#no but the way Lily’s order suits her? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

chelseaknoo · 13 days ago

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"I've never felt so betrayed in my life..."

B-rabbit x reader

Caution: cheating,semi-sexual content<3

You had been working at Betty’s Diner since you were 17, and now, at 20, it felt like a second home. The bustling sounds of the kitchen, the chatter of regulars, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee had become a familiar comfort.

Occasionally, you’d notice a little girl named Lily coming into the diner sometimes even with her mom. She was quiet and sweet, with big eyes that always seemed to be searching for something. You couldn’t help but feel drawn to her. It wasn’t long before you started setting aside little treats for her—a warm muffin, a plate of fries, or a slice of pie—and handing her coloring books to keep her entertained.

At first, she’d just smile shyly, but over time, she opened up to you. You’d sit with her during your breaks, talking about her favorite cartoons or what she wanted to be when she grew up. A bond began to form between you two, one that felt special and unspoken.

Outside of work, life was simple. You lived in a small apartment just a few blocks away, sharing the space with your energetic little dog, who was always thrilled to see you after a long shift. It wasn’t much, but it was yours—a cozy haven where you could unwind after the long hours on your feet.

Despite your busy life, you always made time for Lily whenever she came by. To her, you were more than just someone who handed her free food and coloring books. You were a friend, maybe even a role model. And to you, Lily had become a bright spot in your days, reminding you of the simple joy of connection.

You woke up to the sound of your alarm, its shrill beeping pulling you from a restless sleep. After a quick shower, you slipped into your uniform—a short pink polka-dot dress with a crisp white apron tied neatly around your waist. The dress had a cute collar and short sleeves, paired with white socks and matching pink heels that gave you that classic 1950s diner-girl look. It wasn’t the most comfortable outfit, but it suited the atmosphere of Betty’s Diner perfectly.

After giving your small dog a quick cuddle and setting out fresh food and water, you grabbed your bag and headed out the door. The chilly morning air greeted you as you made your way to the bus stop. The ride was uneventful, filled with the usual assortment of half-asleep commuters, students, and the occasional chatter of an overly loud phone conversation. You leaned your head against the window, mentally preparing yourself for the long day ahead.

By the time you stepped into the diner, it was already buzzing with activity. The morning rush was in full swing—regulars sipping coffee, families with noisy kids ordering pancakes, and the kitchen staff barking out orders. You tied your apron tighter, plastered on your best smile, and got to work.

The day was chaotic, to say the least. Between refilling coffee cups and taking orders, you dealt with an endless parade of difficult customers. There was the woman who sent back her omelet three times because it wasn’t “fluffy enough,” the homeless man who wandered in asking for leftovers, and the group of teenagers who tried to dine and dash.

Then there were the druggies who occasionally came in, looking for a quick meal or a place to linger. One of them caused a minor scene, yelling at another customer before the manager stepped in to defuse the situation. You kept your cool, but by lunchtime, you were already exhausted.

Despite the chaos, you found small moments to breathe. A regular complimented your smile, an elderly couple left you a generous tip, and, as always, the sight of Lily walking in brightened your mood.

It was nearing the end of your shift, and the diner had finally quieted down. Most of the tables were empty, save for a couple of regulars lingering over their coffee. You sat at a booth near the corner, the counter wiped clean, the cash register balanced, and the "Closed" sign ready to flip.

Lily sat across from you, her little face scrunched in concentration as she carefully colored in the lines of the picture you'd drawn for her. "What do you think?" she asked, holding up her work for your approval.

"That’s beautiful, Lily," you said with a warm smile. "I think we have an artist in the making."

She grinned, about to reply, when the bell over the diner door jingled, signaling a late customer. You glanced up, ready to explain the place was closing, but Lily beat you to it.

"Jimmy!" she squealed, jumping up from the booth and racing toward the young man who had just walked in.

He bent down to scoop her up in his arms, laughing softly as he hugged her close. "Hey, baby," he said, resting her head on his shoulder. "What’re you still doing here? Isn’t it past your bedtime?"

Lily giggled, clinging to him. "I was waiting for you! And look, I was coloring with my friend."

"Your friend, huh?" he said, his tone curious as he turned his gaze toward you. The moment his eyes landed on you, he froze.

For a second, it felt like time slowed down. His blue eyes, shadowed slightly by the hoodie and beanie he wore, widened like he’d just seen something—or someone—he couldn’t believe. You shifted slightly under his gaze, unsure of what to say.

"Uh… hi," you said finally, offering a polite smile.

He blinked and cleared his throat, trying to recover. "Hi," he said, his voice low but steady. "I’m, uh—"

"This is Jimmy, my big brother!" Lily interrupted excitedly. She turned to him and added, "This is the nice lady I told you about, the one who gives me food and coloring books."

Jimmy’s eyes softened as he looked at Lily, then back at you. "So, you’re the one she keeps talking about," he said, a small, almost shy smile tugging at his lips. "She won’t stop mentioning you at home."

You felt a slight blush creep into your cheeks. "Well, Lily’s a good kid," you said, shrugging modestly. "It’s hard not to spoil her a little."

He set Lily down, and she immediately climbed back into the booth to finish her coloring. Jimmy walked closer, his gaze still on you, and extended a hand. "I’m Jimmy," he said simply.

"Y/N," you replied, shaking his hand. His grip was firm but not overpowering, his hands rough from what you could only guess was hard work.

"You’ve been really good to my sister," he said, his voice sincere. "I just… I appreciate it. We don’t exactly have a lot of people looking out for us."

You gave a small, reassuring smile. "It’s nothing, really. Lily’s a sweetheart. She’s welcome here anytime."

For a moment, he just looked at you, his expression softening as if he were seeing something he didn’t quite know how to process. "Well, thank you," he said again, his voice quieter this time.

Lily interrupted the moment by proudly holding up her finished drawing. "Look, Jimmy! Isn’t it pretty?"

"It’s awesome, baby," Jimmy said, ruffling her hair. He glanced back at you, his smile lingering. "Maybe I’ll see you around, Y/N."

"Maybe," you replied, your voice light but tinged with curiosity.

As he and Lily walked out, you couldn’t help but feel that something significant had just happened. You didn’t know much about Jimmy yet, but there was something in the way he looked at you that you couldn’t quite shake—a mixture of gratitude, intrigue, and something else entirely.

As Jimmy carried Lily down the dimly lit street toward their trailer, she rested her head on his shoulder, clutching her coloring book tightly. The chilly night air bit at his face, but he barely noticed. His thoughts were still lingering back at the diner—on you.

“Jimmy,” Lily said softly, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, Lil?” he replied, adjusting his hold on her.

“You like her, don’t you?”

He glanced at her, eyebrows raised. “Who?”

“The nice lady from the diner,” Lily said with a grin, lifting her head to look at him. “I saw the way you were looking at her. You think she’s pretty.”

Jimmy chuckled, his breath visible in the cold air. “Yeah, okay. She’s pretty. So what?”

“You have a crush on her,” Lily teased, her voice sing-song.

“What? No, I don’t,” Jimmy said quickly, though the slight blush creeping up his neck betrayed him.

“Yes, you do,” Lily insisted, giggling now. “You never look at anyone like that. You couldn’t stop staring at her!”

Jimmy sighed, shaking his head, but there was a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Alright, maybe I do think she’s... beautiful,” he admitted. “She’s nice, too. Real nice. Not just to you, but, like... she seems like she actually cares, you know?”

Lily nodded enthusiastically. “She’s the best! She always gives me food, and we color together when she’s not busy.”

Jimmy’s smile grew a little wider. “Yeah, I could see that. You two seem close.”

“You should ask her to be your girlfriend,” Lily said matter-of-factly, like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Jimmy laughed. “It’s not that simple, Lil.”

“Why not?”

“Well, for one, I barely know her,” he explained. “And even if I did… she’s probably not interested in someone like me.”

Lily tilted her head, confused. “Why not? You’re nice. And you work really hard. And you’re my big brother, so that means you’re the best!”

Jimmy couldn’t help but laugh again, his heart warming at her words. “Thanks, kid. But we’ll see. For now, let’s just get you home and to bed, alright?”

“Okay,” Lily agreed, resting her head back on his shoulder. But as they continued walking, she added, “I think she’d like you, Jimmy. You just have to talk to her more.”

Jimmy didn’t reply, but the thought stayed with him as they approached the trailer. Maybe Lily was right. Maybe he should talk to you more. After all, there was something about you that he couldn’t quite shake—a feeling he hadn’t had in a long time.

A few days had passed since Jimmy's visit to the diner, and as the days went by, he started showing up more frequently. Sometimes, he'd come in with Lily, a quiet presence as they settled into their booth. Other times, it was just him—alone, but never lingering too long, always polite and casual, though there was something about his smile when he spoke to you that made your heart skip a beat.

You found yourself looking forward to his visits, even if you told yourself it was just because he was a regular customer. But each time he walked through the door, your pulse quickened a little. And every time you spoke, it felt like something unspoken lingered between you both.

It was a quiet afternoon when they both arrived again. The diner was nearly empty, the usual hum of conversation and clinking cutlery filling the air. You glanced up from behind the counter as the doorbell jingled, and there they were—Jimmy and Lily, walking in like they owned the place.

Lily skipped over to the booth, hopping into the seat with her usual enthusiasm. "Hi, Y/N!" she called, waving excitedly. "I drew a new picture today! Do you want to see?"

"Of course, I’d love to," you said, smiling as you made your way over to their booth.

As you handed Lily the crayons she asked for, you noticed Jimmy lingering at the entrance, looking a little uncomfortable, as though he wasn’t sure if he should approach you just yet. But when he caught your eye, he smiled, a small, shy smile that made your chest flutter.

"Hey, Y/N," Jimmy greeted you, his voice casual but soft.

"Hey, Jimmy," you replied, giving him a warm smile. "What can I get you today?"

"Just the usual," he said, settling into the seat across from Lily. "A burger, fries, and a coffee."

You nodded, scribbling it down in your notepad. "Coming right up."

As you turned to head back to the kitchen, Lily suddenly piped up from the booth. "Hey, Y/N, did you know Jimmy has a crush on you?"

Your heart skipped a beat, and you froze for a second, caught off guard by her words. You turned slowly, a slight flush creeping up your neck as you looked at Jimmy, who was staring wide-eyed at his little sister.

"Lily!" he protested, his voice a mix of shock and embarrassment. "What are you talking about?"

Lily just grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. "I’m just telling the truth! He’s always looking at you like you’re a goddess or something."

Jimmy’s face turned a deep shade of red. "I do not," he said, shaking his head. "I—I don’t have a crush on anyone."

You tried to hide the small smile forming on your lips, but you couldn’t help it. The way he was fumbling with his words was too cute. "Well, I guess we’ll see about that," you teased, glancing at him with a raised eyebrow.

Jimmy cleared his throat, avoiding your gaze as he leaned back in the booth. "I swear, Lil, you have no idea what you're talking about."

But Lily just giggled, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m not dumb, you know."

You couldn’t help but chuckle at their back-and-forth. There was something endearing about the way they bantered, and it made you realize how much you liked being around them—how easy it was to talk to both of them.

"Alright, alright," you said, playing along. "No need to be shy, Jimmy. I’m not going anywhere."

Jimmy shifted uncomfortably in his seat but then looked up, locking eyes with you for the first time in a few seconds. There was something in his gaze now—something more serious, less playful. "I’m not shy," he said quietly, though his voice betrayed him. "I just… don’t know what to say."

You leaned against the counter, watching him. "You don’t have to say anything. You’re here, aren’t you?"

His eyes softened slightly, and for a moment, there was a comfortable silence between the three of you. Then Lily, always the little matchmaker, looked at you and grinned again. "I think you two should go out sometime. Just saying!"

Jimmy groaned and buried his face in his hands. "I can't take you anywhere, can I?"

You laughed, your heart warming at the exchange. "You know, Lily might be onto something," you said, your voice teasing but gentle.

Jimmy finally looked at you, his embarrassment still lingering but now replaced with a hint of hope. "Yeah?" he asked, his voice quieter this time.

You smiled softly. "Yeah," you said, your tone sincere. "Maybe we could grab a coffee sometime—just the two of us."

Lily’s eyes lit up, and she clasped her hands together dramatically. "I knew it! It’s a date!"

Jimmy groaned again, but there was a small smile tugging at his lips as he looked at you. "Alright, alright. I guess we’ll see how that goes."

As you turned to head back to the kitchen, you couldn’t help but feel the warmth of anticipation building in your chest. Maybe Lily was right. Maybe there was something there after all.

After that day, things between you and Jimmy started to change. At first, it was just small moments—simple, casual conversations as he came into the diner with Lily, or the times when he showed up on his own, just to grab a coffee and chat for a little while. You found yourself looking forward to his visits more and more, and the feeling seemed mutual. Every time he walked in, a small part of you hoped he’d sit at your booth, or that he’d ask you how your day had been, just like he always did.

It wasn’t long before the two of you started hanging out outside the diner as well. It started with simple things: grabbing coffee at a local café, taking a walk through the park, or spending lazy afternoons talking about everything and nothing at all. You learned more about each other—his love for music, his dreams of something bigger than the small-town life he’d been stuck in, and his complicated relationship with his family. Jimmy wasn’t a man of many words, but when he spoke, it was as if the world slowed down just to hear him.

One evening, after a long shift, you walked out of the diner to find Jimmy leaning against his car, waiting for you like he often did. He was wearing that same hoodie and beanie, but there was something different in the way he was standing. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets, and he shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other as you approached.

“Hey,” you said with a smile, feeling the usual flutter of excitement when you saw him.

“Hey, Y/N,” he greeted, his voice a little softer than usual. “I was thinking maybe we could go grab a bite to eat? Just the two of us?”

Your heart skipped. “I’d like that,” you replied. “Let me just change real quick.”

He nodded, giving you a small, almost hesitant smile. “Take your time.”

You returned to your small apartment to change into something more comfortable, your mind racing as you tried to focus on getting ready. Every time you were around him, you found it harder to ignore the way your heart beat faster, the way your stomach fluttered when he looked at you, even when he was being shy and quiet. But what did this mean? Was he just being friendly, or was there something more?

When you met him back outside, he drove the two of you to a small diner on the outskirts of town. The place was cozy, warm, and quiet—a perfect spot for a relaxed evening. You sat down at a booth by the window, and for the first time in what felt like forever, there was an easy silence between you. The clink of silverware and the low murmur of conversations from other tables created a comfortable backdrop.

“So,” Jimmy said, after a few moments of quiet. “How’s everything going at the diner? Busy, as usual?”

You laughed softly, swirling your straw in your drink. “You could say that. Karen came in earlier today. Demanded a refund because her coffee wasn’t ‘hot enough.’” You rolled your eyes. “Same old, same old.”

He chuckled, a deep, genuine laugh that made your heart skip. “I don’t know how you do it. I would’ve lost my mind by now.”

You shrugged, glancing out the window. “It’s just part of the job. People have their bad days, you know?” You met his eyes. “Besides, it gives me something to laugh about after work.”

He was quiet for a moment, and you couldn’t help but notice how his eyes lingered on you, how his gaze softened as he looked at you. You swallowed, unsure of what to say next.

“I’m really glad we did this,” you said, breaking the silence. “I mean, hanging out like this… it feels good to just talk and not worry about work or anything else.”

“I feel the same,” Jimmy replied, his voice quieter now. “You’re easy to talk to, Y/N. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this comfortable with anyone.”

Your heart fluttered at his words, and for a moment, you forgot how to breathe. You were suddenly aware of the way he was looking at you, the way his lips parted slightly, as if he were about to say something more.

“I… I don’t know if I’m good at this kind of thing,” he said slowly, his voice a little shaky. “But, I’ve been thinking… maybe it’s time I said something.” He took a deep breath, his fingers tapping nervously on the table. “I like you, Y/N. I mean, I really like you.”

Your breath hitched at his confession. You felt the words catch in your throat, but you couldn’t stop the smile that spread across your face.

“I like you too, Jimmy,” you said, your voice barely a whisper.

Jimmy’s gaze softened, and a small smile tugged at his lips. But there was something more in his eyes now—something deeper. He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a low, serious tone.

“I want to be with you,” he said, his words careful but sincere. “I think… I think I’m ready to try, if you are. I want you to be my girlfriend, Y/N. No games, no pretending. Just us.”

Your heart was pounding now, a rush of emotions flooding through you. You could see the vulnerability in his eyes, the uncertainty, but also the hope. He was scared, but he was asking you—he was being real with you.

You took a deep breath, a smile tugging at the corner of your lips. “I’d like that, Jimmy. I really would.”

His face lit up, a smile spreading across his face that made your heart melt. He reached across the table, taking your hand in his. It felt warm and strong in yours, and in that moment, you knew—this was something real. Something worth holding on to.

“Yeah?” he asked, his voice full of relief. “You’re sure?”

“I’m sure,” you said, your voice steady. “I’ve wanted this for a while, Jimmy.”

He laughed softly, as if all the tension had been lifted from his shoulders. “Good. I was starting to think I was gonna have to convince you a little more,” he teased, squeezing your hand.

You smiled, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. “You didn’t have to convince me. I think I’ve been falling for you for a while.”

The rest of the night passed in a blur of laughter and conversation, the two of you lost in each other’s company. Jimmy was no longer shy, no longer hesitant. You could see the shift in him—the way he looked at you, the way he spoke to you. He was finally comfortable, finally letting himself be vulnerable. And you were right there with him, your heart full of the same feelings he had been too scared to admit.

As you drove back to your apartment, Jimmy’s hand still holding yours, you realized something. This wasn’t just a casual fling or a passing moment. This was the beginning of something special. And it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

After a few more minutes of quiet conversation, you and Jimmy walked down the dimly lit street toward your apartment. The city around you was quiet, save for the occasional car driving by and the distant hum of streetlights. The night air was crisp, and it felt good against your skin, especially with Jimmy’s hand still holding yours as if he couldn’t quite bring himself to let go.

“You sure you’re okay with coming over?” you asked, glancing up at him. “I mean, my place isn’t much, but—”

“Hey, it’s not about the place,” he said, cutting you off with a grin. “It’s about being with you.”

You smiled, feeling warmth spread through your chest. It was a simple answer, but it meant everything.

When you reached your small apartment building, you walked up the staircase together. The walls were decorated with old, peeling wallpaper and a few creaky steps that you had learned to avoid. As you reached the door to your apartment, you turned the key in the lock, and the door swung open with a soft creak.

Inside, the space was cozy—small, but lived-in. You’d kept things simple, but it felt like home. There were a few scattered blankets on the couch, a coffee table cluttered with old magazines, and a small bookshelf filled with dog-eared novels. Your dog, a tiny but fierce little mutt named Oreo, was already at the door, barking excitedly as you stepped inside.

“Hey, Oreo,” you said, bending down to scoop the little dog into your arms. “Look who’s here.”

Jimmy couldn’t help but laugh as he watched you with your dog, your eyes full of affection as you cuddled the small, wagging ball of fur. Oreo barked and squirmed in your arms, trying to lick your face.

“Man, that dog’s got a lot of energy,” Jimmy said, grinning as he knelt down to pet him. “He’s cute, though.”

You rolled your eyes playfully. “She’s a handful, trust me.”

Oreo, not content with just being petted, wriggled free from your arms and bounded toward Jimmy, eager to make a new friend. Jimmy laughed as Oreo jumped on him, licking his hands and face.

“She seems to like me,” Jimmy said, his grin wide as he tried to fend off Oreo’s advances. “I’m starting to think she’s the real boss around here.”

“Don’t let her fool you,” you said with a teasing smile. “She’s a diva. I’m the one who calls the shots.”

Jimmy raised an eyebrow, still trying to calm the little dog down. “Right, right. I’ll make sure to take notes.”

As you and Jimmy moved into the living room, the playful chaos of Oreo gradually settled down, and the two of you made yourselves comfortable on the couch. You both sat there for a while, talking, laughing, and enjoying the quiet intimacy that had developed between you. It was easy to forget about everything else when it was just you two in the same space, sharing little moments like this.

Eventually, the conversation shifted to a more personal topic, and you found yourself looking into Jimmy’s eyes, the distance between you shrinking. The way he looked at you—like you were the only person in the room—was enough to make your heart race.

“I’m glad you came over,” you said quietly, your voice almost shy.

“I’m glad you let me,” Jimmy replied, his tone just as soft. “I like being here. With you.”

You could feel the weight of his words, the sincerity in them. And without thinking, you reached for him, your hand brushing against his. Jimmy leaned in, his breath warm against your face as his lips hovered just inches from yours.

“Y/N,” he whispered, his voice hushed but full of longing, “I’ve been thinking about this… about us… a lot.”

Your pulse quickened as his hand gently cupped your cheek, his thumb brushing against your skin. It felt like time had slowed down, like everything in the world had paused except for the two of you. Slowly, cautiously, you closed the distance between you, your lips meeting his in a soft kiss.

It was slow at first, tentative, like you were both testing the waters. But as the kiss deepened, everything around you seemed to fade away. There were no more worries, no more questions. It was just the two of you, caught up in the moment, savoring the warmth and tenderness that had been building between you for so long.

Jimmy’s hands found their way to your waist, pulling you closer, as if he couldn’t get enough. You responded eagerly, your fingers threading through his hair as you kissed him deeper, your hearts beating in sync.

For a moment, everything else—the world, the noise, the complications of life—disappeared, leaving only the connection between you and him. You could feel the electricity between you, the undeniable pull that had been growing stronger with every passing day.

Finally, you pulled away, both of you breathless, your faces inches apart. You smiled softly, your forehead resting against his.

“That was...” you started, but your voice trailed off.

