) to the air he ducked down enough to press a yearning kiss to your lips.

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Chapter 6

You gasped as your brain registered the feel of his lips on yours.

‘He’s real, he’s real, he’s real,’ kept running through your head in awe and shock that this is not a dream at all and the fact that as he had promised not a moment ago, he is here.

Without a second thought you let yourself sink into him with a soft relieved yet tender moan before pulling away as you both gasp as your bond and respective marks explode with warmth, love and peace at finally being cemented.

Brian did not wait a second longer after their bond was sealed before again pulling you to him into another kiss this one gentle but no less urgent than the first.

You pulled away and unwrapped yourself from your blanket cocoon before launching your self fully onto him.

This caused him to roll full onto his back as he wrapped his long arms around you as you adjusted your position on top of him.

You straddled his hips causing twin moans to escape you both as your centers came into contact.

Neither of you wanted to jump into the physical aspect of your relationship just yet knowing very well the talk that needed to be had. But neither would stop if something was begun...

You stared at him from your position above, him noses nearly touching, in wonder as your body and mind restabilized after your near death experience. Even if Brian would have done the impossible to keep you alive.

“You’re stunning did you know that?” You say as you put a hand to a his cheek as a blush blossomed.

“Well...umm,” he said clearly not expecting such a statement from you.

You grin happily at him and press your forehead to his before pressing your lips to his in a tender kiss.

Brian ran his hands over your back not daring to go further down to your bottom settling on holding your waist.

You spent an unmeasured amount of time heatedly making out like a pair of teens, enjoying their explorations and the way their bond shifted and, almost, breathed as shirts were discarded and skin to skin contact was made further. Eventually their laying position changed to Brian sitting up against the headboard of the bed which gave him the chance to hold you tighter against him easier.

You separated both breathing hard and you snuggled into his embrace and pressed your face into his neck breathing a deep sigh of happy relief once again as you felt the bond and your mark hum pleasantly as they settled. You sat there quietly holding each other in silence basking in the feel of your pressed chests.

“Roger changed my clothes didn’t he?” You asked after a moment of silence.

“Yes, you weren’t...um...really,” he couldn’t say it, it hurt just to think about it, ‘you weren’t in the place to do it yourself.’

“I know,” you say as you pull away to shift your still on bra around bit to alleviate some of the pressure of the strap holding your girls up and the shoulder straps.

Brian felt his cheeks red as you adjusted what he now thinks of as unnecessary imagining what they look like naked, to hold them and taste them to his heart’s content kissing and licking at them like a dying man having his first drink in days.

“I know that look Doc,” you say teasingly, “But we don’t have time for that right now its nearly 8 and we need to by out before 10.”

Brian sighed annoyedly dropping his forehead on your shoulder.

“You’re right. But I am still a man and no matter how innocent the uh adjustment sent my mind to places it does not need to be in right now,” he said pressing a kiss to your shoulder.

You laugh at that and with your free hand move the curls that are over his face a way to peek at the boyish twinkle in his eye.

“I said we don’t have time to play but that doesn’t mean I can’t show you what we could do when we get to the following city,” you whisper playfully smirk on your face as you push at his shoulders gently so he is leaning on the headboard again his hands on your hips.

He raised a questioning brow at you with a correspondent, “Oh?”

You nod with a hum and say, “The question here is if you should take this oh so bothersome piece of clothing off or if I should do it.”

Brian breathed a laugh and hummed actually considering the offer.

He’d be mad if he said he didn’t want to take the bra off himself but still felt as if he is walking a fine line and this could now be him dreaming this up. He also wants to go at your pace making a silent vow to be more attentive and open when it came to you and their bond.

“Ground control to Major Tom?” He heard you ask and turned to look at you with a soft, “Hmm?”

You gave him a soft smile, “You alright? Lost you for a moment there.”

Brian gave you a sad half smile as he ran his thumbs in circles softly where his hands held you at your waist.

“Hey...” you say as you put a hand on his cheek knowing exactly where his mind went, “It’s not your fault.”

He scoffed at that as tears came to his eyes.

You felt his hands tighten at your waist.

“It’s not,” you repeated firmly.

“But it is,” he said voice cracking at the admission, “You could have died (Y/N) and it would have been my fault for being so narrow minded as to try and think for you and your choice for you instead of accepting this us for the blessing that it is and sitting with you and talking like the adults that we are.”

Tears fell as the implications of the past few hours hit.

“I...I could have lost you (Y/N),” he said as sobs wracked his wirery frame.

You wasted no time in pulling him close the height difference of you straddling his lap making it so he can bury his face in your neck with ease. You ran your fingers through his curls as he sobbed into your neck.

You felt his regret and anguish through the bond and nearly broke yourself. You’d known from the beginning he’d reject the bond thus cutting your life short, but despite this you knew the why behind his rejection and understood. You also knew that human fault would play a part so there was a fifty-fifty chance he’d approach you or not.

You turned around at the sound of a soft knock at the door.

Roger who had waited all morning to see his best friend and pseudo-daughter, peeked into the room to find the couple on the bed looking to be on the way to recovery and you looking better than you’d been the day before.

You nodded to him with a grim grin before turning your attention back to Brian.

Roger closed the softly closed the door and went to make a few calls. Arrangements needed to be made for their arrival to the second to last town. A day or two delay on the rest of the tour would need to be done if they didn’t at least make it photo finish to the airport.

“All ok da?” Rufus asked before taking a drink from the steaming mug in his hand.

“They are getting there I think. Not quite one hundred percent but getting there,” he said right before his phone rang.

Rufus looked on feeling a bit more at ease now that he knew his best friend/sister is alive and on the mend. And that his uncle stepped up...as if he had any doubts of that.

“Uh oh,” he said as he saw fear take over his father’s features, “What’s wrong da?”

Roger looked to his son and said, “Sarina’s gonna meet us in the next town.”

Rufus paled and said, “And so my dear father here is where I say we are all royally screwed.”

Roger nodded and stole a drink from his son’s cup o’ joe.

“Bri,” you say softly as his sobs turn to sniffles and tremors, “It’s ok.”

He shook his head emphatically.

“Yes it is,” you say softly yet firmly, “I knew what I was getting myself into not telling you. I knew what I was getting myself into when I realized we are soul marks, and I knew why you’d reject me.”

His arms, which had gone from his hands at your waist to hugging you close, tightened around you as he slowly came to.

“I knew and I understood and still understand why, true I wish you’d have come to me first but I knew,” you say taking his head in both hands to look him in the eye, “You want me to live my life, carve my own path in this world...Did you ever consider that I want to do that with you by my side?”

The tears kept falling after his sobs had subsided and a look of shock shown in his eyes as your words began to sink in.

“Keep in mind I also have my own insecurities,” you say with a breathy chuckle, “I got so used to loving you and keeping it to myself that somehow I got it into my head that you didn’t love me despite the mutual affection we had, and still have.”

He gave you a weak grin at that.

You pulled his forehead to yours and said, “Now all we can do is move forward. Isn’t that what you say? Get on the horse and onward?”

He laughed at the tease and nodded.

You smiled and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose and said, “Well, there you go. Come on we can carry on with the heavy petting later we need to change and run to the airport before the plane leaves without us.”

He laughs and nods that.

You went to get out of his grasp when he pulled you to him once more.

“What is it Bri?” You ask when a look of wonder and adoration appeared on his face.

