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joelmillerisapunk · 9 months ago

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Beach Daddy III. I can do it with a broken heart

Rich daddy!Joel x F!reader

Series Masterlist • Masterlist

Wordcount: 12,532

Summary: After a day of emotional turmoil, you find solace in a chance encounter with Joel, who invites you to his secret deck.

Warnings: 18+, Joel and reader get closer, Todd does fuckboy things, reader really goes through it in this one, it's like a lil baby soap opera up in here for everyone.

Notes: Welcome, welcome, dear friends. Sorry this is so long. I never know where to end the chapters 😂 so I just add more. Your comments, asks, and reblogs are always so welcome! I appreciate everyone who's in this with me.

You walk out of Amorebelle with light pink clothing bags weighing down each arm, wearing a new outfit. You can't remember a time when you've gotten this many new clothes at once. You also find it hard to wrap your head around the fact that these clothes cost more than you make in an entire year.

The saleswomen Jane and McKenzie won't let you look at the price tags, but as they're ringing up your picks, you catch a glimpse of the total on the computer screen. You can't help but wonder how you'll ever be able to pay Joel back for this shopping trip.

You also can't help but wonder how often he does this for women.

Jane, who's worked at the shop the longest, had recognized him when you walked in the door. You don't have time to contemplate this because you notice a maid you recognize from the yacht. She makes her way to you and starts relieving you of your bags. You make sure to keep the bag with your dress and shoes for the evening.

"Miss, I was told to take these to your room on the ship while you are at your appointment," the maid tells you.

"What appointment?" you ask her, confused.

"You have an appointment at the salon three stores up.”

"Did Joel set this up for me?" you ask, feeling even more surprised.

"Yes, ma'am," the maid says with a smile.

You're glad that the boutique you've been shopping in has a shower where you're able to rinse off before this appointment. They must be used to sandy beachgoers coming in right before a night out.

You make your way up the street and stop at the salon with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. From the outside, you can see the row of chairs, each in front of its own mirror.

You walk in, and the man at the front desk assures you that you do, in fact, have an appointment, full hair, and makeup, which is all prepaid.

The receptionist walks you back to your stylist, an attractive man whose hair color matches yours. "What do you have in mind today, sweetheart," your stylist asks you.

"I'm honestly not sure. Can I leave it up to you?" you ask.

"That's my favorite request," he says as he runs his fingers through your hair. "Your natural coloring is gorgeous, obviously, I am not going to touch that. So, I'm thinking a quick trim and a blowout."

He has your hair and makeup done within an hour, and you barely recognize yourself in the mirror. You're amazed that your hair is perfectly smooth, with not a single strand of frizz to be found. You gently run your fingers through your hair and can't believe how soft it is.

"What do you think?" the stylist asks you. He hands you a small mirror and turns you in the chair so you can get a better view of the back of your hair.

"Is this really my hair?" you ask, holding up the smaller mirror.

"Of course, sweetheart. You look amazing," he says with a smile.

"I didn't know I could love my hair this much.” You admit.

"So, go enjoy it!" he says with a huge smile.

"I will. I love it. Thank you so much," you say enthusiastically.

You walk out of the salon's front door in your midnight blue silk dress with shining hair, and you feel amazing. For the first time since the breakup, you feel like you can do a whole lot better than Todd.

"All I can say is wow," says Joel. He's been waiting for you outside of the salon.

"I hardly recognize myself," you say with a laugh.

"I wasn't commenting on the dress or your hair. I was impressed by your confidence. It looks good on you darlin," Joel says, looking you up and down unabashedly.

You feel your cheeks get hot. You don't understand how Joel always says exactly what you need to hear.

"But, I do have to admit I was right about that dress; it does look amazing on you," Joel says with a wink.

"I don't know how to thank you–" but Joel cuts you off before you can finish thanking him.

"Please, you don't need to finish what you were about to say. You deserved it. Simple as that."

"Okay," you say with a smile. "Well, then I just want you to know that today has been the best day I have had in a long time." You like that Joel isn't the kind of man who gives gifts because he likes the praise that follows.

"The restaurant is just a few blocks over. I can call for a ride," he says, pulling out his phone.

"Yeah, we could get a ride over," you say and grab his phone. "But, it's such a beautiful night; why don't we walk?" It is a beautiful night, but if you're being honest with yourself, you want to walk to soak up as much time alone with Joel as you can.

Joel smiles and offers you his arm. You notice his new suit jacket goes perfectly with your new dress. You bite your lip to keep yourself from asking if he picked it on purpose, but you secretly hope he had.

"This town is beautiful; I'm surprised that it isn't busier," you say, looking up at the bistro lights strung across the streets in a zig-zag pattern. The light is just barely fading, and the cool breeze catches the slit in your dress, making the end lightly flutter around your ankles as you walk.

"It is a well-kept secret," Joel says.

"For the rich and famous?" you ask.

"Well, kinda, but the locals who live here are what make this place so amazing. The restaurant we’re headed to has some of the best food I've ever eaten. But the chef is just a local man who perfected his art form. Never went to culinary school; just cooked because he loved it."

"How do you know all that about him?" you ask.

"My family has vacationed here for as long as I can remember. When I got tired of listening to my parents argue, I would go exploring the island. I’ve gotten to know a lot of the locals over the years," he explains.

You walk up to a building with a large illuminated sign reading The Coastal Hibiscus. The restaurant has a large deck area with a perfect view of the ocean. As you make your way up the front steps, you drop your hand from Joel's arm, not wanting Sarah to get the wrong idea.

You arrive at the restaurant last, finding the entire party already seated. As you enter, the conversation slows, and Todd's gaze locks onto you, a sense of satisfaction washing over you from the look on his face.

Only two seats remain, so you sit between Alison and Hudson. Joel takes a seat directly across from you, next to his daughter.

"I love that dress on you, by the way." Alison says with a little smile.

"Thanks," you reply as the waiter distributes menus.

"Where did you take off to? I haven't seen you since you went with Sarah's dad to find the dolphins," Alison asks.

"Oh, we never found them, so we just drove around for a long time looking for them," you lie, staring intently at the menu. You don't want to share the details of the intimate day you spent with Joel.

"That's too bad," Alison says, joining the group's conversation about where everyone plans to 'winter' that year.

You continue to look at your menu, overwhelmed by the number of choices. Finally, you look up to see Joel staring at you. You silently mouth 'What should I get?' across the table.

He smiles at you and mouths back 'The lobster.'

When the food arrives, you're grateful for his suggestion. His choice is amazing; the lobster is cooked so well that it feels like it melts in your mouth.

You sit peacefully sipping a glass of wine and listening to the group's conversation, stealing glances at Joel. The waiter brings around dessert menus, and you order a slice of cheesecake, one of your favorites.

A few minutes later, the waiter sets a piece of cheesecake in front of you, and placed delicately in the whipped cream is a stunning cushion cut diamond engagement ring. Your breath catches in your throat, and your heart stops. As you try to make sense of what's happening, you hear Todd whisper angrily to the waiter, "No, not her!"

No one seems to notice the mix-up, and a few seconds later, the engagement ring cheesecake is placed in front of Sarah instead. Her small squeak alerts the rest of the table to what's going on.

"Sarah, will you make me the luckiest man in the world? Will you marry me," Todd says, down on one knee next to Sarah.

"Of course, I will." Sarah immediately answers. She jumps up and hugs Todd, all the while letting out ear-piercing squeals.

You look across the table and see Joel's eyes locked on you. Did he see them place the ring in front of you and your reaction to it?

The restaurant feels like it's closing in around you. You have to get out. You quietly slide your chair away from the table, leaving your ringless cheesecake untouched, and walk out into the open air. You start walking toward the ocean; the water has turned from a vibrant blue to an ominous black. The glassy surface reflects the light of the moon, which sits alone in the sea of darkness.

You continue walking, your feet aching in the heels, but to your relief, you recognize the yacht docked in a nearby marina. The crew must have sailed over to this marina to drop off the rest of the group while Joel and you were in the shops. So you make your way towards it. However, even before you reach the docks, the tears have already started falling down your face. You wipe them away quickly, not wanting to stain your new dress. The sound of footsteps behind you has you hurrying to the yacht. Whoever is following you, you do not want to speak to them–not now.

Not even if it's Joel.

—

"Todd, I'm so glad we finally get to spend some time together. It seems like I barely get to see you anymore. I'm so sorry I've been so busy," you said, smiling at your fantastic boyfriend. You really missed him, but with graduation so close, you had to put all of your efforts into studying.

"I'm glad you finally found some time for me," Todd said in a flat tone. You guessed you deserved that, but the comment still stung.

"Where do you want to go eat? I heard there’s a great new sushi place just a few blocks over," you said, trying to switch the mood to a more positive one.

"Yeah, that works," Todd muttered as he pulled out his phone to send a text.

You started walking over, but you couldn't help but feel like something was off, and you relaxed as Todd's fingers locked with yours.

"So, how’s work going?" you asked. Todd had graduated with his Bachelor's degree the year before and started working for his dad's financial firm after that.

"It's been great. You would not believe some of the people I help with their investments. Every single one of them was a millionaire before they were thirty. That is going to be me; just you wait."

"I know you will be, Todd," you said as the hostess showed you to your table. "If anyone can make it happen, you will."

"It wouldn't hurt to have a rich wife. Then, we'd become millionaires together," Todd said and smiled at you. He had always been so proud of the fact that you were working towards being a lawyer. You were so relieved that he recognized your time studying was for your future together.

The waiter walked over to your table and asked if you were ready to order. Todd ordered multiple plates of sushi, and then the waiter turned to you.

"I'll have an order of the California rolls and a water," you handed the menu back to the waiter and looked up to see Todd with a strange expression on his face.

"California rolls?" Todd asked as the waiter walked away.

"It's the best deal on the menu. I'm saving for my books. I don't know if I’ll be able to qualify for another loan," you said, slightly defensive. You knew Todd hated how cheap you were, but you had to be if you were going to be able to afford to put yourself through school. You knew he didn't understand; his dad paid for his education.

Todd pulled out his phone again and sent another text. You tried not to let it bother you; it was probably something for work.

You spent the rest of dinner talking about the different investments Todd was making on others' behalf and how one of his clients had just purchased their first private island.

"I'm going to run to the restroom before we head out," Todd said and got up, not realizing he had left his phone sitting face up on the table.

As soon as he walked away, his screen lit up with a text message. All you could see from where you sat was the contact name, 'Her.' Your heart sank.

The screen went black, and you took a deep breath. Todd walked back from the restroom, smiling at you.

"You ready to go?" he asked you as he made it to your table.

"Absolutely."

"Why don't we catch a movie?" Todd asked, grabbing your hand again as you walked out of the restaurant.

"Sure. What do you want to go see?”

—

You slam the door of your room and rest your back against it, catching your breath. You had to get away from whoever was following you out of the restaurant. You can't face anyone after witnessing Todd's engagement to someone else. You take a few minutes to catch your breath, and when a soft knock on the door vibrates your back, you ignore it. The person doesn't knock again.

Your dress clings to your sweaty body, and you want nothing more than to take it off. You slip off the midnight blue silk gown and drape it over the chair in front of the vanity. Noticing the pink garment bags already hung neatly in your closet, you secretly wish that you fit in this world, this world of money. But you know deep down that you don't.

You walk past all of the new clothes and throw back on your usual attire of shorts and a T-shirt; you can't get comfortable in the fancy clothes. You make your way over to your bed and throw yourself on the comforter. Burying your face in the pillow and let the tears come. You cry until your eyes burn. You sit up in bed and wonder where everything went wrong with Todd and you. You had truly been in love with him. You had planned a future together, and even though he never spoke directly of marrying you, you always assumed it would happen one day. So when the waiter placed his engagement ring in front of you perched on a pillow of whipped cream, it hurt even more.

Your roommate had been suspicious of Todd cheating on you for months before you read that text. You went on pretending your relationship was stable, even though deep down, you suspected him, too, especially after the incident at the sushi restaurant.

You didn't confront him about the text until weeks later. He denied everything at first, saying it was his father's receptionist. She was a bitter older woman who was not the kind of woman you wanted to cross. He put the receptionist in his phone as 'her' as a joke.

You knew he was lying, but you were okay to keep on pretending. That was until you caught him texting 'her' again, right in front of you. Then, you exploded, and you got into your worst fight. He finally came clean that it was a woman he met at your birthday party.

He swore he wasn't cheating and that she was just a friend. You promised that you would work it out even if he was cheating on you, but he wasn't interested in that. He was no longer interested in you. He broke up with you the very next day.

With the memories replaying in your mind, you jump out of bed and run to the balcony. You breathe in quick gasps of the cold sea air. You just realized that you had invited Sarah to your birthday party. Todd had met her there, and they had been in contact ever since. Sarah told you that she'd been dating Todd for four months, but your birthday party was eight months ago. So Todd had been pursuing Sarah for eight months while he was still pretending to be faithful to you.

'It wouldn't hurt to have a rich wife; then we'd become millionaires together.' Todd's words ring through your memories. He hadn't been talking about you becoming a lawyer and the two of you becoming wealthy together. He had been talking about marrying Sarah, an heiress. This had been his plan all along.

This night of realization has your head hammering, and you need to calm down. So you walk back into your room, slip on your shoes, and walk out your door. You’re going to go out to the bar on the deck and make yourself a drink. The lights on the deck are already out, but you quickly realize you’re not there alone.

"Oh, Todd!" Sarah moans.

"You are so damn sexy!"

Two shadowy figures are pressed together in the pool, waves rippling around them, and you quickly realize you have just interrupted Sarah and Todd's after-engagement celebration. You immediately freeze on the spot.

Their moans grow louder, and you try to retreat before either of them sees you. Unfortunately, you don't notice the lounge chair behind you in the dark and topple over it in your rush to get away. You land flat on your back, and all the air is knocked out of your lungs.

"What the hell? Who's there?" Todd's voice yells behind you.

You pray it’s too dark for them to see or recognize you. Then, you start crawling back towards the door, and as soon as you think you are out of sight, you stand up quickly and run. Once you get through the door, you keep running down the hall, the tears stinging your eyes. You are humiliated, heartbroken, and defeated.

