#make your mcs face the horrors and leave a mark on them challenge

[navii-blaze]

Actually I think robotization and chaos energy should have long term effects

[thefirstcourtesan]

Soulmates January: Master of Our Own Fate (M!Blaine x F!MC)

Master of Our Own Fate

By Misha

Disclaimer- Not Mine.

Author’s Notes- This is the second of my 31 soulmate AUs for January. This one was not a request, it was me trying out a new pairing: Blaine x MC. This is a soulmate twist on the first two chapters of Foreign Affairs and is also letting me play with the dynamic and their personalities. I love them already.

Pairing- Male!Blaine x Female!MC (Kennedy Monroe)

Rating- PG-13

Summary- Kennedy has always done what was expected of her and ignoring her soulmark is just one of those things. Until she meets Blaine Hayes and suddenly questions everything she has ever known.

Words- 1350

“Kennedy, one more thing,”  Winston pauses, turning back to her, as he imparts his final piece of ‘advice’.

“Yes?” She forces herself to keep her voice light, reminding herself that Winston is just doing his job.

“Your mother wants to remind you to wear, ahem, appropriate clothing at all times,” Winston says, his gaze falling behind her. Kennedy knows exactly what he is referring to. Her soul mark. The one her mother has ordered her to never show to anyone. Kennedy still remembers her mother’s horror when the mark appeared. “Those are Ardonian colors.”

Of course, the idea of Kennedy having an Ardonian soulmate would never do, so her mother preferred to pretend the mark didn’t exist and wanted to make sure the rest of the world never found out, never once asking Kennedy how she felt about it.

Kennedy doesn’t know, has never thought about it, because in the end, she is well aware her opinion doesn’t matter. Which is why she simply assures Winston that she has no intention of doing anything that will bring embarrassment to her mother or Rutherland.

And she does mean those words. Because that is who she is. She is the good girl. The perfect first daughter. She does what is expected and would never court scandal. Besides, it’s unlikely she would meet her soulmate at Vancross, so what is the harm in keeping her mark private?

Then she meets Blaine Hayes and feels the kind of instant attraction that she thought only existed in movies. She loses herself in his kiss and feels fireworks. And soulmates are the last thing on her mind until Dionne tells her that Blaine is the first Son of Ardona.

She is angry at him for not telling her. Angry at herself for giving into temptation. But mostly she can’t stop thinking about the mark on her back. It’s not in a place she can easily see and she has never gone through the effort.  It has been years since she has let herself think about it and she actually has no memory of what letter is represented there, it was all washed out by her mother’s horror over the colors.

Of course, it’s not a B. There’s no way. Blaine is not her soulmate.

She won’t let herself look. Can’t let herself look. Because, she doesn’t know what she wants to see, or not see.  If it’s a B... Well, that would complicate everything in ways that makes her wince to think about, but if it’s not... Well, that thought brings a sharp pain that she definitely isn’t ready to investigate. So, no, she’s not going to look. 

But the idea eats at her enough that when Dionne hands her the outfit for the party, a midriff bearing number that Kennedy’s mother would not approve of, one that is one wrong move away from exposing her secret to the world, she wears it.

After she is dressed, before she and Dionne leave for the party, she drops something on purpose, bending over in a way that causes her outfit to shift and her Mark to be exposed. As she straightens, she sees Dionne’s eyes widen.

“Kennedy, your mark—“

“Is In Ardonian colors, I know,” Kennedy interrupts, she can see from Dionne’s shocked expression that there is more to it and she forces herself to voice the question that has haunted her for weeks, “but I actually don’t know the letter, can you tell me what it is?”

Dionne look around the empty dorm, then steps closer to Kennedy, her voice low, “Kennedy, it’s a B!”

Dionne’s expression says it all. The other girl is obviously convinced that the initial is significant. “You and Blai—“

“We don’t know that!” Kennedy says quickly, cutting her off, “you know,  we should get going. We don’t want to miss all the fun.”

Dionne nods, obviously accepting that Kennedy is not ready to talk about the revelation, or potential revelation. “Of course.” She hesitates. “Kennedy, it’s going to be a big party, I mean I know I suggested the outfit, but maybe you should wear something else?”

“No,” Kennedy says firmly, “I like this one.”

She knows it’s a stupid risk to take. Dionne’s right, there will be a lot of people at the party. Blaine will be at the party. And once that skeleton is out of the closet, there will be no putting it back. And she’s not sure she’s ready to deal with the fallout. But some stubborn part of her won’t back down. She needs to know. And not just because the memory of Blaine’s lips on hers has been haunting her since the day they met.

Maybe it’s because his words have been haunting her just as much.

“Suddenly, you meet someone who says screw all that, and deep down, you wish you could do the same instead of always being exactly the girl that mommy wants.”

She wanted him to be wrong. Wanted to prove to herself that he was. That she wasn’t just the good little girl who always did what her mother told her too. And this, this was a step towards that.

She takes another step later that night, while playing tower pong with Blaine, Dionne and Peter. She drops a ball on purpose and bends to pick it up. She hears Dionne’s intake of breath, but ignores it. There is only one reaction she cares about and as she straightens, she can see Blaine has gone still, his eyes fixed on her. For once, his characteristic smirk is absent.

Kennedy’s heart flips in her chest. His reaction is... significant. But it’s not an answer. Not really. But she can get one,

She makes the final shot and wins their bet. As Blaine strips outs of his clothes, he pivots, clearly giving her a good look at his back. This time, Kennedy’s gasp echoes Dionne’s. There is no mistaking the Rutherland colors or the ‘K’ in the middle of the mark.

Kennedy doesn’t know how to process it. At first, she doesn’t have too. Blaine’s smirk is back in place when he returns from fulfilling his end of the bargain and then challenges her to a rematch, “if you dare” and then disappears into the party.

Kennedy’s not stupid, he’s daring her not to follow through on a lot more than a rematch. The question is, will she? It goes against everything she has been taught, every instinct she has. Her mother will lose it if she even suggests that Blaine Hayes might, possibly be her soulmate. It is an international incident waiting to happen. She knows that.

She should walk away. Nothing good can come out of following up on this and yet... He is her soulmate. He is the person the universe picked. And while she’s always rolled her eyes at the idea of that, of fate choosing someone for her and just the idea of soulmates in general,  she’s not laughing now. Not with the way he makes her feel, the way she’s started questioning her whole world since meeting him.

Blaine is everything she has always been afraid to be. Everything she has been taught not to want. And the idea of pursuing him, of even acknowledging that their might be something there, scares her more than anything else in her entire life. And yet, she finds herself walking up to him and tapping him on the shoulder.

He turns to her, that trademark cocky grin on his face, but the intensity of his gaze is at odds with the ease of his smile. “Up for that rematch, Rutherland?”

She smiles back, “something like that.”

End

[serena-hart-09]

A Story’s Analyzation Chapter 2 : A New Morning, for Old Evenings...

It seems I completely forgot to add notes (and one more tag) to the last chapter.... *slowly runs away embarrassed* Please excuse me of my mistakes, this is my very first work..... And yes, I don’t have an editor. All the typing and editing is done by me..... so expect some (maybe a lot of mistakes) in my works. As it is, I am posting all the other chapters from ao3 and finally post the new chapter by tomorrow..... I hope you enjoy this chapter! Have a great day ahead! (P.s. I would really like some fic writing advices/suggestions!)

*****************************************

“What is this a set for a horror film?” Mc says looking at the mansion in front of them. It was a big mansion but it felt cold, creepy and too much eerie. “Mc, this the House of Lamentation.” Satan says while looking at them with curiosity. Mc lets out a small “oh”.  Mc looks at Lucifer and asks him, “Hey, what about my stuff? You know like clothes, etc. etc.?”

“They are already transported in your room.” He replies as he unlocks the door.

“Eh? Really?”

“Yes.”

After entering all the other brothers except Lucifer and Mammon retreat back to their rooms. “We’ll meet each other tomorrow, sweetie!” Asmodeus looks at them with the same sparkling eyes from before. “Yes, we will if you stop trying to get in my pants for a damn second.” They say uninterested not even looking at him. “My how cold!” he continues with very concerning face as if saying ‘Challenge Accepted’. He gives them a flying kiss before finally going back in his room.

“Be very careful with that one, human.” Mammon says while looking at them seriously. Mc looks at with shock, “Aww, it seems u care for me!”

“Wha- I don’t!”

“You do!”

“Shut up, you crazy human!”

Lucifer coughs loudly to get our attention, “We shall now show your room, come follow me.”

“Alright!” They say with a cute face. Lucifer looks at Mammon who is blushing and mumbling how cute were right now.

********

“This is your room.” Lucifer looks at them with a smile who is ignored by the said human who is excited as a child on Christmas. “Woah! This is so cool!”

Lucifer doesn’t know if to feel offended or to smile at their cute excitement. While being lost at his current confusion, Mc’s voice draws him back to reality, “Hey, is there anything else I need to know?”

“A-ah yes, your RAD uniform and other clothes are kept in the closet.” ‘Di-did I just stuttered?!’ Lucifer thinks to himself. “Tch” he looks at the wall of vines as if to will them on fire for this embarrassment. He then looks at Mammon who was behind him was trying his best not to laugh at his brother. Lucifer glares at him which makes Mammon feel as if he lost 100 years of his life. All while this is happening the human looks around the room. They finally look at the RAD uniform in the closet. “What in the hell is this, monstrosity of a cloth?”

“That is the uniform, stupid human.” Mammon looks at them snickering.

“If this is a uniform, why is it so……” Mc drifts off as they don’t have words to describe the uniform. “Seriously, whose design is this? Most importantly, who approved of it?”

“Stop complaining about the uniform. You will wear it even if you don’t like it.” Lucifer says with ‘oh scary and commanding voice’. Mc sighs, putting the uniform back in the closet. The look at them.

….

“Uh, guys?”

“Yes?”

“Aren’t you going back in your rooms? Because I am gonna change out these clothes.”

Both of them look at them with shock as if they remembered something very important, they forgot. Lucifer says nothing but a small goodnight. Mammon stutters out how it’s the human’s fault he forgot.

“They are quite cute!” Mc thinks aloud after finally searching for their clothes and changing into them. ‘Well let’s see what happens tomorrow……’ they think as finally slumber takes over them.

******

“Good morning…” Mc says finally coming down in the dinning room from their room and also from finally wearing the disaster of an outfit that is called as the uniform in this place.

“Good morning Mc, Darling!” Asmodeus calls them across the table. “Good morning and please leave me alone if you are still trying to get me on your bed, cause I’m not in the mood.” They say as they take their seat. “Well, good morning to you too, Mc” Satan speaks as he enters the room, they nod at him with a smile. “Good morning, Beel.” they say as the said man in eating his breakfast with a lot of speed. Beel too, nods at them as if say ‘yeah good morning’.

“Good morning, Mc.” Lucifer greets them across the table sitting on the chair like a king drinking his coffee, “the one thing I forgot to mention was that we take turns in the kitchen to cook for our daily meals. Now that you are also a resident of this house it’s only fair for you to take a turn as well.”

“Ah, yes I will.” They say with a tired smile.

“Hm? Did you not have a good sleep?” he looks at them.

“Do you want to hear me complain about the uniform, again?” Mc dead pans at him. Some small snickers and laughs could be heard from the residents sitting the room.

“…..No”

“Alright.”

Lucifer looks around the table as if something is missing, “brothers, where is Levi-”

Just then the door opened with a loud bang. ‘Seriously, they should stop entering dramatically with a bang. Does this family have drama in their veins instead of blood?’

“MAMMON!” the new male with indigo coloured-hair is angrily walking towards Mammon who is flustered. “Ah, here comes the tax collector” he says while trying to run. But before he could he the man is already at Mammon’s throat; he goes on about saying how he wanted his money back from Mammon so he could buy a figurine.

“Mammon, Avatar of Greed, what have you done now?” Lucifer asks pinching his nose bridge.

“Avatar of Greed?” Mc asks.