Brian stared full on at his love making yet another promise to himself and you to show you every single day that he does indeed love you. He ran his fingers lightly up your spine causing you to shiver and pressed a kiss to your lips.

Pulling back a loving smile lit up his face and whispered, “Hello Sweetie.”

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If you wanna be tagged shoot me an ask!!! Thanks for reading don’t forget to like and reblog!!!! Feedback is always appreciated!!

                                                  0º0º0º0

Tag list: @pansexualqueendarling, @queenattheopera, @brianandthemays, @theborhapboysawakenedmywhatever, @ramibaby, @captain–americanna, @awkwardangelshezza, @avengerraven1023, @danamaleksworld, @pastywhiteperson, @readinghorn, @i-was-born-like-this, @redspecialstardust, @reedusteinrambles, @rogertaylorsfalsettogivesmehives, @readinghorn, @subbysharkbabe, @capan-devereaux, @bowieandqueen11, @bellamy1998, @reedusteinrambles, @mazzello-lee-jones-malek, @sincereleygmg, @bleu-jean-baby, @brian-mayonnaise, @0hour9am, @toomuchtellyneck

[ppastel-pinkk]

the less i know the better

genre: angst, with a fluffy ending I guess?

warnings: irresponsible drinking if that makes sense, unedited writing jshdjdh I sort of having this idea and type then post it right away

pairings: Tom x Reader

note: this is a random writing, a little bit inspired from the song by Tame Impala with the same title, was listening to it while working and sort of get this idea and HAD to write it down somehow :)) messily written because I’m at work and had to stop a few times because I need to do some paper works and I’m kinda bad at writing in English.. but still I hope you enjoy!

—

“She just left with Haz.”

His eyes darted towards the front door, and to his surprise, he really met the sight of you in your favorite blue jacket walking hand-in-hand with his best friend, Harrison. He spat the remaining drink in his mouth, spaced out in disbelief.

“Man, I thought she was your girl?”

“I thought so, too.” He gulped the last sip in his bottle before continuing, sour. “Turned out I was wrong.”

Jacob leaned on the bar table as he tried to prevent him from ordering more booze. He’s already on his second bottle for the night—first when he saw her sitting together with Harrison for probably about an hour or so, exchanging glances and laughter. The second one, he just chugged it empty, mercilessly.

It’s slowly coming back to him, how both of you had been so close for the past few weeks. How you started to notice him in your Spanish class, putting up with his antics and ambitious demeanor. How you told him that wearing glasses in class is actually a graceful sight and your words caused him a sleepless night— the one where he couldn’t stop smiling ear to ear until the sun came.

He looked outside the window of the bar, eyes fixated on the bench under the tree where you and him used to study for exams together. Him secretly watching a leaf fell to your silky hair ever so gracefully, it made him felt like in a movie. Made him smile ear to ear even when it’s way past a month since he first saw that sight.

Both of you were so close—almost too close to be true. He’d been your date to every parties you almost refused to go to, and you’re his date to his every movie night. He took you to your new favorite place—an old bookstore by the end of the streets near his apartment. He’s down to your every tea time invites, even though he prefers coffee than your strawberry tea. You’ve been to his room and alas, now he couldn’t look at his own blankets like how he used to. It surprisingly still had your scent in it, and he could see it torturing him for the next four months, maybe more.

You let him hold your hand while walking. He welcomed you to his embrace when you’re feeling low. You both almost kissed by the end of your latest movie night, all that hope he got just to see you move it with Harrison.

“Is it possible that she just...”

“Being friendly to you so she can get it with Haz?” Jacob took down Tom’s hand that were calling for the bartender. “That is cruel... but still possible.”

“Hey, more shots please!” He shouted to the bartender.

“Enough, Tom, you’ve drank enough.”

“Who cares,” he plopped down on the table. He couldn’t feel his energy running through his body anymore. He’s tired of drowning into the pain, looking back to the memories he had with you that now left a sour taste in his mouth.

The bartender put the drink in front of him, but somehow he couldn’t make himself to drink it. Pictures of you came running fast in his head, along with all the things he thought was supposed to happen. He’d seen it in you, all the gleams in your eyes whenever you look at him, how much you cared about him more than anyone else. How your sight never leave his figure even when you both are far away from each other. How your lips almost slipped the L word almost every single time. He has seen hopes in you, sadly it wasn’t the one that comes true.

Looking back at it, now he knows why you were keep asking about Harrison for the past few days. Where he came from, his house, even his parents’ names. That sudden curiosity triggered the alarm on his head but Tom refused to hear it. He has fallen too deep, and he wish he wasn’t.

And he kind of regretted his decision to bring you to this party, trying to introduce you to his world—part of it was to introduce you to his best friend. Turned out you both going too well, even far too deep into conversations and laughter that slowly make Tom felt out of place. He felt betrayed, seeing you walking out of the bar with his best friend. And he doesn’t want to imagine what you did with him while you were out of his sight.

Pictures of you having it with Harrison, how you both made it your night and simply throwing his existence out of the window, kept coming back to his head that he decided to take one shot in. He heard Jacob’s warning almost too faintly, maybe even too tired to care.

Oh, the less he knows the better.

-

Tom wasn’t really sure how many shots he took that now he’s lying almost helplessly on his own bed. The comfort of his blanket sent sudden wave of realisation as the last time he remembered being sober was when he was lost in his thoughts at the bar. Jacob's effort to get him back to reality had failed miserably, as he chugged more alcohol into his system. His head was pounding hard and he felt nauseous all the time, surrounded himself with regrets for not trying hard enough to sober up. He got up to take a bucket that Jacob usually left him on the side of his bed, but he only find a warm soup and tablets of aspirin on his bedside table. A note with such neat handwriting was placed just between the two.

You were a mess. Eat this to feel better.

He squinted his eyes to enhance his blurry vision, figuring out who might’ve left that there. It’s clearly not Jacob’s handwriting because his looks a lot like toddler’s scribbles than an actual handwriting. He studied them hard enough that the headache is starting to came back, so he quickly gulped down the aspirin with a glass of water nearby. As he drank, his mind keeps sending him back to the picture of him and you studying Spanish under the tree. You scribbling down a note for him to study, with such a beautiful handwriting that he kept in his drawer just to make him go to sleep happily. He was shocked once again, could it be you who wrote this note for him?

Quickly his hands pulled the drawer to take that small piece of paper and compare the two in front of his face. It was indeed your handwriting.

He was confused. Thought she left with Haz? I must be dreaming, right? He pinched himself, and-ouch! It hurts, so that means he’s fully awake.

He was about to exited the room, maybe trying to find some evidence of you coming to his small flat when he heard your crisp laugh. It used to sound like a symphony to him, until it was replaced with siren after what you did to him at the bar. Bet Haz were also here to laugh at me being a complete mess, he thought to himself.

His hand turned the knob and slowly opened the door, surprisingly found you sitting on the couch with Jacob in a friendly distance. You looked so cozy and the dim lights from his fireplace gave you a warm light, send flutters to his stomach. You and Jacob were having a small talk, not noticing his presence until he sort of lost his balance and almost fell to the side. Lucky for him that there’s a table just beside him, so that wasn’t too embarrassing—but it did shock you and Jacob.

“You’re awake, Tommy boy?”

He nodded as Jacob rushed to his side and trying to help him sit on the couch. Both Tom and you were now sitting side by side, he looked at you with such an awkward glance and you’re still with your warm, loving eyes he always adore. He almost feel like fainting again when he looked at you.

