#oc: lady frances

[lordeasriel]

Lady Frances Croft from my short story The Sleepwalker. (and the dark version from Jonathan's dreams)

"Lady Croft exuded some kind of unnatural plainliness. Jonathan knew that tactic well. Whisperers often resorted to such tactics when they needed to create dissent, or so he had been taught, but the truth lay there somewhere between the lines of good and evil. Most of them had an intense expression, something that showed they had seen things not meant for their eyes, and while nothing branded a Whisperer, that was one of the many signs they showed. The kind of power they wielded was not something to be taken lightly, either by them nor others.

He knew what she was, knew it before she could ever say it out loud, their eyes crossing on the alley and showing, with as much subterfuge as each of them could manage, their fear, though they hadn't recognised it on the other.

And ever since they had seen each other, she had been haunting him day and night. He knew no Whisperers who could control dreams and warp them into horrid nightmares, but she was there, often, looking eerily with white eyes and body covered in runes written out of blood. His memories of her flickered and shifted, up until he no longer recognised her except for the husk that followed him in his sleep. Hunted, more like. That creature was relentless and it had been there for a while, long before he even knew Lady Croft, so while it took her shape, he tried his best to believe that was not her. His imagination played terrible tricks, but part of him still felt the lingering presence of power on his current nightmares. How powerful could she be, anyway? Without her source of power, her altar, he would never be sure.

His mind wandered, knowing she was watching him from across the room, her very normal and plain self version. Well, she tried to look plain, but at the end of the day, it wasn't as easy as it seemed, and while he would never admit it, the real Lady Croft was far more unsettling than any monsters from his dreams.

He had been trying to find the altar for weeks but with no success. Mary hadn't shared and he had sneaked about but couldn't find it anywhere in the house. He had entertained the idea it might have been somewhere far from the house, perhaps in possession of the masked musicians whom she had defended so strongly, but the altars were so specific and had to represent stability. It had to be close enough to her, and the closest place was her home, but where would it be?

Unsure, he had made the decision to go back to the interrogation room. Through the fake mirror, he watched her while Lady Croft sat patiently, legs crossed, arms relaxed on the table. Her eyes were stuck in the mirror and he moved around only to see her following him despite the fact she could not see him. She could not even know he was there, but she knew, because she watched him like a predator waiting for its prey.

The whole experience gave him goosebumps and he knew that in order to face her, he would have to be in full control of his emotions. She hadn't moved her body ever since he entered the room, except her eyes following him, and that showed the immense resolve she possessed.

He knew he shouldn't have told Neill about her nature. He hadn't promised her anything but it had been implied that the fact she was a Whisperer had to be secretly guarded. Watching her so smug had annoyed him though, enough that he lost his mind if only for a second.

Across the mirror, her lips quivered for a second and Jonathan breathed out, moving out of the observation room to the one where she was.

He walked in, silent, and sat across her, this time taking the central chair. Leaning on his elbows, he studied her face with care and found that her smirk never really reached her eyes. This wasn't fun for her at all, he realised. What a stunning liar she was!

"This doesn't have to be hard, you know. I'm sure you killed Sir Roger for a very good reason."

"I didn't kill him."

"You don't have to hide from me. I know who you are, Lady Frances." He reached out to her hand and she scoffed, pulling away slowly.

"Who am I, then?" She drummed her fingers on the table. "You don't know me at all, Jonathan. If you did, you would have shown some respect. After everything, to tell the inspector—"

"He deserves to know the truth."

"The truth wasn't yours to tell and, no, he didn't have to learn about this. It has nothing to do with him." Jonathan noticed her hands shaking just slightly. There was the beginning of wrath in her voice, but she spoke quietly, almost in a whisper. "I am what I am for so many reasons you can't comprehend, Jonathan, and I trusted you the other night and told you some of my secrets because I wanted to believe you were different, but you disappointed me."

"You killed sir Roger because he found out you were a Whisperer, didn't you?"

Lady Croft smiled a knowing smirk and he felt the hairs on his neck rise. He had seen that smirk before, bloodied, as she clawed and fed on him like a beast. His dreams had been so real he felt everything in the strangest experience of his life, so he watched her now seeking comfort in the fact she was real, but somehow that only made him feel worse.

"Oh, Jonathan. You aren't even close to the truth." She clicked her tongue and leaned on the table, closing in the distance between them and he instinctively mimicked her gesture. "You see, I didn't kill Sir Roger, as I've told you many times. That night, at your home, I explained to you that I knew Sir Roger was Brotherhood, and that I was cautious around him.'

"Did he threaten you? Blackmailed you? Because he must have known you were a Whisperer."

"Why is his life more worthy of your pity than that of those the Brotherhood butchers?" She scoffed lightly. "I tried to trust you, Jonathan, I did my best to believe you were a good man, but you showed me that I was wrong to do that."

She lowered her voice even more now, to a point where he had to lean closer to her to listen. Perfume engulfed him and the little imperfections of her skin were more visible. There were wrinkles on her forehead and she seemed tired so up close.

"I should have known what kind of person you were. Mary will be even more disappointed, but I suppose one has to learn with life anyway."

"Don't bring her into this."

"Really? Because as far as I remember, you were the one who brought her into this. Toying with her feelings just to get her to turn on me, then betraying her and having her arrested, knowing that I would intervene."

"Sign your confession and this is over." He managed to say but she was doing a great job of tormenting him even from a position where she shouldn't have been able to do so. "None of this would be happening if you hadn't murdered an innocent man."

"Every Brotherhood man out there is dishonourable and a murderer but all you care about is to hound a Whisperer you happened to cross paths with." Lady Croft shook her head with disapproval and she seemed genuinely upset. "Judging me and tormenting me just because they told you all Whisperers are evil, but you are the true evil of this world, with your arrogance and your prejudice."