“I know,” Jimmy said quietly, his fingers gently brushing against your cheek. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while.”

You smiled, your heart swelling with affection. “I’ve wanted it too.”

He chuckled softly, his thumb brushing your lip. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

“Me too,” you whispered.

Jimmy leaned in again, this time more urgently, pressing his lips to yours with more fervor. The kiss was full of heat now, of something deeper—something that couldn’t be denied. It was like everything you’d been waiting for had culminated in this one perfect moment.

When the kiss finally broke, you both sat there for a moment, catching your breath, hands still entwined as you looked into each other’s eyes. The air was thick with unspoken promises, with the feeling that this was just the beginning of something even bigger than either of you had expected.

Jimmy opened the door to his trailer, stepping aside so you could enter. You smiled at him warmly, brushing your hair out of your face as you stepped into the small, slightly cluttered space. It was cozy in its own way, but you could tell he was a little nervous about having you here. He closed the door quietly behind you, glancing toward the small bedroom where Lily was sitting cross-legged on her bed with a book in her hands.

"Hey, Lil'," Jimmy called softly, walking over to her. "It’s time for bed, alright?"

Lily looked up from her book and pouted slightly, though it was more from being tired than anything else. "Okay, but can you read me a story tomorrow?"

"Yeah, of course," he said, ruffling her hair gently. "Now, go brush your teeth and get some sleep."

Lily nodded, setting her book down and hopping off the bed. She padded off toward the tiny bathroom, leaving the two of you alone in the main area of the trailer. Jimmy turned back to you, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Sorry about the mess," he mumbled, motioning around the room. "It’s not much, but, uh… it’s home."

You smiled, taking a step closer to him. "You don’t have to apologize, Jimmy. I like it. It’s… cozy."

He snorted softly, shaking his head. "That’s one way to put it," he muttered, his eyes flicking around the room. "Guess I’m just… not used to having someone like you here."

"Someone like me?" you teased gently, raising an eyebrow. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

He looked down, shuffling his feet a little. "I mean… you’re just… you know, you’ve got your stuff together. You’re smart, and you’ve got that nice apartment, and…" He trailed off, his voice barely above a whisper. "You deserve better than this."

Your heart clenched at his words, and you stepped closer, reaching out to take his hand. "Jimmy," you said softly, waiting for him to meet your eyes. "Don’t say that. I don’t care about any of that stuff. I like you for who you are, not where you live."

He sighed, running a hand over his face. "It’s just… embarrassing, you know? I want to give you more than this someday. I don’t want you to think this is all I can offer."

You squeezed his hand gently, your thumb brushing over his knuckles. "You already give me more than enough, Jimmy," you said firmly. "You’re kind, you’re hardworking, and you care about the people in your life. That means so much more to me than anything else."

He looked at you for a long moment, his expression softening. "You really mean that?"

"Of course, I do," you replied, smiling at him. "And for the record, I think it’s kind of cute how worried you are about impressing me."

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Man, you’re something else," he said, his voice warm.

Before he could say more, Lily emerged from the bathroom, her hair slightly damp from washing her face. "Goodnight, Jimmy," she said sleepily, climbing back into her bed. Then she looked at you and smiled shyly. "Goodnight, Y/N."

"Goodnight, Lily," you said warmly, watching as she snuggled under her blanket. Jimmy walked over to her, tucking her in and pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head before turning off the light in her little corner of the trailer.

As he came back over to you, he let out a quiet sigh, running a hand through his hair. "So… what do you want to do?" he asked, his voice a little hesitant.

You smiled, sitting down on the worn-out couch and patting the spot next to you. "Why don’t you tell me more about yourself?" you suggested. "I feel like there’s still so much I don’t know about you."

He hesitated for a moment before sitting down next to you, leaning back against the couch. "I don’t know if there’s much to tell," he said, his tone self-deprecating.

"I don’t believe that," you replied, nudging him gently. "Come on, Jimmy. What’s your dream? What do you want out of life?"

He glanced at you, his expression softening. "Well… you already know I rap," he said slowly. "I guess I just… I want to make it, you know? I want to get out of here, give Lily a better life. Prove to myself—and everyone else—that I’m not just some loser from 8 Mile."

You reached out, resting your hand on his knee. "You’re not a loser, Jimmy," you said firmly. "You’re one of the most talented, driven people I’ve ever met. And I know you’re going to make it someday."

He looked at you, his eyes searching yours. "You really believe that?"

"Absolutely," you said, smiling at him. "You have so much to offer, Jimmy. And I’ll be right here, cheering you on every step of the way."

He was quiet for a moment, his gaze fixed on you. Then, he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. "Thanks, Y/N," he murmured. "That means a lot."

You smiled, leaning into his touch. "Anytime," you said softly.

The two of you sat there for a while, talking about everything and nothing. Jimmy opened up more than you’d ever seen him do before, sharing stories about his childhood, his struggles, and his dreams for the future.

It was a chilly evening as you walked Lily back to the trailer. She held your hand tightly, her small fingers gripping yours, her steps quiet and cautious. She wasn’t much of a talker during these moments, especially when she seemed tired, and tonight was no exception. You glanced down at her, offering her a small smile that she returned faintly before looking ahead.

As you got closer to the trailer, the faint sound of raised voices drifted through the air. You slowed your steps, your heart sinking as the argument grew louder with every step. Lily’s grip on your hand tightened, and you could see the tension in her little face as she recognized the voices.

"Why the fuck don’t you ever shut up, Greg?" you heard Jimmy’s voice ring out sharply, filled with anger.

"You think you’re some tough guy, huh?" Greg shot back, his voice slurred. "You think you’re better than me? You’re nothing but a little punk!"

"That’s enough!" Stephanie’s voice interjected, strained and desperate as she tried to mediate. "Both of you, just stop it! You’re scaring Lily!"

Your stomach twisted as you exchanged a glance with Lily. Her eyes were wide, and she tugged on your hand, urging you to keep moving. You nodded softly, squeezing her hand as you continued toward the trailer.

As you came around the corner, the scene came into view. Jimmy stood in front of Greg, his fists clenched at his sides, his posture rigid with barely contained fury. Greg, clearly drunk, was gesturing wildly, his face red with anger. Stephanie stood between them, her arms outstretched as if she were physically trying to hold them apart.

“Get the hell outta here, Jimmy,” Greg sneered, stumbling slightly as he pointed a finger at him. “This ain’t your place. Go cry about your shitty little life somewhere else.”

Jimmy’s jaw tightened, his eyes blazing as he took a step closer. “This is my place. You’re the one who doesn’t belong here. All you ever do is come in here drunk and make everything worse.”

“Jimmy, please,” Stephanie begged, her voice cracking. “Just let it go. He’s not worth it.”

Jimmy’s eyes flicked to his mom, his expression softening slightly. “Ma, you don’t have to put up with this. You deserve better than him.”

“Better than me?” Greg barked out a laugh, his eyes narrowing. “You don’t know shit about what she deserves, kid. You’re just a useless wannabe who’ll never get out of this dump.”

Jimmy took another step forward, his fists raising slightly. “Say that again, you piece of shit. I fucking dare you.”

“Jimmy,” you said softly, stepping closer with Lily still clutching your hand. His head snapped toward you, his expression immediately shifting to one of surprise and then embarrassment.

Greg noticed you too, his drunken gaze sliding over you with a sneer. “Oh, look who’s here,” he slurred. “Your pretty little girlfriend. Maybe you can teach this asshole some manners.I see now who where’s the pants in this fucking relationship.”

“Don’t fucking talk to her,” Jimmy snapped, his voice sharp as he stepped in front of you protectively. “Keep her out of this.”

“Jimmy,” you said again, this time more firmly, trying to get his attention. “It’s not worth it. Let’s just get Lily inside, okay?”

Jimmy glanced at you, his eyes softening as he noticed how tightly Lily was gripping your hand. She was quiet, but her wide eyes and trembling lip spoke volumes. He let out a long breath, his shoulders slumping slightly.

“Yeah,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Greg smirked, clearly thinking he’d won, but Jimmy ignored him, stepping back and crouching down to Lily’s level. “Hey, Lil,” he said softly, his voice gentle now. “Why don’t you head inside, huh? I’ll be right there.”

Lily nodded wordlessly, letting go of your hand and hurrying up the steps into the trailer. Jimmy straightened up, turning to look at you. His eyes held a mix of frustration and shame as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, his voice low. “You shouldn’t have had to see that.Me and my ma’s boyfriend don’t really get along…”

“You don’t have to apologize, Jimmy,” you said softly, reaching out to touch his arm. “But you can’t let him get to you. He’s not worth it.”

He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “It’s hard not to, Y/N. The guy’s a fucking parasite.”

“I know,” you said gently. “But Lily needs you to keep your head. She looks up to you.”

His expression softened at that, and he nodded slowly. “Yeah. You’re right.” He glanced back at Greg, who was still standing there with a smug look on his face, and his jaw tightened again. But instead of engaging, he turned back to you. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

You nodded, following him up the steps and into the trailer. As the door closed behind you, Jimmy let out a long sigh, leaning back against the wall.

You smiled, stepping closer and wrapping your arms around him. He hugged you tightly, his chin resting on the top of your head.

A few months passed, and your bond with Jimmy and Lily grew stronger. You went to his rap competitions, cheering him on with pride as he worked tirelessly on his craft. You could see how much he wanted to make it, and you supported him every step of the way.

But despite the closeness, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. There were moments when Jimmy seemed distant, his smile not quite reaching his eyes, and you caught him lost in thought more often than not. Sometimes, when you asked about it, he’d brush it off with a quick change of subject, or a forced joke.

The guilt you saw in his eyes every now and then made your stomach twist, but you didn’t press him. Maybe it was nothing, you told yourself. It was just the weight of his ambitions. You didn’t think too much of it. He loved you right? Or so you thought…

It was a cold evening when you decided to stop by Jimmy’s trailer. You had baked a fresh batch of muffins earlier in the day, and knowing how much Lily loved them, you figured it would be a nice surprise for her. Jimmy had been busy with his rap competitions lately, and you knew he had a lot on his plate. You wanted to make sure they knew you were there for them, even if just with a small gesture.

You walked up the familiar steps, the warmth of the trailer inviting you, but something felt off as you approached the front door. It was quieter than usual, and you could hear voices faintly, but they were muffled. Your mind wandered briefly, thinking perhaps Jimmy was working on something in the trailer, maybe helping Lily with her schoolwork or planning for an upcoming competition. But when you turned the corner to walk toward the back, your heart skipped a beat.

There, in the dim light of the front yard, you saw them.

Jimmy was standing with a woman, his hands resting on her waist as she kissed him fiercely. Your breath caught in your throat, the muffled sound of their lips meeting still echoing in your ears. But it wasn’t just any woman. It was *Alex*. The girl you’d seen at Jimmy’s rap competitions—the one with the bright eyes, the flirtatious grin, the one who always seemed a little too close to Jimmy when you were around.

You froze, rooted to the spot as you watched them, your chest tightening with disbelief. For a moment, you tried to rationalize it, tell yourself that maybe it wasn’t what it looked like, that maybe they were just friends or maybe you were imagining things. But the longer you stood there, the clearer it became. The way they were standing, the way Alex’s fingers ran through Jimmy’s hair, the way he responded to her touch—it was undeniable.

Then you heard it.

Alex pulled away slightly, a smug smile on her face. "I don’t know why you’re still with her," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "She’s too good for you, Jimmy. You don’t need someone like her holding you back. I mean, come on, look at her. She’s nothing special."

The words hit you like a punch to the gut. You felt your breath catch, the sting of her words cutting through you like a razor. But what hurt more was the silence that followed. Jimmy didn’t immediately defend you, didn’t immediately tell her to shut up. For a split second, you felt your heart break all over again.

"She’s… she’s not like that," Jimmy finally muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, as if he were trying to find the words to justify it. "She’s… different. I care about her."

"Well, maybe *you* care about her," Alex scoffed, "but what does she really know about you? She’s just some girl who’s trying to fix the broken pieces of a guy who’s never gonna change. She doesn’t know who you really are, Jimmy. She’s not in your world."

Jimmy sighed, his voice barely audible as he responded, "I’m not who I used to be, Alex. And… she’s not like you. She doesn’t… judge me."

You couldn’t take it anymore. The weight of everything you’d been feeling, the moments of doubt, the unspoken tension between you two—it all crashed down on you at once. Tears started to fall from your eyes as you stood there, helpless, watching them. You had been there for him, through everything. You had supported him, cheered him on, loved him in ways you never thought possible. And now, you were standing in the shadows, invisible, as he kissed another woman.

"I’ve never felt so betrayed in my life…" you whispered to yourself, your voice barely audible above the rush of blood pounding in your ears. The words were thick with pain, each syllable cutting into you like a dagger.

Jimmy’s eyes snapped open in horror when he heard you. His heart stopped, his blood running cold as he turned and saw you standing there, your tear-streaked face illuminated by the dull light of the yard. His heart dropped into his stomach as he pulled away from Alex, his hands instinctively reaching out to you. "Y/N… wait… it’s not what you think—"

But you couldn’t hear it. You couldn’t bear to hear anything else. The moment you saw him take a step toward you, you spun on your heel, turning away from him. You didn’t want to hear excuses. You didn’t want to listen to him try to justify his actions, his betrayal.

"Y/N, please," Jimmy called after you, desperation in his voice, but you didn’t stop.

"You don’t get to say anything right now, Jimmy!" you shouted over your shoulder, your voice breaking with emotion. "You don’t get to lie to me anymore. I was *there* for you. I loved you. And this? This is how you repay me?"

You could hear the panic in his voice as he ran after you, his footsteps quickening as he tried to catch up. "It’s not like that, I swear. I care about you. I didn’t mean for it to happen like this. Please, just let me explain—"

"Explain?" you whirled around to face him, the tears flowing freely now. "What could you possibly say to explain this, Jimmy? How could you look at me and pretend nothing was wrong? How could you kiss her, talk about me like that? You’ve been hiding something from me this whole time, and I—I was so stupid to not see it."

Jimmy’s face paled, his guilt evident, and he stepped back, his hands raising in surrender. "Y/N, I swear to God, I didn’t mean to hurt you. You’re everything to me. I never wanted to hurt you. It’s just… Alex, she was—"

"She was *what*?" you cut him off, your voice shaking with hurt. "A distraction? A way to make me feel like I wasn’t good enough for you?"

"No! No, that’s not it—" He reached for your arm, but you jerked it away, stepping back further from him.

"I’m done," you said, your voice low and firm, your heart pounding in your chest. "I can’t do this anymore. You’ve already made your choice."

With that, you turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, broken and helpless in the yard. The sound of his voice calling your name echoed in your ears, but you didn’t turn around. You couldn’t. You had never felt so betrayed, so shattered in your entire life.

And as you walked away, you couldn’t help but wonder if you’d ever be able to trust him again.

That night, you didn’t know what to do with yourself. The tears just kept coming, and no matter how hard you tried to push them away, they poured from your eyes uncontrollably. You locked yourself in your bedroom, curling up on your bed with your small dog, who instinctively knew something was wrong. He snuggled close, his small body offering the only comfort you could find in that moment.

Your heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces, each one hurting more than the last. You could still hear Jimmy’s voice in your head—his desperate attempts to explain, to apologize. But the words weren’t enough. Nothing could undo what you had seen, the way you had felt so invisible to him, as though all the love you had given him was nothing more than an afterthought.

Lily’s face flashed in your mind too. You couldn’t help but wonder if she knew about her brother’s lies, if she had been keeping secrets from you, just like Jimmy had. She was so sweet, so innocent, and you never wanted to hurt her by breaking things off with him. But how could you stay in this relationship? How could you continue pretending everything was okay when your heart was breaking in ways you couldn’t even put into words?

Your dog nuzzled his head against your arm, sensing your pain, and you couldn’t help but whisper to him, “Why does it hurt so much? I don’t deserve this...”

You hugged him tighter, your body shaking with sobs as the weight of the situation seemed to crush you. The room felt like it was closing in, the silence deafening except for your sniffles and the soft whimpering of your dog. You stared at the ceiling, wondering how things had gone so wrong. You had given so much to Jimmy—so much of yourself—and this was how he repaid you? The thought made your chest ache, and you squeezed your dog closer as if he could somehow take away the pain.

“I just want to forget everything,” you muttered into his fur, your voice muffled with the tears that wouldn’t stop. “I never want to see him again... I can’t... I can’t trust him anymore.”

You held onto your dog until you both fell into a restless sleep, your pillow wet from the endless tears. Your heart ached, the emptiness inside only growing larger with every passing second. There was no closure, no resolution. Just the overwhelming sense of betrayal and the painful truth that the person you had trusted most had broken that trust in the worst possible way.

You didn’t know what the future would hold, or how long it would take for the pain to fade, but for now, all you could do was let yourself cry it out, with only your dog beside you as a silent comfort in the dark hours of the night.

The next day, you dragged yourself to work, feeling the weight of the previous night’s tears clinging to your eyes. You were exhausted, but you forced yourself to focus, knowing that you had to make it through the shift. The soft hum of the diner and the clinking of coffee cups were a blur in your mind, but you tried to keep your composure.

Your coworkers quickly noticed the change in your demeanor. They were usually the ones to cheer you up on tough days, but today, they saw right through your forced smile.

"Y/N, are you okay?" your coworker Stephanie asked, her concern evident in her voice.

You hesitated, unsure of how much to share. But the exhaustion and hurt in your eyes must have given you away.

"I… I don’t really want to talk about it right now," you mumbled, forcing your attention back to the orders.

But Stephanie wasn’t having it. She put a hand on your shoulder, looking at you with sympathy.What happened? You’re usually so happy, and now... you look like you’ve been through hell."

The tears threatened to rise again, but you held them back. "He... he betrayed me. That’s all I can say," you replied quietly.

The other coworkers gathered around, each of them expressing their shock and disbelief. "I can’t believe he’d do that to you," Stephanie muttered, shaking her head. "You deserve so much better, Y/N. He doesn’t know how lucky he was to have you."

You nodded, forcing yourself to focus on the plates in front of you, though their words echoed in your head. You deserve better. It was hard to believe it, but hearing it from them, your friends, made you feel a little less alone.

By the time your shift ended, you were mentally and physically drained. You slipped into your coat, trying to shake off the lingering sadness, but the weight was still there. You just wanted to go home, to escape the world for a while.

As you walked out the door of the diner, you noticed a car parked nearby. It was Jimmy’s car.

Your heart sank.

He was waiting for you, sitting behind the wheel, his eyes locked on you as you approached. You tried to ignore him, hoping he would just leave, but he opened his door before you could pass.

"Y/N!" he called out, his voice thick with desperation.

You stopped in your tracks, your body tensing. You didn’t want to face him—not like this, not after everything.

But he was already out of the car, taking slow steps toward you. You could see the regret in his eyes, but it didn’t matter anymore.

"Please, just let me explain," he pleaded.

You didn’t respond, just pulled your coat tighter around yourself, bracing for the confrontation you didn’t want.

Jimmy’s voice broke through the cold air as he hurried to catch up with you. His footsteps quickened as he called your name once again, desperation lacing his words. “Y/N, please, just listen to me! I’ll do anything, anything to make this right, I swear! I love you.”

You stopped walking, taking a deep breath, trying to steady the storm of emotions raging inside you. The pain of betrayal was still so fresh, raw, and sharp, but you knew that you couldn’t keep running from this conversation. You turned to face him, meeting his pleading eyes, but your own were hardened.

“You don’t get it, Jimmy,” you said, your voice steady despite the tightness in your chest. “You can say all the right things now, but it doesn’t change what you did. I trusted you, and you... you broke that trust. We’ll never get back together.”

His face fell, the color draining from it as the weight of your words hit him. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He seemed lost for a moment, unable to grasp what you were saying, but you couldn’t let it stop you.

“I still care about you, but this—what you did—it's not something I can just forgive. I can’t forget it, and I won’t put myself through it again.”

You watched his shoulders sag, his head dropping in defeat. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I know I fucked up... I never should’ve hurt you like that. You mean so much to me. I never wanted to lose you.”

The words felt hollow, though, the sincerity of his apology lost in the wake of his actions. You gave him a moment of silence before speaking again, your tone a little softer now, though still resolute.

“I’ll never stop seeing Lily, Jimmy,” you said, your voice unwavering. “She’s a part of my life now. But as for us... we’re done.”

The finality of your words hung in the air between you. Jimmy didn’t say anything at first, just stood there, looking as if the weight of everything had finally settled on his shoulders.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered again, barely audible, his eyes filled with guilt and regret.

With one last heavy look, he turned away, walking back to his car without another word. The engine sputtered to life as he drove off, leaving you standing there, a deep sense of relief mingling with the ache in your chest.

You knew you had done the right thing. But as you watched his car disappear down the street, you couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever fully understand the depth of the hurt he had caused.

#SoundCloud #eminem #eminem x reader #marshall mathers x reader #eminem imagine #marshall mathers #marshall mathers imagine #slim shady #fluff and smut #b-rabbit #b-rabbit x reader #jimmy smith x reader #jimmy smith

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heavilysaltedbagel · 10 months ago

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What a way to show off everyone's strengths as comedians and writers, too. Brennan, Katie, and Raph have distinct voices in their work that are largely informed and made unique by their own personalities. This makes them ideal first tier Bingo subjects/victims, due to their voices being distinct and distinctly different from one another.

(I wrote a way more thorough analysis of the structure and cast choices made for this episode. Whoops. More under the cut.)

