#multi-family residences

[nnctales]

A Technical Exploration of Diverse Housing Structures in Civil Engineering

Introduction: In the realm of civil engineering, the design and construction of various types of houses encompass a myriad of structural considerations, each tailored to meet specific needs, environmental conditions, and aesthetic preferences. This article delves into the technical aspects of different housing structures, providing insights into the engineering principles that underpin their…

[mochinomnoms]

In regard to interspecies romance

Humans have a fairly easy time pursuing the other species in Twisted Wonderland, though there are exceptions to that rule.

multi (separate) x reader [wc] - 2,252 [note] - one of the first things i ever wrote, though i never posted cause i didnt edit it. thought i would anyways cause its kinda cute. Edited 12/14/23 to add a readmore

Despite their animal like tendencies and courting methods, it's incredibly common to see human-beastmen couples and families. Perhaps it's due to how similar their behaviors are to their animal counterparts, but humans are fond of how beastmen flirt and display affection. Beastmen are offended by the comparison, but it's hard to deny how similar, and cute, they are to the common wolf, hyena, or lion.

Wolf and other canine beastmen enjoy being close to their mates. They like to be physically affectionate, almost playful with their partners. They'll nuzzle into the crook of their neck—no matter how much bigger they are compared to their human—lean against them when they walk, and will happily be by their beloved's sided at all times. Furthermore, they primarily show their effectiveness as partners by being great providers, regardless of gender, and showing off how tight-knit their packs are. After all, family is very important to them, and they'll expect to have one, no matter how big or small, with their partner in the future.

If you catch Ruggie trying to slyly and smoothly place a hand on the small of you back when moving through crowds, no you don't. If a person notices Jack momentarily grabbing (gingerly, mind you) your sides as he slips behind you to reach the potion ingredient on the shelf above you, don't mention how his touch lingers ever so slightly. Maybe take it with a grain of salt when Jack tries to invite you to visit his family over break, as friends, of course. And when Ruggie brags to you about how well he watched over the neighborhood kids growing up, how he'd make for a great family man, it's all hypothetical.

Feline beastmen are more reserved in their affections in public, especially compared to canines, and even more so for lion beastmen. It's more common for them to show affection in more subtle manners, such as buying their partner's food and drinks without being asked, going out of their way to help them when they're struggling at school or work, and are able to spend hours just in their general vicinity. As long as their beloved is around, they're happy. In private, though, expect to have their entire body draped over them, weight and all, shoved into their personal space to the point that it becomes a foreign concept. Leona embodies this to his entire core, too prideful to perform PDA, but just prideful enough that he knows he can take up all your time and space with no consequence. Unless that consequence is your love and affection, which he supposes he could suffer through if you hear him purring, don't point it out.

All lion beastmen hold their pride close to their heart (no matter how much a certain prince would deny it) and their partner is no exception. Their pride is an intrinsically developed social network made of an extended, but closed family network. It requires all new partners to be carefully and slowly introduced to the rest of the pride, more so in Leona's case due to the royal family being traditionally made up of Sunset Savana nobility. You won't be the first non-beastmen, but are the first foreigner in a very long time to be introduced. Don't worry, though, Leona is nothing if not patient, and his family are just happy to know that he's found someone.

On the other end of the spectrum, however, are human-fae relations. Uncommon, though not for a lack of trying on humans' parts, due to most of the fairfolk residing in the isolated Briar Valley. The complicated history between the two species, ancient to humans but still relatively fresh for fae, doesn't help either. There's also the unfortunate consequence of humankind's rather short lifespans compared to the average 1,000-year lifespan of the fae. Unless the fae is in their final hundred or so years, they'll almost always outlive their partner without magical interference.

It's not impossible though, and as younger fairfolk leave the valley to explore the world, more marriages have resulted in half-fae children, both human and beastmen. As partners, fae are devoted to the health and safety of their loved ones. Increasing tenfold into nearly coddling territory with non-fae. Compared to them, their humans and beastmen are awfully fragile and naive, and require their protection. This can cause animosity between them, however, and only fae that are willing to learn and change their old ways result in happy, long-lived marriages.

They're also generally known to have lengthy courting methods: not dating, that implies something casual, no they court. Once they've established interest in you, their end goal is marriage, no ifs, ands, or buts. Fairfolk are generous with gifting during courtship: all gifts are about an equal-exchange and your acceptance of their gifts is a reciprocation of their feelings. At the end of the courtship, you can expect a small feast to be displayed at a ceremony held between their and your family. This is an especially important ceremony when courting humans and beastmen: fairy food can often cause lasting damages to those that consume it without permission. By offering their food to you and your kin, they are welcoming you into their world and telling you that they will never intentionally bestow harm to you or your kin. If you choose to accept the food, then you agree to do the same til the end of your days.

Lilia is a strange case, having already lived a long life and being well traveled, a gleeful participant in the strange customs and traditions of humans and beastmen. He'd much rather participate in other's dating and courtship rituals than his own people's. It's fascinating how fleeting the process can be, yet it can result in everlasting devotion. Don't mistake his flexible nature for disinterest, however. He's still a fae, and if you start finding silly little knickknacks of his on their desk, you can expect to never be rid of him.

The Draconia family-line is steadfast in their traditions, even if Lilia raised the latest prince. So don't expect anything other than the previously explained rituals from Malleus, even if you're not aware of them. Taking gems, jewelry, and clothing made of the finest material you'll ever lay hands from his hoard means little to him if it means you'll accept the gift (and him). Even if you aren't aware of how courtship works, the moment you pick up the black ring with the big oval emerald and Briar Valley crest, you're practically engaged in his eyes.

The courtship is long, even for Malleus who was one step away at every turn to skip over the entire thing in favor of just eloping. All for the person who decided that the great and terrifying Malleus Draconia was actually just a simple Mr. Hornton, a friend, companion who just wanted someone to stay by his side. If it means calling you his spouse, his fellow ruler, and the only love of his life even a moment sooner, then he'd be willing to throw tradition and ritual out of the very tall tower window just to do so.

Many years later, when you reminiscing how the two of you first met, and how long it took you to notice his feelings, you'll offhandedly mention the random gifts you found at your doorstep. How you wish you knew who was leaving those precious stones and golden amulets with no indication on who the admirer was. Upon further questioning, you'll tell him that you didn't even know you were being courted until two months into the ritual. It'll then click in Malleus's mind how utterly lucky he was that the two of you even got together in the first place.

It may be surprising, but human-mer relations have been extraordinarily rare. Only a handful of them have popped up since the times of the Sea Princess, who left her home for a human prince. In fact, you could probably count them on one hand! Perhaps this is due to the difficulties of having a romance between land dwellers and undersea folk; after all, it's much easier for humans, fae, and beastmen to interact when they all live on land. Merfolk can come up to the surface, and have been doing moreso in the last century, but having a relationship with someone who quite literally could not breathe in the same air/water as you is near impossible. At least, not without significant effort on one or the other's part.

Nearly all the human-mer romances that have occurred in history resulted in either one or the other abandoning their home to turn into a human/mer and live the rest of their days with their love in their new world. Certainly a romantic notion to be sure, but it most definitely require their love to be truly eternal. Or else you might run the risk of resentment brewing between the two. With a slowly growing need to easy access transformation potions and spells for business and diplomatic reasons, such romance is not far from reach, at least for those with money to spare. The next issue though would be the significant difference between land dweller and undersea folk's courting methods.

Perhaps it can be contributed to the more...feral nature of merfolk. Most of them still retain more animalistic features and behaviors than the average beastman. The twins are no exception to this. Even if you were to remove their claws, mucus covered skin, and 6-ft tail, you're still left with eyes suited for a deep-sea predator, nose that can smell the tiniest drop of blood in a pool, and rows of razor sharp teeth begging to bite down on your neck. The deep-sea is not only cold, but quite ruthless. So, it'll probably come as no surprise that moray eels will prove themselves as suitable partners by fighting either their competitors or you. If they can prove that they can hold their own, protect you from the horrors of the deep, then they have the right to go for your heart. That's not to say softer sentiments don't exist, and while similar the twins are still two separate people with different tastes. These tastes show during courting, though mers have a more casual date-like ritual.

Like fae, merfolk court via gifts, particularly handmade or ones they found themselves, and Floyd is awfully fond if gifting you the strangest things. A tooth that was knocked out from the student who shoved you a little too hard, a rock you tripped over in P.E., or a sand dollar he found on a trip to the beach were a few of the many items he gave you. Jade is similar, though he's more fond of making his own gifts. A necklace made of seashells found at the beach you had your first date in, a terrarium he made from plants that remind him of you, but your favorite was the small garden he started tending to on your kitchen windowsill. Breakfast was particularly delicious when made with his fresh mushrooms. Expect soon after the gifts lots of physical affection, public and private.

Don't be mistaken, they'll still bully you. But each of Floyd's bone-crushing hugs will be accompanied by a soft headbump from his forehead to yours. Jade's teasing, mean remarks will follow with a swift, sweet peck to your knuckles. They'll grab your notebook and hold it above their head until you agree to give them a kiss or punch them in the stomach, both are acceptable responses. Be a little mean back, they like the idea of a sweet and cute little human that can throw a punch. Your their sweet little human, and you make life in the deep exciting. Just don't ask about their flushed face every time they see you yawn, they aren't quite ready to explain that one yet.

Azul intensely studied a variety of topics before coming to land, even briefly glossing over dating, romance, and marriage before deciding he wouldn't need it anytime soon. He regretted that soon after meeting you, though he made do with what he knew. And what he knew as food. A combination of octo-mer courtship and being the son of a cook, Azul will discreetly court you by personally cooking and feeding you your favorite meals. It's the result of the dangers of ancient octo-mers eating their spouses after mating. Afterall you can't eat more if your already full. While not something they have to worry about now, it's an old ritual still used today, Azul has hear the way to a person's heart is their stomach and can wholeheartedly agree.

What's surprised you the most was what followed after, especially for someone as physically reserved as Azul: octo-mers are extremely clingy and affectionate. He doesn't have the heart to do anything more than handholding and chaste kisses to your cheeks in public, but he yearns to wrap all 8 tentacles and two arms around you so tightly that your gasping for a breath that he steals with his lips. He won't mention it, but he can taste the salt from your skin and the pulse from your wrists with his suckers. Take it from someone who grew up with a refined palate, he thinks your taste is equivalent to ambrosia from the gods, though that might be the lovesickness speaking.

i have a hard time writing savanaclaw for some reason, but imma working on it now! also tagging for all the guys is stressful idk what i should enter, like fullname or just first name idk man!! pls reblog and comment! lmk what you time, xoxo

[theneighborhoodsave]

V1: Willow Creek + Magnolia Promenade 🏠

The Neighborhood is a CC-free save file that explores the concept of home. V1 celebrates the vibrant communities of the U.S. Gulf Coast. ❤️

This is what comes in V1:

13 community lots

22 total residences (includes 3 multi-family rental lots, 9 single family homes)

New High School & Auditorium in Copperdale (+8 school staff townies)

Secret lot (Sylvan Glade) reimagined

17 unique households with skills, jobs, relationships, and stories that tie into the town

New clubs and holidays

Download, screenshots & more info below ↪

The wonderful Ly family in Willow Creek was lovingly created for the save by @cowplant-snacks. All other neighbors were made by me, you can meet all of them here! Pets are from Pugowned, misc. townies from @cowplant-snacks and @simsontherope on the gallery.

There's lots of little details and things to explore, both around the world and relationship wise, so I'm excited to see what y'all uncover. Please feel free to @theneighborhoodsave in your posts or tag #theneighborhoodsave. I'd love to see what your sims are up to!

I also want to say thank you to anyone who's appreciated this creative journey with me. This save feels like home to me and y'all have supported me every step of the way!

Download the The Neighborhood save on SFS

Alt: Google Drive

The save is 100% CC free! Please note that I do have all expansions, packs, and kits (except for Castle Estate, Goth Galore + Crystal Creations.) For any items you don't own the game will try to auto find replacements for those items. The file is mostly blank this time around but does include the original EA builds in university and vacation type worlds (sans Granite Falls.)

Included is a folder of completely optional skin details/eyelashes for the neighbor sims. Thank you to @faaeish, @pyxiidis, @tamo-sim, and @landgraabbed! There are 4 pieces of CC I cannot include in the folder due to creator TOU. Please check the included "Read Me" file for more information.

All builds and families are up on the gallery (@sweetbeagaming) + tray files have been shared here.

If you've never used a save file and need help installing it, I highly recommend this tutorial by @leeleebsimming.

⚠️ A couple of disclaimers here due to some existing EA bugs. EDIT 4/25: Included in that link are directions on how to avoid TOOL'd items from disappearing. If you want to keep powerlines and such please check this out! ⚠️

Everything was tested to work around these, but I wanted to put them out there as an FYI.

TOU: Please don't reupload my save/builds/sims, claim as your own, and absolutely do not paywall them. Other than that feel free to build your own Neighborhood stories however you'd like!

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #34

Sep 13-20 2024.

President Biden announced $1.3 billion in new funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The Biden-Harris Administration has already invested a record breaking $17 billion in HBCUs since the President took office. HBCUs represent an important engine for making black professionals. 40% of all Black engineers, 50% of all Black teachers, 70% of all Black doctors and dentists, 80% of all Black judges, and the first black Vice-President, Kamala Harris, are HBCU graduates. HBCUs have also been proven to be far better at boosting the long term economic prospects of graduates than non-HBCU colleges. The bulk of the new funding will go directly to supporting students and helping them pay for college.

The Department of Transportation celebrated 60,000 infrastructure projects funding by the Biden-Harris Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This landmark is a part of the Biden-Harris team's effort to address America's long neglected infrastructure. From major multi-state projects to small town railway crossings every project was lead by a local community in need not a make-work project dreamed up in Washington

The Department of Energy announced over 3 billion dollars to support the battery sector. The 25 projects across 14 states will help support over 12,000 jobs. Advanced battery technology is key to the shift to a carbon energy free economy. The move is meant to not only boost battery production but also shift it away from China and toward America.

Maine and Rhode Island both launched a partnership with the federal government to help save low income families money on their utility bills. The program offers low and moderate income households aid in updating wiring, switching to energy efficient appliances, and installing heat pumps.

The EPA announced $156 million to help bring solar power to low-income New Mexico residents. This is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s "Solar for All" project aimed at helping low-income people afford the switch over to solar power. It's expected that 21,750 low-income households in New Mexico will benefit from the money. New Mexicans can expect to save over the next 20 years $311 million in energy costs.

The Department of The Interior announced the first ever leases for wind power in the Gulf of Maine. The leases for 8 areas off the coast of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine will be sold in late October. The Department believes that once developed the wind power from these leases could produce 13 gigawatts of clean offshore wind energy, enough to power 4.5 million homes. When added to the 15 gigawatts already approved by the Biden-Harris team it brings America close to Biden's 30 gigawatts of clean offshore wind power by 2030.

The Senate approved the appointment of Kevin Ritz to the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. The Senate also approved Mary Kay Costello and Michelle Williams Court to district court judgeships in Pennsylvania and California respectively. Costello is the 12th LGBT judge appointed by President Biden, making him the President to appoint the most LGBT people to the federal bench more than during Obama's 8 years. President Biden has also appointed more black women, such as Judge Court, to the bench than any other President. Judge Court also represents President Biden's move to appoint civil rights attorneys to the bench, Court worked for the ACLU in the mid-90s and was a civil rights expect at HUD in the early 2000s. This brings the total number of judges appointed by Biden to 212.

[additiva]

can u rec some lestappen fanfics pleaseee i feel like i’ve read everything and ur an amazing writer so i trust ur taste (even ones you haven’t read and want to read will do) tyy

Ooh I love this. Also that's so lovely thank you 🤍❤️

Lestappen Fic Rec List

Below the cut.

Ok not an exhaustive list, but here are the ones I remember LOVING.

Some are well known, some less so.

I can't rec any I haven't read yet sorry I'm super picky about the writing style, which you don't know until you get into the fic.

I've tagged some authors, some I couldn't remember their Tumblr names even though I follow them. I'll try to remember to tag them later, but also feel free to do so, if you know them.

Please leave kudos and comment on these fic if you check them out 🤍

I'll try to remember to update the list in future if I can.

Every Other Sunday by Anney

Obviously

Home (is wherever I'm with you) by actparci

Charles leaves Ferrari. There's a million of these, and this is my favourite.

Grapefruit Mignonette by slapshots

Restaurant au. The best of the trope in my opinion though the others are also good.

Set My Midnight Sorrow Free by PrincessElectra

-LOVE this series. Ugh. NOT an au.

Violent delights by grandprix

-ABO. Adore this series esp the second one.

Straight Lines by @alphatinies

Yes. Can't describe just read.

Blood Soaked Gown by sixteenthirtythree

ABO. Friends w benefits. Max is retiring and wants Charles to take his Red Bull seat. Adore it.

Canine teeth in the side of my neck by mintchocolatechip97

Silly! Biting. Don't look directly at me.

If I had words by @formula-fun

ABO. Charles has a miscarriage. Don't let the pregnancy themes scare you, it's perfect. The dynamics are 🫠 I adore this Max 😖

Called to the devil and the devil said hey by @creabirds

Yes. Sticks in my brain like glue.