“Well,” Jacob stood up from his spot on the sofa. “I’ll leave you two alone so you can have the talk.”

He left with a suspicious grin on his face, not even care the slightest about Tom’s panicking gaze. Now that hungover guy has no option than to sit with you, maybe for a couple minutes. He’d called it a night and pretend to go to sleep later so he wouldn’t have to face you or anything you wanted to talk about.

“Feeling better, Tom?”

He nodded while scratching the back of his head. “Not good but definitely not terrible.”

“Glad to hear that. You were a mess last night.”

“Yeah, your note told me about that.”

“So you’ve read them?”

He nodded in silence, letting out a worn out sigh. He planned to leave maybe a minute or so-just for you not to feel bad about his reaction upon meeting you, but his curiosity got the best of him. Questions kept popping up in his head as he looked at your presence on his living room. Why is she here? Wasn’t she with Haz last night? What happened? What’s the talk that Jacob’s been teasing about?

“Is there anything you wanted to ask me?”

“Whoa—how do you know?”

“You’ve been staring at me like a lost kid, mate.”

Even when you pointed out that obvious behavior, he still stared blankly at your eyes. Get lost in your gaze that he used to love, or simply get drowned into his pool of questions. But then, the more he dives in to the depth of your eyes, the more it hurts. 

“Why are you here?”

You sighed. “You were wasted, Tom. The moment I got back to the bar, you were yelling like an old, grumpy hag. Jacob was having a hard time with dealing with you on his own so I helped him. Haz even drove you back here, but he couldn’t stay since he had to go to Greece this morning. He’s sorry that he couldn’t be around, tho.”

“Wait, you went back to the bar? Thought you were leaving with Haz?”

“No, of course I wouldn’t! Why would I leave my date on the bar? Gosh, I should’ve told you that we were—”

Her date? he thought. Did she just call me her date after having the courage to ditch me like that?

Tom didn’t hear the rest of your long explanation. his head was too far clouded with anger and it made him feel even more dizzy. He stopped you midway through your explanation, manage to spit out words.

“Knock it off. I know you’re in love with Haz. You’re befriending me just to get with him, right?”

“Excuse me, what?”

He sighed deeply, fingers starting to massage his temple as his headache is getting even worse. “I knew it, I saw how you suddenly get so curious about him, how you immediately stick to him as soon as you both get along. Leaving me out of the picture. I shouldn’t hoped too much, but to be honest, it sucks.”

“No, oh my God. Tom,” you scooted over to Tom that had his head hung low, reached for his hands and squeezed it gently. “I just found out that your best friend is my cousin. How can I be in love with my own cousin?”

“W—what?”

Her cousin, he thought to himself. He should’ve known better—the chemistry, all the connection you had with Harrison, the curiosity, it’s not at all romantic. They were simply a cousin! He should’ve known this instead of being a total dumb-ass. Tom could clearly see you holding back that laughter as he felt warmth filling his cheeks. Pretty sure they turned into bright red right now, that you couldn’t resist the small giggles. He was flustered, wish he could just disappear into thin air right now.

“Yeah, remember when I told you I have a long-lost aunt? Turned out Harrison was her son. That’s why I asked you his parents’ name the other day. We went out for some fresh air to talk about this and for an emotional hug, I’m afraid that it’d be weird if we did it in front of you and Jacob. We did some catching up and talk about stuffs... that’s why it took a little long.”

“Oh gosh I feel awful... I’m sorry I don’t—”

“No, don’t say sorry. I must be the one apologizing for not making it clear that’s it’s you whom I fell in love with. It’s not like I’m being nice to you so I could get close to Haz, gosh, no. That is such a nasty thing to do.”

“Wait... did you just say you...”

“Yes, dumb-ass. I love you. Wasn’t it obvious tho? The way I was comfortable with you around, and my converted gaze every time you looked me in the eyes for more than five seconds. How my cheeks were burning every time I see you laugh-or maybe we both are being too caught up with our own feelings to notice the love that is in the air.”

His eyes darted to where your hands were, on top of his very own hands. He looked closely at the way your fingers were squeezing his hand, not to tight but enough to reassure him that everything you said was true. That whatever you said was something that flowed naturally from the bottom of your heart. You’re being absolutely honest and that was enough for him to close the gap between both of you and let your lips met.

He kissed you softly, without hesitation that was clouding his mind up until a few seconds ago. He smiled into the kiss and his happiness roamed around both of you, was pretty obvious for you to feel it as he was kinda hoping it would be. Both of you parted, and now his hands were the ones squeezing yours warmly.

“So are we dating now?”

You chuckled. “Yes, we are.”

“But one more question,” he scooted over so that he could lean his back on your chest, letting you envelope him with a warm hug. “Did Jacob knew about this? I noticed he was mentioning about the talk?”

“Sort of, because you told me everything beforehand—while not being sober at all.” You laughed. “You told me everything on the bar when you got wasted. Then I asked Jacob for further explanation. That’s why he knew about this talk, he even asked me to do that since I told him how I feel exactly.”

Tom’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t imagine how much of an embarrassment he was in front of the love of his life whom he not yet confessed to. He could feel the blood in his cheeks are boiling, pretty sure his cheeks are now reddening madly. That reaction gained a few more chuckles from you, as you were gently caressing his hair.

“That must be so embarrassing...”

“Nah it’s fine. That lead us to this, we should be thankful instead.”

“You’re right, love.”

Tom grabbed your hand that was starting to messing up with his hair, kissed the palm softly before holding it tight. He felt dumb for mistaken your actions as taking him for granted, but he was a bit relieved that with the help of his stupid reactions, it was resolved to an even better relationship he could ever wished for. And now, as he was resting his head on your lap peacefully, he knew that he learned something important today.

The more you know the better. Always.

[redsoapbox]

MY TOP FIFTEEN TRACKS BY WELSH ACTS IN THE PAST DECADE.

Pictured - Davey Newington. Davey features in the list twice - as Boy Azooga and as a member of the gone but not forgotten Houdini Dax.

In my introduction to Pop Hack, my debut collection of reviews/interviews, I make the claim that ‘some of the best records I have heard in my lifetime come from the unsigned and unsung acts that I stumbled upon covering the Welsh music scene’. I repeated that claim the other day while being interviewed by Bill Cummings for his Cymru Am Bop podcast (see link below), so I thought it was about time I put some flesh on the bones. In no particular order, then, are fifteen tracks from some of the best singer/ songwriters and bands in Wales.

1. Dan Bettridge - Third Eye Blind (2015)

Released as a single in 2015, and wisely included in Dan’s exceptional debut album Asking For Trouble three years later. “Third Eye Blind” is a stirring soul workout, hugely influenced by Van Morrison’s classic track “Real, Real Gone”, and a surefire set closer by anybody’s standards.

2. Pretty Vicious - Cave Song (2014)

The mighty tune that famously sent the major record labels into a lather and into a headlong race to Merthyr in pursuit of the teenage rockers. I caught the band at the EVI (Ebbw Vale Institute), a few months after they had signed on the dotted line, and filed one of the earliest national reviews of the band for Wales Arts Review. I spent most of the review decrying their major label status; ‘Pretty Vicious has signed with Virgin, it’s the first uncool thing they’ve done’ I moaned. I ended the review on a note of caution - ‘Pretty Vicious would be wise not to rush into the recording studio just yet. You never get a second chance at a debut album’. My scepticism about the multinational’s motives was on the money - the band was unceremoniously dropped by Branson and Co in 2017 without even releasing an album!

https://soundcloud.com/prettyviciousuk/cave-song

3. Houdini Dax - Found Love In The Dole Office. (2015) 

I was a huge fan of Cardiff’s sadly defunct power-pop trio, whose two albums, You Belong To Dax Darling (2011) and, particularly, Naughty Nation (2015), are packed with bangers/earworms/crackers - take your pick. I was bemused by their complete lack of success, but nevertheless surprised when they morphed overnight into Monico Blonde. Drummer Davey Newington went on to bigger, if not necessarily better things, with Boy Azooga of course. “Found Love In The Dole Office” is a typical Dax track, matching a punchy melody with a clever lyric. 