At the Second level, we have Rekha, Trapp, and Lily. Unlike the first three, these three are all excellent at stepping back and prompting others. Brennan points out the Trapp is an excellent straight man. On Dirty Laundry, Lily consistently will listen and wait to send out little jabs that cut through the bits to keep things fresh. Rekha is a quick thinker and will oftentimes make a joke about how proud she is of a dumb joke, thereby simultaneously making a joke and joking about the joke. It's great.

Tier one Bingo players all have a tendency to commit and commit hard to what they do and say, to their own characters and schemes, whereas tier 2 takes one step back and will often times react to either their own jokes or take a broader look at what others have said. They are, to me, the clearest candidates for the jester in the king's court. Additionally, they all clearly have a fiendish streak that made them (a) perfect candidates to torture the first three and (b) ideal Bingo subjects/victims for the third tier of Bingo players.

At the Third tier, Jess, Tao, and Carolyn do not typically take on front-and-center stage characters. Tao I would categorize as a gracious dork. On Game Changer, he plays up his 'weaknesses' for laughs, or (in the case of Secret Samta) takes advantage of his weaknesses in order to pull the rug out from under everyone. I could say the same for Jess, which you can see clearly in the very first episode of game changer. Jess is also able to do and say otherwise embarrassing things with complete confidence. Carolyn is the only person on the third tier who I haven't seen very much of, but she's hot and funny so what else do you need?

Anyways, the third tier folk are all so incredibly deliberate about their choices and what they do and say. They take a look at all of the dominoes before deciding where exactly it is best to knock them down. This makes them well suited for their roles as prompters for what is presumed to be REAL LIFE. (i.e. the second tier are not aware that they are just as subject to Sam's mind games and the first tier. Their prompts all have to seem natural). Jess, Tao, and Carolyn are fantastically well suited to this. They are all willing to put themselves and others through awkward situations that are adjacent to real life scenarios, all for the bit. And they do it spectacularly.

In this way, not only is the show structured with tier one as set up, tier two as build up, and tier three as punch line, but also each cast of comedians within each tier is perfectly suited for that structure of joke. Brennan, Katie, and Raph are excellent at committing hard to a scenario (the set up). Trapp, Reha, and Lily are fantastic at building up tension and fleshing out that scenario (the build up). And Jess, Tao, and Carolyn were brilliant at subverting in the third act (the punchline).

I'd also like to point out that there's a relationship here with increasing material at each tier as well. All the first tier has to work with is the bingo game and what Sam gives them as prompts and encouragement. They fill in the rest with their character. The second tier thinks they have all of the material and therefore dismiss otherwise strange circumstances (Rekha on the apple box, the um actually box, Lily putting her foot up on the table). The third tier actually does have all of the material, and that material includes their own bingo games, everything that tier 2 is doing, and everything that tier 2 is reacting to on the game changer set.

Anyways, whoops wrote an essay.

TLDR: Gamechanger Bingo does an awesome job at showing off everyone's different skills in comedy. It's excellent. I love it.

#game changer #dropout tv #dropout #game changer bingo #long post

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crushpunky · 5 months ago

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when rafe picked up kook!reader for midsummers (midsummers part two)

Reader took a deep breath and looked at the clock again.

6:56

Rafe was going to be here soon to whisk her away to what he had deemed his “Best Midsummer Date Celebration Extravaganza”. He had been hyping himself up for the past week, bragging about how much he had spent on his tux, the dance lesson Rose had convinced (more like forced) him to take, and all of the time he spent cleaning his best dress shoes. She laughed to herself, picturing Rafe practicing his waltz steps in his sparkly shoes.

As she made her way downstairs she checked her phone to see if Rafe had texted. She hadn’t seen him at all the past two days, which was unusual for the pair. They had planned on meeting up but Rafe called her at the last minute saying he must’ve gotten food poisoning from the night before and couldn’t stop throwing up. Despite ordering the same thing as him (as she had for years), Reader felt perfectly fine. She didn’t bother to question it because, as often as Rafe got drunk and partied, he was never one to actually get sick. Luckily, by yesterday evening, he had texted her saying he was still on for Midsummers.

The doorbell rang as Reader quickly went to answer the door. She had assumed it was one of the neighbors, as Rafe was a lot of things but early was never one of them. However, to her surprise, she opened the front door to the powder blue suit and flushed face of Rafe Cameron. They both locked eyes for a second before looking down at the other's outfit and meeting eyes again.

“Holy shit.” Rafe said, dropping his arm that held a gorgeous bouquet of flowers to his side. Reader felt her cheeks warm as she let out a bashful giggle. She had seen Rafe in a suit a million times, and he looked great every time. This time was different. This time he was picking her up and taking her out on a date. Not “as a date”, but “on a date”.

“You don’t look too bad yourself, Cameron.” Reader laughed as Rafe’s eyes continued to look over her dress. Rafe was never shy about his affections, but something about seeing him speechless at the sight of her felt even better than any compliment he could give.

“The um— the blue looks very good…” Rafe stammered. “You look very good.”

“Thank you.” Reader said quietly, still feeling a bit overwhelmed by his reaction. Rafe blinked quickly before pulling the flowers back to his chest.

“Here,” Rafe handed the beautiful bouquet to Reader. “I got them from that shop downtown you like… Wheezy helped me pick them out.”

Reader smiled at the thought of Wheezy directing the tall boy through the flower shop, throwing bunches of flowers into his arms. She had done a great job though; lavender and baby's breath spun with beautiful, soft-hued blue lilies all wrapped together with a dainty baby-blue ribbon.

“Well you did a great job. Or Wheezy did at least.” Reader teased, turning to put the flowers into one of the empty vases that sat near the entryway.

“I told you I’d give you the best night of your life.” Rafe said with a shrug before offering out his arm to her.

“Well it’s off to a great start.” Reader grinned, hooking her arm into his. She looked over at Rafe’s silhouette against the setting sun, soaking in this moment and his sharp features as he led her to his car. Once they got to the passenger side, Rafe opened the door and guided her into her seat. She grinned as he closed the door gently before rushing around to the driver's side.

As she soothed her dress down she caught a glimpse of something on the dash: a white, powdery residue. Her heart dropped. Rafe had come to the door flushed, was he using again? She had sworn she hadn’t seen him high since he asked her to Midsummers… or had she? Maybe he was just getting better at hiding it. It wouldn’t be the first time she had caught him when he said he was clean…

“You ready to go, m’lady?” Rafe grinned, putting the keys into the ignition. Reader however, did not match his excitement.

“Rafe.” Reader said calmly, nearly a whisper.

“What? Are you okay? Did I forget something I can—”

“Are you high right now?” Reader said sharply.

“What?” Rafe scoffed.

“I said, are you fucking high right now?” Reader repeated firmly, turning towards Rafe. He scowled, putting the car into reverse.

“Jesus, I’m not fucking high right now. I would never drive high with you in the car, a’ight?” Rafe shook his head as they left the driveway and started towards the country club.

“Then what’s this shit on the dash, Rafe?” Reader said, trying her best to not allow the tears in her eyes to fall. She knew he was an addict but he had promised her tonight. Promised. Promises were so sacred between them, how could he?

“It’s—” Rafe sighed. “Alright fine, it’s coke. But it’s not mine. It’s Top’s. From this morning. I swear.”

“Do you seriously expect me to—” Reader scoffed.

“Yes! I expect you to believe me because I’ve been fucking clean for an entire week for you!” Rafe shouted. An entire week? For her? Sure.

“I would rather you just tell me if you’re fucking high. You know I hate it when you lie to me.” Reader said sharply. Rafe slammed on the breaks before pulling off to the side quickly.

“I’m not lying.” Rafe whispered, his hands still clenched on the wheel despite his soft tone. “I told you— I promised you— tonight and I’m going to fucking deliver. Ok? I’m not gonna fuck this up for you. I… I couldn’t forgive myself if I did.”

Reader sat there in silence, looking over at Rafe. His blue eyes looked at her sincerely, no sign of any dilated pupils or hazy glare despite what the powder covered surface might imply. He was right, he had promised her, and by the look on his face, she could tell he was struggling.

It all started to fall into line: his sluggishness the past week, his flushed appearance, and his “food poisoning”. He was in withdrawal.

“It wasn’t food poisoning you had, was it?” Reader said with an exhale.

“No. It wasn’t.” Rafe said quietly. Reader reached across the center console to take one of Rafe’s hands into her own. He could feel himself relax under her touch.

“I… I’m sorry, Rafe. I should’ve seen how hard you were trying, I was just being ungrateful and thought this was too perfect and—” Reader rambled, shaking her head.

“No, no, no.” Rafe said, reaching his hands up to cup the sides of Reader’s face, looking directly into her eyes with his own.

“You were right to… doubt me. It wouldn’t be the first time I lied about being clean.” Rafe whispered, running his fingers along her skin slowly as he spoke. In that moment, in his touch, she could feel the Rafe she remembered as a young boy. The Rafe who treated her like she was the best thing in the whole entire world. The Rafe who made her laugh more than he made her cry. The Rafe she had fallen in love with.

“Thank you, Rafe.” Reader said, taking his hands back from her face and holding them gently in her lap.

“You know I would try anything for you.” Rafe said, giving her hands a light squeeze. She could feel her heart swell at his words. He was right. He wasn’t perfect, but he would try to be. For her.

“Well…” Rafe broke the silence, placing one of his hands back onto the steering wheel, keeping the other grasped onto hers. “We should probably get going. We’re already about twenty minutes late.”

“Rafe Cameron! I knew you being early was too good to be true!” Reader teased, causing Rafe to flash her one of his signature grins before peeling back onto the road to the country club.

#obx #drew starkey #obx au #rafe cameron #rafe cameron x kook!reader #kook!reader #rafe cameron x reader

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potions-of-dark-devotion · 5 months ago

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Gotta Get This off my Chest

Severus Snape & HBO Series

Alright first off, I know you are generally expecting well thought out essays from me but here I’m going to Ramble Freeform. You’ve been warned.

I don’t know how I feel at all about another actor attempting to play Severus Snape. JK Rowling is the main producer and honestly this worries me a lot considering the amount of hatred she has for LGBTQ people and the amount of hatred Severus has gotten in the last years. This space is bad sometimes but generally we have a fantastic community of people in this snapedom who love the character as he is written positives and negatives. I for one liked Snape from the first book I read and the first movie I watched.

I’ll be the first to admit that my image of him is very much wrapped up in Alan Rickman, and tho I greatly respect other peoples images of snape and I love the fan art they make, the thing that made Alan such an amazing character actor for the part was the unabashed love he had for the character. Look at any interview of him about Severus and you will see that he went to bat for him at every turn. What if we we are given someone who sees Snape through the eyes of the marauders fandom? What if they erase all of Snapes goodness or heaven forbid write extra scenes of cruelty to Lily that didn’t exist, or have him creep over her, or physically attack her, or characterize him as the aggressor with James when we all know it was the other way around? These kinds of fears keep me from being excited about the new series and instead leave me anxious.

For one thing, I wish they had focused more on a different period of wizard history, or a different part of the 1st wizarding war or even marauders/young Severus era, because there is so much to explore. I would have liked to explore story lines that really could use more fleshing out, and if JK Rowling is going to be a part of this she could have easily written new passages or short stories to suit this new narrative. I also worry about the fact that yet again because she is a producer there will certainly be no LGBTQ characters in the narrative and that’s a waste to me. We already have a fantastic interpretation of the books, and if they are doing a redo why not cast people of color or trans or any LGBT characters in the mix? It will be the same story just perhaps fleshed out more? I’m not sure what this series will bring to the table that the movies did not unless they radically change some things.

Yet, with this interpretation we may see many thing in the series that we don’t see in the books. Severus has two big scenes at the end of POA and GOF that were totally left out of the movies, and if this was left in and the “prank” was explored more in depth we could get to see an even more complex narrative than Alan was allowed to portray in the movies (largely due to directorial choices).

Severus as we all know is a complex character that can be different or difficult to understand without a trauma informed lense and the last thing I want is for them to shove him into a gross stereotype, or give him attributes that don’t exist in the books in order to cater to certain fandoms. I’m genuinely worried about the prospect of this. I also don’t want our fandom safe spaces that we’ve spent years curating to be over run with Snape hate again just because of the series. I could be being pessimistic. It’s just been on my mind lately.

No hard feelings it’s just…Severus Snape is my comfort character and I don’t want the idea of it ruined by people who don’t really understand him or who wouldn’t bat for him the way Alan did. Please understand me. Does anyone else have mixed feelings this way?

#severus snape #pro snape #hbo max #hbo harry potter #harry potter movies #alan rickman #alan rickman snape #snape love #harry potter #severus snape defense

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ch3rrybite · 3 months ago

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marauders hc #2

Lily Evans is the kind of person who remembers every little thing about you, and she makes sure you know it.

she’s the type to notice your favorite snack and always has it stashed somewhere in her bag, “just in case you need it.” James found that out the first time she nonchalantly tossed him a chocolate frog during a late study session. he’s been in love ever since.

Lily gives the most thoughtful, personal gifts that aren’t just nice but downright uncanny in how well they suit you. she’ll find the perfect charm bracelet for Marlene, with charms representing every silly thing they’ve done together, or a new set of muggle watercolor pencils for Remus because she caught him doodling flowers on the corner of his parchment.

she knows your quirks. Sirius can’t walk past her without her smirking and saying, “hair’s a little off today, Black, everything alright?” because she knows he only fusses with it when something’s on his mind.

Lily knows everyone’s coffee order by heart and will show up with their favorite when it’s “one of those days.” she’ll grab an extra-large cup of tea for Remus during exams and sneak a sprinkle of sugar in for James just to mess with him. and everyone knows that when you’re going through it, she’s the one who will sit up with you late, listening without judgment, her hand on yours, and say, “right. we’ll get through this.”

she’s fierce, loyal, and funny in ways that stick. a bit of her seems to stay with everyone she meets, and you can bet if she cares about you, you’ll know it. because with Lily Evans, love is in the details.

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weasleycream · 7 months ago

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May I request Harry Potter x aunt reader

Y/N is James' sister and Severus' best friend. This sparks a fight between the siblings and they lose touch. Y/N marries Severus and becomes an auror with a reputation as a fierce hunter of Death Eaters. After a successful career that has brought her many scars and fame, she returns to Hogwarts as a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry doesn't know he has an aunt, and Ron is curious why the teacher, who is nicknamed "Snape in a Skirt," is so nice to Harry. Voldemort then reveals to Harry that Y/N is his aunt and that he wants to kill her because she only causes him trouble

˃̵ᴗ˂̵ !! ( uyeueujg my first order 😭💗 ) Of course! I like the idea of James having a sister who marries Severus in the future, it sounds pretty interesting🤔. I will do my best to develop your idea to the letter, thank you very much for your request! I hope you like it <3.

ㅤㅤ୭.ᰍㅤ𝅄 ֹ " 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐫𝐭 " 🪽 Ⳋ

ઈઉ ݁ ㅤִㅤ𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 ; 𝐒everus 𝐒nape x 𝐅em!𝐀unt!𝐑eader

ઈઉ ݁ ㅤִㅤ𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ; Use of bad words, mentions of death/blood/scars, family fights (between siblings), Bad grammar in English.

ઈઉ ݁ ㅤִㅤIn this OS Gilderoy Lockhart resigns as soon as the petrifications begin to occur

ઈઉ ݁ ㅤִㅤ𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 ; The Philosopher's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets

ઈઉ ݁ ㅤִㅤ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 ; 3.2k+ (I still see it as too short, help💔)

ઈઉ ݁ ㅤִㅤ𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱.

Maybe for her brother being with someone like Severus Snape was something to consider himself a "traitor" and even more so since she was his little protégé and little twin sister. It was frustrating for him to see how the other half of him was best friends with his biggest enemy, to see how those two were inseparable.

It would not be a surprise to many, even James and his band of friends, to know that Severus no longer had eyes for Lily Evans (which James is partly grateful for) and now those looks of excitement and excitement are directed towards his sister Y/N Potter. Which sparked a loud dispute with The Marauders and Snape in the background, allowing them to hear all the twins' commotion.

"Merlin, James! Stop bothering me! Just because you're my brother and you ask me to end my friendship with him, I'm not going to do it, you understand!? I'm already tired of you interfering in my relationships just because you don't like them for nothing!" The feminine screams at her brother, who was in front of her red with rage and fury that had accumulated for a long time. “Accept it, James, Sev and I are never going to separate no matter how much you want us to, much less without one good reason."

"Do you want a reason? Fine! It's simple, I don't want you to be the same as that first-class idiot, who only knows how to follow Lily like her dog, it's not good for you to be with people like him"He snapped with anger in his voice as he looked into his sister's insistent eyes, clenching his fists at his sides causing his knuckles to quickly lose color and turn white.

Y/N, full of annoyance and disbelief, spoke: "That's the stupidest thing you've ever said in your life, James. I'm not going to separate from Sev because of that stupidity, he suits me, and much more than you if you ask me! He is "Much better than you in several ways! I like him! And I'm not going to allow you to keep giving me stupid numbers just because you don't like him!"

Severus, who was witnessing the arduous scene, froze in place upon hearing his friend's words. Apparently every attempt to eliminate every feeling he had for her, thinking that it was not reciprocated, was in vain. He, who was in a state of shock, could not allow himself to continue listening until she screamed again in fury.

"Fine! This ends here, James, if you don't like the idea of seeing me happy with the person I love and long for, then this is all over, ignore the fact that I am your sister and don't talk to me again, because I already see that "The only thing you're doing when you talk to me is hurt me!"

She snapped red with anger with tears threatening to come out of her ocean blue eyes. He turned around and began to walk with heavy steps, pushing Sirius with his shoulder as he went, taking Snape by the hand, beginning to leave that place without preventing the crystalline tears from starting to come out of his eyes as he was far enough away from him over there.

"Uhmm… Y/N… I'm so sorry for what just happened because of me with your brother… I really didn't mean to."He apologized sincerely making them both sit on the roots of a tree near the Black Lake. He wrapped the girl in her arms as soon as they sat down, beginning to caress her wavy, silky hair.

The girl began to shake due to the sobs of her sadness, soaking her friend's robe with salty tears, alerting the black-haired man who squeezed her tighter against him. "Don't apologize Sev… It's not your fault, it's his for not accepting that he is a selfish fucking idiot who should let me be happy with the person I love"

"Oh… Yes… About that… Do you really feel that way about me? I mean… It's exciting to know that I'm loved by the most beautiful girl there has ever been in all of Hogwarts.." He murmured softly. against his hair, lightly inhaling the girl's soft fruity aroma, and then feeling how she tensed a little and separated from him a little to look into his eyes.

The girl, who had already stopped shedding tears little by little, slowly blushed at her opponent's words. "Sev… I've been in love with you for a year… But I never wanted to tell you for fear that you would continue to love Lily…" she murmured, looking away from him, avoiding the embarrassment of the moment.

"Fuck Y/N… You don't know how much I wanted to tell you this for a long time… You know? Yes, I still love Lily." The brunette squirmed in her place, pursing her lips, avoiding saying anything while she narrowed her little eyes that longed to throw away. tears again at what was said. "But like… A friend?… Since I met you, some time later I discovered that Lily was just a crush since she was the first girl I met in my life… But then you came along and changed that… "And it wasn't just a crush… It's something true, and knowing that you feel the same is… Encouraging."

"Sev…" He whispered, looking up again, moving from his eyes to her lips slowly, getting a little closer, remaining a few centimeters from her face. The boy swallowed hard nervously while he did the same action as the girl in his arms, shortening the short distance, touching his lips in a very small but lasting kiss full of feelings.

"Y/N… Will you allow me to be the happiest man and be your boyfriend?…" He asked shyly cupping the brunette's small blushing cheek, cupping her face affectionately.

"Of course, Severus…" She responded by giving him another small kiss and then hugging him tightly again, sealing their love under that tree on the lake, without imagining what things his future would bring.

After long years without contact with her brother after that tedious fight, she married Severus some time ago after becoming a kind of Death Eater hunter, taking many of them behind the bars of Azkaban prisons. She knew that her husband did not like this work at all despite having been a Death Eater after graduating, he did not like at all that his smooth and soft skin had now become scratchy and calloused with scars due to the risk of his job.

Despite all this, he had to accept that there was good news in his life, such as the time he notified him that James and Lily had gotten married and had a child, he felt so happy for them that he had forgotten for a moment that he had already He had no contact with his brother, holding back every desire to want to go visit them and see his beloved nephew Harry.He knew very well in advance that after the birth of his nephew, his brother along with Lily had died at the hands of Voldemort and that Harry, being barely a baby, was able to survive the feared Adava Kedavra, making him a celebrity in the magical world, of course. This news devastated Y/N, who sought great comfort after her grief with her husband, trying to overcome the pain of her loss at all costs.

After the years, she wanted to leave her job as Aurora and started teaching at Hogwarts, she knew that her nephew was already there, she knew that Voldemort had returned for him and perhaps for her too, but still, she wanted to spend time with him, although for on the other hand, Severus, who quite renounced this decision, had no choice but to accept, understanding his beloved's desire to meet the only family he had left.

Upon arriving at Hogwarts as a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, surprising many when they saw how close she was to Severus Snape, making more than a smile and sigh from the 'most feared professor at Hogwarts', some even noticed the ring that both wore it on their ring finger, it being impossible not to notice the similarity of these, it was there that they nicknamed her 'Snape in a skirt', something that inevitably reached the ears of the great Harry Potter, who had noticed a great resemblance between him and her physically.

Harry even thought he was going to have another teacher with an attitude as scary as Snape's after Gilderoy ran away and 'Snape in a Skirt' arrived when he heard fourth year boys, like the Weasley twins, saying that the new teacher was very heavy and quite scary when you notice her scars on her arms, neck and face, but her surprise was great when it was time for Defenses Against the Dark Arts and the woman treated Harry as if he were her son, unlike the rest, They were treated as if they were in Potions class.