She rested on her chair, watching him closely.

"By telling the inspector who I am, you've done an immense harm to me and those around me, but I will do for you what you will never do for me, Jonathan. Troubled as you are, I'll let you keep your job by not telling the inspector what happened between us."

He swallowed hard, knowing what the implications of that meant. Not that he has thought about that then, but he should have, because as usual, consequences were coming hard at him.

"He wouldn't believe you. Neill may not fully think you guilty, but he trusts me."

"He trusts you now, because he knows who you used to be." She grinned unpleasantly. "The moment I say you and I were intimate, that is done for, especially now he knows I am a Whisperer. He will immediately distrust you and he will be forced to let you go."

"You assume too much. He understands I can resist the power."

Lady Croft's smile grew larger now. Her attitude resembled a hungry animal, ready to pounce.

"Can you, now?" She drummed her fingers on the table, resting against her chair with a smug attitude. Her eyes followed his movements closely, even his breathing, attentive to all details.

Doubt crept in, though Jonathan knew there were no reasons for that. The mark of the Brotherhood protected him, it had for many years, there was no reason to doubt it wouldn't now but her words rotted within his mind in a manner of seconds and fear showed itself through the cracks of his impassive nature.

[havin-fun-imagining-twd]

It felt so real.

What - Yearning. Daryl misses you and your family so badly that it seems his imagination is dreaming you up to keep him from going crazy

When - big time jump to when Daryl finds himself in France (spinoff season 1, episode 2)

Where - the school in France

Pronouns - she/her (howdy, wife reader!)

TWs - language, reference to child loss, self-loathing, sappiness (it's fanfiction, y'all XD ) and Daryl gets a little...'excited' (mild instance of sexual arousal between a married couple)

Perspective - Daryl 3rd person POV

References - some are yet unpublished because this is a significant time skip, which means a few little surprises. Others can be found throughout the series!

Series? - the Slowpoke Series! It's a fun, slow time that sticks to canon to help maintain immersion (as much as you can with adding an oc lol) ;)

Can I read this chapter if I haven't started any part of the Slowpoke Series yet? - definitely

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“It's so good to hold you again, sugar.”

Those words, that voice, made him relax into the bed. She was there again! He’d last imagined her when he was being tended to by those nuns, so it was only, what, a handful of days ago?

Wasn’t enough for him, he missed her so much.

“Dare, I want them all. Full stop, every last one.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I knew you’d say that.”

“As if you aren’t wantin’ to take at least a handful. All those kids with just an old woman to care for them…well, now she’s dead, but…” She sighed and held him tighter. “Lou reminds me of Enid. Don’t you think they look similar? M’sorry her name had to be Lou. A lot of things over here are making you homesick, ain’t they? And that poor boy in Maine, named TJ, too.”

He pulled her closer, doing his best to not wake himself up so Y/N would stay with him. He wished that kid, with same name as his oldest, has just gone back to his girlfriend like he'd told him to.

“Our own Louise lights a candle with me for you every day. Those nuns would be proud.”

He swore to himself that whenever these dreams happen, there’s got to be some way it isn’t just all in his head. It was way too real.

It felt so, so real.

But that Louise was lighting candles for him, he knew because Carol told him when she spoke to him briefly over the radio in Maine...

“Did Carol also mention that Lydia’s been drawing you? Or did I write part that in the letter?”

“The letter. Carol and I didn't have much time to say anything.” Y/N wrote him a long, long letter. One part mentioned how both Lydia and Glenn took to getting nightmares again after he left. At Maggie’s suggestion, Lydia had been drawing his picture. Apparently it helps her feel safer.

RJ had been 'retreating more than usual,' also. Adam was acting out, too, so she wrote. If Daryl was figuring it right, the boys losing another father figure probably hadn’t helped.

“Dare, he’s three. Three-year-olds don’t only act out with foster parents, Adam would be doin’ the same with Alden. And RJ is without Michonne right now. That's the greater culprit.”

His wife also wrote how Coco just started calling her ‘mama,’ and correcting her to say ‘auntie’ wasn’t working yet. She chalked it up to her being a motherly figure and the baby assuming all caring ladies were ‘mama.’ He wondered if Gabe knew yet. Ain’t like Y/N hasn’t been a mama to that little girl since Rosita died. Actually, nah, Gabe obviously knew; Y/N would’ve (legit) run to him immediately and told him what was up.

The faces of all their kids ran through his mind over and over, Lydia and Judith and RJ included. Then his wife’s face. Carl. Adam. Hershel. Gracie. Coco. Carol. Ezekiel. Maggie. Rosita. Aaron. Jesus. Jerry. Rick. Merle. T-Dog.

“Oo, I want to be here when T-Dog visits. Has he ever visited?” Y/N chirped.

He wished. “Once. I just think about him a lot.”

“Bummer. He must have been so thrilled when we actually did name our first after him, without you even tellin’ me nothing about how he’d teased you on it! Say, what about Uncle Jesse? Does he visit? He must’ve been happy TJ’s middle name is for him!”

He shook his head. You even visited me before I was smart enough to fall for you. When I fell down the ridge. It was you and Merle.

A sneezing from one of the kids in another part of the building resounded four times. It woke him briefly.

He closed his eyes, focused…

It was okay, Y/N was there. Daryl breathed a sigh of relief.

“I am a mite surprised you didn’t take the floor anyway,” Y/N admitted, peeking over his side to look at where the nun Isabelle was laying down next to him. “Or share with Laurent so the two sisters could share.”