4. Jodie Marie - Everyone Makes Mistakes (2015)

Taken from one of my all time favourite albums, Trouble in Mind (2015), “Everyone Makes Mistakes” is one of four or five outstanding ballads that form the centrepiece of this truly fine record. This is a heartbreaking song that leaves the listener reeling!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNBraJss7-4&feature=youtu.be&autoplay=1

5. oblong - Light Sleeper (2019)

I tossed a coin with this track. Llanelli’s bilingual post-punk combo has released two scorching albums, Brilliant...Gwd (2017) and Hollalluog (2019), which are brimming over with terrific tunes. Any one of them will set the pulses racing.

https://oblong1.bandcamp.com/

6. Danielle Lewis - West Coast Sun (2016) 

When we beat this virus and lockdown truly ends, this is the record that I’m going to emerge from my hideaway playing. A joyous tune that deserves the sun on its back and for people to be of good cheer when they listen to it. Danielle’s current single “Flowers” is another beautiful composition.

https://daniellelewis.bandcamp.com/track/west-coast-sun

7. Aled Rheon - Wrap up Warm  (2016)

It’s never the done thing to quote oneself, but as this feature is partly to publicise my book Pop Hack I’m going to take a diabolical liberty! In my review of the song I write ‘It’s a beautifully judged lyric with a performance to match, as Rheon’s fine-grained vocal manages to make James Taylor sound like Jello Biaffra’. Not bad, even if I say so myself!

8. Armstrong - Gratitude (2019)

Although this song dates back a good number of years, it was included in the deluxe release of Armstrong’s majestic album Under Blue Skies (2019). As with oblong, above, I was spoiled for choice and very nearly chose the exquisite “My Resistance”, then again I very nearly opted for the heartaching “Perhaps It’s Time To Say Goodbye”. “Gratitude”, though, has a life-affirming quality that somehow transcends the times in which we live.

https://bigtakeover.com/recordings/ArmstrongUnderBlueSkiesTheBeautifulMusic

9. Climbing Trees - Aliosi (2013)

Does this song really contain ‘the most romantic couplet in the history of pop’, as I somewhat fancifully speculated in my review of Hebron, the Pontypridd combo’s debut album? Perhaps not, but that’s what a great pop song can do to you. I happily plead guilty to getting carried away by ‘Sunlight streams into my eyes, It always brings me to /  I didn’t mean to wake you darling, but I can’t keep my eyes off you’. If that doesn’t set your heart racing, what will?

https://ilikeclimbingtrees.bandcamp.com/track/aloisi

10. Silent Forum - Limbo (2017)

Silent Forum had a great 2019, with their debut album Everything Solved At Once earning them rave reviews across the board. It’s a wonderful album and it would have been easy to choose its centrepiece, the stupendous “How I Faked The Moon Landing”. I opted, however, for “Limbo” an old favourite of mine and a song that stood out for me the very first time I saw the band play in 2015. This is Indie-noir incarnate!

https://silentforum.bandcamp.com/track/limbo-2

11. Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard - Love Forever (2019).

Can there be any doubt that Tom Rees and his band are heading for the big time? The man writes killer tunes and has the chutzpah to carry them off. Rees is a real political animal, but he tends to separate that out from his music. On “Love Forever”, an ‘all you need is love’ protest song, he puts a hippy-dippy toe in choppy political waters for the first time. 

12. Boy Azooga - Loner Boogie (2018)

After missing the boat with Houdini Dax and Monico Blonde, Davey Newington’s ship finally came in with his solo project Boy Azooga, leading to support slots with the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. This tune is as fun ‘n’ funky as pop music gets.

13. Burning Ferns -  Bullet Train

Newport’s Burning Ferns are often compared to stellar names like Big Star, Teenage Fan Club and The Byrds, so if you admire classic songwriting, chiming guitars and three-part harmonies then their two fine albums on Country Mile See Saw Seen (2013) and Public Mono (2017) are must-have records.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM6m3GTm7DE

14. Georgia Fearn - Catch Me When You Can (2018)

An edgy and imaginative songwriter, Georgia Fearn was just 17 when she released her debut album, the dark delight that was Perfect on Paper. Equally influenced by TV, cinema and literature’s tales of the macabre, Perfect on Paper is something of a black comedy, one that you might want to listen to crouched into the foetal position whilst hiding behind the sofa!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgVmBKAbn6c

15. Head Noise - Microwave (2018)

It defies explanation that Mitch Tennant left the mini-masterpiece “Microwave” off last year’s 14-track debut album Uber Fantastique. A fun pop artefact in the vein of Landscape’s “Einstein A Go-Go”, every home should have one - “Microwave” the song, I mean, not an actual microwave. Although I’m given to understand by the cooks in the household that a microwave is a product that comes in handy, personally I never venture into the kitchen, so I can’t properly comment!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wXV_7fr7k8 

The five next best

Travelator - Anonymous Iconoclasts, That Night at the Table  - Beth Goudie, Just Rock ‘n’ Roll - I Fight Lions, Obsolete - Matthew Fredricks (not yet released), High -Clwb Fuzz.

http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2020/05/11/podcast-cymru-am-bop-episode-three-featuring-kevin-mcgrath/

All of the above acts are featured in my book Pop Hack

http://bit.ly/PopHack

[ardentmuse]

Perchance a Parchment (George Weasley x Reader) - Part 2

Harry Potter - George Weasley x fem!Reader

Wordcount: 2.7k

Summary: Writing letters to the mysterious and flirty Rhubarb may be fun, but real life, and the difficulties of your shop, are bound to get in the way. 

Series Masterlist // Masterlist

A/N: Thanks for your patience! I hope you enjoy.

You were part way through your mug of morning coffee and fully through the work of restocking the shelves before opening. You were just beginning to tackle cataloguing the latest deliveries -- new collections of the adventures of Tiago de Paula, world renowned treasure hunter and ladykiller, by the incomparable Quetzalli Flores, your favorite teacher from your short stint at Castelobruxo -- when the bell above your door rang. You jumped at the unexpected sound, spilling your coffee on the floor behind the counter. Though the ring being a surprise was silly. It was 8:58am, just in time for your shop to open.

“‘Mornin’, boss,” Patricia sung as she swept in. She had her hat and coat on the rack before she even notices your spill. “Need some help with that?”

You smiled as you moved to the other side of the desk to retrieve your wand and with a quick wave the spill was already forgotten.

“So,” Patricia said as she took a giant plop into the large armchair that divided the children and adult parts of the store, “What’s got you so jumpy?”

Without even looking, Patty reached over and took a big swig of the cup of tea she knew you would have sitting there for her. This was your morning routine, lazily stocking shelves and cleaning until the local moms brought around their toddlers for the 10am story session, all the while drinking your morning beverages so slowly they grew cold multiple times over and all the silly personal stories of the previous day were exhausted. You too took your seat beside her, watching as her round halo of curls compressed as she relaxed her head further into the cushions.