A life in your shape by weiwuxian

- Max is Batman. This bit, I'll never forget:

But it was what made it fun — being taunted and kissed in the same breath. To fight and fuck and feel worshiped the whole time.

Top of the world (looking down on creation) by eaurouge-sangnoir

Sex worker Charles, virgin Max. 😖

Breathe You In (Like a Vapour) by @fabbyf1

🌶️🌶️❤️❤️

I'll Be Right Beside You by @fabbyf1

Max has amnesia. Charles is perfect.

Curious by LaurawritingF1

Charles is bicurious. Max is happy to help.

Heart Out series by @drivestraight

Girl!Max. Charles is bad at sex, but for some reason Max keeps doing it with him. Underrated. One of my fave series ever. Charles is a simp. He cannot handle Max, but he tries anyway, and I LOVE him.

Panem et circenses by Anney

SO underrated wow. Dystopian future of F1 fic, and like. Wow. Perfect. Wow.

Dirtbag, baby by mondaycore

All of their lestappen. Again, don't look directly at me. Look at the fic instead.

The Skirt by Anonymous

Silly! And short. But I love it.

Says he's going to teach me what fast is by @foggystars

Their lestappen are great but actually this Charlos one is my fave 🤌

And these are not Lestappen. They're Maxiel primarily, which I don't seek out in my life but they're SO perfect it makes me sick. I think anyone would enjoy them. The writing is just perfect.

To the Victor Belong The Spoils by @powerful-owl

Hunger Games AU. Wow the writing. The characterisations. Wow. It's all perfect. Wow. Please read it. You'll love it.

Steal the air out of my lungs by nahco3

Resident doctor au. Both accurate and compelling. Max is so dear to me. And Lewis. Love of my life, ugh.

Leave this blue neighbourhood series by tiredtiredsharl

This whole series I must've read 20 times. Multi-ship, though not Lestappen. Found family. It heals me with every word, it's just 😖😖❤️❤️.

Okay that's it for now. Lmk what you think.

[casuallyanidiot]

can you please do a surgeon reader with pathetic rich yandere? please and thank you for making so many good fics!

Thanks for the support!

Ooooh a needy, clingy, Yandere patient.... I like your thinking anon.

Tw. For self harm mention

Yandere patient grew up as a rich, spoiled kid with plenty of daddy's money and not enough spine. He's never had someone care about him if it wasn't for his money, even his parents don't really seem to love him beyond the basic obligations of making sure he wasn't dead or feral. His friends are all assholes who are also rich, university students that only seem to like him when he's drinking past the point of passing out, or when he buys them fancy dinners and meals as gifts. He knows that they are just leeches, but he doesn't have anyone else.

Yandere patient who gets pressured into doing a stupid stunt. He was drunk at the time, so he doesn't really remember much about what exactly he did, but he knew what happened afterwards: Broken legs, a spinal injury, a shattered wrist, and 15 stitches on his cherub like face.

You're assigned to be his surgeon, as it turns out. You tell him that since his injuries are so severe, he'll need to have multiple surgeries and come in frequently to ensure he's healed.

He understands, though a bit weary and exhausted.

Through the period of time that's he's kept in the hospital, you notice how no one ever comes to visit him. Yandere patient becomes withdrawn and almost a bit despondent, and you knew you needed to do something. He wont recover if his mentality isn't there, after all.

You spend a lot of time comforting him, spending time with him later in the evenings before you go home, and you chat with him for brief periods of the day.

Yandere patient feels the most affection he's ever received while bedridden in your care. He knows that for once, it's not just about money. Yes, this is your job, but he knows for a fact that you pay more attention to him than you would some of your other charges.

Yandere patient decides to move himself into the hospital until he recovers. There's not real point in being locked away in his gloomy yet opulent room, tucked away in some countryside manor. No, he'd rather be here with you so that he may relish in your constant doting. You are a bit hesitant when he tells you the news with such a bright, beaming face. You don't want to hurt the poor man's feelings since he's been through so much already, but you'd rather prefer to see him getting out a bit more and trying his hand at socializing. Still, you don't press him too much on the issue.

Yandere patient who realizes that whenever he makes a bit too much progress, you distance yourself ever so slightly. It gives him pause, and it makes his heart race in a not good way. He can't have you leaving him. Not when he's already begun to rely on you so much.

Yandere patient who messes up his stitches constantly. He looks up at you with big, watery eyes when you find him covered in his own blood. He feigns his clumsiness, but he can't help the pleasurable shudder that runs up his damaged spine whenever you fret over him.

Yandere patient who starts to try to make you move into one of the many family manors he resides in. He'll pay you an extraordinary amount if you'll let him be your only patient. Plus, it's in the countryside! Fresh air, beautiful gardens, privacy: What more could you want?!

He tries so hard to sell you on it, but you don't budge. He pouts like a child for a while afterwards, though soon he's back to his usually smiling self.

He's figured it out. He doesn't have to ask you! A simple multi million dollar bribe to the hospital here, a scheme to blacklist you there, and soon you'll be happy to only have eyes for him!

Yandere Patient is practically beaming when you show up to his estate, bags in hand. The money, the pain, the isolation... all of it was just a small price to pay for you to never leave his side again.

[1d1195]

Dolcezza I

You know me and my need for love at first sight.

This is where I’ll keep her: Dolcezza

Warnings: mostly fluff, mentions of stalking

~5.5k words

Definitely multi-part. This part is mostly from the MC perspective. The very end peeks into Harry's brain and the second part will likely pick up more onto his POV.

Hope you enjoy!

“You really don’t need to trouble yourself,” she promised.

Harry turned pausing by the shelf pressed against the wall. “D’you really want me t’leave?” He asked with a frown. “M’sorry. I jus’... really want t’help you, kitten,” he explained. “S’like I need to. S’almost... compulsive... but I’ll leave if y’want me to.”

“No, I’m totally fine, thank you,” she said into her phone.

“Are you sure?” Eleanor asked. “I can send Louis over.”

“No, no, that’s so unnecessary, El. Really. I’ll be fine.”

She could hear her best friend sigh heavily into the speaker. Eleanor was nearly a thousand miles away. She got a new job and while the benefits and everything about it were great, and would make Eleanor wildly successful, she was sadly away from her platonic soulmate. It was extremely hard to let her go. Worse, Louis would be joining her just as soon as he nailed down a new job out there.

But Louis was around for now, which was a great relief for Eleanor. Her best friend was a lot of things, but aware of how scary her situation wasn’t one of them. Louis knew he was essentially filling as best friend for the time being and he was expected to drop everything to get to her aid if Eleanor said so.

But that would only last so long.

Eleanor didn’t want to think about that right now.

She was carrying a box from her car toward the building. Her shoulder pressing her phone to her ear as best she could. Beside the building was a small little alley where her entry way to her new place resided. As much as it killed her to pay for it, she got a whole moving company to bring her furniture in already so at the rest was pretty standard. Her family, God love them, didn’t even think that she might need some help. If anything, she would have had to bribe them into helping her. Even if it was just for the furniture. If Eleanor was in town she would have helped with the boxes and other stray things she had heaped in her car.

Even with Eleanor’s presence closer, she felt alone. Eleanor had Louis and she would never fault her for that. Louis was everything she would want in a best-friend-in-law. But there was always this element of not fully having Eleanor—not like when they were in college and sharing a dorm room. It was different now. Not bad, but different. Her family was great but a little self-centered at times. Part of the problem, she dropped everything to help them whenever they asked but they rarely returned the favor. She did it all, so why would she need help?

Fortunately, moving allowed her to downsize quite a bit so her mid-sized SUV was able to hold almost all of her boxes in one trip from her storage unit to the new place. Maybe, this even helped her explain away her family’s lack of help.

But her brother was either busy working at the college dispatch center most of the weekend or playing beer pong at a frat party. Her sister was so wrapped up in her high school love life or maybe just being the princess her mom and dad made her out to be by never making her do anything of importance. Her parents were probably waiting on her hand and foot without even realizing. If not, they were probably creating some sort of computer-virus havoc on their home computer that for some reason her sister wouldn’t be able to fix. Or maybe they finally started fixing the kitchen up as they said they would for the last year waiting for their oldest to come home and fix all the little things they broke in the process.

If she thought about it too long, she would get annoyed. Her brother and sister were more than capable of helping and they just didn’t. It drove her nuts. So, at the end of it, she couldn’t bother her family for help. Because it barely felt like they could help themselves.

She was lucky because the alleyway wasn’t creepy. Not even at night. The whole street was a dream come true really. Part of her thought that despite the circumstance, this was actually a much-needed move. It was almost lucky that she found such an amazing place. Her own parking space right out front of the building, a coffee shop—a mere stone’s throw from said parking space—almost everything she needed was within walking distance. It was perfect.

Of course, the best and most wonderful selling point of all was by far that her new apartment was right above an Italian restaurant. It smelled like fresh pasta, garlic, and just the most comforting of scents. It reminded her of Sunday’s making meatballs with her dad and watching sports with her brother and sister.

When her coworker Mitch told her about the place, she thought it was too good to be true. But Mitch knew someone who worked at the restaurant. The owner, Antonio, was looking for a tenant after he informed Mitch’s friend that he was outgrowing the space. It was a generous size. But it was meant for a place to stay and keep watch over the restaurant—max two people and that was pushing it. The little place could not support Antonio, his wife, their first born, and another little one on the way. Four people was too big for this place.

But it was perfect for a girl who loved garlic bread and spaghetti who needed a new place and wouldn’t mind the smell of olive oil all hours of the day.

“How did you find this place?” Eleanor asked, her third-degree questioning tone was present in her voice.

“A friend of a coworker,” Eleanor already knew this.

“Mitch?” She clarified.

“Yes, Mom, Mitch,” she rolled her eyes.

“I don’t know how you can be so blasé about all this. It’s serious!” She reminded her. “I’m not even there to protect you.”

She didn’t need to be protected. She had a restraining order. The police in the area were well aware of the situation and she was almost always at home or traveling one day a week to work. If she ran errands, it was always in public spaces. She only ever worked out at a public female-only gym. Plus, she had given Louis her location. All of it was nearly a non-issue. “I don’t even know how I got a stalker,” she muttered grumpily. The whole thing was an inconvenience. If it wasn’t for Eleanor, she probably wouldn’t have even gotten the restraining order.

“You’re too nice,” Eleanor reminded her.

She sighed, tired of the story. It had been almost a year since the creepy sensation of the guy following her had started. Eleanor had approached him on more than one occasion to get rid of him. But the whole thing seemed like a bigger deal than it needed to be. The guy was basically harmless; if not just a little bit more on the creepy side. He couldn’t take the hint that she wasn’t interested and had a hard time letting go. He kept a huge distance from her—she wasn’t even sure she knew the color of his eyes from how far away he followed her. If he was around, she hardly noticed. “Well, I’m moving to a whole new place now so it should be fine now.”

“You didn’t tell anyone else about your address change?”

“Nope, just HR,” she promised. “As far as everyone knows I’m still living in that crummy apartment.”

“Well, maybe this is a blessing that you’re out of there anyway,” Eleanor sighed, relief in her voice. “How do you like this place?”

She smiled dropping the box in the middle of the room before she closed the door and descended the staircase back to her car to grab more boxes. “El, it’s literally perfect. It’s like the apartment of my dreams.”

“How come no one at the restaurant wanted it?”

“When you come visit, we can go and ask all the questions—”

As she entered the alleyway from her apartment entrance she was pushed to the ground. The rattling of glass bottles clinked, clattered, and broke on the pavement. She already felt the bruise forming on her tailbone from landing so hard on the ground. In the process she dropped her phone, and she could hear Eleanor shouting from the speaker. “Ouch,” she muttered.

“Don’t move!” She turned to the sound of the guy in the alleyway with her—he was hurrying to his feet having also toppled to the cold, hard ground. He was wearing all black. Short sleeves even though it was a chillier fall day—showing off an array of tattoos that lined his muscular arms. His black pants had fingerprints and handprints of flour on them. There was something dark colored—probably tomato sauce—dried on the half apron around his hips. He clearly worked in the restaurant. The bag of bottles he was previously carrying ripped open and was broken on the ground. “M’so sorry, Principessa,” his voice was smooth and warm. “Antonio told me y’were moving in today. Should’ve been more careful,” he frowned grabbing her wrists without a thought and hauling her to her feet to get her off the cold ground and away from any broken glass. “M’so sorry,” he repeated making sure she was steadily on her feet. He turned her hands over inspecting them so delicately. Like she was the glass that had broken at their feet. “Are y’alright, Principessa?”

The silence coming from Eleanor on her phone was nearly deafening. She blinked a few times as she gazed at the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her life. His hair was the color of melted milk chocolate and looked like it had been sculpted of the very substance into the most unfairly beautiful curls any man should have been allowed to have. His cheeks were smooth except for the stubble lining his incredibly sharp jawline. His lower lip was chapped, and she realized how close she was to face to notice such a thing. Probably from the way he was biting it with the worry that he had hurt her. But they were still very rosy—like pink wine and much like the rest of him, very, very pretty.

He picked up her phone out of the debris. Wiping it on his apron then brought it to his ear. “Hello?”

“Oh, God,” she whispered to herself, trying to process the last two minutes. Eleanor was going to lose her mind.

“Uh... m’Harry... She’s fine—I think... Are y’okay, Principessa?” His gaze turned back to her.

It felt like her heart stopped as her eyes connected with the beautiful green ones looking back at her. It was unfair someone like Harry was that pretty.

She nodded, holding her hand out for her phone. He returned it to her immediately and she cleared her throat. “I’m fine, El. Promise.”

“Principessa?!” She gasped. “Oh. My. God.”

“I’ll call you later,” she whispered feeling her face warm as Harry inspected the mess.

“M’sorry, Principessa,” he repeated for a fourth time. If he called her Principessa again though, she might fall right back on her sore tailbone. “Wasn’t expecting you t’come out the door,” he frowned. “Did y’get cut at all?” He asked, scanning her quickly from head to toe. She was dressed for moving on a cool fall day. A chunky sweatshirt, a pair of joggers, and trainers. Her hair was pulled tight to keep out of her face.

She was the furthest thing from looking like the princess that he kept calling her. “Oh...no... I’m alright,” she promised. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think—”

“Don’t apologize, kitten, s’entirely my fault.”

She shook her head rapidly trying to get some neural networks firing. “Really, I’m okay,” she smiled gently. “I should have watched—”

“M’serious, s’my fault,” he interrupted again.

“Harry, what’s the hold—” Antonio entered the alleyway but stopped his train of thought looking at the pair of them. “Oh, hi, tesorino,” he had called her that a lot since he spoke and met with her. “See you’ve met Harry,” he looked at the broken bag and the glass. “Did he hurt you?” He asked.

“No!” Harry glared at him, a frown adorning his pretty lips and a matching pinch between his brows. Harry looked adorable when he was angry. “I didn’t Principessa, did I?” He turned back to her looking apologetic again.

“No, I’m sincerely fine,” she promised shoving her phone into the pocket of her joggers. “I should have watched where I was—”

“No, no, tesorino,” Antonio shook his head. “It’s Harry’s fault. M’sure.” What kind of reality was this? Antonio reminded her of Louis or a much older brother—maybe even a young dad, but not like her dad. She imagined Louis saying the same kind of taunting thing to Eleanor or even herself. It was surreal. A cute guy bumped into her when she was starting fresh. It was like fate—a new start and a new guy. “I’ll get you a broom, Harry. Make sure she’s alright.”

“Yes sir,” he nodded firmly. Antonio disappeared back to the restaurant to get the broom.

“I’m really fine,” she promised.

Harry was smiling now, he bent down to get the big pieces of glass that shattered and carefully placed them on the broken plastic bag. “M’glad, Principessa,” he hummed quietly.

“Uh...” she smiled awkwardly and stepped to the side. “I should get out of the way...” she trailed off and started for the street to gather more of her stuff.

“Here,” Antonio reappeared with a broom and a new bag, passing it off to Harry. “Tesorino, are you sure you’re alright?” Antonio had an Italian accent. It made her smile and even if she was hurt, she was sure that she wouldn’t—couldn’t feel any pain because it was so comfortable being around an Italian restaurant where people worried about her.

“I’m really, truly fine,” she promised.

Harry was quick to pick up all the glass and took a few steps around the area to catch any of the broken pieces. It seemed this wasn’t the first time this had happened. It was like she was glued to her spot watching Harry take the collected glass down the alleyway to one of the dumpsters. “Do you need help moving your stuff upstairs?” Antonio asked.

“Oh no, that’s alright, I’m fine—”

“Harry, help her with her stuff,” he ordered, ignoring her brush-off. “Her car is out front.”

Harry handed the broom back to his boss and hurried to the front of the building. “Hey!” She frowned and looked at Antonio. “I don’t need help—”

“Tesorino, please. S’no big deal. Harry would be happy to help.” Harry was already coming back with what she knew was a heavy box labeled ‘kitchen’ and heading for the stairs. Truthfully, she was dreading carrying that one, so she was grateful Harry was literally doing the heavy lifting for her but didn’t want him to feel like he had to. “He helped us move our stuff out already and into our new home,” he shrugged. “Come down for some lasagna for dinner,” he said heading back toward the front.

