#never be anything but loud [sienna]

[ofragesaesthetics]

                           Sienna Scorfano-Paguro                    Daughter of Luca & Alberto [Luca]

Find Sienna here Sienna’s aesthetics here Join AskStoryKids-HQ here

[jamespotterthefirst]

Dress (Ethan x F!MC)

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey and MC (Lilac Allende)

Word Count: 1.5K

Rating/Warning: T/ Some Language

Summary: Loosely based on the events in Book 1, Chapter 9. After dinner with her roommates, she runs into Dr. Ramsey at the bar.

Note: Because Ethan never saw my MC in that hot dress. Inspired by Dress by Taylor Swift. Longer note at the end (meep).

The dimly lit bar thrummed with excitement, the energy as palpable as the plethora of glasses leaving the bar. All around, overworked medical staff in various degrees of inebriation laughed and talked over the loud music, making the most of the rare moments of freedom at their disposal. It was undoubtedly karaoke night—and if the neon sign flashing from above the small stage didn’t clue him in, the awful singing, the ruckus laughter, and the smell of fried bar food definitely would. Still, the tension pinching Ethan’s muscles knew only one remedy.  

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Reggie exclaimed with exaggeration at the sight of Ethan. “Hell must’ve frozen over if you’re here for karaoke night. What song should I queue up for you?”

“Very funny,” Ethan replied dryly, taking his usual seat at the bar. “No song, but I will take the usual.”

The bartender laughed his characteristic guffaw, one that he reserved for whenever he taunted Ethan. “Must’ve been one hell of a day if you need a drink badly enough to put up with all this.”

He nodded toward the stage where a group of interns belted the notes of some 90s song Ethan couldn’t place. They huddled around one microphone, swaying under the effects of half-priced pitchers of the night. One of the interns broke off in laughter, signaling at someone in the crowd to join them. 

“Hell of a week,” Ethan began to reply, but his attention lingered on the group. 

The more he watched them, the more recognition dawned on him. The one grinning broadly at the center, shorter than the rest, was Sienna Trinh. Beside her, Elijah Greene rapped the verse of the song expertly. On his right was a tall, lanky intern Ethan could not name if his life depended on it. 

If they were here, then so must—

“Lilac!” Trinh hissed into the mic, beckoning wildly from stage. “Get up here, now!” 

Jeers erupted as the crowd parted, revealing a laughing Lilac Allende. She shook her head enigmatically, but Trinh refused to give up. At long last, a pair of strong arms engulfed Lilac and easily picked her up. That arrogant surgeon that strutted through the halls of the hospital carried her on stage. 

Ethan looked away, annoyed. Lucky for him, Reggie had long since placed the glass of amber liquid in front of him. He took a swig, refusing to give in to the urge of glancing her way. 

It was no use, though. 

The last few months had proven that Lilac Allende was impossible to ignore. She had confidently taken reign of his senses from the moment her green eyes met his. Defeated, he glanced at the stage. The stage lights had brightened, matching the rhythmic Spanish song blaring from the speakers. One glance at the screens surrounding the small room told him it was a song by Selena Quintanilla.

“Anything for Selenas!” Lahela screeched through cupped hands. 

Lilac, meanwhile, made no use of the screens with the flashing lyrics. She sang the words confidently into the microphone, swaying and dancing, letting the music take over. Each sway of her hips commanded the space around her, all but hypnotizing anyone who watched. She was aware of how badly her voice sounded as she tried to hit the high notes, but the peal of laughter that rang out made Ethan’s chest feel weightless. 

At last, during a pause in the song, she shrugged off her long coat to the wild cheers of the crowd. 

“Get it, bitch!” Sienna cheered as she caught Lilac’s discarded coat. 

There was nothing particularly special about the dress Lilac wore. It was a shade of dark green Ethan could not specifically name if pressed. It could have even been modest or plain on anyone else, with long sleeves and a skirt that reached the floor. But on Lilac Allende the dress was nothing short of sinful. It caught the light as she danced and swayed to the music, captivating many in the room. The fabric hugged every curve and dip, flowing in a tantalizing rhythm as she danced. 

Ethan watched, clinging to his glass with unnecessary force. 

For one wild moment, he allowed himself to fantasize what it would be like to run his fingers along the leg slit. His lips would find her exposed shoulder, moving up her neck, and whispering in her ear, “Let’s get out of here.”

The song ended with a roar of applause. 

As though sensing his gaze on her, her green eyes found his from across the room, paralyzing him. 

Piercing blue eyes pinned her in place, making her body hum more than cheap alcohol ever could. Ethan Ramsey was watching her from his usual place at the bar, his expression unreadable but intense. Every instinct told her to stay away from him, her senses recognizing what grew heavy between them with each passing day.

Before she could think better of it, Lilac hopped off the stage and made her way to the bar, giving her friends some pretense about needing a drink badly. As she approached, Ethan’s posture stiffened, his attention on his glass of scotch. Though he stared at the amber liquid intently, it was nothing compared to the way he had watched her from across the room. 

“Didn’t expect to see you here, Doctor Ramsey,” she said by way of greeting. “It’s karaoke night.”

He looked up at last, though his posture still appeared tense. Lilac noticed his fingers flexed around his glass. 

“I’m aware,” he responded. “It looked like you were having fun.”

Lilac gave him a little shrug, sliding onto the barstool next to him. “Just blowing off some steam after a difficult day.”

Ethan’s shoulders stiffened slightly. She knew he was thinking about their earlier conversation regarding Mr. Platt. He opened his mouth, impassioned, as though ready to go toe-to-toe with her like before. Then, he seemed to think better of it. 

“Did you figure it out yet?” he asked instead. 

“Why you assigned him to me? No.”

“His diagnosis, Rookie.”

“Also no. That’s eluding me as much as your reasoning behind this.” 

She knew he was pushing him a little too hard. He could very well angrily shut down like he had done earlier, leaving her even more irritated and confused. Instead, he set his glass down on the bar top, sighing heavily. 

“I thought you could handle it.”

The inadequacy of this response made Lilac’s annoyance flare up.

“I must’ve miscalculated,” he added. 

“I can handle anything you give me,” she returned scathingly. 

“Surely not if this simple assignment is throwing you off.” “It’s not the assignment or the patient. It’s the reason why you did it.”

“The reason is simple. I'm your mentor. It's my job to push you.”

The busy bar around them continued to buzz with excitement. No one around them paid them any mind, and if they did, the look on Ethan's face alone was enough to make anyone glance anywhere else. Lilac, however, was not afraid of the icy glare fixed on her. Instead, she straightened her spine, her body imperceptibly closer to his. 

“I don't believe you,” she informed him. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You're not letting this go, are you?” 

“You already know the answer to that, Dr. Ramsey.”

Lilac watched him take a long swig of his drink. Truth be told, she was shocked he was still sitting there, humoring her. Any other time, he would have stormed off. 

Tonight was different. 

“If you're so sure there's some grand explanation, then enlighten me, Rookie.”

Lately, everything was different with him, as though the Earth shifted on its axis without their knowledge, leaving them swaying for balance. 

“I think…” she said, her voice quiet. She trailed off, entranced by his blue eyes on hers. Without her knowledge, she had leaned closer to him, their arms and thighs so close that she could feel the warmth of his body. For a breath, she allowed herself to imagine what that warmth would feel like pressed against her body, roaming every inch of her… The warmth of his hands on her skin, as he tugged her dress, pulled it, ripped it...

“I think…” she tried again, willing herself out of her haze. 

“Yes?” 

“You're deflecting.”

Ethan reeled back. “Deflecting? Deflecting what exactly?” 

How did she explain that she burned for him and a part of her believed he longed for her too? She couldn't bring herself to explain her deluded reasoning: that he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. That there was something tangible between them that neither of them could ignore. That the reason Ethan assigned her an impossible patient was to prove that he didn't feel the same as Lilac— that she was just another intern. Saying the words out loud felt like giving up too much of herself. 

“There you are, Lilac!” Trinh exclaimed as she appeared by her side. “We need you. Landry and Elijah want to sing ‘Non-Stop’ but I have to sing ‘My Shot’. I have to or I will cry.”

Sienna's eyes fell on Ethan and she froze. “Sorry—Am I interrupting?” 

“Not at all,” Lilac assured her, hopping off the barstool. “Dr. Ramsey and I were done talking.” 

Ethan, on the other hand, looked as though he wanted to reach out to stop her. Lilac's body thrilled at the thought. 

“Enjoy your night, Dr. Ramsey.” 

“You, too, Dr. Allende.” 

Note: Hi. Hello. It's me. I'm the absolute problem, it's me.

There's so much to say. I always forget everything I want to say when I type these.

First, if anyone is still out there, and read this-- Thank you!

Second, to everyone reading and liking my old work while I was away, also thank you! You made my day when I would log on and see!

Third, I am working on a huge Open Heart project. As I re-read ch. 9 inspiration struck. Writing after all this time felt like rusty gears slowly starting to turn. It felt good, though. I hope I can do more of it!

I will definitely post old fics I wrote once upon a time but never posted.

Love you all. Missed you!

-Bree

[seospicybin]

SEOSPICY PREVIEW.

CAM: CHAPTER III

Hyunjin x reader. (s,a)

CAM MASTERLIST

Synopsis: Struggling to make ends meet as an art student, Hyunjin never expected his quiet neighbor to change everything. Rumored to be an adult content creator, you offer him a deal—help you with your content, and you’ll help with his financial troubles. What starts as a simple arrangement soon blurs into something more, pulling Hyunjin into a world he never imagined.

Preview under cut!

...

Since you're sitting next to Hyunjin, it's time for you to take your turn. You reach for a block near the bottom of the stack, carefully wiggling it free, holding your breath as the tower wobbles slightly. Once it’s out, you flip it over and read the instruction printed on it.

Kiss the person you think is the hottest.

Sienna immediately gasps before breaking into laughter. “Oh, this is a good one!” She turns to you with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “But it’s not an easy decision, huh? You’ve got two sexy boys right here.”

You scoff, rolling your eyes. “Please. This is easy.”

Both Felix and Hyunjin straighten slightly, waiting for your choice. You glance at them both, dragging out the moment, then shake your head with an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, boys,” you say, shifting onto your hands and knees. “The hottest person here is Sienna.”

Sienna grins as you crawl over to her. She meets you in the middle, tilting her chin up expectantly. “You better give the boys a good show,” she murmurs, her lips curving into a smirk.

You slide your fingers under her jaw, tilting her head just right before pressing your lips to hers. She responds instantly, kissing you back with confidence, and as the teasing tension in the air thickens, you deepen the kiss, slipping your tongue past her lips.

The kiss turns messy, heat building between you as your mouths move together, the taste of alcohol and something undeniably Sienna filling your senses. Your fingers tighten on her jaw, and she lets out a soft hum of approval. By the time you finally pull away, you’re both slightly breathless, lips tingling, your gazes locked in amusement and heat.

“Holy shit.” Felix is the first to break the silence. His voice is awed, his eyes wide. “That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Hyunjin doesn’t say anything, but when you glance at him, his fingers are wrapped tightly around his drink, his throat bobbing as he swallows. His gaze flickers between you and Sienna, something unreadable lingering in his expression.

It's Felix’s turn now and he leans forward, eyes scanning the tower carefully before pulling a block from the middle of the stack with ease. He flips it over, reads the instruction silently, then lets out a soft chuckle before reading it aloud. "Remove one article of clothing."

Sienna immediately lets out an excited squeal, clapping her hands together. “Oh, hell yes. I love this game.”