A week after Y/N's arrival, petrifications continued to occur at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which worried everyone greatly, even rumors reached the new teacher that Harry was 'The heir of Slytherin' being a Idiocy on the part of the students. She had already interacted with her nephew on several occasions without him even knowing that they were related to her, although talks about her with her group of friends were inevitable after he and Y/N finished talking.

"I still have a question… Do any of you know why they call him 'Snape in a Skirt'?" Harry questioned his friends, receiving a silent denial from Hermione, but a quick and boisterous nod from Ron.

"Of course! You're too lost not to have listened yet," she said as she looked at him with bored but emotion-filled eyes, receiving a 'I'm sorry' from Harry. "It's okay. Well, almost everyone says it's because of her attitude, everyone complains that she's like Snape but a woman, hence her nickname, although there are some who say it's because she's very close to the Potions professor and because ' "They share rings very similar to those of a marriage. But still, that doesn't take my mind off the fact that she's only nice to you, Harry." He explained making quotes with his fingers and emphasizing the 'share' and then looked forward again and prevented his bad luck from playing against him again and causing him to collide with someone again. or hit something.

Hermione snorted and spoke "Well, they're right in both situations, she has a very strong character and her scars speak for themselves… And about the ring, well… I never looked closely but you don't have to be very smart to see which are very similar in terms of design." This made Harry think extremely, remaining silent as he walked next to his friends who were once again fighting over some pointless thing. She had her suspicions about Snape for a year, and now he is involved with Slytherin because of his Parcel, and now with the arrival of that new teacher and her great physical resemblance and her strange change of mood with him, it was starting to be a headache for him.

That same night, Harry along with Ron and his former Defenses Against the Dark Arts teacher were able to discover the chamber of secrets by entering it, so that Harry continued advancing after one of the teacher's idiocies, he finally found himself with ' Tom Riddle' who after a short conversation mentioned something that left him disconcerted.

"Haven't I told you? Murdering impure people doesn't matter to me at all, for several months the ones I've been looking for are you and your aunt." This left Harry cold, it couldn't be possible that they were looking for his Aunt Petunia, she doesn't even have a drop of magical blood. "How is it possible that a baby with no extraordinary magical talent defeated the greatest wizard of all time? How could you escape with only a scar while all of her powers were nullified?"

"Why are you interested in how I escaped? Voldemort didn't live in your time… And why would you want to kill my Aunt Petunia, if she's a Muggle?" Harry asked quickly in response without backing down, regretting it for a moment when he noticed the abrupt change in 'Tom's expression and the tension was becoming more and more noticeable in that place.

Angry and angry 'Tom' responded: "Voldemort… It is my past, present and future…" He turned around and with his wand began what apparently seemed like writing in the air leaving the letters in his wake. of his full name, and after a movement he rearranged them, thus leaving the phrase 'I am Lord Voldemort' and spoke again. "And your aunt… I'm not talking about your pathetic, bony Dursley… I'm talking about Y/N… The sister of the famous James Potter, and the aunt of the great Harry Potter…Don't think I'm going to let her go, it's just a thorn in the side if she's alive… She has to die so she doesn't interfere with my plans anymore."

Faced with this revelation, Harry remained static and in shock in his place, despite all the dust and dirt on his face, you could see how his skin was turning pale little by little, and then he began to engage in a fight with the Basilisk afterwards. that Dumbledore's Phoenix arrived with a hat with a sword that appeared shortly after inside it, concluding with the bloody death of the enormous snake.

Harry, trying to put aside the fact that the Basilisk bit him with its poisoned bite, approached Ginny taking her hand listening to Voldemort's ramble, then took the diary and opened it and then took the tooth that he pulled out of the Basilisk and stabbed the blank page of the book, causing some kind of bloody textured ink to come out, receiving angry and desperate screams from Voldemort, he continued stabbing the book until 'Tom Riddle's' body was no longer there with them.

Hours after Harry and the others were able to leave thanks to the Phoenix and Harry and Ron spoke with Headmaster Dumbledore and had a small fight with Lucius Malfoy, before dinner in the great hall, he searched the entire castle for his teacher and aunt. , Y/N, finding her in one of the hallways that led to the dungeon halls.

"Professor Y/N! Can I talk to you for a moment, please?" She asked politely with a shy look and frown. "Is something important"

The one with ocean eyes turned around when she heard her nephew's voice, giving him a small smile. "Of course Harry! What do you need, little one?" She responded kindly as she looked into his eyes fondly.

"Well… As the director may have already told you… I was with Vold-…You-Know-Who" He interrupted himself, knowing that not many like the mention of that disgusting wizard's name. "Yesterday in the chamber… He told me something that was quite disconcerting… Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't he tell me that you are my aunt?"

The woman just sighed and placed her hand on the boy's shoulder as she opened her eyes to speak. "You know, Harry? You're just as direct as your father was…" she murmured with a sad, nostalgic smile and a lost look before sighing lightly again. "I never told you because I never had the chance… I couldn't be there for you when you were little… And now that I got to see you here, I just didn't have the courage to tell you and have you face the fact that I'm a Terrible aunt for that…"

"Still, it's quite strong to know that I don't just have my Aunt Petunia as a family… I wish you had arrived earlier, you know? I had a horrible time at the Dursleys' house and with no place to go." go… And now I find out about this.."

"I know, little one… And believe me, I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry, Harry… I just… When I found out that James and Lily got married and had you, I just… I wanted to see them." …But I couldn't… I was still afraid of seeing your father after our fight and thinking that he could still hate me for that…" He paused when he noticed that his voice broke as he felt the knot in his throat, and then continued "I always wanted to meet you… And take care of you after what happened… But I never knew your whereabouts… I never knew… But you don't know how happy I am to know that you are here… Live, despite everything you've been through…"

The youngest just nodded with teary eyes and managed to rush towards her to hug her tightly, releasing all the pain and happiness he felt after he found out that that fearsome teacher was his aunt and that she always loved him.

They both arrived at the large dining room and the one with brown hair saw her beloved nephew in the distance with his friends talking, he turned around and saw her and then greeted her with his hand and a small smile and eyes of joy, he returned the greeting and smile. and then continued on her way with her husband to the teachers' table, where they sat together and he spoke.

"Apparently you already talked to Potter about that, dear," he whispered so that only she could hear as he took her hand under the table without anyone noticing, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, gently tracing the scar that adorned it with the finger.

The woman smiled warmly, leaning down to rest her head on her lover's shoulder, feeling how he tense up at the demonstration of affection in a public place, where it is not supposed to be known about their relationship.

"Well Mr. Snape, I had to do it at any moment, after all he is my nephew… I knew that despite what happened, he was going to accept me, after all, who wouldn't accept a beauty like me?" The woman joked as she looked into his eyes, separating herself a little with her smile remaining a few centimeters from her face.

The man who only looked at her tightened his grip on their clasped hands and murmured: "Well… You're right… It would be unforgivable just not to accept someone as beautiful and incredible as you, darling.." He said so that Then the woman approached again, leaving a soft short kiss on his lips and then kissing his cheek and the tip of his nose when they separated, surprising everyone who had decided to fix their eyes on the two at that moment, between those, Harry, who seemed like after that scene, just wanted the world to swallow him up and spit him out in Azkaban to erase all memory of that sight.

੭୧ ݂ Soooooo… What did you think? I'm not very good at this kind of things yet but I still hope you liked it ㅜㅅㅜ, especially to the person who requested it, regarding that, thank you very much for the request! I quite enjoyed doing this!🥹❤️‍🩹

—　˚ 🪦 ⌢　𝙏𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙢 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙮! <3

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afyrian · 2 months ago

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☆ chapter one - bud and sprout m.list

snow slowly falls to the ground, leaving a light dusting across every sidewalk and mailbox. small fir trees find their way across the city, covered in large string lights and snow. your old white snow boots trudge across the street, two bouquets in each respective arm. one of them features poinsettias for the season, the other being a usual bouquet of roses and baby's breath.

while you'd never find yourself forcing a customer into another bouquet, you can't help but yearn for the daffodils and the snowdrops to have their moments. and the smell of jasmine flowers has always been what you've preferred over roses. especially as you carry them down the sidewalk, the sweet smell contaminating your nose and carrying through the wind as you enter the first shop.

stepping into your local antique shop, the first thing you smell is a candle that smells like it's been burning for eternity. mixed with the smell of books and a light layer of dust, you know you're at home. "hello... i have your poinsettia order, from calla lily," you look around, wondering where the owner could be today.

"y/n! thank you for bringing it around, i'm in the process of unloading some books so if you could drop that off at the counter i would be indebted to you," she looks up from behind a few cabinets, a smile propping up on her face.

setting it down beside the register, you look back at her, giving a soft goodbye. opening the front door, you step back into the cold, the snow falling back down onto you. looking down at your phone to check the time, you take a step forward, feeling something hard hit into your side and cheek. recoiling back, you expect something hard to hit into the back of your head, but all you feel is a soft hand grabbing at yours.

looking up at the individual, his soft silhouette illuminates from the sun streaming through the clouds, and you can feel your breath catch in your throat. the stranger's hair spikes upwards, a concerned frown on his lips quickly morphing into a smile. “i’m so sorry, i’m so late for this meeting my boss is going to kill me,” he quickly pulls you up, accidentally bringing you far too close to his face.

you stand there for a moment, staring into his eyes. swallowing the saliva in your throat, you shake your head, “it’s okay…”

“and i destroyed your bouquet, i am so sorry,” the stranger grabs at his briefcase’s handle and stuffs it under his arm, picking up the squished bouquet from below the briefcase’s leathery texture.

handing off the paper wrapped roses to you, he lifts his wrist up into view. pulling back his suit jacket just slightly, his eyes widen as pure shock overrides him. “how much is the bouquet? i’ll repay you,” the stranger starts to pull out his wallet, not even letting you reply as he starts sorting out a fifty or two.

“i made this bouquet, i’ll just make a new one for my customer. you really don’t-” he doesn’t even give you a second to finish talking before he’s stuffing a twenty and a fifty into your hand.

his hands are still so soft against yours, hands cupping around yours. “i’m so sorry again, i can not be even more late to this meeting,” the mysterious, and oddly endearing businessman grabs the briefcase out from under his arm, already hurrying down the sidewalk.

laughing to yourself, you yell out to him, “if you ever have a bouquet you need, get it it at calla lily! think of it as the best apology you can make!”

he turns back to look at you, still running rather recklessly. giving you a wave with his free hand, the man shouts back to you in a tone that could only be described as whimsy and excitement. “i might just take you up on that offer!” quickly turning back around, he turns a corner, ignoring the snow that kicks up with every step.

shaking your head, you look down at your bouquet, finally taking in the damage. the roses are flattened and the baby’s breath has dwindled into a few petals and leaves. grabbing out your phone, you start walking down the sidewalk, messaging the cafe’s owner with a warning that the roses will be delivered later than expected.

snow falls onto your phone’s screen with every message, your hand swiping off the droplets of water every few seconds. looking up from your phone, you press the crosswalk button. the soft hue of the traffic lights shine through the falling snow. bright enough that anyone can see it, but just low enough that it isn’t blinding for anyone traveling through.

as the light changes, you walk through, thinking back to the mysterious man that you ran into. the way the light surrounded him making him look like he was some winter angel saving you from a worse fate. even the way his smile widened as soon as he realized you were okay made your stomach flutter with the feeling of butterflies. just something about him made him so memorable.

and you can already picture yourself running into him again. maybe it would be at the cafe or you’d find yourself next to him on the sidewalk again. you know you could sit there for hours on end, wondering if anything could’ve come from your meeting, if it weren’t for yachi ending your fantasies with a wave.

“i’m gonna go deliver these bouquets to some of the residential areas, can you stay here until i get back?” she calls out from the front door of your shop, leaning out with her jacket sprawled out over her shoulders, a sloppy scarf thrown over her shoulders.

giving her a thumbs up, you walk up to the shop, “yeah, i just need to deliver a bouquet for new grounds because this one was unfortunately destroyed. well, not totally unfortunately…”

looking back at yachi, she raises an eyebrow at you. “okay you can’t just say that and not explain what the ‘not totally unfortunately’ means,” she leans up against the store’s counter.

“well, i was looking at my phone when some guy runs into me,” you start explaining, setting down the destroyed bouquet, “and i thought i was gonna crack my skull open or something… until he caught me, like full on, caught me.”

taking off your scarf, you hang it up on the coat rack, quickly setting your coat up with it too, “and he payed me for the bouquet, and i don’t know. he was just memorable in the best way possible. i don’t even know why.”

“someone has a budding crush…”

“sure, like i’ll ever see him again,” you shrug your shoulders while sitting down by the company’s computer. refreshing the page reveals a new order for a dozen tulips, ordered for an in-store pickup.

taglist (open): @eggyrocks @causenessus @applepi25 @softpia @bakery-anon

@nekozaki @nnnyxie @kameyyy @grassbutneo @asrichin

@boosyboo9206 @anqelkoz @rriwyu @ssabvln @thesleepingrose

@chososcamgirl @lale-txt

#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fic #hq #haikyuu fanfic #hq x reader #hq fanfic #☆ love’s nectar #kuroo x reader #kuroo tetsuro x reader #hq kuroo #kuroo testuro #haikyuu kuroo #kuroo tetsuro x you #kuroo tetsurou

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crescenthistory · 2 months ago

Note

hello miss Carina! I'm not very well versed in the marauders fandom (but I love your works) and was wondering what are the valkeryies?

hello my lovely!! i am SO HAPPY you asked

crescenthistory's introduction to the valkyries

since you said you're not well-versed in the fandom at all, i'm over-explaining to be on the safe side, sorry if you already knew all of this 🙏

"the valkyries" is a group name in the same way as the marauders (james, sirius, remus, peter) and the slytherin skittles (barty, evan, regulus, dorcas, pandora) are

unlike the marauders (who are named explicitly in the hp books through the marauders map), the skittles and the valkyries are fandom names for the different friendgroups at hogwarts

(nb, the skittles are sometimes called the emeralds by people who think that name is too silly lmao, and pandora is traditionally thought of as ravenclaw, despite the name being slytherin-centred)

these friendgroups, of course, often over-lap in fan interpretations as we love to have them all as one vast giant family

in OG fanon lore, the valkyries consist of the three gryffindor girls: lily evans, marlene mckinnon and mary macdonald

lily we know a "lot" about from the books; she is studious, fiery, kind/nurturing, stands up for what is right and loves her friends fiercly

mary is only named as a member of the order who did not die and is mentioned by lily in a flashback where she says mary was a victim of a muggleborn hatecrime

thus we as a fandom have concluded that she is muggleborn and kind. from there, interpretations of her vary, but i characterise her as sassy, down to earth, a bit flirtatious yet shy, kind of cottagecore-y

when we talk about the marauders era in a canon compliant way, most people believe that mary survived the first wizarding war and obliviated herself of any knowledge of magic afterwards because she couldn't live with the trauma. she went on to live the rest as a "muggle"

marlene is mentioned only once in the books and is said to have been a member of the order who was killed alongside her entire family

she is generally characterised by the fandom as being incredibly loyal and family-centric (blood and found family), outspoken/brazen, confident, passionate and kind

most people hc her as an avid quidditch fanatic (wants to be a professional player when she grows up, becomes either that or a healer)

these three shared a dorm at hogwarts and made up the foundation of the friendship between the marauders era girls

(either peter or remus is often hc-ed as being brought in as an "honourary girlie" in some of their hangouts because of their quietness and respect)

they are called the valkyries specifically because valkyries in norse mythology are beautiful female warriors who bring fallen soldiers to valhalla ("heaven") -> a poetic take on who they are

they are close friends with the marauders, depending on your hcs

i for one believe that marlene and james are childhood besties (because wizard families and quidditch) and lily and remus instantly connect (because of similar personalities and views), so the friendgroups are kind of merged immediatley

it also makes sense that the two gryffindor groups are connected to some degree -- i don't like the idea of them splitting up into "genders" so divisively, i view the different friendgroups as originating from their dorms and then mixing from there

where and how the slytherin skittles come in, usually depends on your hcs or the fic (as in, you go with what suits your story)

the obvious connection is regulus and sirius as brothers, so in fics where they are close, it makes sense that the friendgroups merge

other than that, the friendgroups usually merge through different ships: james/regulus, marlene/dorcas, lily/james, lily/pandora, remus/regulus, etc.

most people nowadays (ESPECIALLY ME) consider dorcas and (sometimes) pandora as either parts of the valkyries or at least good enough friends with them that they are together a lot

while i see dorcas and pandora as slytherin skittles/emeralds first and foremost, i will usually also include them in chats about the valkyries and will list poly!dorlene and poly!pandalily under the valkyries tag in my masterlist

they become integrated with the three valkyries at some point during their time at hogwarts; the original trio expands

i usually consider the shift to have happened around fifth year, but it's flexible

(if you want to know more about dorcas and pandora, i have a lot of headcanons about them under the slytherin skittles part of my masterlist)

i personally am an avid dorlene (dorcas/marlene) shipper and don't really entertain other pairings for either party, though i know some people are fond of marlene/mary

marylily is a huge other ship within the valkyries and is often considered "complementary" to dorlene

pandalily (pandora/lily) is also growing in popularity from what i've seen

if you want any headcanons for any of these ships (either on their own or poly x reader), i am more than willing 🥸

there are also wider friendgroups and other characters around at hogwarts that are sometimes mentioned or integrated into fics, either to serve a purpose or just for the vibes

some of these that i occasionally use are: the black sisters (reg&sirius' cousins andormeda, bellatrix and narcissa), amelia bones (hufflepuff), emmeline vance (ravenclaw), alice fortescue & frank longbottom, rita skeeter, ted tonks, the Bad Guys in slytherin lol (severus snape, rabastan lestrange, lucius malfoy, mulciber, avery, etc.)

i hope this gave you a better idea of who they are bubs! let me know if you want any more details or to chat about them<33

since any lore is essentially entirely based in fanon, it is very much up to everyone's personal preference and is even subject to change from fic to fic, but all in all the valkyries are lily, marlene and mary + other potential girlies(gn) they drag with them along the way 🤍

#carina chats #may update this as i think of more #crescenthistory canon for the valkyries #the valkyries #the valkyries headcanon #the valkyries hcs #another holy grail for you #marlene mckinnon #mary macdonald #lily evans #dorcas meadowes #pandora rosier #pandora lovegood

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purplekissinger · 5 months ago

Text

The Cat That Looked at a King

The first magical war. Animagus Y/N spies on the Dark Lord. When she is caught, Voldemort decides against killing her.

Lord, what you're doing to me?

tw: psychological manipulation, crucio x 999, hurthurthurt/questionable comfort

‘Lumos’.

The weak light made you close your eyes, as if it was a spotlight. You tried to get up, but your aching head was pulled down, back to sweet unconsciousness. Dolohov looked at you with disgust, and for a moment it seemed to you as if he would slam the door and leave you in the blissful darkness, but this hope has fast evaporated. He stepped forwards and forced you to your feet.

‘Did you sleep well?’, he said. Every sound caused a painful shiver through your body. ‘You made Mulciber work pretty hard yesterday. I believe your memory has returned, eh?’.

You were silent. You were still getting used to the idea that your life was over, and that the remaining days or even hours of it would be spent in a nice company of Death Eaters. You had no time for retaliatory witticisms, and indeed no time for answers at all.

“Not the talkative type, are we?” Dolokhov was not even offended. “Well, suit yourself. Hope you haven't forgotten how to walk?..”

You nodded slowly and sank back to the floor, into the darkness, into the silence, into the calmness, and neither Crucio nor Avada Kedavra could stop you from that.

***

The summer of 1978 was probably the happiest summer of your life. Hogwarts was over, Aurorial Appraisal hadn't started yet, and between this and that James and Sirius decided to throw the Very Last Party on the coast: picnic, dancing, everything is top-notch, for Marauders and their girls only. You were a little bit of both, and you were invited even before Lily.

How you crammed into the unfortunate, well-worn Ford Anglia, wheeled by James, was a whole different story. Marlene McKinnon climbed onto Sirius's lap, Remus pressed himself against the door and rode like that the whole way. As for poor Peter, at first they wanted to push him into the trunk until he got the idea to transform into a rat and save space.

‘Oh!’ you exclaimed. ‘I’d do that too, otherwise Lily and Mary are not going.”

‘Just don’t eat Peter on the way!’ Sirius chuckled. It was an old joke that everyone got tired of back in fifth year, and no one laughed, so you just shrugged your shoulders and turned into a shaggy calico cat. Lily picked you up in her arms, and the race began.

‘Slow down, James, for Merlin’s sake!’ Mary Macdonald screamed, clutching the back of the seat. ‘You don’t even have a license, and we still want to get there alive!’ but he just laughed and entered every turn at such speed that made you meow pitifully. He couldn’t care less about the car that he got after his parents passed away, and he did not believe in his own death.

And then!.. And then you pitched the tent, jumped into the still cool water from the tower, then Remus took the gramophone out of the trunk and played “Somebody to love,” which everyone knew by heart, and when it became completely dark, you sat by the fire and roasted marshmallows . Lily rested her head on James' shoulder, the firelight playing on her hair. In the darkness, Peter timidly touched your hand, and you didn’t twitch, you didn’t even laugh.

‘We are all joining the Order, I presume?’ Sirius suddenly asked, biting a blade of grass. Marlene and Mary shushed him, but James snorted and waved his hand carelessly.

‘Come on, that’s no secret... Besides, you are either in Voldemort's team or playing against him nowdays, no ifs or buts. And how else can you be against him, if not joining the Order?’