You get to a set of stairs and immediately start climbing as many floors as you can. You have to get as far away from the pool as possible. It’s bad enough knowing Todd is sleeping with Sarah, possibly for eight months, but to see it first hand is too much.

You end up in front of an elevator, and just as you stop to catch your breath, the doors slide open.

"Hey darlin? Are you okay?"

It's Joel. All you want to do is to run into his arms and feel his warmth surround you. But instead, you simply nod and turn to walk away. How could you possibly explain what you just witnessed? Sarah is still his daughter.

"I don't believe you. Somethin’ is wrong. I came to check on you earlier.”

—

Joel hands you a glass of red wine, and you follow him out onto his private deck. The elevator has led up to his room, and Joel, noticing your state, invites you up.

You lean over the railing and swirl the wine in the glass.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Joel asks with a note of concern in his voice.

"Nothing happened; I was just tired," you reply.

"You were so tired that you ran all the way back to the yacht?" Joel asks, clearly not believing you.

You don't say anything and take a small sip of your wine.

"And in the hallway just now? You seemed pretty upset," Joel says.

"I promise, I'm fine, but thank you," you say, trying to muster up a small smile.

Joel does not look convinced, but he lets the topic go. You both stand looking over the ocean for a long time in complete silence. The yacht has left the small island, and so the waves are bubbling lazily behind the propellers.

"When do we make port again?" you ask, finally breaking the silence.

"Tomorrow," Joel replies.

"I’m gonna miss you, Joel," you say quietly.

"What are you talking about, darlin?" Joel says as his eyebrows knit together in concern.

"I'm going to catch a flight back to New York tomorrow.”

Joel stares at you for a long time after saying that you’ll be leaving when you get to port the next day. Or at least you hope you will be. You don't even know where you will be, let alone if there is an airport or a ticket home you can afford.

"I would really hate to see you go, darlin," Joel says with a serious look on his face.

"I think it's for the best," you answer softly.

"The best for you?" he asks. You stay quiet for a long time. Are you deciding what is best for you and/or running from your problems?

"I don't know… " you answer truthfully.

You take another small sip of the wine Joel had poured you and watch the liquid as you swirl it around in your glass.

"You know wine always tastes better in the sauna," Joel says, watching you.

You turn to him, "That does sound nice, but I’m sure the staff who work the spa have already gone to bed."

"Well, good thing the sauna is in my bathroom," he says as the corners of his mouth ease into a smile.

"You have a sauna in your bathroom?" you ask, impressed.

"Of course, so what do you say?"

"I'm not really dressed for a sauna," you gesture down to your shorts and T-shirt.

"I have a robe that you can borrow unless you'd rather go without." Joel winks and starts walking away to grab the robe.

"So what else do you have up here all to yourself?" you ask, liking the distraction from the mess of a night you've been through.

—

You walk through a large sitting room, a bedroom with the biggest bed you've ever seen, and then finally to the bathroom. Joel calling the tub in his bathroom a soaking tub is an understatement; it's more like a small swimming pool sunken in the middle of the floor.

"You can get changed here." Joel leads you into an extravagant walk-in closet, complete with a large vanity table and chaise lounge. He hangs a white cotton robe on a hook next to the door, making it the only garment in the empty closet. You realize Joel's room must include his and her's closets, but Joel has no use for this one.

You undress down to nothing and slip the buttery soft robe over your skin. You could live in this robe. There are definitely some amazing perks to being rich. You walk out of the closet, and Joel is waiting for you in a matching cotton robe.

"See, it's a perfect fit," he says.

"I don't even want to know how much one of these robes costs," you say.

Joel laughs a little at your comment. "The sauna is through this door here," Joel says and pushes the door next to him open, holding it for you to enter first.

You don't know what you've been expecting when Joel had said he had a sauna in his bathroom, but the sauna you walk into is more than you could have ever imagined.

Every inch of the room is covered in light wood. The benches look as though they conform perfectly to your body and are accented with white pillows. The steam is warm and envelops you as soon as you walk into the room. However, the most breathtaking part of the sauna is the floor-to-ceiling window. It makes it feel like the sauna is open to the ocean itself, and the dark water reflecting the dim light of the room is extremely romantic.

"How do you ever leave?" you ask after a few speechless seconds.

Joel laughs again and takes a seat in the center of the bench, staring out into the dark water. You sit next to him and realize you might be too close, so you try to scoot away subtly.

"I don't bite, darlin."

You laugh awkwardly but remain close enough to feel the heat of his body next to yours. You close your eyes and try to let go of the evening. You think about watching the dolphins swimming in the cove while Joel sits next to you on the jet ski.

"You look like you're feeling a little better," Joel whispers.

"I am. This is exactly what I needed." You pause for a few seconds and add, "You keep saving me today."

"You've saved me on this trip too. Can I tell you a secret?" he asks, leaning in closer to you.

"Of course," you answer, and your heart starts beating faster.

"The rest of Sarah's friends drive me insane."

"That's your secret?" you bump his shoulder with yours. "That’s a really weak secret. They drive me insane too."

"If that’s not a secret, then tell me a better one," he says.

"What kind of secret?"

"Tell me why you’re leaving tomorrow?" he asks and looks into your eyes.

You pause, considering if you should tell him the truth, but he is getting Todd as a son-in-law. So you choose a different path.

"I can't afford to stay," you say finally. Taking Joel's silence as confusion, you elaborate, "I'm completely broke. I've put all of my money into school. I work as a bartender and live off of my tips and ramen noodles."

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand why that means you need to leave tomorrow," Joel says somberly.

That’s a fair point; Sarah and her father have paid for absolutely everything. It isn't costing you anything to stay on this once-in-a-lifetime vacation. You need to come up with a reason to leave before he sees through the holes in your story.

"I have to get back to New York, get ready to move to Cambridge, and find a job there before the semester starts. I only have a few weeks of living costs saved up." This is partly true; you do need to do all of those things, but going back early would actually complicate things for you. You can't move into your new apartment in Cambridge until two weeks before the semester starts. So going back early would just mean you'd sit in your old apartment with nothing to do. Plus, if you went back early, you would have a few more weeks of expenses to take care of, and you already quit your job.

"What if I could help you find a new position in Cambridge?" Joel asks.

"What do you mean?" you ask, surprised.

"I have some connections in Cambridge; if I helped you get a few interviews, would you be able to stay longer?"

You can't find any words to respond. You've been really worried about what you would do for work when you got to Cambridge. You don't know anyone there and planned on spending the two weeks before the semester handing in resumes at different restaurants.

"You would do that for me?" you ask.

"Absolutely. I’ll make some calls in the morning. You don't have to stay, but I would enjoy your company if you did. The Bahamas are beautiful this time of year. I don't want you to miss it."

"Okay, I'll stay," you say quietly. "Thank you, Joel."

You can't believe this man's kindness to you. If it's important to Joel that you stay on the trip, then you will figure out how to deal with Todd and Sarah for a little while longer.

"I'm glad to hear it," he says with a smile.

The sky starts to lighten in the early morning hours, so you stand and tell him, "I should head back down to my own room and get some rest."

"Probably a good idea," he says and follows you out of the sauna.

You go back into the massive closet and change back into your clothes, hanging the robe back on the hook. You walk back out into the main room, and Joel is waiting for you, still in his robe.

"Let me walk you down."

"That's really okay. You’ve done so much for me already," you say.

"How long will you stay?"

"I'm not sure. At least another week." You smile at Joel and walk out the door.

***

Joel shuts the door behind you as you walk down the hall. He's relieved that he convinced you to stay for at least another week, but he knows there's something else that's the real cause for you being so upset tonight.

He knows that you're not part of Sarah's usual friend group, but after talking to you tonight, he's confused about how you're even friends at all. You clearly have big goals and work hard to see them happen. Sarah doesn't have any goals other than becoming an 'influencer.'

The thought of you working at every spare moment to put yourself through school makes his stomach twist at how badly he's spoiled Sarah. You deserve so much better than to be just scraping by. He would do anything he could to help you find something better. Hell, he would have offered to pay for your tuition, too, if he thought you would accept it.

Joel pulls out his phone and sends an email to the connection he has at a law firm in Cambridge. He's done some business with them in the past and figures it would be a much better fit for you than making people drinks. With how much business he's given the firm, he knows he can at least get you an interview.

On his home screen, there's a notification of a phone call from his financial advisor, Alester, that he missed while he was in the sauna with you. Alester never calls at this hour, so he knows something is wrong. Joel calls him back immediately, waiting impatiently to hear his voice on the other end.

“Joel, I am so sorry for the early hour," Alester says.

“No need to apologize; what's going on?" He asks urgently.

“I am afraid it is not good news.”

“Just tell me, Alester," he says, doing his best not to get impatient with the man. He's worked for Joel for years, and Joel trusts him with his life. There's an infuriatingly long pause on Alester's end. He sighs before he finally responds. “Blaine is back, sir."

***

The sun is streaming through the glass doors of the balcony as you finally open your eyes. Your head is pounding from a lack of sleep and caffeine. You want to order coffee up to your room, but you need to shower too badly to wait. After running all the way to the yacht and then sitting in the sauna with Joel, you are salty with dried sweat. You probably should have showered last night, but, after reaching your room in the early morning hours, you collapsed on the bed and had fallen asleep in your clothes.

You walk into the bathroom, expecting to look like a mess from all the events of the night, your clothes are extremely wrinkled, but you are surprised to see your hair still looks flawless. "I wish I could afford to get a blowout more often," you say to your reflection, pulling on a few strands as you admire the style.

You put your hair up and step into the hot water of the shower, washing off the previous day. You stand under the steaming water until you are getting a little dizzy from the heat. As you stand there, you can't help but think about Joel. He's been so kind to you, and you can't help but wonder if there's a chance he wants more from your relationship than what one would typically expect between a man and a friend of his daughter's. You shake your head. You can't allow yourself to think that way. Joel lives in a world you know nothing about. Not only is he much older than you, he is also Sarah's dad. Besides, he can have any woman he wants. Why would he want you?

Returning your thoughts to reality, you finish rinsing your hair and turn off the water. You wrap a towel around yourself, and make your way back into the bedroom to cool down.

The screen of your phone is illuminated, so you pick it up and lounge back on the bed. You have several notifications from the group chat between you and your roommates, Aubrey and Lin. You know you need to let them know what's going on.

Aubrey: Hey? Are you still alive? We haven't heard from you in days.

Lin: Maybe she finally found herself a rebound, and that’s why she’s too busy for us. My guess is a sexy pool boy!

You: Sorry, you two. Signal has been spotty. A sexy pool boy, Lin? Is that your guess or your fantasy?

Lin: I think a sexy pool boy should be everyone’s fantasy. ‘Pool boy, refresh my drink, and while you are at it, come rub me down with some tanning lotion.’

Aubrey: Lin, you’re the reason I can’t let Gianni read our group messages!

Lin: Sorry, we aren’t as lucky as you to have an amazing boyfriend who kisses the ground we walk on. Some of us have to use our imaginations.

You: I miss you two so much! I wish you were here with me.

Aubrey: How is everything going? Is the boat as big as we are imagining?

You: Honestly, it is probably bigger than you’re imagining. It’s not so much a boat as it is a super yacht. The bathroom in my room is as big as our entire apartment, and I’m just in a guest room. I have my own private balcony! Oh, and yesterday, I got to see a pod of dolphins!

Lin: Dolphins? How cool! I wish I had a rich friend who took me on expensive vacations.

You: Yeah, it sounds good in theory, but in reality, that rich friend was the one sleeping with my boyfriend for months.

Aubrey: Sarah was the one Todd was cheating on you with?! Why didn’t you lead with that?

You: Oh, that’s not even the worst part. Todd is here on the yacht too. We had already left port when I found out, so I’ve been stuck here with him.

Lin: No way! What the hell did that scumbag have to say for himself when he saw you?

You: Well, he pretended not to know who I am, and I went along with it.

Aubrey: I’m so sorry!

Lin: Why didn’t you call him out?

You: I probably should have, but I didn’t want to make things awkward. Like I said before, I am literally stuck on a boat with these people. Plus, Sarah clearly doesn’t know. I didn’t want to hurt her.

Aubrey: That makes sense. Maybe she will dump him before things get too serious.

You: Oh, one more thing, they got engaged at dinner last night. I had a front row seat for the entire thing. And then their after party.

Aubrey: Are you okay? Do you need me to come get you? I don’t know exactly how I would find you, but you know I would figure it out.

You: Thanks Aubrey, but I’m okay.

Lin: Shit, this is really messed up. What do you mean by ‘you had a front row seat to their after party?’

You: I walked out to the pool deck and caught them having sex in the pool. Then I tripped over a deck chair trying to get out of there.

Lin: Did they catch you?

You: I still don’t know. I really hope not. I don’t know how I would show my face in front of either of them again if they did.

Aubrey: How did Todd even meet Sarah? It’s not like your social circles mix very well.

You: I was thinking about that a lot last night. I am pretty sure that they met at my birthday party.

Lin: So you're telling me when we were all celebrating you, Todd was off hitting on someone else?

You: Pretty much. I’m realizing a lot about who Todd really is. I think his whole plan was to find someone rich. I was thinking about it last night. I remember that towards the end of our relationship, he made lots of comments about how poor I am.

Aubrey: You’re not poor! You’re a college student just trying to make it through school.

Lin: Isn’t Sarah the one who dropped out sophomore year to become an influencer?

You: Yes, that is Sarah. She does actually have a big social media following. And as you both know, she comes from a lot of money.

Lin: Well, that’s pretty easy when you can buy whatever you want and post pictures of yourself on your dad’s billion dollar yacht.

Aubrey: So how long until you get back?

You: I think I’m staying another week. We’re sailing to the Bahamas. I was told that we will make port tonight.

Lin: Well, that sounds amazing. Do you know what you’re going to be doing?

You: I’m not sure yet. I’ll have to ask Joel what has been planned.

Lin: Oh, who is Joel?

You: Joel is just a friend.

Aubrey: I’m glad to hear at least you’re making friends. Then you have a way to escape from Sarah and Todd.

Lin: Me too. Any pool boys?

You: Haha Lin! Very funny. No, I have not made friends with any of the pool boys.