“Neither of them trust me enough for me to share a room with the boy. And she sounded like she didn’t want me on the floor. Must be that I’m gettin’ too old." All I feel these days is tired and sore. "Hell, I don’t think I could get up if I slept on the floor.”

Angel, I ain’t the same without you, I’m a fucking mess. Look at the shit show that I’ve made of things.

His wife whispered, “Hey. You know I can hear that, I’m from your imagination.”

“Y/N, I miss you so fucking much.” Baby, I’m so goddamned far from you all and I don’t know how I’m gonna get out this time.

“No cusses in front of the kids, Daryl,” She cupped her belly, the one he was imagining she might have again. Carol, when she spoke to him, used what little time there was to mention how Y/N was avoiding taking a test because she missed him too much. Y/N didn’t say nothing about it in her letter she'd packed in there during one of his home visits.

How’s that for a reason to hate yourself?

“You should,” shot back another familiar voice. “Leaving your own kin, leaving your woman. Ain’t you learned nothing, boy? Didn’t think you was that much of a deadbeat but here’s proof the apple didn’t fall far from the tree."

Merle.

Damn, it’d been ages!

"Yup. Nanu nanu," his brother mocked, waving his metal stump and glaring. "Here you are, in the white flag capital of the world, surrounded by Euro kooks instead of your own blood.”

“Oh, Daryl, don’t imagine him as cruel again!" Y/N cooed. "Let us both love you if you’re gonna go about having us here.”

Daryl breathed slowly so he wouldn’t wake up. When he felt level enough, he answered, “I don’t have much control over what y’all say.”

“I thought you had some control over it.” Y/N gently pushed his hair off his face. He loved it when she did that. Delicately, she examined the new scar gracing his forehead.

“I blame that old coot what you let whup you on the head as to why you’re seeing things,” his brother crooned.

His wife nodded. “Another concussion, you poor man. But this isn’t a hallucination, it’s just a dream. It’s that good kind of dream where you’re not fully awake but not fully asleep.” She trailed her hand along his forearm.

“Y/N, you’re too good for this sad sack.”

She fired back faster than Daryl knew his imagination could go. “Merle. You love your brother to death and you’re happy he got hisself a wife and family.” Y/N had pushed herself up to sitting in order to scold him. “Tell me you don’t swell with pride seein’ him be a good father and good husband. The cycle stopped with him, and you’re proud of it.”

Daryl, a hand protectively around his wife’s side, was busy trying to figure out what Merle was even doing, whittling?

Ah, he was eating an peach with the knife attached to his metal stump.

Weird, he thought ghosts didn’t eat.

“Maybe I ain’t a real ghost, retard,” was a blunt comeback. “Maybe I’m just a poor copy you conjured up in that concussed little head of yours.” Merle then turned to Y/N. “As for you, kitten, he left you and your brats! Left you when you was up the duff, left you when you don’t even got all your legs no more! How’s he supposed to protect you when he’s out here?”

“Merle William Dixon! I ain’t ‘kitten’ and those ‘brats’ are your nieces and nephews, dick. Noah’s middle name is even for you, so you best watch your mouth, hear?”

Merle smirked and sliced off another wedge from the peach. “There’s my sister-in-law. I had to make sure your square self at least still had that fire in ya.” He offered her a slice, but she crossed her arms.

The expression on her face was so disappointed it made Daryl’s chest tug.

His brother duly inclined his head in apology and raised his hands in surrender. “You’re right, ma’am. Y’all are doing a good job on them brats. And this sumbitch ain’t nothing like our old man, so there’s something.” Merle chopped another piece of fruit. “And it’s always a pleasure to roll with a fellow amputee, Y/N. Not many can relate to how trippy the phantom limb bullshit can get.”

She tilted her head in agreement, rubbed the spot above her prosthetic calf, and settled back down next to her husband with a big sigh. “I do wish Daryl imagined you in a kinder light, Merle, but, either way, I’m happy he watched Mork & Mindy because it got him thinkin’ about you — and now you’re here for him!” Her hand grazed along her bump. “And, you meant to say to him that I was possibly pregnant.”

“Dunno about that, sister, you’ve always seem to know when you been knocked up.”

“That ain’t incorrect,” she confessed, curling in on herself. “Even if I was, it’s possible we had a loss again, Merle. Whether early or late this time.”

“Another reason he shouldn’t be screwin’ around out here.” Merle next words sliced him as if his heart were the peach in his hands. “I'm angry for your own good, lady. What if you had to handle another kid dying, this time on your own?”

The bad memories crashed down like waves threatening to drown him in grief and guilt. He wanted to pummel his brother in the hopes Merle would best him and make him pay for leaving her.

But Merle wasn't actually there. Neither was Y/N. It was pretend. Daryl was just beating himself up in his head, and failing even at that.

Y/N said the words as Daryl thought them: “Why are you twisting the knife?” She swallowed and covered her face with her hands. “Maybe, this mission is w-worth the sacrifice of, of us not havin’ him here right now.”

No. It’s not.

I know you said that before I left to make it hurt less, but it’s not. Listen to your stutter, you know it ain’t.

I should be back there with you, not constantly leaving for weeks at a time. I'm supposed to be home now. I'd told Carol when I reached her on the radio back in Maine that I'd be there in a about a week, which is what she would've told you. This whole thing is horseshit!

“Darlin’, think on happier things or you’ll upset yourself awake or into another nightmare,” Y/N soothed. "You almost woke from anger at Merle just there, which is really just anger at yourself." Her fingers laced into his where his hand rested on her belly. His wish was that his dream would include feeling the baby move. He loved that feeling. Except, he must’ve been waking up because his dream wasn’t letting him feel her hand or her belly very much when he tried. Still, it felt real enough. He’d take what he could get.