‘But there’s no need to shout about it, you know’, Remus noted.

‘Who is shouting, though?’ Sirius seemed surprised. ‘Just saying. And there are no random people here, so?’.

‘Peter and I should be spies,” you said. ‘We both have the makings of a spy, like, no doubt. Sorry to tell you, James, but you’re out of luck with this one. Your animagus form is only good for an assault’.

James threw a marshmallow at you.

***

A lamp was on the table, an ordinary Muggle one, the kind of lamp you usually see in a library. The light was somehow cozy, and you stared at it mindlessly, trying to either forget yourself or gather your thoughts. Neither this nor that worked out. The room was tiny, with a high ceiling, no windows, and you couldn’t tell whether it was night or day, or which day even. Mulciber was making you wait. You probably really tired him out yesterday.

“I’m going to die here,” you thought dully. “That's it. My number’s up. I’m not getting out of here alive. Nobody is to the rescue. Mulciber will go on and on until I die or break, and if I break, he will listen carefully to everything I can tell and then finish me off anyway. Merlin, oh Lord, oh dear Lord, oh God, oh Lord, oh dear God?!..”.

The latch creaked outside, and you straightened yourself involuntarily, trying your best not to look at the door. The door slid aside and he entered the room.

For the first time in your life, you heard your heart beating.

“Good evening, Y/N,” Voldemort said in a casual and even somewhat disinterested tone, but the mere sound of this voice made you want to stop breathing, and you even tried to do so. ‘How are you feeling, how was your sleep?’

“It was fine,” you said, barely moving your lips. Your tongue seemed frozen. The lamp hit your eyes, and his face was hidden from you in the shadows; you only had enough strength to look at his hand. Strangely beautiful, with thin pale fingers, it was lying relaxed on the table.

“It was fine, my lord,” he corrected you.

“What?..”

“Crucio”.

Next frame: for some reason the legs of the table, ah yes, a spasm threw you out of the chair, and now you were silently writhing, scratching your nails on the plank floor. This went on for millions of years. When the pain subsided, leaving a ringing emptiness, he said peacefully:

“Get up, please”.

You obeyed.

“Sit down”.

You did.

“You and Mulciber didn’t get along, and I can’t blame him for that, you’re very stubborn. But maybe you’ll make an exception for me, huh, Y/N?’

‘Oh God oh God oh God oh God oh dear Lord oh my God’

“I already told you everything,” you sobbed. Merlin, you've never been particularly brave. Cheerful, yes, loved by everyone, yes, loving, yes, but not brave.

“First, you didn’t tell anything, at least not what I needed to know. Second, Crucio”.

This time you rose as slowly as if your bones were made of glass (and it felt like they were), but Voldemort waited patiently.

“I want to believe that you learned at least one lesson,” he said boredly. The lamp was now shining so that you could see his face very well.

“Yes, my lord,” you said drearly.

***

The autumn of 1978 was harder for you.

Back then it seemed that the most difficult thing was to become an Auror, and then everything would go like clockwork. A dream job, friends, fun, you’ll stick it to Voldemort in no time, and all your youth is waiting, and the war will end soon. The real-life reconnaissance turned out to be both more terrifying and much more boring than the fantasies.

In November, Lily and James threw a housewarming party in Godric's Hollow, this time only for Sirius, Remus, you and Peter. It was somehow quieter and more modest, but still very nice, and you brought pumpkin pie, although Halloween had already passed. You left early that day, because an operation was to be set tomorrow (nothing too serious, breaking into the house of one of the outer circle and casting some good ol’ wiretap spells). You desperately needed to get some sleep. Peter wanted to take you out, but you laughed it off. You didn’t want to see anyone, you wanted to cover yourself with a blanket and lie down, and never move again.

Of course you learnt to treat it as a job, otherwise you would go insane, and that’s when boredom set in. Probably, you reasoned, it’s one of two. It’s either you become a bundle of exposed nerves, choking with fear every time you are almost spotted, or you yawn (or meow) boredly, memorizing the names of the agents on the other side. You chose the latter.

Things were no better at Order meetings.

“Our poor Cookie looks a little down,” Marlene said sympathetically when, after discussing tomorrow’s plan, she had a free minute. “Cookie” was your call sign, assigned for the spottedness of your animagus form. ‘Did you quarrel with Peter?..’

“We didn’t really make peace in the first place,” you answered sharply. Then you said, tone softened: “Sorry, Marlin. Too much stuff on my plate’.

‘Well, feel free to take comfort in the fact that you are not alone in this!’ she winked at you cheerfully and climbed up onto the chair, her feet on the table.

But it felt like you were alone in this. There were a few targets that you kept an eye on, but it still was tough, too much information, too much responsibility, and doing all the tasks with a cat’s brain was oh so difficult. You were exhausted, staggering back and forth on the roof in the rain, pretending to be a stray kitty, and if anyone wanted to check you for traces of magic, you would instantly lose your disguise and then your life.

The first big success happened only at Christmas, as a gift, perhaps. You've began to close on Nott.

* * *

‘I was turning into a cat. Spied on Nott and Avery, no one else. I only kept in touch with Dumbledore,” you said in a whisper. “My lord, I don’t know what else to say. I really don't’.

He didn’t record your words the way Mulciber did (apparently, he wrote down your indistinct cries just in case). He just looked at you, tilting his head.

“That is, I have to believe that you were so special that Dumbledore made separate projects for you only and did not allow you to contact the rest of the group,” Voldemort nodded. “Seems like we have a top dog here. More precisely, a cat’.

‘My lord, I don’t know anything else!..’

‘You're lying’.

* * *

And from that day you started to close onto the Headquarters, slowly, very, very slowly and painstakingly. It was like you were unraveling a ball of yarn.

This ball could catch fire at any moment; any hurry could’ve become a deadly mistake. Losing one of the Order’s members wasn’t even the biggest problem, that’s what they are for, after all, but in January 1979, you and Dumbledore had a short conversation in a muggle coffee shop. He let you know that you had gotten ahead and were now getting closer to the inner circle, closer than anyone else. You couldn't lose at this point, there's more at stake than just your life.

You left the coffee shop in a strangely high spirits. You're finally starting to like your job.

Peter came to see you again on Valentine’s Day with a bouquet of conjured forget-me-nots, but you politely and carefully sent him - no, not to Mordred, to the Order headquarters, so he could finally get down to business. Spring was coming, and you wanted to stretch out like a cat before a hard day, work out all the leads and then kick Voldemort’s ass at last.

* * *

Of course, you didn’t fill him in on this detail.

The interrogation lasted only an hour or two, and you no longer knew where to look so as not to see his face: in the corner, at the lamp, at your feet, in the corner, at the lamp, at your feet, at the lamp, repeat. You wished to go blind, you wished to go deaf, you wished you could die. You wondered if he really had nothing else to do. Why is he clinging to you so much, is he teaching Mulciber a lesson or what?..

“I could help you with that, you know,” Voldemort said thoughtfully, playing with his wand. ‘ I could tell you what we already know about you, so that you don't have to lie. Not so obviously, at least. Would you like that, kitty?

‘I’d like that, my lord’.

You no longer understood what you were saying, you just knew that you had to agree with everything.

“We spotted you back in the summer.”

But isn’t it October now?!..

* * *

‘What will you give Harry for his birthday?’ Marlene asked, leafing through the “Prophet”. On the front page there was a column about yesterday's terrorist attack. Marlene's boots were resting on the coffee table again, and you pushed them off with a sharp movement. When will she learn to sit normally?!

‘A key to Voldemort's Headquarters’.

This was almost true, because now you knew its location down to the block, and it was a matter of time to get inside. When this finally happened, you were struck how ordinary it felt. There were no dungeons, no gargoyles at the entrance, no skulls on the walls. What you’ve found inside was furnished as in one of the most ordinary muggle offices, and everyone behaved like the most ordinary clerks, scurrying back and forth, cursing at each other, drinking coffee.

There were so many illusion spells on you that you feared they might start to conflict with each other. “I’m in the heart of the enemy,” you whispered to yourself as your own heart beat feverishly. How come they can’t hear this throughout the ventilation? “I am in the heart of the enemy, I am in the heart of the enemy. You’re all going down, bitches.” But it was still far from that. First of all, you had to build a floor plan, and slowly, inch by inch, you did it.

“Well done, Y/N. Smart kitty. Ten points to Catffindor,” you said to yourself in Dumbledore’s voice when you found out the date of the first major meeting.

* * *

“I still remember that thrilling moment,” Voldemort said mockingly, leaning back in his chair. “At first I thought there might be rats in the ventilation. Then I caught the eye of this one rat through the bars, and everything fell into place’.

You remembered this thrilling moment too, oh Merlin, you remembered it.

‘I gave the go-ahead to Avery, he began to dig into you. Since that day you have not taken a single independent step’.

The room floated before your eyes.

* * *

This probably explained the attacks of painful paranoia that began to torture you in August. Sometimes you woke up screaming, either at Order’s headquarters or at a safe house (you hadn’t been at home since July, and Peter didn’t know where to look for you), sometimes you walked along the Diagon Alley and turned into an side street, looking at a shop window for a minute or two, hoping to see something in the reflection, sometimes you would leave your unfinished coffee and rush out of the cafe because the man in the corner had his eyes on you. You became nervous, and, alas, in your job this meant professional incompetence.

“Our Cookie is completely depressed now,” Marlene told you as you left Dumbledore’s office. As gently as he could he suggested that you hand over matters to Sirius or Peter, then he said that this was not an offer and that you needed to start tying up the threads. Dumbledore probably suspected something.

In August, you went on yet another picnic. Without Lily and James, who could not leave the house anymore, everything was just not the same. Remus showed card tricks, and Sirius got drunk on firewhiskey and sang ABBA songs the whole night. You needed to talk to Peter in private because the project was supposed to be handed over to him, but you couldn’t make yourself talk about the job, and you didn’t want to spoil the last day off. You two sat on the cliff, watching the setting sun sink into the water, dangling your legs, throwing shells down and remembering Hogwarts. Peter didn’t seem to hold a grudge against you at all...

“Stop thinking about that rat,” said Sirius.

You turned to him and saw Voldemort's face.

“I’ve been looking through your memories for three hours now, trying to snag at least a grain of useful information, and you’re wasting my time on Pettigrew. You really don't want to cooperate, do you?

The setting sun turned into a lamp.

* * *

Not even Cruciatus curse made you scream this much.

Voldemort winced, rose from his seat like a huge black shadow, approached you (Merlin, let me die, let me die) and took you by the chin. His cold fingers made you fall silent obediently. After a short pause, he said softly:

“Let’s think about it together, Y/N, since you can’t do this by yourself. You already know that I could have killed you six months ago, that the information you conveyed to Dumbledore was fake, that your greatest achievement at the moment is to look at me. Thoughts?’

Well, here comes Avada, you thought happily. Is it over yet? He mocked you enough and now you can die? You did pretty well, come to think of it... Occlumency failed you, but he never pulled out any specifics…

“A cat may look at the king,” you said, relieved and ready to die. You seemed to be smiling.

He studied your face for a full second, and then instead of merciful death or even pain, your brain just turned inside out.

* * *

You are sitting by the fire. Lily laughs and taps out the rhythm of the song on James' knee.

“each morning I get up I die a little can barely stand on my feet”

Focus.

Peter with a bouquet of forget-me-nots tries to squeeze through the door.

How much longer do I have to look at this?

“i spent all my years in believing you”

Party at Hogsmeade. Sirius dances on the Ford’s roof. Quidditch match, snitch in the sun rays. Knockturn Alley massacre, Marlene is dead. Ford comes into the turn, Marlin is alive, she is yelling at James. Harry on a toy broom, laughing. Explosion at Mungo's, nurse sobbing. Knife plunges into the pumpkin pie.

So much garbage. So much unnecessary rubbish you keep in your head, dear Y/N.

“i just gotta get out of this prison cell someday i’m gonna be free Lord”

You look at Voldemort from the vents, he looks at you. Headquarters layout. Nott's window. Marlene's boots on the coffee table. Order’s headquarters layout. James throws a marshmallow at you. “Calico cats bring good luck,” Remus says seriously. “You will be our mascot.” The entire Order wishes you a happy birthday, you blow out the candles on the cake, but they just don’t go out.

‘somebody somebody somebody somebody somebody’

That’s more like it.

‘somebody to’

The setting sun falls into the water as the world plunges into darkness.

* * *

You're lying on the floor. You can't even remember your own name.

“It’s Y/N,” Voldemort prompts. He sits next to you and holds your hand, touches your fingers, strokes your wrist, and it’s so bizarre, strange and wrong that it can’t even be a dream. ‘Believe me, it can. But I would like you to gain the gift of speech and not force me to read your thoughts’.

“Yes, my lord,” you say slurredly.

‘Splendid. So, we concluded that any information you can give to me is useless, that you don’t like to cooperate and that you’re definitely not the brightest one. Of course, it would be easier and cheaper to kill you, but I decided against it. Why do you think I did that?’

‘I don't know, my lord’.

‘I’m going to break you’.

‘What?’

No Crucio this time. He just gives you a long appraising look. Works like a charm, just for one indulgence you already feel grateful and almost happy.

“We’ll take on you, sweet Y/N. In the Order, you had no one to look after you, and still, having no techniques, only raw talent, you plunged into the thick of it and even achieved something, and all it took was one word from Dumbledore. You managed to look at the king. Well, he looked back at you and decided that he needed a calico cat. As a mascot’.

“I'm going crazy,” you think. “The Cruciatus curse can do that.”

‘Why not? I think I can afford it, can’t I?’

“Yes, my lord,” you answer indifferently. Let the nightmare continue, it doesn't matter anymore.

“The old man kept trying to awaken mercy in me... Well, it seems like he had achieved his goal by throwing a kitten at Headquarters. I didn’t even expect such stupidity from him’.

Ceiling. You look at the ceiling, counting the cracks.

“I’ll break you into pieces,” he says, and for the first time in that voice, the voice that was so cold and unforgiving at meetings, so paralyzing, slips something that sounds almost like... concern? Tenderness?.. ‘I’ll take you apart and put you back together again. And the new you will serve me. I expect nothing but undying devotion. Is that clear?’

All right, absolutely nothing is wrong. It couldn't be more normal. The Dark Lord decided to make you the mascot of his team, this happens all the time.

“Don’t be afraid to be broken, Y/N,” Voldemort says almost tenderly, touching your cheek, slowly lowering his fingers to your neck. ‘For it is the first step towards becoming perfect. I wasn’t afraid of this in my time,” he smiled sadly. His smile is almost human. “Maybe I’ll even tell you about this someday, Cookie.”

#harry potter #tom riddle x y/n #harry potter x reader #tom riddle #voldemort x y/n #voldemort x reader #tom riddle x reader #marauders #marauders era #a little bit of peter pettigrew x reader #but thats like #for the plots sake

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lavender-butterfly-cookie · 2 months ago

Note

Related to isekai x self aware Holy moly, you really got me excited about this one with just the idea I have on my mind. I think both of us can try to make this a series for Beast-Yeast episode. If you are interested and need some ideas to continue this series, I will try my best to help you so reader can enjoy it. *behind the scene* -Cream Ferret Cookie come out from the phone- Cream Ferret: Baker, I have been with the team since the day you got me. Why didn't I have a chance to get into action!? Y/N: uh.... because it's dangerous? Mystic Flour: Baker... it would've been a great help if Cream Ferret Cookie join in to help. Beside, I would need another healer. Y/N: Don't worry Mystic Flour. Once I have Awakened Pure Vanilla, you and him will get the work done! Pure Vanilla: Pardon me but what did you just say? Y/N: N-nothing! S-say, Cream Ferret Cookie, aren't you suppose to take care the little one? Cream Ferret: ah crumb.... alright then, Baker. I will see you later! *Disappear to the phone* Gingerbrave: Who is that? Y/N: Important Cookie that will take care a certain cookie in the future. Now let's face Shadow Milk one last time and finish this. (I wonder who is insane enough to not have Cream Ferret in their team lineup, they are literally the best support cookie in the game)

(Me. I'm insane. I'm insane cuz I can't pull sh#t to save MY DAMN LIFE-) yeah sure dear butterfly

first part- Previous per

The ball's in your court pt3

The final battle was about to commence and Y/N cookie along with their allies were all ready for what was to come. Just as Y/N cookie and Moonflower faerie cookie expected, Shadow milk cookie came out in the classic jack in the box style. However, what neither of them expected was for Shadow milk cookie to also pull Y/N cookie up in the strings, as though for direct confrontation.

Shadow Milk cookie: And so I finally meet the diva responsible for this. You really think I didn't notice you and how those traitors followed your order blindly, little cookie?

Y/N cookie: meh, I mean...

Shadow Milk cookie: Oh, you wound me. I don't know what's so special about you but I'll make sure to find out once I finish with a few more pests.

He says this as he glares down at the group with a scowl.

Awakened Dark Cacao cookie: You will release the baker at once, fowl beast!

Mystic Flour Cookie: It'd be wise to comply now instead of facing a fate far worse.

Y/N cookie: Nah, it's fine. I like the view up here better. But do please go on, I'm enjoying this.

Shadow Milk cookie: Suit yourself little cookie. Now, where were we? Ah yes! Th fall of the new guardian!

And fight number who even knows anymore starts. Y/N cookie, alongside all the other captives watched on from the side. Then came the moment White Lily cookie stopped moving for a bit. Upon realizing what was about to happen, Y/N cookie started snickering like a maniac once again, earning a confused glance from the other trapped cookies.

Pure Vanilla cookie: Y/N cookie? What's so funny?

Y/N cookie: The fact that she's about to eat and leave no crumbs for the second time :3

Strawberry cookie: Huh?

Wizard cookie: What on earthbread are you-

Just then White Lily cookie had been transformed into her Moonflower faerie cookie outfit, now an exact twin with the other

Gingerbrave: What the-

Y/N cookie: SLAYYYYYYYY!!!! BEAT THAT A$$!!!

Strawberry cookie: I'm so confused!

Wizard cookie: Ok- WHAT IS GOING ON?!?

They all watched as Moonflower faerie cookie 2 sealed the tree and beat Shadow Milk cookie AGAIN. Once he was gone and everyone was free both Moonflower faeries glanced at each other.

Moonflower faerie 2: Woah... It's like looking into a mirror.

Moonflower faerie 1: The feeling is mutual.

Pure Vanilla cookie: Now that that issue is out of the way, we should try fixing the faerie kingdom, right?

Y/N cookie: Of course. And hey, once we finish I'll explain everything. Now come on, let's go

#crk #cookie run kingdom #cr kingdom #cookie run #burning spice cookie #shadow milk cookie #mystic flour cookie #white lily cookie #pure vanilla cooke #gingerbrave #strawberry cookie #wizard cookie

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transparentkinks · 2 months ago

Text

How the contract became void

another Lone x Charon fic I know they're not popular but i'm obsessed with this man. I want him to hug me so bad. I think aside from Lily Charon probably gives the best hugs in all of fallout.

Falling for her was wrong, he knew it. No matter how she treated him she was his mistress. He just couldn’t help how he felt though. It was like a weight he carried with him wherever she led them.

He’d stop if he could, but he was bound by contract to follow her. What she did scared the fuck out of him most times, much to his concern. He was never scared. He could list all the occasions he was actually scared for a master on one hand, and all of them were her. He’s never worried for the safety of a master as much as her, nor longed to actually make them happy. She honestly didn’t have to say a word, he jumped at any chance he saw to make things better for her. He felt foolish for it, he probably disgusted her, but the things she does, the way she does them, the way she treats him. He didn’t realize it till she almost died, but her getting hurt, putting herself in danger, it terrified him.

Because loath as he was to admit it, he would miss her. A lot. He wasn’t sure he could really go on without her. He couldn’t go back to how he lived before her. He felt like he could die when he wasn’t sure she’d wake up. The only order she ever gave him was to run for his life, but if she asked he’d set the world on fire for her.

It didn’t help that she was fucking beautiful. He felt disgusting for it, but he couldn’t help fantasizing about her. She haunted his dreams, that pretty face and tight blue suit. In his dreams she’d come to him late at night and use him like previous masters would try to, and for once he loved it. He’d wake up in the morning hard as a rock wishing just for a moment that she was a wretched enough person to use him, and all day he’d think of the dream’s memory of her skin on his. But she was so damn kind, to him and everyone they met, but especially to him. He thinks she sees him as a friend, and he appreciates it more than she could know.

Lately they’ve been staying in Megaton, and while people weren't exactly courteous to him, she insisted that people treat him with, as she put it, “basic respect,” something he watched her demand for Gob as well the few times they’d visited the saloon.

He hoped she cared for him genuinely, even just as a friend. Ever since she’s made her recovery he couldn’t stop thinking about the times she offered to give him his contract, or threatened to tear it up. He wondered if she’d let him stay, if she’d let him not be her slave or her employee or whatever she called it but her partner, working together on whatever she thought was important. He worried that if he told her she didn't own him anymore, then she’d leave him. She’d said it before, that she hoped he’d be able to go off on his own one day, but he dreaded that thought. He wants to do things for once, and all of them are with her.

Ever since she gave him the only order she’d ever given him, he’s known he can’t, won’t, follow an order like that again. He will not leave her in danger ever again. If he has things his way, he won’t leave her period. Ever since the day he turned up in the underworld, having finally carried out the first order she’d ever given him and wondering why the hell he listened to her he’s felt a remarkable sense of self-determination. He didn’t feel like he was a passive observer in his life anymore. He felt a need, a desire to act like he couldn’t remember.