Lin: Well, maybe you should. There is no better way to get over someone than getting under someone.

Aubrey: I hate to say it, but I agree with Lin. Go get some! There have to be some island hotties at one of your stops.

You: I can’t believe you two. I have to go. Someone is knocking at my door. I miss you two so much!

Chuckling at the antics of your two best friends, you set your phone down on the bedside table, smiling to yourself. It's good to know that you have at least two friends you can count on for anything.

You wrap your towel tight around you and check the peephole in the door, relieved to see a maid at your door and not someone else since you're not even dressed yet. You open the door and are surprised to see she's holding a tray and a box in her arms.

"Good morning, Miss," the maid says with a friendly smile on her face.

Confused, you return her smile but look suspiciously at the items she's holding. "Good morning. I think there may have been a mix-up. I didn't call down for anything."

"Don't worry. There was no mix-up," she assures you, taking a step through the open door. "Where would you like me to set this?" she asks.

You open the door wider and let her in to set the tray down on the table. She sets the box gently on the bed and turns to exit, still smiling at you.

"Do you know who sent this?" you ask, tracking the woman with your eyes as she steps away from the bed. However, she does not answer your question. Instead, she continues to proceed to the door with a small knowing smile on her face that makes you wonder what she knows that you don't.

"Have a good day, Miss," she says, giving a small head nod as she flashes you one last grin.

"Thank you," you say and close the door behind her.

You make your way over to the tray first. Lifting the cover, you find a stack of pancakes and a side of bacon and eggs. There's also a small pot of coffee and a fluffy pastry. Your mouth is already watering at the sight of the food, and you inhale deeply, closing your eyes and imagining how good it will all taste, but you replace the cover.

The anticipation for what the box could contain is too great.

The box is tied close with a red ribbon, so you untie it and set it to the side. You remove the lid to the box and are surprised to find a white cotton robe. Immediately, a smile crosses your face, and a small giggle of glee escapes your lips. There's a small handwritten note resting on top.

Darlin,

Please meet me on our secret deck later this evening. Enjoy some time to yourself.

P.S. I wanted you to be comfortable.

Sincerely,

Joel.

You set the card down on the nightstand, right next to the little pink seashell, and you slip on the robe. It's even softer than the night before, if that's possible, and it smells like sandalwood - It smells like Joel.

The clock reads 4:30 pm before you finally get out of bed and dress for the day. You pick out a form-fitting sundress with a delicate blue shell pattern along the hemline. It's one of the pieces that Joel purchased for you at Amorebelle. You aren't used to wearing dresses, but you want to look nice when you see him.

You carefully do your makeup at the vanity table in your bathroom. As you step back and look in the mirror, you are impressed with your own appearance; you look like you belong – almost.

You make your way to Joel's secret deck. Your heart pounds against your ribcage as you get closer. You stop as you round the corner to the private location; all you can see is the back of Joel's head as he holds a phone to his ear. The muscles in his shoulders are tense, and you can tell by his low tone that the conversation is not a pleasant one.

"What do you mean he’s threatening to contact members of the family?" You hear Joel say. "He has demands now? What are his demands?"

There is a long pause after what Joel says, and you watch him running a hand through his hair; he seems to be on edge. He listens carefully to whoever he is talking to, and you consider turning around.

"We need to start protecting the family assets. I need you to review my father's will again and ensure it is airtight. He will not get a dime out of me."

You know you should turn around and give Joel privacy, but your curiosity gets the better of you when he starts talking about his family. You lean against the railing to wait, and it squeaks. It squeaks loudly.

Joel turns his head and gives you a small half-smile. He waves his hand, gesturing for you to come to join him. You hesitantly walk over, taking as much time as possible.

"I agree that's a good plan. Lock everything down, and let me know if we get any more calls from him. I'm counting on you, Alester. Don't let me down," Joel says. He hangs up the phone and sets it on the table next to the lounge chair he is sitting in. He sighs, turns to the laptop sitting next to him, and starts typing.

"Hey, I hope I am not interrupting anything," you say and slowly walk up to him.

"Darlin," Joel says as he closes the laptop and turns to face you. "You're not interrupting anything; I was just getting caught up on some work stuff."

"I just noticed you were on the phone, and I didn't want to interrupt a business call or something," you say, trying to explain why you were leaning against the railing and eavesdropping on his phone call.

"Oh, that wasn't business. I just needed to deal with some family issues," he says as he moves a white and blue striped towel and a bottle of tanning lotion off of the lounge chair next to him, gesturing for you to take a seat.

"Are you feeling better?" he asks, and a natural smile finally mirrors in his eyes.

"I am because of you. Thank you so much for sending me breakfast, and that robe was amazing. I honestly can't remember the last time I let myself lay around in bed all day. I really enjoyed it," you say and sit as gracefully as you can manage in the lounge chair next to Joel.

"Good to hear. You deserved a day to relax like that. You don't need to thank me for the robe; after seeing you in it last night, I knew it belonged to you. It looked like it was made for you, so it was only right that I send it down to you," he says.

His words make your heart beat fast again, and your face flushes. You know you are getting too close to your friend's very handsome and single father than is wise. But, when he says things like that, it is hard not to.

You think about telling him the truth about why you were so upset, but you don't want to ruin the fun you're having together by unloading about your ex-boyfriend, who is about to be his son-in-law.

"So, are you excited to walk your daughter down the aisle?" you ask, quickly trying to change the subject, so you don't blurt out your history with Todd.

"Honestly, I'm not sure if I will walk Sarah down the aisle or if she will want her mom to," Joel answers.

His response surprises you, and it must show on your face because Joel continues with his explanation.

"I was only with Marnie, Sarah's mother, for a short time. Marnie got married to someone else shortly after and had Sarah. She believed that Sarah was biologically her husband's and not mine. I didn't even know Sarah existed. She had Sarah take a DNA test when she was ten; she was linked to some of the Miller family members who had also taken the test. Only then did we find out that Sarah was mine."

"I had no idea, Joel. Sarah never said anything about any of this," you say. You feel so sorry for all of them.

"When Marnie's husband died, she told Sarah and me the truth. However, Sarah had grown up with another man as her father, and I never wanted to try and fill his place in her life. So I never really took on that fatherly role with her. Instead, I bought her everything she ever asked me for, and that was the basis of our relationship for a long time."

You sit there staring at the pain in Joel's face for a while. He never takes his eyes off of the ocean but continues to tell you about his past.

"Over the years, we've tried to build our relationship, and I take her on vacation with me every summer, but we still don't have the typical relationship you would expect. At times, Marnie and I have a hard time getting along; we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. So I stayed back and let Marnie raise Sarah; in a lot of ways, I don't agree with how she raised her," Joel says with a sigh. "That's why you're all here. Sarah and I don't know how to talk to each other because we have nothing in common and barely any memories together. So dinner gets a little awkward without others to fill the silence," Joel says, seeming slightly embarrassed about admitting this.

"I had no idea. Sarah always made it sound like her life was so perfect."

"In all the ways Sarah measures her life, it has been," Joel says, but you aren't quite sure what he means by it.

A maid with a tray of tropical cocktails interrupts your conversation, and she sets the drinks on the table between Joel and you.

"Thank you, Molly, these look wonderful," Joel says.

"Of course, sir," Molly says with a small smile.

"How's your sister doing? I hope she's making a speedy recovery."

"She is, sir. She should be back on her feet again in no time."

"When we get back, you should make some time to go and see her. I'll tell Reggie to add some more PTO for you," Joel says.

"Thank you, sir, I really appreciate that," she says and turnsto leave.

As you observe the interaction between Joel and one of his staff members, you realize you've never seen him treat an employee poorly. However, Sarah snaps at them to get their attention, and you suspect she doesn't even know their names or anything about them. She doesn't even treat them like they're people. This explains why you never felt like you fit in with Sarah and her friends, but you feel comfortable and want to spend all your time with Joel. He doesn't look down on you for being poor, but Sarah does. The irony of it all is that the only one on the ship who knows exactly how poor you are, is Joel.

You stare at Joel, and when he finally meets your gaze, you can't help but smile at him. "Thank you for telling me all of this," you say.

"Thank you for listening," he responds simply.

"It seems like we're making a habit of telling each other all of our secrets," you say with a small giggle.

"I hope that continues."

"Me too," you answer.

"Sarah has another dinner planned on the upper deck. Can I walk you up?" Joel asks you.

"I'm actually feeling a little seasick, I don't think it would be wise for me to eat right now," you answer. You don't feel like spending another evening with Sarah and her new fiance.

"Do you need a doctor? We have a nurse on the yacht, but we'll be making port in just a few hours; I can call and have one meet us at the dock."

"No, I'm okay, really. I just need to go back and lie down."

"Okay, if you're sure. I'll walk you down to your room," Joel said, checking his watch.

"No, no. I'm fine, really."

"Okay," he says reluctantly, "but please use the intercom in your room if you need anything."

"I will, I promise," you say with a small wave and leave to slowly make your way back to your room.

You take your time moving through the ship. You don't want to run into anyone heading to Sarah's dinner, where the topic of conversation is sure to be all about her recent engagement.

You're relieved when you see that most of the hallways are completely empty, so you quickly start toward your room.

"Hey!"

You turn and see Reggie walking up behind you.

"Hey, Reggie. It's been a while," you say with a smile.

"Where are you going?" he asks.

"I'm going back to my room. I wasn't really in the mood to spend dinner with everyone."

"Well, I was on my way to play some cards with some of the crew members. Why don't you come?"

Reggie must have seen the hesitation on your face. "Come on. It's actually fun to hang out with normal people every once in a while."

You laugh. You didn't realise that Reggie thought you were just as wealthy as the rest of Sarah's friends. "Reggie, I am a normal person. Let's go.”

—

Joel makes his way up to dinner alone, silently wishing you would be joining. You're one of the only ones in the group that he actually cares to have a conversation with. However, it might be for the best that you're not coming. Joel found himself always drawn to you, and if he wasn't careful, Sarah would catch on to his interest in her friend. He knows that would not go over well.

Joel's the last one to arrive, and he takes the only seat available next to Sarah's new fiance, Todd.

"I never got the chance to congratulate you on the engagement last night," Joel says as he shakes Todd's hand. "I rushed out because I had an urgent business matter I had to attend to."

Joel hoped that would adequately explain his quick departure the night before. He feels a little guilty that he didnt stay to celebrate and instead took off after you to make sure she was okay.

If he's being honest with himself, his evening spent with you, talking in the sauna, was much more enjoyable. He probably won't be winning any best dad of the year awards, though. He already smoothed things over with Sarah this morning. He showed up to her room with a pair of diamond earrings from Tiffany's. He'd bought them for her birthday, but they were perfect as a stand-in engagement present. Once he brought out the diamond, he didn't think she heard another word that he said. He’s happy to see that she’s wearing them tonight. She truly did look happy, and Joel prayed she would be in her marriage.

"Thank you so much, sir. I hope you approve of our engagement," Todd says.

Joel almost forgot that it was customary for a man to ask for his daughter's hand to get the father's approval of the marriage. "I think you two make a great couple. I'm looking forward to having you as part of the family, Todd," Joel says and then stands up. He taps his wine glass to get the group's attention. Everyone at the table quiets quickly and turns to him.

"I want to congratulate Sarah and Todd on their engagement. May they find happiness in each other and enjoy each other's company for many years to come." Sarah's friends all clap at this statement. Once the quiet returns he starts again. “As my engagement gift to the couple, I would like to throw you two an engagement party at my home here in the Bahamas."

This announcement receives a very excited response from all of Sarah's friends. Sarah's face is beaming at all of the attention she is getting. She smiles and stands up to make an announcement of her own. Joel notices she shakes her head gracefully from side to side, causing the earrings to catch the light. She is an expert at showing off wealth; no wonder she’s doing so well as an influencer.

“Thank you so much, Daddy! I'm so glad you approve, and an engagement party will be the perfect way to announce to the world that I'm about to be married. I am so excited about the upcoming wedding, and I would be honoured if all of you were part of our wedding party." Sarah is met with murmurs of agreement from the men and squeals of excitement from the women present. She sits down with a huge smile, clearly pleased with the group's reactions. “Daddy, can you hire some professional photographers for the engagement party? I need some really good pictures to post."

“Of course," Joel says.

“I wish we could have gotten some great shots of the actual engagement, but Todd didn't think about that part of it," Sarah says, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I told you it wasn't exactly planned. We had such an amazing day, and it just felt like the right time," Todd says defensively.

“I'm marrying a true romantic," Sarah says, resting her chin on Todd's shoulder.

“Is there anything else you two need?" Joel asks, trying his best to be supportive.

“I’ll need to pick one more bridesmaid so we have even numbers," Sarah says to Joel.

“Why not ask your old roomate?" Joel asks, confused as to why Sarah isn't planning on asking her most likable and attractive friend.

“Oh, I didn't notice that she wasn't here for my announcement. That sort of works out for the best, though. I’m going to ask someone different. She doesn't really fit into the vision I have for the wedding," Sarah says, sounding very much like a snob.

“And what exactly is your vision for the wedding?" Joel asks, annoyed with his daughter's uncouth response.

“I want everything to be glamorous," Sarah says as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I'll still invite her, but as part of the wedding party, you have to fit the aesthetic."

“That's true; it's not like she would be comfortable with the level of finery at the wedding anyway. It’s very obvious that she’s lower class. I think our guests would be able to sense that. If she can't afford to buy a new dress for her birthday party, it's not likely that she will be able to afford a bridesmaid's dress anyway," Todd says with a smug smile on his face.

Sarah giggles and then turns to talk to the woman next to her about possible venues for the wedding.

“Didn't you just meet her this week?" Joel asks Joel in a low voice.

“Yeah, Sarah told me they went to college together or something," Todd says and takes a bite off his plate.

“Then how would you know she couldn't afford a new dress for her birthday party?" Joel says with quiet suspicion.

Todd's eyes go wide in shock, and he nearly chokes on the food in his mouth. He takes a few moments to recover and then says, “I think Sarah told me that. She went to her birthday, and she had to borrow a dress because she couldn't afford a new one."