“Yes, Mammon’s the Avatar of Greed and the second eldest.” Satan fills the blank in Mc’s question.

“Second eldest?”

“Yes, we are seven brothers in total. Lucifer the eldest of us, Mammon the second eldest, the guy who is trying get his money from Mammon is Leviathan third eldest Avatar of Envy, me the fourth brother, Asmodeus the fifth brother and Beelzebub the sixth brother……” Satan says with a hushed voice while looking at them with a serious face.

“Wait, but you just said there are seven of you-”

“GIVE ME BACK MY MONEY YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING SCUM!” Leviathan….?..... screams at the top of his lungs. This makes Lucifer angry and lash at them “BOTH OF YOU BE QUIET! I’VE TOLD YOU A THOUSAND TIMES NOT TO FIGHT DURING MEALS. IF YOU CONTINUE THIS BEHAVIOUR, I’LL HANG BOTH OF YOU FROM THE CHANDELIER FOR REST OF THE WEEK!”  this seems to quieten down both of them and they sit down.

After a moment of silence……

“Aaaah! Lucifer a stranger! Why is a stranger here?!” Leviathan screams yet once again while pointing a finger at Mc. Lucifer holds his head in his hands as if contemplating his life decisions.

This time, Asmodeus decides to fill in Leviathan with the information and explain it to Leviathan in a very excitable tone even talking about how they did not got seduced by him and how ‘he will change that’. Leviathan looks at Mc as if looking at a tiger in a zoo for the first time and trying to ask ‘this one doesn’t bite right?’

After eating his breakfast, he goes back to his room it seems, while the others gather near the front door. Mc asks Mammon if Leviathan doesn’t go to RAD. “……He doesn’t like crowds.” Mammon answers as he looks at Leviathan’s room door with a frown.

********

“So, how was your rest of the first day here?” Diavolo asks with an excited tone and a giant smile. Currently Lucifer, Mc, Diavolo and his green-haired butler Barbatos who Diavolo finally introduced to Mc are sitting in the gazebo- like place in a garden between the RAD building and the Royal Palace.

“It was good. I am excited for the days to come.” They say as they sip the tea that Barbatos made. ‘I should probably ask him the name of the tea. It’s really nice.’ Regardless, of the first impression that Barbatos had it seemed that he was polite if not a little friendly with Mc.

“Great! Anyways, what do you in Human World Mc?” you can literally see the stars of excitement in his eyes, “Pardon my excitement, its just this is my first time talking to a human!”

Mc chuckles at this, “I don’t do much, I am scientist, I create some magical implements for the officers at the place I work at.”

“Oh? What is this place you work at?” Lucifer asks curious at the mention of magic.

“Was it not mentioned in my file? The student file, I mean.” they look at him with a question mark on their face.

“Ah, no. It wasn't there for some reason.”

“Lucifer that is dangerous you know. I mean what would happen if it wasn’t me but a mob boss or someone dangerous?” Mc tells Lucifer in a slight teasing tone.

“…..”

“But anyways, what place do you work in?” Diavolo with a bright voice trying to change the subject.

“Hmm….. Let’s say a police force or the Organization but instead of arresting those without magic they arrest the ones that misuse magic for their own good by destroying people’s life in the process. I help them by creating new useful implements and providing with said implements.” They finish as the bring the cup to their lips to drink their tea.

Diavolo looked like he was over the moon after hearing the new information. While Barbatos’s expression was unreadable. Lucifer was between curious and doubtful.

“I do write Novels under an alias as well.”

“Really?! What type of novel? What is your alias?”

Mc smiles at this, “That’s a secret!”

“Aww….”

“At what position do you stand in the Organization?” Barbatos asks with a knowing smile.

“Ah, one of the Founders.”

“Founder? You created the Organization?” Diavolo asked excitedly.

“Yes, with my friends to be exact. After graduation my friends and I used to work for another police force until we revolted and things went a little out of control. When things became normal, we created said police force or rather the Organization.”

“Why did you revolt?” Lucifer asks them with an unreadable expression.

“….. Many people died even some my family-like friends too………. that place….. abandoned us to die…..not only that the killed a lot their own officers……we didn’t want more people to die that’s why………” they answer with sad and longing voice.

“Mc…. I’m sorry.”

“Ah, no don’t be you just asked it out of curiosity.” They give him a small smile. He continues to look at them, at their eyes to find an answer if they were really alright. They too look at him with concern in their eyes.

“Ahem.”  Diavolo’s voice removes both of them from their trance. “I truly apologize if we resurfaced some not so good memories.” He gives them an apologetic smile.

After that, they talk about everything else to change the topic from the past.

Mc happily talks about their favourite cuisine form the human world, and promises The Fantastic Three, that they will make it for everyone to taste. They also talk about their favourite cake and pastries all while Lucifer looks at them with softness in his eyes. Diavolo of course notices this and smirks at Barbatos.

….

Barbatos can feel the literal excitement of his Young Master. He sighs internally knowing of what’s to come…

Just then a pair of new people enter in the room. One them speaks “Greetings Lord Diavolo, Barbatos and Lucifer.” While the other one is hiding behind him  

“Yes, Good Afternoon Simeon. Mc, this is Simeon one of the exchange students from the Celestial Realm.” Mc extends their hand, “I am Mc, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Simeon.”

“Likewise.” Simeon shakes hands with them and smiles.

“Ah, it has been while, Chihuahua.” Lucifer’s smug voice is heard

‘Chihuahua?’ they think themselves.

“I TOLD YOU SO MANY TIMES I’M NOT A CHIHUAHUA YOU DAMN DEMON!” a childlike voice screams at him as a new person comes in Mc’s view. ‘Wait, a child?’

“Ah, this is Luke the Chihuahua, Mc. He’s the other exchange student from the Celestial Realm.” Lucifer says with a smug expression.

Mc looks at Luke. Luke looks at Mc. Mc walks over to Lucifer-

“Do Not Insult My Child.”

…………

………

…….

…..

….

…

..

.

‘Seriously, did they lost all sense by bringing a cute harmless child in such a dangerous game?

….

*Sigh*

Well, this story is quite chaotic….. it seems none them even realize that the Organization’s name wasn’t even mentioned. Well, I shouldn’t complain after all it does gives me an advantage for cutting some slack……

…

Huh? Who are you?

…

Oh, I see its you.

Tell me of your day, how was it?

…. Hm? Confused, are we?

It’s alright, I know who you are……….

…………….

………….

………

…..

…

..

.

Reader~. hehehe’    

[the-pale-goddess]

Blind - Ethan Ramsey x MC (Tiffany Addams)

The annual Edenbrook gala is all about extraordinary food, free booze, serving looks...and jealousy in every possible form. Who will crash and who will burn this night?

Warnings: NSFW (+18) Nothing too explicit this time! But obviously, suggestive adult themes are all over the story. Plus there’s alcohol, a lot of swearing and all that jealous angst we like.

Rating/Category: Mature / AU

Author’s note: This fic takes place not long after the AU Miami conference in the Miami Heat series where E&T went all the way.  I hope you’ll like the twist! It’s also kinda long - sorry about that.

Taglist (let me know if you want in or out)

@caseyvalentineramsey  @interobanginyourmom  @newcolonies @ernest-harrington @openheart12 @perriewinklenerdie @mvalentine @ethandaddyramsey @kaavyaethanramsey @lion-ess24 @choices-love-affair @justanotherrookie @rookieoh @rookie-ramsey @queencarb​ @schnitzelbutterfingers​ @doilooklikeiknow​

_____

„Ramsey, would it hurt you to crack a little smile? We're at a freaking gala.” Dr. Tanaka's teasing voice was just as annoying as his remark, but it failed to provoke any kind of emotion in Ethan. He shot the other attending a condescending glare from above his glass of scotch.

„I see no correlation.” Tanaka laughed at the blunt response, shaking his head in disbelief.  

„Is open bar not reason enough to get a little festive?” He leaned against the bar, his hand pointing at the impressive wall of liquor in front of them.

„I can afford my own alcohol, Tanaka, and I'd rather drink it, quite literally, anywhere else.”

„If you hate it so much why are you even here?” That was in fact an excellent question. Why was he still there? Ethan rubbed his brow and took a look around before responding. The spacious ballroom was already packed. All these familiar faces passing through in their best gowns, getting advantage of the night off at a luxurious hotel.

„As tedious and pointless as this schmoozing is, it's still a work duty. Everyone has to do their part.” He downed his drink and called the bartender to do a refill. In that very moment three young nurses approached the bar, standing right behind Dr. Ramsey, all of them oblivious to each other's presence. „I've been actually meaning to ask you about my lung cancer patient. Have you managed to read the file I left you today?”

„Yes. Dr. Mirani consulted with me before the recent development occured. I've allowed myself to...” Tanaka's voice dropped to a background noise when someone said her name. Ethan's attention immediately shifted to the lively chatter behind his back.

„...Have you seen Addams? Who does she think she is? A Grammy winner? This isn't the red carpet, sweetie.” All of them giggled. Ethan felt a tingle of irritation while trying to focus on his own conversation. But he just couldn't stop listening...

„Totally! That dress is scandalous.” The other nurse added. „Three mojitos, please!”

„Come on, girls. She's smoking hot with or without makep, in scrubs or in a way too revealing dress. I'd kill to have a body like Addams. You're just jealous because Scalpel Jockey is all over her, not you.” Ethan almost choked on his drink. Did he hear that right?

„I suppose she cleans up real well, yeah. But Brycey could've done so much better, is all I'm saying.” It was the first nurse talking again, her voice full of envy. Ethan's face turned red, eyes wandered to the glass he gripped with white knuckles, not paying any attention to Tanaka and his surgical rant.

„How long have they been a thing?” The question made Ethan's blood boil. Are they really a thing?

„I didn't even know they were a thing.” The first nurse theorized. „That chick's always running after Ramsey.”

„Susan, shhhhhhhh...” The second nurse whispered and the conversation suddenly died. None of the nurses realized it was already too late for shushing. As soon as they received their drinks they were gone, leaving the messy gossip buzzing around Ethan's head.

„What do you think, Ramsey?” He finally looked up at Tanaka. Fuck. Fucking fuck. Fucking fuckety fuck. What were they even bouncing around? He scratched his chin trying not to look too distracted.

„I...I just remembered. There is a matter that needs to be taken care of.” He gulped the scotch down and left the glass at the bar. „I'll stop by your office the first thing in the morning to discuss the case. Enjoy the rest of your night, Dr. Tanaka.”

Ethan whisked through the crowd looking for air. Meanwhile, his mind had a race of its own. Tiffany's seeing Lahela. So what? It's none of his business. He made that clear after the Miami incident. They both agreed it was irresponsible, unethical and can never happen again. She's his intern. The best one there was. He won't jeopardize her career development over a stupid crush. It was a crush, right? Just a simple chemical reaction, pure physical attraction....She's a brilliant and ravishing young woman – everyone would fall for her. No wonder that real-life Ken doll took his chance. Whatever. She's only his intern, he shouldn't care about her personal life. So why was she still on his mind? And why hadn't he seen her yet?

Luckily, the balcony wasn't as crowded as the ballroom. Ethan walked up the railing and sighed deeply, knowing no one in the close proximity was beside him. The chilly breeze of the night proved to be a great companion as he didn't need another dull small talk with any of his coworkers or the company leeches. He just needed a moment of peace to clear his mind, that's all. But then he heard a familiar laughter, the sound that owned his soul. Hesitantly, he turned around and his jaw dropped.

The dress was scandalous, indeed. Its milky white satin material accentuated all her curves in an obscene way. But that wasn't even the most outrageous part – the slit was the worst. The thigh-high, treacherous side slit that put her long leg on display. When Tiffany turned her back another surprise awaited – the exposed skin of her back was glowing at him. Her every move was torture and he was being punished, but he wouldn't look away. Her black hair was styled in perfect Hollywood waves that cascaded down her bare shoulders. And finally – the cherry on the cake, her full lips painted red, seeking undivided attention. She was absolutely breathtaking.