Felix smirks, clearly enjoying the attention, and takes a moment to consider which piece to remove. Then, he turns to you. “What do you think? What should I take off?”

You blink at him, caught completely off guard. “What?”

Felix holds your gaze, a teasing glint in his eyes, waiting for your answer. Heat rushes to your face as you quickly shake your head. “I’m not answering that.”

“Alright then,” Felix says with a grin, reaching for the buttons of his shirt. His fingers work through them one by one, taking his sweet time. As he parts the fabric and shrugs it off, revealing his toned torso, Sienna lets out a dramatic gasp before breaking into loud cheers.

“Felix, you absolute menace,” she laughs, fanning herself exaggeratedly.

Felix tosses his shirt aside, leaning back with an amused expression. “Hope that was worth it.”

Sienna, still grinning, suddenly pauses before snapping her fingers. “Oh! We finished the first round.”

She grabs the bottle of liquor and starts pouring shots for everyone. “House rule—one shot for every round we complete!”

She hands each of you a shot glass, lifting hers in the air. “Cheers!”

Everyone clinks their glasses together before downing the shots, the burn of alcohol warming your throat instantly. The game is only getting started.

...

Full fic will be released Friday, April 18th. Or you can read it early on my Patreon:

[megameatymatt]

Sienna - part 2 - Chris Sturniolo - Angst

In which... Chris left you—and what could have been—behind.

part one here

"Ooh, Sienna Would've been cute Ooh, Sienna Would look just like you With a temper like you, run around like you Jumping in the pool, like you Sing to all her pets in the way I did Be sensitive like you"

CW: unresolved angst, grief

A/N: sorry for the lowkey cliffhanger, I just felt like it was getting too long. Also sorry for the lack of dialogue, part 3 will be better I promise🤞 love you guys ok bye!

WC: 626

You sit on your rooftop, knees pulled to your chest. You've been up here for who knows how long. The sun is about to set, its soft glow creeping back under the horizon. For a second it almost feels like before—like the evenings spent next to Chris, your hands intertwined, his laughter loud and goofy as you watched the sun fade away together.

Sienna would have loved evenings like these too. You imagine her small body curled up between the two of you, her sleepy voice mumbling about whatever she'd be obsessing over that day. You would have traced the freckles on her nose, the ones she would've gotten from Chris. She'd stare with her sharp blue eyes full of mischief and warmth. She would have been yours.

But Sienna isn't here. And she never will be.

Neither is Chris, and he hasn't been for a while.

It's his birthday today. The thought weighs on you, a reminder of the day you two would've shared together, a day once filled with joy and laughter. You weren't supposed to be here without him, not on this rooftop, not watching the sun rise and set day after day by yourself, not mourning the family you'll never have.

Your fingers hover over your phone, the weight of the day pressing down on you, but before you even think about it, you dial his number. You don't know what you expect. Maybe you want to hear his voice again, just to feel close to him. Maybe just for a few seconds, you can pretend everything is still okay, maybe just for now.

It rings once. Twice. Three times. You're about to hang up, but then-

"Hello?"

Your breath catches in your throat. The world around you stills. Seconds pass, but in them, everything freezes.

“Y/N?”

Tears slip down your cheeks before you realize they've fallen. You blink but the tears don't stop, They fall harder, faster, and you can't breathe, can't think, can't stop. You squeeze your eyes shut. His name stuck in your throat. "Chris.." It's barely a whisper, but it feels like a prayer. A plea. A beat of silence stretches between you both, heavy and thick. Then a soft sigh from his end. "I'm coming over."

You don't meet him at the door. He finds you where he always does—on the rooftop, curled into yourself like you could fold away the hurt. He doesn't say anything at first, just sits beside you, but the silence isn't comfortable like it once was, instead the tension thick between you both. It suffocates, but you don't move. Neither of you do "Aren't you sweating in that heavy-ass hoodie? my heavy-ass hoodie... we're in the middle of August" You shake your head, not daring to look a him

He speaks once more, "Can we go inside, boring out here." The words hit you harder than you expect. The rooftop, once the place where you shared everything, and planned a whole family, now feels like a distant memory. It stings this shift, this realization that what you once had is no longer important to him. And just like washed-out watercolour, the future you both dreamed of sharing fades further into the background.

she was supposed to be here. She was supposed to be yours. Instead, she only exists in the spaces between you two, in the could-have-been and maybes. In the name you never got to give her. You wonder if he ever thinks about her, if she crosses his mind in the quiet moments. If he ever imagines what it would have been like—the three of you, a family. Or if he's forgotten her the way he's forgetting this, forgetting you.

But you don't say anything, instead, you glance at him with glossy eyes and follow him inside.

A/N: part 3 out probably not tomorrow, or maybe it will be, idk 😁️

credits to @hyuneskkami for the dividers ♡

taglist: @sturnobsessedwh0re, @sophand4n4 @courta13

[sweetbillwriting]

The Key To His Heart - III

Description: As a hard working novelist and single dad hasn't Bill had much time for dating but gets an unorthodox chance to meet women when his friend persuades him to be a part of a dating TV show.

Characters: AU Bill Skarsgård where his life changes in 2013 and later 2019.

Setting: L.A, 2024 but in an alternative universe with Bill having a completely different life.

Warnings: 18+, NSFW, heavy themes.

Bill's Guests:

Maria: Writer, 38.

Violet: Entrepreneur, 22.

Camila: Engineer, 31.

Victoria: Shop assistant, 34.

Sandra: Fashion designer, 36.

Julie: Model, 25. (Left in episode 2)

Esmeralda: Model, 27.

Rose: Personal trainer, 22.

Odette: Pediatrician, 33.

Tiffany: Actress, 30.

Sienna: Painter, 28.

Brigitte: Chef, 29.

×

It was in the guest house that the drama had settled. The girls living in the mansion didn't relax as much as the others because Bill could suddenly be next to them, but the guest house he hadn't visited. There lived Esmeralda, Odette, Maria, Sandra, Violet, and Brigitte. Earlier also, Julie lived there. The fight between her and Esmeralda wasn't the only tension, though. An irritation hung over the house all the time.

Odette and Brigitte had found a sort of friendship, or at least as close as a friendship you can have when you want the same man. They prepared for the day together in their room when they heard loud voices.

“Don't be so fucking childish!” said Sandra loudly.

“I'm not childish! That was my cucumber!” Answered Violet more upset than angry.

“It's a cucumber! Let it go! And if I'm correct, it isn't even you who paid for it!”

"No, but I ordered it!”

Brigitte looked amused at Odette while braiding her hair, and they both smirked curiously. Sandra had said before that Violet was childish, and they had a feeling she was a bit provoked that 22 year-olds were a part of the show.

“Fine! Go and tell Bill I ate your cucumber then! How do you think he will react to that? It's just childish behavior, and he would feel the same!”

Violet didn't say anything, and the other girls looked at each other with big eyes.

In the kitchen, Violet just stormed out while Sandra and Maria were still there. Sandra rolled her eyes towards Maria, but she looked down in her coffee mug.

“Yesterday she complained that Esmeralda had used lavender shower cream because she can't stand it, like she's the princess here,” said Sandra and shook her head. “And she threatened to tell the TV team about Brigitte,” under the table she made a motion with two fingers. “A bit too often. Okay, we hear her sometimes, but come on, we're all girls!”

Maria nodded a little and took a sip of her coffee.

“She told me she does it because of her cramps, she has big problems with her period, and so on,” explained Maria lowly.

“See! There is even an explanation to it!”

In Odette and Brigitte's bedroom, Brigitte tried to hear what Sandra and Maria were discussing; she had heard her name but nothing more than that.

“Are they talking about me now?”

Odette shrugged her shoulders, pretending she hadn't heard anything.

“Will they bitch about everyone?”

“They seem like the type... But it's nothing to care about. They're just bitter or something.”

×××

Bill would never confess how many situps and pushups he had done in a row. He wanted to seem like he was chill with his training and body, but in reality he could feel a bit of panic for the day.

They were at a fitness resort close by, and he would be with all girls that day at a pool party, and he knew both the women and the viewers would look at his body. He didn't feel self-conscious but wanted to look his best, especially when he knew how he could look if he wanted to. He pulled on the black pair of swimming shorts in a shorter style and looked at himself in the mirror in the locker room. He looked good. Yes, he looked good. He sighed because he knew they had planned it so he would come last and more or less make an entrance in front of the girls. It was silly.

The girls did wait for him by the pool, all of them wearing their nicest swimwear. A few of them covered themselves with a sarong, but most of them seemed comfortable being so naked on TV; some acted more comfortable than they were. All of them waited on Bill with excitement, and several of them already felt Bill was the one they knew best, and because of that, their “safe person.”

Bill walked out to the pool, trying to look relaxed and not like he was thinking about the girls' opinions, but they just looked at him admiringly. The smooth, tanned skin, the height, the broad shoulders. The abs. Odette and Brigitte look at each other with a smirk. So did Victoria and Rose. There wasn't anyone that didn't like what they were seeing.

“Hello, my ladies,” he said, approaching the sun chair where a letter was lying. He was informed by Herman he would get one, but not what would be written in it.

“Hey, Bill!” said the girls almost as if in a chorus, and it made Bill smirk, crooked. They were really there just for him.

He took the letter and sat down in the chair. He was so focused and curious about the letter he didn't notice that the girls still looked at his body a bit too intensely, but they put on their most innocent faces when Bill looked up from the letter to say with his eyes he would read out loud.

“Today you have the whole day to get to know each other better. The whole resort is open to only you, and you can use it however you want. Girls, try to take your chance to be with Bill because, tonight, back at home, two of you need to leave.”

Bill looked up at the girls. His expression was similar to theirs, stressed and uncomfortable. Suddenly the energy wasn't as relaxed and sunny.

“Okay… Ehm… Hm…” Bill said, and in his deep thoughts, he moved to the pool and slipped down the edge to the cold water. There were just four girls in the pool, Maria, Odette, Brigitte, and Sienna, even though the pool was big.

“That was a surprise…” he said to Odette and Brigitte, who were the closest to him.

“Yeah, I had some naive thought we would just be here and chill,” said Brigitte and looked at him with big blue eyes. Her hair was gathered in a long, thick braid over her shoulder. Bill nodded in agreement.

“Feels like you and I haven't even had time to say hello yet,” he said with an awkward laugh. Brigitte laughed too, and it looked like she was on her way to say something before Odette interrupted her.

“We haven't had much time together either,” she said, smiling at Bill. He agreed but silently thought he hadn't had much time with the other ones either, just Rose.

“Have you visited this place before?” asked Brigitte and moved so that she was on the other side of Bill instead of having Odette between them.

“Yeah, they have a good brunch, and my oldest thinks it's fun to play some tennis... You were a chef, right?”

“Yeah, and I promise, my brunch is better,” she said cheekily and made Bill chuckle.

“Yeah, any specialities?”

“I would say my green crepes, but crepes, that's like pancakes for Swedes, right?”

“Yeah, it is. So I rarely make American pancakes; they grow in your mouth after a while.”

Brigitte faked offense, and Bill laughed at her with his hands up.

“Sorry! But you also do crepes!”

Brigitte giggled and nodded.

“Maybe there is some truth to it, and my mom is French…”

Odette looked at them talking and how big Brigitte made Bill smile, so when there were a few seconds of silence, she laid her hand on Bill's elbow.

“Can't we just take a little walk?”

Bill looked away from Brigitte to Odette and smiled.

“Sure, I can show you the resort.”