Although Joel doesn't doubt that Sarah would gossip about something as petty as not being able to afford a new dress, he finds it odd that Todd would remember something like that. Todd's reaction tells Joel that he is hiding something, and Joel's suspicion is only increased by his quick shift to join Sarah's conversation.

Do you and Todd know each other outside of Sarah?

Joel eats the rest of his meal in silence and makes an excuse about having work to do to get out of the rest of the evening's activities. Instead of heading back to his room, he goes to the captain to tell him about the change of plans.

After Joel's conversation with the captain, he makes his way to his office, which is located a floor below the guest rooms. He thinks about going and checking on you but decides it is best to let you get some sleep.

Joel's office on the yacht is a carbon copy of his office at home. It has a large wooden desk in the center and a large dark leather armchair. The only difference is the view is spectacularly better on the yacht. A large windowed balcony sits behind the desk, so Joel can watch the ocean as he works.

Joel sinks into his leather chair and opens the laptop on his desk. A notification glows on the screen, informing him of the one hundred and twenty-seven emails waiting in his inbox. He pulls out his phone instead and finds his event planner's phone number in his contacts.

“Hello, this is Jessica of Jessica's events."

“Jessica, this is Joel Miller."

“Mr. Miller, it’s great to hear from you again. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

“I'm calling to see if you can organize a party for me. My daughter just got engaged, and I want to throw her an engagement party at my home in the Bahamas."

“Congratulations, Mr. Miller. I would love to help plan such a happy occasion. When can I pencil in your event?"

“Two days from now," he says, knowing the absurdity of the request.

“Did I hear you right? You want me to plan an entire event in two days?"

“If anyone can do it, it's you, Jessica. I’m willing to pay double."

“You have always known how to close a deal. I will have everything ready for you, Mr. Miller. Does your daughter have a theme in mind?”

Joel hates that he has to say it out loud, “She said the theme of her wedding is…glamor."

He hears a small giggle escape from Jessica on the other end of the phone, and she quickly tries to cover it with a cough.

“I know how it sounds," Joel says, embarrassed. “That’s why I am trusting you with this event. I know you will make it tasteful. After the engagement party, I’ll have Sarah talk with you about wedding plans."

“That sounds great, Mr. Miller. I will see you in two days."

“Thank you very much. Goodbye," Joel says and hangs up the phone. This wedding is going to be expensive, and Joel already expects to foot the bill for everything. Extravagant is one thing, but Sarah's taste is beyond even that.

Joel turns his attention back to his laptop screen and the blinking email notification, but he can't get you out of his head. Instead of working, he pulls up his social media pages and searches for your name. He quickly finds your social media pages. You're not very active; most of your pictures are candid shots of you and your friends, two women that looke kind and a lot more down-to-earth than his own daughter.

Joels slightly disappointed that you don't have more pictures for him to scroll through and very little about your life. He wants to know more about you, but it seems like you're very private with your online presence.

He sighs and closes the social media pages, finally returning to the emails he’s dreading sorting through. The newest email in his inbox makes his heart sink. It's from an unknown sender and contains a single sentence.

I know who I really am, and the whole world will, too, if you don't meet my demands.

—

"I am a normal person," you say again, smiling as you walk with Reggie. He raises an eyebrow skeptically at you.

"You don't believe me?" you ask.

"Right, because us normal people get invited to one of the largest private yachts in the world as guests all the time. You don't have to pretend you're not rich to fit in with the crew. They will like you because you are actually nice," Reggie says.

"I am the furthest thing from rich," you laugh.

"Oh, yeah? Prove it," Reggie says with a teasing smile on his face.

You quickly pull out your phone and find a picture of you and your two roommates in your apartment and show it to Reggie.

"What does this prove?" he asks.

"This is a picture of me and my two roommates, Lin and Aubrey; we are sitting in the living room of our one-bedroom apartment. I’m a bartender at a little dive bar, and I currently have two hundred and thirty dollars in my bank account," you say matter of factly.

Reggie's expression changes from one of teasing to one of shock.

"Are you serious?" he asks.

"I mean, I can pull up a bank statement if you really want," you say with a smile.

"Then how did you end up as one of Sarah's friends?"

"Sarah and I were roommates during our first few years at NYU. I think Sarah was placed in the regular dorm rooms to teach her what it was like to be a regular person or something," you say, only half joking. You still haven't figured that one out. Maybe her dad was trying to teach her a life lesson. "Anyway, she hated it and dropped out her sophomore year, but we remained friends and have been in and out of touch over the years. She randomly invited me on this vacation, and I accepted. I didn't expect the yacht to be quite this big, though."

Once you are done with your explanation, you are on the lowest floor of the yacht. You're surprised at how nice the staff area is. Perhaps you'd been expecting it to be like a scene from the lower decks of the movie 'Titanic,' but the lowest level of the ship looks like walking into a lobby of a four-star hotel.

You make your way into what must be the staff dining room. There’s a large group of people surrounding a circular table in the middle of a game of cards. Music is playing in the background, and snacks and beer litter the table. It looks like this is going to be the most comfortable you've been on your trip so far.

"Everyone be nice; we have a newcomer," Reggie says as he pulls out a chair for you.

The mood changes slightly as you sit down, and Reggie sits next to you. You realize you’re still wearing the sundress that Joel bought you, and you must look like you are made of money.

"Hey, I'm Max," says a man with black hair and olive skin.

"Hey, Max," you stick your hand out to shake his and you introduce yourself.

"Nice to meet you. Tell us about yourself."

"There isn't much to tell. I'm a bartender at a little hole-in-the-wall in New York, and I'm trying to put myself through law school," you say nonchalantly.

"What bar?" a girl across the table asks.

"It's called McGregor's."

"No way! I've been there before," Max says. “You have the best nachos!"

You laugh. “Yeah, we do. I would eat an entire plate by myself if no one were watching."

You feel the entire table relax as they all realize that you aren't like the rest of the guests on the yacht.

"What are we playing?" you ask, grabbing a handful of popcorn.

"Strip Poker."

Your throat goes dry at the thought of undressing in front of a room full of strangers. You're afraid to swallow the piece of popcorn you just placed in your mouth. You look around, and everyone is still fully clothed, and your heart rate starts to slow. Max smiles, clearly finding enjoyment in your shock.

"Max, don't scare her off already," Reggie chuckles. “Do you want a beer?”

—

“You wouldn't believe what one of the 'Richies' asked me today,” Brenna says

"Oh, this is going to be good. Brenna always has the best stories," Reggie leans over and whispers to you. After a few beers and a hand or two of actual poker, everyone seems completely at ease with you.

"I was cleaning up a wine glass he'd dropped, and he started hitting on me. Obviously, he has no idea what the real world is like, so he starts asking questions as a way to talk to me."

"Oh no," Max says with a laugh.

"He asked me about living on the bottom deck of the yacht, and I tell him how it takes some getting used to because we are below the water down here. Then he asks me how we use our balconies if they're underwater."

You snort into your glass, glad you hadn't been taking a sip of the beer at the moment, or it would be flowing out of your nose. You set your beer down and ask, "Oh, please tell me you had a good comeback."

She smiles brightly, "I told him we could only use them at low tide. Then he nods and says, 'That makes sense.' I swear they are all clueless."

Brenna starts laughing, and the whole table joins in, but by the time you catch your breath, you have tears in the corners of your eyes. You have not laughed like this the entire time you've been on the ship.

"No offense; I know Sarah is your friend and all, but how do you stand spending time with them?" Max asks.

"Oh, trust me, it’s a challenge. I sneak off by myself whenever I get the chance. No one seems to really notice, especially after Sarah's engagement."

"Oh, man, her fiance is a real tool, isn't he?" Brenna adds.

"He's a social climber too, so they are actually a great fit," Charlotte says. Charlotte is one of the older staff members and hasn't said much throughout the night.

"Well, that makes sense about the fiance, but do you mean Sarah is one too?" Max asks.

They seem to have forgotten that you are there, or at least they forget that you know Sarah personally. However, you keep your mouth shut not because you want to know more, but because you are trying to act as if you don't care too much.

"I started working for Mr. Miller when Sarah and the horrible woman she has as a mother first came around. That same day, the staff was all told that Sarah was Mr. Miller's daughter and to make sure she had everything she needed. Marnie, Sarah's mother, spent the whole day ordering the staff around like she was the owner of the house," said Charlotte.

"From my experience with Marnie, that sounds about right," Max offers.

"Sarah was raised by another man by the name of Winston Radcliff. Some of the staff had been around when Mr. Miller first brought Marnie around. The rumor was that Marnie threw Mr. Miller aside for Radcliff right after she found out she was pregnant because Radcliff could offer her a better position in society."

You can't imagine someone who had the chance to be with Joel choosing another person over him. You can't help but ask, "What did Winston offer that Joel couldn't?"

"Radcliff was the next in line for an earldom. It turned out that the earldom came with a shabby little estate that cost Winston his fortune to keep standing. The marriage quickly turned sour, and when the earl died, Marnie was just as quick to get a paternity test for Sarah."

"In my opinion, Mr. Miller was better off not knowing the truth. Marnie always shows up asking for more money. Sarah has always wanted something, even though Mr. Miller buys her more than she could ever need." Charlotte says.

"Was Joel in love with Marnie?" you ask, not knowing if you really want the answer.

"No, I don't think he ever really loved her. Maybe he could have found a woman right for him if Marnie hadn't been around for the last fourteen years, scaring away every decent woman he has dated. She thinks that if she can keep him single long enough, he will fall back in love with her, but Mr. Miller will never forgive her for what she did."

You nod and turn to see Reggie staring at you with a strange, almost hurt look on his face. He turns away from you before you can ask him what's wrong.

"Well, I think I'm going to head to bed," Brenna says, and the others all stand up to follow.

"You should come play cards with us again," Max says.

"Absolutely! We are here every night, and you are welcome to join us," Brenna adds.

"Thank you. I will." You're happy to know they've welcomed you as one of them.

You say a quick goodnight to everyone and head back up the stairs to the upper decks. Reggie's room is on the lower deck, so you walk by yourself. It must be later than you thought because the lights in the pool area are already turned off.

You feel silly rushing across the dark deck, but it makes you sort of nervous being alone on such a big ship. You're careful to avoid the deck chairs this time, and you're relieved to make it to the doors leading into the guestroom corridor.

"Where the hell have you been?"

You stop dead in your tracks and don't want to turn around. You know that tone of voice from countless arguments. It's Todd, the last person on the entire ship that you want to be alone with. You slowly turn, knowing you're going to have to face him eventually.

He stumbles a step towards you, and you back up to avoid a collision if he falls.

"Are you drunk?"

"I believe I asked a question first," Todd stutters.

"I was playing a game of cards with some of the crew."

Todd laughs and rolls his eyes at you. He again stumbles a little closer, and you're trapped between him and your door. He leans forward and places an arm on either side of you, blocking your escape. You can smell the alcohol on his breath as he laughs. He's beyond drunk.

"Just like you. A yacht full of every thing you could want, and you spend your time with the help."

"Get off of me, Todd!"

"You know you still want me," Todd says, lowering his face closer to yours. You push against his chest, trying to get him off.

Todd is suddenly ripped backward, so forcefully you know it wasn't of his own doing.

You see Joel standing behind Todd with a fist full of his shirt. “Get your ass to bed before I throw you off my ship."

#joel miller x reader #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller smut #joel miller #pedro pascal

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hana-no-seiiki · 2 years ago

Text

REPLACED.

YANDERE! ROCKSTAR (FEROZE KHAN) x GN! MANAGER / PA ! READER x YANDERE! POP IDOL (JISOO HAN [EVE] )

FEROZE BELONGS TO MANAGER READER AND @moyazaika !! Just wanted to make a lil gift for my lovely moot 💋

[ Part 2 : REHEARSAL ]

You were absolutely terrified.

Lord knows how you were able to get the Feroze Khan to agree with collaborating, with a “goody two shoes” pop idol who flirted to hell and back with you, no less. But you just knew someone was going to get hurt by the end of this.

Eve used to be your client before you were dumped into the depths of hell. Aside from the flirtations and clinginess, he was a dream to work with as a manager. He never got into scandals, and he worked day and night to be the best in his craft. You never had to worry when it came to his career. You however, took that for granted and left him the moment you got a better deal. Getting to work with a junior idol vs a seasoned rockstar, the choice was obvious was it not?

Nope.

Eve making tons of songs about heartbreak only poured salt into the wound. You saw him as your little brother almost, it was hard seeing him grieve for your presence. You felt heartless. Guilt ate you up from the inside out. You were lucky he didn’t try contacting you after it all.

Until now.

heeeyyy there! beena while. you workin with Feroze at the moment right???

You squinted at the DM you received. As a manager you were used to dealing with all sorts of texts. Thirsty ones, death threats, collaboration requests. But none of them made your heart beat this quickly. Was it out of excitement, nervousness, or terror? You didn’t know.

I am.

short and straight to the point as always!! i’ve always loved that about you

∧,,,∧

( ̳• · • ̳)

/ づ♡

take my love, wontchu?

You covered your mouth and squealed.

“The fuck?” Feroze looked up from his guitar at the noise you made. He had to admit it was cute but it did ruin a recording of his.

“Sorry, I’ll go outside.”

“No, stay. I need you here.”

You simply nodded, already used to his obsession with you at this point.

annyyyywaysss i just wanted to ask if you could secure a collab with me n mr. khan?

been tryin to get ahold of him but all i got back was radio silence 🥶

but i know if it’s you, the bestest manager ever, i’ll be able to collab with the bestest rockstar in the world!!

i’ll be a good boy i promise!! pretty please with a cherry and me on top?

Somehow you doubted that. But as your own self appointed protocol states, you must report the matter to your client.

“Feroze, you’ve got another collab request.”

“Was it the person that got you squealing?”

Oh no, you did not like his tone. Jealous Feroze was a monster to deal with. “. . . Yes ? “

“Go for it.”

“What? D-don’t you want to hear about their music style and what not before you—“

“I just have one condition. They have to come to me.”

And, you were doomed.

“Right. I’ll schedule a meeting.”