“Just didn’t sleep well last night.”

Patty raised an eyebrow. “Finally had that good night romp with Tom you’ve been craving?”

The mention of your boyfriend made you feel guilty. Tom hadn’t spent the night in weeks. Or was it months now? And honestly, he hadn’t crossed your mind all morning. You really did need to end it…

“No,” you managed between sips, “Nothing like that.”

You both sat in silence for a few moments companionably. Patty had this way of simply waiting and always getting the information she wanted. She had the air of a co-conspirator, trusting and easy and a tad bit devious. Just a simple raise of her eyebrows as she sipped her tea always had you talking.

“Here,” you finally said, handing her two crumpled pieces of parchment from your pocket.

Patty unraveled the first, reading the words and pausing part way.

“Peaches?” she asked, “Your best friend back in America? Why didn’t you send it?”

Without meeting her eyes, you said, “I did. Keep reading.”

You watched Patty through your lashes as she scanned the page and moved to the next. The light of recognition came across her face, then confusion, and then laughter as she folded the letters, finished, in her lap.

“Oh boy! Someone has a secret admirer!”

“It’s not like that,” you said, “He doesn’t know me. He just knows I’m female and probably a young adult given the content and thought he’d flirt a bit. I mean, he could be some old creep with some weird owl-intercepting fetish for all we know.”

“Well, I think he sounds cute. And he has surprisingly nice handwriting.”

She stood and began opening the crate containing the latest Flores novels.

“And,” she said, more to the box than you, “Rhubarb has a point. Why don’t you have a passionate romance? A woman on the verge of an engagement shouldn’t feel that way.”

You knew she was avoiding your gaze now, worried how you would respond.

You downed the last bit of your coffee. “You’re right,” you said as tears pricked at your eyes, but you swallowed them down.

Hearing the hiccup, Patty returned to your side.

“Listen, friend. I know you don’t want to hear it, but you have to rip off the Band-Aid, as the Muggles say. Tom loves you. He wants you happy and if he’s not doing that, then he needs to know. In the meantime, why don’t you go upstairs and respond to Mr. Rhubard and I’ll get the story room ready.”

“You sure?”

Patty smiled wide, “Positive.”

You began the trek back towards your office when you heard Patty scream.

“What kind of codename is Rhubarb anyway?”

You chuckled as you sat down at your desk. Diomedes came to rest on your shoulder almost immediately.

“Maybe he’s old and sour,” you shouted in return.

“Or maybe he’s tall, thick, and red,” she cooed seductively.

“Red?” you teased as you pulled out your parchment, realizing you still needed to send your post to Peaches as well.That was probably why this Rhubarb returned the first letter. What a sweet gesture, you thought. Maybe he wasn’t some creep after all.

“You know,” Patricia called, “Ginger.”

You laughed once more, shaking your head. Patty knew too well of your weakness for redheads. You mind was running with images of strong, pretty, thoughtful men with soft red locks and freckles across their noses, an image that was vaguely familiar to you somehow. But it was an imagine you liked regardless.

George had been upstairs all day, wanting to intercept any owls before Fred could, not that Fred cared about the post at all. But after that letter he sent, he was feeling more embarrassed than anything. A single letter flies in his window, wording the things his heart had been saying for weeks and he immediately spills his soul out to this unknown woman. He felt foolish and silly, cringing at himself all night about the last line of his letter.

But Fred had been right. He’d been avoiding women for years now. Since the end of the war, the loss of his ear, and the failed whirlwind couple months with Angelina, he wanted to just focus on himself for a bit.

A bit quickly expanded into a couple years though and now George found himself desiring something different from his nights. He didn’t just want to be sitting on the couch joking with Lee and drinking beers with his brother. He wanted more.

As time went on, he found himself noticing those signs of love that filled his childhood home; the way Ginny always ran into Harry’s arms when he returned from a long few days away with work, the way Harry clung to the fabric of Ginny’s shirts like she was the only thing tethering him to the world, the way Hermione and Ron teased each other, how a laugh could be so much more than just a sign of humor but an expression of utter peace and contentment, the way Fleur lit up every time she caught Bill’s eyes across the room, and the way Bill lit up every time he heard one of his children say, ‘mama,” and even the way he’d occasionally overhear his parents call each other by ridiculous pet names and exchange soft touches that lifted even the heaviest tension.

George hadn’t been home in a few weeks. Going home made it insanely obvious that he was indeed alone.

A knock at the window pulled him from his thoughts and he felt his heart rate increase as the tawny owl from the day before tilted his head to seek entrance. For a moment, George considered not letting the bird in. The inevitable rejection was going to ruin his day. He was sure the letter would contain a right rebuke from the sender, a collection of strung together statements about how truly creepy it was to respond to someone else’s mail and a quick request to cease all contact.

But ever curious, George opened the window anyway and found attached a letter tied with pretty red string and a loopy, friendly “Rhubarb” upon the scroll.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he opened and read the letter.

Rhubarb,

Thank you for taking the time to send me back my original letter. Peaches would have been very disappointed to not receive my incoherent early morning ramblings. You are a true knight and for that I am grateful.

In regards to your question, you could say my life is not lacking for love, just not the passionate kind I had hoped for in my youth. But there is always the future. I’m still young and free to explore what the world has to offer.

I am lucky in some ways. I have an amazing community around me and a family I adore. I moved around a lot as a child, so I have friends on every continent. In that regard, I am never really alone.

In some ways, I got the adventure I always imagined. I just didn’t know it at the time. Maybe that is the secret to all of this. Life is always filled with the things desire, but only in reflection. Each dream is just an effort to reclaim a feeling we didn’t know was special until it was over.

So Rhubarb, what are you seeking? What’s your dream? What special feeling are you trying to reclaim?

Looking forward to hearing from you again.

Sincerely,

Cherry

ps. Your handwriting is lovely.

George was beaming by the time he read those last words. The letter wasn’t anything revolutionary. It didn’t rock his psyche the way the first letter did, but it still spoke to a level of honest and forthright communication his life had been missing. With Fred, everything was a joke, a light-hearted spat, or a source of wonder. Things like anxiety, fear, doubt, and insecurity didn’t exist in the mind of Fred Gideon Weasley. Anytime George mentioned something as simple as a worry resulted in a jab and a chuckle and, most important a change of conversation.

But now, for the first time in quite a long time, someone was asking George what he wanted, what he hoped for, what he feared. Someone, a stranger, cares what he thinks.

“George!” a voice called from the bottom of the stairs, “Get your rump down here to talk to these real estate people!”

George sighed and patted the owl on the head. Penning a reply would have to wait.

“And this,” the real estate agent began, all boisterous confidence, “is the building I was thinking for your new workshop. As a storefront, people walking by would be able to see all the cauldrons going. It would be a spectacular for sales, I think.”

George took in the pretty wooden exterior of the shop just a few doors down from their own. He had never bothered to observe the tiny bookstore housing titles and authors he had never seen before. But the lights inside were warm and inviting. He could see the colorful spines across the oak shelves, all arranged and sorted expertly. Tables covered in stacks of parchment and pens, a counter covered in postcards and gift bags, and plush chairs for reading in every available corner.