And she caught him staring. Their gaze met for the first time this evening. She didn't smile, but he could swear there was a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. She looked him up and down, trailing over his expensive tailor-made tux, fresh haircut and a flushed face, and then she had the audacity to bite her bottom lip, the movement slow and subtle, followed by a tantalizing flick of the tongue. Suddenly, he felt an uncomfortable motion in his pants. For fuck's sake, Tiffany.

The horror took a different form when a wave of his inappropriate thoughts was interrupted by a large hand that slipped on Tiffany's lower back. Ethan took a deep breath, trying to control the anger building up inside of him.

Lahela looked much like the dreamy prom king from a teen movie, with his golden bronze skin and perfect white teeth. His blonde hair, usually side swept and tousled, today made a rare slicked back appearance. He was whispering something to Tiffany's ear, but her gaze was still fixed on Ethan. What was she thinking about? And then she turned to Bryce, giggling like his very own prom queen, waving at the rest of their friends standing nearby. Except she was not some clueless chick, she was his intern. His Rookie.

Another minute of observing this bizzare spectacle would make Ethan think he's a masochist. He desperately needed a drink, but the gang was standing in the way of the outside bar. Without thinking, he took one of the champagne glasses distributed by a waitress, chugged it quickly, then took another and rushed inside.

~ A malicious rumour ~

„Please, welcome my dear friend – Don Julio!” Jackie got back to the gang's table with a tray full of tequila shots, receiving a perplexed look from Sienna. „What, you didn't believe in me? I can be very persuasive.” She moved her chest to the sides, making her tits jiggle, while distributing the shots.

„I genuinely hoped the bartender would tell you off and qualify as too drunk for another round.” Sienna rolled her eyes and glanced at Landry as if she was waiting for him to back her up, but he was lost deep in his thought. „We'll be doomed tomorrow.”

„Si, please, turning free booze down is like throwing real money into trash.” Elijah gently smacked her elbow.

„Who said anything about turning it down?” She laughed, holding her shot close.

„That's my girl!” Jackie whistled and clinked her glass with Sienna's. „Let's drink like we've won the lottery tonight!”

„Earth to Landry!” Sienna pointed at him with her shot. „Are you drinking with us?”

„Yeah, yeah, sorry...” He smiled briefly and took his glass up. „To Edenbrook!”

„Hell yeah to Edenbrook! Thanks for making us fucking plastered.” Elijah marked the toast and they all downed their shots.

„This is...” Sienna blinked and a single tear fell down her cheek.

„Nasty?” Elijah winced with disgust while Jackie grinned. „Delicious fucking meal?” The group burst out laughing and then proceeded with drinking.

„Where's Tiffany? I haven't seen her around for a while.” Sienna wondered.

„She's probably getting busy with Meathead in one of these lavish bathrooms.” Jackie's response resulted in Sienna's squeak. „Kidding, he got stuck in the friendzone. Who cares.”

„But he's also missing, isn't he?” Elijah looked at Jackie quizzically, challenging her for another take at the theory.

„Turn around, Walmart Sherlock.” They all turned their heads just to see Bryce walking in their direction with other surgical interns. Elijah folded his arms in defeat, while Jackie continued, trying to hold back a chuckle. „She said something about an important phonecall before disappearing.”

„What if something...happened to her?” Sienna's face was etched with worry.

„Well. I'm too drunk to get up...So.” Jackie pointed at the stairs on the other side of the room. „The last time I saw her she was walking down there.”

„I'll go check it out. Call me if you find her before I do.”

~

The hotel was huge. After running down what felt like a hundred stairs, Landry reached a long corridor. He wandered slowly, trying not to make any noise just in case. At the end of the hall he found another stairs. He walked down, and down, and down...Until he heard some grumbling and stopped in his tracks. He wasn't sure where was it coming from and what the sound was. Cautiously, he continued his journey, his steps as silent as possible. When he finally saw the floor his eyes went wide and he almost screamed at the sight. With the last bit of his sane mind, he took a step back, still having a good look but not in a way his presence would be compromised, and watched the scene unfold.

It was unmistakably Tiffany. Even though her red lipstick was smeared, perfect hair ruined, disheveled along with her satin dress, it was definitely his friend. Her body pulled against a man he was about to recognize...

Ethan Freaking Ramsey.

The blood drained from Landry's face. He was appalled to the core, clenching his fists until the knuckles got white. But he couldn't move. He just kept on lurking.

Ethan was kissing her neck with such force, the marks of this shameless encounter will surely bruise her skin. But she didn't seem to mind. Her mouth let out muffled moans as her hands greedily explored his body. Her leg was hiking up Ethan's waist and his possessive hand gripped her exposed thigh, sliding his fingers up and down, grabbing her skin, smacking her ass and squeezing it.

„You're mine, Rookie.” He whispered into her ear. Tiffany moaned loudly, clearly forgetting they were in a public space.

„I'm all yours.” She purred. Ethan smirked and moved his lips to meet hers. Their kiss was passionate and urgent, as their tongues fought for dominance. Their bodies were grinding against each other in an unsteady rhythm...

He's seen enough. He tried to back away. There was no reason to continue watching two people in a loving act...But it was not loving, was it? She corrupted him. She seduced him. That tricky little bitch! She wanted to win the competition but she couldn't outshine the others, so she had to come up with a plan of her own. Was Ramsey really that stupid and blind after all?

Landry's whole world crushed down and a wash of despair fell on him while trying to think of a solution. He was determined to make Tiffany pay for her deviousness. For a single minute a defiant thought crossed his mind – maybe it's a little unfair to interpret the nature of their relationship without knowing the slightest hint of their story? But it was too late, he was already blinded by his jealousy. He found himself in a position to judge, and that advantage was vindictive enough. He shook his last decent thought off and doubled back to the party.

~ A blinding revelation ~

Inside wasn't safe either. Everyone watched The Ethan Ramsey follow his nose straight to the bar. Some of the big fish already made their steps towards him, dying to talk to him. Just one more reason to get out of this horrifying event...Before he managed to place an order, a strong vanilla scent filled the air around him. The savor deeply evocative to him, despite his effort to deny its importance. The muscles in his jaw clenched. He didn't even have to look. He didn't want to look.

„Dr. Ramsey, what a surprise. I didn't think I'd find you here.” Tiffany leaned her back against the bar, a glass of champagne in her hand, her eyes scanned the ballroom carefully before they landed on Ethan. He ran the risk of looking back at her. She was even more stunning up close. His eyes quickly avoided hers, finding a neutral spot at the height of her ear.

„Where else would I be, Addams?” His brow arched.

„Literally anywhere else. This isn't a typical Ramsey environment.” Tiffany laughed softly. Ethan's gaze fell back at her face, studying it as if looking for an answer to a question he wouldn't even dare to ask himself. She noticed the cryptic staring and her cheeks flushed with a tint of red. „What did I do now?”

Ethan was silent for a moment, considering his options. The image of Bryce's hand claiming his intern repeatedly slapped him in the face, leaving him no choice but to surrender to this blind rage.

„So you're Lahela's pain in the ass tonight.” He alleged, his speech stilted and mocking.

„Didn't hear him complaining.” She shrugged, dodging a bullet and pointing her own gun at him, scratching him in defence.

„There is no conclusive evidence to prove that, Rookie. You're standing here annoying me, not him.” The intensity of their stare was hardly appropriate for the place they were in. But they were too absorbed in their interaction to register that.

„What if that was my plan all along?” Tiffany's finger brushed his hand as if by accident when she began to walk away. His eyes followed her every move, focusing on how her hips swayed, lingering on her curves. And then, in the middle of the ballroom, she stopped and looked at Ethan over her shoulder. He swallowed loud, knowing damn well what was about to happen next. She bit her bottom lip, smiled teasingly and continued her walk. For fuck’s sake.

Ethan cursed himself for being such a fool and followed her at a safe distance. She was heading downstairs, like she knew exactly where she was going. Except she didn't. It was an exciting, alcohol-driven improvisation.

A trail of vanilla scent she left behind intoxicated him to the point he failed to notice how far from the party they wandered. Judging by the long corridor they passed through, they possibly entered the hotel wing. They were finally alone. Just the two of them and a meaningful silence punctuated by the violent sound of her heels. They reached a luxorious lounge when Tiffany decided to end the journey. She leaned against a white table, sipping her drink with eyes glued to Ethan.

„Why did you follow me?”

„Why would you want to come here? Wherever we are.” They smiled at each other in agreement – they truly deserved each other. The cheeky grin on Ethan's face quickly disappeared, as he moved next to Tiffany, playing with his glass of champagne.

„I'm simply trying to avoid a very public catastrophe.” The young doctor admitted. She hopped on the table and crossed her legs, letting the material of her dress slip to the side, completely exposing her leg.

„Are you seeing Scalpel Jockey?” The waspishness of his own voice sickened him as much as the fact, that the decision to spit the question out was motivated solely by self-interest.

„Why do you care?” She looked at him staggered.

„I don't.” He responded immediately. His words, as sharp as a knife, cut her deep and she turned away. The look of sadness on her face made him bite his tongue...Only just a second too late.

„Tiffany...” His hand reached her shoulder, but she threw it off. She remained silent for a long moment, her chest moving furiously, face hidden behind her locks. The catastrophe was on its way. When she finally regained her composure, her head angled at Ethan revealing an indignant glare.

„I'm so done with your hot and cold bullshit. You have no right to treat me like this...You rejected me. You made it painfully clear that you're only interested in Doctor Addams.”

„I know, but...”

„You know?” She got up and scoffed at him, taking a step in his direction. „You know, yet you continue this immature act. You're all jealous and possessive, but when it comes to owning it you deny everything.”

„Tiffany, your whole career is at stake here. Why am I the only one thinking about it?” He said through gritted teeth.

„Man the fuck up instead of altering the subject.” She leaned closer, unaware of the consequences, until their faces were merely inches apart.

„What's that supposed to mean?” He knew exactly what she meant. In fact, he knew way too well. Playing dumb, are we?

„Tell me now, Ethan. Right in the eye.” Her voice was filled with pain and frustration as she pointed her finger at her teary eyes. „Tell me you don't care about me.”

„What...” He blinked, utterly disconcerted.

„Tell me I can date and fuck whoever I want.” She's seen him mad before. This was something different. An entire new level of rage crossed his face. He was breathing fire.

„That's enough, Addams.” He pursed his lips and shook his head with eyes closed, as if he was trying to teleport to another dimension just to calm himself down.

„Using my surname won't...”

„Do you really think it's easy for me?” He hissed, interrupting her. „It's not like I've walked into the waiting room the day we met and decided to fall in love with an intern. Nothing of this was my intention.”

Ethan's words made her stand straight. Her face softened, lips slightly parted. They waited in silence for a minute, trying to deal with the surprising turn of events. Ethan felt the need to even his breath, when a blinding revelation downed at him.

„I have feelings for you, Tiffany.” She moved closer, standing between his legs, her hand flicked through his thick hair.

„Yes, you said something about falling in love.”

„Stop it. I know what I said.” He leaned into her touch and put an arm around her waist, a playful smile playing on his lips. She pulled his head closer, letting his chin fall between her breasts.

„I'm not seeing Bryce. I just had to see you green with envy.” Tiffany confessed, caressing his cheek with the back of her hand.

„And that worked extremely well, didn't it?” Ethan arched his brow, his hand traced her curves up and down on the side.

„It did. I think I got what I wanted.” Their eyes were still locked, his baby blues finding safety in the green of her emeralds.

„You might want to revaluate that.”

„Wha...” He didn't let her finish. With a brisk movement he stood up, catching her in his strong arms, and kissed her hungrily.

Tiffany melted into him, staining his lips Russian Red with every kiss. Her arms immediately twined around him as he blindly moved her forward until her back was pinned against the wall. The kiss deepened, making them both dizzy with its intensity. They gasped into each other's mouth while their tongues danced together.