For once he wanted, and when he took action to get what he wanted he was able to take it. It was incredible. He was doing the most mundane things, but it was blissful. Lone always asked him what he was thinking, asked for input in the decisions she made. She asked him if he’d mind doing things for her, never a request. He’s been testing the waters, asking her for things, and she seemed almost delighted to do whatever he asked. She’d talk to him endlessly about everything and nothing, and yet the second he tried to say something she’d get as quiet as a mouse, listening intently to anything he had to say.

She made him feel normal. Made him feel respectable, like a person and not an object or tool. Sometimes, she was even affectionate with him and it made him feel alive. She’d touch his face after fights sometimes, so softly, so light, making sure he was okay to move on. The first time she did it he nearly cried, he was expecting a slap when she raised her hand since she managed to take down most of their opponents and he managed to get shot, but instead she touched him so gently. Looked him in the eye and asked him if he was okay. Recently she’s been hugging him, asking him occasionally for a hug, and it was nearly a religious experience. He found himself hoping every night would be a night where she felt the desire for a hug.

Still, he couldn’t dream of telling her how he felt, or asking for the affection she gave freely. She was kind, profoundly and loudly accepting of ghouls, but he didn’t know if she would keep that attitude if he laid his ugly heart at her feet. Plus, she was still in the aftershocks of everything that happened. Since the purifier he could tell, she was just going through the motions. It was driving him nuts, but he had no clue what to say. She just seemed ready to fade away. Her actions in the wastes were even more suicidal than normal and when she woke up he was more concerned that she nearly died than she was. She’s been listening to his complaints though. She listened when he yelled at her to rest when she woke up from her coma, she listened when he said she needed to spend some time at her home in Megaton, and she listened when he told her a beer doesn't count as dinner. He figured since they live together he’d just keep an eye on her, but he just got more worried the more he watched.

At least she listened.

He just prayed she wouldn’t do anything risky.

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

She was gonna kill him, the smarmy asshole. She was still reeling at how different the surface was, but owning people? Abusing them even though they were doing what you told them to? She expected things to be different on the surface. Honestly she was surprised that everyone up here doesn't all look like Gob or Fawkes with how intense the radiation was. Some days walking through the wasteland made her wonder how long she had left with her smooth skin. She knew things would be different, but she didn’t expect this cruelty. She’d read about this in books, but it was supposed to be ancient. It was supposed to be dead long before the old world even considered the war. Still, somehow, practically the whole town acted like it was normal. What was wrong with these people?

There’s no reason someone should be so confused by being treated with basic respect. Her first visit left her shaken, and she hasn’t spent a cap at the place since. She wasn’t always fond of stealing, but in regards to the information she needed she didn’t mind going behind his back. Unfortunately it seemed essential to visit on occasion to conduct business. Every visit made her skin crawl. Nova acted weird, angry and also resigned and good at acting friendly even when she had this dead look in her eyes. Gob was basically a shell of a living being, pouring drinks and waiting to get yelled at or hit. She avoided the place like the plague. Honestly at first she tried to avoid the city too.

Over the next few months, she slowly made progress at hunting down her dad and learning how to survive the wastes. Enough to lose her dad in the process and nearly kill herself for some fresh water. She liked to believe she helped, she disarmed the bomb in megaton, found three dog and helped keep him on the air, took out the Enclave base and helped the brotherhood of steel, helped that kid in grayditch and helped the water flow, but she still wasn’t sure how she could help Gob and Nova. It drove her crazy every time she went back to Megaton. Even getting the house for free didn’t make the city more appealing to her. It did give her a slight respect for the children of atom though, apparently the only people in town aside from his peer in bondage to treat Gob like a person. She was setting up a decent base at grayditch, but she, and since she’d bought his contract, Charon, can't deny the appeal of running water.

“Can I head down to the bar?” Charon asked her, stepping out of the house. She was sitting outside of her house, mulling over her goals and general problems in life over a rum and nuka she poured herself.

“You’re on break Charon, you can go wherever, no need to ask.” She replied. She mentally patted herself on the back for the conversation. He was feeling more comfortable actually doing stuff on the breaks she insisted he get instead of sitting in a corner doing gun maintenance. Plus, he felt comfortable asking her for stuff. She was beginning to worry that he’d never warm up to her, but this last two months he’s been getting much more expressive. It was a rather drastic change, but she wasn’t complaining. In fact it made her unreasonably happy. She felt like she was getting a chance to get to know Charon all over again and she was loving every moment of it. It didn’t help her with keeping her composure around him though.

“I’ll need you to buy for me” He said.

“Why? I pay you.” She answered with a furrowed brow.

“You can use the money you paid me, but they won’t sell to a ghoul” He clarified, taking a chair next to her’s. She groaned.

“That’s some bullshit, the person selling is a ghoul” She whined, looking up at the sky as if that would make this weird world make sense.

“That’s how it works” He grunted out.

“If you just wanna drink I can mix you something.” She moved to get up, but Charon stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

“No, don’t bother” He spoke, looking down over the town silently by her side.

“So, why do you wanna go?” She hazarded a question. He took a few moments to speak up.

“Been a while since I've been a customer.” He spoke quick and gruff. Lone gazed across the city to the lights of Moriarty’s bar. Fucking bastard just had to run a bar. She could tolerate a night there for Charon though.

“Lemme get my stuff” She got up, and this time Charon didn’t stop her. She wasn’t sure what this meant to Charon, if it was important to him or not, but if he was asking her for something, especially something so reasonable, she wasn’t about to be telling him no.

The walk to the bar was quiet, broken only by asking him what he wanted before they entered.

“Two beers, we can drink together.” Was his answer.

“You want to drink with me?” She teased with a grin. He just grunted and looked away, handing her the caps. It was pretty uneventful buying the beers, receiving her normal hello’s and Gob seemed happy to see her as normal, though he never really said much. It seemed like Moriarty was somewhere in the back and Nova seemed to be laughing genuinely with the girl with family up in Arefu. Charon was silent, but content company. He seemed relaxed, like he would get when back in her house, himself sat in front of a pile of guns to work on with some beers. When he’d let her talk his ear off without so much as an annoyed grunt.

Tonight, He seemed content to listen to her pull Nova and her friend into conversation and sip at his drink. Even though he was being silent, she couldn’t help glancing at him when she could.

She knew a lot of people would look at her weird if she talked about it, and she knew that it was super fucked up, but she found herself quiet smitten with him. He was quite handsome in his own way, something that many people would look at her sideways for but he was, and she loved spending time with him. He had a weirdly dry sense of humor that she appreciated, he didn’t seem annoyed by her ramblings, and he was really fascinating whenever he diverged information from his crazy long life.

She didn’t feel so alone or alien to the wasteland when he was with her. He had this way of quietly understanding her. He seemed to pick up when she was upset, he had this way of pulling her back when she was seeing red. When she talked she knew he listened, and he gave short but surprisingly good advice.

She found she trusted his judgment. She knows he’s gone through and done a lot, but deep down, she thinks he’s a good person. He wanted to do good by others, at least she knew he wanted to do good by her. She hoped so at least, sometimes it seemed like he minded her health more than she did.

He would get her food and drinks without her asking. He’d set up camp and secure it if he could, only letting her help if she asked and wasn’t injured. She couldn’t step outside without him warning her about anything and everything that could be a threat. His reads on people were surprisingly accurate. If Charon didn’t like someone,eventually she’d usually either find out something horrible about them or they’d try and kill her.

She wasn’t naive enough not to notice people started treating her differently when she started traveling with him. He was a formidable presence, he knew what he was doing. For the longest time she’s been relying on being likeable and strong enough to defend herself, but most people didn’t really believe she could defend herself till they were already dead at her feet. Charon looked like he could kill a person, and it was surprisingly useful at avoiding conflicts. Not that Charon couldn’t handle himself in a fight. His style was brutal, and she loved watching him fight.

He was so tall, and really, really strong. More than he had any reasonable right to be. He made her feel safe, something she also felt a bit guilty about. She apparently owned him to protect her, so says the contract, so he was certainly good at his job. Of course he was going to be protective of her, yelling at her to get behind him and taking care of her wounds. It didn’t stop the butterflies when he would pull her back into him during combat or check her over after a fight.

She unfortunately was rather smitten, and she didn’t think those feelings would be changing any time soon. The way she caught herself just staring at him, she was hopeless. She’d heard people say awful things about him, but she liked looking at him. She really liked looking at him.

She felt awful about it. I mean, she owned the man and she was lusting over him? She didn’t exactly have a lot of experience, the vault being what it was, but that didn’t stop her mind from wandering.

She’d seen him without his shirt on, she couldn’t help but wonder how nice it would feel if he let her touch him, if he let her sit in his lap, how nice it would feel if he would hold her. She wondered what it would feel like if he let her explore his body. If he’d let her lay on his chest, what it would be like to hear his heartbeat, what his hands on her would feel like. If he’d be patient with her in her inexperience, if he’d be rough with her like Nova would talk about. She wondered what affection from him would look like. She found herself daydreaming of it often.

Especially right now, him slouched in the corner of the bar. He was lazily sipping at his drink, he seemed almost happy. She wondered what him smiling at her would look like, feel like. And those arms, she could see them flexing when he lifted his drink. What it would be like to feel those muscles, she wondered if Charon would ever let her touch him like that. Between her daydreams and idle banter with some of the coolest people in Megaton, she was just beginning to feel like she might have a nice time at Moriarty’s for once, when-

Crash

“Fuck” Gob dropped down behind the counter.

Nova ran to behind the counter. Lone stood to look at what was happening when Charon stood with her and grabbed her shoulder. Nova was dropping glass shards in the wastebasket, Gob scooping up the glass where he could and mopping at the liquor with a rag.

“What the fuck was that?” Moriarty leaned down over the railing, making his way down the stairs.

“I just accidentally knocked over a bottle of whisky, I'm getting it cleaned-” Nova tried to explain to him.

“Bullshit.” Moriarty spat. “I heard Gob first!” He stormed over to Gob and pulled him up by the shirt collar.

“I’m sorry sir, I’ll-” Gob's hands were up to protect himself, and indeed he needed it. Lone knew Moriarty was fucked, but the way he just started beating Gob was brutal. If Charon hadn’t started leading her out of there, she wasn’t sure what she would have done to the bastard. The second she tried to step forward he was already hauling her back, and she had little ability to stop him considering him hauling her out of there looked something akin to a person dragging a doll behind them.

The walk home was silent. Her mind was reeling. She was crying, quietly as she could. Charon didn’t say a word, just walked her home and went through his nightly routine like nothing happened. She just sat on her couch, thinking and frowning and wringing her hands, trying to calm down. She couldn’t avoid it anymore. Megaton might actually be a nice city without that asshole. Doing nothing, just living with it, going there, bringing her business, avoiding it, all felt like she was being complicit with what Moriarty was doing.

But who was she to consider this? She may as well be as bad as Moriarty. She was complicit. There she was lusting over her fucking slave in a fucking black market dealer and slave owner’s saloon. She owned Charon, just like Moriarty owned Nova and Gob. It was sick, made her feel disgusted with herself. It was a heavy feeling.

But she couldn’t just let Charon go, he’d walk off and find someone else to own him at best and maybe? Kill her at worst. She hoped he wasn’t in a mood to kill her once he’s free. She hoped the day would come when he’d tell her he'd like his contract and he’d let her know him as the person he would make of himself. Maybe it was wishful thinking, and she’d die before he could take it back. Maybe he’d like to never see her again, I mean she owned him. She wouldn’t blame him if he truly saw her as just the same as Moriarty.

But it didn’t matter what anyone thought of her. These people were okay with this, she had to do something. There had to be a way to get rid of Moriarty. The world would be a better place without bastards like Moriarty in it. He’d lived so long without anyone hitting back at him. He deserved any shit she could throw at him, and she could do something about him. Maybe she can’t hunt down and kill Charon’s problems, but she could definitely kill Gob and Nova’s. Not all of them sure, but definitely one.

The fridge slammed shut, Charon drinking down a cold nuka-cola. She felt guilty oogling him in his state of undress, just a tank and old beat up canvas pants. Any shirt he wore was tight around the chest and shoulders. She knew from experience just how strong that man was, and it made her feel weird, and that made her feel gross, so she pointedly stared at the glass, the perspiration from the cold dripping down the bottle. Nuka-cola in the bloodstream would be lethal, less than a shot. Needle marks are easy to hide, not like people would be checking his filthy ass.

“You goin to bed soon?” Charon grunted out.

“Yeah-” She glanced away. She had plenty of empty needles in her medkit. She could pick a lock, not get caught. “I’ll be up in a bit.”

“Mmhm” He made his way, shuffling up the stairs. The lights up there went out. She knew Charon would be out soon. She made her preparations. The door squeaked on the way out, but no one was about when she stepped out into the dusty night air.

Her walk there was casual. She had no bag on her, just her jacket and a gun tucked in her waistband. When she got there the bar was closed. The lock was a simple pick, the door rather quiet. It was dark inside, no one lingering down in the parlor. Her steps up the stairs were light, his door a slightly harder pick than the front door, egotistic asshole.

He was dead asleep when she got in there. She closed the door behind her, slipping quietly up to his bed. He slept without his jacket, and she wasn’t all that surprised to see track marks. Makes her job even easier. She injected him with two syringes of med-x, to make sure he wouldn’t be able to wake up screaming from the various unspecified chemicals sugar and carbonation about to make their way to his heart. Then she injected him with two syringes of the main event, just to make sure. She smiled when she felt his pulse start to skyrocket. She felt his muscles slack, and she slipped out of the room. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she made her way down the stairs and out of the building. She locked the door behind her, and felt a rush of adrenaline wash over her as she walked home. Running would be suspicious, so she walked, shaking, the whole way home.

The house was dark and quiet when she got back, the low creak of the hinges cutting through the silence. She threw off her jacket with a sigh, about to sit on her couch when she heard the door squeak open again.

Whipping around, she saw Charon’s hulking figure in the doorway. He was tense, pushing the door closed with a thud of finality.

“Hi, there- Charon. What-”

“What were you doing out?” He questioned.

“I was just- going for a walk.” She mumbled. “Clear the head-”

“So you had to break into Moriarty’s to clear your head?” He interrogated.

“You saw that?” She giggled nervously.

“What did you do?” He was frowning. She sighed, gripping her pants. Could she even really admit it? Admit to murder? Charon’s helped her in a fight before, but did his views on that extend to killing a guy in a city?

“I was-” She paused. “I couldn’t not do anything anymore.” She mumbled. Charon crossed his arms.

“So?” He grunted.

“So Moriarty is gonna be dead come tomorrow morning” She spoke quietly. Charon let out a chuff of a laugh. The look he was giving her was strange.

“If you say so” He turned to the stairs. “Go to bed now” He spoke with a voice of finality. She just sighed and followed him up the stairs.

She woke the next morning to the sounds of yelling outside. She rushed downstairs to see what was going on, where Charon was already sipping his coffee and looking out the front door’s window.

“What’s going on?” She questioned.

“Looks like you were right. Sheriff's calling some sort of meeting.” He nodded to the window. She walked over and looked through herself, and indeed it seemed a lot of people were gathering around the bomb.

“Guess I should go show my face” She sighed, shuffling on her boots. “You don’t gotta come with if you don’t wanna” She sighed, opening the door with a low creak.

“Where you go, I follow” He answered simply, following her out the door. Making their way down to the center of town, she could better make out words in the argument going on.

“Who’s gonna run the place now?”

“He was the one organizing shipments! How can we?”

“I’m not drinking outside next to the fucking bomb!”

“Now folks hold on!” Sheriff Simms yelled out. “We’re gonna go through his stuff to get our own connections, and Nova has assured me that she and Gob can keep the place running as long as we can get shipments sorted. Nothing is closing!” He assured the crowd. People got quieter, but it seemed everyone was talking to someone about what’s going on.

“I’m not surprised he kicked the bucket, old fuck could never kick a bad habit” she picked up from somewhere nearby and felt her anxiety lighten. Then Simms locked eyes with her and it all came flooding back.

“Lone!” He called with a smile. “Good to see you in town, we could use our local hero with all this drama.” He chucked.

“You need me for something?” She questioned. She heard Charon grunt in annoyance behind her.

“Yeah, you’re able to get across the wasteland pretty fast. Any connections we learn about I was hoping you could reach out to. Moira is helping where she can but we don’t quite know where he got all the bulk liquor. Could help right this mess real quick” He spoke cheerily, though she could hear the slight pleading tone.

“I can do that, just let me know, okay?” She grinned back.

“Thanks Lone, it's appreciated” He patted her on the shoulder before moving on to chat with other Megaton locals. She briefly considered heading up to craterside supply, but she caught Cromwell’s eye and figured heading home was safer than getting pulled into a conversation with him trying to get her to convert again.

“Wanna head out?” She looked back up at Charon. He just grunted, which she supposed worked as agreement. She sighed as she entered the house, slouching tiredly down into a chair with the finality of the closing door.

“Thank fuck no one-”

“Why’d you do it?” He cut her off, leaning against the wall between the front door and the stairs. She glanced away, feeling rather awkward.

“I don’t know” She sighed. “I Just couldn’t watch that shit anymore. This town is better off without him.”

“Mhmn” Charon stepped in front of her, leaned down to place a hand on the armrest. He seemed to be sizing her up. “You risked your life to help Nova and Gob.”

“It was mostly because I was sick of seeing his ugly mug,” She spat. Charon just laughed at that. That turned her attention back to his face.

“So seeing what he did, that made you angry?” He probed.

“Yeah,” Lone replied.

“Good.” Charon sat down next to her. She looked at him, a cautious grin on her face.

“Good?” She echoed.

“Yeah, Good.” He smiled at her, he actually smiled at her and she wasn’t sure her heart could take it. She was gripping her hands in front of her, trying not to jump up and hug him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” She felt a bit taken aback, moreso after having him smile at her.

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

The way she was looking at him, it was doing things to him. She had this starry eyed look, her face was blushing all pretty. She was shaking, and she wouldn’t take her eyes off him. “I don’t know,” It felt presumptuous to call it what it seemed like. “Like you’re excited.”

“Sorry” She quickly glanced away from him.

“It’s not bad” he clarified. “I just want to know why”. She paused for a few moments.

“He was a disgusting, horrible man. Everything he did- Gob didn’t deserve that. Gob and Nova never deserved any of that” She sighed out. He couldn’t help but think back to last night. He expected what happened to Gob. He’d seen, received, treatment like that and worse. Last night she saw that, and took it upon herself to risk her life and home in Megaton just to sneak into Moriaty’s room and try to kill him in some way that couldn't be tracked to her. There was no way this would benefit her, and the people she helped didn’t even know she did a thing.

“No one will even know you did anything. Gob and Nova didn’t ask, they’ll never know what you risked for them”. How much planning did that take? Wait, why did she avoid telling him why she was looking at him like that by confessing to murder? She couldn’t even look at him now. Was she-

“That’s okay” She spoke. She spoke like it was nothing. He stood and her eyes immediately flicked to him. Her gaze was doing something to him he wasn’t proud of. He leaned over her, propping himself up on the arm of the couch. Her eyes were wide, and she was definitely looking at him now. She looked anxious, lovely as she looked.

“I want my contract. Better yet, tear it up.” He stated. Just as he hoped, she grinned a million-watt grin and jumped up to hug him. The feeling was blissful. He felt pathetic, being so moved by such simple affection, but he couldn’t remember the last time anyone else actually hugged him, or touched him kindly. The feeling she gave him was addictive.

“Omygosh Charon of course!” She cheered. She then seemed to register that she was hugging him and moved to let him go. “Sorry, I didn’t ask-”

He cut her off, choosing to prolong the hug. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up into his arms. She yelped as her feet left the ground, before giggling and wrapping her arms around him.

“I'm so glad you’re ready for this Charon, Lemme-” She started to shimmy in his grip.

“Don’t worry about it, it doesn't matter.” He spoke reassuringly, earning him another giggle. And it didn’t. She really has just been waiting for him to take him up on her offers, it wasn’t some sick taunt. She bought him, intending to set him free. Fuck, she was trying to buy his freedom the whole time. She paid thousands of caps for no reason other than to help the random ghoul who barely said two sentences to her and was rude the whole time.

Still, he leaned down and placed her on her feet. Despite his assurance the second she was on her own feet she was rushing us the stairs. It wasn’t long before he saw her nearly tumble down the stairs with contract in hand as she rushed back to him. She was giggling, just plain giddy with excitement.

“Do you wanna do it or should I? Or do you wanna burn it?” She held up the contract to him, that stunning grin pointed at him. This past few months he’s been realizing just how much he craved seeing her happy now that her light seemed to be dampening, and he couldn’t remember her looking more happy or excited as long as he knew her. It was touching really, she was excited for him. He couldn’t help but smile back as he took the contract in hand.

Looking at it, it was hard to really sort out in his mind how this paper held so much power over him, or how it stopped. Then he looked at her. His master who wanted no part in owning him. His master who intended from before caps exchanged hands to buy his freedom. Who ordered him to prioritize his life over hers, the one thing ingrained in him not to do.

“Let's burn it” He spoke with a grin. She nodded and grabbed her lighter from the counter.

“Burn it in the sink?” She suggested. He answered with a nod and a grunt. She offered him the lighter and he took it gladly. He held the contract over the sink. The paper was rough and weathered, the writing barely legible. He lit the lighter with a flick, held it to the edge of the page. Watching it catch, the bright red of the burning ember creep up the paper as the ash fell into the sink, it was beyond cathartic. It was like he was finally finishing what started breaking in him the day she told him to run. He held it till the embers reached his fingers, relished the heat and small biting pain of it’s obliteration. He dropped what remained in the sink watching his contract burn completely to ash. Glancing to his right, he saw Lone leaning against the counter beaming at him.