But the thing that caught his eyes right away was the bay window, curtained in plush velvet. And just beyond, in a small wooden chair, he saw that same beautiful face from the night before. Only today there was no scowl but instead an animated expression; eyebrows in the air, mouth wide with wonder, and cheeks full and happy. She held a book in her hand, open to a small circle of young children packed together, their parents hovering and chatting at the counter just beyond. He watched as characters lept from the pages of the story, small sparks and lights stealing the toddlers’ attention. And as the woman bent forward in a mock whisper, he heard the children burst out into laughter. George thought just maybe he had never seen a more beautiful sight.

“But it isn’t empty,” Fred said in confusion to the real estate agent.

“Oh, it will be soon,” he responded, with such a dismissive tone that George wanted to spit.

“Something caught your eye, brother,” Fred called, snapping George from his gaze. When Fred followed George’s line of sight, he sighed. “Ah, just your type.”

George shook his head and started the walking back to their shop. If they had to buy someone out of their business, did it have to be an enchanting, vibrant woman who knew just how to engage children?

That night, Diomedes finally returned, along with another bird you did not recognize. Diomedes rushed past the snowy owl to find home upon your bed, a letter strung snuggly to his leg. You hated to admit just how curious you were about the letter from Rhubarb but the idea of some mild flirtation, of feeling wanted and stimulated intellectually made you happier than you cared to register.

You started with Diomedes, who upon being relieved of his parchment flew swiftly into his cage.

Dear Cherry,

May I call you dear? It seems silly to treat you like a stranger given the kind of things I wish to share with you.

I too can say I am lucky to have what I have. My family is lovely, though I have often been the least remarkable among them. I have never had a moment where I haven’t felt loved and cared for. But what you say is true. The war took a lot from us. I look back on the time before the war with much joy and admiration, though it probably was not as idyllic as I remember.

I can honestly tell you I am not sure what I want. I have one very strong memory that I go back to when I need positivity: my brother and I flying in our family orchard first thing, teaching our little sister how to fly before our mum noticed she was missing. I guess if I had to put it into words then--

You were interrupted in your reading by the snowy owl pecking harshly at your hand.

“Alright, you fearsome devil,” you said to the bird as you pecked the small parchment off its leg, abandoning your letter from the enticing Mr. Rhubarb to your bed.

This parchment only had a handful of words.

Sorry, Y/N. Can’t extend your lease at the current rate. We need a new deposit of 1000 galleons by the 30th or you’ll need to vacate.

I’m sorry, dear. I really do love your store.

The signature was scratchy but it was indeed your landlord. You felt your stomach tighten and the tears prick at your eyes. You thought you had more time.

Your only thought was to grab the pillow from against your headboard, press it tightly to your face, and scream, a raw primal scream that let the tension ease from all of your muscles. You screamed a second time for good measure, but a voice pulled your face from the pillow before you could let out a third.

“Babe, is everything okay in there?” Tom asked from his place in your kitchen cooking your dinner. You had forgotten just how much could be heard through your paper thin walls.

Immediately, you snatched up the letters and stuffed them under your mattress, taking extra caution to make sure the one from a particularly flirty potential suitor was properly tucked away. You just had time to wipe the tears from your eyes as the door cracked open and an adorable head of messy brown locks, one that used to make your heart flutter and now did very little, poked in.

“All good?” he asked.

“Stubbed my toe,” you managed.

Tom’s eyes raked your body and with a nod in conformation, he left, shutting the door behind him.

Before it even closed, you flung yourself down on the mattress. You knew eventually you’d need to go out there and eat the dinner he prepared and feign interest in the latest economics news, but for now you would lay here in a starfish upon your mattress and fully and sincerely cry.

All tags: @fangirlandnerd, @aerdnandreaa, @thisisbullshytt,  @cancerousjojian, @whovianayesha, @themarauderstheoutsidersandpeggy, @luna-xxxxx, @sleepylunarwolf, @starryrevelations, @potter-thinking, @all-by-myself98, @bananafosters-and-books, @cutie-bug

Harry Potter tags: @tessimagines, @0-lost-in-stereo-0, @whysoseriouspadfoot

Perchance a Parchment tags: @cucumberinmyass, @justducky0423, @thequeen-ofnerds, @yuaasa, @comic-creature, @hermionebennet, @semicharmedkindofali, @sugerquill, @can-i-fangirl-yet, @doct0rstrange, @igotmadskills, @otherthingsinhead, @olixerwxxd, @caramiriel, @gryffinclxw, @lizmar20, @indicisive-af, @confettidreameryouwhoreo-blog, @hellizhelusive2, @kaitsubaki, @dooriha, @justfollowtheroad, @memogorgon, @xxsophie-raabxx

[tonydadisbestdad]

Possessive And Violent My Ass

Tom HollandxReader

NOT Dad fic

Word Count: 2,022

Prompt: ‘my current partner is a huge asshole and i need a reason to break up with them so will you pretend to be my possessive and violent ex’

A/N: So, I took a different route with this one and tried a mob Tom fic. It’s alright I suppose, just felt like doing something I haven’t before. Enjoy.

You were rather frustrated. Your current boyfriend was splayed out on your couch, asleep. The beer that you knew must have been in his hand knocked over on your hardwood floor. Take out containers littered the table, and your cat was eating out of one of them.

This was not the first time this had happened. In fact the last time you found him like this you told him to get lost and not find his way back. However, he was rather determined to stay with you, so he managed to sweeten his way back in every time.

And you let it happen, because he was pretty sweet and you didn’t exactly want to hurt him. But he was rather gross once he settled in. Even if he did clean up nice. And sure you could very easily get rid of him. But you were afraid he’d think you were joking. Even if you could kill him in more ways than one without leaving a trace that you did it.

That was just an occupational hazard of yours for those around you. It wasn’t your fault you got mixed up with the mob. It was all your friend Tom’s fault. You’d follow him anywhere and when he’d taken over the business, well you were right beside him, Harrison right with the two of you. However, the man asleep on your couch had absolutely no clue about your real job.

Deciding that you weren’t going to deal with this mess, you went right back out your door. You found yourself at Tom’s. You strolled right in, the two bodyguards posted at the door nodded to you.

“Evening boys,” You greeted, barely offering them a glance.

“Evening boss,” they responded. Tom might be their actual boss, but you were the one in charge of them. You were the one given the orders to send them out, what to do, when to do it and how. You were the one handling the dirty work Tom didn’t want to handle, the kind he didn’t find worth his time but knew that whoever it was needed a more special touch than just his regular guys.

“Tom?!” You called out, into the larger than average home.

“What are you doing back so soon, love?” He asked, exiting his kitchen.

“Gary did it again. I can’t take it, Tom. I’m gonna kill’im. But he’s too nice!” You ranted on about the mess he’d made, how you’d probably get home and he’d be gone and the mess would still be there, on top of your cat probably having the shits just to add to your problems.

“I’ve told you before,” Tom started, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and starting to guide you upstairs. “I can take care of it.”

You groaned. “I don’t want him dead, Tom. I could do that myself if I wanted. Just want him to stop comin’ around after I’ve sent him off.”

Tom stopped in front of the door to his bedroom and leaned against it. “You know, I’ve seen you be the nastiest bitch, yet you can’t get rid of a guy that’s nice? You must have lost your touch.”

You scoffed and punched his shoulder.

He didn’t hesitate to grab your wrist. “Don’t-”

“Wait!” You said, not caring about the empty threat he was about to place upon you, knowing he would never think about hurting you. “I’ve got it!”

Tom sighed and released you. “What brilliant plan have you devised now?”

“Well, Gary doesn’t know what I do for a living, right? But I’m sure he knows about you, and not from me, who doesn’t?”