„I see your point now, Doctor.” She mumbled when they finally parted for air. The lipstick printed on Ethan's lips made her chuckle. „How come you look so good in red?”

„I can assure you, it's not as good as your smudged look.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, inhaling her delicious scent.

„Shut up and kiss me.”

She didn't have to tell him twice. He crashed into her again with renewed passion, his hands tugging at the satin of her dress. Never breaking the kiss, she slightly spread her legs and he instantly felt the movement, pressing his body even closer against hers. The rock hard bulge begged for her attention by rubbing on her inner thigh, and she willingly complied. Her hand slipped into his pants and stroked his length teasingly through the fabric of his underwear. He moaned into her lips and gripped her ass, as they continued kissing.

„You're making me crazy, Tiffany. And that dress...” He trailed off, trying to find a proper word that matched with his unholy thoughts.

„You'd like to tear it off, wouldn't you?” The lustful glance followed by a tightened grip was answer enough and it made her grin from ear to ear. „Not so fast.”

She quickly unzipped Ethan's pants, and before he realized, she was on her knees, her slim fingers tracing the waistband of his underwear.

„Tiffany...” He was slack-jawed, unable to move. His mind went off for a split of second. Luckily, he managed to come to his senses before she pulled his pants down. He reached for her shoulders and gently brought her back into his arms.

„Ethan, let me. I want to taste you.” She whispered, cleary disappointed he spoiled the fun. Ethan stared at her in awe, trying to shake off the image of his cock in her mouth.

„No...Not here.” His hand held her jaw and tilted it slightly up. „Someone might walk in on us any minute.”

Then he began kissing her neck with such force, the marks of this shameless encounter will surely bruise her skin. But she didn't mind, she was delirious. Her mouth let out muffled moans as her hands greedily explored his body. The high slit came in handy when her leg was hiking up Ethan's waist and his possessive hand gripped her exposed thigh, sliding his fingers up and down, grabbing her skin, smacking her ass and squeezing it.

„You're mine, Rookie.” He whispered into her ear and sucked the skin behind it. Tiffany moaned loudly, forgetting they were in a public space.

„I'm all yours.” She purred. Ethan smirked, pleased at the response, and moved his lips to meet hers. Their kiss was passionate and urgent, as their tongues fought for dominance. Their bodies were grinding against each other in an unsteady rhythm, desperate to feel skin on skin. „Let's move somewhere private.”

„We need to clean this mess up first.” Ethan took a tissue out of his pocket in order to get rid of the lipstick smudges all over his face.

„It's pointless. I sucked on your lip pretty hard, you’re staying red.”

„Give me the lipstick then.” She burst with laughter and Ethan soon followed.

They did their best attempt at tidying themselves up with the minimal equipment Tiffany carried in her tiny purse. They really did. Was it enough? Probably not. Did they care? Surprisingly, not in the slightest.

„Ethan?” Tiffany took his hand in hers right before they decided they looked decent enough to head back to the ballroom. He laced their fingers together when their gaze met.

„I have feelings for you too.” She coughed up nervously. A very rare beaming smile lit up Ethan's face. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

„I know.”

[yunaffie]

Shu Takumi interview

Several years ago, Official Nintendo Magazine UK (now no longer existent) had an interview with Shu Takumi and it was even on their website. Now their website is no longer around, but I did manage to find the interview on the Wayback Machine and I figured I’d repost it to make it easier to find, as well as give people who haven’t seen it yet the opportunity to do so.

    On the day that Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies is released, Takumi talks to us about his best-loved series

Shu Takumi's most famous creation, Phoenix Wright, is famed for his 'turnabouts'. These whiplash-inducing twists of logic see him step into the unknown in order to seek his client's innocence; he's essentially a chancer, blagging his way to victory. Talk to Takumi, however, and you sense that he leaves nothing to fate. His stories are intricately plotted, his jokes laser-targeted and his heroes full-bodied personalities.

In a medium in which storytelling starts and ends with 'man hates thing, man shoots thing', Takumi is a rare exception to the rule. With his latest yarn, Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney, on the horizon, Associate Editor Matthew Castle was lucky enough to cross-examine one of gaming's definitive voices.

Matthew Castle: Before we start, just for any readers who might not know who you are, could you tell us about your role at Capcom?

Shu Takumi: I'm a director, which means that I propose ideas for new titles, design the games, write the scenarios and direct the projects. In addition, I mutter complaints and, when the intense pressure of an impossible schedule finally gets to me, escape into a fantasy world of my own creation [laughs].

MC: Before developing Ace Attorney you worked on Dino Crisis. How does one go from dinosaur survival horror to virtual courtrooms?

ST: Dino Crisis was the brainchild of my then boss, Resident Evil creator, Shinji Mikami. Working on his projects taught me not only how to make games, but also how to think about them. After Dino Crisis 2 wrapped, Mr Mikami gave me six months in which to create any kind of game I wanted.

I was still pretty wet behind the ears, but as I'd originally joined Capcom with a desire to create mystery and adventure games, this was a huge chance for me to make my mark as a creator. In the end it took a team of seven 10 months to produce the first GBA Ace Attorney title. Having the freedom to create exactly the kind of game I wanted was amazing and it was a real pleasure to work on that project.

MC: Can you remember when the idea of Ace Attorney first came to you? How did your bosses respond to the idea of a lawyer-based adventure game when you first described it to them?

ST: It was in 2000 when Mr Mikami said I could make my own game and my original idea was a fairly typical adventure with a detective as the main character. Most mystery adventures have the player choose from a number of different dialogue options for their character in order to progress the story, but I wanted a new gameplay style that enabled players to deduce for themselves what was happening, rather than just selecting canned responses. I developed this into the concept of facing off against the suspect in a crime and exposing the contradictions in their statements.

I was sure my new idea would be a fun and original take on the genre, so I started to revise the main character, since a detective would be too traditional for such an original concept. I asked myself, "What kind of professional would face off against a suspect and expose their contradictory statements?" The answer, of course, was a lawyer and so the Ace Attorney concept was born.

Incidentally, I wrote the game design document at home during my summer holiday straight after Dino Crisis 2 finished. One day, I got a call from Mr Mikami. Despite having supposedly given me free rein to design whatever I wanted, he warned me off doing a game about courtroom trials!

MC: Ace Attorney paints the police and legal profession in a silly light. Have you ever had feedback from lawyers or policemen about your portrayal of them?

ST: A few years ago I had the opportunity to speak with some police detectives and they told me that their real-life investigations are nowhere near as absurd as those that were depicted in Ace Attorney. I thought to myself, "Well, I had sort-of guessed that already..."

I've never had feedback from any lawyers, but I imagine it would be the same. They'd tell me they don't scream out "Objection!" as vigorously as our characters and I'd think to myself, "Well, I had sort-of guessed that already..."

MC: Every Ace Attorney game is full of great characters, so when you wrote each sequel how did you decide which people to bring back?

ST: The first time a previously featured character returned in a later case was Larry Butz. Phoenix defended him on a murder charge in the very first case of the first game and he showed up later in the same game as a supporting character in the fourth case.

He wasn't originally planned to be a recurring character, however. The schedule for designing and drawing a new character for that case was so tight that there was a serious risk we wouldn't make it in time, so we decided to reuse an existing character simply to save time on asset creation. Thus, Larry made his encore appearance, which ended up being a well-received element of the first game's storyline, so from the second game onwards, we started bringing old characters back intentionally.

How we choose who to bring back is simple: it's usually either characters who are popular with fans, or those I am fond of [laughs].

MC: For all the madness, there's something traditional about the mysteries at the heart of Ace Attorney. Did you draw on any classic crime writers for inspiration?

ST: You could say that there is a mixture of the spilled blood of victims, the guilty tears of killers and the sweat of hard-working detectives flowing through my veins... To put it less graphically, from the time I came across the Sherlock Holmes series as a child, all the way through to my university days, I've been obsessed with reading classic murder mysteries. It's safe to say that Ace Attorney would not exist were it not for Perry Mason.

When writing the cases for the games I've found inspiration in the works of GK Chesterton, Ellery Queen and Anthony Berkeley, to name but a few. And I can't leave out that modern classic of the genre, Columbo.

MC: How hard is it to devise a juicy twist and to hide it from view? In storytelling you often want to obscure the details, but videogame design often requires clarity. Did you find it hard to rectify those two things?

ST: They say that it's harder to create a puzzle than to solve one and that's certainly proved to be the case in my experience. For the first game, with my lack of experience I found it less like a challenging task than a hobby with which I became obsessed.

You need to control the information presented in the game so that there is a single right answer for the player to deduce, but also weave in plenty of initial inconsistencies for them to uncover and our trademark 'turnabout' twists to confound their expectations. This is where reading all those mystery novels in my youth has really paid off.

MC: Having worked on four Ace Attorney games, how did it feel to step away and work on Ghost Trick? Were you nervous to leave that safety bubble?

ST: I first started working on the Ghost Trick concept in 2004, after the completion of the original GBA version of Ace Attorney 3. The third game was supposed to be the last one, but plans changed and I ended up working on the first DS Ace Attorney, which, as you know, was the first Ace Attorney title to be localised and released in the west. My next project after that was Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, so by the time I got around to finishing Ghost Trick it was 2010, six years after I first thought up the concept.

I certainly felt a lot of pressure when making Ghost Trick, as it was a brand new IP and I had just left the Ace Attorney series, but I was grateful for the chance to take on a new challenge.

MC: Ghost Trick featured some incredibly gruesome murder concepts - death by giant roast chicken is my favourite. From where did you draw inspiration for such a huge variety of deaths? Did any not make the cut?

ST: I feel that the most violent way of murdering someone is by directly shooting, stabbing or strangling them, so for Ghost Trick I wanted to have more indirect ways of killing someone, with a darkly comical, more symbolic feeling to them.

Combining this approach with the fact that the Nintendo DS screens are not the largest, or most high-resolution displays out there, it became important to make sure that whatever death we were presenting to the player was visually easy to comprehend. So being crushed to death by some giant object was a perfect fit for our requirements, whether it was under a big rock or a huge roast chicken.

As far as cut ideas, there was going to be a stage where the victim had been crushed by a huge safe that fell from the ceiling, but time restrictions meant the whole stage was cut. I do love having giant objects fall on people, don't I? That's probably the influence of Tom and Jerry on the young Shu Takumi showing through.

MC: More importantly, how did your team react as you presented these death ideas to them. Was anyone worried for your sanity?

ST: Yes, and not only that, but I also made it my goal to cause the team to worry for my sanity whenever I presented an idea, because if they were, it meant it was a good one. I would hear a little voice in my head saying, "You win!" at times like that. The more "You win!" moments one can have in life, the better.

MC: There were nods in Ghost Trick to Ace Attorney - Missile the dog, for example; a character who looked like Wright - do you see the two games as existing in the same universe?

ST: Those are really just coincidences: the guy who looks like Phoenix actually only has the same colour suit on and the dog is not the same breed as Missile, which, coincidentally, is the name of my pet Pomeranian.

Ghost Trick takes place in what is obviously a much more fantastical world than Ace Attorney. You may have noticed that the level backgrounds in Ghost Trick never have any kind of writing in them. This was an intentional design choice to prevent the game's setting from being identifiable as taking place in any particular country or era from the real world.

MC: Could you imagine an Ace Attorney/Ghost Trick crossover? Any deaths that we couldn't prevent by way of possession could then go to trial in a courtroom...

ST: ...or Phoenix Wright could be killed and Sissel could prosecute his killer in court! Whatever form it might take, a crossover between these games is something I would love to see happen.

MC: When you return to Ace Attorney after a period of absence - whether it was to write Apollo Justice or Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney - how easy do you find it to slip back into that world and that writing voice?

ST: Writing for Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney was the first time in several years that I wrote in the voice of Phoenix and Maya, but those characters are so dear to me that I carry them around everywhere in my heart, so it was very easy to pick it up again. It was like a reunion with old friends and was a very pleasurable and nostalgic experience for me.