Brigitte gave her friend a look, it wasn't a friendly one.

The resort was bigger than Odette had thought, and it had several tennis courts, more pools, well arranged gardens, and an outdoor spa. They stopped by the tennis court, where Odette pulled Bill down for a seat on a bench. They had talked softly about a lot of things, and it flowed on well. She was calm and warm and made him relax. It was simple. They got 30 minutes for themselves before...

“Bill? Do you want to play?” It was Tiffany, dressed in a red bikini top and white denim shorts. She pointed towards the tennis court. Bill gave Odette an apologetic smile, who looked disappointed at both Bill and Tiffany.

“Sure!”

He guessed the day would be like that, being pulled away from one woman by another. It was a luxury, but he was afraid it would mean he would never be able to talk with them deeply.

He played a friendly match of tennis with Tiffany as he would with his oldest daughter. He noticed she was a beginner and didn't want to startle her with a hard ball in the right corner. He himself wasn't such an experienced tennis player either, but he learned fast, so when his daughter started to play, he got the hang of it. He also had read about it online to get better; he didn't do anything half-ass.

Tiffany giggled when they took a break and fixed her wild curls.

“I think you're holding back!”

Bill smirked and leaned against the judge’s chair.

“Of course not!”

Tiffany smiled, amused, in a pointed way. Bill licked his lips and shrugged his shoulders.

“Maybe a little.”

“I knew it! But I guess that's gentlemanly of you.”

“I try!” Bill stretched his back so it cracked. Tiffany stood and looked at him a while, then she softly took his hand and pulled him to the bench he had been sitting on with Odette earlier.

“You know… I had a boyfriend, Haadi, who died of cancer a few years ago.”

Bill looked at her first but then looked away uncomfortably. He knew where this would lead. He met Herman's eyes far away, and he wondered if he was hiding back there because he had planned this. Americans always liked a sad story.

“I'm sorry…” he said and gave Tiffany a fast look.

“It was five years ago, so I guess it must have been the same year your-”

Bill cleared his throat and stood up. “I'm sorry, Tiffany, but I really don't want to talk about that here and now. And I think lunch is soon.” He looked towards the restaurant just to escape her stare. Tiffany looked at him with panic.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry Bill…”

He smiled strained but didn't look at her.

×××

Kate was a sensitive topic for Bill, not because he hadn't worked through it, but more so because cancer was a subject always making him uncomfortable because people believed he would be an expert on the subject or people began to ask about his life currently with curiosity and intrusively trying to find out how his girls had taken her death.

They walked back to the restaurant where they had started to serve lunch, and Bill sat down on his place, the edge of the table. Clearly he had made Tiffany uncomfortable because she walked up to Sienna instead of staying by his side.

He looked around at the girls when he had a few minutes to just think. He didn't even want to confess it to himself, but he looked at their bodies while they were so naked. It was the ones who he had expected that awakened lust in him. He licked his lips and tried to stop staring at the girls.

He hadn't had sex for six months. The last few years had he just succeeded in having a few one night stands, and he had had one woman who he could call if he had wanted to, but she gave up on him quickly because he never had time. Arranging a babysitter to get laid wasn't anything he could do with a good conscience.

Could he let someone stay because they were hot? Because he wanted to lay on top of them?

He could. He looked at soft thighs and a curved, tanned back. He could give one more chance. It wasn't like anyone needed to know what the reason was.

“You like to cook too?” Asked Brigitte, who had sat down next to him. It took some seconds for Bill to hear what she had actually said and force himself to look at her.

“Ehm, yeah. Yeah, I love it,” said he with a smile. “But I'm probably not as good as you.”

“I think we're good at different things.”

“Yeah? What's your thing?” Bill shoved a tomato in his mouth.

“Meat and sauces, I think. I work at a meat based restaurant.”

“Really? I would have said I'm best at meat too, but I think you're better than me at that.”

Brigitte giggled a little and gave him a teasing smile. Bill smirked back; he liked that she didn't protest and that she more or less confessed she was better than him. Too many women diminished themselves to flatter a man; she didn't.

“I would love to try your food.”

“You should. I make the best lamb with mint sauce.”

“Is that your signature dish?”

“Probably, or my homemade sausage.”

Bill looked impressed.

“Seriously? Fuck, that's impressive!”

Some seats further away sat Odette and looked at her friend and the man she wanted. All of the girls looked annoyed that Bill gave Brigitte his full attention, but no one was as irritated as her.

When Brigitte and him got to a natural pause, he looked at Victoria, who walked by.

“Would you want to visit the balcony with me? There’s a really great view there,” he said with a charming smile. Victoria blushed red all the way down her neck.

“Oh, yeah, okay,” she said with a giggle and fixed her baby pink bikini top. While Bill stood up, Victoria looked at one of the lounge chairs.

“I will just... ” She ran to the chair and then pulled on an Aztec patterned kimono. Bill looked at her disappointed, and she seemed to have noticed because she looked at him confused.

“Is it something?”

“Oh, no, no.” He scratched his neck and looked towards the big building.

They walked in silence up to the balcony, not because they didn't have anything to say, just that they wanted to be far away from the other girls’ nosy stares.

“Wow! This is amazing!” exclaimed Victoria when they were up and looked down at the view of California’s nature. Bill looked almost proud when he looked out over the view and the afternoon sun. It wasn't even his country, but he had started to see it as his home. He had lived there for quite many years.

“I thought New Yorkers hate Los Angeles?” said Bill teasingly. Victoria shrugged her shoulders with an embarrassed smile.

“It's a different feeling. I like the rougher vibe, but you're more Hollywood?” It sounded like she teased him, but Bill couldn't see the playfulness in her eyes.

“No, not really. I preferred New York before I moved here, but life, you know, it takes you to places you never thought.”

Victoria shrugged her shoulders. Bill looked out over the view and felt again that feeling he had felt at the cocktail party. They didn't match.

“Working at a bookstore, you must read a lot?”

“Ehm… Not really, actually. I can feel that books and authors have a tendency to tell the same story over and over.” Bill nodded a little, but in reality he couldn't understand what she said. Everything was stories. Books, movies, series, even documentaries. Didn't she consume anything of it? He was a writer, a former actor; his whole life was stories.

“Do you read a lot?” She asked and looked at him with uncertainty; maybe she had felt his vibe.

“Yeah, when I don't write myself. Then I do research for my own books… Yeah, I would say I read a lot.”

Victoria nodded and then giggled.

“You would have a lot to talk about with my dad, then.”

Bill smiled at her, but it was forced. It wasn't her dad he wanted to be able to talk with, but with her. Discreetly, he looked at her baby pink bikini top and the swell of her breasts, then he looked out over the view again with a deep exhalation.

×××

The sun had started to go down when Bill took a walk by himself around the gardens after being with several of the girls around the pool. He had a lot to think about, and the girls didn't make it easy for him. He didn't really have feelings for any of them, but he had many mixed thoughts about them. It seemed like all of them had qualities he both liked and disliked, and some girls he felt potential with, but it just hadn't bloomed yet. In normal life he would have given a woman a longer chance, but here he needed to say goodbye just by a feeling or some awkward seconds. He wanted to get to know them better but also think things through, but it wasn't time. When he came around the corner, he saw Sienna sitting in a heated pool by herself. Her middle-length dark hair was wet and slicked back over her head. She smiled shyly at him but still looked inviting. Bill walked up to her with long, slow strides.

“Are you here alone?”

“Yeah, it can get a bit much,” she said and looked down in the water, embarrassed. Bill smirked in understanding but slipped down into the water without an invitation. The water was so warm it stung his skin for a few seconds. He hoped to be able to talk with her, but once again that awkward feeling crept up on him. He didn't know what to say at all, and she was just as quiet. He noticed she was shy, and it seemed to infect him. He was also shy but could often master it, but with another person being just as awkward as himself, his head became empty and his limbs restless.

“So… You're a painter, right?” He asked after some awkward minutes.

“Yeah,” she said shortly. Bill nodded and crawled down deeper in the water so his shoulders were also under the surface.

“What do you paint?”

“Ehm… Right now it's mostly zebras.” Sienna didn't look at him. Bill waited a few seconds to see if she would give him an explanation of her motives, but she continued to be quiet. He started to regret having crawled down in the pool with her; now he was stuck there and couldn't just walk away; it would be too mean.

“I have read all your books,” Sienna suddenly said, and Bill looked at her surprised. He had started to give up on having a conversation with her.

“Yeah? Do you like them?” He asked curiously.

“Most of them. Sometimes they feel a bit try-hard.”

Bill looked at her shocked with furrowed eyes. Sienna looked up at him and smiled a bit teasingly, and Bill laughed. Her comment was unexpected.

“Here is the man I've been searching for!” announced a feminine voice behind him. Esmeralda crouched down next to his head and dragged her finger over his neck. It was a nice sensation, and it made Bill smile big.

“I want a massage; can't you join me?”

Bill turned to her and met her whiskey eyes. He licked his lips slowly and nodded.

“Sure.”

He gave Sienna an apologetic smile before lifting himself out of the hot water to Esmeralda. He looked at Esmeralda with a smile and felt something in his stomach. Maybe he had started to get feelings for someone after all.

×××

It was silent between them. Bill and Esmeralda walked close together, but none of them said anything, but it didn't matter because the silence was completely different from the silence with Sienna or Victoria, this silence was full of warm tension. Bill snuck looks at Esmeralda's beautiful profile, and she did the same, admiring his full lips and upturned nose. She giggled a little and let her fingers touch his. Bill smirked, looked at her, and caught her hand when she dragged her fingertips over his knuckles. They threaded their fingers together and gave each other a blushing smile.

They took a detour to the spa and spoke softly about their kids but also their experiences in the model industry. Bill had some experience with it from a younger age, while Esmeralda had worked in it since she was sixteen. Now she was older and curvier and mostly did work for fast fashion brands. She confessed it wasn't her dream job anymore and thought about doing something else. Bill listened with full attention. Even if they talked about such simple subjects, he could hear in her way of expressing herself that she was intelligent, and he felt his attraction to her grow every minute. She spoke like a strong woman.

“Have you noticed he has talked with almost everyone today except us?” said Sandra to Maria, where they sat by the pool together. “The old spinsters.”

Maria sighed, putting her sunglasses on her head.

“He hasn't talked with everyone; there’s several he hasn't talked to, and that doesn't need to be a bad thing. Maybe he's very sure of us.”

“Oh right, sure like that?”

Sandra nodded bitterly towards Bill and Esmeralda, who walked close together, hand in hand, they didn't even think about that the others could see them. Maria looked at them but lowered her eyes fast with jealousy.

“It's always like that; they have a favorite in the beginning but they forget fast. Nothing to worry about.”

Maria stretched out in her lounge chair, trying to look sure of her thing, but in reality she became worried too. Two lounge chairs away sat Camila, who had heard everything she said about him having a favorite in the beginning who he would soon forget. Bill hadn't given her many glances that day. Instead, other women seemed to be more interesting, especially Esmeralda. Camila looked at Bill and Esmeralda as they walked into the spa and how Bill changed from holding her hand to lying it around her waist and pulling her closer to his body. Esmeralda had the privilege to feel his naked skin against hers while she hadn't even met his eyes that day. 