Tom wasn’t following, his eye brow was arched as he watched you closely. You were incredibly sexy when you had a good idea. So happy, something he liked seeing on you with how rare it was in this line of business.

“What if you came over and pretended to be like my crazy possessive and violent ex?” You were smiling so wide at him, hoping he’d go for it.

He thought over your words. “Is that what you think of me?”

You rolled your eyes. “You missed the point, and no I do not, Thomas. I just think you’d be really good at pretending to be. You already shoot all the guys dirty looks if they even cast a glance my way. You’d be great at it.”

“What if I don’t want to pretend to be your ex?” He asked. “You know I’d much rather be with you.”

You blushed. You never really took those words of his seriously. Because even when he said them, there were still other women in his life, there were still times when you knew he could never possibly love you. That you couldn’t have a normal life together. Even if you wanted to be with him. “Tom-”

“Yeah, I’ll do it. But if I do, you’re going to sit down and listen to what I have to say about you and you believe me this time.” He held his hand out to you.

You took it and shook, sealing your deal. You were rather hoping what he’d have to tell you would be in your favor. Hand shakes were binding between the lot of you. But, having a normal boyfriend was something you rather enjoyed, it was like living in a cute little fantasy. One where you could imagine a frilly white wedding, and a house and three kids. Not the kind where you would constantly worry your husband was cheating on you, or the safety of your children. You pushed those thoughts away, you had to focus. “I’ll come up with a plan tonight and let you know in the morning.” You eagerly kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Tom.”

He shook his head at you. “Just don’t forget about the other end of the bargain.”

You nodded, “Of course. Goodnight, thank you for letting me stay the night.” You started off towards one of the many spare bedrooms.

“I’ve told you, anytime, Y/N.” He watched you go, rubbing the back of his neck.

The following morning you sat down with Tom and told him your plan. Everything was set, it was going to finally get Gary out of your life without you having to be an absolute bitch to him. Tom got the privilege of doing that.

“You ready?” You asked meeting Tom in front of your apartment building. You’d already confirmed that Gary was still there, so all you had to do was show up and let the fun begin.

You started bickering at the end of your hall, well more like yelling at each other. You didn’t care if your neighbors heard, you could easily tell them all the truth. “Go home, Tom!!” You shouted right outside your door. You fought with your keys to get them in the lock but he turned you around and your back hit the door. Just enough to make a noise, but not harsh enough to hurt you.

“Don’t fucking talk back to me!” He growled.

You got your door open and stepped back into your place as he followed you in. “Get out,” You shouted, shoving at him.

“Y/N?” You could hear Gary over your shoulder, somehow still on your couch and sounding groggy.

Tom grabbed your wrist and your chin smooshing your cheeks. “I fucking-”

“Hey!” Gary yelled, scrambling off the sofa. “Let go of her!”

“Who the fuck is this?” Tom asked, quickly. The gun he kept in the back of his pants was now pointed at Gary.

Gary held his hands up and took a step back, “W-whoa! H-hold on there-”

“Tommy please, please don’t worry about him, he-he’s just a friend.” You lied, sounding so innocent, tears welled in your eyes.

Tom’s eyes narrowed at the man before he cut them at you. He tsked, “Baby, you know better than to lie to me.”

“Y/N, who is this guy?” Gary asked, the fear in his voice made him sound 12.

“My-my ex,” You answered, making Tom’s hold on you a bit tighter as he tugged you closer to himself.

“Your what?” Tom asked, his tone threatening. “Maybe you should properly introduce me, darlin’. You know I love when you tell people what you are to me. What I’d do to anybody that even looks at you thinking they could love you better than I do.”

You whimpered, shrinking into your shoulders. You glanced over at Gary, you wished you could have laughed. He looked like he was about to piss himself. “Gary this is, Tom Holland… I-I’m sure you’ve heard of him…”

Gary swallowed thickly, knowing exactly who the man in front of him was now.

“Gary you should go. Really, T-Tom’s right. I’m his girl, and it was really a mistake to run off on him… but this isn’t working and I don’t want him doing something to you. It’s better this way.”

Gary could only stare at you. “You don’t possibly expect me to just leave you him with this crazy ass-”

Tom clicked the safety off his gun. “What was that, mate?”

Gary took a shallow breath.

“Gary, go! Leave for good please! I’ll be alright but you won’t be if you don’t leave!” You told him, praying he’d finally get out.

“Yeah Gary,” Tom added. “Get out.”

He scrambled to get his things before he was out the door, not even so much as putting his pants on.

You waited for the sound of the stairwell door at the end of the hall to close before you released a sigh of relief.

Tom finally released you and put the safety back on his gun before replacing it in his pants. “I didn’t hurt you, did I darling?” His hand was so gentle on your chin, a complete 180 from how it was before.

You smiled softly at him, “I’m alright Tom, really. I’m never going to be able to repay you. That was brilliant.” You didn’t even hesitate to hug him, something very rare for the two of you.

“Come on, Y/N,” He responded, arms wrapping around you. “You know I’d do anything for you. You’re my girl.”

You glanced up at him, “Tom, do you really-”

“Yes,” He answered before you could even get the question out. “It’s my turn now. I couldn’t wish for someone better than you to be by my side. I’m tired of not having this with you. You’re the only girl I want, alright? Will you please just be with me already? We’re perfect for each other and you know it as well as I do.”

You sighed. “I know all that… it’s just, sometimes it’s nice to have a break from the mob life. To think about having a normal life, with a husband and kids and being safe…”

Tom brushed a strand of your hair behind your ear. “Sweetheart, there’ll never be a safer place for you than with me. We can have a life together, maybe it won’t fully be conventional, but I’m willing to do what it takes to give you everything you want.”

“And what happens when you don’t want to anymore? What happens when you have to go off to some club and there’s other girls there and they’re way more attractive than me and they’re all over you-”

He laughed, “You’re taking the not in a committed relationship Tom and not getting the I want to be with you and only you Tom. Y/N, I want this with you. That’s it, alright? I’d never commit myself to you and do something to hurt you like that. You just have to trust me. Stop thinking about everything else. Do you want to be with me, yes or no?”

You knew he was right. You were being unfair, and trying to talk yourself out of something you really wanted because you were afraid. But from the determined look in his eyes you knew how much he wanted this. You nodded, “Yes I want to be with you.”

Tom smiled and pulled you in for a kiss.

Tags: Wanna be tagged? Just ask!

I dunno if y’all wanna be tagged in Tom fics it’s been too long but I’m gonna tag y’all anyway

@manchurian-barnes, @marrvelle-fics, @chloe-geoghegan1, @buckysendoftheline, @peterparkerscamera, @marvelc00kie35

[too-queer-to-live]

I know pride month is literally almost over but I was inspired by this post to compile a list of songs that Hit Differently when covered by a queer artist/interpreted as explicitly queer:

“Accidentally in Love” by The Counting Crows (yes, the one from Shrek)

“So she said, ‘What’s the problem, baby?’ What's the problem? I don't know, well maybe I'm in love... How much longer will it take to cure this? Just to cure it cause I can't ignore it if it's love”

Cover by Mia Wray

“A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri

“Heart beats fast, colors and promises, how to be brave, how can I love when I'm afraid to fall? ... time stands still, beauty in all she is”

“A Whole New World” from Aladdin

“When did you last let your heart decide? ...  A whole new world, a new fantastic point of view; no one to tell us no or where to go or say we're only dreaming”

Cover by princepeterwolf | Violin Cover by The Shirtless Violinist (ft. gay music video)

“Boys” by Charli XCX

“Don't be mad, don't be mad, not like I had a choice, I was busy thinking 'bout boys”

Cover by gay artist Sakima (with modified lyrics) | Cover by Alex Heart

“Can’t Fight This Feeling” by REO Speedwagon

“I can't fight this feeling any longer, and yet I'm still afraid to let it flow, what started out this friendship has grown stronger, I only wish I had the strength to let it show... I can’t fight this feeling anymore, I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for”

Gay Music Video

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley (insp)

“Shall I stay? Would it be a sin if I can’t help falling in love with you?”