The entire interaction had left her so completely confused. Harry was beautiful and clearly a cook of some sort in the kitchen of the restaurant. Currently, he was up in her new apartment putting her box in the kitchen. Right as she came to the door to head after him, he bumped into her again, reappearing from the door so quickly, she almost fell right back to the ground. This time, Harry caught her around the waist. “M’sorry, Principessa. I don’t know why I keep getting in y’way,” he frowned.

He released her waist just as quickly as he caught her before heading back for her car. The warmth of his arm around her body lingered as she followed him. “You don’t have to help.”

“S’no problem, kitten,” he shrugged grabbing a box labeled ‘bedroom’ that she knew had an array of random things including an assortment of old CDs, a few pictures, and everything from her nightstand—including a box of condoms. Just the knowledge of knowing he was carrying them was enough to make her face warm. She frowned, hurrying to grab a box herself. “Y’don’t have any friends t’help you?” He asked over his shoulder as he made himself at home coming to stop in front of the second door in the little hall at the top of the steps. Beside her apartment was a second office for the restaurant. Antonio assured her that he was the only person who used it and at this point in time, it was mostly storage. Either way, she didn’t mind. The place was a steal and beyond helpful for her new start. Especially with Eleanor breathing down her neck worrying about her.

“I don’t like to bother people with something I can do myself,” she explained quietly while pushing the door out of the way for Harry to enter—but he waited for her to go first. A silent direction in his eyes as he stood still with the box in his hands. After an awkward pause, she went in first.

Unfortunately, she was compelled to fill the silence with more explanation. “My best friend got a new job—so she’s unavailable. She offered her boyfriend but he’s working. My other friends... no one wants to help move. You know?” She explained. But it was hard to hide the catch in her throat while she spoke. No one wanted to help her.

It was weird to have a conversation with Harry like that. It was a little personal, nothing crazy. But apparently, it divulged enough. “S’unfair, Principessa,” his voice was so gentle. “M’sure you’d help if they asked—or even if they didn’t ask.”

How on earth could some stranger possibly know that about her without so much as speaking for more than ten full minutes? There was a jolt of sadness that washed through her. But she pushed it aside and frowned at the stranger who seemed to read right through her without so much as a second glance. “They would help if I asked,” she murmured. But it felt like sand in her mouth as she said it because she knew it was a lie.

Harry didn’t harp on it though. He glanced around the empty space. “Are y’new to the city?” He asked.

“No... not really,” she shrugged. “I used to live just a couple towns over.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “D’you have a lot more?” He asked.

She shook her head. “No, not really. You... you grabbed the heavy kitchen one. So, it should be easy from here on out.”

“Great,” he smiled. “I’ll get Niall, we’ll be done in half an hour.” Harry left her breathless for more than one reason. He hurried back down and stopped outside of the restaurant. She was practically running to catch up.

Dolcezza was written in cursive script above the big window showcasing the beautiful restaurant. Most Italian restaurants always seemed so darkly lit. This one looked so warm and cozy and on the brighter side. It reminded her of her grandparents’ house.

Harry pulled the door open. “Niall!” He shouted. Without waiting for whoever Niall was, Harry turned to her car to grab the next box.

Niall was a little less than half a foot shorter than Harry. His eyes were the color of the sky in the middle of June, and he had an adorable smile. “What’re you doing?” He asked Harry as he walked by with a box. “Hey tesorino,” he winked at her.

“Grab a box,” Harry nodded his head toward the open car and continued for her apartment once more.

What the heck!?

She stumbled to get a box herself and hurried to follow the two guys moving her stuff into her new place. But she had to give credit where credit was due. Harry was right. Thirty minutes, and everything in her car was now in the apartment. Niall headed back to the restaurant without a word, but Harry stayed behind. “D’you need help with anything, kitten?” He asked sweetly.

She couldn’t possibly imagine him helping her more than he already had. “N-no, thank you. That was...really helpful. I can take it from here.”

“Jus’ come grab me from downstairs if y’do think of something, kitten. Antonio won’t mind,” he promised. He smiled at her once more and looked around. His gaze stopped on the tall bookshelf. He walked toward it and looked at each side. He pulled a little bag of screws that were taped to the side and put it in plain view. “Make sure y’anchor that bookshelf before putting books on it. Don’t want it falling on you,” he mentioned kindly. She frowned. In her old place, her bookshelf was recessed into the wall. Having built the new shelf so the movers could take it the other day, she truly hadn’t thought about it. She only taped the little bag to the inside of the shelf so she knew what it belonged to when she created a junk drawer in the kitchen.

“Er... right,” she nodded—unconfidently.

Harry looked her over again, sizing her up, as if he knew she didn’t know how to do that and was too proud to ask. “I’ll come back up before dinner t’do it. D’you have a screw gun and such?”

“I can Google how to do it if I need to,” she assured him knowing that if he didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t do it. “I doubt I can put holes in the wall like that.”

Harry snorted. “Don’t worry, Principessa, I’ll tell Antonio. He won’t argue.”

“It’s really—”

“M’offering myself, kitten. S’nothing t’worry ‘bout. M’happy t’help. S’no trouble at all.”

It was jarring. That was the only way to describe it. It was as if Harry could read her thoughts and see on her face that she didn’t want to trouble someone on her behalf. “Antonio s’not kidding ‘bout lasagna either, Principessa. He’ll want y’down between five-thirty and six. Come down t’eat or he’ll make me come up here t’get you.”

*

“Who was that?” Eleanor asked in greeting as she answered the phone.

“Hi Eleanor, the move has been going well. I’m about to start unpacking boxes and arranging everything. How has your day been?” She answered with an eye roll.

“Shut up, tell me about the guy, principessa,” her voice was nearly hysterical. Her tone was almost mocking with the nickname Harry had bestowed upon her. It made her stomach flip to hear even Eleanor say it.

Sighing, she put her head on the counter of her new kitchen. She eyed the heavy box Harry had put there on the floor. “His name is Harry. He works at the restaurant,” she explained. “Antonio had him help me with all the boxes and stuff, his friend Niall too.”

“I don’t care about that. What does he look like?!” The pause was telling. She knew it. “Wow,” Eleanor sighed. “He is so hot, you’re speechless.”

Rolling her eyes again, she was glad Eleanor couldn’t see her cheeks burning red at the correct assumption. “He’s cute,” she managed.

“Oh puh-lease,” she gasped. “What a cute little story you’ll be able to tell your grandchildren.”

“Can you relax? I talked to him for twenty minutes and mostly about moving.”

“Mostly?!”

“Sweet Jesus,” she sighed pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes trying to think of the fastest way to get rid of her friend from making her crazy. “He correctly identified that I have shitty friends who wouldn’t help me move even if I had asked. He also got his friend Niall to help with the boxes in my car. And when I came back from the storage unit with a second load, they ran out in the middle of a lunch rush to help anyway.”

“You could sell movie rights,” Eleanor sighed dreamily.

She rolled her eyes. “His boss made him help.”

“His boss made him call you principessa too?”

“He called me kitten too.”

“Oh, you’re so going to marry him.”

“I have to unpack my house now.”

“What does he smell like?”

“You are insane.”

There was a knock on her door.

“Wonder who that is,” Eleanor practically sang. She glanced at the stove clock. It wasn’t even five o’clock. Not time to head down for lasagna. After the crazy afternoon she had, she wanted to make sure she didn’t give a reason to the funny cooks and owner downstairs that were helping her a reason to waste their time with her. She truly planned to head down for lasagna as they asked. But part of her thought Harry was joking about the bookshelf.

With the phone still against her ear, she pulled the door out of the way and found Harry. He was not joking. There was a screw gun at his side. “Hi Principessa,” he grinned so brightly it made a dimple in both cheeks appear. “M’gonna anchor y’bookshelf and then take y’down t’get lasagna,” he maneuvered right by her without so much as an okay.

“You really don’t need to trouble yourself,” she promised.

Harry turned pausing by the shelf pressed against the wall. “D’you really want me t’leave?” He asked with a frown. “M’sorry. I jus’... really want t’help you, kitten,” he explained. “S’like I need to. S’almost... compulsive... but I’ll leave if y’want me to.”

“Don’t you dare let him leave,” Eleanor said to her ear, her voice was practically a sigh. She and Harry stood feet apart gazing at one another.

But it felt so bad getting help from Harry. “Well...er... if you’re really sure it’s not a bother,” she murmured.

“Not at all, Principessa,” he smiled. “Promise,” he nodded. “S’jus’ a couple minutes and then I’ll bring y’down.”

“Eleanor, I gotta go.”

“I can’t wait to give my maid of honor speech at your wedding.”

She hung up on her friend. Harry was quick. He was shifting the bookshelf away from the wall. He snagged the little package of screws taped to the side. “Can I help?” She asked tossing her phone on the couch.

“I think m’alright, principessa. Thank you,” he said kindly, like he wasn’t doing her a favor by doing this. It was quiet while he worked. At one point he did drop one of the little screws and she was quick to grab it and place it in his hand for him. “Thanks, kitten,” he hummed quietly. His expression was so concentrated as he fixed up the shelf.

It wasn’t much, honestly. She knew that. It was just a bookshelf. But it was somehow so much more. Her heart felt so out of place. Her throat felt tight with emotion bubbling to the surface. No one had ever done anything like this before. A near stranger at that. Probably because it was so much more. It was a worry about her safety which people nearly forgot—unless they were Eleanor and by extension Louis.

She turned away briefly and busied herself with pulling throw pillows from the box labeled living room. Harry hummed quietly to himself. It was soothing. For a moment she forgot about who she was and that she had moved because she had a stalker. If she was a little more vulnerable feeling, she might have cried. It wasn’t the time, but she felt like she had known Harry her whole life. But she had barely spoken more than a hundred and fifty words to him. It was feeling extremely domestic in her new place even though hardly anything was unpacked.

The whole place was one wide open room kitchen and living area. There was a little space she designated for a table for sitting at and along the front wall by the window she planned on putting her desk. There was so much she needed to do. There were three doors along the back wall of the apartment. A bathroom, a bedroom, and a little alcove where a washer and dryer resided. She was lucky the owner lived here previously as she was certain there wouldn’t be a washer and dryer otherwise and that may have deterred her from taking the place. The idea of lugging her laundry up and down the stairs to a laundromat was not something she wanted to do in her late twenties.

“Oh crap,” she frowned. Realizing her state of being at the thought of walking up and down the steps all day.

Harry paused and turned to her. “Y’okay, principessa?” He frowned as well. His eyes looked her over with worry.

“Yeah...no, I just... I have to change before I head down there,” she sighed.

Harry smiled and turned back to his task. He gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Oh, y’could go like that, I think y’look beautiful,” he said sweetly.

Her heart rate took off rapidly. She could feel her cheeks warming but she knew her hair was pulled back and little pieces had frizzed and fallen from the elastic. She knew she was sweaty and there was simply no way she looked beautiful.

She snorted awkwardly. “Uh...thank you,” she cleared her throat. “But I would feel better if I changed.”

“I’ll wait outside, then,” he promised. “Jus’ finishing this last bit,” he murmured his attention focused on securing the screws perfectly.

“I’ll be quick,” she promised.

“Take y’time, principessa. M’in no rush,” he stood after finishing the final bit. He stepped back outside the apartment. God, he was nice. It had to be the fastest time she had ever gotten ready for anything. Changing out of comfy clothes and into jeans and a blouse that she would wear to her team meetings, so it didn’t look like she was wearing pajamas to work. She slipped on a pair of the first presentable ankle boots she could find a pair of in the box of shoes that was still unpacked. After she found a clip to pull her hair back in a more presentable fashion.

“Oh, wow,” Harry smiled dreamily as she stepped into the hall and locked her door. “Didn’t know y’could get any more beautiful. In less than five minutes too. M’gonna faint when y’have more than a minute,” he smiled and headed down the stairs as if he hadn’t just stolen her heart.

She was a little surprised he went down the stairs first, but she was grateful because maybe he wouldn’t be able to tell she was shaky and gripping the railing to keep her upright after Harry’s sweet compliment. But she realized it was merely so he could open the door carefully and make sure she wouldn’t bump into someone in the alleyway. Once he decided the alleyway was cleared, he gestured for her to exit first. “Thank you,” she said sincerely.

“For what, kitten?” He smiled as he closed the door behind him.

“Being helpful and nice. I... I’m not really used to that,” she admitted.

The grin on his face was kind. He shoved his freehand in his pocket and shrugged. “Happy t’help y’principessa,” he winked and headed for Dolcezza, surely to open the door for her first.

“Why did he name it Dolcezza?” She asked following behind him.

Harry smiled and glanced over his shoulder to wink at the pretty girl. “It means sweetness. Antonio met his wife when he was studying business, called her la mia dolcezza. He always wanted t’own a restaurant but never knew what t’name it. He knew the second he met her,” he shrugged. “S’a cute story.”

“Very sweet,” she smiled as she walked by Harry to enter the warm and homey restaurant. She was correct in her assumption that he would hold the door open for her. He chuckled at her joke.

There was something about the girl he literally bumped into and proceeded to fall for instantly physically and emotionally. He wasn’t lying when he said it was compulsive to help her. The warmth he felt inspecting her hands for injury and the worry he felt when she didn’t seem sure of anchoring her bookshelf. The thought that she was just above the restaurant that he nearly lived at more than his own place was comforting. A tug on his heart he didn’t know where it came from but couldn’t help it. Harry had never felt such an emotion like this for someone he had just met. It was like he had known her his whole life and he hadn’t spent more than an hour in total speaking to her. But he wanted to spend forever talking to her now that he had a glimpse of someone so beautiful and gentle.

It took every bit of inner strength for Harry to refrain from telling her he would name every child, every restaurant, anything he could name, he would dedicate to her.

--

general taglist: @justlemmeadoreyou @daydreamingofmatilda @sunshinemoonsposts @youdontcaredoyou @tiredinwinter @loving-hazz @likeapplejuicenpeach @straightontilmornin @freedomfireflies @littlenatilda @kathb59 @babegoals @angel-upon @lilfreakjez @mleestiles @ameliaalvarez06 @canyonmoondreams @summertime-pills @daphnesutton @l4rrysh0use @perfectywrong @foreverxholland @lolyouallsuck @buckybarnessimpp @stylesfever @harrysxcarolina @haarrrys @lovrave @st-ev-ie @pandeebearstyles

Dolcezza: @matildasatellite

I'm sorry if I missed anyone in the taglist. Please let me know if you'd like to join, if it didn't work, if you no longer want to be included, etc. :)

If you like this, check out my masterlist for more of my writing.

[leroibobo]

vainakh tower architecture is a historic style of architecture characteristic to chechnya and ingushetia. they've been noted as far back as the 1st century, but most we see today were built between the 15th-17th. the towers are built with stone blocks, range from 10-25 meters high, and feature walls which taper the higher the tower reaches. they were multi-purpose, used as silos, residence, and fortresses. wealthier families usually had at least one built for their community.

these towers, located in niy, ingushetia, are clustered together because they were built for defensive purposes. the "pyramid roofs" are unique to ingushetia, but similar roofs can be seen in other types of caucasian architecture, such as in nearby ossetia.

[agendabymooner]

maiden, hungary, and all that romance fiasco ! oscar p. x ofc (filo!gen z!ofc) - the piastri fiasco smau

summary: maiden wins and maiden names - two of the most important things that oscar aimed for in one night.

OR paloma 'lomi' san pedro was subjected to changing her twitter handle all because of her boyfriend oscar's intuitions and stupid bet, which left some fans confused until the hungarian grand prix winner gave more context to it.

content warning: use of explicit language, sexual innuendos, flirting on main, 2024 hungarian gp spoilers, marriage proposal, oblivious to proposal hints, carlos sainz's in-law!ofc, fluff, text/smau fic, ofc and oscar's mom canonically facetiming each other during oscar's national anthem

note: i can't write smut today guys the melatonin hits hard ☹️ enjoy xx

the piastri fiasco masterlist

a - n masterlist // o - z masterlist

if you’d like to get on one of my taglists, check this post out

tagged oscarpiastri

liked by landonorris, patriciooward, carlossainz55

carlossainz55 see you later, princesita! liked by lomisanpedro

user1 i love my queen paloma balagtas san pedro slay queen

lomisanpedro how tf you know my middle name?

oscarpiastri ...miranda isn't your middle name?

user2 WOWOWOWOW okay oscar i see the man that you are 😩

user3 not knowing your girlfriend's middle name is crazy work

oscarpiastri silly me, of course i'm joking. i know it's your second first name. philippines is silly like that 😂

user4 oh darling wait til you hear about the government

oscarpiastri look at my missus being everyone's most pinned pinterest post 😇

user5 your 😀 what 😀

lomisanpedro oscarpiastri stop mass commenting on my insta 😳 you're making me blush hard

user6 ARE WE GONNA GLOSS PAST THE MISSUS JOKE?