“Might could be fun to think back on how beautiful it was making them, if indeed we made another one.” She walked two fingers along his bicep. “Would’ve happened on or around the last night before you left. Or,” she mused, then started to giggle. At that moment, he could even imagine the vibrations of her laughter as if she were really, actually laying beside him. It felt so real! “I wouldn’t be surprised if made them on the day itself, that was soo — oh man, hold up!” She pulled away from him and eyed his crotch in suspicion. “No sex dreams allowed, there’s a bride of Christ in the room! Keep that thing down, deal?”

He almost laughed out loud, and possibly in real life. So long as he didn’t wake up, he didn’t care if he laughed in his sleep. The reactions, the tone, it was all just like his Y/N. And he could hope they had another kid. He’d take as many as came along.

Aw, shit, how far would she even be along, if this one made it? How long had he been away?

“Goddamn, y’all, is this some kinda kink you got?” Merle cut in. “Me and the penguin are still here, you perverts.”

“Oh hush, neither of us are actually here. Him and me aren’t doing nothin’, he just got a little aroused,” Y/N countered. “And to answer your question about another baby, Daryl, I reckon you’ll find out when you come back.” She shrugged. “Unless you reach us on a radio? Eugene is diligent about it, especially now.”

That was another thing she wrote in her letter. Eugene and his radio.

The helplessness crashed back down on him. “I’m tryin’ babe.” He didn’t want to start crying. The nun was next to him and he didn’t know if he’d be able to stop crying once he started.

Merle jeered, “Try harder, Darylina.”

He was right, Daryl needed to. He needed to try harder! What kind of washed out fuck-up was he?

“Sweetheart,” his wife called softly. Her hand caressed his cheek. It felt so, so real. “Margaret — a woman who knows the pain of losing a husband — trusted this to you because you survive. And I trusted you to go, because you’ve got the brains, the balls, and the grit. You don’t die or get bit, Daryl, no. You always come home.”

Bullshit. Not this time.

“Not bullshit. Yes, this time.” She looked to the window. “Merle, back me up.”

“Based on your track record, she’s right, little brother.”

“You may not believe you can or will,” she lifted herself up on her hands and leaned forward to kiss him. It had to have been real. It felt so, so real. But he was not about to open his eyes to see if by some miracle it was. “Despite how you feel right now, my vote is you will get that happy ending. It ain’t coincidence that Laurent said so just like our Judith did! How’s that for a reason to hope?”

Shit, he was about to break down. “Y/N, maybe I don’t deserve that. You saw the shit-show what got me here.” And there came the tears. “I left you, that’s all there is to this. I don’t deserve you.”

“Oh, that word.” Y/N wasn’t a fan of the word ‘deserve.’ “On that topic, what an honest prayer you said to bless the food! So many times you used ‘deserve,’ ugh, but,” she paused, “God loves honesty like that. Very, very much.”

She kissed his eyelids where the tears were starting to slip out, kissed the scar that never seemed to fade, then settled back against the side of his chest and curled one leg around him. With her hand, she rubbed comforting circles along his torso. “And He don’t punish or withhold, that’s just our fallen world. His hand is always out for you,” she murmured. “Say, how long do you think you can keep up with imaginin’ my theology?”

“Angel, I’m already at my limit. That’s why part of me thinks you’ve gotta be here somehow, some parts of this feel so real. Smart stuff like this ain’t in my head.”

“TJ and Georgia would call out your self-hate if they could hear you. You’d owe them a lot of quarters. Hm, and euros, seeing as you're here.”

His chest tugged at their names. “How are they?”

TJ, their oldest besides Lydia, had long hair like the little French kid here. Just one other thing that ripped at Daryl’s heartstrings to make him ache so bad for home it shocked him that he wasn’t bleeding out.

“They’re as good as gold and better. Just like their father.” That phrase he knew was from his memory because she’d said it before. “All of us miss you like crazy. Postal level.”

You shouldn’t.

“Daryl.” Her hand gripped his. There’s no way it wasn’t real. It felt so real. “When I was broken after Carl's death, and I claimed the same stuff — that you should leave me and TJ, that you needed someone better, that your life would be better if we weren’t a part of it — how much did it rip you up? ’Cause even if I hadn’t told you this before, you would have to understand how it’s tearing my insides to shreds hearin’ you think the same.”

Calm. He had to stay calm or he’d be alone again.

“I’m right,” he whispered.

“I have to disagree.”

“I —” his voice went up. He switched tactics and spoke to his brother. “Merle, talk some sense into her. I failed. This is it, this is—”

“—You did screw shit up like a royal turd, but your lady would rip my danglers off if I went along with your pretty little pity party.”

Believe it or not, the tough love helped. Felt genuine, as if Merle really was shouting some sense into him. It felt so real.

He caught his wife giving Merle an air high-five. “Thank you, Merle.”

In hindsight, Daryl figured it must’ve be because Merle, in Daryl’s imagination, had to raise his metal arm to return the five. He taunted Y/N, “You’re welcome, peg-leg.”

Dream or not, Daryl was fixing to bark, but his wife playfully kicked her own prosthetic and taunted back, “Love you, gimpy.”

His brother was smug. “Square.”

As if Y/N hadn’t heard that before.“Trailer trash.”

As if Merle hadn’t heard that before. “Goody-two shoes.”

“Two shoes? Ahem,” Y/N drawled as prim and proper as a southern belle. “Did we not just establish how I only require but one shoe these days?”

Merle slapped his thigh and cackled like a hyena and Daryl couldn’t help but do the same. Y/N joked about her missing calf like she got paid for it, pirate jokes to no end.

Daryl hadn’t felt this light in months, not even close to it since leaving home.