“So what do you wanna do now?” She questioned, leaning up onto her palms.

“What do you mean?” He asked. He knew what she meant, he just dreaded the conversation. His blood was rushing like he was in battle. Was she going to kick him out? He guessed he couldn’t blame her, but he wouldn’t enjoy it.

“You’re free, so what do you wanna do with your life?” She explained. “You can do anything you want. You don’t gotta listen to me or anyone.” He couldn’t suppress a frown at that.

“I would-” He looked at her. “I’d like to stay with you, if I can.” He hoped she’d let him stay. “I can still work for you-”

“I honestly don’t want an employee.” She spoke, and his heart sunk. “But I’d love for you to stay Charon. However long you want to.” Looking at her, she seemed nervous. He wondered if she was afraid of him leaving.

“I’d like to stay, but I should probably tell you something first before you decide to let me stay.” He warned. She looked at him expectantly.

His heart sunk, suddenly he felt horribly guilty. She was too kind, she wasn’t responsible for him now. Thinking about it now, it was kind of awe-inspiring. This beautiful woman like some fucking guardian angel of the wasteland really took the time and effort and expense to buy his freedom and help him figure out how to be his own person while tackling her own shit. Looking back on it, it finally clicked. She’d been easing him into making decisions, providing input, self-direction. And he’d hated her for half of it. Who does that for someone who didn’t even want to talk to them the first time they met?

She deserved to know that the man she was feeding and housing was lusting after her, she didn’t deserve to have to have that in her house. She deserved the chance to know and kick him out. He knew he could make it on his own, he had the skills. She’d already helped him so much, he owed her this. “I’ve,-” He could feel his heart in his throat. “I’ve fallen for you. And you don’t deserve to-”

“Oh Charon!” She cheered delightedly, rushing forward to hug him and effectively cut him off. He placed his hands on her shoulders hesitantly.

“You’re okay with that?” He probed hopefully.

“I felt so bad about it, I didn’t want to say anything. I mean I owned you but, I-” He could feel her hands balling in fists, gripping the back of his jacket. “I really like you Charon, I like talking with you and looking at you and spending time with you and I would honestly be sad if you left. And I definitely like you” She took a steadying breathe. “Like, ah- Like romantically.” She stuttered out as she pulled back, hands still on his shoulders. She was looking at the floor.

“You’re-” He was utterly stunned. He’d never in a million years would have thought she would actually like him back. “You’re serious?” He could see her face was blushing furiously.

“I am, and I’m glad you’ve fallen for me.” She kept a shy grin on her face, though her eyes wouldn’t meet his. He couldn’t believe it, I mean he was a ghoul, not even human and she likes him? She’s always beautiful, but she was practically an angel in that moment. Fuck, if she actually wanted him, he would worship her like one. Did anyone deserve to be this lucky? Did he?

“Fuck Lone” Charon dropped low to his knees in front of her. At this, her eyes finally flicked to meet his. Her hands moved their way higher up his shoulders to where his shirt gave way to the skin of his neck, thumbs tracing his skin softly, and he reveled in the touch.

The morning light shone in through the gridded sheet metal of the house and it lit the frizz of her hair like a halo. He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands, but she was grinning that shy grin at him, lifted a small cautious hand to his cheek. He raised a shaking hand to cover hers, and her fingers were soft and cool to the touch. “I don’t deserve someone like you. A pretty little thing like you doesn't belong with a ghoul like me. It's not safe for you.” Her smile dropped.

“Charon,” Her voice creaked out, soft and thick. “There's a lot of thinking I've been doing lately, about where I belong.” She was speaking slowly, like she wasn’t quite sure how to quite put the words together. “It seems, I do not belong anywhere.” Her eyes kept flicking away and then back to his. “ I believe in my skills, and I believe in yours. Charon, you make me feel safe” She forced her gaze to meet his. “So I want to belong with you.”

“Goddamn” He sighed, leaned into her shoulder that was now level with his head. She wrapped her arms around him in an embrace and he couldn’t help but shiver at how good it felt. She was so soft, so gentle with a tattered man like him. “I want to belong with you too.” He admitted.

She smiled, leaned away from him just enough to lower her face to his and ever so slowly, leaned in to kiss him. Never in his life could he remember such loving affection. Her lips were so soft, just like her kiss, he was gasping when she finally leaned away from the kiss. Suddenly he was absolutely ravenous for the feel of her lips again. He could kill for the taste of it again. She moved his hands ever so gently around her waist and he was overcome by the feel of her beneath his hands.

“You’re too fucking perfect” He sighed into her embrace. She chuckled in his arms and he felt his warped skin pull back to actually grin.

“Oh Yeah?” She seemed amused.

“Yeah,” He knew he was already addicted to her touch. “I could worship you.” At that she actually laughed.

“I didn’t take you for the pious type” She jested, trailing her fingers about in a blissful trail. He was soaking in any ounce of touch she offered him.

“I can be” He leaned back, hands refusing to leave her form even as he met her eyes. “For you.” Her eyes fell to the floor. Her cheeks were bright red. “Can I show you?” He risked the question.

“I-” She stuttered out. He felt a bit smug at leaving her at a loss for words. “Okay” She finally managed. He let his hands grip the soft fat of her hips as he guided her back onto the couch.

“You tell me the second something hurts or is uncomfortable, okay?” He spoke seriously as she took her seat. She met his eyes and nodded with that sweet smile of hers, and his lips were on her’s again, his kiss more forceful than their first. He let his hands roam her torso and down to her outer thighs. Everywhere he touched earned him little shivers and noises against his lips. She sounded incredible. He could die happy like this, her body happy to be in his arms and the taste of her lips on his.

He pulled away. “I want to make you feel good.” He met her eyes. He enjoyed this point of view, her all flushed under him in his arms. She nodded and he descended to her neck, lips working marks down to the collar of her suit, ghosting touches as his hands roamed to her breasts and inner thighs and the skin between them. He moved a hand up to the zipper of her suit and she arched into him. Pulling the zipper, her skin was flushed beneath with a thin sheen of sweat. She helped in his efforts to shrug off the suit and roll it down her body. He pushed her tanktop above her breasts and leaned back to relish the sight of her exposed to him, the way he could watch her shaky breaths make her chest heave.

Looking at her face, she met his gaze with a smoldering look. He wanted to lave his tongue against every inch of her skin, he wanted to know the taste of her and imbibe her scent till it was engraved into the deepest parts of his mind.

He once again dropped to his knees before her, grabbed her right leg by the ankle and pulled it to him. He began placing kisses atop her foot, working his way up her leg, kissing his way around her knee and up to her hipbone. Then he grabbed her left leg and did the same. She giggled under his touch the whole time squirming a bit but overall compliant in his grip, looking down at him so fondly he felt his heart could explode. Her giggles, her skin under his hands, he couldn’t remember ever experiencing such joy.

He smoothed his hands over her stomach, kissing around her belly button. His hands swept up her ribcage, finally fondling her breasts and earning him a lovely groan as he kissed beneath each breast before kissing his way up her sternum, through the valley of her breasts to reach her throat. He leaned back and grabbed her wrists, taking his time kissing up her arms before returning to her torso.

“Charon-” She sighed his name and it was lovely. She leaned down and he eagerly leaned up to meet her lip. He still had trouble comprehending that he was kissing Lone, he was touching her body and she enjoyed it. She wanted him. Her hands were trying to touch him, his hands and arms and face and chest. She leaned away from the kiss and her smile fell. “Charon? Are you okay?” Her hands on his face swiped under his eyes, and he realized he was crying. When was the last time he did that?

“I’m okay, I'm great” He gasped out. He could feel his heart in his stomach. He didn’t want this to stop. He didn't want to stop touching her, he didn’t want her to stop touching him. “I just thought this would never happen” Her smile returned and the dread disappeared into the shape of bliss.

“I thought the same” She giggled. He didn’t think he’d ever tire of the sound. It didn’t make sense, the thought that she couldn’t have him. He’d do near anything for her touch. “I was worried that you’d never never like me, much less want me.”

He sighed. He knew he was cold to her for a long time, he never quite knew what to make of her kindness to him. He knew he was just trying to protect himself the way he’d been doing for centuries, but he still felt guilty. “I’ve been dreaming of this Lone” he admitted. She was smiling, pushing at his jacket and shirt. “I can’t believe you want to touch me.” She just shook her head with another chuckle, pushing at his clothes.

“Oh Charon, I’ve always wanted to touch you.” She leaned to kiss him again, and he could hardly believe his ears, or what was left. He lifted his shaking hands to remove his jacket and shirt, breaking the kiss to do so. Lone immediately brought her hands to his chest, and he was mortified at the sound he made. She started kissing at his neck and chest and he had to steady himself by gripping the couch as the feeling of her touch rocked through him.

“Lone-” He sighed, and he was possessed with a need to have his mouth on her again. He brought his arms around her waist and leaned down to kiss at her chest. Her hands flew to his head, running fingers through the patches of hair there. He brought his mouth to her chest, licking around her nipple and she made a lovely sound. He trailed a hand down to the waistband of her panties and she gasped. “Can I touch you here?” He asked.

“Yes-” She sighed out. She leaned back into the couch and he propped himself over her. He felt her legs frame his hips, her hands lifting to trace his chest. He cupped her over her panties.

“Have you ever been touched here before?” He asked. She seemed nervous around affection. He’s had sex before, but never like this. Never with someone he cares if they feel good. He couldn’t mess this up. He knew he’d have to be gentle, but if she had as much experience as he expected she would need eased into the experience.

“No, we did some heavy petting but we’ve never went- um” She had a hard time keeping eye contact and putting her words together it seemed. “We never went under the clothes.” She was blushing all the way down her chest.

He couldn’t say he was surprised, but he was definitely more conscious about how this was about to go down. He feared hurting or intimidating her. He didn’t want her to get scared, what if she got intimidated and she’d never touch him again? “Remember, we can stop whenever you want. We don't have to-”

“I want to” She insisted. “I’ve-” She pointedly looked away to get her words straight. “I’ve thought about it a lot. About being with you. And I trust you. I feel safe with you. As long as you want to I-”

“Oh I want to.” He reassured. And wasn’t that a nice thought? She’d fantasized about this. She’d never had sex before and she’d fantasized about them having sex. She’d seen all the wasteland has to offer and she still fantasized about him.

He made her feel safe, and god, the realization that he made her feel that way felt incredible. Beyond the satisfaction he takes from his work, he was downright proud that she trusted him, he made her feel safe. Safe enough to trust him with her body. He began to rub her, carefully but firmly through her underwear and the way she squirmed was all he needed to reassure himself that she wanted this. “-And I'm going to make you feel incredible.”

She wanted this and she trusted him to make her feel good, and he’d be damned if he didn’t make her fantasies worth it. He rubbed her a little firmer, till she was making these soft little noises trying to hold her voice back. Then he tugged down her panties, pulling them off her and enjoying the sight of her cunt. He dropped a hand down to feel her and she was delightfully wet.

He slunk down her body and put his tongue to her. He worked slowly, savoring her taste and her noises and the way she grabbed his head and whimpered his name. He worked a finger into her, leaning away momentarily to speak over her pulsing cunt.

“You feeling good baby girl?” He spoke teasingly, thrusting his finger to earn himself a whine.

“Yes!” She gasped from her position, head curled down to look at him and legs clutched around his face and shoulders. “Feels real-” He dropped his mouth back to her and she whined incoherently, bucking into his face. He could feel her slickness across his face and it felt incredible. If an angel showed up and told him he had died, and he was in heaven now, he would believe them without a second thought. “Good, Charon!” Her voice pitched at the end.

He used his free hand to work down his pants and trousers, being way, way too tight for his liking at the moment, and with the way she was moaning for him it was only getting worse. He worked a second finger into her slowly before beginning to scissor her. He worked his tongue over her clit lazily, looking up at her face and savoring the flavor. He felt the way her heels ground into his back, relished the pressure as he worked her. He slowly pressed in a third digit and she arched her back beautifully, working herself through the feel of it.

Soon she felt loose enough for him to feel confident he won’t be hurting her by fucking her and he leaned away, pulling his fingers from her to taste her on his skin. She whined at the loss of stimulation. Then he stood to remove his pants and she widened her eyes in surprise. A part of him felt smug at her shock, the rest needed her to know she’s okay.

“Remember, we can always stop.” He reassured. She nodded, grinned, raised her hands to pull him into her embrace. He kissed her, and it was something warm and filthy, the taste of her slick shared between them. He reached down to stroke himself before picking her up. Her legs quickly latched around his waist and her arms around his neck.

“Where are we going?” She asked as he walked up the stairs.

“Your first time isn’t going to be on the couch.” He chuckled out. She giggled in response.

“Fair” She replied. Up the stairs and down the hallway Charon placed her gently back on the bed before leaning down to kiss her again. He ground himself against her and she groaned into his mouth. She felt so warm and soft and wet against him. He repeated the action until this dick was thoroughly soaked. He looked into her eyes as he lined himself up. He rocked his hips forward slowly, dropping his thumb down to her clit. She moaned as he leaned away enjoying the view of her body arching under him, savoring the feeling of her ever so slowly adjusted to him as he patiently fucked himself into her, gentle as he could manage with his size.

“Charon-” She gasped out as he finally bottomed out. It was blissful, the tight grip of her pulsing around him, throbbing with each circle to her clit. Her voice calling his name went straight to his dick.

“I’m going to start actually moving, okay?” He checked with a grunt.

“Okay” She gasped. He enjoyed seeing her so affected by his actions. He pulled himself out to the tip, before sliding back in gently. The little gasp she let out was lovely. She was rocking her hips to meet him, and the visual was addicting. His thrusts sped up the longer they went on, losing themselves in the motions and noises of each other’s bodies till the quick slap of skin on skin filled the room around them.

“Yes-s-s-s” Lone groaned out voice hitching with each thrust as he changed the angle of his thrusts. “Charon!” She arched into his grip, and he could feel her hands clawing up his back. She responded so well to every one of his actions.

“So fucking perfect Lone” He moaned, losing himself in feel of her.

“Ah, Ah, Charon!” Lone threw her head back with a yelp and he felt her thrash in his grip as her eyes rolled back. He could feel her pulse hard around him and the feeling of it pulled him over the edge. He pulled out and gripped the sheets hard as he came, and when he was once again able to process the world around him he found himself looking at her staring at him, starry eyed. He leaned down to kiss her, slow and deep.

“How do you feel?” He leaned away from her lips to check on her.

“Really, really good-” She sighed. “ I still feel a little floaty.” He leaned to his side and rolled to his side, pulling her close to him.

“Good” His voice felt gruff after what they’d just done. It still felt so surreal, holding her in his arms. Feeling her bare skin under his hands. She was just so beautiful to him. He couldn’t get his head around why she would want him, but it felt too good to question. He knew already he’d kill a man to keep her in his arms.

“I-” She seems to glance up at him, trying to make herself meet his eyes before seeming to quickly lose nerve, tucking her face into his neck. “I-” He felt her huff against his skin. “I love you.” She spoke out small and fast. “And I know maybe it's moving fast but I-” He leaned down to kiss her before she could get caught in one of her anxious tangents.

“I love you too.” He spoke quietly. It felt strange to say, but it felt true. He couldn’t think of a thing he wouldn’t do for her. He can’t name a single person he trusts more. He can’t imagine wanting to do anything that didn’t involve being around her. She was this blinding light in the wasteland, determined to do what she wants, and it seems history follows her. He didn’t understand how she was patient enough to wander all around the wastes helping people, how she was able to act with so much understanding no matter how many people tried to fuck her over.

Charon could never remember feeling loved, but he knew in that moment, her eyes peaking up at him with this lovely little smile as her hands refused to leave him, looking at him with so much joy and this soft adoration; he knew in that moment he was loved by her. It felt better than anything he could have ever imagined.

Then she was visibly trying not to frown, he could tell she was trying to hold the tears back, her chest heaving. She was always a horrible actor and a worse liar.

“You mean it? You don’t resent me?” He could see those cogs turning in her head. He’d seen her meltdown like this before, when something happened and she felt especially overcome with guilt or dread.

“Why would I?” He tried to challenge her train of thought.

“I bought you and I owned you and you had to risk your life for me and-” She wasn’t looking at him anymore, could see the little lines of tears down her face and it made his heart drop. He didn’t understand her sudden mood drop but he wanted to do anything he could to make her feel better.

“I-” He tried to start.

“And how different am I than fucking Moriarty or Paradise falls or Azu-” She was leaning away, not looking at him.

“No-” He tried to interject.

“Oh my god!” She gasped out. “The shit I’ve dragged you through, and I.”

“Stop” He felt a bit angry, maybe its just how he felt when he saw her sad.

“I’m just so sorry Charon” She sniffed out. She raised her hands to cover her face and he immediately interceded, grabbing her face instead.

“Lone, look at me.” She reluctantly met his eyes, her hands over his. “Thank you.”

“B-”

“No, you listen to me. I-” He closed his eyes with a huff, leaned his forehead against hers. “I can't even piece it all together myself, my conditioning, how I spent the last few centuries. But you’re the first person to care in a long fucking time.”

“But I bought-” She was quietly sobbing at this point. He kissed her, and it seemed to stun her enough to quiet her a bit.

“What you did was try to buy my freedom. You didn’t realize what you were signing up for but when you realized it you tried anyway. You tried to give the contract to me, tried to give me the money to buy it from you, tried to destroy it and I threatened you for it. And you still cared about me, trusted my input, asked for my input, you’ve been kind.”

“Sorry, I’m-” She did have a habit of saying that for no real reason.

“Do not apologize” He met her eyes and spoke firmly. “You’ve given me more than I ever realized I could have, You waited for me to feel ready. You never ordered me to do anything.”

He could see her open her mouth to argue. “You know what I actually think did it? The only command you ever gave me was to ignore your peril and run for my life. That’s the opposite of what I know I’ve been trained to do.” He could see her breathing start to even and he felt less angry and- sad? Looking at her crying face.

“All those people you mentioned were mean fucking bastards. You know what Azurakal ordered me to do? The ways he made me hurt people?” He tried to explain.

“But you kill for me-” He was getting annoyed at her baseless need to demonize herself.

“Azurakal had me torture people who couldn’t pay.” He pressed a hand over her mouth, frowning at her. “Told me to hurt people in every way a person can be hurt, nothing was off limits and it was sick. I dreaded his every word. Paradise falls steal a person’s ability to think for themself. Moriarty I'm sure did whatever he wanted with Gob and Nova. Anything he’d let customers see he does ten times worse behind closed doors, I guarantee. For all you or I know you could very well have saved both of their lives. I know you saved mine. “

Her hand was on the wrist of the hand covering her mouth, but when he moved it she seemed to just open her mouth a bit in shock. Then she closed her eyes and mouth and huffed. She tried to wipe at her eyes but the tears kept coming. “We were having a nice moment and I-” His hand returned to over her mouth.

“You’re allowed to be upset.” He moved his hand to pull her tight to his chest. He could feel her hands were shaky. “It’s all fucked up.” He reassured. “But we have each other.”

“Yeah” She seemed to relax in his grip. Her breathing wasn’t as shaky. “I feel lucky to have you Charon.” She finally looked up to him, eyes not as wet having pressed against hist pitted chest. “I love you”

“I love you too,” He answered. She finally seemed a bit calm again in his arms. She did cry a lot though, she’d better drink something, and she’ll need to wash and- “ I'm getting you a water.” He rose to get up from the bed, but Lone was latched around his waist as best she could.

“Boooooo!” She complained. “You should stay and cuddle me.”

“We can after you drink something, crybaby.” He grabbed her by her hair to pull her into a kiss. Shocking enough for her grip to loosen.

“Booo! Tato! Tato! Tato!” She mimicked throwing tatos at him from where she lay, flopped dramatically over the bed and he sighed. Yeah, he loved this woman.

#fallout companions #lone wanderer x charon #lone wanderer #fallout charon #charon fo3 #charon fallout #charon x lone wanderer

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blitheringmcgonagall · 2 months ago

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Neverly Ever After

if you are looking to read a fairytale with Lily Evans as Cinderella, Remus Lupin as both Beauty AND the Beast, Sirius Black as Snow White (well, technically Black) and James Potter as Sleeping Beauty, with a disgruntled Genie called Minerva, where the latest Palace craze is speaking in a thing called Gen Z and wearing colours that suit your Colour Season -

Read on …

Chapter 2: Delulu

Summary

Peter, the Duke of Petit-Gru, is NOT having the time of his life. That's before he meets a severe, sniffy genie and Quiet Hires her...

The Duke of Petit-Gru had been experiencing excessive amounts of stress over the past two weeks. Specifically, and in no particular order, this involved the following:

Overhearing the King and Queen of Gyffindoria discussing Prince James’s curse and mentioning the fact it was due to last one hundred years (bro, dude, sis, Your Majesties –W the actual F??) before autocorrecting that to three years, which was clearly a big, huge lie. Did his cheerful friend know this??! What half-assed, salty Wix would do that?? (TL; DR Jimbo was cooked)

He had overheard the perpetually longwinded Albus Dumbledore, Head of the Privy Council, tell the Queen that troops had caught sight of a band of ne’er-do-wells slipping over the mountainous frontier between Slytherin and Gryffindoria, dressed in camo but oddly sporting King Orion’s gaudy insignia (a Portcullis, in silver, crowned; with motto Altera Securitas*) – it was giving assassins vibes, and not in a good way. He missed hanging out with Prince James on his own, but his friend Sirius was lit, and the time where he destroyed Sir Hugo Avery - aka the guy who had bullied Peter since he was five years old - lived rent free in his head. (Anyhoo, TL; DR Sirius was going to be unalived – oof!)