AFTER HUNGARIAN GP

BREAKING: Australia's Oscar Piastri, driving for McLaren F1 Team, becomes the 115th race winner in F1 history after his maiden win in Hungaroring.

tagged lomisanpedro

liked by lomisanpedro, logansargeant, carlossainz55

user1 the multi 21 that ended well in the end 🥰

user2 insane behaviour from our resident wombat

nicolepiastri finally! another piastri girl! 😘 liked by oscarpiastri

user3 a dub in our book (i'm not a piastri)

logansargeant nice to know you didn't bawl your eyes out while proposing. you've been texting me left and right about it

user4 i love how logan's always so in-tune with most ppl in the grid then he becomes deux moi in anything oscar 😩

lewishamilton congratulations on the engagement and win! a job well done!

user5 when is it ur turn, lewis?

user6 user5 i volunteer

user5 user6 girl 💀 you and the entire world

landonorris mrs. piastri ❤️

carlossainz55 glad to know you asked me for blessing first, hermano. welcome to the family! liked by oscarpiastri

user7 ??? how are you even related to lomi?

user8 carlos' wife is lomi's cousin

lomisanpedro not to be funny but my initials are going to be pp ❤️ pretty hyped about it tbh liked by oscarpiastri

oscarpiastri my fiancee is a clown i'm afraid 😳

lomisanpedro my fiancé is a race winner lfgggggg 😭🙌 liked by oscarpiastri

oscarpiastri eheh. love you darling 😇

♡ moony’s reminder 🅶 (general): @hiraethrhapsody @avaleineandafryingpan @enhacolor @roseandtulips @woweewoowa @magnummagnussen @happy-nico @architect-2015 @hiireadstuff @biancathecool @scorpiomindfuck @stinkyjax @youdontknowmeshh @hyneyedfiz @decafmickey @lightdragonrayne @marknolee @xylinasdiary @anotherblackreader

[fayes-fics]

When The World Is Free: Chapter 6 - J'ai Dansé Avec L'Amour

MASTERPOST PREV | NEXT

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader, WW2 AU.

Warnings: none, really… some kissing and some awkwardness

Word Count: 2.4k

Author’s Note: Multi-chapter fic based on a request by the lovely @amillcitygirl! Please see the masterpost for a synopsis of this story. Well, this isn't the wedding yet, but it's them both dealing, rather awkwardly, with the idea of getting married as they grapple with their attraction to each other. The wedding will be the next chapter. Thanks to @colettebronte for beta reading. Enjoy!

Montivilliers (just outside Le Havre), September 1939

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Eloise whispers into the inky blackness.

“What other choice do I have?” you whisper back, unwilling to admit how weirdly calm you are about the scheme.

You are lying in the spare room of Solène’s sister, Marie and her husband Jérôme’s cottage. Sharing the compact double bed, shoulders touching as you converse quietly. It must be after 2am. Benedict chivalrously insisted on taking the sofa downstairs despite being stuck on yours in Paris for the last few days.

“I still say we should find some forgers,” Eloise opines; you can hear the shrug in her tone. “You shouldn’t have to go through with a marriage to my brother just to escape.”

“It’s fine,” you placate, waving your hand dismissively, although likely unseen.

“What about Stanley?”

“I’m sure he will understand when I can eventually get home,” you fib.

There is a brief lapse into silence, and outside somewhere, an owl hoots.

“You know we may have to bribe someone to do this regardless, don’t you?” 

“What are you talking about?” you frown, turning your head to face her.

“There are rules about residency for French civil marriages, and you’ll need identification neither of you have with you, like birth certificates,” Eloise points out.

“Ohhh…” you stutter, feeling sheepish you didn’t even know that.

“Although… Jérôme is the mayor of Montivilliers…” Eloise offers thoughtfully. “And he is sleeping just through that wall…”

“He can marry us?” You’re unable to hide the excitement in your voice.

“If he’s willing to overlook a few things… yes… he could marry you in the Town Hall.”

Internally, you are celebrating even as you try to temper your excitement.

“Then, for my sake, let’s hope he is,” you answer, attempting to sound gravely concerned.

Eloise hums sleepily in response, and it’s your last words before she drops off. You lay awake for what seems like hours, staring up at the beam of moonglow on the whitewashed ceiling. A myriad fluttering in your stomach—a cautious optimism that this could work, a strange excitement at the thought of marrying Benedict, and a vague dread that your family could still be upset if it all works out. 

—

A light, dewy mist lingers in the garden outside the kitchen window as you sip coffee the following morning. A moment of solitary contemplation that has you considering a telegram to your family but deciding against it. Until you know if you can get out of the country, it seems pointless to make them more concerned than they already are.

“Dress shopping?” Eloise asks over a yawn as she plops into the seat next to you at the rustic wooden table in the kitchen, breaking your reverie. “For the wedding…” she adds when you frown nonplussed.

Oh.

“I, umm, was just going to use one I already have, to be honest. That off-white silk tea dress?”

Eloise cocks her head to the side in thought. “Hmm, that might just work - that can be your something old. I have a little faux fur stole you can wear to dress it up - something borrowed. I know you have some powder blue underwear, so we only need something new!” 

“You believe in that stuff?” you frown, taking a sip. It seems so anachronistic for her. You also decide not to ask how she knows about your underwear.

“I know it's not…” she leans in, likely worried about prying ears, mouthing the word ‘real’, before continuing at her regular volume, “...but best not to tempt fate,” she raises a pointed eyebrow, silently reminding you of what is at stake.

“Good point,” you concede as she gets up to grab some fruit.

“Your humble sage at your service,” she jests, taking a comedic bow. 

“But we still have to ask Jérôme…”

“Ask me what?” a genial, heavily accented booming voice rings out from the doorway.

“This one and my brother have gone and fallen in love,” Eloise explains, rolling her eyes. “The soppy idiots want to get married in France as soon as possible. I don't suppose you could help, could you? It would be their dream come true and so very romantic, non?” 

She appears to be piling on the theatrics, but you see that winning smile, the one she deploys whenever she manipulates an unsuspecting man to get her way. Sometimes, you swear it is almost too easy to navigate the world as an attractive Bridgerton.

“Pour vous, ma petit chou-fleur, peut-être…” he responds, an avuncular glint in his eye. It is evident from this interaction and the previous evening when you arrived that Marie and Jérôme have spent time with Eloise, likely in Paris with Solène.

“Merci Jérôme!” she celebrates, kissing his cheek as he affectionately chuckles. “Demain?” she adds cheekily.

“Mon dieu Eloise,” he exclaims as he grabs a croissant, “C'est très bientôt!”

You try to listen in as they rapid-fire converse in French, but you only follow along with every few words, maybe something about paperwork, but really, you are not sure. It mostly seems fond exasperation on Jérôme’s part, so you sit hopeful, just as Benedict wanders in.

“Ah, the other love bird!” Eloise cuts away from their chat. “I know you want to get married so quickly, but please do not make out too much in front of Jérôme!” she titters pointedly at Benedict, her eyes cutting from him to you.

Benedict seems to cotton on very quickly, and you startle as he leans down and brushes a featherlight kiss onto your cheek.

“Bon matin, mon amour,” he rumbles, his minty breath warm, causing goosebumps to break out over your arms.

“Morning, my love,” you whisper back stutteringly, the words almost tacky on your tongue, your mouth suddenly so dry. Your eyes meet, and it's the closest you have ever been, captivated by the tiny flecks of colour in his iris. He doesn't look away, and you seem unable. 

“Oh oui, je le vois, l'amour vrai… ” Jérôme mutters quietly across the room. “I will see what I can do,” he offers in English as you finally tear your eyes away, him giving you a nod before he takes his leave.

“Well done!” Eloise enthuses quietly with a big thumbs-up gesture once Jérôme has left the room. “Really convincing!” she adds before twirling out of the room with an apple jammed in her mouth.

“Sorry about that…” Benedict offers, a little flustered.

“No, please…” you can't think of anything else to say, almost tongue-tied as you replay his kiss on your cheek like a looping projector reel, wanting to add ‘do it again’, a tingle still lingering on your skin. 

There are a few beats of awkward silence where he seems on the precipice of saying something, but you are almost afraid to hear it, as if worried he wants to conjure an excuse to back out.

“I…I need to buy my something new!” you exclaim, jumping up and scurrying out of the room, leaving Benedict mildly perplexed about what that might even mean.

—

After a successful trip into Le Havre, where you and Eloise found your ‘something new’ - a pair of ivory Mary Janes that will complete your outfit - the day ends with Jérôme and Marie taking you all to a local restaurant. A delicious meal of many courses with flowing carafes of wine under the bright red canopy outside. It turns into one of those late nights with convivial conversation and bonding with strangers.

A band strikes up in the cobbled square, and after a few numbers, Jérôme drags Marie up to dance as the three of you cheer.

“Les tourtereaux!!” Jérôme exclaims after the song ends, gesturing for you and Benedict to join them on their makeshift dance floor.

“Non..non!” you protest, gesturing a no with your arms and laughing, a languid feeling in your bones from good food, drink and conversation.

But it appears he won't take no for an answer, and as Marie giggles and applauds, Jérôme marches over and grabs you both by the elbow, hauling you to your feet.

“Danse!” he commands.

You and Benedict exchange slightly nervous looks but emboldened by wine; then you gasp as a strong arm wraps around your back, and your other hand slides into his.

“Just go with it,” he breathes into your hair, and suddenly, you are spinning, the stars above you twinkling, as he leads you expertly in a swing dance.

“Mr Bridgerton, you can dance!” you exclaim in blithe amusement, clinging to him as you move together in a balletic union.

“As can you, Mrs Bridgerton!” he peels carefree.

Your heart jumps into your throat, and you lose your footing. Benedict has to grab hold and haul you back upright before you collapse onto the cobbles.

“Sorry…” he blusters, his arms still around you, “I…I wasn't thinking…”

“No, no. That will indeed be my name…” you stumble, almost as if that is only just occurring to you now. “I'm just getting used to it, that's all,” you lie, knowing that is not why you lost your footing. 

He seems to accept that with a nod, and after a beat, you begin to move again, tentatively, Until the wine takes over and you are once again both giggling and dancing, his arm a strong brace around your back as you move together for many minutes, a joy fizzing in your veins.

At one point, you glance over and see Eloise with an odd expression on her face before she orders a drink from the waiter, but Benedict whips you around, and you get lost in the dance and in him. The feel of him wrapped around you at once safe and exhilarating.

“Kiss!” comes the yell from Jérôme as the song ends.

“You know, he's not going to shut up until we do it,” you raise, a little breathless from the dancing.

Without you having to say anything else, Benedict’s hands grasp around your waist, and you are lifted off the ground, taller than him. Then he tilts his head up and captures your lips with his.

Time stops.

The feeling is like an explosion and a perfect calm silence all at once. His lips don't open, but they don't need to - even this gentle kiss is a soft, sensual plushness that obliterates all your thoughts. A lingering tang of wine on his slightly dampened lips that you want to lick off, a plunge of lust in your belly that has you fighting the urge to wrap your legs around his hips and open your mouth, demanding a real kiss.

His hands slide around your back in a gentle cage as he lowers you to your feet. What upends you is the breathtaking look in his eye when he finally pulls away, pupils blown, face soft and full of yearning. You could never tire of that look.

“Get a room!” Eloise yells, and there is an uncharitable tart edge to it that breaks the spell and makes you look over at her. She appears much more inebriated than she was before.

“Is she okay?” you ask, your hands still wrapped around Benedict’s biceps, warm through his shirt sleeves.

“I think she ordered absinthe, so maybe not,” he answers, and you feel a pang of sadness as he releases his hold and gestures gentlemanly for you to walk ahead, to return to the table, the moment lost.

Half an hour later, Benedict and Jérôme are on either side of Eloise, helping her back into the cottage, much worse for wear. They get her to the sofa, where she promptly passes out and begins to snore lightly. Marie covers her in a blanket, and you realise it's unlikely you will be able to move her tonight.

“Well, you two will have to share the bed. But do not worry, I shall not tell your families,” Jérôme winks. “I can’t say Marie and I were saints before our marriage,” he adds with a tap on his nose and an uproarious chuckle.

Your eyes dart to Benedict and his to you. Panic, excitement, and apprehension all bubbling up inside—a volcanic eruption in your gut. You trust him not to take advantage; it’s yourself you don't trust.

Jérôme wraps an arm around both of your shoulders, red wine heavy on his breath “Oui, I will marry you tomorrow, mes amis. I can overlook some rules for a true love like yours.”

With that, he takes his leave, with you and Benedict left looking uncomfortably at each other, unsure if you should celebrate. That feeling remains as he suggests you go up first and get ready for bed, and once you are nervously tucked under the covers as he enters from the bathroom, those broad shoulders framed with a white t-shirt and the same bottoms he wore in Paris when you watched him sleep.

“I really wish I'd packed a proper pyjama set,” he sighs ruefully as he approaches the other side of the bed and slips under the covers, seemingly arranging himself right at the far side.  “I'm also so sorry about Eloise landing us in this situation. I can't believe she was that irresponsible,” he adds with his back turned but an unmistakable tinge of irritation in his tone. 

Even then, it’s a small bed, and you can feel his body heat radiating under the covers.

“You don't have to cling to the edge,” you offer hesitantly, “we are to be married after all…”

The last words are a whisper that sounds almost wounded, and he twists over, a look of surprise crowding his features.

“I am merely being respectful...” he replies cautiously.

“I know…” it's barely audible, and you can’t look at him.

The overwhelming awkwardness makes your chest ache, your hands wringing together nervously under the covers. What feels like mere moments ago, you were swept into his arms, and he was kissing you as if your lives depended upon it. And now this… the juxtaposition of reality and the fairytale you both act so well draws a lump to your throat.

“This whole situation is so odd,” you confess quietly, unable to be anything but honest with him.

“I know… I'm so sorry it has come to this.” 

You have no idea if he means tonight, the marriage or even life in general, in a war that could come to your doorstep any day.

“I don’t regret anything,” you volunteer after a beat.

“Neither do I…” his earnest whisper makes something inside you crack open, your palm itching to squeeze his hand.

Instead, you exchange soft goodnights, and you lay stock still for a long time, backs towards each other, feeling at once too close and a million miles apart.

Benedict taglist: @foreverlonginguniverse @aintnuthinbutahounddog @severewobblerlightdragon @writergirl-2001 @heeyyyou @enichole445 @enchantedbytomandhenry @ambitionspassionscoffee @chaoticcalzoneranchsports @nikaprincessofkattegat @baebee35 @crowleysqueenofhell @fiction-is-life @lilacbeesworld @broooookiecrisp @queen-of-the-misfit-toys @eleanor-bradstreet @divaanya @musicismyoxygen84 @benedictspaintbrush @miindfucked @sorryallonsy @cayt0123 @hottytoddyhistory @truly-dionysus @fictionalmenloversblog @zinzysstuff @malpalgalz @panhoeofmanyfandoms @kinokomoonshine @causeimissu @delehosies @m-rae23 @last-sheep @kmc1989 @desert-fern @starkeylover @corpseoftrees-queen @magical-spit @bunnyweasley23 @how-many-stars-in-the-sky @amygdtjhddzvb @sya-skies @balladynaaa

[astrojulia]

Natal Chart Express - Sun Edition

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Houses

1st House: Radiating Self-Identity This placement bestows a strong focus on self-awareness and self-expression. Individuals with the Sun in the 1st House possess a magnetic aura that draws attention to their unique personality and leadership qualities.

2nd House: Shining Identity on Resources and Values With the Sun in the 2nd House, one's identity becomes closely intertwined with material possessions, finances, and personal values. These individuals are driven to create security and abundance in their lives.

3rd House: Illuminating Identity in the Immediate Environment The Sun in the 3rd House emphasizes communication, learning, and adaptability. These individuals shine when expressing themselves within their immediate social circles and communities.

4th House: Nurturing Identity and Emotional Security When the Sun resides in the 4th House, the core of one's identity revolves around family, home, and emotional foundations. These individuals seek security and stability through creating a nurturing environment.

5th House: Creative and Expressive Self-Identity Individuals with the Sun in the 5th House have a flair for creativity and self-expression. They find their true identity through artistic endeavors, romance, and embracing their inner child.

6th House: Identity Seeking Self-Refinement With the Sun in the 6th House, self-improvement and service become central themes in one's identity. These individuals find fulfillment in refining their skills and contributing to the well-being of others.

7th House: Identity Defined by Relationships The 7th House Sun placement highlights the significance of partnerships and collaborations in shaping one's identity. These individuals thrive in harmonious and balanced relationships.

8th House: Identity Focused on Intimacy and Transformation Individuals with the Sun in the 8th House seek profound connections and transformative experiences. This placement indicates a deep need for emotional intimacy and self-discovery.

9th House: Identity Driven by Exploration and Understanding With the Sun in the 9th House, one's identity is enriched through travel, higher education, and philosophical pursuits. These individuals are eager to broaden their horizons and gain a deeper understanding of the world.

10th House: Identity Striving for Achievement This placement emphasizes ambition, career success, and public recognition. Individuals with the Sun in the 10th House are driven to leave a lasting impact on the world through their achievements.

11th House: Identity Connected to Society With the Sun in the 11th House, a person's identity is closely tied to social causes, friendships, and group affiliations. These individuals are natural leaders who champion collective progress.

12th House: Identity Seeking Inwardness and Self-Discovery Individuals with the Sun in the 12th House often feel a deep connection to the unseen realms and the subconscious mind. This placement indicates a profound need for spiritual growth and inner reflection.

Signs

Aries: The Warrior's Emerging Self-Identity Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, symbolizes the journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Those born under this sign experience life as a continuous quest to assert their individuality and courageously pioneer new paths.