MC: When you came to write the scenario for Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney, how hard was it to make those two universes gel? Layton's world traditionally dispels the paranormal, while Wright tends to embrace it.

ST: I worked together with Level 5 to develop the world in which the crossover takes place. It took quite a lot of time for both sides to find a setting into which we were happy to place our biggest characters. The starting point for me was when I wondered to myself if one could still use logic to solve a case in a world in which crimes could be committed using magic. I really liked this idea, so it was hard, but fun, work to design the court sections of the game around it.

MC: Putting all diplomacy aside, who would win in a battle of the wits between Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright?

ST: If you ask me, I don't think Phoenix would be able to hold a candle to Layton in a real battle of wits. However, we all know that the hand of fate somehow always manages to bring a 'turnabout' in Nick's fortunes, no matter how sticky the situation, which means, well, sorry, Professor, but you're out of luck!

MC: With Ace Attorney 5 and Ace Attorney Investigations how does it feel to see your characters in the hands of other Capcom employees? We imagine it must be like a parent sending their child to school for the first day.

ST:

That's an apt comparison. I do have mixed feelings about it sometimes. For instance, I was really surprised to see that after we focused on the new character of Apollo in the fourth game, the Dual Destinies team decided to bring Phoenix back. Ultimately, though, having creators other than myself take the helm of the series is a valid choice, as it brings new directions and new story possibilities.

The team on the new game have looked at what the essence of Ace Attorney is, and as long as they can give the fans another great game to enjoy, I'll be happy. After all, the fact that the series is still going over a decade after I made the first game is something I couldn't possibly have imagined in the first place.

MC: Have you seen the Ace Attorney film? If so, what did you think of it? Was it funny to see characters you sketched out all those years ago in the flesh?

ST: I saw it, and I even got to make a little cameo when the film company invited some Capcom staff to visit the set. You can see me briefly in the spectators' gallery in the final court scene.

It was really something to see the story I wrote for the first game brought to life on the big screen by real-life actors.

And those costumes! They were such perfect recreations. The director, Takashi Miike, is an expert at making existing works from other media into entertaining live action films and he did a great job with Ace Attorney. I highly recommend that everyone reading this check it out, if they can.

MC: This interview is part of our 100th edition and we're looking back over some of our magazine highlights. Looking back over your own career, what is your personal highlight to date?

ST: As a creator, the greatest compliment to me is when someone tells me that they played one of my games and enjoyed it. In the course of the press tour for Ghost Trick in 2010, many players from around the world expressed their love of Ace Attorney to me and it's moments like those that make me glad I became a game creator. Also, I'm deeply honoured to have been asked to take part in this special issue and having myself, my team and our work considered a highlight of your magazine's history. I'd like to thank you on behalf of everyone at Capcom. This opportunity is in itself a highlight for us.

MC: Many of our readers are keen to know, what's next for Shu Takumi?

ST: Game projects are a complex balance of so many factors: what I want to make, what players might make of my concept, what Capcom as a company wants from the game, and also broader trends in the gaming industry. My next project is in the preparation stages and I still don't know myself what form it might take by the time it's finished.

Whatever happens, though, I'll be pouring my heart and soul into it and working towards that eternal goal of hearing positive reactions from the players at the end of all the hard work.

[cinful-stories]

Dissection Day (Nico x OC)

This was made as a short-story request for @tykira45 using her MC. The story is set in an AU where the MC Natalie and Nico attend school together. 

Warning: SLIGHTLY NAUGHTY THINGS AHEAD!! Rights to Natalie’s design belong to @tykira45.  

We were told to pick up the metal scalpel, but I didn't do it. We were also told to have the pins in hand. I didn’t do that either. My hands don’t move from my lap, nor do my eyes tear themselves away from the window. It’s raining outside--a torrential downpour. 

“Natalie, please follow directions.” The voice of Professor Daniels swims in my head. It’s muffled, as if I was submerged in water. I nod shyly, pretending to reach for the scalpel. 

Dissection day. It’s an annual event put on by the Academy’s biology department where a different animal is presented to us on a silver lab tray to have its flesh and organs picked apart by vultures wearing googles and gloves in the name of “science”. Each year, the animal of choice is larger and more difficult to dissect, and each year I have a different excuse to stay home. Last year, I abruptly contracted a rare strain of the flu that was so vicious that I had painful blisters all over my face. The year before that, a distant cousin from Albania had mysteriously died, leaving all of his possessions to me, and I had to attend the funeral or I wouldn’t inherit the dowry. This year, I couldn’t come up with anything convincing enough and walked to class with my head hung low and my eyes brimming with tears. 

I always had a profound love of animals. I volunteer at the local animal shelter and help stray dogs and cats find loving homes. A large sum of my weekly allowance is donated to the environmental center for conservation efforts for threatened ecosystems. I never dream of hurting another living thing, and in this moment, I am having an internal battle over dissecting the fetal pig sprawled out before me. 

“Natalie, what did I just tell you to do?” my professor gripes, crossing the room to loom over my lab bench. His glasses slip down the bridge of his nose, and he eyes me like a snake ready to swallow its mouse. 

My voice comes out as a whisper, afraid to draw more attention to myself. “You told me to follow directions.” 

“Very good, now do as I say,” he commands. “I’m only trying to help you.” His hand swipes his brow, coated in slimy perspiration. “I know how to fix this. Nico!” 

My head swivels to a lab bench in the back of the classroom. With his head craned over the pig’s open stomach, Nico Meier, the student with the highest marks in biology class, is focused intently on the task at hand. He had already advanced far beyond our professor’s verbal instructions and was halfway through the dissection. Tufts of strawberry hair flounce as his head pops up. A sweet smile adorns his lips. “Yes, Professor?” he asks, his tone chipper and obedient. 

My heart pounds wildly in my chest. I had spoken with Nico several times but only with formality. My grade is obscenely low in biology, and at the request of Professor Daniels, I meet Nico in the library for tutoring sessions twice a week. He’s always patient with me, guiding me through the lessons at a comfortable pace. When I begin to show an understanding of the concepts he covers, he praises my progress and offers rewards such as going out for ice cream or taking a leisurely stroll around campus. He’s encouraging and easy to converse with, but he only sees me as a peer when I wish he would see me as more. 

Nico steps over, hands behind his back. He grins warmly at me, and I blush, quickly turning my cheek to hide my affection. 

“Nico, you are doing exceptionally well so far, so I will go ahead and give you full marks for this exercise. Instead of finishing your work, I need you to assist Miss Natalie for the remainder of the period. It’s evident that she needs some coaxing,” Professor Daniels sneers, cutting his eyes toward me. 

The young man seats himself next to me. “Sure thing, Professor. I’d be happy to help!” Professor Daniels walks away, satisfied with Nico’s enthusiasm. 

I do not turn to face my new lab partner. I continue to stare down at my hands, twiddling my thumbs in anticipation. I secretly hope that Nico will acknowledge my discomfort and just do the dissection himself without making conversation. 

“Natalie, are you feeling alright?” 

Dammit.

“I-I’m fine, Nico,” I say hastily, averting my gaze. A crack of lightning strikes the courtyard outside, nearly splitting one of the older oak trees closest to the window. It’s much easier to accept that there’s a dead pig in front of me when worrying about getting struck by lightning.  

“Hey,” he replies, his voice gentle next to my ear. I feel the warmth of his hand on my own, still folded in my lap. A fiery blaze of scarlet rises on my face, and I begin to sweat and squirm anxiously. He never made any moves to touch me during our tutoring sessions, but I had always wanted him to. “You can do this, okay? I’ll walk you through the steps and make sure the dissection is as clean and quick as possible. If you need to step out, just let me know.” 

His kindness causes a stirring in the pit of my stomach. I gain the courage to face him and melt at the tenderness in his smile. Small lines tug at the corners of his amber eyes as they squint at me, gleaming like precious rhinestones. I feel my lips moving involuntarily, agreeing to his proposition. 

Nico tells me to grab the scalpel and run it along the center of the pig’s stomach in a straight line. I swallow a lump in my throat. I watch in horror as my hands drive the tiny blade into the lifeless creature’s gullet. The scalpel is dragged downward toward the pig’s tail, and the sour stench of death sterilized by formaldehyde fills the air. I drop the scalpel. It clatters on the tabletop and I plug my nostrils. 

“Eugh--that smell is awful!” I cry, laughing nervously.

“That’s the worst part about dissection day,” Nico jests, unfazed by the stench. “The science wing reeks of chemicals for weeks.” It’s obvious that he’s trying to divert my attention from the disturbing scene. 

I follow the instructions written on the board. The next step was to peel back the flaps of epidermis on either side of the animal and pin them down to the lab tray using dissection pins. I stare down hopelessly at the rift in its stomach. The pinky-gray hue of intestines peeks through. It makes me nauseous. 

My fingers slowly dive into the crevasse. The sensation of the pig’s internal organs touching my glove was unbearably cold. I squeeze my eyes shut as I move the skin and skewer it to the pan. 

“Natalie, look! It’s so cool!” Nico exclaims. I feel his body shift next to mine as he leans over to inspect the pig. “You’ve gotta see this!” 

I open my eyes and peek at the animal and instantly let loose a squeal. Sitting deep within the pig’s abdomen is an unborn pig fetus the size of my fingernail. Nico’s eyes flash, realizing that the scene probably isn't as “cool” to me as it is to him. He quickly unpins the flaps of skin, removing the fetus from sight. 

“Nico, I-I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can do this anymore,” I stammer. I’m ashamed of myself for giving up so early, but I just couldn’t bare to look at the pig’s innards knowing that it had died while pregnant, knowing that two beautiful creatures had to die for “science”. 

There is a flicker of sympathy on his face. He watches me with concerned orbs, searching my soul. 

“What on earth is going on here?” Professor Daniels demands, hurrying over to our lab bench.

I look up at him with sorrow. “I-I’m sorry, Professor, but I can’t. The pig--it’s pregnant--er, was pregnant. I think I need to leave the classroom.”

Our professor glances from Nico to me again. “Get out of your chair. You’re coming with me to the dean’s office. Nico, you may return to your seat. Thank you for trying to help, but I’m afraid she’s a lost cause.” 

I stand from my stool. Every eye in the class is on me but no mouths are moving. Nobody was going to object to sending the tree-hugger to the dean for a reprimand. My feet shuffle behind Professor Daniels, my eyes looking anywhere but the dissected pigs.

“Send me too.”

The pair of us halts abruptly at the sound of Nico’s enraged voice. 

“Pardon me?” Professor Daniels challenges.

Nico rises from the lab bench. “I defied you, Professor. I didn’t help her at all. Send me to the dean’s office too.” His usual sweet smile twists into a nasty scowl.

The professor is stunned. “Don’t be ridiculous, Nico. You’re my best student! There’s no reason to send you with--”

“Then I’ll go myself. I’m not going to stay here and finish your damn dissection when you’re punishing a sweet girl just for not wanting to harm animals. C’mon, Natalie!” 

Nico pushes his way through desks and appalled students. His shoulder gives Professor Daniels a rough shove as he passes by. He grabs my hand tightly, dragging me behind him. I stumble trying to keep up with his brisk pace, the hem of his Academy blazer flowing in his wake. He yanks me haphazardly through the halls, ignoring my complaints of his grip being too tight, until he reaches an unmarked door at the end of the foreign language wing. He pulls the door open and practically tosses me inside, shutting it behind us. 

“Nico, this isn’t the dean’s office. If the professor finds out we’ve--”

The quick movement of his lips cuts my words short. That charming smile, tinged with lust, collides aggressively with my mouth. Hands cup both sides of my face, his body pressing my spine against the wall of the dark closet. I try to push away for breath, but Nico’s lips reign down on me mercilessly. He is unforgiving, sliding a knee between my upper thighs beneath my skirt. He finally breaks away, amber orbs dilated and pulsing in the dark. 

“What was that?” I whisper. My hands are still trapped, smothered between his chest and my stomach. I feel his heart beating like the wild gallop of a stallion. 