Cover by The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir | Cover by Pentatonix

“Cut to the Feeling” by Carly Rae Jepsen

“I've been denying how I feel, you've been denying what you want, (you want from me) talk to me baby”

“Delicate” by Taylor Swift

“Is it cool that I said all that? Is it chill that you're in my head? 'Cause I know that it's delicate”

“Dirty Little Secret” by The All-American Rejects

“When we live such fragile lives, it’s the best way we survive... you are the only one that needs to know; I’ll keep you my dirty little secret; don’t tell anyone or you’ll be just another regret”

“Don’t Matter” by Akon

“Nobody want to see us together, but it don’t matter, no... cause we gonna fight... fight for our right to love”

“For Good” by Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel - From Wicked

“I’ve heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn... I do believe I have been changed for the better, and because I knew you... I have been changed for good”

“Girls” by The 1975

“I'm worrying about my brother finding out; what’s the fun in doing what you're told?”

Cover by Daisy Clark

“Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Boy” by Fall Out Boy

“Where is your boy tonight? I hope he is a gentleman, maybe he won't find out what I know: you were the last good thing about this part of town”

Cover by headlesscabbage

“Heaven” by Julia Michaels

“Love's my religion but he was my faith, something so sacred so hard to replace; falling for him was like falling from grace... no need to imagine, ‘cause I know it’s true; they say all good boys go to heaven, but bad boys bring heaven to you”

Cover by Mark Jeffcoat

“Heaven’s Gate” by Fall Out Boy

“In the end if I don't make it on the list, would you sneak me a wristband? Or would you give me... a boost over Heaven's gate? I'm gonna need a boost ‘cause everything else is a substitute for your love”

“If It Kills Me” by Jason Mraz

“Well all I really wanna do is love you, a kind much closer than friends use... This double life I lead isn't healthy for me, in fact it makes me nervous; if I get caught I could be risking it all”

“I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz

“It's our God-forsaken right to be loved... so I won't hesitate no more, no more, it cannot wait”

“Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield

“Jessie's got himself a girl and I want to make her mine... I wanna tell her that I love her but the point is probably moot ”

Cover by queer artist Mary Lambert

“Let it Go” by Demi Lovato - From Frozen

“Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried; don't let them in, don't let them see, be the good girl you always have to be; conceal, don't feel, don't let them know, well, now they know; let it go, let it go, can't hold it back anymore”

“Like Real People Do” by Hozier

“Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips; we should just kiss like real people do”

“Make You Miss Me” by Sam Hunt

“Every boy you ever met was too easy to forget, well, I ain't going out like that”

Cover by Sophia Scott

“Mr. Brightside” by The Killers

“Coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine”

ps: It’s a Bisexual Anthem

“Never Stop” by SafetySuit

“And with this love song to you, it’s not a momentary phase”

“Night Changes” by One Direction

“She's falling, doesn't even know it yet, having no regrets is all that she really wants; we're only getting older baby”

Cover by Georgia Merry

“Perfect” by Ed Sheeran

“We are still kids, but we're so in love, fighting against all odds; I know we'll be alright this time”

Cover by Hannah Trigwell | Cover by Luciana Zogbi | Cover by The Shirtless Violinist ft. Tom Goss | Gay Music Video

“Rainbow” by Kesha

“You'll find a rainbow, rainbow, baby trust me, I know life is scary but just put those colors on, girl, come and play along with me tonight”

“Reflection” (Pop Version) by Christina Aguilera - From Mulan

“You may think you see who I really am, but you’ll never know me; every day it’s as if I play a part... I can fool the world but I cannot fool my heart... Somehow I will show the world what's inside my heart and be loved for who I am; who is that girl I see staring straight back at me? Why is my reflection someone I don’t know? Must I pretend that I’m someone else for all time? When will my reflection show who I am inside?”

“Rude” by MAGIC!

“Don’t you know I’m human too? Why you gotta be so rude? I’m gonna marry her anyway... no matter what you say”

Cover by Kina Grannis | LGBT Cover w/ altered lyrics: “It’s not a phase, can't live without her; love me or hate me we will be gay standing at that altar, or we will run away to a more accepting place”

“She Looks so Perfect” by 5SOS

“Let's get out, cause this deadbeat town's only here just to keep us down... You look so perfect standing there in my American Apparel underwear”

Cover by Against The Current

“Shut Up And Dance” by Walk The Moon

“Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me;  I said you're holding back, she said shut up and dance with me; this woman is my destiny”

Instrumental Cover by the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps | Cover by Natalie Joly

“Single” by The Neighbourhood

“I don't know if we should be alone together, I still got a crush, that's obvious, if nobody's around, what's stopping us?”

Cover by NeLLa

“Something to Talk About” by Bonnie Raitt

“They keep saying we laugh just a little too loud, we stand just a little too close, we stare just a little too long-- maybe they're seeing something we don't, darlin... let’s give ‘em something to talk about, how about love?”

“Take Me to Church” by Hozier (official video features gay couple)

“The only heaven I'll be sent to is when I'm alone with you; I was born sick, but I love it, command me to be well”

Cover by gay artist Jonathon Royse | Cover by Ellie Goulding

“The Only Exception” by Paramore

“Maybe I know somewhere deep in my soul that love never lasts, and we've got to find other ways to make it alone but keep a straight face”

“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran

“People fall in love in mysterious ways, maybe just the touch of a hand... maybe we found love right where we are”

“Out and Proud” by Gangsta Gudiya feat. Nikhil D’souza and Ugoeze - w/ altered lyrics: “People fall in love in every which way, whether it’s a woman or man; doesn’t really matter if I’m straight or gay, I don’t want my love to be bad, so honey now please accept me for who I am; let me live life the only way I can”

“This Is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna (inspired by this post)

“Everybody’s watching her but she’s looking at you”

“Thnks fr th Mmrs” by Fall Out Boy

“He tastes like you, only sweeter”

“Treat You Better” by Shawn Mendes

“I know I can treat you better than he can” (and, as I used to mishear it, “any guy like you deserves a gentleman”)

Cover by gay artist TheVloggingNook | Lesbian Version w/ altered lyrics: “any gay like you deserves a lesbian”

“Video Games” by Lana del Ray

“They say that the world was built for two, only worth living if somebody is loving you; baby now you do”

Cover by The Young Professionals (the main reason this song made the list)

“You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift

“You say you’re fine- I know you better than that, hey whatcha doing with a girl like that?...  Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find that what you're looking for has been here the whole time”

Gay Music Video Re-Make by The YellowJackets

“You’ll Be In My Heart” by Phil Collins

“Why can't they understand the way we feel? They just don't trust what they can't explain; I know we're different, but deep inside us we're not that different at all... don't listen to them, ‘cause what do they know? We need each other, to have, to hold”

(Feel free to add more!!)