Taurus: Identity Rooted in Possessions and Resources Taurus individuals find security and self-assurance through their material possessions and resources. They are grounded and steadfast, embodying a deep connection to the tangible aspects of life.

Gemini: The Multi-faceted Chameleon of Self-Identity Gemini's identity is incredibly versatile, reflecting a variety of interests and personalities. They are social butterflies, effortlessly adapting to different situations and presenting diverse facets of themselves.

Cancer: Emotionally Nurtured Self-Identity Cancer individuals experience their identity through deep emotional connections. Their nurturing nature creates a strong bond with family and loved ones, anchoring their sense of self in the realm of emotions.

Leo: Self-Identity as a Majestic Persona Leo, like the regal lion, embodies grandeur and charisma. They experience their identity through self-expression, seeking admiration and validation as they shine brightly in the spotlight.

Virgo: The Self-Examining Perfectionist Virgos are meticulous self-examiners, constantly seeking self-improvement and growth. Their identity is closely intertwined with a desire to be of service and to perfect their skills.

Libra: Identity as a Delicate Balance of Self and Others Libra individuals perceive their identity as a delicate dance between their own needs and the needs of others. They strive for harmony and balance in their relationships and surroundings.

Scorpio: Identity Rooted in the Depths of Power Scorpio's identity is immersed in the realm of power, transformation, and intensity. They navigate life's mysteries with a profound understanding of the darker aspects of the self and the world.

Sagittarius: Seeking Self-Identity through Exploration and Understanding Sagittarius individuals are adventurous seekers, finding their identity through exploration, travel, and intellectual pursuits. They yearn for higher knowledge and philosophical insights.

Capricorn: Self-Identity through the Climb of Achievement Capricorns embody the spirit of hard work and ambition. Their identity is forged through their determination to climb the ladder of success and leave a lasting legacy.

Aquarius: The Unconventional and Differentiated Self Aquarians revel in their unique and individualistic identity. They are trailblazers, often challenging societal norms and envisioning a future that embraces progressive ideals.

Pisces: The Boundariless and Empathic Self Pisceans have a boundless sense of self, often merging with the emotions and experiences of others. Their identity is fluid, transcending boundaries and connecting with the universal consciousness.

Aspects in the Natal Chart

Moon:

Conjunction: The sense of self is intimately tied to the emotional and subconscious realms. These individuals experience a deep emotional connection with their identity, and their intuition plays a significant role in shaping who they are.

Trine: The sense of self and emotions are in harmony, creating an innate understanding of their feelings and needs. These individuals navigate life with ease, being emotionally attuned to themselves and others.

Sextile: Opportunities arise for the emotional and subconscious functions to interact positively with the sense of self-identity. This aspect encourages a healthy balance between emotions and self-expression.

Opposition: The sense of self and emotions are at polar extremes, leading to internal conflicts. These individuals may struggle to reconcile their conscious self with their hidden emotions, leading to inner tension and external challenges.

Square: The emotional and subconscious functions clash with the sense of self-identity, creating inner friction. Individuals with this aspect may face challenges in understanding and expressing their emotions effectively.

Mercury:

Conjunction: The sense of self is strongly aligned with the mental and communicative functions. These individuals tend to identify themselves through their intellect and articulate communication style.

Venus:

Conjunction: The sense of self is deeply connected to the evaluative and relationship functions. These individuals find a significant part of their identity in their values, aesthetics, and harmonious connections with others.

Sextile: Opportunities for positive interactions between the evaluative and relationship functions and self-identity. These individuals have an innate ability to create harmonious relationships and appreciate beauty in life.

Mars:

Conjunction: The sense of self is closely tied to the action and desire functions. These individuals have a strong drive to assert themselves and pursue their ambitions actively.

Trine: The sense of self and action/desire functions are in harmony, leading to a smooth expression of their desires and a well-aligned sense of purpose.

Sextile: Opportunities for constructive interactions between the action/desire function and self-identity. These individuals can channel their energy into productive pursuits and self-improvement.

Opposition: The sense of selfhood and the action/desire function are at polar extremes. Individuals with this aspect may struggle with impulsiveness and conflicts in pursuing their goals.

Square: Challenges presented by the action/desire function. These individuals may face obstacles or resistance when trying to assert themselves and achieve their desires.

Jupiter:

Conjunction: The sense of self is strongly identified with expansion, beneficence, and understanding. These individuals have an optimistic and generous outlook on life, finding their identity through personal growth and helping others.

Trine: The sense of self and the functions of expansion, beneficence, and understanding are in harmony. These individuals naturally attract positive opportunities and are open to learning and growth.

Sextile: Opportunities for expansion, beneficence, and understanding. This aspect encourages a broader perspective and a compassionate approach to life.

Opposition: The sense of self and the functions of growth, understanding, and grace are at polar extremes. Individuals may experience inner conflicts between their desire for expansion and their need for inner growth and understanding.

Square: Challenges presented by expansion, beneficence, and understanding. These individuals may struggle to balance their desire for growth with the need for moderation and patience.

Saturn:

Conjunction: The sense of self is strongly identified with limitation, structure, and discipline. These individuals value responsibility, hard work, and long-term planning in shaping their identity.

Trine: The sense of self is in harmony with structure, discipline, and limitation. These individuals have a strong sense of self-discipline and can achieve their goals through careful planning and perseverance.

Sextile: Opportunities to develop structure and discipline. This aspect encourages individuals to build a solid foundation for their identity and long-term success.

Opposition: The sense of self and the functions of structure, discipline, and limitation are at polar extremes. Individuals may face challenges in balancing their need for security with their desire for personal freedom and expression.

Square: Challenges presented by limitation, structure, and discipline. These individuals may encounter obstacles and self-doubt when trying to establish boundaries and structure in their lives.

Uranus:

Conjunction: The sense of self is strongly identified with uniqueness and transformation through revelation. These individuals seek to break free from conventions and embrace their individuality.

Trine: In harmony with change and transformation through revelation. These individuals embrace change and use it as a catalyst for personal growth and self-discovery.

Sextile: Opportunities for transformation through change and revelation. This aspect encourages open-mindedness and adaptability, leading to positive transformations in their identity.

Opposition: The sense of selfhood and the function of change/transformation through revelation are at polar extremes. Individuals may experience inner conflicts between their need for independence and their fear of the unknown.

Square: Challenges presented by change and transformation through revelation. These individuals may struggle with sudden changes or unconventional ideas conflicting with their desire for stability.

Neptune:

Conjunction: The sense of self is strongly identified with transformation through transcendence. These individuals seek a deeper connection with the spiritual and transcendent aspects of life.

Trine: The sense of self is in harmony with transformation through transcendence. These individuals have a compassionate and empathetic nature, understanding the interconnectedness of all beings.

Sextile: Opportunities for transformation through transcendence. This aspect encourages self-awareness and spiritual growth.

Opposition: The sense of selfhood and the function of transformation through transcendence are at polar extremes. Individuals may struggle with illusions or escapist tendencies as they navigate their spiritual journey.

Square: Challenges presented by transformation through transcendence. These individuals may face internal conflicts when trying to balance their spiritual pursuits with the demands of the material world.

Pluto:

Conjunction: The sense of self is strongly identified with transformation through crisis. These individuals undergo profound changes that lead to personal growth and empowerment.

Trine: In harmony with transformation through crisis. These individuals embrace challenges and use them as opportunities for deep transformation and renewal.

Sextile: Opportunities for transformation through crisis. This aspect encourages resilience and adaptability in the face of difficulties.

Opposition: Transformation of self-identity experienced through the crisis of facing your shadow-self. Individuals may confront deep-seated fears and hidden aspects of themselves through intense life experiences.

Square: Challenges presented by transformation through crisis. These individuals may encounter obstacles and resistance when trying to transform and reinvent themselves.

ASC (Ascendant):

Conjunction: There is a projection of the identity and an integration of the self. Individuals with this aspect are seen by others exactly as they perceive themselves. They radiate their core essence, and their external persona aligns harmoniously with their authentic self.

Trine: This indicates a natural flow and ease in how the individual presents themselves to the world. Their self-expression and public image blend seamlessly, resulting in a confident and well-integrated sense of self.

Sextile: Opportunities for personal growth and positive interactions between the Sun and the Ascendant. This aspect encourages adaptability and a positive outlook on life, making it easier for the individual to relate to others and navigate social situations.

Opposition: This leads to potential inner conflicts between the individual's self-image and their relationships with others. There may be a struggle to balance personal desires and external expectations.

Square: This may result in difficulties in projecting the true self to the world. Individuals with this aspect may experience internal tensions between their self-identity and how they appear to others.

IC (Imum Coeli):

Conjunction: There is a strong connection with family roots and a profound sense of belonging. This aspect influences the individual's private and emotional life, shaping their sense of security and emotional foundations.

Trine: This aspect fosters emotional security and a grounded sense of self. These individuals have a strong inner foundation that supports their personal growth and emotional well-being.

Sextile: Opportunities for personal growth and emotional development through the influences of the IC. This aspect encourages the individual to nurture their inner self and establish a strong sense of emotional stability.

Opposition: The Sun and the IC are at polar extremes, leading to potential conflicts related to the individual's sense of security and emotional roots. They may experience tension between their private and public lives.

Square: This aspect may result in difficulties related to family dynamics and emotional foundations. Individuals with this aspect may face inner struggles when trying to reconcile their past with their present identity.

DC (Descendant):

Conjunction: There is a strong identification with relationships and social connections. These individuals may derive a significant part of their identity from their partnerships and how they relate to others.

Trine: This aspect promotes harmonious and balanced relationships. These individuals have a natural ability to cooperate with others and form meaningful connections.

Sextile: Opportunities for personal growth and positive interactions with others through the influences of the DC. This aspect encourages the individual to approach relationships with diplomacy and cooperation.

Opposition: This aspect leads to potential conflicts in the individual's partnerships and social interactions. They may struggle with finding balance and compromise in their relationships.

Square: It may result in difficulties in forming and maintaining relationships. Individuals with this aspect may experience tensions and conflicts with others.

MC (Midheaven):

Conjunction: There is a strong identification with professional ambitions and the desire for recognition and success in the public sphere.

Trine: This aspect ndicates a natural alignment between the individual's sense of self and their career path. They are likely to find fulfillment and recognition in their chosen vocation.

Sextile: Opportunities for personal growth and achievement through the influences of the MC. This aspect encourages the individual to pursue their professional goals with confidence and determination.

Opposition: This may lead to potential conflicts between the individual's career aspirations and their personal life. They may struggle to find a balance between their public and private roles.

Square: This may result in difficulties in finding their true vocation and facing obstacles in their career path. Individuals with this aspect may experience setbacks and doubts related to their professional pursuits.

North Node:

Conjunction: This indicates a strong identification with destiny and life purpose. These individuals feel a profound connection with their soul's mission and are driven to fulfill their higher calling.

Trine: This signifies a harmonious alignment with the pursuit of destiny. These individuals progress smoothly on their life path, guided by their inner sense of purpose.

Sextile: Opportunities for personal growth and self-discovery through the influences of the North Node. This aspect encourages the individual to embrace new experiences and evolve towards their destined path.

Opposition: This leads to potential conflicts between the individual's soul purpose and their ego desires. They may struggle with reconciling their higher calling with their material ambitions.

Square: This which may result in difficulties in fully embracing their destiny. Individuals with this aspect may encounter obstacles and resistance as they strive to align with their life purpose.

South Node:

Conjunction: This indicates a strong identification with past patterns and ingrained qualities. These individuals may initially rely on familiar traits but need to grow beyond them to progress.

Trine: This signifies ease and harmony with their past predispositions and innate qualities. They can draw on their experiences to support their current life journey.

Sextile: Opportunities to use their natural strengths and talents for personal growth and development. This aspect encourages the individual to leverage their past experiences positively.

Opposition: This leads to potential conflicts between their past patterns and their soul growth. They may feel torn between their comfort zone and their evolution.

Square: This may result in difficulties in letting go of old patterns and embracing change. Individuals with this aspect may struggle with releasing past habits and moving forward.

Chiron:

Conjunction: This may indicate a strong identification with the wounded healer archetype. These individuals have experienced deep emotional wounds, which they can heal and transform into sources of strength and wisdom.

Trine: This allows the individual to harness their healing abilities and use them to support others effectively. They can inspire and uplift those around them through their own transformation.

Sextile: Opportunities for personal growth and transformative experiences through the influences of Chiron. This aspect encourages the individual to embrace their vulnerabilities and work towards healing and wholeness.

Opposition: This leads to potential inner conflicts related to the individual's healing journey and self-acceptance. They may struggle with acknowledging and embracing their wounds.

Square: This may result in difficulties in accepting their wounds and finding effective ways to heal and grow. Individuals with this aspect may encounter internal struggles and self-doubt.

Lilith:

Conjunction: This may indicate a strong identification with suppressed or unconventional aspects of the self. These individuals may rebel against societal norms and embrace their wild and independent nature.

Trine: This encourages the integration of the shadow self and the acceptance of one's true nature. They may embody powerful and transformative energies, embracing the darker aspects of their personality.

Sextile: Opportunities for personal growth and self-expression through the influences of Lilith. This aspect encourages individuals to embrace their uniqueness and stand firmly in their authentic self.

Opposition: This leads to potential conflicts related to the individual's rebellious nature and societal expectations. They may struggle to find balance between their individuality and fitting in.

Square: This may result in difficulties in expressing their true self and accepting their unconventional side. Individuals with this aspect may face inner tensions and external challenges when embracing their uniqueness.

Ceres:

Conjunction: This may indicate a strong identification with nurturing and caregiving qualities. These individuals find fulfillment in nurturing others and fostering a sense of security in their relationships.

Trine: This signifies a natural alignment between their nurturing instincts and their self-expression. They have a harmonious approach to caring for others and themselves.

Sextile: This aspect encourages the individual to embrace their nurturing side and use it to support their personal development and relationships.

Opposition: This leads to potential conflicts between their nurturing tendencies and their personal needs. They may struggle to find a balance between caring for others and self-care.

Square: This may result in difficulties in finding a healthy balance between nurturing others and nurturing themselves. Individuals with this aspect may feel drained from constantly caring for others.

Pallas:

Conjunction: This may indicate a strong identification with wisdom, strategy, and problem-solving abilities. These individuals have a keen intellect and often use their intelligence to navigate life's challenges.

Trine: This signifies a harmonious alignment between their analytical skills and their sense of self. They can strategize effectively to achieve their goals.

Sextile: This aspect encourages the individual to use their intelligence and creative thinking to overcome obstacles.

Opposition: This leads to potential conflicts between their rational thinking and their emotional expression. They may struggle to integrate logic and intuition.

Square: This may result in difficulties in applying their problem-solving abilities effectively. Individuals with this aspect may face obstacles in finding practical solutions to life's challenges.

Juno:

Conjunction: This may indicate a strong identification with partnership and commitment. These individuals highly value their relationships and seek deep emotional connections with others.

Trine: This signifies a harmonious alignment between their commitment to relationships and their sense of self. They can form and maintain strong, supportive partnerships.

Sextile: This aspect encourages the individual to foster healthy and balanced partnerships.

Opposition: This leads to potential conflicts between their desire for partnerships and their need for personal freedom. They may struggle to find a balance between commitment and independence.

Square: This may result in difficulties in forming and maintaining long-lasting partnerships. Individuals with this aspect may face obstacles in finding emotional fulfillment in relationships.

Vesta:

Conjunction: This may indicate a strong identification with dedication and focus. These individuals have a deep sense of purpose and may devote themselves entirely to a specific cause or pursuit.

Trine: This signifies a harmonious alignment between their focused dedication and their sense of self. They can channel their energy into productive and meaningful endeavors.

Sextile: Opportunities for personal growth and positive commitment to their goals through the influences of Vesta. This aspect encourages the individual to cultivate discipline and dedication.

Opposition: This leads to potential conflicts between their intense focus and their need for balance in life. They may struggle to find harmony between their dedication and other aspects of their identity.

Square: This may result in difficulties in maintaining their focus and dedication to their goals. Individuals with this aspect may encounter obstacles in fully committing to their chosen path.

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

[clayderogatory]

"Under the Red Light of the Crimson Moon."

a/n note: happy spooky season! since the poll received so much positive attention and many yes-es...i decided to write this! it will be posted on my ao3 after as well! also this playlist was very much my vibe im going for so if you like music while reading, this one is perfect! also, this is a VERY plot heavy and descriptive fic as well. warning, this fic does have dark content, if that is not for you, i do not suggest reading! This will also be a multipart series/multi chapter fic!

pairing: vampire!leon kennedy x gn!reader.

word count: 7.2k

tags: mystery, last name already established, graphic depiction of death, corpses, blood, language, heavy mentions of religion, romanticism, neck biting, alcohol use, mentions of other resident evil characters, no smut!

description: you are a doctor/researcher who gets sent to the eerie town of Hythe to investigate and help the strange deaths of the townsfolk. soon, you hear talk of the strange manor upon the hill to the north, and you decide to investigate.