He pants, chest heaving. Fingers comb through my dark locks tenderly. “Something I’ve wanted to do since we first started meeting in the library.” His eyes are focused on my lips as if examining them for dissection. “I’m sorry if that wasn’t mutual. I just couldn’t help myself. I’ll stop now if you want me to.”

My heart flutters. This isn’t quite how I imagined my first kiss with Nico would go, but I was immensely glad it was happening. “No, please don’t stop. I liked it.” 

He smirks at me, leaning in once more. “Good,” he murmurs against my mouth. My mouth is claimed by his own. He nibbles my lower lip, tugging it between his teeth. His hands greedily feel the curves of my figure. Those fingers--gentle yet hungry for more--trace across my bared breasts. I am certain that our moans and giggles could be heard all the way back in the biology classroom, but neither of us cared. 

The pair of us spend the remainder of the school day in that closet, exploring each other’s bodies with our hands, mouths, tongues. Nico thoroughly examined my insides, feeling every inch and eliciting sensations I had never experienced before and didn’t want to experience with anyone else. 

Perhaps this year’s dissection day wasn’t so bad after all. 

[justjen523]

Perilous Paradise

Unknown x MC

Series Rating E (18+)

Within the Darkness       Chapter 3    (4 on A3)

“We're here!” The car comes to a stop off of a dirt road in the middle of the woods and I can’t help myself as I crack a half serious joke.

“Yeah....’cause this is definitely not a scene from a horror movie waiting to happen.” I stick my tongue out and he shakes his head while laughing at me.

“See, you are so convinced I want to hurt you but what you don’t understand is, if that was my goal you’d be dead already.”

“So what is your goal Mr. Unknown?”

“I told you several times already, to take you home.”

“Okay and then what?”

“You ask far too many questions. Haven’t you ever heard the phrase, ‘curiosity killed the cat’?”

“Mm. Yeah I have but considering what you are asking of me, I think it’s a fair question to wanna know what I am getting myself into.” His sexy smile and enchanting eyes captivate me as he slowly leans over and captures my lips in a tender and gentle kiss.

“We will live happily ever after my princess doing whatever our hearts desire.” He speaks against my lips before tasting them once more.

“And what does your heart desire Unknown?” He smiles against my lips before nuzzling his cheek against mine. His voice is husky as he speaks quietly near my ear.

“Savoring every inch of the forbidden fruit I fought so hard to bring carefully home.” I gasp as his soft lips travel to my neck and I feel his hot breath against my cool skin.

"G-God what is it about you?” I breathe as my eyes close. I can never get enough of him touching me and that’s dangerous. I can’t say no to him for no other reason than, I simply don’t want to. Everything about him is like a drug. 

After leaving a trail of kisses down my neck to my chest he pulls away smiling wickedly.

“Look how beautiful my girl is when she wants me. You really are mine aren’t you? That’s right, you know you belong to me and I will never let you go. Not ever.” His words should command fear and send me running but for some insane reason I want what he says to be true. I smile shyly as he runs his fingers through my hair before pulling a lock to his lips. He inhales deeply and his eyes close, a deep sound of satisfaction vibrating in his chest. 

“Come, there’s something I want you to see before we return home.” After exiting the vehicle he opens my door surprising me yet again at this walking contradiction of a man. A bad boy gentleman? He’s like every girl’s wet dream. Taking my hand as I exit the car, he leads me through some thick tree’s and underbrush before it empties us out into a clearing. A large and lazy hill with shallow slopes awaits us as we swiftly climb it hand in hand.

“It’s beautiful here.” I say in astonishment. All along the tree-line fireflies dance as the sun finally sets below the horizon. The sound of cicadas can be heard singing as I inhale a lung full of clean fresh air. 

“Come, sit and wait and I’ll show you something wonderful.” Sprawling out on the grass we lay side by side and watch the sky change from brilliant shades of oranges and reds into purples and blues. Eventually the darkness of night engulfs us and without the light pollution from the city, a sky littered with bright and twinkling stars surrounds us. 

“I’ve never seen the sky this beautiful before. Thank you so much for bringing me here.” 

He smiles and continues staring wistfully up at the sky. In the silence that follows I can sense the melancholy that now fills this mysterious man. He sighs before sitting up and from his pocket he takes his flask and drinks deeply from it. 

“Just curious but what is it you’re drinking? The color is...fascinating.” He laughs as he screws the cap back on then tucking it away in his pocket. 

“Didn’t I tell you? I belong to a religious cult and this is our magic Kool-Aid.” The way he chuckles after saying it I can’t help but laugh along with him. He’s impossibly cute though I am sure that’s not the image he is going for. 

He pulls out the remainder of the joint from earlier and is about to light it but stops and turns to me first.

“You mind? If it’s going to bother you-” I sigh internally as I think, ‘_____, what the hell are you doing?‘ I snatch it along with the lighter from his fingers and light it up before taking a huge drag and handing it back to him. His eyes are wide and there’s a surprised yet very pleased grin on his handsome face. I make it about 4.5 seconds before I start coughing so violently I am sure some organs are going to come up with it. He takes a huge drag of his own before comforting me as best he can by rubbing my back.

“Oh Princess, that was brave.” I spare him a glance though my eyes are watering and I am unable to soothe the coughing. He takes another hit never taking his eyes off of me, watching me with a thoroughly enthralled smile. 

“I’m going to warn you now, after a hit like that, you are going to be high as fuck.” He chuckles sympathetically still rubbing my back. After about fifteen minutes of non stop coughing I finally start to stabilize and that’s when I realize my vision is severely blurred. My eyes search for him and when they find him I feel like they are somehow moving faster than my vision will allow. I slowly lift my hand in front of my face studying it a moment before bursting into a fit of hysterical laughter. 

“W-What....is...this?” I barely manage trying to focus on him. Though it’s difficult to see straight I can tell he’s smiling at me. 

“Oh Princess. Hahaha! I’m so sorry.” He’s cracking up at the expression on my face and I am unable to help myself from joining him. 

“It’s amazing.” He says in a sweet tone grinning at me.

“W-What is?” I find forming words kind of a challenge in this state. 

“How you can be this fucking precious.” I giggle and he tossels my hair atop my head playfully sending a strange sensation cascading downward throughout my body.

“Mmmm…….wow. T-That feels...amazing.” My eyes close on their own as the lingering sensation sends pleasant shivers up and down my arms. 

“Yeah, this is a potent Indica strain. I grew it myself at home in our huge garden.”

“Y-You’re...allowed to....grow marijuana?” He chuckles at my innocent question.

“Well, I am pretty sure Savior wouldn’t like it if she knew but, I’m the one who tends the garden so I do whatever I want.”

“T-That’s...somehow not surprising.” I laugh until something he just said actually registers.

“W-Wait did you say Savior?”

“Mm, yeah I did. She is going to love you I know it.”

“Who is she?” I guess I was making a strange face as he blinks in surprise several times before cracking up at me.

“Oh no, don’t worry Princess. It’s not like that. You have nothing to worry about.”

“H-Huh?”

“You’re expression just now.”

“W-What about it?”

“You looked so angry, though I think a better description would be jealous.”

“J-Jealous?! Of her? Wait why, s-should I be?” He can’t help laughing at me and teasing me as I get more and more flustered and unable to properly articulate my frustrations. 

“No beautiful, you’re my only girl.”

“D-Damn right I am!” I suddenly proclaim loudly making him crack up once more at the seriousness with which I announce it.

“H-Hey! Don’t you dare laugh!” I shout at him trying to sound intimidating but fail miserably when I cannot restrain the laughter. I try to swat at him but greatly miss my mark and he pulls me into his arms so I don’t fall over from the force. 

“So naughty! Didn’t you learn your lesson last time?” He chuckles darkly in my ear.

“Mmm....probably not. I just like the w-way your hands feel on my body right now.” God what am I saying?

“Yeah? Do you want me to touch you more?” Wow that’s a loaded question and I am in no state to respond reasonably. 

“Yes.” I state shamelessly. He smirks cupping my cheek before sliding his hand down to lightly grip my chin bringing his lips to mine. I moan into his kiss helpless to resist him. He pulls his fingers lightly down my neck, over my chest making me arch my back into his touch. His hand stops at my naval before he pulls my shirt up exposing my stomach and pressing kisses all over.

“F-Fuck....this feels so....oh my god....” 

“Mmm, your skin is so soft Princess, I want to devour you.”

“G-God go ahead, this is so.....ah! Amazing. W-Why does this....feel so good?”

“Yeah? Tell me what you want me to do?”

“M-More....”

“More?”

“G-God, whatever you want...just...touch me....kiss me....” His hot breath rolls across my skin and a burst of heat shoots straight to my sex making me whimper under his ministrations. While his mouth continues its journey slowly upward, his hand goes right between my legs cupping me there.

“Oh holy fuck. P-Please, don’t tease me...” I grind my hips against his hand and he hums against my skin, dragging his soft lips up my chest. His head buried beneath my shirt traps the heat causing me to feel feverish. 

“Oh I like this. You’re so naughty.” 

“Nmm…..”

“Princess, be careful, if you get me too wound up I’m not going to be able to stop.”

“G-Good! I don’t want you to stop!”

“Haha! Yeah, I know you don’t but, you’re also not in your right frame of mind sweetheart.”

“Hey! I’m fully aware of what we’re doing!”

“Yeah? What do you want? For me to fuck you?”

“Y-Yes. I do.”

“God as much as I want to, I don’t want you to regret it after.”

“I-I won’t!” I protest, desperate to feel him inside me suddenly. The need powerful and consuming. He chuckles against my skin.

“No need to rush this beautiful. I’m not going anywhere.” A frustrated sigh escapes my lips and I sigh dramatically. Discontentment spilling out.

“Oh my, not what you wanted to hear? My girl is so naughty. I’ll be merciful since you’ve been such a good girl for me.” His fingers relinquish my sex and undo the button of my jeans, unzip them and then pull them fluidly from my body,setting them aside. I lift my ass this time to help remove the now sodden panties but he pushes my hips back down to the ground.

“Patience beautiful.” My chest is pounding in anticipation and I pull my hands through my hair splayed out around me in the grass. He then carefully lifts my hips and drapes my legs over his shoulders. Through my panties I feel his tongue drag along the fabric making my mind go numb. I tremble under his touch as he licks up and down torturously slow till I am crying from the bliss of the mixed and heightened sensations.

“S-So..good….” I can barely breathe. I hear him chuckle lowly, clearly pleased at the state I’m in.

“Christ you taste better than fucking ice cream.” He rips the fabric covering my sex pulling it from my body and sticking in his pocket. Fully exposed to him I start to feel shy until his wet, hot muscle glides across my throbbing core causing me to cry out.

“God Unknown!”

“Oh fuck beautiful..let me hear more of that voice. Sing for me.” I’m pretty confident I don’t disappoint. The cries of pleasure and bliss reverberate around us coupled with the lewd sounds from him feasting upon me like a last meal. My fingers twist in his hair and when his tongue plunges within, my body begins to quake at the intensity. 

“Fuck....oh god....Unknown...Unknown!”

“Yeah Princess....gimme more.”

“S-Shit! I’m gonna....”

“Cum for me, I want to drink that delicious nectar.” It was too much, the coil within was too taught and finally snapped sending me into a convulsing mess. I never came so hard in all my life. It stole the air from my lungs and caused giant tears to pool in the corners of my eyes. A string of incomprehensible sounds of gratification echoing in the darkness. 

He growled, clearly pleased as he licked, sucked and drank down my lust for him until I couldn’t take anymore and began to squirm uncomfortably from the sensitivity. When he sat up a glossy sheen covered his lips and chin. He wiped it away with his hand before bringing each finger to his mouth to suck clean.

“Goddamn Princess. You have quite a tasty little snatch don’t you? Mm. I’ll lick your pretty pussy anytime.” He crawled atop me and claimed my mouth hungrily allowing me to feel his hard-on press firmly into my thigh.

“Hey.” I pulled away from the kiss.

“Yeah Princess?”