…And to think, it was all a lie.

All fake.

They weren’t really there. Not his wife, not his dead brother. It was all in his head.

“Oh, my sweet mangy hick. Enough moping and angst, enjoy the moment! Merle and I really did a fair job on our banter just there. And you never know, Merle could really be here, seein’ as he’s dead.”

“Y/N, I even miss bickering with ya, goddamn,” he breathed.

“It is one of our love languages. That reminds me — you’re doing great with the French, Dare!”

She can’t be serious. Or, rather, he himself can’t be serious. “Babe, I ain’t spoken a word of it. The letters don’t matter half the time. I swear, these people sound drunk.”

Merle snickered, “Hell, even I speak better French than him. Voulez vous coucher av—”

“—Well, I meant like when you used the dictionary to translate that conjugated verb.” Her voice had gone down when she said this and it sounded, well…how it usually sounded when she was turned on. “If I were there, the part where I’d push your suspenders off your shoulders would drive me wild…”

Stay calm or you’ll wake up, Daryl.

And you realllly don’t want to start a sex dream with some other chick in the room. A nun!

“Get a room, horndogs. The word was ‘conjugated,’ not ‘conjugal,’” Merle spat. “This is why you got all them kids.”

His wife made one of her signature huffs, but didn’t say nothing back to Merle. Into Daryl’s ear, she sympathized, “Being horny is so annoyin’.”

Ha. Blushing even in his dreams. Part of him wondered if he was cracking up in his sleep, too, but either way, it felt good. Felt real. It felt so, so real. “I don’t even know what ‘conjugated’ means, Y/N.”

“Yes you do, otherwise I wouldn’t say it. I’m a figment of your imagination, remember?” Aw man, why’d she have to nuzzle him in the crook of his neck? He loved it when she did that. Mmm, hot damn it felt so real… “And you know that you doin’ something like conjugating a verb in another language would be sexy to me.”

“I told y’all jackrabbits to keep your britches on. Now, Daryl: ‘conjugate’ is when you make the verb agree grammatically with the subject. You’ve heard that word before,” Merle explained. Seemed out of character. And the room looked strange, there was—it was another room now?

Daryl’s thoughts turned to when Y/N and Rosita would speak Spanish. Listening as Judith helped TJ and RJ with phonics. Watching Georgia sing to baby Louise that song Siddiq had taught her in, what language was it?

“Hey. Dummy,” Merle scoffed. “You’re driftin’ off, sweet boy. Gotta stay a teensy bit lucid if you want us here.”

So that’s why the room had just looked different. He’d been slipping.

“I still don’t get how this happens, which is why I think you’re actually here,” Daryl said to both of them. “Merle, you’re probably in…somewhere in-between.”

“What, I don’t get to be in heaven yet? Y/N, you hearin’ this uppity sumbitch?”

“He still has trouble believing in such things, Merle, especially lately. I prayed for your soul, so I got hope.”

“Thank you, sister.”

“Anytime.” Y/N looked up at Daryl and smiled. “Then what about me, dude? I ain’t dead, pinky promise. So, how is it that I come to be here?”

Yeah, he’ll be as sappy as he wants with his wife of ten years. “Maybe you’re dreamin’ about me, too.”

Merle’s kissy noises were interrupted by Daryl firmly telling him to get out after which Y/N smooched him harder than she’d had in his imagination since he’d left America. The smell of her, the sounds she made, the way she would lift her head so he could bury his face in her neck, it all felt so real.

It was when she ran her hand lower down his abdomen and almost reached his you-know-what that it all stopped cold. “Sorry! Aw, shoot — Merle! Get back in here, quick, we got carried away! Well, t-technically it was all you, Dare, but — just, please don’t get a stiffy with a nun in the room!”

“Someone should put that on a shirt,” his brother called.

“Ew, no, Merle! Good Moses, maybe I really should ought to be there if you’re startin’ to imagine messed up t-shirt slogans.” She was only teasing. “Ooh, but if I were really there I could meet little Sister Sylvie! So far, I like her.”

“I knew you would.” Daryl grinned. “The way she is with the boy, she reminds me of you.”

If only you were really here, angel.

Wait, no, I don’t want you here because you wouldn’t be safe. I need you safe.

She brought his hand to her lips. “I know what you meant, sugar.”

Unexpectedly, the nun shifted on the bed, nearly jolting him fully awake.

Slow breaths. Keep your eyes shut, do not open them!

He kept them shut tight and pictured where Y/N had been to try and keep her there.

“What am I, chopped pig’s feet?” Merle grunted.

Daryl relaxed. Merle was still there, and he got back the feeling of Y/N beside him.

“You know,” his wife considered. While she was still there, he was having trouble visualizing her. Was he still close to waking up? “That Sister Isabelle is willin’ to risk sharing a room with a strange American says a lot about how much she’ll give to protect the boy and the others here.”

“Still damn weird she didn’t just share a room, the three of ’em.”

“It is. It’s really weird.” Y/N rested her forehead on his chest. He felt the warmth of her breathing against him. If he focused really hard, he could just about imagine the feel her heartbeat, too. “Maybe she’s fixing to be the first line of defense, with all them other kids livin’ here.”

“Still weird,” he grunted. “Hey, where’d my—” He looked around in his imagination at the room. “Where’d my brother go?”

“Maybe he wanted another peach. Or, maybe you're too close to wakin’ up. Be careful, darling.”

He breathed slowly and kept his eyes locked shut. His frustration was growing. It had felt so real, why was it going away?

Calm. Stay calm so she’ll stay.

“It was also unusual,” Y/N thought, “how Sister Izzy—”

“—Sister Izzy?”