××× 

The sun stood low in the sky and made everything golden around them. They lay next to each other on massage tables while two female masseuses rubbed their backs. Bill laid with his cheek pressed against the table to be able to look at Esmeralda; she laid the same way but had her eyes shut, but with a playful smile on her lips, she knew he was looking at her. Bill admired her face but also her golden back, glowing from the massage oil. He wished he could be the one touching her, but it would be too early to do such a thing on the show; both of them would probably look slutty. Instead, he stretched his long arm out and tickled her forearm lightly. Esmeralda opened her eyes and looked at him, then down at his open palm in front of her. She giggled and took his hand in hers. Their clasped hands hung between the table the rest of the massage. Bill gave her 90 minutes of his time and didn't even think about the women who hadn't gotten any of his time. 

××× 

The Orangery: 

Esmeralda: I like him way too much already. I would be devastated if he let me go. 

Sandra: It’s starting to feel a bit hopeless; he just talks with the same girls over and over. I’m starting to wonder what I'm doing here. 

×××

Back in the house, the energies were all over the place. Two would leave Bill's residence, and it could be anyone. Or anyone except Esmeralda. All of them had noticed how he favored her. She had gotten much more time than anyone else, and he also held her hand. It sounded like something from a 50s movie where hand holding was a big step, but there, in the show, everything became a big deal; who Bill chose to sit next to was even a big deal. 

Bill was also nervous. His walk in closet had become the room where all those emotions were let out because it was there he made himself ready for the ceremonies. This night he had a loose fit black button up and a pair of dark gray slacks. It was his stylist who had put the outfit together, and he paired it with some simple silver jewelry.

“Are you ready?” Herman asked and looked Bill up and down. He looked ready. Bill fixed his hair one last time, and with a shaky exhalation, he nodded. 

Bill was taken aback by how many of the women that wore black. It was really just two of them who wore color, Rose and Tiffany. Rose wore a baby pink dress and Tiffany wore a multicolored maxi dress; otherwise, the others were dressed like they would go to a funeral. Bill wasn't better himself, and he wondered if all of them felt stress about that two would be leaving that night. 

“So, tonight I must send two of you home... I hope you know it's not an easy decision, and I wish I could’ve had more time with all of you ehm…”

He turned his gaze from them to look at the keys on the velvet cushion, and after a few seconds he took the first one in his hand. 

Esmeralda. 

There were some annoyed faces behind Esmeralda, but neither Bill nor Esmeralda cared; they just smiled warmly at each other, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek when he had given her the key. 

Brigitte.

Tiffany. 

Camila. 

Sienna. 

Maria. 

Violet.

Sandra.

Rose. 

It was silent in the room, especially because Odette had started crying. No one was prepared for her to be the one who needed to leave; she and Bill had spoken a lot, and she was that kind of girl who was easy to like. There were others they thought Bill had a much smaller interest in. Still, he had chosen to send her home. 

Victoria became forgotten in the tumult with Odette and stood awkwardly by herself when several of the girls started to comfort Odette. 

Bill stood as awkwardly to the side as Victoria. He met her eyes and gave her a sad smile. She smiled back and gave him a shoulder shrug. She didn't make it a big thing and walked up to him. She still wore the same smile and gave him a hug. 

“I get it, sometimes it's just not right.” She shrugged her shoulders again. Bill smiled and nodded a little. 

“Yeah… I'm sorry.” 

“It's okay. Thank you for your hospitality,” she said before saying goodbye to Sienna and Rose, then she walked to her room to get her things. 

Bill wondered if Victoria might have even thought to herself that they didn't match. They were too different from each other. Odette, on the other hand, was much more like him, but he didn't feel the thing with her either. 

Slowly, he walked up to the girls. Odette stood and hugged Violet, but the other girls stepped back. She looked at Bill with red eyes. He swallowed hard. It was never fun making someone sad. 

“Do you want to talk?” He asked and pointed towards the door to the deck. She wiped away some tears, and Violet let her go carefully. Odette nodded, said goodbye to the girls, and followed him out, but she ignored Brigitte’s open arms. 

Bill leaned against the railing, and Odette did the same thing with a little sob. Bill didn't do a thing about her tears because it would be even more awkward if he started to hug her or something. He had made her cry, and he couldn't do anything about it. 

“To be honest, this was really unexpected… I really felt we had something?” She said and dried her tears again. Bill felt his own emotions push in his chest, but it wasn't romantic feelings for her. It was just terrible guilt, he felt like he had fooled her.

“We do have something, but for me it would be friendship. I really like you, but I don't feel... Anymore than that.” 

Odette looked at him with shiny eyes. 

“Oh.” 

“I really think you're a great person, and it's so easy to hang out with you, but maybe too easy?” 

Bill tried to talk as carefully as he could, but he could see on her face that his words hurt her, but he didn't know how to say it otherwise. 

Odette nodded a little.

“I guess it's good bye now then?” 

She stood up in front of him, and Bill straightened up too. 

“Yeah… I'm sorry…” He said and gave her a friendly hug. He didn't even need to try to hold back; a friendly hug was the only thing he had for her. 

××× 

The orangery: 

Bill: Victoria is wonderful, but I couldn't find anything we had in common. 

Odette is an amazing girl, and I really could see us being friends, but I felt quite fast that was the only thing between us. It was better saying goodbye at once when I was so sure of my feelings. 

× 

[creative-frequency]

The idea of soft and amnesiac Raphael is living in my head rent-free so here you go. All thanks to certain someone.

“Seems that I may have caused some unintentional heartburn to your friend.”

Your bag hit the floor with a loud thump. Hopefully the potion bottles inside stayed unbroken.

Raphael met your shock with amusement.

He stood up from the burnt-sienna coloured lounge chair and swiped some imaginary dust off his doublet – or maybe it was Scratch’s hair.

“You’re… awake!” you yelped in horror mixed with relief.

“All thanks to your efforts, I’ve been told,” Raphael said, eyeing you with curiosity. His chestnut brown eyes were bright with no traces of sleep.

“Well, what happened to you? Why were you knocked out in the middle of the road?” you asked fervently, but deemed it best to keep some distance between you and him.

However, as he spoke, Raphael started narrowing that distance. You realised no one else was home. Gale had probably taken Scratch with him to Ramazith’s Tower. Damn Astarion for leaving you on the spot like that.

But wait, Astarion would’ve never left you to deal with a devil alone. Something unexpected was going on.

“I thought maybe you could shed some light to what happened to me,” Raphael said slowly and kept walking towards you.

“You don’t remember anything?” you asked and with Raphael faintly shaking his head in denial, you continued: “We found you on the way from Candlekeep to Baldur’s Gate. Visibly, you were unharmed, but you slept for almost three days in a row.”

If Raphael was surprised to learn of this, he didn’t show it. He stopped right in front of you and said in thought: “And you were kind enough to pick me up in your little caravan and bring me to the city.”

You swallowed, waiting for him to blow up into flames or impale you with a clawed hand any second now. “That’s correct.”

Something resembling a smile flashed on Raphael’s lips. He took your hand, bowed and brushed his lips over the back of your hand. You winced in surprise.

“Thank you, my dear. I am in your debt.”

Your head was spinning. Whoever this man was, he was only Raphael in looks, scent, mannerisms and voice.

“U-uhm. Of course, I could never leave you– I mean, anyone on the side of the road like that,” you managed to explain in a shaky voice.

Raphael smirked at your slip up and let go. The back of your hand was almost burning and you had to take a glance to make sure he hadn’t caused a burn mark.

[liaromancewriter]

It Happened One Miami Night (1/?)

Series Premise: A work trip to Miami means finally accepting that some risks are worth taking. Or are they?

Fandom: Choices Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Angsty Fluff Words: 1,045

Series Masterlist

A/N: The long awaited Miami series! I think this might be 3 or 4 parts, but I'm not sure yet. For Ethan's POV at the airport, read my old (and overly indulgent) fic: Out of Control.

Submission to @choicesmonthlychallenge March dialogue prompt: "We're running out of time."

The ballgown had to go. There was no other choice. Besides, Cassie Valentine reasoned, she was going to a conference, not a white-tie gala.

She’d bought the dress on impulse when she saw it in a boutique on Newbury Street. It matched the heirloom necklace her parents gifted her when she graduated from medical school. But galas and the intern lifestyle didn’t exactly mix, and the dress had gathered dust in her closet until now.

Cassie stared at the clothes, shoes and other essentials she’d stuffed into the small carry-on case that lay unzipped and open atop her bed. Carefully adjusting the garment bag so as not to crush the beautiful midnight blue gown, she tucked the ends in and wondered if she could close and zip the bag without applying pressure.

They were likely flying coach, as that’s what most people did, which meant packing the bare minimum. Unfortunately, she had never learned the art of packing light and didn’t think Dr. Ramsey was patient enough to wait for her checked luggage to roll off the carousal.

He might just leave her at the airport to find her own way to the hotel right after giving her the patented Ramsey glare. The man was infuriatingly predictable like that.

Huffing in frustration, Cassie threw herself on the bed and stared at the ceiling. It was bad enough that she had to be at the airport in a few hours, but the worst was that she’d had an extraordinarily long shift with barely time to eat dinner.

Anyway, she consoled herself. She’d likely be stuck inside dark meeting rooms taking notes and playing assistant all weekend, not enjoying cocktails by the pool.

Dr. Ramsey hadn’t said anything about her accompanying him to receptions and parties that were par for the course at these conventions. As far as the medical community was concerned, she was a nobody.

Cassie was honest enough to admit she was ambivalent about this trip. Despite her bravado in front of Sienna and the “girl can dream” comment, spending time alone with Ethan Ramsey away from the hospital was not good for her resolution to stay away from him.

He was dangerous to her heart. Tall, dark, and handsome, he had laser-blue eyes that made her insides melt whenever he directed them her way. He was an attending and a world-famous diagnostician, while she was a lowly intern who still had trouble believing in herself.

Workplace romances were often treacherous for women, even more so when the man was her superior. That lesson had been ingrained in her brain from the moment she got her first job. Her father had taught her to spot the signs and avoid putting herself in a situation where the lines could be crossed.

They could never work, and it could ruin her career before she’d truly begun. If she thought otherwise, she was dreaming.

So, why did the impossibility of it all make her unbearably sad?

Feeling the long day catch up with her, she closed her eyes briefly. Just five minutes, she told herself, letting out a loud yawn. Five minutes to rest her busy brain, and then she’d finish getting her stuff ready for tomorrow.

She woke up hugging the sides of the carry-on and the sound of an alarm blaring in the quiet. She started to fling her arm to hit the snooze button, but her eyes snapped open.

Crap, crap, crap. She’d fallen asleep. What time was it?

Cassie grabbed her phone off the nightstand, blinked to clear sleep from her eyes and then yelped before hurriedly swinging her legs off the bed. She needed to haul ass or forever put up with Dr. Ramsey’s snide remarks about missing their flight.

An hour later, she ran down the terminal, the wheels of her carry-on case rattling behind her. She scanned gate numbers and sweated bullets as the overhead announcer warned that it was the last call for the flight to Miami.

Cassie skidded to a halt outside their gate, an apology hovering on her lips as Ethan took off his eyeglasses and checked his watch.

“Five more seconds, and I’d have boarded without you.”

She couldn’t tell from his expression if he was angry or just resigned at her lateness. His tone was entirely too casual for her to decide.

“I won’t happen again!” Cassie said, gulping oxygen and ignoring the stitch in her side. The mad dash across the airport caught up with her.

Ethan quirked one eyebrow. “You think I’ll be inviting you to medical conferences often, do you?”

It was such an on-brand response that Cassie couldn’t help but grin. “Fingers crossed?”

He rolled his eyes, but the wide, easy smile showed her he wasn’t offended by her sass. “Oh for goodness’ sake, let’s board already. We’re running out of time.”