━━━━━━━━━━━━⊱⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺⊰━━━━━━━━━━━━

The town of Hythe was certainly one of much mystery, certainly even from the townsfolk there. The place was always described as eerie, where something was always off. Many people were ill quite frequently, and many were mysteriously killed by an unknown source. With many letters sent and through your curiosity being piqued, you had ultimately decided to see what was all the trouble. The train ride there had been rather pleasant, mainly through the blissful and tranquil countryside of Europe. It had been a wonderful sight to see, the thick green trees whose branches spread to the sun and it's radiant rays, the soft green grass across the plains that would hastily pass by, and the occasional cottages that you would see with families tending to their little farms—it was all rather charming. It truly made you wonder what could be so wrong?

When you arrived at the town of Hythe, that was when it all clicked in your mind. You stepped off the train to a town that was particularly and overly gloomy. The roads and houses were primarily made of stone and dark wood, and while lit oil lamps were filed along the slightly cracked streets—the air was thick and filled with the scent of death and decay. You scrunched your nose at the horrid smell that entered your nostrils, “It smells like shit..” A mumble escaped your lips as you tried your best to not breathe in more of the air around you. You walked through the dark town, the dark and grey clouds above hid away the warm and bright rays of the sun, to which it left the area seemingly forlorn. The townspeople were no better, anyone that was shuffling by were pale and thin. You assumed no one had seen the comforts of the sun in years, as you shifted glances with the townsfolk who just so happened to pass by you. They had seemed rather intrigued and quite curious by your presence in the town of Hythe—after all—no one ever willingly visited this place.

Luckily, you had the ability to stay at the nicest inn the town could offer. After all, with a well paying job such as yours, you could afford more than the average person could in this economy. You had carried your personal bags made of the richest full grain leathers—a generous gift from your father when you were entering your career as a doctor and a researcher. In an alleyway, you had heard the sobbings of a woman and two children, clad in all black, as they tragically wept over the corpse of what you assumed as her now dead husband. An elder priest accompanied them as well, he was saying his deepest prayers along with the family and praying that the man’s soul would be guided to heaven to rest in God’s safe embrace.

You could only watch with a sense of pity as you took notice of the body itself. The corpse seemed fresher, as if it happened the night before you arrived. The muscles were all stiff as the man’s face was contorted into a pale, and horrified expression. The man looked petrifyingly angular, as if someone had suctioned up much of the muscle mass in his body. The horrible odor filled through the air and unfortunately right into your nostrils as your face turned to one of pure disgust. No matter how long you had been in the medical field, you never had much of a tolerance for the dead. The one thing that stuck out to you the most was a large and uninviting bite mark along where the man’s jugular vein would be. The blood had been dried to a rustic red color and part of his cream colored—now stained in a dried crimson—shirt ripped apart to reach the man’s neck. Whoever would…or even could do such a thing like this?

You decided to investigate further as you carefully and slowly stepped closer, the smell was absolutely putrid, but you could manage to keep moving for the sake of your own curiosity and personal research. You had pulled out a small leatherback notebook and a writing utensil out of your coat pocket as you politely cleared your throat to grab their attention. “My deepest apologies during this time…but I could not help but notice this predicament before me…would it be alright to inquire about what may have happened?” You asked sweetly and kindly, after all, the family seemed to be heavily distraught from the traumatic sight before them. No one could blame them for feeling that way, of course.

“He..he left last night for a drink at the t..tavern…and he..he didn't come home! He was only thirty eight…” The woman exclaimed as her tears kept falling from her bloodshot and tired eyes. “And he was found in this state?” You replied and went to walk over to observe the body yourself. “Indeed…my dearest Simon..” She whispered as you kneeled down to have a better look. Judging by the state of decomposition, it seemed to be around one in the morning that he was killed, with how it was now an early eight in the morning. “It was most certainly a homicide…that is too odd of a puncture wound to inflict on oneself…” You spoke in a soft and hushed tone—almost to yourself even.

You lightly traced your hand just barely above the wound, not enough to touch—but you were certainly focused on it. The wound was unlike anything you have ever seen, it was almost too neat for it to have been any sort of weapon. There was no gunpowder or scorch marks on his cold and dead skin, so it couldn't possibly have been a pistol—or any gun for that matter. Hell, you didn't even know if they constructed bullets that thin. A knife certainly had too thick a blade, the wound would have instantly killed someone in the particular area as well. It would have left too jagged a cut as well, with the flesh being more torn into and creating a larger opening than what was presented before you. The man would have suffered more bloodloss in that particular case as well, and it wasn’t quite the case here—considering how there were only a few streams of leftover blood that had previously oozed and dripped down from his sternum and farther down his exposed chest. The marks that were left behind, equally parallel to one another, were so precise and thin…and yet, so intimidating to look at. “Excuse me…if I may ask who you are?” The priest questioned you as you were finally snapped out of one of just many of your investigative trances.

You had turned to the Priest once more before getting your thoughts together once more, “Dr. Coulston…although, you could just call me [Name].” You spoke calmly, regardless of there being a corpse right next to you. The priest’s light and stormy grey eyes lit up with the hint of familiarity, “Ah…you must be the doctor we have sent for.” They all had disregarded the decaying corpse for a moment to greet you. “I am this town’s main priest, Osmund Saddler.” He introduced himself as you gave a generous bow. “I truly thank you for your kindness, Father.” You formally addressed the man as you straightened your posture once more. “If I may ask…have there been many deaths much like this one?” You had opened your small notebook after asking and awaiting an answer to note down on the sheets of paper made from the finest wood pulp. “Indeed…it is the work of the Devil himself! I sense his presence around these corpses, may their souls be guided to Heaven…” Saddler had exclaimed and made a small motion of the cross with his hands. You hastily wrote everything you possibly could while he spoke, and also the details of the actual body itself.

Middle aged man, thirty eight years old. Name was Simon. Expression twisted into one of horror. Estimated time of death, 1:00-1:30 in the morning. Fatal wound of two precise and thin puncture wounds to the jugular vein. The body looks extremely thin, very unhealthily. The body was found in an alleyway just a few meters from the train station to the town of Hythe. Deaths like this are increasingly common, according to Father Osmund Saddler.

“May he rest in peace…” You clasped your hands together and uttered but a small prayer for all the families whose loved ones perished in such a grotesque way. Once you had rested your arms and opened your eyes once more, everything seemed to have calmed down more. “One more question…is there anyone here that could provide more information on these murders?” You inquired as what seemed to be some townsfolk hired by a funeral home started filing in to claim the body to prepare it to be embalmed and buried. “There is one you could try…he frequents the town square quite often. His name is Chris Redfield.” Saddler suggested as you wrote down his name and the place. “Thank you very much.” Your lips curved upwards into a smile as Saddler returned the gesture. “Of course, I hope to see you soon, Doctor.” It was after that where everyone had started to go their own separate ways, and you headed to the inn so you could book your room and leave your bags there. It wasn’t too much of a walk from your previous stance, and it was on the wealthier side of the town. You had walked along the stony paths of the streets, the low, but sturdy heels of your leather shoes making a soft clack with every step you took. You looked around the town to gather some needed insight for the town that you would be staying in for some time now.

There weren’t many shops on the outside, everything was indoors and secure. You assumed it was from the amount of murder along the streets of the town. Anyone that was even outside regardless looked awfully frightened. You could hear their hushed whispers to one another, their gossipings, all about the man’s corpse you have just seen with your own two eyes. News seemed to spread around quickly in this town, although they probably had nothing else better to do with their lives. Just waiting to see who will be struck dead in the thick and dreadful cold of the night! You quietly hummed to yourself at the thought, it would make quite the mystery novel—you held onto that idea in your mind for later usage.

After you had lived in your own psyche and wandered around for but a moment, you reached the inn. It was at the least a little more welcoming than the rest of the town. It also had some stunning views of the mountains much further away in the distant landscape of the area. Through the windows of the inn, you could see the warmer and more comforting candlelight coming from indoors. It provided at least a small sense of security that most of the town very clearly didn't provide with its natural gloom. You gently opened the door and with a grunt, you hauled your bags into the entrance. There was a small golden bell that gave a cheerful jingle as you walked in. As you did, the bell provided the innkeeper the sense that someone had entered. She stood behind a wooden desk with a damp rag in her hands to clean.

“Welcome! How may I assist you?” She gave a warm smile as she placed the rag in a small compartment underneath the now cleaned, polished, hardwood table she stood behind. She had her slightly reddish–brown hair up in a messy ponytail, some of her hair falling onto her pale face that adorned icy blue eyes. She wore her work uniform that was just plain and simple, a red dress with puffed sleeves and a white lace at the ends. There was an ivory white ribbon upon the bust of her dress. She wore a faded dusty pink apron as well, but one eye-catching detail you had noticed was a sterling silver necklace she wore with the charm being a silver feather with a deep blue sapphire near the tip of the quill. You walked up to the counter and placed your bags down next to you with a small sigh escaping your lips. “I will need a room to stay in…for..quite a while. I was asked to come here in regards to the investigation of the murders.” You replied and put your hand upon the freshly polished wooden countertop. “Ah! Everyone in town has been talking about you…thank you for helping us, really.” She gave a pleasant smile before turning around to get a small room key for you. “Of course…and if it is no trouble..would you happen to know anything about these murders that have been rampant?” You had pulled your small leatherback notebook and writing utensil out once more in the hopes that she would know something.

“Well…my older brother has been looking into it a bit. He has told me it always happens in the complete dead of night. Every victim perishes the exact same…may God have mercy on their souls..” A soft sigh escaped her lips as you wrote everything she said down onto the parchment paper of your notebook. “And who is your brother?” You looked up for a brief moment, your eyes laced with that desire to know more. “Chris…Chris Redfield. I’m his sister, Claire.” She introduced herself and placed a key on the desk. Your eyes glimmered at your recognition of the name she spoke of. “I have indeed heard of him…do you know wherever he may be currently?” You wrote down her name next to his, and wrote a little margin note saying they were siblings. “Hm…I couldn’t say as of right now..but he has told me he was going to investigate the strange manor upon the hill to the north of town at some point.” Claire responded to your inquiry and leaned forwards against the countertop. It was a little improper, but you paid it no mind as you wrote down that important detail as well. “Manor? What is strange about it? Why is your brother going to investigate it?” You rapidly questioned, one after the other. Claire had to take a small pause to be able to properly answer your questions.

“Well…the manor has been there for..who knows how long? This village has been around for centuries…that manor along with it. It’s very rare to spot someone ever going inside or out…but one time..I did see a young man enter back inside. I couldn’t make out much of what he looked like…but he had a sort of dirty blonde hair from what I can remember. Regardless...my brother is a constable. He’s been on this investigation as well…he was the one that sent the letter to you.” Claire explained with a hand resting upon her soft, rosy cheek. You had checked your notes thus far.

Chris Redfield and Claire Redfield—siblings. Chris is a constable. Manor on the hill to the north, no one really comes in or out often. Young man with dirty blonde hair spotted once while going inside.

“I see…I thank you kindly.” You slowly nodded your head at Claire as she gave you the key to your room. “Of course! Name please?” She got out her own sheet of parchment paper to note down that the room would be occupied. “Dr. [Name] Coulston.” You replied as Claire nodded to herself as clarification and wrote down everything she needed. “Alright! We will charge you at the end of your stay.” She smiled and put the paper and fountain pen to the side. “And the room is the second door on the right!” She quickly added as you started to carry all of your possessions once more.

You had hauled your bags and items to the door, second from the right—you had remembered, and you opened the wooden door with the small key Claire had given you. The inside of the room was simple, but it was quite comfortable. There was a window to your left that gave you the same stunning views from when you first saw the building. The mountains that surrounded the town truly were a sight to behold, along with the thick forests at the feet of every mountain. Inside of the room was a queen sized bed to your right hand side, a rich mahogany nightstand next to it as well. Atop of it was a silver tray with a fresh box of matches to the side and a few candles with its silver candle holder. Next to the nightstand was a door that led to a small and private bathroom, as well as there being a few bookshelves filled with all kinds of books, a mahogany desk, a few nice portraits hanging around, a large vanity mirror hanging from the wall, and a fireplace that was currently unlit. You had placed your bags down at the foot of the bed and hung your coat on a coat hanger that you just noticed was beside the door. You then just took a moment to just lay down. So much had happened within the past one to two hours that you felt nearly exhausted. You decided that a nice nap would surely do you justice as you got comfortable and your eyes naturally closed on their own to drift into a comfortable slumber.

When you had finally awoken, it was night already. You didn’t even know you could potentially sleep that long—but the train ride had been quite long and you dealt with the whole mystery of the corpses and finding people. It all made your head spin from the stress, but you had a responsibility to solve it all. You slowly arose from the bed with a groan and a stretch, you could feel and hear the snapping of your bones as you felt the ability to move around without a soreness once more. You had ultimately decided to do some more investigation in the night, for you may have had the chance to catch the culprit whilst in the act! You had taken your coat from where you had previously hung it earlier and you slipped it back on. Then it was proceeded by fixing your hair to look a little more presentable than when you had woken up, and from one of your bags—you had pulled out a dagger of your own. If there was a chance that someone would try to go after you, you wanted to be ready at any given moment—and certainly considering the way of how these innocent people were being murdered, you knew you had to be wary and prepared for anything that could happen.

You picked up your satchel and filled it with some essentials. A first aid kit, small snacks for the road,and some stored money. There was always one person who would hide what he knew behind some sort of paywall—or if you needed something for dinner. Once you had personally felt ready, you slipped your shoes back on and left your cozy inn room for the unsuspecting mystery of the town of Hythe. When you had slipped out, as if the town already wasn’t overtly depressing, at night? It felt terrifying. You quietly wandered the streets on your own, the only sources of light coming from the scarce few of the oil lightposts on the sides of the street. The only thing you could hear were the clacks of your heels with each step on the cobblestone streets. You tried to keep your composure, the dread now finally kicking in as you could feel your body tremble from paranoia. You checked a few alleyways, and only finding complete darkness enveloping the space. You had turned your head towards the opposite way of the last alley you looked into, before you found a cold hand grabbing you by the waist and dragging you into that shadowy crevice of the alleyway. A scream escaped your mouth as your body was suddenly pressed up against another, with a complete absence of any warmth at all.

“A new face, hm?” You noticed it was a man’s voice, and from what you could gather, he had a seemingly Spanish accent. “It’s been forever since someone new came around..” He whispered as you felt his hot breath right where your jugular vein would be. You struggled in his grasp with quiet grunts, “Let…go of..me!” You cried out as you stomped on his foot with all your might and escaped from his hold as he howled in pain. “Mierda…” He cursed as he tried lunging for you again, to which you narrowly escaped with a yelp. “Get away from me!” You yelled and managed to get steady on your feet once more, dagger in hand. “Feisty, eh? So typical of humans..” He muttered as he ran up to you and managed to trap you once again, you struggled as he pinned you up against the wall and opened his mouth to seemingly bite you. His canine teeth were much larger than the normal person’s, and his eyes glowed red in the darkness that enveloped your bodies. You couldn’t make out any other defining features as your heart felt it would jump right out of your chest from how fast it was beating. Thump, thump, thump—it was all you heard as his teeth advanced closer, and you just thought it would be the end. You braced for an impact that never came, for when he was just about to dig his teeth into your neck, you heard the sound of a bullet being fired directly into his shoulder. He cried out in pain as he let go and tightly gripped onto the side of his shoulder where a crimson red blood was flowing down his arm. You looked over and saw a quite large and burly man from outside the alleyway holding up a now recently fired rifle. “Get away from them!” He yelled as the man who attacked you frowned with displeasure and dissipeared into the night once more.

You panted for your breath as the adrenaline from being in a near death experience, your mind felt hazy and your senses amplified tenfold. You had no idea what had just happened, and when you had just got back to your senses, you saw the man who saved you standing in front of you. “Are you alright? You aren’t injured, are you?” He asked and offered a hand for you. “No…I-I’m alright..” You stammered quietly as you were slowly calming down from the events that just transpired. “I truly thank you for saving me…I thought I would have died there for sure..” You whispered as the man in front of you nodded in response. “These have been happening all over town…thank God I found you before you were injured.” He gave a hearty smile that you couldn’t help smiling back from his friendly demeanor. “Right…what’s your name?” You asked as you both started walking out of the alleyway and back onto the cobblestone street. “Chris…Chris Redfield.” He stated as your eyes widened, you were lucky enough to find everyone related to one another. “Oh! Yes..yes I was going to look for you! I needed your help on investigating…all of this..although it did just happen..” You rambled a bit before continuing, “I met your sister, Claire..at the inn. And earlier this morning Father Saddler mentioned you after I first came across a corpse who suffered a similar fate as to everyone else.” You finished talking as the both of you walked along the street together. “I see…thank you for taking the time to investigate this issue as well. It’s been happening for…years now at this rate.” Chris looked to you as he replied. “I’ve come to the conclusion that…we may be dealing with a larger threat than I may have thought.”

“And what may it be?” You asked and looked to Chris for his answer. He seemed slightly uneasy at the idea of it, but it came out in a hushed tone of his voice, “Vampirism.” You were familiar with the concept, there were always those extremely paranoid of the sort. Garlic, stakes to the heart—you had heard it all, for it actually to truly exist? The thought was utterly terrifying, especially considering the fact that you had just been potentially attacked by one just but a few moments ago. “V-vampirism? Surely you jest…” You stammered, your voice so utterly uneasy from the idea. Chris shook his head in response as the two of you kept walking down the street, and you truly felt your throat constrict in a bout of nervousness and fear. “As much as I wish I was wrong…considering the events we have just witnessed..and the events that have been occurring..I fear it may be the only answer.” He spoke quietly as a somber mood fell over the two of you like a blanket draped over a bed. “Then what are we to do? They will keep harming innocent people…” You whispered as your brain tried to wrack itself for any sort of clue or answer, obviously they had to find some sort of compromise—but it wasn’t like you exactly knew the general nature of vampires.