The reason he kept overhearing insanely scary af information was that he could change into a rat at will. He really needed to get a vibe check

But he hadn’t

Which brought him to his next situation –

Keep reading…

#neverly ever after #fairytale marauders au #lily Evans as Cinderella #Remus Lupin as Beauty AND the Beast #Sirius Black as Snow White #well Black whatever #and James Potter as Sleeping Beauty #Peter Pettigrew as himself #having a moment #and Minerva MgG as the not vibing genie #YouBlitheringIdiot on ao3 #jily & wolfstar #Wolfstar & Jily

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insomniac4000 · 3 months ago

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“cute glasses dork” or “take my bed” arthurtv plsssss thank u omg

Arthur had noticed her before. The girl who moved in next door, always carrying boxes or rushing about. They’d exchanged a few friendly waves and brief nods, but that was the extent of their interactions. Still, she was hard to miss; there was an energy about her, something bright and a little chaotic, that Arthur found intriguing.

One Saturday afternoon, he was pacing around his kitchen, half-listening to a podcast and half-wondering if it was too early to order dinner when he heard the distinct sound of a laugh from outside. He peered out the window and saw her, talking and waving to the concierge of the building who was finishing his shift, Arthur couldn't help but notice the book in her hand. The sight stirred something in him. He figured he might as well go out and say hi, on his way to go and dinner of course.

As he walked out, he locked his flat slowly and sure enough by the time he was done the lift pinged and out she walked, she saw him, giving him a friendly smile. But something was different. She was wearing glasses—thin, silver-rimmed, slightly oversized, and a little smudged from being handled so much. The sight caught him off guard. He had never seen her in glasses before, were they new? Somehow, they added a new dimension to her that was both cute and endearing. But Arthur, of course, had to play it cool.

“Nice glasses, dork,” he said with a smirk.

She arched an eyebrow and gave him an amused look. “Wow, a greeting and an insult all in one go. I’m impressed.”

“Oh, it’s a special skill,” he replied, grinning. “But seriously, they suit you.”

“Thanks,” she said, adjusting them. “My contacts were bugging me, so I had to go old-school today.”

“Old-school?” Arthur chuckled, “Do glasses really qualify as ‘old-school’ these days?”

“Depends who you ask, but yes, absolutely,” she said with a laugh. “I feel like such a nerd wearing them out here, though.”

He rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help the soft smile that followed. “Trust me, you’re a long way from ‘nerd.’ I think you’re just making it work,” he said, noticing her cheeks flush slightly.

“So… Arthur, right?” she asked, finally closing her book and setting it down.

“You remembered.” He nodded, a bit flattered. “And you’re…?” Arthur asked like he hadn't studies her full name on her post or overheard her phone conversations through the wall.

“Lily,” she replied, sticking out her hand. He shook it, holding her gaze a moment longer than he intended.

“So, Lily,” he began, trying to keep things casual, “you new around here? I don’t remember seeing you until recently.”

“Yeah, just moved in a few weeks ago. Starting a new job nearby, so it made sense.” She tilted her head, glancing at him thoughtfully. “And you? How long have you been in this place?”

“Oh, I’m practically a local legend at this point,” Arthur said, feigning importance. “Been here for… two years now.”

She laughed. “A legend, huh? Should I start seeing plaques around the neighbourhood in your honour?”

“Oh, they’re coming. Plaques, statues, maybe even a mural,” he joked, pleased to hear her laugh again.

The two of them continued chatting, swapping stories about the area, laughing about the eccentric older couple who fed the stray cats every morning, and exchanging favourite coffee spots. She was witty, quick on her feet, and unafraid to challenge him in their banter, which he found both refreshing and strangely thrilling.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow on the street, Arthur realized he’d been talking to her for over an hour. The conversation felt effortless, and he didn’t want it to end.

"I was actually on the way out to get some food, have you eaten?" Arthur asked, he could feel his heart beating out of his chest as he was plucking up the courage to ask her something.

"Not since this morning, I could eat. It’s a date, then. Just… be nice to the glasses, okay?”

“Only if you promise not to take them off,” he replied with a wink, noticing her blush once again before she turned to go back to the lift.

As she closed the door, Arthur found himself grinning like an idiot. Maybe having a cute neighbour wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

#arthur frederick #arthurtv #three word prompt

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wastelandmoony · 3 months ago

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Déjà Vécu: The Prophecy

Chapter Thirty-Five : The Prophecy

Characters: Remus Lupin/Reader, Sirius Black/Reader (no use of y/n), James Potter, Petter Pettigrew, Regulus Black, Marlene McKinnon, Mary MacDonald, Lily Evans

Warnings: 18+ Only, Minors DNI.

Déjà Vécu Masterlist

Companion Playlist

Read on AO3

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

December 15th, 1979

Autumn of 1979 was the emotional equivalent of whiplash. Peter began to attend more frequent Order meetings again, much to her excitement (and also surprise). The moment he walked through the door, she had smiled so broadly that her cheeks hurt. He sat beside her, falling into easy conversation as if nothing was amiss. James seemed to be happy their friend was back too; she clocked the spark in his eyes from across the room.

In mid-November, an emergency meeting was called to discuss the newly found evidence of a spy within the Order. The thought alone brought dread, though the worst part being the fact that it was someone they had grown to know and trust. Even possibly a friend.

They met up at their flat after the meeting, James, Lily, and Peter apparating over to drape themselves over their living room, firewhisky in hand, trying to sort through the swirling doubts and speculations they all seemed to be struggling with.

“There’s no way it’s any of the Weasley’s,” she took a sip of her drink, leg pressed tightly against Sirius’s on the couch. Remus shook his head sadly from the floor.

James sighed thoughtfully, “I feel like maybe Dumbledore is mistaken…”

Sirius downed his whisky and set the empty cup on the coffee table, “It’s obviously Moody.”

She rolled her eyes, “We’ve been over this…”

He shrugged half-heartedly, “I still don’t trust him, and nothing you, Dumbledore, or Kingsley say can change my mind.”

“He does kind of scare me though,” she mumbled, Lily smirking at her over the lip of her glass.

“Honestly, I know this sounds insane,” James swallowed a mouthful of whisky, grimacing slightly, “but it’s not any of us, and that gives me a little peace of mind knowing we still have each other.”

She smiled, leaning into Sirius’s side as he slung an arm around her. The statement did give her a little bit of relief, and as she looked around at the faces of her closest friends, she relaxed slightly. James Potter, ever the optimist, saw her smile and grinned back.

———

The news of the spy hung over their heads heavily, but come late autumn the only thing she could think about was Lily. She’d stopped by Potter Manor at her friend’s request one evening, assuming it would be another one of their usual relaxing nights filled with ciders and movies. When she arrived however, the look on Lily’s face was one of thinly-restrained distress.

“I have something to show you,” she choked out rather abruptly, pulling her upstairs to the small bathroom off of the master suite.

She took in her friend’s slightly disheveled appearance and frantic movements, “Are you…alright, Lils?”

Lily shut the bathroom door quietly, leaning against it. “I—I’m not sure.”

She raised an eyebrow as her friend dug through the sink cabinet, the sound of hollow tapping against the counter followed. Lily inhaled deeply, and finally sat on the edge of the tub, motioning toward the countertop. Peering over, she could see three white pieces of plastic lined up, each of which showcased two defined pink lines in each of their tiny oval windows.

“Lily…” she whispered apprehensively.

“I don’t—what do I do?” Her friend whimpered, “We didn’t…we didn’t plan for this, we’re too young. I can’t bring a baby into the world now, not in the middle of a war! Oh god, James is going to be so upset—“

Hearing her thoughts spiral out loud, she grabbed Lily by the shoulders gently, kneeling in front of her on the floor.

“Don’t for a single moment believe that James is not going to lose his mind with excitement. That man was born to be a brilliant father, and we all know it. Hell, he’s been taking care of Sirius and Peter for ages.”

Lily smiled softly, tears lining her lashes.

“And you’ll be the best mum. You have all of us to support you as well. Your baby will be so loved, Lils…”

She watched as Lily closed her eyes, breathing deeply to collect herself. “I don’t even know how to tell him.”

Shrugging, she returned her question with a grin, “We can brainstorm if you want. Either way, James is going to freak out in the best way possible, I promise.”

Later that night after she left, the phone rang in the flat. Remus answered, and she eavesdropped from the living room. A few seconds later, she could faintly hear James yelling on the phone, “I’m going to be a dad!”

She smiled to herself on the couch, listening as Remus stuttered and tried to wrap his brain around the thought. When Sirius got out of the shower a few minutes later, they both recanted the news to his bewildered face, laughing as he rushed to call James and hear it from the man himself.

———

March 7th, 1980

Nothing lasts forever. As winter reared its brutal head, she was humbly reminded of a devastating Kinks song that James had played on repeat during year 4 after Lily had started to pretend he didn’t exist. She remembered entering the boy’s dorm to borrow a text from Remus, only to find James lying on the wooden floor like a starfish, blasting the Kinks at full volume while he stared at the ceiling solemnly. Sirius had looked at her with quiet desperation from his own bed, his eyes screaming for help. “He’s been like this for hours,” he moaned. They’d all had to endure the song for days if anyone dared to walk into the dorm, finally deciding to hang out in the common room instead of James’s new depression dungeon. Years later, she found the lyrics running through her head as she listened to Dumbledore inform them of a prophecy involving Lily’s unborn son. Nothing lasts forever.

A numbness began to wash over, beginning at her feet and slowly rising. The prophecy foretold of a boy born in July that would be more powerful than Voldemort himself, and that “either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives”. Lily was shaking as she stood silently and left the room, James quickly following in a panic. Sirius was out of his seat instantly, fists clenched and ready to fight against anything and everything.

“We have to do something! We have enough information to—“

Dumbledore held up a hand, “I cannot in good faith send Order members to attack based on a prophecy.”

“So what’s the plan then?” He spat. The old headmaster remained calm and unfazed. “We all just pretend this isn’t a problem and wait for the Dark Lord himself to come and finish off my best mate and his family?”

She sat frozen in her chair, staring blankly at the exchange. Beside her, Remus was fidgeting with his lighter, but she couldn’t even bring herself to take his hand in reassurance.

Dumbledore inclined his head, “Not in the slightest. We believe it is in the best interest of the Potter’s to be placed into hiding. None will know of their whereabouts besides a designated secret-keeper.”

She looked up at him finally, voice soft with barely contained devastation, “So we won’t know where they are? We won’t be able to see them?”

The corner of Dumbledore’s mouth upturned only slightly, “Unless the secret-keeper volunteers the information.”

“We’d want you lot to know, obviously,” James had reemerged into the room, eyes red and slightly watery. His eyes shot between her, Remus, Sirius, and Peter, “If we decide to hide, that is. Lily needs…we need time to digest all of this.”

Dumbledore dipped his head gently, “I would caution you, Mr. Potter. Divulging your location should you go into hiding could lead to slip-ups—“

“I trust them with my life,” James bristled, shooting Dumbledore with an uncharacteristic glare.

“Do you trust them with your son’s, though?” The headmaster asked calmly.

There was no hesitation before James spoke again, “Without a doubt.”

———

July 28th, 1980

The fact that she was lying to Sirius ate away at the lining of her stomach. She swore he could smell the lie with his animagus abilities, a thought that was prominent ever since she’d been given the assignment by the Order.

“—just for a girls day. We’re going to uh…set up some more of the nursery stuff, do our nails…I dunno, boring stuff like that,” she walked quickly out of their bedroom to avoid looking Sirius directly in the eye. Grabbing her bag from the coffee table, she mentally checked if she had everything needed for the mission, all of which had been packed for days.

“When will you be back?” He furrowed his brows, not in suspicion she noticed, but at her absence. She wanted to melt into the floor.

She kissed him, relishing in the feeling of his mouth on hers, “I’ll be back later tonight.”

Sirius held her close, capturing her lips into another passionate kiss, finally relinquishing her body back to her. “Give Lily my love,” he said as she opened the front door.

“I’ll tell Prongs you say hello,” she placed a foot over the threshold, “I love you.”

“I love you more, bee.”

The closing of the door sounded like a nuclear blast as she stood at the top of the stairs overlooking the alley. She took a deep breath, and apparated to where Remus was waiting.

———

The little coffee shop just off of Church Street was bustling with midday patrons when she arrived. The rendezvous point was chosen due to its proximity within the heart of muggle Sheffield, a place where no supporter of Voldemort would likely set foot. Remus was posted up at a table near the back, cup of black coffee on the little round table in front of him, face obscured by a beat-up Dostoyevsky novel. Skirting between customers and tables, she took a seat across from him and let out a breath. His left eyebrow cocked.

“Morning,” her voice was hollow.

“It’s 1:30,” he deadpanned, pushing his coffee towards her as an offering. She took a sip, the heat somehow soothing the storm raging in her gut.

“So what’s the plan?” She set the cup back down on the table, keeping a hand curled around it for grounding purposes.

Remus didn’t remove his eyes from the pages of the book, “Meeting begins at 7, but Dumbledore wants us to poke around a few places first to see if there’s anything out of the ordinary.”

“Gotcha…”

His eyes shifted to stare at her from over the book, “Relax, love. Everything’s going to be fine.”

She sighed, the tension in her shoulders never easing, “I know, I’m overreacting. I just…I hate lying to Sirius. I feel like we should’ve told him.”

Remus finally set the book down on the table. “He’s a big boy, he can handle having the truth withheld from him for Order purposes. He’ll understand. We both are also more than aware of why he can’t know, and why he couldn’t come. It’s safer for everyone involved, he would’ve blown our cover.”

She nodded glumly, knowing that Remus was forever and always the voice of reason. He reached across the table and picked up the coffee, draining the rest and standing up. “Let’s get going, I’m getting restless just sitting here.”

She followed him out of the shop and out onto the sunny street, keeping a step behind as he led the way. Stretching his hand out, she grabbed onto it like a lifeline, lacing their fingers together as they walked to the first location.

———

The meeting was being held in the basement of an old recreation center in the southern section of the city. The two of them had hashed out the details of the mission earlier while wandering around, though all of the preparation in the world wouldn’t have stopped her heart palpitations as they drew closer to their destination. They had been advised that this would be a “no combat” mission, meaning that the end goal was strictly recon and gathering intel. The Order had received a tip that Death Eaters would be trying to recruit at a Lycanthrope support meeting being held by a local branch of Werewolf Support Services. Her and Remus were the only ones chosen for the job, due to her work with WSS and his…obvious affliction. The Order wanted any information they could gather, including but not limited to Death Eater identities, future plans, and number of new recruits. They both would adopt aliases for the night, new names and fake backstories to avoid detection.

Remus pulled her gently to the side as they rounded the corner of an industrial building; the area was pretty deserted at this point in the evening, the surrounding buildings mostly housing factories and workshops, long vacated for the day by their respective employees. She peered into a foggy window curiously as Remus got her attention again.

“Hey, put this on.”

She looked up only to be tossed his sweater, the soft fabric warming her hands. “What’s this for?”

Remus pulled his brown leather jacket over his t-shirt, “Our covers are that we’re both…y’know, infected—“

“—that’s outdated terminology…”

Remus rolled his eyes, “Anyway, it would help if you actually…smelled the part.” He sniffed noncommittally.

She furrowed her brows, “Please don’t sniff me, you weirdo.” Her eyes quickly widened when her thoughts caught up. “Wait, can you smell if a person is a werewolf?”

Remus nodded shallowly. “It’s not like, unique person-to-person, but lycanthropes have a slightly different scent that regular people.”

She gaped at him, finally throwing the sweater over her head and tugging up the too-long sleeves.

When they arrived at the rec center, a handful of people were already milling about the decently sized room, some talking nervously with their heads close together, others laughing and jostling each other around like old friends. A few of them had seen better days, covered in filth with random mismatched clothes that had been through the wringer. Remus had to physically grab her arm to steer her towards a chair at the back of the room to prevent her from offering help, actual help, from a Ministry official.

After almost an hour of waiting and observing the guests, a man finally rose at the front of the room and urged everyone to take a seat (if they could find one that is, the place was now packed). He was tall and broad, with a dark head of hair shaved close. The angles of his face were sharp and too abrupt, the lights of the rec center basement creating dramatic shadows from above.

“Welcome,” he boomed from the front, “I’m happy you all could join us. My name is Hughes, and I’m here to talk about something near and dear to my heart,” he put a large scarred hand against his chest, “—Lycanthropy.”

A smatter of laugher ran around the room, the sound giving her chills. Werewolves had never scared her, but in this room, surrounded by this many vulnerable (albeit wildly dangerous) individuals being provoked by the most deadly threat to their world, she felt herself struggling to keep her heartbeat in check. Everything could go wrong at the drop of a hat.

“I—like many of you—“ Hughes continued, beginning to stride up and down the front row of seats, “have what the rest of the world considers a disease. But I don’t like to use the term ‘infected’, or ‘bitten’, or ‘affliction’…I prefer empowered.”

A few murmurs rumbled, and she watched as a few people began to smile. Beside her, Remus was the picture of stoicism.

“For as long as we’ve existed,” Hughes voice rose, “werewolves have been shoved to the bottom dregs of society. Shunned, beaten, and tossed aside by our Wizarding brethren. I think it’s about time we got back up. We think it’s about time we rose up the ranks.” He motioned to either side of the aisle, ten cloaked figures filing into the room and flanking him at the front. As they removed their hoods, she felt the blood drain from her body. Evan Rosier was standing beside Hughes, a politician’s smirk across his beautiful face, beside him like a shadow was Barty.

“Fuck…” she whispered, stiffening in her seat. He followed her gaze to their former classmates and quickly ducked his head. “They’ll blow up our spot the first chance they get,” she hissed. Glancing at the main doors, two more hooded Death Eaters waited on either side.

“We can’t leave yet,” he muttered back, “not without drawing attention to ourselves.”

Remus hunched down, and she prayed they were indecipherable from this far back. Hughes began to pontificate once more, looking every bit the dark savior that he was pretending to be, flanked by his cloaked angels.

“—I was lucky enough to be welcomed into a society that doesn’t discriminate based on breed—“

Remus bristled, “Just blood status…” he murmured for only her to hear, and despite their current predicament, she fought a smile.

“—The Dark Lord welcomes all into his care! He will raise the lycanthropes to statuses of power! No more will we be forced to hide in the shadows, shunned from work or places of ‘civilized society’. No more will we need to worry about the registry! With The Dark Lord in power, the Ministry will no longer interfere with the affairs of werewolves. We will finally be free!”

The previous smattering of murmurs and whispering was now becoming cheers; the sound of which grated on her ears, making her blood run cold. Remus stared intently at the back of the chair in front of him, and she could only imagine the thoughts running through his head. The promises that Hughes was making sounded phenomenal, she couldn’t argue with it, she just knew they were blandishments. She looked around the room at the cheering, hopeful faces of these poor, vulnerable people.

It took everything in her to not break down crying.

———

Once Hughes had gotten down from his soapbox, the meeting officially ended, but none of the participants made any attempt to leave. Instead, the vast majority milled about the space, most biting at the chance to speak with one of The Dark Lord’s mouthpieces. The air was electric, everyone in attendance being given a new hope for their future, or at least that’s what they were promised if they chose to join the ranks.

Her and Remus hid behind a group of 5 lycanthropes deep in conversation, peering every so often to the far side of the room to wait for Evan to be distracted enough to make a swift getaway. Their chance finally came when he was roped into a discussion with an extremely disheveled, and very enthusiastic, young werewolf (the poor girl had stars in her eyes as she stared up at Evan’s rictus of mild disgust). Remus grabbed her hand and quickly pulled her toward the main doors, only to be stopped by a familiar slimy voice.

“Well, well…”

Her blood ran cold as they turned to see Barty leering at them, Evan sidling up to his left with a cool grin. Remus immediately put a steadying hand on her lower back.

“You two are a long way from home,” Evan said cheerfully, though the malice behind it was not lost on her. “What brings you to our humble little gathering?”

Words failed her as she tried to feebly grasp at any piece of their false backstory that she could salvage. Without missing a beat, Remus jumped in.

“Looks like you’ve made some interesting friends since school, Rosier.”

While Barty bristled, Evan crinkled his eyes.

“We were just leaving…” she murmured, leaning back into Remus. His hand pressed harder into her back as she looped an arm around him in return. Her palms were sweating as she quickly tried to map out viable escape routes.

Evan shook his head, chuckling airily. “I think you’re mistaken, love…” His eyes met hers and the intensity in them could’ve melted iron. “…the night’s just beginning.”

Fisting the back of Remus’s jacket, she felt something hard tucked into his waistband and upon realization, she acted out the most insane, knee-jerk plan (not her brightest moment, arguably).

As Barty and another Death Eater moved to grab them, she ripped Remus’s wand out of his waistband, aiming a wordless shot at the ceiling above. The plaster began to fall in large chunks, and she quickly tore Remus away toward the main doors behind them. The Death Eaters weren’t deterred for long, but it did buy them precious seconds. As they ran down the labyrinth of alleyways, the sound of pounding footsteps followed. They needed to put enough space between them to apparate safely without risking a tag-along, so she began to shoot. Flashes of light bounced back through the alley as she fired spell after spell at the pursuing Death Eaters. Remus did the same ahead of her, his long legs carrying him much more swiftly. As she turned to cast again, she locked eyes briefly with Barty, hot on her tail. The heat of a curse flew by her head and she winced. A moment later, her arm burned like it was on fire. Looking down, she had a large gash on her bicep, and she didn’t need to guess who fired the blow. Remus screamed at her to hurry, and she forced her body to push through the searing pain to close the distance between them. He reached back to grab her hand, and the last thing she remembered was his fingers grazing hers before everything went black.

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