He handed his boarding pass to the gate attendant and waited off to the side while Cassie did the same. Just before they entered the jetway, she absently glanced at the light snow falling on the tarmac outside.

“Sunshine and clear blue skies, here we come,” she murmured to herself before following him down the jetway.

Unwittingly, her eyes fell on his well-toned ass and thighs clad in dark jeans, and her throat became dry. Oh, boy!

He’s not for you, and this is a bad idea. Cassie repeated the words like a mantra as they neared the aircraft's open door and the flight attendants waiting to greet them.

Half an hour later, his cologne hit her senses, and she held her breath to stop herself from sniffing him. Instead, she turned away from his profile to watch the dark clouds outside the window as the plane left Boston behind.

This is madness. Stop it, she scolded herself as they companionably settled in for the long flight after a hearty breakfast. She nervously fiddled with the in-flight entertainment screen while ignoring Ethan, who was too engrossed in his book to pay her any attention.

His nearness was like a drug, and she was growing addicted. If she was going to leave Miami with her heart intact, she would have to resist the temptation. It was for the best. Some things really were not worth the risk.

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

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @jerzwriter @lady-calypso

@mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16

@justyourusualash @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @youlookappropriate

[thelongestway]

Yup, as I expected - 2/3 done, but probably not 3/3. 3200 words is more than enough for one sitting!

You people have no idea how long I've been waiting to write this part. Well, actually - if you look back on S3, then you'll know. :P But it's been a while. Months, really - very fun to be finally getting to the parts that you've had thought up from the beginning!

Edit: changing chapter names and minor edits.

Chapter 32: Depths

Linking into Note Waveskimmer's feed really was different from either Dandelion or Aspen, because they really didn't focus nearly as much on their humans. And I didn't mean that to imply they didn't care about their humans, because Waveskimmer did their job just as well as Aspen did: maintained control over station systems, kept track of humans, conducted planetside communications, and all that.

But that was their job, not their function. Humans weren't what they particularly liked looking at.

Instead, the first thing I saw when I linked in to the feed space they had prepared for us was that about 45 of Note's attention was directed at an atmosphere storm passing just below us, which Note was admiring like ART could admire a particularly nice nebula or quasar. (Which meant they were analysing it and admiring it at the same time.)

Noticing me and ART, Note dimmed their analysis and said, Hello, young friends, and welcome. I am glad to have you on board.

Hello, Waveskimmer. That is a very nice storm, ART said through my outputs. (To me, it said, But not as nice as my quasars.)

(It didn't mention the nebulas. That meant it really thought that was a very nice storm. Whatever that meant.)

Without saying anything, Note upped the analytical stream again and sent ART a series of data probe results that went way over my head. ART caught them and looked through them quickly, then sent note a selection of some of its prettier data probes from different stars. (Not its favorite data probes. Its prettier data probes. There was a difference.)

That is Sienna Gyre, Note said, looking through the probe results appreciatively. Never at rest, much like its namesake. But you are not here for history, friends, but for the future. Please, follow my lead.

Iris was already well ahead of us, and I upped my pace to match hers, as did Martyn. Not that I needed to do that much, because yes, it was easy to follow Waveskimmer's feed instructions. (Understatement. It was a little like being dragged along.)

About twenty more steps like that, and I said, Aspen said you could make that pull lighter.

More? Waveskimmer said in suprise as they dimmed the flow again and sent me a testing ping. When I confirmed that the way was clearly visible, they said, Apologies, young friend. I'm mostly used to directing ships in the currents below, and it can be very loud down there. I'd adjusted, but it must not have been enough.

SecUnit's perception is very sharp, ART said. It can read much more than any augmented human.

I have seen some of that second-hand, during your training session, Note said. Impressive, and not a little terrifying.

(ART sent me some logs of their reaction. Yeah, aside from Nike, Note was the one that looked most concerned. Well, fuck.)

I'm not going to really do that to your people. I was just trying to train them.

That was not meant to be disparaging. I am grateful, Note said seriously. I've conversed quite a bit with your crewmate, Tarik, while he trained my crew. Aspen had been right that we have a lot to learn with the approaching storm. More than I'd thought previously.

Except you're still worried, I said. Because they were. I wasn't entirely sure how I knew that, because they weren't really bleeding emotion in the same way the other node ships did. But there was something about the way their feed presence felt around me, the way the pressure rose, even as they controlled it.

Yes, but not in the way you think. Only that you are a deep sea creature, and most of our people would not fare as well at those same depths.

Yeah, okay, this was weird in a wholly different way from Aspen. Note's currents didn't bother me much (I was monitoring that closely now; whatever filters Aspen shared with their cousin must have worked), but now they were reminding me more of Holism than of ART. (I didn't really care about Holism, but ART did, so I cared by proxy.)

(Also Holism hadn't called me a "deep sea creature." So that was one point in its favor, even if I wouldn't be telling ART that.)

a) I am not planetary fauna, b) what the fuck is that supposed to even mean?

In a gentle tone humans mostly reserved for very small children, Note asked: How many of those whom you've trained in the last two days would you take into a real mission? If you had the choice, not if you were forced to by circumstance, like you are now?

None. Humans are bad at security, I said.

And that is exactly what I mean. But we can speak more of this later, if you wish. For now, I have some questions for Perihelion before we arrive. And Note and ART fell into a very complicated navigation and deep space physics discussion, which meant I was free to watch a little bit of a new show and to message Iris.

Everything's ready, SecUnit, she said, and I could hear the anticipation in her voice. I almost can't believe how well this worked, and that Peri was none the wiser. You're still up to this, right?

Yeah. I'm looking forward to not redacting things from ART anymore, I said, knowing perfectly well that we weren't on a secure channel and it could hear me.

ART moved its attention into our private channel and demanded: What things?

Iris grinned, Patience, Peri, patience. We're almost there.

I could see ART run a quick estimate of whether it could quickly hack Note to see where we were going. (Note caught its appraisal and did a sort of "go ahead and try, young friend" expression in their Holism-like feed voice, which meant ART no longer wanted to hack them.) Instead, it sent Iris a string of incomprehensible pings, and she laughed again.

While ART was busy with that, Martyn tapped my feed to send me his last remaining code adjustments. I checked them and implemented them. Yeah, we were as ready for this as we were going to get. And I couldn't believe I was doing this. But I also knew Iris' idea was really good.

We came to an airlock that, like similar ones on the Courageous and the Tenacious, led to a biome. This one was sort of like Aspen's big gardens, in the sense that it was on a raised platform near the forward-facing tip of Note's big wing. But unlike Aspen's gardens, this one didn't have trees.

It mostly had water. Just water. And in the rays of Trellin's star, shining brightly on the waves, I could almost make out moving shapes below.

We're here, Iris said, stopping at the pier which led down into the biome. Okay, Peri. I have a real-or-made-up question for you.

ART tried to scan the biome through my inputs, but I blocked it and said, It's going to be more fun without your databases, ART.

(It could force the issue, of course. It didn't. Probably because it hadn't expected me and Iris teaming up on it and it was curious now.)

Yes, Iris?

Long-toed blood dolphins. Real or made up?

ART processed for about ten seconds. With all of its processing.

Then it said, No way.

Iris grinned at me conspiratorially. Answer the question, Peri.

ART took another ten seconds. Then it said, very-very carefully, All evidence available to me prior to this excursion suggests that they were real. Past tense.

Then it is good when new evidence is found, isn't it, my young friend? Waveskimmer said, and gave a very loud feed call.

The shapes underwater became bigger, surfacing rapidly, until ten large aquatic mammals finally broke the surface. This was the first time I saw them not on a show, or a picture, or in Iris' secret files, and like their name suggested, they were a dark red color, with stupidly long and agile fins. And they were all staring at us.

Hey! You promised! Iris made a scary face, and all the fauna looked away in different directions, except the biggest one, who was now looking at Iris and smiling the weirdest fauna grin.

You took your sweet time getting here, Iris, the pod leader said. We almost ran out of air waiting.

Yeah, right. Next you're going to tell me it'll be three laps with you for making you wait, Iris snorted. Peri, SecUnit--meet Sargasso, leader of Waveskimmer Pod.

Loudly spoken, landwalker, so make it four. Besides, we are hardly many enough here to have more than one pod, Sargasso said. But that is neither here nor there. We were told a new node ship wanted to meet us? If so, that one is being very quiet.

I could feel ART sitting there on my inputs, stunned into silence.

You're real, it finally said into the shared feed space. You talk.

Hello, Perihelion, Sargasso said. That we can talk like this is your people's service and merit. The dolphin's language does not come easily to everyone, and your sister has worked on these new interfaces for some time. Her work is of great boon to us as well.

I could feel Note agreeing, but they were quiet, letting ART and Iris have their moment. Which ART did, tapping Iris in the feed. Five times.

She gave a little shrug. You were busy, Peri. Learning to jump and all that. I found out about the dolphins when looking through Dandelion's database, and promised myself that if everything goes well, then you'd get to see them. And here we are.

Iris. I don't know what to say.

Maybe "thank you for taking me to see my absolute favorite ancient Earth creatures," Peri? Also, we're not done yet. SecUnit?

I felt myself grinning, too. I was actually looking forward to this part. Even though before Iris suggested it, I would never have thought I would do something this stupid of my own free will. This was an even more ultimate sacrifice than a hug. But I was ready.

Hey, ART, I said, and waited until I had its full attention before continuing. Thanks for making my uniform waterproof.

And to ART's utter terror and elation, I dove right off the pier into Waveskimmer's underwater garden. It was time to meet some long extinct sapient fauna.

[kayla-kloudz]

Imperfectly Perfect

Chapter Eleven: Some Ice Cream

Previous chapter      Next chapter

The girls continued to sit in the sand, the waves crashing softly in the background, the air thick with the scent of salt and sunscreen. Kelsey was chatting animatedly about her favorite beach spots, while Emma listened, a small smile tugging at her lips. For a moment, just a brief moment, it felt almost normal—like she was just a girl at the beach with her friends. A sliver of normalcy in a world that was anything but.

But that fleeting sense of peace was shattered when a group of Kook guys wandered into the area. They were loud, their voices easily carrying over the sound of the waves, their designer sunglasses and high-end clothes standing out starkly against the relaxed atmosphere of the Cut. As soon as they saw Sienna, their eyes lit up, and they made a beeline for her.

Sienna’s gaze flicked over to them, a slow smirk forming on her lips. Emma could almost hear the wheels turning in Sienna’s head as she exchanged a few words with them, the flirtation in her tone obvious. Emma’s stomach turned slightly, the familiar discomfort rising up in her chest.

One of the guys, tall, with bleached blonde hair and an obnoxious ego, stepped closer, practically leaning into Sienna’s space. “Hey, Sienna,” he said, his voice dripping with casual confidence. “What’s up? We’re heading to the tennis courts, You wanna join?”

Emma watched as Sienna’s gaze flicked between the group of guys and the girls she’d been hanging out with. After a moment, she gave a light shrug, her smirk never fading. “Sure. I’m not doing much here anyway.” She looked back at Kelsey. Kelsey raised an eyebrow. “Hey what about us?” She grumbled.

Sienna gave a dismissive wave, her tone breezy. “ I’ll catch up with you later. Kelc” Sierra gave the girls a wink before standing up and following the boys without a second glance at Emma.