He imagined that her mouth would have twisted in embarrassment. “Yes, I’d probably definitely give her that nickname. You sure know how to portray me realistically.” She started again, “It’s unusual how she didn’t accommodate for your maybe-not-wantin’-to-be-seen-in-the-tub-by-a-nun. By anyone, for that matter. Although,” she reconsidered, “they were nurses who had to change your undies and cauterize your wound, weren’t they?” When he pictured her bottom lip beginning to tremble, he held her closer. “Oh, I hate that they all died but for two! What has this world come to? Why would those men kill them?”

That was something.

The dream got easier to maintain. He felt the curve of her waist. The rise and fall of her chest. It felt real again. It felt so, so real.

Relieved, he didn’t know what to say at first other than, “The water was cloudy enough.” When he was getting treated, bathed, doctored, how hard he wished it was Y/N doing it. Another thing that made him ache, watching them nuns give him medical attention when for the past 12 years it’d almost always been his wife.

He breathed out heavily. “Dunno, when she was in there, it wasn’t too uncomfortable.”

“The habit can have that effect on some. The crucifixes and religious artworks hopefully brought some peace, too.”

“Habit?”

“Nun outfit.”

He tried to hold her even tighter. The way it felt more real than before encouraged him, got him nearly falling off his seat with excitement that he got her back!

Except, the excitement turned into panic that he might lose this moment because he was so happy, as fake as it was.

And it sent him over the edge. Just like that, he was awake. Very awake. And alone. No Y/N, no Merle.

He blinked as the room came into focus.

None of it was real. He’d, he'd known that.

And now he was awake. Lying on some flat, shitty, tiny bed, an ocean away, in a country full of people he didn’t understand, that had walkers who burned you when they touched you, and soldiers who shot up a convent full of nuns who patched up strangers and were only trying to keep a little boy safe.

He didn’t even have his ring anymore. All he had was a snippet on a voice recorder that told the world his name and how badly he'd fucked up.

Daryl turned onto his side, the pain from his burned arm screaming at him, but he didn’t give one flying fuck. Y/N wasn’t there anymore because his stupid ass had woken up! He’d earned the pain, he needed it, he deserved it.

Quietly, he thought to hell with it and let himself weep. He was so fucking done with all this bullshit.

He wanted Y/N back. He wanted his kids back. The fuck kind of brainless jackass was he, leaving them for so long, so much? And for what?

To "see what's out there?"

As if he'd find people who had a cure?

To bring Rick and Mich home? If Rick is even alive, if Michonne is alive.

To transport some creepy French boy to a group of weirdos grasping at the hope of some imaginary friend in the sky who damns them if they don’t do all the rules in the world that He’d let go to shit as a punishment or test?

Really, was Daryl that much of a guilt-ridden jerk-off to still say yes to whatever Maggie asks him to do? It’s a hopeless fu—

“Daryl, I love you so much. Please don’t blaspheme.”

“Y/N?” I thought you was gone. No, you were gone, I woke up! “You’re back?” Holy shit, thank you. Thank you! Thank you, Whoever's up there.

That small, shy smile melted all the ice he’d just had in his heart. “Try not to wake all the way again?”

He didn’t waste any more time blubbering like an idiot, he reached for her and held on. It was still a dream, so he had to be careful to not get too excited or do anything too stimulating. And, don’t worry, he wasn’t about to willingly get a hard-on when there was a nun next to him.

He just needed to have Y/N in his arms again so he could make it through the next 5 minutes without going insane!

For 12 years, she’d been there, loving him in one way or another. For 10 years they’d been husband and wife. Without her, without their kids there, in that strange, foreign place, he was losing himself so quick it brought him to his knees with shame.

Her lips pulled away for a moment. “I wouldn’t agree that you’re losing yourself. I watched Shaney lose himself, it looked different. Daryl, I’m serious,” she insisted. “Listen: did you not save that dad and daughter even after they robbed you?”

Big whoop. “You know what those guerrilla shits would’ve done to her." The same thing that got done to you. "And those assholes would prolly have made the old man watch and killed me regardless.”

“Yeah, but you also went back to try and save that gaggle of nuns from those jar-head pieces of shit, that’s got to count for somethin’.” Wait, that was Merle’s voice. He was back, too?

Daryl looked over at the window to see his brother there once more. Merle winked. “My baby brother, the hero. Stay zen if you’re fixing to keep us here, now. Keep hittin’ that sweet spot between dreamland and the real world.”

Y/N beamed at Merle before turning back to Daryl. “And did you not help those children get the medicine, Dare? Heck, now they got access to that whole castle full of supplies and it’s so much more secure. Um, m-minus the moat full of dead ones.”

“I lied to those kids out my ass, Y/N. Lied and didn’t give a damn.”

“And you ensured none of them got hurt, then promptly admitted the lie with what I’d call purity of heart.”

“I cut that boy’s mule loose without a second thought. You see that? He loved that thing.”

“Better than to have failed to back up the cart in time, which would have happened and would have gotten all five of y’all eaten. And it was almost fast enough to escape by the looks of it. One dead mule to the benefit of four living souls is a good outcome.”

“What’d my sister-in-law say earlier?” Merle asked. “Brains, balls, and grit? Not to sound all mushy gushy, but she’s right.”

The memories of falling into that moat of walkers seized him, made him start to panic again. No brains, no balls, he almost died right in there—

“—Baby, shh,” Y/N hushed. Her arms tightly wrapped around him the way she would when his nightmares hit bad. “You survived. No bites. No burns. Not even a broken bone, I don’t know how you managed it again.” Her lips, her chest, her hands pressed against him. It felt so, so real. “But you always seem to.” She kissed him. “You’ve got brains.” Another kiss. “Balls.” A deeper kiss. “And grit. And you’re alive, sweetheart. There’s always hope as long as your heart is still beating.”