“You’re fucking amazing.” I breathed. He laughed reclaiming my mouth kissing me deeply and once more stealing my breath away.

“And..” I manage, separating our lips.

“And?” He repeats kissing my nose.

“Why don’t you let me return the favor?”

“Mmm such a naughty girl indeed.” He licks across my lips teasingly before giving me a gorgeous grin.

“Not tonight Princess. Tonight is about you.” He states without room for debate. I go to protest but he presses his index finger to my lips and shakes his head. 

“But....our night is almost over.” I realize in a rather depressing tone.

“It doesn’t have to be.” He takes my hand in his and kisses the back softly, his ethereal looking eyes glowing in the moonlight. My heart is thrumming steadily in my chest and though every ounce of reason screams for me to part ways, he has already claimed my heart and it will not be swayed.

“You were right Unknown. I am your girl. Please, take me home.”

tbc

[owlways-and-forever]

Summary: Lily Evans thought her life would be normal. Well, as normal as it can be for a muggle-born witch in England. But when her boyfriend turns out to be the prince of the wizarding world, and tensions begin to rise among factions of wizarding society, Lily must find her way in situations she never anticipated, and try not to lose sight of her identity. Word Count: 5,301 (37,527) Links: ao3 | FFnet | Tumblr: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 8

A/N: Aha, cheers to another chapter! I know it’s been a while, but if you’ve been watching my activity on AO3 or FFnet, you know that I’ve been taking part in a few writing challenges, so my MCs have been getting a little less attention. But I have finally completed another chapter! This one was hard to write because it was really emotional, but it also felt important to the story. As I write, I keep deciding there are going to be more and more chapters, because there’s more that needs to happen, so I guess the good news is that this story is nowhere close to ending. I’m relying on all of you for feedback and to let me know what you’d think of this story (and weigh in - do you want to see a happy ending, or lots of angst?)! So please please please, leave a review, I live for them! Okay folks, that’s the end of my speech, so without further ado - Chapter 9! Enjoy!

———–

Chapter 9

Lily and James sat at an outdoor table of a little muggle cafe on the outskirts of London. It was a bit risky, sitting outside, anyone could see them, but they were in a pretty heavily muggle area. The odds that they would be spotted by anyone who really knew who they seemed pretty slim. It was exactly why James had chosen this particular quaint cafe for their date.

They were celebrating their first anniversary. For any eighteen-year old couple, it was a pretty significant milestone. But to Lily, it seemed oddly trivial. Given all that they had been through in the past year, and where they both knew their relationship stood, it felt like they had been together for far longer. Or at least that they had reached a level of seriousness that made first anniversaries seem silly and frivolous. And yet James insisted on marking the occasion. He promised no gifts, nothing over the top or crazy, just a simple night out, just the two of them.

It was nice, in a way, to feel like an ordinary couple for a night. No war hanging over their heads, no royal duties interfering, just two young adults having dinner together. The night was going wonderfully - they had a delicious dinner, talking entirely about trivial things, before walking back to Lily’s apartment. It was about a mile, but it was a nice walk, through Clissold Park and Abney Park to Stamford Hill. The sun was going down, which made the walk even prettier than usual, but mostly they were just enjoying being able to stroll hand in hand on a warm autumn evening. The weather was only just starting to change, but the leaves had already begun to fall in a swirl of colour.

As they got closer to her apartment, Lily began to feel the hairs on the back of her neck prickling unpleasantly, and she had the distinct impression that they were being watched. James, however, had no such feeling, and pulled her into the little park on the end of her street. They sat down on one of the benches and Lily immediately snuggled up to James, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“This was really nice,” she whispered, shaking off her misgivings for a moment to soak in how genuinely lovely their date had been. Between the Order and James’ royal life, it was rare now that they got to feel like a normal couple.

“I’m glad you liked it,” James answered, kissing the top of her head and then nuzzling his nose in her hair a bit, breathing in her scent deeply. One hand toyed with the locks of hair splayed out around her shoulder, while the other drifted across her thigh.

Lily revelled in the feeling for a moment before tipping her head to the side. He met her lips with his, breathing deeply as he leaned in to her. It was a lazy kiss, far from the heat and urgency that usually accompanied their rendezvous. Between James’ duties, Lily’s work schedule, and the Order missions, it felt like every time they got together lately was a rush. It wasn’t bad, but they had both missed the intimacy of getting to take their time. Their hands roamed, exploring each other and mapping every inch of skin, dipping beneath fabric and teasing. Before long they were both breathing hard, flushed and wanting more. They needed to get back to Lily’s apartment, very quickly. Lily stood, but James grabbed her hand and pulled her back down onto his lap, his hand grabbing tightly onto her backside. 

“I can’t get up right now,” he whispered, kissing along her neck.

Lily gave him a confused look for a moment before she understood - and felt - what he meant. She laughed lightly, throwing her head back. James promptly dove in to the newly exposed skin at the base of her neck, making Lily gasp and tighten her fingers in his hair.

“James,” she breathed, swatting at him and trying to laugh despite the heady want that was beginning to weigh her down again. “James, stop, this is not going to help anything.”

With great difficulty, Lily managed to extract herself from his lap and stepped away, just out of James’ reach. 

“Come on,” she teased, arching an eyebrow and crooking one finger at him with a wicked smile on her face.

With a vaguely predatory grin, James launched himself off the little bench and wrapped his arms around Lily, attacking her with kisses as she laughed and walking her backward through the park.

Lily wanted to get back to her apartment as fast as possible, and not just so that she and James could be less restrained in their anniversary celebrations. She was getting that niggling feeling in the back of her mind again that they were being watched. She couldn’t shake it, and it made her deeply uncomfortable. No matter how much she looked around, she couldn’t see anybody, but she knew something was amiss. There was someone there.

Lily fumbled with the keys to her apartment building while James continued to pepper her with kisses, and they stumbled through the door together once she had it open. Lily slammed it shut behind immediately, and her body was flooded with a tingling relief. James pressed her against the corridor wall, trailing his lips across her skin and sending electric thrills across every inch of her body.

“Let’s go,” she panted, “upstairs now.”

o . o . o

Lily woke late in the morning and rushed to make it to work on time. She sped out of her apartment without glancing at the newspaper that was sitting on the dining table or stopping for coffee like she usually did. When she got to the hospital, it seemed like people were looking at her funny. It was like they were judging her, or like they’d found out a secret about her.

“Mary!” she hissed when she saw her friend in the hallway, and she grabbed at her arm. “What’s going on? Why is everyone staring at me?”

“No one’s staring at you,” Mary insisted, but she wouldn’t make eye contact, and Lily could see her cheeks turning pink. Alice was watching from behind her, fingers skimming over a patient’s chart.

“Please don’t lie to me,” Lily pleaded, squeezing her friend’s hand.

With a huff, Alice snatched something off a nearby nurse’s desk and thrust it into Lily’s hands. Lily turned the magazine over in her hands, her heart pounding, and she felt her stomach sink as she took in the cover. Several pictures of her - and James - were spread across it, along with the title “Working Girl”, like she was prostitute and not a nurse. She felt anger boiling in her gut, and a ferocious pink tinge rising across her skin.

“What the fuck is this?” she spat.

“It gets worse,” Mary winced, worry creeping across her features.

Lily flipped open the magazine to find an array of pictures from the night before, all somewhat compromising. Her sitting on James’ lap with his hands on her ass and her thigh, pressing kisses into her neck. The two of them kissing in the park with wandering hands and a little too much urgency and a little too little space between them. And a picture of James pressing against her from behind as she fumbled with the keys to her apartment, his hands nowhere even remotely decent. The pictures horrified her, knowing how they looked and knowing that - given what they had done immediately after getting back to her apartment - they image they presented wasn’t entirely inaccurate… she didn’t know what was worse. But the idea of the entire wizarding world knowing far more about her sex life than she would like was positively mortifying.

She shut the magazine, hoping that it would erase some of the horror from her mind, but her eyes fixed on a new detail. Lily Evans starts a new job at St Mungo’s - her coworkers tell all! The words leapt out at her, a fresh horror.

“Who talked to Rita Skeeter?” she hissed, practically shaking with anger.

“I don’t know,” Mary said, tentatively reaching out, but Lily shifted away. “She only lists anonymous sources, but it’s all vile, so to be honest she probably made it all up.”

“It’s bad?” Lily asked, feeling betrayed and hurt as well as angry. She really shouldn’t have expected anything else - if people raved about what a good coworker she was, it wouldn’t be much of a story - but she still felt blindsided. She thought everyone liked her. At the very least, she thought there wasn’t anyone who disliked her. “What does it say?”

“It - it says…” Mary couldn’t seem to bring herself to repeat the things that were written.

“It says that you’re late all the time, that you bail out on shifts to sneak out with James, that you put your relationship ahead of patients,” Alice said, sounding exasperated. “It’s all lies, Lily, but if we stand here and keep talking about this stupid article instead of getting to work, then it won’t be lies anymore, so get your ass moving.”

Lily nodded and took a deep breath, trying to collect herself and ignore the stares of everyone around her. It was good practice for the rest of her life, she realized. This is what life with James would be like. An eternity of ignoring the way everyone else looked at her, of people hating her on the basis of made up rumours. So it was time to get used to it. Better now than later. She pulled her hair back and twisted into a knot, throwing the magazine in a rubbish bin in the process. 

Lily desperately wanted the rest of her day to be normal. She needed it, really. But every time she managed to get the article’s words out of her head, she would catch a patient staring at her, or one of the other nurses. She honestly didn’t know which was worse. But when sweet old Mrs. Magelin asked her about her relationship and said she thought Lily would make a wonderful princess, as long as she could stay out of the newspapers, it took everything she had not to cry then and there.

By the time she left the hospital that night, the street outside of the hospital had turned into a photography studio. It was impossible to get in or out without triggering the sounds of snapping shutters and flashing lights. Lily ducked her head and powered through the crowd, ignoring the paparazzi jogging down the street to keep getting photos. She usually walked home from the hospital, but she only made it two blocks before deciding that it wasn’t an option tonight, so she turned down an alley and quickly apparated to the foyer of her apartment building. It was strongly discouraged to apparate into or out of the inside of the building, but Lily felt sure that in this case, the landlord would make an exception. She sped up to her apartment and pulled the curtains closed immediately, glimpsing the crew of photographers waiting outside for her.

“Lily?” Fabian asked, poking his head out of the room he practically shared with Mary. “Are you okay?”

Lily couldn’t answer, just collapsing on the couch in a heap of sobs. Fabian sat next to her on the couch, pulling her into a close hug. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the silver cloudiness of Fabian’s Abraxan patronus. Barely twenty minutes later, James was at their door, immediately sliding into Fabian’s place beside her and whispering soothing words as he stroked her hair until she fell asleep.

It became a daily thing, and Lily absolutely hated it. They were waiting for her, even the slightest glimpse of her, and there was little she could do to stop it. The photographers followed her around wherever they could, plagued by some sick need to get pictures of every single thing she did. It was like the country had become infatuated with her, intent on watching her during all hours of the day. Only it wasn’t a good kind of infatuation - if such a thing existed. It was more like a desire to watch her try so hard and then fail. It was like the entire country was waiting with bated breath to see if James would decide she was not princess material and walk away. 

Without fail, pictures of her graced the covers of newspapers and magazines at least once a week. Even more frequently, she was sure they were mixed in the inner pages, but she couldn’t even stand to flip through anything anymore. Any time she and James did anything, it was front and center on every newsstand and in every supermarket. People wondered whether they would spend Christmas together, and then speculated on the status of their relationship when she was seen taking the train back to Cokeworth. When her birthday rolled around, James tried to take her out for a nice dinner to celebrate, but they were so mobbed that they ended up just going back to her apartment, and it was the worst birthday she’d had in probably her whole life. She felt like she was losing her grip on reality because she could barely read the headlines of the newspapers anymore, let alone any actual articles. 