You stand corrected. They got along well. A bit too well for your liking. You didn’t have to stand awkwardly there while Feroze glared (as he usually does) at his collaborator. In fact they were even conversating! And it wasn’t small talk…

“Mr. Khan! You’re even dreamier up close.”

Your employer even seemed to be amused by Eve’s personality. “I could say the same for you, Eve right? Like the biblical Eve? And please, call me Feroze.”

“Yeah! They thought it’d be a nice call back to my more . . . type of music.“

“Type of music you say. . .”

“You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Oh, you bet I am.”

Why do you have a feeling you were being replaced?

YOU RECEIVED A SPECIAL POSTER!

Check it out?

[ ✅ YES ]

[ PART 2: REHEARSAL ]

tempted to make a bl/mlm spin off of these two fr fr

©️ hana.no.seiiki - yun | moyazaika | 2023

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fanficriter · 1 year ago

Text

Dating the BNHA Boys!

Warnings - None

Characters - Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugou, Shoto Todoroki, Tamaki Amajiki

Notes - Isn’t my best work but oh well :3

Gender Neutral Reader

——————————————————————————

Izuku Midoriya

- Silly lil guy

- Took him a LOT of courage to confess to you

- Just kinda stood there dumbfounded when you reciprocated his feelings

- Poor boy is lowkey insecure

- He’s silently insecure about his scars :(

- If you kissed his scars i think he’d go insane

- Will probably cry

- He has little notes about how pretty you are in his quirk journal thingy

- Will go in rants about how amazing you are to his friends

- “Y/N is just so perfect and i love them and i don’t know what id do with out them they’re always there for me and-“

- If you have long hair, he always keeps a pack of hair ties incase you need them 😭

- When you tell him about something you like, he will write it down so he remembers

- Was soooo nervous when he first held your hand

- He was SWEATING

- Always blushes without fail

- His hand are rough, but also rlly soft? (i need to make hand hcs holy shit)

- Doesn’t really like sparring with you bc he doesn’t want to hurt you, but he will if you rlly want to

- He will train together tho!

- He loves giving you tips, and watching you use your quirk

- Likes setting up little picnics with you bc he’s quite literally the perfect man ever

- He is a CUDDLIER

- Absolutely loves cuddling with you

- Loves it when you face him and dig your face into his neck

- Definitely talks in his sleep

- He loves taking you on dates to a bunch of different restaurants and such

- Gets so nervous when kissing you

- He loves it but he gets flustered way to easy

Katsuki Bakugou

- Malewife fr

- Will cook for you, though he acts like it’s a chore, he loves your reaction to all his different meals

- Deaf bakugou hc is my favourite thing ever i’m sorry

- He can still hear, (kind of) but he needs to wear a hearing aid

- He knows sign language, but really only uses it around his mom bc he’s embarrassed😭

- If you know sign language, you’ll win his heart IMMEDIATELY

- You were definitely the one to confess first

- Actually rejected you at first (he still liked you at the time)

- But after a few weeks, he confessed to you

- “I actually feel the same way or whatever… just didn’t wanna feed your ego to much…”

- Knows how to style hair weirdly well

- Will always make excuses to do your hair

- “Oi, c’mere, your hair looks like shit.”

- He’ll never admit it, but he LOVES head scratches

- Will lay on your thighs without warning, expecting you to scratch his scalp

- Sparring together is a MUST

- Don’t expect him to go easy on you

- Isn’t to big on PDA, but he’ll kiss you in private all you want

- The first few times you guys held hands, he was kinda scared that he would accidentally explode you 💀

- Doesn’t really take you out for dates a lot, it’s usually just movies and popcorn in bed

- But on the rare occasion when he DOES take you on a date, it is at the fanciest restaurants known to mankind

- Or hiking, he likes hiking

- It took a while for him to be comfortable with cuddling, but he loves spooning you, or holding you as you bury your face into his chest

Shoto Todoroki

- Confessed to you pretty soon after he realised his feelings

- Straight to the point

- “I’ve recently developed feelings for you.”

- Has a small smile when you said you liked him back

- He stares at you a lot

- Loves admiring you

- Also gives the weirdest compliments?

- “You have a nice facial structure, it suits you”

- “Thank you??”

- Will pick flowers occasionally and give them to you

- Literally buys you everything

- With his Dads credit card (You have no idea)

- You see a pair of shoes you like? BOOM. They are yours in 0.5 seconds

- He just buys everything bro CALM DOWN

- Loves taking you on fancy dinner dates

- You have to meet his siblings btw

- Mainly bc his sister WOULD NOT SHUT UP AB MEETING YOU

- She loves you

- So much

- It’s actually a bit concerning

- Doesn’t necessarily not like PDA, he just doesn’t feel the need to initiate it

- He can be a bit oblivious, so if you want PDA, just tell him!

- He has no problem with it

- Not really a cuddly person, but he will cuddle you if you want!

- Your relationship is definitely based on a lot of communication 😭

- As time passes, he will start to do those things without you having to ask, he just needed to get used to it

Tamaki Amajiki

- oh my god okay

- He confessed first but it took him SOOOO long

- Needed so much encouragement from his friends

- Then he just blurted it out while he was at your house one time

- “I- I love you!!”

- Almost died when you said it back

- Actually saw god when you tried holding his hand the first time

- CANNOT do PDA i think he would die

- Definitely an act of service man, he is too shy to do anything else

- Can’t reach somthing ? he’s on it. Your bathroom need cleaning? Consider it done!

- Also likes making you random little gifts

- Kiss him on the cheek i dare you

- He will EXPLODE

- Your always helping him calm down in public

- “Y/N i wanna go home”

- Further into the relationship he will slowly get used to physical affection

- I don’t think he will ever not get flustered tho

- He loves taking you out too eat

- Really likes picnic dates

- I feel like he meditates often to try and clear his head (there is a lot going on in there 😭)

- Will always invite you to meditate with him

- He actually really likes cuddling with you

- He almost dies every time but

- Loves when you spoon him

- Also loves laying on your chest (or the other way around)

- Absolute chef in the kitchen

- Always cooking u meals

——————————————————————————

This took my life 3 weeks to write i kept putting it off so it’s not as detailed as i’d like it to be but oh well

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itsjaywalkers · 9 months ago

Note

jegulus & 71 pleaseee :))

i love all your writing btw!!!!

this prompt gave me an excuse to write this silly lil scene i've had stuck in my mind for days SO THANK U FOR THAT BABE

if u recognise what this is loosely based on . no u don't . i'm going thru something okay .

also !! thank u so much nonnie i'm very happy to hear it !! <3

71. "Kiss me, quick!"

Regulus doesn't know how he's managed to land himself a date with James Potter, but he isn't really complaining.

Or, well, maybe he is complaining a little bit, because, technically, it isn't a real date.

He thinks that, to all intents and purposes, though, it's absolutely a date. They're at a restaurant, sitting in the same side of a booth, and they keep gazing into each others eyes, smiling sweetly and giggling while they decide what they want to order.

Regulus can totally pretend this is real if he ignores the not-so-subtle glances James keeps throwing to the couple a few tables away from them. Or how he keeps whispering under his breath what he wants Regulus to do so they look more convincing. Or the fact that James chose to ask him to be his fake date through gritted teeth and a pinched brow.

He supposes it might be kind of his fault. Regulus hasn't been very nice to James, although there's been a considerable improvement since they met, which he believes should be more appreciated.

But, then again, the Regulus of seven months ago wasn't pathetically in love with James Potter.

Regulus misses him dearly. It was so much easier to keep his reputation intact when he didn't have to make an actual effort.

"I'm gonna put my arm around your shoulders," James informs him with a smile. It looks genuine, and it would've fooled Regulus if he didn't know the other man as well as he does.

He nods, offering a smile of his own that despite being considerably smaller, it's actually sincere. Regulus isn't too worried about it, though. Unlike James, he's an excellent actor, the best of their generation if he says so himself, and it's not hard to believe that he'd play his role perfectly.

Even if it's one as unbecoming as being James Potter's boyfriend.

As he said he would, James wraps an arm around him, and Regulus has to will his body to remain cool and relaxed but not too relaxed, or else he'll end up melting against James' body.

He's just so warm. Regulus reckons the other man ought to go see a doctor about it, get it checked, because it shouldn't be normal for a human being to feel so welcoming, so safe.

Regulus shivers, and he isn't sure if it's due to how disgusted he is by his own train of thought, or how well he seems to fit, tucked against James' side.

"I'm gonna put my head on your shoulder," he mutters, tone surprisingly even. Since he's already doing this, he might as well take advantage of it and properly enjoy it.

"Good idea," James murmurs, sounding excited, his eyes fixed on the guy sitting right in front of Macdonald.

Regulus thinks he'd feel more jealous if it weren't because this whole thing is a mere ruse to teach that asshole a lesson after breaking James' heart.

Still, he wishes James was paying attention to him. He's the Regulus Black, after all. It shouldn't be a choice in the first place.

"Oh," James gasps, squirming a little in his place and jostling Regulus' head a little from where it's resting on his shoulder. "He's finally noticed us."

Regulus can barely supress the urge to roll his eyes.

"Maybe we should turn it up a bit, then," he suggests, getting more comfortable and pressing even closer to the other man.

"You're right," James agrees without missing a beat, as if it's not completely unheard of, James admitting to Regulus being right about something. "I'm gonna whisper something in your ear, and you're gonna laugh about it. I know it must be difficult for you, but—"

"Pretending you're funny?" Regulus cuts him off, batting his lashes up at him all coyly. "It's nearly impossible, but unlike others, I do have the acting skills, so I think I'll manage."

James glares down at him, the gesture poorly disguised by a grin. The matching one Regulus gives him in response is totally genuine.

The other man leans down, until his lips are grazing Regulus' earlobe teasingly, and he has to bite down on his lower lip to keep an embarrassing noise from escaping.

"You're the most insufferable person I've ever met," James whispers, his breath hitting Regulus' skin with every word. "And I can't wait for this date to be over."

Oh, Regulus couldn't relate more. He's starting to come too close to popping a fucking boner for comfort.

He laughs, too loud and too eager, behaving like a stupid schoolgirl with a crush, and when realisation dawns on him, he does his best to ignore that he is basically a schoolgirl with a crush.

Regulus thinks that this must be what hitting rock bottom feels like.

"Fuck, he's looking this way," James says, still way too close to Regulus' ear, to his fucking neck. "He's actually looking this way. Oh my god, I can't believe this is working!"

"That makes two of us," Regulus huffs after daring to take a peek and discovering that James' annoying ex is, in fact, focused on them and their cheesy display. He even seems to be shooting daggers at them.

"Shit, Gideon looks so mad," James comments, positively giddy at the thought. "We gotta do something else, something that actually drives the message home."

"And what would that message be?" Regulus drawls, tilting his face the slightest bit, making it seem like they're actually having a Moment.

"Probably 'you're a fucking prick and I'm glad we're over and you're gonna regret playing with me like you did.'"

Regulus hums, considering, and then his mouth is opening before he even has the opportunity to think about it. "Kiss me, then."

James splutters, eyes widening comically and jaw almost dropping to the floor. Regulus wants to snap at him for breaking character after all their hard work, but now that James has decided to fuck up so badly, someone's gotta keep their charade afloat.

"What?" he nearly yells, and it's almost physically painful for Regulus, holding back his scowl.

"Fucking keep it down," Regulus hisses, his expression resembling a lovesick fool's. "How do you want this to look believable otherwise? Especially after sabotaging us like this."

James has no business looking as offended as he does right now. If anything, Regulus should be the one sporting that aggrieved frown, considering the circumstances.

"Shut up," James grumbles, all petulantly like a child. "I don't want to fucking kiss you."

Regulus swallows the sudden wave of nausea and the pieces of his broken heart, and arches a judging eyebrow.

"And you think I do?" he questions with a sniff. "I'm doing this to help, but if you'd rather ruin your own plan because of your stupid pride, then be my guest."

"I know you're not just lecturing me about pride, of all things—"

"James, I think he's about to get up. Fuck, what if he comes here? Shit, this is—kiss me, quick!"

"Excuse me, he's doing what!?" James whips his head around in mild panic, just to see that Gideon really is pushing his chair away from the table, all his attention on them.

"James," Regulus urges him, elbowing him harshly on the side.

It takes James a couple of seconds to return his focus to Regulus, at least a dozen emotions flickering behind his eyes. "I'm not—I don't think we—"

With a long-suffering sigh, Regulus grips the front of James' shirt and pulls him in, clashing their mouths together and swallowing James' surprised gasp.

He tries to tell himself it's fine, that he's kissed other people before when shooting scenes for his show, and this isn't any different. Regulus didn't feel anything back then, because it was just work, just another role, and in a way, this thing with James is, too.

But it doesn't matter how much he tries, how he keeps repeating these words in his head like a mantra. His heart still speeds up as he moves his mouth against James', who seems completely frozen on the spot. His cheeks still burn, the blush probably being noticeable from a distance. His body still relaxes against James', seeking more of that lovely warmth, more of James' touch.

It's over way too soon, but the other man isn't responding, and if he keeps it up for too long with James just sitting there and taking it, their audience is bound to notice.

Regulus pulls away with a truly idiotic smile, and he hates that he doesn't even have to fake it.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" he murmurs, while James blinks down at him.

He's about to turn around, search for Gideon and hopefully relish in his jealous expression, when he feels a hand on his jaw. The grip is unforgiving, bordering on desperate, and before Regulus has the chance to question it, or swat the contact away, James is pulling him in for another kiss.

This one's different. Less performative. Regulus wasn't actually acting in the first one, because he's been wanting to kiss the other man for a few months now, but he was still hyperaware of Gideon, of what they were trying to do. Of James being completely unresponsive.

In this case, however, it's sort of impossible to focus on anything that isn't James, who's kissing him eagerly, hungrily, deepening the kiss the moment Regulus begins reciprocating. He licks at his lips, requesting permission, and Regulus grants it without a second thought, nothing but white noise inside his brain.

Their tongues tangle, and James makes a keening sound against Regulus' panting mouth. His fingers twitch around the material of James' shirt, a whimper on the tip of his tongue when their teeth clash in their desperation.

Once again, Regulus is the one that puts an end to it, even if it's more out of survival instinct than actual want. You see, they start to get too into it, especially considering they're in a very public place, surrounded by other people.