“How will I get out of this?”

“You’ll find a way,” she said with confidence. “You simply don’t know what the way is yet.”

“What do I do about the nuns?”

“Help them keep Laurent safe, of course — if you choose to do so.”

I don’t want to.

“You don’t have to,” she assured him.

I want to go home.

“And you will,” she assured him once again.

I don’t want to help them. I don’t want to. I don’t fucking want to!

…God damn it. “But I should.”

“You ain’t obligated,” Y/N responded, but with hesitation that time. “It is up to you.”

Merle was the one to point out, “It’s that conscience of yours, kid. Sometimes you just can’t help but help. I’ve been watchin’ you these past, what is it, 11 years since I got my crusty white ass killed?” He chuckled to himself as he shaved off the final bit of peach before flicking the pit away. “Can’t be too mad at it when it roped you a fine piece of ass to squeeze at night and how many kids because of it?”

“Merle,” Y/N warned.

Daryl could feel his anger rising.

“What, ain’t you relieved I can’t call you ‘sweet little virgin’ no more, son?” Merle kept egging on.

“Daryl, this isn’t really him. Don’t get angry or we’ll both disapp—”

“—So, my thinking is, Daryl, that you just won’t be able to help yourself from bringing that little sissy boy to them nutjobs —”

“Shut up!” Daryl burst out — and opened his eyes in real time. Again? Is he that much of an idiot?

His pulse was pounding. Dread and self-loathing flooded his mind, how stupid could he be?

Immediately, he squeezed his eyes shut in a desperate hope to get his wife and brother back. He focused, focused, focused, prayed, pretended, focused…

“Daryl,” came her voice.

He could hear Y/N, but not see her. It was clear that it was all him forcing the memory of her voice back. It was all in his head.

“Why bother caring that it’s in your head, sugar? Breathe slowly and focus on the feel of my body against yours. I don’t wanna leave you."

“Y/N, I need to get back,” he panted. “I can use their help to do that. Those religious people, the Union of Hope or whoever, Isabelle says they got a good radio. I need that to get back home.”

“Well, there you go! I trust you.”

He reached up to tangle his fingers where her hair would be. His imagination wasn’t letting it happen, so he focused with gratefulness that at least he could still hear her.

“Just don’t abuse their trust, and you’ll be alright,” she softly pleaded.

Don’t break their trust? “Angel, you don’t know what I did to end up in this mess.”

Of all the ways he could have daydreamed her reacting, it was that her laughter filled the room. “For the last time, my mangy hick, I am a figment of your imagination and quite literally know everythin’ inside that brain of yours. And I still love you despite that ‘shit-show’ what landed you here.”

He brought to mind the color of her eyes, wanting, wanting, begging for a miracle that would make her truly there with him so he could stare into them all night. “What would you say if I asked ‘that if I don’t find nothing, what good am I?’”

“Y/N, you can blame our raising for that shit right there,” his brother commented.

“You poor boys. Broken people sometimes make for broken kids.”

Gently, he started to perceive the way she would rub her cheek against his chest when she’d lay down with him. “Daryl? If I were here, I’d say things to try and make it stick in your head that your worth ain’t dependent on what you can offer.”

“What does it depend on, then?”

“Careful, you’re treading into religious waters now, and I ain’t sure you’ve got the bandwidth tonight. But God is involved,” she hinted.

This mess was hopeless, wasn’t it? No winning, no out, no happy ending.

“Angel, I can’t come home empty-handed.” He squeezed his eyes tighter and willed himself to not lose his cool yet again. “I can’t come home with no Rick or Michonne, no cure, no nothin’ but a burn, more nightmares, and more lives on my conscience.”

“You can,” she answered simply. “It ain’t all on you. No — please, don’t get any more upset or you’ll wake up again! Daryl, I’ve already slipped so far away!” He heard his wife begin to cry, but the sound went further and further from him. All he could see were the backs of his eyelids.

Still, he held on as best he could. “Please stay here, angel.”

“I-I would, sweetheart.”

“When I’m back, I won’t even want to leave the walls to hunt if it would mean not being next to you, d’you know that?”

“Let someone else hunt. You’ve done enough to last a lifetime.” Her voice was hoarse the way it had been when she’d said those same words to him about a year and a half ago. “More than enough. Oh Daryl, I’m so sorry we’re going.”

“Not yet, angel, please don’t!”

“Use all those things makin’ you homesick as reasons to hope. Do it for me, sugar. Get yourself home again. Don’t die, don’t get bit.”

“I won’t. I’ll get back to you. Tell the kids I love ’em?”

There was silence.

Stillness.

Daryl lay there, accepting that he couldn’t feel Y/N next to him anymore.

His throat tightened. “Angel?”

He doesn’t know why he bothered. She was gone, he knew it. He ran his finger where his ring should’ve been, if he hadn’t lost it.

“Angel,” he tried again.

Silence.

“Babe, please. Please.”

Silence.

“Y/N, please, one more time, angel.”

Silence.

The pain in him was hollow and cold.

Feeling small and helpless, he lifted his arms above his head and held back a wail of despair. He closed his eyes again and, in his head, he cried out in desperation, “Merle?”

At first, there was no answer. He hadn't expected one. Why should he?

But then he heard a quiet, low, “I’m still here.”

Merle spoke slowly and heavily, almost as if it hurt him to admit it. “I don’t think she’s gonna come back tonight, Daryl. You’ve already fallen out a few times. I ain’t gonna be here much longer, neither. You know that.”

Any strength he had left seeped out like a stab wound, leaving him crying like a child. “I can’t see you anymore.”