She didn’t miss the whispering and the staring either. She knew that some of her colleagues didn’t like her, or at least they didn’t approve of a Muggleborn witch dating the future king, and she saw every time they exchanged significant looks with a patient. Looks that said that’s her, and isn’t she unworthy. Every day, she felt like she was suffocating in disapproval. She tried everything she could to relieve some pressure, even letting Marlene take her out for a night of getting absolutely trashed and dancing with anyone she met because according to Marlene, she needed to remember who she was for a night and forget about being this person who was in a relationship with a prince. She needed to be just a regular nineteen year old for a little while. 

But the next day, Lily picked up the morning’s edition of the Daily Prophet, only to find a photograph of herself plastered across the front, taking up nearly the entire page. As wizarding photos were wont to do, it moved, a disturbing cycle of a car door opening, and Lily twisting to get out, unintentionally flashing her knickers as she moved, all the while her face bore the expression of a deer in headlights. She nearly vomited on the floor of the hallway as she read the title.

LOVELY LILY DISPLAYS A LOVE OF LACE

She remembered the moment vaguely, as they arrived at the third club of the night. Lily had been fairly drunk already, and it showed in the picture. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright and unfocused. She remembered feeling shocked that the paparazzi had found them, and wondering how they knew where to look for her. But then Marlene had ushered her into the club, forced two shots into her hands, and then pulled her out onto the dance floor, and Lily had forgotten all about it.

There was a knock on the apartment door and Lily crossed the apartment to open it. It must have been the cab driver, she mused to herself as she walked. He must have tipped off the press as to where he was taking them, he’d put the window up, they never would have known. Lily opened the door to find James standing there, concern written across his face.

“I saw the papers this morning, are you okay?” he asked immediately, pushing his way into the apartment.

Lily rubbed her head and snatched up the hangover potion that Mary had left on the counter of the kitchenette. 

“Okay, I know you’re probably not okay, but like, on a scale of 1 to 10…?” he continued, looking at her wearily.

Suddenly, something inside Lily snapped. Maybe the hangover potion was working quickly, or maybe she was waking up more fully, or maybe what happened was really setting in. It didn’t matter, but Lily felt anger welling up within her.

“I can’t take this anymore, James!” Lily shouted, losing all grasp on her temper. “It’s too much! Being followed all the time, and photographed in my knickers… merlin, what is everyone’s preoccupation with seeing me in my pants?”

“Well I quite enjoy - ”

Lily flashed him a look that told him it was most definitely not the time for a joke, and if he finished that sentence he would be in a great deal of trouble.

“Lily, I’m sorry, I really am,” James said sincerely, reaching out to place his hands on her arms. “I don’t know what you want me to do to fix it though. I don’t have control over them.”

She sat down on the bed, dropping her face into her palms as she struggled to hold back the tears. In all the conversations they had had about their relationship, they had never really talked about this. Sure, they had talked about having less privacy, but mostly as it pertained to parenthood. And even when they had discussed the issue regarding just themselves, they never talked about it like this. This was different, this wasn’t just chipping away at her privacy, this was malicious invasion. The entirety of the journalistic world wanted her to fail, and they wanted to catch it on camera when she did. It was positively draining.

“James, I don’t know if I can do this,” Lily sighed, pressing the heels of her hands into her brows. 

“What does that mean?” he asked quietly, stepping back.

“I don’t know, James, I don’t know what it means, but this is exhausting,” she said, close to tears. “I just don’t think I can live my life like this.”

“Lily, this is what my life is like, this is how it works,” James said, a sense of betrayal flooding him. 

“No, James, it’s not,” she said, lifting her head to look at him. “Your life is the media loving you, and praising everything that you do, not them trying to get pictures of you flashing your knickers. They love you, okay? They love you, and they hate me, and that’s it. That’s all there is to it, and I don’t know if I can deal with that for the rest of my life.”

“They won’t hate you forever,” James insisted. “They just don’t know you, and they don’t know if you’re just some fling or my future wife, and while it doesn’t excuse the way they’re treating you, it’s just because they don’t know what to make of you right now. But eventually we’ll get married and things will be better, I promise. Once you start doing public engagements and the press gets a better sense of who you are, things will be better.”

“So you’re saying I just have to live with it until we’re married and they decide on a whim that they like me,” Lily hissed, annoyed by his lack of initiative. How could he be alright with this treatment? Didn’t he care about the toll it was taking on her?

“I don’t know what you want me to do, Lily,” James huffed, starting to get impatient.

“Anything!” she yelled. “Anything would be better than just telling me to deal with it for god knows how long!”

“The only thing I can do is marry you!” he burst. “Do you want me to marry you, ‘cause I will, Lily, I’ll marry you today if it’ll make things better, I swear.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lily said, casting his suggestion off without a second thought.

“I’m not,” James insisted. “We decided a while ago that this is what we were going to do, so really waiting is just a formality, so if it’ll make things better for you, then let’s just take the next step, okay?”

“No.” She leaned away from his, trying to read his expression and seeing the desperation that was written plainly across his features. “James, that’s not the right reason to get married. We can’t take the next step just because it might relieve some of the pressure, that’s not right.”

“Okay,” James agreed, but Lily thought she saw a flash of disappointment. “I don’t know what else I can do though.”

“I know,” Lily sighed. “We’ll figure something out.”

o . o . o

James stormed into his father’s office, the heavy double doors slowly slamming shut behind him. The King barely looked up from his desk as James strode purposefully across the ornate carpet, smacking his hands down on the desk’s mahogany surface.

“You have to do something,” James demanded.

“And what exactly is it that I must do?” the King replied, not entirely engaged in what his son was saying.

“About Lily and the press, you have to do something to stop them from hounding her,” James explained.

“There’s nothing I can do, son, I’m sorry,”  King Fleamont said, finally looking up at James.

“That’s not true!” James burst. “They leave us alone, for the most part. They don’t camp outside the Palace or follow us every minute of the day.”

“We’re not mysterious to them.”

“I know it’s not just that Papa,” James said, shaking his head. “I know its more than that, we have rules and barriers and there’s a line that they know not to cross, and I want that for her.”

King Fleamont sighed heavily. “We do have certain protections from the media, an agreement set in place, if you will. But we can’t extend it to Lily, she’s not a member of the Royal Family. We can’t just start making anyone we want to off limits.”

“But they aren’t like this with our other friends or anyone else,” James groaned. 

“She’s something novel for them, James,” his father replied. “They don’t know anything about her or your relationship or how serious the two of you are. The people are curious, but eventually that will abate.”

“They’re tormenting her, Papa, it’s a nightmare.” 

“I’ll think on it,” the King conceded. “I’ll see if there’s anything we can do to help her out, but James… I wouldn’t have high hopes if I were you that anything will change unless you decide to meet her at the altar.”

James swept out of his father’s office, making his way back to his own rooms. But once he was there, he realized he felt suffocated by the plush velvet and the ornate tapestries. It was all too much, too decadent and lavish, and he couldn’t take it. He had to get out, get away, be just a regular person for a change. He pulled on his Muggle clothing, grabbing a soft beanie and his glasses and darting out of the Palace. There were a few secret tunnels - all guarded - that would lead him into London, and then he could apparate wherever he wanted to go. 

For a moment, he was lost in all the possibilities, without any concept of where he wanted to be. He roamed through the park for a little while, and then ambled down some side streets, stopping into a Muggle pub for a beer - or three. But ultimately, he apparated to the little foyer of Lily’s apartment building (they had gotten permission from the landlord for the two of them to do that whenever needed weeks earlier). He needed to be in her arms. Most of all, he needed not to think for a little while.

Alice opened the door for him, and he gave her a cursory hello while making a beeline for Lily’s room, just barely knocking before he let himself in. She was curled up in her bed with a book, looking somber but at least not crying. He desperately needed her not to be upset tonight. He stood at the end of her bed, half wanting to jump in with her, but also feeling too antsy to lie down. Lily scooted to the edge of the bed as she looked at him carefully, and then stood and reached out to touch his cheek.

“James, what -?” she began to ask, obviously confused and a little bit worried, but he cut off her question with a kiss, desperate and sloppy.

Lily dropped her book to the floor, reaching her hands up around James’ neck and burying her hands in his hair. Apparently she needed not to think as much as he did. His fingers slipped under her top and lifted the silk fabric over her head, only pulling away from her long enough for the garment to clear her face. Lily immediately drew her hands down to his chest, fingers working swiftly at the buttons of his shirt. James’ hands found their way to her ass, grabbing hold and pulling her hips tightly against his so she could feel every inch of him. He nipped at her jawline and her neck, savouring the little gasps they elicited from Lily as he walked her backward until her spine met the wall, and she stripped them both down to their underwear in the process. Lily hitched one leg up against James’ hip and he ran his over the creamy skin of her thigh, and it was all the invitation he needed to discard what little remained of their clothing.

In the morning, James kissed Lily on the forehead and scribbled a note before letting himself out of the apartment. It was still dark outside, but he was scheduled to be at an important lunchtime meeting, and he would need time to get back to the Palace and prepare. 

Breakfast was laid out on the dining table in his apartment as soon as he walked in, and an owl had clearly already delivered the morning paper. James sat down and assembled a full breakfast of toast and beans and bacon and even a few bangers on the side. The perfect fuel for a long and likely dull day. Only when he was set with coffee and tucking into his breakfast did he pull the newspaper over.

James stared at the newspaper in horror. This was his worst nightmare. It was everything he had been brought up to avoid. Scandals were the death of the monarchy; if he lost the respect of his people, he lost everything. They would see this and think he was some kind of depraved lunatic, or a cuckold, or… he didn’t want to keep thinking about that. And Lily - she must be mortified. To have her personal life, not to mention her body, laid out so publicly and immortally must be horrifying for her. And she had already been upset with the level of invasion she had been suffering. He wondered if this would be the thing that triggered her to walk away from all of it, from him. He had to have a plan ready before he talked to her, something he knew he could pull off to help her. James snatched up a quill and parchment and began to scribble out a statement.

Prince James and Miss Lily Evans kindly request that their privacy be respected as individuals. While the Prince understands that, as a member of the Royal Family, he is a public figure and attracts a great deal of curiosity and attention. Miss Evans, however, is a private citizen, and deserves the same level of respect, courtesy, and dignity as every other citizen. We ask that everyone abide by the follow guidelines:

Please do not loiter outside Miss Evans’ apartment or workplace in the hopes of seeing and/or photographing her.

Please note that any sources publishing dematatory stories about Miss Evans will face legal action.

Please be conscious of the toll that commentary on Miss Evans’ body, fashion choices, and in any way about her physical person, take on her mental wellbeing.

Prince James and Miss Evans will strive to include the public in their relationship to the extent that they feel it proper, following both prior protocols and precedents as well as their own wishes and beliefs. The Royal Family feels confident that this will be satisfactory for the public, and asks all our citizens to offer this young couple support and privacy.

Thank you.

Queen Euphemia & King Fleamont

Without hesitation, James marched through his apartment and over to his father’s office, not bothering to knock before pushing the door open. He slapped both the newspaper and the parchment down on the desk. The King raised an eyebrow at his son, wordlessly inviting an explanation.

“This is what I want you to say,” James stated boldly, his hand still resting on the parchment as he leaned over the desk. “This is the statement I want you to release.”

“You’re sure?” King Fleamont asked, after reading it over quickly.

James nodded. He had never been more sure of anything.

“It may not help,” the King replied. “It might make things worse.”

“It might,” James admitted, understanding that there was a very real possibility that his efforts would backfire. “But I can’t do nothing anymore, so it’s better than that.”

“Okay.” 

The King flicked his wand at the statement, and it rolled into a coil, zipping its own way down the hall to the media office. From there, James knew, it would be presented in due course, with all royal announcements.

“James,” the King said, fixing his son with a stern expression over the top of his reading glasses, “scandals like this cannot happen, you know that. Your mother will want to talk to you over dinner. For now, I would advise you to go talk to Miss Evans and make sure she’s alright with this. You’ll have a few hours before the announcement is made public.”

James nodded and let himself out. This would work, it had to work.