There's nothing wrong with a bit of snogging, and Regulus has seen way worse than their little make out session. But then James' free hand is gripping onto his waist, pulling Regulus in until he's nearly straddling his lap, blood rushing south at an alarming pace and hips twitching with the need to thrust in search of some friction.

Surprisingly, Regulus still has some sense of self-preservation left.

He captures James' lower lip between his teeth and tugs, dragging another obscene sound out of him, before finally breaking their kiss. Regardless, James doesn't allow him to get far, his hold on him tightening as soon as Regulus attempts to put some space between them.

"Yeah," James exhales, sounding absolutely wrecked. "That wasn't hard at all."

#silly little drabbles #jegulus my beloveds

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twisted-gremlin · 9 months ago

Text

Second years and semicolon

First years and explanation

Riddle: since tattoos didn't exist in the day of the queen of hearts, or anythibg of the like in the area, there is no law for or against them. Riddle believes that the queen would have a rule that all must have atleast one as a show of strength and fortitude or loyalty or somethjng. He just would make sure that you took care of the tattoo during the healing process. His mother probably disapproved of Riddle himself ever getting one because they could lead to an infection. So, Riddle would defonately talk to you about it, and what your means to you. I think, when the time comes. He might get a heart and rose semicolon tattoo for himself when he is old enough. He takes so much pride in it and absolutely adores it

Ruggie: he might see tattoos as a waste of money. Growing up poor, he has seen some people tossing away their money for a new tattoo. So he might antagonize you a lil more. I think Jack would actually be the one to snap at Ruggie, saying that your tattoo means alot to you and shows a big milestone. Jack dosent open up about more, so Ruggie asks you. You may either tell him to fuck off, so he does and just kinda keeps his distance. The other option is that you tell him, and he grows a bit more of an understanding for that. He is a lil more respectful and may steal some stuff for ya because you are currently broke as shit (thanks Crowley for helping)

Floyd: he fuckin thinks tattoos are the coolest thing. I think, if he ever got a tattoo, he would get a sleeve of random ass things, going to 50 differnt artists while it's being done. He bites your tattoo because look, a homing beacon of bitting. He would respect ya is you do share your story with him, and he even helps you, in his own way. He will steal you away if you get stressed, or share your guilty foods(he does this with Azul, you can't change my mind), he likes seeing his shrimp friend happy admit all the chaos they are in

Jade: he probably isn't one to get a tattoo, he might get a mushroom one as a memory of his time on the surface. But I think he would put together what your tattoo means, and so, he helps by pushing you a bit further if you don't already push yourself. If you do, then he will present himself as an obstacle so you can take a break every once in awhile. He does this with Azul and it works well with him, so why not with another friend/patron who is struggling. He will listen to your story if you wish to share it and will be there for you, and even offer to take you on hikes with his club.

Azul: I think he would not care much for tattoos, he is a business man, a tattoo would take away from the business. But when he saw yours and put together the meaning behind it, after his overblot, he accepts that, something is also wrong with him, so he asks you to his office for drinks and to talk. So he brings up your tattoo, he identifies in some way with your story, the struggling around others, the fear, the insecurity. He apologizes for his behavior recently as it put you and your livelihood in danger. He makes an offer of buying ramshake, giveing you a place on Octanavile, and a job at the Monstro Lounge. He would get a small smiple semi Colin that could be hidden in his gloves. It's a promise, to you and himself that he would never do such a thing again, he hurt his friends, scared people, and nearly killed himself. So he wants to be better than he was, being better also seems to help with his businesses aswell so why stop?

Jamil: I think he would have a bit of a stigma against tattoos, white would be for the wealthy, while black would be for criminals. Even tough it's not entirely true, he has it a bit ingrained in him that if you have ink on you, he hates you. So before his overblot, he would be cold and distant to you. After the overblot, he decides to ask about what your tattoo means to you/your culture. When you share, he apologizes for his stigma and thank you about shareing your story. I think he would ask for permission from his family and the Al-Aslims for a white and black semicolon tattoo. He helped Kalim take care of his so he knows how to do it, but Kalim this time helps him.

Kalim: bean boi already has one! So the two fo you bond over them. Tattoos are probably a mix of cultural and a sign of wealth, specifically white ones. So when you share your and the meaning to you, this man does what he can to support you, inviting you over or comeong over for meals, checking in on you every once in awhile, just trying his best to be aware of the feelings of others.

Silver: I think silver would be fascinated by it. He was allways fascinated by oddities in whatever differnt kind of fae he talked to, multiple sets of teeth, wings, horns, pointy teeth, whatever would make himself differ from the fae. He would be very respectful about it and be sure to research each Species or ask his father about it before asking the fae themself, as to not appear as to be rude. He asked Jamil about Kalims tattoos because he knows that if there was a gaurd or a retainer nearby, it's best to adress them about some things that may be rude culturally. So he knows what a tattoo is, and ends up asking you about yours. He apologizes that you have had to go trough such hardships and is glad that you are healing and are there for Malleus whenever he needs someone to be with that isn't one of them. He honestly respects you alot for it since Jamil told him that it's a bit of a painful process. He may ask some more about your world aswell because he is genuinely curious about the differences between the worlds and helps you as a fellow human who is very much lost in this new world

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst hcs #twst mc #azul ashengrotto #twst riddle #ruggie twisted wonderland #twst second years #twst floyd #twisted wonderland jade #twst jamil #twst kalim #twst silver

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priincebutt · 11 months ago

Text

Happy WIP Wednesday to everyone who celebrates!! Thank you to @piratefalls , @hgejfmw-hgejhsf , @onthewaytosomewhere , and @junebugclaremontdiaz for the early tags! I come to you this Wednesday with a new banner and a lil something something from The Story of Us! I'm really in the home stretches of this fic, in theory, so I'm kinda trying to focus on it right now, perfecting it's final chapters and whatnot. I haven't had muse for a lot lately, trying to change that but you know -- the heart wants what it wants! So without further ado, have a chunky tidbit from Alex's visit to London.

For dinner Henry has a driver pick them up, and as soon as they’re dropped at the front of the restaurant, cameras flash and paparazzi are calling their names. Henry’s jaw ticks, and Alex grabs his hand, squeezing it tightly and pushing through the crowd to reach the host stand. “Someone must have sold our reservation info,” Henry grits out, sighing as he smooths his perfectly coiffed hair away from his face and tugs his sunglasses down from his nose, tucking them into the small black handbag hanging from his arm. “I’ll have to talk to the manager about that, I thought we had an agreement, but I didn’t realize that it's dependent upon who I come here with. James and I had a good rapport with this place.” “Hey, Henry, it’s alright.” Alex tugs Henry to face him and cups his cheeks in his hands. “Let them fucking talk. What does it matter?” Alex sees some of the fire leave Henry’s eyes, and he nods in agreement as he presses a soft kiss to Alex’s lips. “You’re right, of course. I just… wish we could have some privacy is all,” Henry says with a sigh. Thankfully, they’re seated away from the front windows after Henry has a long whispered conversation with the manager, presumably about one of the employees selling their arrival time to the paps. Their waitress seems flustered to be serving Henry Fox, but the manager checks in on them frequently and brings out extra plates of food for them to nibble on as they make their way through three sumptuous courses. Henry feeds Alex pasta off of his fork, and licks wine sauce from the corners of his lips. Alex chases the kisses with rich red wine, the taste of Henry mingling with all the savory flavors of the Italian food, and the night is perfect as they laugh and joke and talk about what this trip means to them. They’ve defined the relationship, but Alex admits with a blush just how much Henry’s come to mean to him. It’s too soon for the ‘L’ bomb, but it hovers between them, ready to be dropped, ready to redefine the relationship again for the best.

If you made it this far, thank you! Let me know what you think of the new banner, I'm still a lil on the fence if I'm ready to part with the flowers. I'm going to tag @firstsprinces , @firenati0n , @forever-fixating , @zwiazdziarka , @candyspandemonium , @anincompletelist , @heybuddy-drabbles , @sunnysideprince , @duchessdepolignaca03 and anyone who would like an open tag, this one is for you! If you keep up with my tag games and want me to add you to the list each week, LMK!!

#wip wednesday #my writing #snippet

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sandrockianblues · 2 years ago

Note

Heyyy you have any hcs about Andy? Esp with the builder and/or Logan? Always love readin ur hcs btw :3c

Andy? You mean my child? The one I kidnapped expressed adopted without the paperwork? My lil ray of sassy sunshine, Andy? Bold of you to assume I would waste my time creating some headcan-

🦸🏼‍♂️Andy🦸🏼‍♂️

-what a smart adorable little cookie. I mean, look at his adorable freckles and tired eyes!

-this isn’t his first life. You can just tell by how he views the world and dispels random bits of wisdom that no preteen should be capable of doing.

-he’s a big lover of animals and treats most with kindness if they’re friendly and passive. Those that aren’t and that he can just refer to as monsters or mutants or beasts? He still likes to observe them from a safe distance

-you’d think his favorite monster would be a rockyenaroll or a boxing Jack, but nope. It’s a pensky and he’ll take that secret to his grave.

-fastest little thing you’ll ever witness if you manage to not blink. He’s impossible to catch up to or wrangle and he knows it too. He gives Jasmine a run for her money. Because of it, they always have random little races and make bets on them.

-he’s very loyal to Logan and Haru, especially Logan. How can he not be? They’re his dads! He never expected for there to be more room in his heart and life for another person.

-oh but hey, that builder. Hm.

-even after being such a little shit to them in the beginning, he can’t deny that they still treat him with a certain kindness he’s been missing from someone like them.

-ok ok, so what if he kidnapped expressed adopted another parental unit? What if he’s trying to push them towards Logan? What if he’s secretly planning the wedding between the two and seeking covert help for it? Like, mind your own business pls and thanks

-he’s getting better with his manners but sometimes forgets them in his excitement or in a moment of distraction. But he makes up for it when he has his sudden bursts of recollection like: “can you help me tie this?” And soon after you begin- “dang, I forgot to say please. Can you please help me tie this?” Orrr you give him something and he takes off after maybe shouting “awesome!” Or “you’re the best!”, and that’s fine. He’s a kid. But then he’ll either reappear just as fast (kid is like the Flash, remember) or he’ll stop by your door hours later and like “I forgot to say thank you earlier. Sorry ‘bout that. Thanks for earlier!”

-big big big fan of affection from the adults he trusts the most. As soon as he realizes the builder cares for him and loves him? He doesn’t care how tall or old he is even as time progresses, he’ll go from hugging their hips and pressing his cheek to their waist at a fireside meeting, to hanging off them when he’s as tall as Logan, he’ll hang off them.

-not this boy being a long and threatening shadow and- oh. No. It’s just him draping himself across the builder’s back and complaining about his homework again.

-once he realizes how human Logan is and vulnerable at times, he tries to read the man better and keep him from any pain. Even at a young age. He does whatever he can to prevent Logan from enduring any more hurt than before.

-Qi actually likes him! Everyone including the two themselves are surprised about it. Qi was ready to talk this kid’s ear off as a lesson for knocking on his lab’s doors when Andy suddenly told him he wanted to know his thoughts on space exploration for a paper he was writing. Kid actually nabbed the scientist’s heart and now he’s got someone to obsess over space and the stars with. Qi won’t admit it, but he always has time for Andy even when he’s busy.

-family dinners are a must!!! Everyone’s gotta be there. The builder, Logan, Haru, Nemo, grandma Vivi, Rambo, Jasmine. It makes Andy happy seeing some of his found family together.

-he becomes the town’s errand boy for a few years and he actually enjoys it. It keeps him active, healthy, in shape, and expends the energy that used to drive him up a wall! He doesn’t mind running here and there. But he does believe in breaks! They’re important and he’ll chew a person a new one if they tell him to take his break later.

-please please please let the builder ask Andy to help with some commissions. He’s a smart kid! He knows how to read instructions! Lmao what is this? Swedish IKEA furniture? He’s got an active mind and loves when his hard work and efforts are recognized. Plus, he loves the builder and wants to help them. It’s literally a win in his book.

-Jensen thinks Andy likes trains, but really, Andy is just curious about the mechanics and inner workings of them. He won’t break his heart tho so

-Andy often finds himself lounging on a work table of the builder’s when he’s got a free moment and doesn’t have any responsibilities to get to.

-the builder’s home is a second home for Andy. If allowed to come at any time, any day, he’ll take them up on the offer. Bonus points if Nemo has been adopted by the builder too.

-Andy’s got his own throw blanket in their living room. His own toothbrush if he spends the night. His favorite spot to sit. His own books at the bottom of their book shelf. Even his own preferred dishes and silverware.

-Andy’s got a great intelligence and is made for activity and being tasked with things, but for the life of him, he cannot focus on homework if he doesn’t have the right conditions and hasn’t expelled his energy. The builder has gotten used to unlocking their door to find Andy sitting on the floor with his throw blanket over his shoulders, Nemo in his lap, and the child hunched over the coffee table with homework spread across the surface. This even carries on when he gets older.

-Andy likes to let Logan, Haru and the builder know he needs them, even when he doesn’t. So sometimes he’ll request their help with things he’s capable of doing by himself. Or he’ll take on more challenging tasks and ask them for assistance if he knows they can do it. It’s his wordless gesture that he sees their value and reminds them of their importance in his life.

-Andy demands Haru be made a teacher for math and science. He doesn’t have anything against his current one, but the boy has lived with Haru long enough to know how he works and what he has to offer for Andy’s education.

-the builder is the one Andy goes to when he wants to confide in someone. Logan doesn’t really mind it considering he’s the more apparent father figure in his life and he knows how Andy sees him, but he also knows how hard it is to be emotional at times and the builder is someone both of them can trust to take care of his feelings and insecurities.

-if Logan and the builder are together,

-Logan’s gotta accept the fact Andy really loves affection from his S/O, especially if they’re f!builder because of that missing maternal bond he lacks and they make up for. He’s fine with it, just jealous bc now he’s gotta sit on the opposite end of the couch when the two of them are all the way over there, cuddled and bonding. He’s fine.