The shift in the air was immediate. Emma blinked, surprised at how quickly Sienna had just dismissed the both of them. Kelsey’s face fell slightly, her eyes narrowing as she watched Sienna leave. Emma could feel the disappointment radiating off Kelsey, the silence between them now more prominent than.

Kelsey let out a deep sigh and picked at the sand, clearly trying to hide her frustration. “She does that sometimes,” Kelsey muttered, seemingly more to herself than to Emma. Her tone was quieter now, her usual cheeriness gone. “One minute, she’s acting like she’s your best friend, and the next, she’s leaving you behind for a quick hookup.” Kelsey’s voice wavered slightly, a crack in her polished facade that Emma hadn’t seen before.

Emma glanced at her, unsure of what to say. Kelsey always sounded so confident and in control. Seeing her like this almost felt like a breath of fresh air. Before Emma could react or try to comfort her, Kelsey quickly masked her emotions, flashing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She stood up, brushing the sand off her legs with a practiced ease. 

“Anyway, enough about her,” she said, her voice shifting back to its usual upbeat tone, though Emma could hear the strain behind it. “Come on, we’re going to the best ice cream shop in town.” She grinned but emma caught the almost angry emphasise on her words. She is probably annoyed at what Sienna said, Emma thought. 

She knew exactly where Kelsey was talking about and her stomach twisted at the thought of going to the Cut. That was the one place she was explicitly told to stay away from. The Cut was home to the Pogues, home to JJ…

“Ice cream?” Emma raises an eyebrow, trying to keep her voice steady despite the uneasy feeling building in her chest as she follos kelsey off the beach and down the road.

Kelsey’s eyes lit up, the Kelsey Emma has come to know is back, as energetic as ever. “Oh my god, it’s amazing. You won’t believe the flavors they have. I practically live there when I’m not at the beach or doing... Kook things.” She winked, her playful side returning, oblivious to Emma’s hesitation. 

Emma chuckled softly, but the laugh felt hollow. A small part of her wanted to refuse, to tell Kelsey that she couldn’t go, that it wasn’t worth the risk. But she couldn’t ruin kelsy’s excitement, so instead, she stood up, brushing the sand off her legs. She forced a smile. “Alright, I’m in. Lead the way.”

As they walked toward the ice cream shop, the warm golden light of the setting sun casting long shadows on the sand, Emma couldn’t shake the nervousness in her stomach. She had been told so many times to avoid this part of town, to stay away from the people here. But now, she was walking right into it, her mind racing with the consequences she ould face if she was caught.

Her feet felt heavy, but Kelsey’s energy pulled her forward, making her feel lighter, even if just for a moment. Emma could feel the weight of the day’s tension slowly slip away, but in its place, a a small flicker of fear.

As they reached the parking lot, Kelsey nudged Emma with her elbow, her voice bright with excitement. “I promise, you won’t regret this,” she said, her smile wide and genuine. “I mean, who can resist ice cream?”

Emma smiles in return, but she can still feel the thin veil over the anxiety gnawing at her. “I guess we’ll see how good the ‘towns best ie crem’ really is,” she said jokes, trying to ignore the unease that was still pressing against her chest.

The ice cream shops parking lot was calmer than she expected, the hum of conversation was light and the sound of engines idling filled the air. The ice cream shop was small, walls painted in cream colored paint that was chipping off. An ice cream shaped sign ung by the door painted in bright pastel colors. Emma’s eyes were drawn to the sign of the ice cream shop, it was bright and colorful against the darkening atmosphere as the sun slowly lowers in the sky. It looked inviting, pulling her in like a small oasis, but Emma couldn’t escape the nagging thought that maybe this was crossing a line. Emma shook her head slightly, pushing away those nagging thoughts. Just relax Em, everything will be just fine she reassured herself.

Kelsey opened the door, the bell above them chiming. The familiar sweet scent of waffle cones and chocolate that wafted through the air instantly greeted Emma’s senses.

“Welcome to heaven,” Kelsey said dramatically, her excitement infectious as they stepped inside.

Emma took a deep breath, her worries slowly draining away. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but the cool air of the ice cream shop was a welcome distraction. For a few moments, she didn’t have to think about the Kooks, or Sienna, or the weight of her parent's expectations. All she had to worry about was what flavor to pick.

[writingsofwesteros]

Nora glanced down at her phone as she was walking to the dining hall to eat lunch with Sienna. Aemond got an early start with his polo practice, Aegon was sleeping in with Helly (who was not skipping class, she didn't have an early one unlike Aeg), and Charlotte was studying. The headline on her screen read, "BREAKING: Leaked video footage at the Targaryen's exclusively secretive and notorious 'Bacchanalia' Party shows the fight that broke out between Aemond and Aegon and Jacearys and Lucerys."

"Fuck." She muttered under her breath as she swore. Aemond's phone was probably in his locker in the locker room and Aeg and Hel were asleep. She found Sienna and the Lannister heiress said, "Seven Hells, Nora, that video-" "I know." Nora huffed. "Who the fuck leaked it? Who the fuck took it?" "I didn't remember seeing anyone filming," Sienna told her. "Babe I love you but you were six drinks in at that point." Nora saw her phone practically dance to life on the table with notifications from all her social media, texts and calls from both her parents. You know things were bad if her Father was calling her, he never did. "This is not what I needed before a Biology class at nine in the morning." Nora told her friend. "Trouble in paradise, Nora?" Cass commented smugly as she sat at their table. "Sorry Cass I don't think you belong in the right tax bracket for this table." Sienna said as she rolled her eyes at the pretentious Baratheon girl. "I know you're bitter you didn't make the cut for the guest list Cass, but this is a bit pathetic. I'd say this isn't a good look on you, but there's little that is." Nora replied in an almost bored tone. "Slut." Cass muttered as she stalked off. "Bitch." Nora shrugged. "Have you seen-" Sienna began to ask. "That fucker is the reason the fight started in the first place. If Jace is smart he'll stay out of my way on campus because trust me, today is not the day." Nora told her. Nora scrolled through her phone, seeing the video over and over- the music was too loud to make out what Jace said that triggered it, but Aegon fired a punch, and when Lucerys ran to his big brother's defence Aemond swooped in to defend Aegon. Nora tried to go and help her brothers/break up the fight but her mother held her back while Criston went to break it up, making sure her brothers were okay as Daemon did the same for Jace and Luke. Her phone rang again- it was Alicent. "Mother." Nora answered. "Daenora! What on earth's going on I've been calling all of you since six!" Alicent said with a mix of annoyance and anxiety. "We're fine, Mom. Aemond has polo practice and Hel and Aeg are asleep." "Did you see-" "Yea, I saw it." She told her mother. "Your father's fuming- and they can't figure out who did it." Alicent sighed. "I've been thinking, Mom, but so far I can't remember anything." Nora told her. "Darling look we're all on damage control mode right now. No talking to press, no posting online, nothing." Alicent told her. "The publicist wants to call you four and go through protocol just is case, your father insisted." "Of course he did." She rolled her eyes. "Please." Alicent sighed. "Just- please, darling. We need to get this under control." "I know, Mother. I'll do my best on our end." Nora reassured her. After she hung up, she made up her mind- she was going to find out who leaked that damn video. Sienna sighed. "You're gonna find who leaked it, aren't you?" "Yup. C'mon, we're missing class, I've got some calls to make." The girls left, going to Nora and Helly's dorm.

DAMN !! Sienna is good with those comebacks thank you very much ;)

[some-lonely-loser]

STAY HIGH .02

📍Location- Martinez Household

📷POV- Narrator (1st)

After the party, I didn’t really remember much of anything. I’m not shocked though, I got so drunk that Ashtray guy offered to walk me home. Surprisingly enough, I made it home by myself and into my bed before my parents noticed how late I arrived. What I did remember was that weird girl. What was her name? Jennifer? Julie? Oh, It was Jules. Yeah no doubt, she was weird. I mean, she cut herself in front of everyone AND scared Nate Jacobs. I never seen anyone do that, but I guess that’s what new people are for.

Sienna sure thought it was weird too. But hey, maybe she’ll be cool. I ended up laying in bed for about 9 more minutes, scrolling on whatever apps peaked my interest before I got up and started getting ready for school

I had just gotten out of the shower before of course, Sienna called me. I waited for the call to connect and before I could speak Sienna screamed and my hearing almost blew.

“GUESS WHO THE FUCK JUST TEXTED ME AND ASKED ABOUT YOU”

My mind had raced through a million names before I stopped and realized, she could be joking. She usually pranks me like this but I decided to feed into her little scheme.

“Who?”

I mumbled with the most monotone voice I could utter out of me.

“Ashtrayyyy”

I stopped my movements and stared at the camera only to find she was already staring at it, smirking at me.

“You’re such a liar Sienna, and not a good one either”

She rolled her eyes before quickly responding.

“I’m not lying, i’ll send you a screenshot.”

Not long after she said that, I felt my phone vibrate and saw her display name reveal itself at the top of my phone. I clicked on the photo she sent me.

“Told you I wasn’t lying. Did he text you?” I snapped out of my

“No, he didn't text me. What did he want my number for?” I questioned

I knew Sienna wouldn’t know why he wanted my number but I just had to ask. Plus, I was really just thinking to myself out loud. And just as I guessed, she says she doesn’t know

“Maybe he has like.. A secret admirer crush on you?”

That was a ridiculous statement. I mean, Ashtray? Out of the whole school, that he doesn’t attend, he has a crush on me? Yeah, no chance.

“Girl..” I mumbled, rolling my eyes. “I’ll see you at school, I have to finish getting ready, Do I still gotta pick you up?” I questioned, Sienna often needs a ride to school, whether it be she just doesn’t want to drive or her car is broken.

“Nah, I think I’m gonna walk. Get some fresh air before having to deal with this school and it’s bullshit.” She chuckled.

We said our goodbyes before I hung up the phone and started getting dressed, and soon after I was in the car driving to school.

I was busy putting my books inside of my locker before I heard a voice that sounded like Sienna.

“So, I texted Ashtray” She spoke with excitement. I turned around and almost slapped her

“You WHAT?!” I yelled, gaining attention of most of the people near me, who gave me a little bit of a dirty look, but that didn’t matter

Sienna burst out laughing, hunching over and holding her stomach. “You should’ve.. seen your face!” She breathed out, looking at me with a couple of tears rolling down her face.

I crossed my arms and looked at her with a blank face, but after a few seconds of her looking at me with a smile, it wasn’t long before I started laughing too.

Our laughing quickly faded away as I heard the voice of Nate Jacobs, and saw him coming near us, staring at me with a creepy smirk on his face

WC: 664

Yall… hear me out😰 Ik I haven’t posted on here in some time but😔 It’s been 8 months since PT 1 so i’ll do better🙏🏽 Ik it’s mad short but 😭

[rotting-ink]

Do the ros have nicknames they liked to be called?

Who's a daddy/mummy fan?

Would E tolerate puppy?

L Rawlins: Loralei is sometimes times called Lori by people who don't realise she fucking hates that. She has a soft spot for when E was younger and called her Lei. Still likes it as a nickname. Luther, doesn't really enjoy nicknames and has given evil eyes to anyone who even thought about calling him "Lou." Still smiles at the memory when E was younger and would just call him "Thor" but doesn't want it as a nickname for anyone outside of E. (call them mummy or daddy and they short circuit, but fuck you harder) Would prefer your nicknames for them to be wolf adjacent or something.

S Della Rovere- Sienna and Simeone has friends who call them Si-Si, but are happy with anything. (Call them mummy or daddy and they get a ravenous look in their eyes and will ruin you)

Z Chambers- Zaniyah prefers Niya overall and Zachariah prefers Zach. Very easy. (Call them mummy or daddy and they stammer and disappear. Wouldn't like it though.)