“Do you think they live in the manor on the hill?” You inquired as the two of you continued to stroll with one another, Chris pursed his lips and put a hand to his chin. “It’s probable…” He replied as a thought seemed to appear in your head. He could tell by the way your expression changed, “No, you seriously cannot be thinking about going there!” His voice was raised a little as you looked back up to meet his eyes. “I could be able to try to talk with them! Maybe we could reach a compromise…” You suggested the idea as it made Chris a little distressed at the idea. “Vampires are dangerous, Doctor. We don’t know what to expect from them…” He replied and put a hand to yours with concern, you could only sigh in response as you looked away to your right before making eye contact once more. “Chris, if we treat them with hostility, they would only show it back. Let me try to make things right..because I do want to help this town..innocent people shouldn’t have to die.”

“If you say so…but you better stay safe..but know if they try anything, I’ll have to step in.” You nodded at his conditions, “I agree to your terms then.” You both carefully walked back to the inn, but for a moment as you walked, you exchanged glances with another man that had walked by. You noticed a brief red glow from his eyes and what looked to be blonde hair. His clothing was particularly formal, although it was hard to make out due to the dark colors of it blending in with the shadows of the night, but you immediately whipped your head back to looking in front of you with a small gasp escaping your lips. Chris looked at you concerningly for a brief moment as he decided to say nothing as the two of you made it back to the inn once again. Claire was still behind the desk as it seemed she was tidying up the place, at the jingle of the door opening, she looked up and noticed the two of them walking in. “Chris! [Name]! What are you two doing out so late in the night?” She walked out from behind the desk, took off her apron, and placed on the front desk before she made her way over to the both of you. “I had gone out to investigate the pressing issue at hand—” You had started before Chris had finished your sentence, “Along the way, they were attacked by one of the perpetrators. A vampire.”

Claire’s icy blue eyes went wide with the statements as she almost couldn’t figure out what to say. “A..a vampire? Truly?” She stammered as you and Chris nodded your heads in sync. “Chris saved me from one…and then..as we were walking back..I swore I saw another.” Your voice gradually decrescendoed as you spoke, for it grew quieter with every word that came from your lips. “Another?” Claire asked with shock as you managed a solemn nod. “Indeed…he had this blondish hair and his eyes were tinted as this..this crimson red. I could swear they glowed..” You recalled from only a few moments prior to now. “Well…let us all be eternally grateful that everyone is unharmed..it is late in the night, dear. You should head to bed and get some rest..” Claire put a gentle hand on your shoulder with a comforting look. “Indeed. We could rendezvous in the morning with some breakfast and tea to discuss what we shall do moving forwards.” Chris agreed as everyone decided to part ways for the night and wait for morning to speak on such issues. Of course, you weren’t as tired as the other two as you recorded your experiences down into your notebook so that it wouldn’t potentially be lost in your vast memory.

In an alleyway of Hythe, not particularly far from the inn, a vampire attacked at around ten-o-clock at night. Noticeable characteristics were crimson red eyes, large fangs at the canine teeth and slightly smaller fangs where they would meet at the premolars. The vampire that attacked had a smooth Spanish accent, more akin to that of Spain and not of South America origin. The second vampire I had seen while walking was not hostile towards me or Chris Redfield, but he had the same crimson red eyes but his hair distinctly blonde and he had dressed like a gentleman.

You had placed your fountain pen back down after closing it shut after writing. There was a lot to report, but it would provide useful later on. Afterwards, you had taken a relaxing warm bath to calm your nerves and to relax you enough to be able to sleep through the night. You dressed into your nightclothes before slipping into bed and drawing the covers over your body as you lulled into a gentle and peaceful slumber once again.

When you had awoken at around eight in the morning the next day, the outside was still just as gloomy as the day before. Even if it had all felt like an odd dream, you vividly remembered everything that had happened prior. The corpse in the alleyway, the attack, excetera. You had risen out of bed to dress yourself once more as you slipped on your coat lastly. You were going to meet Claire and Chris out for breakfast in the inn, since there was a small dining hall that was in the inn as well. You had stepped out of your room after getting ready for the day as you had now just recently met up with the siblings once more, the fresh smell of warm tea and pastries filling into your nostrils and somehow calming any nerves you may have had. “Good morning, you two.” You had spoken politely as you sat down across from them. “Good morning! How did you sleep?” Claire asked as she took a bite into a small cream puff she had made that morning. “I slept well enough…although..everything from last night is still on my mind.” You replied as Claire poured you a cup of warm chamomile tea. “Mine as well…at least we know who is behind all of this..the only question is how are we going to prevent it from happening again?” Chris responded as he took a quick sip of tea after speaking. “Well…I did say I would try to talk with them..” You responded as they both looked to you as if you were crazy. “Talk with them?! Doctor..I am not sure that is the best idea..especially after one already attacked you!” Claire exclaimed before Chris put a hand up to signal to calm down. “It’s the best we can do…it’s hard enough to try and kill them as it is.” He responded as his sister huffed.

“Oh alright…just..stay safe, [Name].” Claire looked at you with a hint of worry in her expression, but there wasn’t much else you could do. You were willing to make the sacrifice to help the others in need here in the village, and who knows? Maybe you would learn more in the process, and as a reasearcher, you always loved to accumilate more and more knowledge about the world around you. “I was planning to head over to the manor after breakfast…all I know about vampires are what people say about them. Although you can never truly believe everything you hear…” You had taken another sip of your tea and a bite of a warm cinnamon roll. “I do not believe they are regarded as very kind..but I am not sure. We only have the encounter from the other night to go off of.” Chris strirred his tea and drank the rest of it before setting the cup down. “The one who attacked me last night certainly wasn’t very nice…” You mumbled before finishing your breakfast and standing back up afterwards. “Thank you very much for the meal…it was truly delicious, Claire.” You gave a soft smile in her direction and dusted off your coat with. “Of course..please stay safe…vampires may be unpredictable..although it really is all a mystery.” She whispered and went to clean some plates up. “Of course..thank you both for everything..” Your lips curved into a smile again as you gave your final goodbyes before going back to your room, grabbing your satchel yet again, and leaving to go to the manor. You walked along the roads of the town again, you even peered into many of the alleyways to find if there were any corpses in them, but to your surprise, there weren’t any at all.

You had asked around to see if anyone knew where to find the manor, and they all gave a similar answer of following the main road north until you see the hill. So you had listened to their advice, and with every step—every clack of your heel on the cobblestone tiles only heightening your anxiety as you reached the edge of the town, and you spotted the manor upon the hill. There was a bit of a misty fog around as you walked up the path to the manor itself, the path was of dirt as you walked along it warily. There were many trees along the path that had obscured some of your view, but you ultimately pressed ahead. The one thing that you did notice the closer you got to the entrance, was the abundance of multiple types of red flowers in the front. Although the main ones you could make out were some beautiful near maroon roses and an assortment of brightly colored red poppies. It was fitting now that you knew of their true identities, but to say that they weren’t beautiful would be a lie.

You had climbed up the steps to the grand front door of the manor, it was a little intimidating as you gently took one of the door handles and used it to knock on the door precisely three times. There was only silence as you waited for a response, nothing thus far—so you knocked again. Three times, but with a bit more power to them. Your first justification was if they didn’t hear your previous knocks, your second justification was if the myth of vampires being nocturnal was really true, and your third justification was that perhaps no one was home. “Hello? Is anyone home?” You called out quite loudly as you couldn’t even peer in through a nearby window. All of them were covered by maroon curtain drapes from the inside, so there was no luck there. You had sighed and thought to just wait, and as you turned on your heel to leave, you heard the creak of the door behind you opening which made you flinch slightly and hastily turn around. When you had done so, you had locked eyes with the same man who walked past you yesterday night. You could see him a lot more clearly, he had those same red eyes—albiet not glowing anymore, a dirty blond hair that was short in the back but a little long in the front, considerably pale skinned with faint red blemishes, and a rather muscular look to him that was shrowded by his previous clothes. Of course now he was a bit less formal, with only a frilled off white shirt that had showed part of his chest, and high waisted black pants with some gold detailing down the sides.

“...may I help you?” He finally spoke as his eyes nearly pierced your very soul with how intimidating they were. You had nervously chuckled and cleared your throat as you tried to keep your ground and your mind level headed. "Good morning, sir...if I could just have a moment of your time—" You had started before he cut you off, "I have no time for such insignificant nonsense." You blinked a little awkwardly as he tried closing the door before you sprung forwards. "Wait! Wait...please, I truly mean no harm..I just wished..to ask a few questions is all." He stared at you in thought before wordlessly opening the door further for you. You quietly thanked him as you walked into the manor and looked around.

There were candles everywhere, and all of them were lit to make up for the lack of natural lighting from the outdoors. Blacks, reds, and golds were certainly an abundance as the color palate of choice for decoration. Everything looked a little outdated than what was considered normal at the time, and some things looked seemingly medieval, which had further intrigued you. Paintings filled the rooms upon the walls and many of them were a bit eerie to say the least. The blonde haired man led you to the drawing room where he sat down on a couch and motioned for you to sit on the one across from him, which you did so with grace.

"Thank you for the invitation, sir. There were just a few questions I would like to ask of you or anyone else that lives in this home. Could I have a name?" You pulled out your notebook and writing utensil once again and flipped to an open page. "...Leon. Leon Kennedy." He replied as you both firmly shook hands, his grip being a little tighter than yours. "And you will not find the others here at this hour," He simply stated and crossed his arms. "They are on...business."

"...business?"

"Business."

You blinked a few times and noted that down as you nodded your head slowly. "Right...and..what type of business...might I ask..?" Your words were slowly paced, you couldn't help but not believe what he was saying to an extent. "It is information I cannot tell you, my sincerest condolences." You had written that down too. "Alright...well, if I may switch our topic a little..do you know about the recent murders here in Hythe?" You curiously inquired with your eyes glinting with that desire of knowledge. To hear the perspective of someone more on the outskirts of town and who may have been one in on them in the first place certainly intrigued you. "Well...yes, I have. They have caused a bit of commotion here." Leon nodded. "Indeed they have...would you happen to know anything on why they are happening?"

Leon visibly went stiff as he tried to think of something to say to that question. "Ah..well...I do know..some..." He meticulously chose his words carefully as you nodded. "Do tell then, I am all ears."

"It would be considered blasphemous...I doubt you would believe me." Leon murmured as his red eyes looked down a little sullenly. "I can assure you..I will hear out anything you are willing to say." You gave a sweet and affirming smile as he nodded and thought out what he desired to say. "Well...would you believe me if I said we weren't quite..human?" Leon whispered just loud enough for you to hear him. "I could get behind the idea...do continue." You replied calmly as he nodded. "Well...we are..vampires. Everyone in this manor. We don't mean to intentionally kill..it is the only way we can feed..and we have so little that even just a drop of blood causes us to..spiral." He confessed honestly as you wrote it all down without even looking at the paper.

"So I see..my theory was correct then..how did you all arrive here then?" You asked as Leon crossed his legs. "Well...I suppose we have been here longer. This manor is..quite old." He blinked a few times and scratched his chin. Many of his answers were a bit short lived, you had noticed. At least you were getting them, so you couldn't complain too much. "Intriguing..." You whispered and nodded. "Could I have the names of the others who do reside here?" His lips curved into a prominent frown as he stared at you. "Why is that necessary? Are you from the Church?" He got a little defensive as you straightened your back out of nervousness. "No! Not at all...I am just a researcher and a doctor. I came here of my own volition."

"How am I to know that you are not a liar?" Leon stood up and towered over you, his muscular frame intimidating you further. "You will have to trust my word..please. I truly mean no harm!" You stood up afterwards to try and get on an even playing field. He scoffed and looked to you with an unconvincing expression. "Well, I know one thing. Humans are liars, and how could I let one go after knowing quite the secret?" You gulped a little and backed up when he walked near you. "I.." You couldn't get a statement out as your arm was then grabbed by him at some supernatural speed.

"It seems we will have some new company here for quite some time." He smirked a little as he could practically hear your heart pounding and the blood rushing through your veins as you stood there in fear.

Unfortunately for you, your already precarious situation had just gotten a whole lot worse.

━━━━━━━━━━━━⊱⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺⊰━━━━━━━━━━━━

thank you all for reading!! there will be more parts after this and this is (again) posted on my ao3 if you want to leave a kudo/comment! thank you for reading! :)

[sugasimz]

𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐔𝐗𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄 🧱|| 𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐃 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐋𝐎𝐀𝐃 !!

I’m proud of myself cause I’ve been working on my exterior work.

But here’s a second drop for the day, I have a deluxe brownstone in the sky 😩. As you guys know it originally supposed to be a family home but I decided it would be better to make multi functional units since getting the for rent pack.

There are only two units, each including a full bathroom and kitchen, in other words they are starter apartments.

I definitely think it’s perfect for the simmers who are building up a New York style saved file, the unit comes with share spaces, the landlord office with a coffee area open to residents, a reading/lounge area when you first walk into the building, a gym and a laundry area open for residents only.

Has been tested and is functional ⭐️.

I’m sorry to any of my cubes who don’t have most packs, cause I have been embracing Ea/ Maxis items especially for functional and better gameplay !!

Packs needed:

For rent, snowy escape, eco lifestyle (not really), discover university, get famous, seasons, city living, get to work, jungle adventure (for greenery), dine out, spa day, backyard stuff (not really).

size: 1.17 gb public oct 31st !! link: here

[vivwritesfics]

NNTA blurb idea: how would Carlos spend his free time with his son

Series Masterlist

When Oscar was born, Carlos stopped working so much. It was incredibly difficult, considering he'd only just properly taken over from his father as the head of the Sainz family.

But he didn't want Oscar to grow up like he did. Yes his father had loved him, but Carlos had grown up surrounded by the mafia world, he had no choice but to be in it. He didn't want that for Oscar. He wanted Oscar to have a choice.

Carlos was the one who took Oscar karting every single weekend. Sometimes Y/N went with them, but more importantly, Carlos was always there.

He wanted his son to see the world, and he was going to be the one to make it happen. By the time Oscar was ten he'd been to at ;east ten different countries.

They went to England a lot. That was where his Uncle Lando resided. They spent months there at a time. Carlos wasn't always there for that. He tried to be, but it wasn't always possible.

Carlos took Oscar to Australia, too. That was where he met his namesake, the man that had rescued his mother. He met Nicole Piastri, who wept upon seeing him.

Carlos wanted his son to do everything in life. He never had to ask for anything. If Oscar wanted it, he got it. Even when his sister was born he didn't feel that twinge of neglect that some siblings might. She was a daddy's girl, sure, by Carlos never let Oscar feel like he wasn't loved.

Taglist (CLOSED): @biancathecool @multi-universe21 @formulas-bitch @gills-lounge @weasleyswizarding-wheezes @carlossainzwho @f1lov3r @samaib11 @charli123456789 @queenofmanydreams @ironmaiden1313 @vellicora @glitterf1 @80sloverry @lightdragonrayne @moonayu @bellsalabanccini @hiireadstuff @handsupforamiracle @cmleitora @jenniferrvsesi @barcelonaloverf1life @sbella13 @nicolettecallednikki @darleneslane @thehufflepuffavenger1 @champagneproblems17 @aespie @yukheizcigarettes @rewmuslupin @hollie911 @ashy-kit @ririgy @stqrgir1 @zaynzierulez @minkyungseokie @rafaaoli @carolinesainz @ashies-ln4op81aa22 @measimp @mizelophsun11 @eviethetheatrefreak @andydrysdalerogers @chonkybonky @shobaes @celesteblack08 @watermelonworries @gracielukey @cassie0sstuff @goldenharrysworld @venusesworld @sparklyperfectionstranger @evans-dejong @graciewrote @formulaal

[munsons-hellfire]

Discovery of Memories 1 | Helion

SUMMARY: You had no memories when you crash landed into the Night Court. The discovery of you would cause a lot of tension, but only one was after you. One you didn't remember.

PAIRINGS: Helion x Reader

CONTENT WARNING: SFW, angst, some fluff, lost memories, mentions of trauma (will be discussed more in later parts).

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is the first part in my multi-part series. I'm very excited for this and can not wait to get further into this series. This will probably be a slow burn between Helion and Reader. This will also get more mature as I progress through the parts.

WORD COUNT: 1.9K

You didn’t know who you were. You didn’t have a name, well, you didn’t remember it. A cough escaped your mouth as you picked yourself up. You looked around to see that you had landed in some kind of bakery. Eyes stared at you and it was making you uncomfortable. You swiped your hands down your clothes, the dust leaving the clothes as you did so. There were soft murmurs around the small building.

The doorbell rang, indicating that someone had entered the building. Panic was running through your body, your pulse had quickened. Where am I? You thought to yourself as you continued to look around until eventually your eyes landed on two sets of hazel eyes. They stepped closer, you noticed the Illyrian leathers that they wore. Someone had mentioned them to you, made you learn all their weaknesses.