-it really feels like a family with both his express adoptive parents under one roof with him and their pet (he’ll riot if it’s not Nemo. Literally.) Nothing makes him happier than having them together

-Andy won’t call Logan or the builder “dad” and “mom”- though, he has slipped before and did so, but that’s a story for another time. But he views them as such and treats them like they are. To strangers, he’ll refer to the two of them as his parents or mother/father. He’ll brag about them too because how many other kids can say their dad was an infamous bandit? Or that their parent saved a dying town? That’s right. No one. He’s literally the coolest kid around.

-lmao but if Andy doesn’t get his way with Logan or the builder, he’ll sassily go “whatever, I’ll just ask my other dad.” Before heading to go see Haru

-it never fails to amuse Andy when Logan tries to help his builder in his free time with their commissions only to end up breaking a part they needed because of his brute strength or it just being too tiny in his hands. The boy will be in tears and carve another notch (with builder’s permission) into the side of their work table for amount of times Logan has accidentally destroyed something.

-Andy loves walking Nemo around town to get the pup’s exercise in. He especially loves it when Logan decides to join him and how they could talk about everything and nothing until it’s time to head back.

-and the builder is always there too, waiting for them both with more love and adoration in their eyes than they both think they’re worth.

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an-ecu-harrypotter-au · 9 months ago

Text

TPS Part 6: The Man In The Painting

"Toby wake up. We’re here."

Ah snap awake. Trevor jumps off mah lap an back inta mah hand. Ah look out the window an see the entrance ta Hogwarts. Mah eyes look out tha window wit excitement, but mah mind still feels half asleep. Ah hear tha kids all round us gettin' their bags an Ah realize Ah haven't moved. Ah put Trevor back in his tank an get everythang ready.

"Do you have everything? I don't want you to leave anything behind."

Ah nod an watch Jacklin pick up a weird lookin cage.

"I forgot to mention this, but this is my cat, Tiger."

Ah'm still gettin' Trevor's tank an bags set up.

"Ya have a cat? Mah grandpa had a cat when Ah was young. He named it Mittens. Mittens' dead now."

Ah realize Ah probably shouldn't have brought tha up, but the words're already outta mah mouth.

"Is Tiger yer family's cat, or your cat?"

"Father bought him last year after our last cat died of old age. The Gryffindor Manor has a library full of journals and diaries from every wizard family who ever went to the school. Mice nibble on the paper so my father uses a cat."

Ah stop a sec while Ah'm packin up everythang.

"How'd yer dad get a fancy job like that?"

"Oh. I wasn't aware that you didn't know. My father, Henry Gryffindor, is the descendent of Godric Gryffindor. Godric was one of the school's founders over 1000 years ago. Our family is one of the only wizard families who had every family member go to Hogwarts. There isn't a single non-magic user in our family tree which makes me pure blooded. Pure blooded families are so rare that they end up having a lot of power."

Ah jus blink at 'er. This girl's jus too fancy ta be nice ta me.

"That'd make ya a princess a some kind then."

She laughs a lil bit as we walk. Nicest laugh Ah've ever heard. Ah look down at Trevor in his tank like he's readin' mah mind. He's lookin' at me wit his big, round eyes an that makes mah heart want ta melt.

"So if yer Godric's whatever many great-granddaughter does that mean ya gotta be in Gryffindor too?"

"Every descendent of Godric was sorted into that House. It isn't necessarily a rule that all members of the same family have to be in the same House though."

"Do ya think yer dad's gonna get mad if ya don't get inta that House?"

Ah see her stop an look a lil nervous.

"Well. Father wouldn't necessarily be angry. Even though there is a lot of expectations to be the next heir of Gryffindor, he never told me that I must be sorted in that House. Since my mother never went to Hogwarts, she doesn't have any expectations either. They both just want me to be true to myself. But I will admit, I'm still nervous."

Ah nod as we keep walkin.

"Well either way Ah still wanna be in tha same one as you an a boy Ah met in the robe store named Pacer Burton. We can go ta all the classes tagether."

Ah grab 'er hand an lead 'er off tha train, makin' sure Trevor stays in tha tank.

"Then I guess that means we need to be sorted in Gryffindor together."

Ah blush as Ah realize tha way Ah'm holdin' 'er hand makes it look like we're more than friends. Ah start ta get real worried. Ah'm startin' ta get real nervous.

"Fers years this way!"

Ah get a lil spooked by the loud noise an let go a Jacklin's hand. We follow the other kids ta the lake. We find an' board the row boat an Ah hear a real big guy at the oars talkin' in a Scottish accent.

"This way, ya wee gawks."

We sit in the boat an Ah see the castle on the other side a the lake.

"That’s the groundskeeper, Hagrid. He’s a half giant."

"A half giant? Ya mean he's like half human an half monster?"

She starts ta giggle an Ah start ta get confused again. Was Ah bein' real stupid an a dummy jus' sayin' that?

"Hagrid’s not a monster. Stories about giants eating kids are just a myth. They have their own villages away from humans."

Ah see what she means now: Hagrid ain't some big ugly monster. Ah look up an can see a kind face beneath that beard. We pull up ta shore an start gettin out the boat.

"That's the main entrance to Hogwarts Castle. Just think, in a few minutes we’ll officially be Hogwarts students."

Mah heart starts ta beat faster now as the weight of what's happenin now gets ta me.

"How they plan on sortin us? Do we gotta take a test or somethin?"

"No not at all. The Sorting Hat has been sorting students for over 1000 years. It was Godric's idea to put a spell on his hat so that it can read students thoughts."

Ah blink. Ya gotta be kiddin' me. Ah'm worried it's gonna read mah thoughts an' put me in tha dummy House.

"Everyone please hand your luggage to the porters and follow me. You will line up by last name once we get inside. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor."

Ah hear an old lady talk an a group a people linin up. Ah give 'em mah bags, backpack an carefully pass 'em Trevor's tank. Ah see Jacklin walkin ahead a me an Ah know G comes before K. She's gotta be ahead a me in line. Ah ain't Pacer at all but Ah know he's gotta be even more ahead a Jacklin. A real old guy wit a pretty red robe stands up.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, first years! I must tell you all that the forest surrounding the castle is forbidden due to the extreme amount of dangerous creatures within it. I would like to introduce your new Defence Against The Dark Arts professor, Professor Quirinus Quirrell. Professor Arif Sikander will officially succeed him as our Muggle Studies expert."

Ah see a man wit a purple turban stand up wavin before sittin back down.

"Also on behalf of the entire staff including our caretaker, Mr. Flich, I would like to inform you that the corridor in the Charms section of the 3rd floor is also forbidden. Unless you wish to die a most terrible death, I suggest you heed my warning."

Before Ah can even get scared Ah see all the other kids an teachers stand up. They all start singin.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, Teach us something please, Whether we be old and bald, Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling, With some interesting stuff, For now they're bare and full of air, Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing, Bring back what we've forgot, Just do your best, we'll do the rest, And learn until our brains all rot."

Ah have no idea why this' happenin. Ah hope Ah ain't gotta sing this one day. Too embarrassin.

"When I call your name please sit down on the stool. I will put the Sorting Hat on your head. When you have been sorted, please take a seat in your respective section."

Ah wait patiently wit all the other kids as the old lady talks agin. She takes out the Sortin Hat an then the hat starts singin. Ah dunno why though.

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty, But don't judge on what you see, I'll eat myself if you can find A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black, Your top hats sleek and tall, For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head The Sorting Hat can't see, So try me on and I will tell you Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin You'll make your real friends, Those cunning folks use any means To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid! And don't get in a flap! You're in safe hands (though I have none) For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

Ah like how the hat tol me what every House's like. Ah know if Jacklin were ta explain all this ta me it'd take jus bout all day. It ain't like listenin ta 'er'd be too bad cause that'd mean she's nice fer wantin ta explain all this ta me. Shame Ah jus wouldn't be able ta tell 'er Ah stopped understandin 'er after 5 minutes.

"Jacklin Gryffindor."

Ah missed a lot while Ah was thinkin an watch her as she walks up to tha Sortin' Hat. A look round an Ah see Pacer's in Hufflepuff. Ah wonder if Jacklin's gonna be in that House too. Some a the boys're lookin' at her hair, the girls lookin' at her eyes an some a the older boys're lookin' at her chest. Ah dunno who ta feel bad fer cause they ain't got a clue bout 'er Veela magic or Jacklin cause she ain't asked fer all this.

"Ah yes. Another member of the Gryffindor family. I see you have a high level of intellect never before seen. Very tempting the notion of putting you in Ravenclaw."

Ah start ta worry that we won't be in the same House cause Ah know Ah ain't gonna be smart nough.

"What's this? You seek something more than just wisdom? I see. Better be.. Gryffindor!"

All a Gryfdor jus starts screamin cause a how happy they are. Ah gotta cover mah ears cause it hurts too much. Ah look at Jacklin an she kinda looks happy like the kinda happy ya get when ya pass a test ya thought ya failed. She sees me lookin at 'er then she turns an walks over to tha table. She looks back at me, kinda embarrassed when she sits down.

"Toby Kwimper."

Ah'm nervous as Ah move over ta the Sortin' Hat an' wait for it ta read mah mind.

"Toby Kwimper. How interesting. Such a perfect blank slate."

Ah start ta get excited cause if tha Sortin' Hat says Ah'm a blank slate then Ah won't be goin' ta tha dummy House.

"Shh. Let your mind go, little wizard."

Ah hear the hat whisperin' an mah head gets a little woozy. Mah eyes close even though Ah ain't tol 'em too. Ah kinda feel good though like when Jacklin's wit me.

"Slytherin's definitely out. No big ambitions. Ravenclaw would be a good challenge but not good enough. Hufflepuff? Yes I feel a strong sense of loyalty.

It sounds like tha Sortin' Hat's whisperin' ta itself or like there's a million voices talkin' at tha same time. Ah feel real torn cause Ah like Pacer but Ah also like Jacklin an they ain't in the same House. Ah know Jacklin's magic's dangerous but Ah still wanna be 'er friend.

"Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff. Such a hard decision."

Ah dunno wha's been said but Ah feel a little tap on mah shoulder makin me almost jump outta mah skin.

"We’re in Gryffindor together, Toby!"

"Huh?"

Mah head's still spinnin a lil bit but Ah'm real excited! Ah'm a lil sad too that Ah won't get ta be wit Pacer too. But Ah guess the Sortin' Hat read mah mind an put me where Ah wanted ta be. Ah see Jacklin lookin' real relieved an Ah know Ah can relax a little bit.

"You must've been in a trance like state so the Sorting Hat can read your memories. You should sit down since you look about as pale as me."

Ah shakily walk over wit her ta the table an' sit down next ta her. Ah wipe the cold sweat off the back a mah neck. Ah can't believe Ah'm really here.

Time Skip

"I would like to welcome all of the 1st years and returning students. With the conclusion of the Sorting Hat ceremony, and before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you."

Ah'm still a lil outta it an hearin the ol' man talk jus makes it a lil worse as Ah had no idea wha he said. Everythang jus appears outta nowhere an mah eyes light up. This' a lotta food.

"What would you like to try first, Toby?"

"Ah dunno... Ah ain't ever seen food like this before. What should Ah try, Jacklin?"

Ah see 'er lookin over the table. She points at this weird lookin thang Ah ain't ever seen before.

"This is Yorkshire pudding. It's a baked pudding made from a batter of eggs, flour, and milk or water. You can eat it as a starter because it's small."

Ah look at the Yorkshire pudding an' try ta get mah mind round what it should taste like. Then Ah reach inta the pile a food an' start ta put a little bit a everythang on mah plate. Ah chew a couple a times an swallow. Ah look over at Jacklin an' she looks like she can tell how Ah feel.

"What are puddings like in the States, Toby? Here we have sweet and meat puddings."

"Only meat puddin Ah know bout's sausage. We got banana puddin, chocolate puddin, a whole buncha sweet puddins."

"I guess we're not that different then. There's sausages and mash on the table. We also eat a lot of roasted foods and lamb chops."

Mah stomach starts growlin.

"Sounds good ta me, Jacklin. Ah'm real hungry now. Ah'mma try the gravy now."

Ah take the tip a the spoon now, an' Ah hold it over tha plate. Ah sloooowly start ta pour the gravy on it.

"Now this is an onion gravy that goes with the Yorkshire pudding. It's very common when you eat it as a starter."

"An' tha meat puddins tha's on the table. They go wit onions, too?"

"We use brown gravy for foods that have meat and potatoes. The cream gravy can also go with potatoes but we usually use that with chicken."

Ah try the cream gravy. It tastes really good. Ah get a nice big helpin a mashed potatoes on tha plate an' Ah pour gravy on 'em. Then Ah eat the whole thang while Jacklin watches. She tells me that tha puddin, mashed potatoes, gravy, the whole meal's called a roast.

"The Kitchen Elves work in the kitchen. They put the food on tables there and use magic to make them appear on our tables."

Ah jus shake mah head.

"Tha's strange."

"It's a normal thing. They make food appear when something runs out so that none of us go hungry."

Ah start ta get worried it's gonna happen anyway. Mah momma wouldn't a never let me get way wit takin' tha last a anythang.

"See Toby. Just like that, another roast chicken appeared a little bit to your left."

Ah see the chicken an Ah'm startin' ta feel better now.

Time Skip

Desserts start ta appear on the table.

"Have you ever thought about making a food list, Toby?"

Ah look at 'er all confused. She's real good at askin me questions bout thangs Ah don't got a clue bout.

"A food list?"

"Yes. There are so many types of food served here, that it isn't possible to try all of them in one day."

"Oh. Well what do Ah gotta put on a food list? Mah favorites?"

"You can write down everything you tried and how it tasted."

Ah start ta fill mah plate wit cake. Ah eat up tha cake while Jacklin writes somethin' on a piece a paper.

"This is my food list, Toby. We can compare our lists and see what we still need to try."

Ah look over at what Jacklin's holdin' up. Ah wonder if Jacklin's got room fer another dessert.

"Have you ever had a St. Honore cake, Toby?"

"Nope. Sounds like somethin' tha elves'd make. This St. Honor's cake's on yer list?"

"Oh yes. My father brought one back from his trip to Paris a few years ago. It has a lot of chocolate and cream as it's basically a cream puff cake."