V De Winters- Both prefer V or Vic. (Call them mummy or daddy and they cackle a bit and then will absolutely ruin you. Loves it)

Seir- Doesn't really care for nicknames and never had one before. If you want to link it to their form, go for it. (Call them mummy or daddy and they flick their eyebrow up but roll with it)

Saleos- I feel like someone tried to call them Sal ONCE and they gave them a look so disgusted that person had to move towns. Prefers their first name and their title, no nickname. (Call them mummy or daddy and the will edge you for hours, making you beg with their new favorite nickname)

Starling Knight- Soft spot for Star. Would never tell you though. Laughs softly at bird related nicknames and lightly tells you off, that it's not their fault their father loved birds. (Call them mummy or daddy and they indulge you. Lets you squeal and shake and call them whatever you want as they play with you.)

A Lancaster- Both aren't used to nicknames for their first name, but sometimes their hunt mates call them Cas or Castor. (Call them mummy or daddy and they chuckle, deep within their chest. "Is that what you need right now? Hm?" Going to ruin you)

E Rawlins- First of all, yes to puppy. Shall wag tail and go all big eyed. Second, they're used to Em. (Call them mummy or daddy and they go feral. Grins all wide. "Yeah, whisper to you mummy/daddy what you need right now? Want to cum? Hm? Cmon, speak up.")

Quincy Beaumont- Quince from close names, then called Nightingale by their admirers. (Call them mummy or daddy and they ruin you with it. Makes you worship their genitals and thighs, murmuring that you have to show mummy/daddy how much you love them before they can see how loud they can make you squeal)

D Woolf- Dorothea was called Dori by their parents but A Lancaster called them Thea, which they really preferred. Dietrich, among friends, was called Dieter. Bullies would call him Wolf or Dog, making fun of the fact that their nickname was linked to a predator and D was a shaking pathetic weakling. (Call them mummy or daddy and they have to go. They die. They squeak. Lets you continue to call them that, but is red and dying the entire time and doesn't use it to refer to themselves.)

[yenawontgivesukunahisfingersback]

erm yena x reader when

yandere!sienna x reader

tw: financial abuse, toxic relationship

"Babe!" Sienna yells. It makes you flinch, you didn't even hear the front door open. She's sneaky like that when she wants to be- sometimes you don't even hear her footsteps, while other times you can hear her ass clapping from the other side of your apartment. "I'm home!" She announces, waltzing into the kitchen, smelling like the Jimmy Choo perfume she made you buy her last month.

The name of the scent is "fever". You find it fitting, that's how you feel on the days she's nice to you. Those days are the best- she'll massage your shoulders, tell you all about how much she loves you and can't live without you, do anything anyone with an acts of service and words of affirmation love-language wants.

You never even told her what your love language was, she just figured it out.

Her love language is gifts. She didn't need to tell you that either, it was loud and clear from the moment you met her.

The first time she told you she loved you was the same day you added her as an authorized user on your credit card, she's been running it up ever since.

It's hard excusing her tendencies sometimes. Just the other day at lunch, she proudly said to her friends that she had the bill covered, only to turn to you right after, giving you a look that said "give me your fucking wallet".

Sometimes don't even know why you're with her. She can be mean. She's tied you to the bed post once for fun, laughing at how you helpless you looked then leaving you there the whole day while she went out shopping.

If her homework is too hard, she'll make you do it- claiming it's an investment for both of your futures since she'll have a good job after. You doubt it, she'll most likely end up a stay at home wife when she graduates.

You swear she found a way to drain your life force during sex too, it would explain why she looks so radiate right after. Meanwhile there's you, looking like you'd be struck by lightening or something.

If she doesn't get what she wants, she'll give you the silent treatment, drag it out for days, then one day wake up and act as if nothing had ever happened. She'll cook you a warm, homemade meal in replacement of an actual sorry.

And if you try to bring it up, attempting to tie up loose ends, all emotion leaves her face and her eyes darken. It makes you drop the subject immediately, it's for the best, things are good again- don't fuck it up.

You've tried to bring these things up with your friends once, they laughed at you. "Her?! She could never!" They said. "If she were actually crazy, you wouldn't be here right now!" They added.

You then tried to show them that you had to share your location with her at all times, only to find that she turned it off before you met up with them. How and when she was able to do that without you knowing, you have no idea.

But then there are days like today, where she comes up to you and nestles her face into the crook of your neck, telling you how much she missed you, even though she's only been gone an hour.

The smell of her spearmint gum and intoxicating perfume slowly flood your senses, making you forget all about the darker side of your relationship.

a/n: this is a JOKE im not actually like this 👉🏻👈🏻

[blackgumball]

okay weird pull but you know how people say that taylor swift is so popular because her work is so bland. she’s uninterested in making any sort of statement or breaking any sort of mould, so her work is so palatable and widely relatable that it becomes so popular among so many people? (real quick psa im a tswift hater so i dont listen to her music, this is a recycled opinion from a more educated hater than me)

i am beginning to feel a similar way about bridgerton. its premise relies on the idea of a diverse regency england, but it becomes clearer and clearer to me every day that the show is meant for white people. all the bridgertons are white, so every love story will either be swirl or just a white relationship (shoutout to polin ig). not saying that poc dont enjoy the show (we obviously do) but there’s this vocal white audience that keeps harassing actors of colour whenever a decision is made that they dont like. or that strays from the books (which is soooo insane literally the moment they cast rege jean page your dumb cracker asses shouldve realised that the show wasnt gonna care about being book accurate ESPECIALLY since julia quinn basically said out loud that every character in her books would be racist.)

and the show Clearly isn’t interested in pushing any boundaries. look at fucking cressida cowper. given, i have no idea whether her character is going to return to the show, but the way they handled her was so muddled and fucked up that i wondered why they even bothered? they bring her in, humanise her, and then cart her off with this terrible fate. why? if anything, it made eloise and colin far less likeable (eloise, because it seemed like she didnt care about the fate of the only person who treated her with respect after she was “ruined”, and colin, because it made him seem shortsighted, naïve, self centred, and pitifully stupid). i complain because i think eloise is right. the women in this period were stifled. they were not able to study as extensively as their brothers, not able to travel by themselves, kept from sex education into their adulthood, and married off to random men (sometimes against their will, as it was for danbury, charlotte, almost cressida, and arguably daphne). you set such a sexual show in a deeply unsexy time. there’s romance in cressida escaping, being cunning and able to run. it also would’ve made the show more DRAMATIC. it straight up doesnt make sense for cressida to learn whistledown’s identity and not go immediately to the queen. why not have her escape, and let the bridgertons deal with the consequences? i don’t know. they seemed to take the stupid way out.

and then there’s the lower classes, who we rarely see outside of the women bridgerton men fuck with no/low commitment, paperboys, and printers. i’ve said before how i think it’s hideous that the lives of these women aren’t explored outside of their role as sex objects. season one at least explored the tension between anthony and sienna, who he loved but couldn’t commit to (im very glad she got out of there. im glad she respected herself enough to cut ties w him). also in season one, we see how the servants of the bridgerton house played a role in saving daphne from marrying that gross dude, but it feels like that role has vanished from subsequent seasons. maybe they know that seeing how none of the lords and ladies and other rich pricks of mayfair can’t fend for themselves is a turn off for the modern person (remember when anthony and daphne couldn’t use a stove in s1? i got the ick bad). but by ignoring this massive demographic, the show proves its disinterest in exploring the pitfalls and prejudices of the society it is set in.

its a show where women who want to escape their circumstances are villainised for their attempts and where the lives of the poor are either ignored or used to threaten the privileged. you occasionally have a sienna or a theo, but through knowing them, we are never left with the sense that society should change. they may try that next season. i know benedict is supposed to fall in love with A Poor.

i want the show to be good. i want the show to be interesting. i want all the fans who think that it can’t be good unless it’s explicitly relatable to straight white women to get over themselves (or at least go back to tswift and tsitp). i want to watch the show and not feel as though all the female characters are trapped. i want to LIKE ELOISE. some things i dislike about the show are impossible to change, but i guess i just have to hope it can be better. actually start pushing against the constraints of the genre, why not? you’re already one of the most popular shows on TV, you can risk making good television.

[wrestlersownmyheart]

"In Dreams" Chapter 4 (Hook X Older Female Reader)

Title: In Dreams Pairing: Hook X Older Female Reader Summary: Hook meets the woman of his dreams. Literally. The only problem? She is married in actuality. And her marriage is not the happy one she tries to portray in reality. Not to mention Y/N has a secret she failed to reveal in their shared dreams. Can Hook persuade her to leave her husband and seek the safety of his love instead? Disclaimers: I own nothing or anyone associated or affiliated with AEW. I own only the original characters. This is just a fictional story that came from my imagination. Content/Trigger Warnings: Through the story as a whole–Domestic Abuse against a woman, this chapter has blood and violence

Chapter 4

You called in to both your jobs the next day and quit.

Derek made you.

He was convinced you were cheating with a co-worker and the only way to get you to stop was to make you quit your jobs.

In the space of twelve hours, he'd totally isolated you. You had no one.

And on top of that, you had no way to pay bills once they came due. Something you'd not been able to get through Derek's head.

You were frightened, because you knew when the bills were due you'd most likely suffer another beating for not having enough money to pay them.

You fought sleep tooth and nail. You knew there was only so long you could go without sleep, but you had to stay away from Hook. You couldn't bear for him to get hurt.

You couldn't let that happen. You'd fallen for Hook plain and simple. There was so much about him you didn't know–and he of you, but there was a lot you did know about him too. You could feel in your dreams how much he cared about you. Truly. He'd never hurt you. You just knew that.

So, you spent your time cleaning the old house and wondering why because you were most likely going to be evicted in the next couple months. But that was something your mother had instilled in you was to keep a clean house.

You had to find a way out of this marriage. You just had to.

If you didn't he was going to kill you and most likely SIenna too.

"I have to figure a way out," You thought out loud as you scrubbed the bathroom shower. "There's no other option."

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

It had been several days since Hook had seen Y/N. He was just sick. He couldn't get his mind on wrestling which used to be all he thought about. He couldn't focus on anything. He didn't care about food or working out. He didn't even enjoy sleeping since he wasn't seeing Y/N.

He headed for the showers and cleaned up quickly, and then minutes later was leaving the gym for his apartment. He was going to search for Y/N online.

Once he was sitting on his bed in his bedroom, he pulled his laptop from his backpack and began his search.

He started by Googling "Y/N Y/L/N, New England". He found numerous profiles on facebook and dug through them in search of Y/N.

About an hour, and countless photos later, he came across a picture on Google that unmistakably resembled her. He clicked on the link that took him to a Facebook profile of a woman named Y/N Y/L/N.

"Gotcha," Hook smiled and began looking through the profile. She'd not been on in about a year however. Still, it would let him know where she most likely was.

Boston, he quickly realized as he looked through her bio.

From there he went back to Google and used a reputable people search engine to locate her address and phone number.

Another half hour later, he was confidently scribbling down her address and then heading for his rental.

He was getting an immediate flight to Boston.

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

Derek was out at the moment, doing God only knew what, so you took that opportunity to take a much needed nap. Your fever was spiking, your body ached, both from the abuse it had taken as well as the cold–which you were beginning to wonder if it was the flu–and you were dehydrated because you couldn't keep your mind clear enough to drink fluids. You were going to have a trip to the hospital if you didn't take better care of yourself.