You couldn’t remember their name either. The two males were in front of you, their eyes trained on you. One male had shoulder length hair, some of it was pulled back into a small bun at the top of his head while the rest laid on his shoulders. The other male had short hair, his wings were squeezed in tightly behind his shoulders just like the other male. He had shadows surrounding his body.

From where you stood it looked like they were whispering to him. One broke free and glided over to you, hoovering in front of your face. Then it moved back towards the male like it was reporting back to him. Probably telling him that you were a threat. Though you weren’t sure. Finally you took notice of 7 red and blue siphons that resided on both males. You were curious as to why they had so many siphons on their body.

“Who are you?” One asked gently, stepping towards you again.

You tilted your head slightly, a confused look resting on your face. You didn’t know how to answer that question. You didn’t know who you were, you couldn’t remember your name, where you were born, who your family was, where you came from. None of it was there. All memories had disappeared from your mind.

“I-I don’t know.” Your voice was soft and timid as you answered his question. You watched as the two males exchanged a look with each other.

“Can you come with us?” The other asked. You were hesitant to say the least, both males could see that. “We won’t hurt you, we just want to take you to our High Lord and Lady.” You gave a small nod of your head, for some reason you knew you could trust them. Wherever you’d come from before you couldn’t trust anyone. But the males in front of you seemed trustworthy.

They escorted you out of the barkery, promising to help rebuild the roof that you’d crashed into. You felt embarrassed that you’d crashed into the roof, and just before leaving you apologized to the owner for doing so.

“I’m Azriel, and that’s Cassian.” Azriel said softly, holding his hand out to you. You gave a nod of your head and accepted his hand.

“I wish I could tell you what my name is but I’m afraid I don’t remember it.” Cassian and Azriel gave you an odd look.

“Do you remember anything?” Cassian proceeded to ask.

“Just the memories from moment’s ago when I crashed into the barkery. I don’t remember anything before that.”

Azriel lifted you up into your arms causing you to release a squeak of surprise. Both males smirked at the noise. Then before you had a chance to ask what Azriel was doing his wings opened up and he shot into the sky, Cassian following right behind him. You held your head close to his chest, eyes closed tightly. You feared that at any moment you’d fall out of the sky. Though you supposed you had done exactly that.

“It’s okay.” Azriel whispered in your ear. You just shook your head, choosing to still keep your eyes closed. “We’re landing now.” You only opened your eyes when Azriel finally put you down on the ground.

When you pulled away from Azriel there was something attached to you. You noticed that you had a few of his shadows surrounding your body. A confused expression crossed your face.

“That’s not something you see every day, is it brother?” Cassian asked, eyes on Azriel.

“No, it’s not. How are you doing that?” Azriel proceeded to ask, his gaze on you.

You shrugged your shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe I have the same powers as you.”

No. A voice whispered in your ear. We are not his, we are yours. Manipulation. You didn’t understand what was happening. Sure you didn’t remember anything before falling into the bakery, but this wasn’t something you could do.

“What are they whispering?”

“They're saying they’re mine, that it’s manipulation. But what does that even mean?”

“We’ll have to figure that out. We’ll talk to Rhys and Feyre about it.” You sent Azriel a nod. You didn’t understand what any of this meant but maybe they’d help you figure out what you were missing. You looked around a sparkle in your eyes as you stared at everything down below.

“Welcome to the House of Wind.” Cassian said loudly, causing you to pull your eyes over to him. “Everyone is inside. We do have a guest with us so please don’t mind the male.”

As you followed Azriel and Cassian into the home they explained that the High Lord of the Day court had stopped by to have a meeting with both Rhysand and Feyre who you learned were the High Lord and Lady they had mentioned before you left. As you walked into the room you were greeted with multiple sets of eyes. You scanned the room, there were two young children in the room, both had sets of wings on their bodies.

“That’s the one I’ve seen.” A voice said. You looked at where the voice came from to spot a female who looked very similar to two other females in the room. She was standing next to another male, her hand entangled with his. He had long red hair that complemented his golden-brown skin. He looked somewhat similar to another male that stood in the room.

That male was wearing a golden crown on top of his onyx hair, his skin was dark brown, and you had to admit that he looked very handsome. There was something about him that tugged you towards him. Two fae walked up to you, your eyes rested on their hands seeing what looked like wedding bands. You assumed that they were married.

“You assumed correctly.” The male said, shock ran through your eyes as you stared at him.

“This is my husband, Rhysand. I’m Feyre.” The female spoke, holding her hand out to you. You were afraid to shake her hand considering that you had touched Azriel and suddenly had his shadows. There were still swarming around your body. You wondered what you could do to get rid of them.

Safe. Can be trusted. Don’t touch.

Feyre looked at you with a concerned look on her face. “Sorry. It’s just that when I touched Azriel. His shadows became mine. I don’t know how that’s possible though.”

“We’ll figure it out.” Rhysand said calmly. “What’s your name?” He proceeded to question.

“I don’t know. I can’t remember.” Your voice was broken when you said those words out loud to all of them. It was more broken then when you had said it to Cassian and Azriel. You watched Feyre and Rhysand exchange silent looks with each other. Almost like they’d been having another conversation with each other.

“Do you mind if I take a look inside your mind?” Rhysand asked. You tilted your head.

“How? Why?” You asked, taking a step back from him. Cassian and Azriel were still near you but not close enough.

“To see if I can salvage any of your memories perhaps.”

“It won’t hurt?” You were afraid to learn what memories had been missing.

“It depends on what memory I can find and how good or bad it was.”

You looked back at Azriel and Cassian, already feeling attached to the two males. They’d been there after you had crashed landed through a roof, you trusted them. You knew when they both nodded their heads that you could trust everyone else in this room.

“Okay.” With your permission Rhysand entered your mind searching for something until he finally did find it.

“Mama, papa please, please don’t do this.” You cried out, tears stained your cheeks as you tried to pull away from your father’s strong grip. They didn’t want you anymore and it hurt. You were far too dangerous for a child so they had no choice but to give you up.

“Koschei is going to take better care of you then we ever could, my darling.” Your father spoke, sadness running through his voice.

“It’s for your own good, Y/N.” Your mother’s voice was cold. You knew why. She’d hated you ever since you were born. You scared her with the type of power you had. No one in the village was safe. Having the ability to absorb and use one’s power was not only dangerous to the other fae but dangerous to you as well. It could kill you if in the wrong hands. Yet they were sending you to a Death-god.

“I don’t want to be with Koschei. Please, he’s going to hurt me. I don’t like him.” Your sobs grew louder the closer you got to the border of your village in the Spring Court.

You knew Koschei himself wasn’t picking you up as he couldn’t leave his home. But you still feared what would happen when you were on that lake with him.

“It’s not in our hands anymore.”

Rhys pulled out of the memory, you collapsed to the ground. Tears rolling down your face. Cassian and Azriel tried to move towards you however another male made it over to you before you had a chance.

“My name is Y/N, and my parents gave me up to Koschei.” You whispered, a sob leaving your lips. You looked up to see a mixed reaction of confusion and distant faces. “Do you know who Koschei is?” You proceeded to ask.

“He’s a Death-god. He’s been trying to leave his lake for a very long time. And with you by his side he probably could.” Rhysand explained.

“Then how did I end up here?”

“That’s something we need to figure out.” Feyre said, blue-green eyes on you.

“Would you be willing to do more sessions like that where I or Feyre see if we can pull more memories out?”

“Please.” It was a broken cry but you needed to know who you were and what you could truly do.

“We’ll figure this out. In the meantime no one is to touch you. Y/N has the ability to absorb other powers. Which could be catastrophic if it’s not controlled or trained properly. Hence the shadows.”

You understood what that meant, that no one with powers could come near you. At least for now, you looked at the male that stood in front of you. He hadn’t touched you yet but you felt at ease with him so close. You wanted to know why that was the case, and you were determined to figure that out just like you were determined to get your memories back.

[simp-ly-writes]

The Bodyguard

─────── · · THE GENTLEMEN (2024)

PAIRING: Bodyguard!Edward "Eddie" Horniman x Fem!Reader

─ · · SUMMARY: Your parents decide with your recent party-heavy behaviour that you are in need of an adult babysitter- or as they call it a bodyguard.

─ · · WARNINGS: contract relationship, child neglect, anxiety attacks, overall angst with fluff

─ · · MASTERLIST | TAGLIST REQUEST | WORDCOUNT: 2,112

─ · · A/N: Find it funny how many posts I see complain about "small fandoms" then you have The Gentlemen (2024). I need more people to talk to about this show...

─────── · ·

Up until now, you were always by yourself. In school you struggled to make friends and the few that you still kept in contact with were set with quarterly interactions. The large house you resided in empty besides the few staff that maintained the estate- they were disgusted by the lifestyle you lived- or rather, how they thought you lived.

You got used to not having your parents home, on having no one to ask you how your day went, if you ate that night and what your plans were later that week. The statue collection soon became your greatest confidants, the gallery your absolute favourite room to take lunch in beside the garden when the weather was acceptable.

In all the assets you held, the clothes all still new with tags on in the closet, the endless rows of wine bottles in the basement that your teenage self drowned in and the hedge maze you lost yourself in even when knowing where every exit and secret nook and cranny of. It was plastic happiness, just shiny objects staring back at you and reflecting upon yourself.

You tried to loose yourself in the high life just as every other member of your family did. Sleeping with actors and musicians alike, forcing yourself into yoga classes with young rich wives that only used their manicured nails to pierce each others skin behind doors. It was when you were reaching your late twenties that your parents took notice of your failing public image as you stumbled out of cabs, got caught in multiple scandals only because you were affecting their businesses.

And thats how you found yourself no longer alone but with an adult babysitter, or how your parents described it- a bodyguard.

─────── · ·

"I am old enough to take care of myself, I hate no need for someone to follow me around-" you started to say, your nails digging into your palms as anger started to swell into your eyes in unshed tears of frustration. A younger version of yourself would have been jumping out of joy for having company- your mature self only realizing how much having someone with you would only be added weight.

"Well it is too late for your opinion, the contract has already been finalized and settled, now he is waiting for you by the car. Please, don't make a further embarrassment of the family name," your mother concluded, already turning away from you and walking down the overwhelmingly bare and white hallway. Her heels clacking to a still as you picked up your voice in retaliation.

"How am I much more of an embarrassment than your lack of care or Cousin Simon's multi-day ragers! What about father's multiple hook-ups, or Jacklyns-"

"ENOUGH! I am sick and tired of your incessant whining since you were a child- you are a spoiled little thing since you were born. I gave you everything you could have wanted: books, toys, clothes, sports, and yet you throw all of my hard work aside for what- your constant need for attention? Your new bodyguard will give you everything you ever wanted- be grateful for once in your life and go- now."

The tears now endlessly poured down your cheeks, your breathing rapid, in-takes frequent as you stumbled outside the office space. Your vision was blurry, hands shaking and make-up now a mess as you threw yourself into the car without a second thought.

A detailed handkerchief was soon presented in front of your face as your eyes narrowed in confusion. Turning your gaze to the side and up an attractive man stared back at you. Brown curls framed his eyes paired with slim black frames for glasses. His beard was freshly cut, stubble poking out across his cheeks and chin as he offered you a polite smile at the time you took to analyze him and the well-tailored suit that fitted his tall form.

Cheeks feeling warm, you pitifully chuckled to yourself and took the napkin, opening up your handbag to find a compact mirror as you readjusted yourself. Satisfied you thought of handing the piece of cloth back before decided otherwise, the man noticed your hesitating hand with a brief chuckle before responding, "I can take it back later, are you doing better now miss?"

Still struggling to find your voice to signal your shock, grief, and anger after the interaction with your mother- you forced a nod before looking out the window. Your shoulders only rising as anxiety coated every goosebump on your skin. The man opened and closed his mouth a few times, debating with himself to continue conversation before decided to continue the ride home in silence- much to your approval.

─────── · ·

A few weeks into having your bodyguard, who you found to be named Edward- Eddie he insisted you called him with how much time your spent alongside one another. You tried to forget he was there as you continued your schedule, taking breakfast in bed as he stood outside your door to take you down to the car.

You would then head to your morning yoga classes. He would stand near the door, your water bottle and bag in hand as multiple of the said-to-be-married women tried to coax him into their beds with fake eyelash flutters and tight-fitting clothes yet he would keep his gaze forward. Eyes only snapping to your own as he greeted you with a pleasant smile, asked you how your session went and provided you with the materials in hand before leading you out once more.

Next, a walk around downtown and a visit to the local galleries, two steps behind you he walks was, you could see his shadow overtaking your own on the floor as you talked with the curators- wondering if you could add to your parents (now practically your own) growing collection before heading back home for lunch among the paintings or flowers.

You would insist on Edward- Eddie, to sit across from you. A guilty part eating away at yourself for having someone to join your little glass prison as you offered food of your plate only to be denied. "I will take care of myself once knowing you are fully taken care of miss, now please enjoy your meal- act as if I am not here as you usually do."

When you first met him, you failed to realize how comforting his baritone voice sounded in your ears. How heavy he made each word feel as they draped a blanket of calmness of yourself in reassurance. Offering him a smile in silent thanks, he raised a brow in question to your reaction yet continued just as he asked- chipping away at your meal before turning in early for the day.

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He was protective, you noted to yourself- maybe even bridging on overprotective as his eyes followed your shining form in that dress across the bar top and towards the dance floor as you met up with nepo-babies and start-up engineers alike.

You danced in twirled, a smile fighting its way across Edwards face as he took in your radiant smile as you drifted in between the sea of sweaty bodies and pumping music. The strobe lights had him seeing double before clarity soon coated his vision alongside red as a man felt of your backside. He watched you politely smile, your shoulders crawling upwards, your spine twisting into itself as you tried to raise the mans touch to a more respectable level before looking for a way out once realizing he was not taking the hint.

Edward walked through the people as the crowd parted for him with his determined steps. His hand gripped the mans, his head flipping over to catch the glare in his stare levelling his own. "More along," Edward said in a firm tone leaving no room for question- or what you both thought. The man smirked up at your bodyguard, a laugh erupting in his throat as he leaved in closer a finger pressing at Edwards chest. "And who are you to tell me off, the girls single so you need back the fuck off man- I got to her first."

"And it seems even though you were first, you are the last person she wants to be with right now. I ask you again to leave or I will show you out, your choice," Edward replied. His head and tone dipping towards the shorted man as you looked in between the two. Not knowing weather to jump the man for touching you or to jump your bodyguard for the vein budging from his neck. Your stomach soon decided for you as you leaned into Edwards side, face pressing into his arm, "I want to go home now, I feel like shit."

"Alright miss," and with one last glare towards the man, he wrapped his jacket around yourself as you fell back into and out of your party lifestyle once realizing he was not going to leave your side and also realized just how much his gaze on you made you feel like a teenage girl once again.

Butterflies in your stomach, skin hot and eyes wide as you stared up at him in a drunken daze. You felt his hand on your cheeks as he inspected your face, catching on your nose as some residue still sat on its tip. Wiping it off with his thumb before calling up your driver. He sat with you the whole ride home as you snuggled into his side with your hazed babbles.

Once exiting the car, you swore to feel the need of puking- the next moment he was holding your hair back, rubbing your back as you emptied your stomach into the front bushes.

You don't know how you made it into your bed the next day, or slipped out of your heels and took your hair out of its style in your drunken state. Yet you celebrated yourself by taking a bath that morning before getting lost in the warm waters that soon turned into cold realization. You couldn't look at your bodyguard for the next week without doing your best to speedily walk away from him, or turn your head when he asked about your itinerary.

You hated how much you smiled when hearing his chuckle at your antics, reminding you it was all part of the job. And you equally hated the disappointment your heart felt when he mentioned your time together was a contracted one.

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You soon became obsessed with taking in every detail of this man. How after you asked where his glasses went on that first day had returned the next. How he fixed them every time you laughed at a snide comment he made, joining your commentary of the women at yoga that day.

You became fixated on how his suit would move with his body, fabric subtly outlining the muscles of his arms, how how when you ate dinner in the greenhouse, he would straighten out his coat on the chair behind himself. Rolling his sleeves up before picking up the seemingly small teacup in his large hands with high-class elegance before casting you a cheeky wink as you choked on your own drink.

You loved the way he rushed to pat your back, ask if you were feeling alright and then went back to his emotionless facade as if nothing had happened moments later and you too would fall into this habit. Your lagging mind catching up with your heart as realization overcame the two of you on how nothing more could come of this- nothing good at least.

Edward would open every door for you, allow you to walk on the inside of the sidewalk, would make sure you had the booth seat and take a hand in between your shoulder blades, sometimes the back of your neck in crammed and crowded spaces as you made your way through your parents workplace events and end-of-year parties.

And every night when you would come home, the house quiet your cold bed waiting for you with dim lights. Edward would wish you a goodnight before softly closing the door, you would wait in the far side of your room till you couldn't hear his footsteps anymore in fear of asking him to stay with you.

To truly give you all of his time, your mothers voice came back into your head, calling you selfish in your wants and you listened once more. Listening had gotten you to meet Eddie but maybe you were failing to listen to the right parts...

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─ · · A/N: It has been such a long time since I have written something, I hope that this was not a terrible read (hahaha... ermmm...)