Ah feel real full but Ah jus gotta try it.

"Do ya think they've got one here fer me ta try?"

"Of course, Toby. This is big enough for us to split it up."

Ah pick up a slice an' Ah start ta eat it. So good.

"Have you ever been to Paris, Toby?"

Ah manage ta answer even though Ah got a lotta cake in mah mouth.

"Ah've ain't ever been anywhere, actually. Ah've never left Florida till June so's Ah could live wit mah Irish cousins. Pop done tol me it's the only way Ah'd be able ta go ta school here."

"Fascinating. I'm amazed you weren't asked to attend Ilvermony in Massachusetts. They're supposed to serve all students from North America."

Ah jus shrug cause it ain't like Ah know wha she's talkin bout anyway. The cake's the only thang on mah mind.

"Jacklin, this cake's tha best thing Ah've ever tasted. Ah like it so much Ah don't even wanna swallow it."

"You need to have some ice cream so you don't choke, Toby."

"Okay. Ah'll have some ice cream."

Ah use a spoon ta scoop up a big bite a ice cream. Jacklin starts wipin 'er face wit a napkin.

"I believe that's enough for me. How do you feel, Toby?"

"Ah'm not too good, actually. Mah stomach kinda hurts. Do ya think Ah can go walk it off?"

Ah move ta leave the table.

"We have to wait for our prefect to take us to the Gryffindor Tower. Since they act a role model for us, they want us to follow the rules so we won't get into trouble."

"Oh. So… Ah gotta sit at the table till tha prefect shows up."

"Yes. We all have to go to our common room together."

Ah jus hope Ah can last that long.

Time Skip

We get to the top a the stairs an mah stomach starts ta feel better. Our prefect stops.

"First years this is the way to get to the Gryffindor common room. The password to enter will change every month so pay very close attention."

Ah listen hard ta the password so Ah'm not left outta the Gryffindor common room.

"Bezoar."

Ah hear this word an' try ta remember. Bezoar... Bezoar... Bezoar's somethin ya get from a goat's stomach an's an antidote fer most poisons. Ah dunno how know it but Ah do. The door ta the common room opens an we all walk inside. All a our luggage's there.

"Amazing."

Ah follow Jacklin an' the others inside the common room. We leave the luggage in tha corner of tha room. Ah look 'round an' it's the nicest room Ah've ever seen.

"Hey, Jacklin... Ya like the room?"

"It's just like my father described it."

Ah nod an start ta remember bout 'er talkin bout 'er dad.

"So tha other kids at Hogwarts are they jus' a hodgepodge a every which kind a bloodline?"

"Yes. Do you know if your parents are wizards?"

"Pop knows somethin bout it. He said he don't do magic though."

Jacklin's bout ta say somethin when our prefect comes ta us.

"First years take a look at this painting. We have been honored to see the very founder of our House, Godric Gryffindor! Born of Scottish and Welsh ancestry in what's now Cornwall, England, this man helped found our very school. He's the only founder with a direct descendant and she's right in this room!"

Ah look at tha painting an Ah see a man with red hair in a red robe lookin like a lion's mane. He's holdin' a sword, an' Ah wonder if he used ta go an' fight those dark wizards.

"He looks tough."

"I'm just so speechless. I know father has his own portrait of him in his study, but it's still so amazing to see him."

Ah feel real good bout that one. Ah turn ta Jacklin an' Ah start wonderin' what she thinks.

"Did mah granddaughter teel ye abit me?"

Ah'm a little surprised bout the paintin talkin ta me, but Ah'll just go wit the flow. Ah nod an' Ah get more comfortable.

"Yeah... She did tell me a bit 'bout ya."

"Ye hae some Irish in ye. Whaur ur ye frae?"

Ah think a bit ta make sure Ah don't say somethin' dumb.

"Well... Well, Ah’m from tha South, but Ah live wit mah cousins in a place called... Cork."

"Dae ye hae onie fowk in Irelain boy?"

Ah can't believe Ah have ta answer tha question from tha founder a Gryfdor. Mah mind goes blank an' Ah think Ah might puke. For a minute Ah think Ah'm gonna be sick ta tha floor an' then Ah just remember tha Ah gotta get my answer out. Ah'm real glad Jacklin's not tryin' ta help me out wit words.

"Uh, yes, Godric, Ah do..."

"What's yer nam boy?"

"It's... Ah'm Toby. It's Toby Kwimper."

"Ay th' Kwimper clan?"

Ah nod real quick an' Ah'm amazed Godric knows mah last name.

"Yeah, tha's right."

"Ah thooght ye aw died it. Ah huvnae seen a Kwimper come tae Hogwarts in ower a hunder years."

Ah feel like Ah can breathe again. Godric's kinda lookin happy ta see me.

"Diz anyain still use magic?"

"Well, Mr. Godric, Pop done tol me Ah'm the only one wit real magic."

"Th' Kwimper clan is huir uv a weel knoon fur havin' squibs."

Ah shake mah head cause it's not the answer Ah was hopein' for.

"No, no Mr. Godric, tha's just not possible. Ah got magic!"

"That's a sign th' Kwimper clan is gettin' their magic back. Whit can ye dae sae far boy?"

Ah dunno why, but what Ah'm about ta say feels so important.

"Ah mean, Ah can talk ta animals. Ah can make 'em feel better an' Ah can help 'em an' Ah can make 'em like me."

Ah notice Godric is listenin' real good an' Jacklin's eyes ain't left Godric one second.

"Woods ye min' tryin' tae reid mah granddaughter's future?"

"No, sir. Ah guess Ah can try."

"What do you need me to do, Toby?"

"Ah need ta see yer hand. Ah can tell a lot more tha way."

Godric looks over mah shoulder as Ah look at Jacklin's palm an Ah let out a loud gasp the startles Jacklin.

"Yer gonna be attacked by a strange man!

"What about my 2nd year?"

Ah feel like Ah know what's gonna happen but Ah gotta make sure.

"Yer gonna be in trouble. There's a flash an yer gonna be lyin in a hospital bed all stiff!"

Ah feel Jacklin's hand tighten round mah own hand 'cause Ah think Ah jus really scared her.

"Can you see my 3rd year?"

"There's gonna be a werewolf an it's gonna be chasin ya!"

Ah'm so deep in the visions all Ah can hear's Jacklin's voice.

"Will my 4th year be any better?"

"There's… there's gonna be… there's gonna be some… some… some death! Somebody's gonna die an everybody's gonna be sad!"

"How bad will my 5th year be?"

Ah sniff an Ah blow a snot bubble.

"Yer gonna be attacked agin. This woman's gonna split the school in half... but... there's gonna be so much blood!"

"Do you think my 6th year will get worse?"

"Ah... Ah... Ah think things will get bad… an worse! There's gon be trouble. Someone's gonna be fightin’ fer someone else an it could get bad! There'll be some… some bad blood!"

"Is the bloodshed going to end in my 7th year?"

"No."

Ah see a vision of a man turnin' inta ash.

"So… Ah think when good guy wins tha battle it'll be a beautiful thing, but it's a terrible path."

Ah gotta be lookin weird cause mah eyes're blinkin real weird an swayin a bit.

"Ye better sit heem doon hen. Th' boy's lookin' as peely waly as ye."

Ah feel weak in mah legs an Ah can feel my head slippin' down off a mah shoulders. Everythang goes black an Ah don't 'member anythang else.

Tagging: @arrolyn1114, @nemos-rapture, @xanatenshi, @briefpandatimemachine, @hooked-on-elvis,

@vintagepresley, @aliengoth3, @smokeymountainboy, @bigdaddyelvislover, @mercsandmonsters,

@pledgingmylovee, @presleysgirl6, and @thetaoofzoe.

#toby and the veela #the philosopher's stone #godric gryffindor #he lived during the middle ages he's supposed to sound that way

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deke-rivers-1957 · 1 year ago

Text

Toby Meets Godric Gryffindor

"Toby wake up. We’re here."

Ah snap awake like tha frog snapped out of tha chocolate. Trevor jumps off mah lap and back inta mah hand. Ah look out tha window an see tha entrance ta Hogwarts. Mah eyes look out tha window wit excitement, but mah mind still feels half asleep. Ah hear tha kids all round us gettin' tha bags an tha things Ah need for school an Ah realize Ah haven't moved. Ah put Trevor back in his tank an get everythang ready.

"Do you have everything? I don't want you to leave anything behind."

Ah nod an watch Jacklin pick up a weird lookin cage.

"I forgot to mention this, but this is my cat, Tiger."

Ah'm still gettin' Trevor's tank an bags set up.

"Ya have a cat? Mah pawpaw had a cat when Ah was young. He named it Mittens. Mittens' dead now."

Ah realize Ah probably shouldn't have brought tha up, but the words are already outta mah mouth.

"Is Tiger yer family's cat, or your cat?"

Ah stop a sec while Ah'm packin up everythang.

"How'd yer dad get a fancy job like that?"

"Oh. I wasn't aware that you didn't know. My father, Henry Gryffindor, is the descendent of Godric Gryffindor. Godric was one of the school's founders over 1000 years ago. Our family is one of the only wizard families who had every family member go to Hogwarts. There isn't a single non-magic user in our family tree which makes me pure blooded. Pureblooded families are so rare that they end up having a lot of power."

Ah jus blink at 'er. This girl's jus too fancy ta be nice ta me.

"That'd make ya a princess a some kind then."

She laughs a lil bit as we walk. Nicest laugh Ah've ever heard. Ah look at her and Ah see that she's smilein', too. First time Ah'd ever seen anyone smile so much. Ah start ta have tha warm, fuzzy feelin's like maybe this could... Ah look down at Trevor in his tank like he's readin' mah mind. He's lookin' at me wit his big, round eyes an that makes mah heart want ta melt.

"So if yer Godric's whatever many great-granddaughter does that mean ya gotta be in Gryffindor too?"

Ah see the way she's lookin at me an Ah wonder if Ah said somethin' only a dummy would say.

"Every descendent of Godric was sorted into that House. It isn't necessarily a rule that all members of the same family have to be in the same House though."

"Do ya think yer dad's gonna get mad if ya don't get inta that House?"

Ah see her stop an look a lil nervous.

"Well. Father wouldn't necessarily be angry. Even though there is a lot of expectations to be the next heir of Gryffindor, he never told me that I must be sorted in that House. Since my mother was only born and raised in Bulgaria, she never went to Hogwarts. They both just want me to be true to myself. But I will admit, I'm still nervous."

Ah nod as we keep walkin.

"Well either way Ah still wanna be in tha same one as you. We can go ta all the classes an' sit next ta each other at tha feasts."

Ah grab her hand and lead her off tha train, makin' sure Trevor stays in tha tank.

"Then I guess that means we need to be sorted in Gryffindor together."

Ah blush as Ah realize tha way Ah'm holdin' her hand makes it look like we're more than friends. Ah start ta get real worried. Should Ah let go? Should she? Ah don't want her to want ta let go. Ah'm startin' ta get real nervous. Ah'm startin ta get upset now.

"Fers years this way!"

Ah get a lil spooked by the loud noise an let go a Jacklin's hand. We follow tha other kids ta tha lake. We find an' board tha row boat an Ah hear tha real big guy at tha oars talkin' in a Scottish accent.

"This way, ya wee gawks."

We sit in tha boat an Ah look back ta see tha whole of tha castle. The clouds are startin' ta cover tha sun. It gets a little windier an' tha boat moves slowly twords tha docks.

"That’s the groundskeeper, Hagrid. He’s a half giant."

"A half giant? Ya mean he's like half human an half monster?"

Ah look at her to see if tha answer's on her face. She starts to giggle an Ah start ta get confused again. Was Ah bein' real stupid an a dummy jus' sayin' that?

"Hagrid’s not a monster. Stories about giants eating kids are just a myth. They have their own villages away from humans."

Ah stare an stare at tha oars as they creak an move back an forth in tha water. Ah see what she means now: Hagrid ain't some big ugly monster. Ah look up an can see tha kind face beneath tha scruff of tha beard an' the smile in tha eyes. We pull up ta tha shore an start gettin out the boat.

"That's the main entrance to the Hogwarts Castle. Just think, in a few minutes we’ll officially be Hogwarts students."

Mah heart starts ta beat faster now as tha weight of what's happenin now gets ta me. Ah'm real excited, too.

"How they plan on sortin us? Do we gotta take a test or somethin?"

Ah start lookin' a little scared at tha sound of tha school's huge doors swingin' open.

"No not at all. The Sorting Hat has been sorting students for over 1000 years. It was Godric's idea to put a spell on his hat so that it can read students thoughts."

Ah blink. Ya gotta be kiddin' me. Ah'm worried it's gonna read mah thoughts an' put me in tha dummy House.

"Everyone please hand your luggage to the porters and follow me. You will line up by last name once we get inside."

Ah hear an old lady talk an a group a people linin up. Ah give 'em mah bags, backpack an carefully pass 'em Trevor's tank. Ah see Jacklin walkin ahead a me an even though Ah ain't got a clue how ta spell Gryfdor, Ah know G comes before K. She's gotta be ahead a me in line.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, first years! I must tell you all that the forest surrounding the castle is forbidden due to the extreme amount of dangerous creatures within it. Also on behalf of the entire staff including our caretaker, Mr. Flich, I would like to inform you that a corridor in the Charms section of the 3rd floor is also forbidden. Unless you wish to die a most terrible death, I suggest you heed my warning."

An old man wit a long gray beard makes an announcement bout how this school's real dangerous. Before Ah can even get scared Ah see all the other kids an teachers stand up. They all start singin.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, Teach us something please, Whether we be old and bald, Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling, With some interesting stuff, For now they're bare and full of air, Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing, Bring back what we've forgot, Just do your best, we'll do the rest, And learn until our brains all rot."

Ah have no idea why this' happenin. Ah hope Ah ain't gotta sing this one day. Too embarrassin.

"When I call your name please sit down on the stool. I will put the Sorting Hat on your head. When you have been sorted, please take a seat in your respective section."

Ah wait patiently wit all tha other kids as the old lady talks agin. She takes out the Sortin Hat an then the hat starts singin. Ah dunno why though.