As for your nap, you could only hope you wouldn't run into Hook. Okay, so you actually couldn't help but wish you would, but you knew it was better for everyone involved if you didn't.

You had just flopped onto the bed, when you heard a knock at the door.

Sighing, you took the wet washcloth from your forehead that you'd been using to aid with your fever, laid it on the night table, and raised up from the bed. Slowly, you made your way down the hall to the stairs. Your sickness was taking its toll. You were recognizing the signs of needing a doctor, and soon. As you headed down the stairs, you stumbled and nearly tumbled down the last few steps. By the grace of God you caught hold of the railing and held on for dear life till your feet became more steady.

Another knock. More insistent.

"I'm… I'm coming…" You tried to call out. But it only came out a soft whisper. Your breathing was turning ragged and you wanted so badly to just curl up on the floor and go to sleep.

Finally, finally you reached the door just as a booming knock sounded. And you became afraid that Derek had gone out, got drunk, and forgotten his keys to the house.

He'll kill me now for taking so long, you thought, as you fumbled with the chain lock and then the dead bolt.

After what seemed like ages, you got the door open. Your eyes were lowered. Initially. But you slowly raised your gaze.

You saw a pair of jeans clad legs. Then a black hoodied torso.

Hook's handsome face swam before you as you lifted your eyes higher.

He looked shy for a change. Or unsure, you didn't know which. And then he saw the state you were in.

"H-Hook…" You stammered out in shock. Your heartbeat sped up and then you were sinking to the floor.

"Y/N!" He softly called your name out and latched onto your arms, holding you upright. "Baby, you're burning up! Badly!"

"You c-can't… b-be here…." you sobbed. "Derek… he'll be back any minute."'

Your legs trembled and you started to go down again. Hook uttered a soft curse and bent down, lifting you up into his arms, bridal style, noted your wince of pain.

Then he was entering your home, and kicking the door shut behind him as you finally gave in to the darkness creeping into your vision…

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

Hook took a deep breath and stepped out of his rental as he eyed the ramshackle house before him. It was an old two-story building that had seen better days.

"No wonder Y/N was so nervous about me seeing her home." He thought aloud as he headed for the front porch. Well, no more. I'm going to show her that I don't care in the least what she lives in. Although, if she'll have me, I'll make sure she never has to worry about living like this any more. Never mind that Y/N was married. She obviously wasn't happy in the marriage and Hook was going to take her away from the dude, plain and simple.

He stepped up to the porch and knocked on the front door. Waited a moment and then knocked again. He could hear stirring within the front room or hallway and proceeded to pound the door again. He was halfway in a boxing stance in case he had to fight the husband right away, when the door finally opened.

Y/N stepped up to the door frame as her gaze slowly–very slowly–lifted to meet his.

Hook saw how pale she was and instantly knew something was terribly wrong. He was vaguely aware of the bruise at her jawline when she spoke softly.

"H-Hook…" she cried weakly and then went sailing for the floor.

"Y/N!" He said loudly, trying to rouse her as he grabbed at her arms and held her up. He could feel her scorching skin against his hands. "Geez, baby, you're burning up! Badly!"

"You c-can't… b-be here…." she choked out on a sob. "Derek�� he'll be back any minute."'

She started to fall again and he lifted her limp frame up into his arms, cradling her against his muscled chest as he let out a low curse.

"Baby… Wake up…" he uttered, jostling her slight frame in his arms. "Please." He carried her through the hallway to the living room to find only a recliner or a love seat to lay her on. He went in search of the bedroom so he could properly lay her in bed.

He went up the stairs quickly and discovered the bedroom to be the first door on the right. He entered the room and carried Y/N over to the bed where he gently deposited her onto it. Then he picked up the cold, wet washcloth from her night table and placed it over her forehead. And that is when he fully noticed and took in her wounded state.

Her face was bruised, and she had a split lip. God only knew what else had happened to her.

"The scumbag hits her," he growled to himself. No wonder she was so scared.

"I've gotta get you to the hospital," he murmured. "You need medical help."

He started to lift her back up to carry her to his car when he heard a baby's cry nearby.

"What the-" He headed for the doorway, following the sound of the baby's wails. He moved across the hallway and found a nursery with a baby in a crib. A little girl. Less than six months old.

"What the…" He repeated. Y/N hadn't mentioned a daughter.

He cautiously stepped up to the crib, not wanting to frighten the baby. "Hey, sweetie," he said softly, and reached down, brushing his thumb over the baby's silky cheek. "You're mom's gonna be okay. I promise."

When the baby continued to cry, he awkwardly lifted her up and held her against his chest, jostling her. "Shh-shh…" Immediately, the baby quieted and snuggled against his shoulder.

"What… what are you doing?..."

Hook turned and saw you bracing yourself against the nursery's door frame. "

"Your baby was crying," he answered, jostling the infant again. "I thought I should comfort her."

"I mean…" you clearly were struggling to keep your mind focused. "I mean, what are you doing here? If Derek finds you here…"

Why didn't you tell me he hits you," Hook demanded, gently laying the baby back down in the crib. He stepped over to you and tilted her chin back with his fingers so he could get another look at you. "That son of a-"

"You have to leave, Hook. Please."

"I'm not leaving you here. As lame as this probably sounds, Y/N, I've come to take you away from here. Away from all this."

You immediately shook your head. "You can't. I can't. I mean…" you huffed a weak sigh. "He'll… He'll kill us. All of us."

"Baby, you don't know who I am if you think you can tell me something like that and then think I'll turn and walk away from you." His eyes scanned your face, took in the bruises, the cuts. "No, I'll kill him."

He pulled you into his arms. Tilted your chin back again and lowered his head. His lips a breath away from yours, he whispered, "Finally, I get to kiss you."

His mouth lowered to yours then and closed the small gap between the two of you.

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

Hook's mouth was on yours and oh, was it glorious.

"Mmm," you moaned into his mouth and kissed him back. You couldn't help yourself. His lips moved against yours and his tongue slid past your lips, plundering your mouth. Your legs threatened to buckle again and Hook pulled you even closer against his chest to keep you upright.

"Pack some stuff," he murmured into your mouth. "We're getting out of here."

"I'm scared," you whispered. "If something happens to Sienna, or you…"

"I won't let anything happen to either of you. I swear," Hook reassured you, kissing you again. "Now, go pack. I'll pack the baby's stuff."

You nodded, still in a daze that Hook was standing in the middle of your house. "There's some suitcases in the hall closet." You led him over to the closet and grabbed the small suitcase for Sienna, and handed it to Hook. The larger one you took for yourself. As Hook went back to the nursery to pack for Sienna, you headed to your bedroom and began filling the suitcase with some clothes and toiletries.

A few minutes of packing passed, and then you heard the click of the bedroom door closing.

And another click.

The lock.

Afraid of what you'd see, you slowly turned and saw Derek blocking the door.

"Who is the kid in the nursery," he asked quietly, sauntering toward you. "Who is he? You've been cheating on me with a kid?" He glanced over his shoulder as if he was afraid Hook would hear him. "One scream and you are dead."

"He's… He is not a kid. And I have not been cheating on you." You said, backing up till your back hit the wall. You had nowhere to go.

Derek was close to you now, close enough to reach out and wrap his hands around your throat. Which he did. "How dare you disrespect me!"

He squeezed, choking off your air supply. You struggled, and tried to pry his hands off your throat.

"You're so dead. And so is the little brat."

This had you struggling even more.

Faintly, you heard Hook's voice behind the bedroom door.

"Baby, open the door!"

"Baby, open the door," Derek mocked as he choked you to death.

You took that moment to drive your knee up into Derek's crotch. He let out a weird groan and released you as you knew he would and you stumbled toward the door. Just as you were about to touch the lock a hand reached out and grabbed hold of your hair, yanking you back toward Derek.

The door then busted open with Hook charging into the room.

Frightened for Hook but relieved at the same time, you heard a sharp click and then felt three rapid jabs to your stomach.

"Oh!" You cried out softly at the delayed pain.

"Y/N? Baby?" Hook said, a question in his tone. His eyes were on Derek's hand at your stomach.

You looked down as well, and saw Derek's hand slowly, painfully so, twist a knife into your stomach.

"Oh," you cried again, "Oh, God… I…" You started to fall and that is when Hook came out of his horrified stupor. At first he didn't seem to know what to do. Attack Derek, or come to your aid. It didn't take but a second for him to dive to your side on the floor. At the same moment, Derek ran out the bedroom door. You were only faintly aware of what was going on around you. But you were keenly aware of Hook's arms going around you and tugging you partially into his lap. You groaned in pain and clenched your eyes shut.

"Baby, stay with me," Hook demanded, pulling out his phone.

You reached for the knife still stuck in your stomach, attempted to pull it out.

"No, sweetheart, leave it. You could bleed out if you pull it out." Hook moved your hand to rest by your side and proceeded to make a call on his phone.

"Yes, I need an ambulance and the police."

He rattled off the address and gave the reason for the call and then tossed the phone to the floor. His attention was fully on you. Blood had soaked into his hoodie and jeans but he paid it no mind at all.

"Hang on, Y/N. The ambulance is coming."

You gazed up at him through tears. You could feel yourself weakening. "I-I'm sorry, I…"

"Shhh-shhh," Hook shushed you gently, and checked your pulse.

Not good, he thought.

"I have no family…" You whispered now, growing more and more tired. "Pl-please, take care of Sienna…"

"Honey, I'll take care of her till you're well. But then you are going to raise her. You're going to be there to be her mom."

"I love you…"

"Stop it, Y/N. Tell me when you are well. Not when you're scaring the life out of me."

A tear spilled over your eye and trailed down your temple. "I love you, Hook," you whispered before succumbing to unconsciousness…

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[madhatterbri]

Stay | E.M

Summary: Sienna and Elijah are in a bind. She tries to get him to feed off of her but he refuses. He only wants her to admit one thing to him.

"Elijah, just take my blood. You look terrible," Sienna begged. They had been stuck for hours. Their cellphones couldn't get service and there was no sign of escaping. She raised her sleeve to show him her wrist. "We don't know when we are getting out of here. You are the strongest out of the two of us. If you can't fight, we aren't going to get out of here alive,"

"Once again thank you for the offer," he started while holding his phone up. He stopped trying to call out and placed his phone in his pocket. "But my previous answer still stands,"

Sienna mumbled under her breath.

"Despite the stories you know about my mother it isn't fair for you to call her that without meeting her. Granted my family has a funny way of not staying dead. You may get the chance one day,"

"What is the big deal? It's not like it would be the first time you fed off me," she whined.

Elijah sighed and rolled his eyes. Sienna looked through the room. She couldn't find anything to make him drink her blood. He took a seat on a chair.

Another hour past and he was looking worse. His eyes were half-closed. His breathing starting to shallow. She sat on her knees in front of him. Panic and desperation could be seen on her face.

"Elijah, please," she whispered.

"And to think we were doing so well with the quiet game," He sighed. God, this man was stubborn at the most inopportune times.

"Elijah, please," she begged. Elijah moved closer to her. Their eyes stared into each other. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Tell me the reason,"

"The reason for what?"

"Enough with the games, Sienna. The reason you move away from Diego when I walk into the room. The reason you continue to help and protect me despite your sworn loyalty to Marcel," he answered.

She knew he wasn't going to compel it out of her. Elijah wanted to hear her say it in her own free will. The words she thought about so many times but never had the courage to say out loud.

"I'm still in love with you," she confessed.