“I know, little brother.”

“It felt so real.”

“It sure as hell did. I think you needed it, even if it hurts like a bitch now.”

It had felt so, so real!

But it wasn’t. “I’m alone,” he choked out.

“Nothin’ you can’t handle.” For a moment Daryl could make out his brother’s face again. “You’re a tough sumbitch, so I’d advise you act like it. Quit blubberin’ like a baby and wipe the snot out your nose.”

Daryl sniffed and tried to get a grip.

“Good.” Merle’s voice began to echo. He was almost gone, too. “Now listen here: don’t die, don’t get bit. Get your ass back where you belong.”

The room came into view.

The echoing stopped.

The hollow, cold pain he’d felt at knowing they were gone there turned sharp and hot. Turns out, it was actually the throbbing in his arm. Daryl really had turned onto his side, which positioned his burned arm underneath him. He strained to get off it and flip onto his back.

You know what? The pain from his burned arm didn’t hold a candle to the ache in his chest.

Were those tears on his face, too? Guess he must’ve started crying for real in his sleep. Made sense considering how real it all felt. It all felt so real.

If only his pulse would stop racing, he felt sick.

He was getting damned old.

Instinctively, he tried to fiddle with his wedding band, which is when he recalled yet again how he’d lost it. Only a faint tan line remained.

He closed his eyes, exhausted, and chewed at his lip. Another tear or two escaped and ran hot down his cheek.

A strange part of him wished he hadn’t lied to Laurent about having a wife and family back home. At the time he said it so it wouldn't hurt as much, but…

“You deserve a happy ending, too,” the kid had told him. Just like his Judith had, when she saw how low and unworthy he begun to feel. She told her auntie Y/N, too, of course, not that his wife wasn’t unaware of how twisted his head had gotten into thinking he was no good. It didn’t feel twisted to him, it felt honest. He didn’t deserve them. They were too good.

His wife’s words to him played again in his mind. He may have just been making all that shit up in his brain, but he was only remembering a mix of real things that she’d told him before, over and over in the hopes his stupid ass would accept it one day.

“Despite how you feel right now, my vote is you will get that happy ending. It ain’t coincidence that Laurent said so just like our Judith did! How’s that for a reason to hope?”

He did need a reason. It was getting harder and harder to hold onto hope. Any hope.

So, maybe, a weird kid with long hair like TJ’s who drew a picture of some washed-up bum on a beach three weeks before Daryl showed up was reason enough to hope. He could grasp onto that.

If it would get him home, hell yeah, he could do that.

How the same weird kid told him what his niece had and what his wife had could be reason enough, too. He could grasp onto that as well, if it would get him home. He could do that for them.

Daryl ran his hand in slow, gentle circles along his stomach like Y/N would. Maybe he’d been doing this in his dream, which is why it felt so real.

It had all felt so, so real.

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

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[ripleyresonance]

Sweet Enough to Eat

Sugar Mommy Rhea! x OC

Part 2

Happy Holiday's Mosherz. I hope you all made it on the naughty list this year. This is part 1 of a sugar mommy Rhea fic idea I had. Let me know if you want more...it might be ready already...

Cali had always enjoyed the finer things in life.

Her favorite perfume was Vanilla Diorama by Dior. Her favorite weekend getaway was Nicè, France. And she had even had her favorite sakè flown in from Japan on a bi-weekly schedule.

The best part was that she didn’t spend a dime on this lifestyle. It was all thanks to her sugar mommy.

Cali smiled sitting at her vanity and looking at a picture of her “mami” on her vanity. Cali was unsure which state or country she was in right now. Being an international WWE superstar meant she was gone most of the time. And with past sugar mommy’s, Cali had never cared as long as they bought her what she wanted she was happy. But something about this one left this empty feeling inside of her when Rhea left.

It all started a few months ago. Cali was down on her luck in a major way. Her last sugar mommy had ghosted her and she was running low on perfume. It had even been three weeks since she had her nails done. It was a dire situation.

To take her mind off it she went to her favorite bar from college. She knew they had cheap drinks so she put on a baseball cap and sunglasses and just tried to keep your head down and drink the sadness away. By the time she left, she was understandably pretty fucked up. Maybe she was a little too fucked up as she was bent over throwing up on the brick wall next to the building in the ally. She went to sit on the cool pavement as she felt a strong arm hold her up.

“Woah woah easy there beautiful. Don’t want you to sit in this puke puddle.” An Australian accent said to Cali.

Cali giggled as she stood up facing the woman.

“Y-you sound like bluey.” Cali burped.

The woman laughed.

“You would be surprised how often I get that.” She smiled.

“Can I get you an Uber love, you look like it’s been a rough night?” She said frowning a bit.

“Oh, you wouldn’t even believe the half of it! I mean first, she ghosted me and didn’t even leave me enough money to get my nails done last week now look at them.” Cali cried showing the woman her nails.

“Who could ever let such a pretty thing let their nails go undone?!” She said playing along with Cali.

Cali smiled at the woman as her drunk brain thought someone finally understood her problems.

“What’s your address honey?” the woman asked propping her against the wall to grab her phone.

Cali frowned at the woman.

“I don’t wanna go home. It’s not like anyone will be waiting for me.” Cali said making the women pause for a moment. “Did you want to go back to my place?” She offered.

Cali gasped dramatically.

“Are you trying to kidnap me!?” Cali said loudly.

The women panicked.

“NO NO oh god you just looked sad and sounded like you-“ the woman stuttered.

Cali laughed loudly playfully pushing her shoulder. “I’m fucking with you. A sexy buff lady just asked me to come back to her house. I’ll happily be kidnapped.” Cali said putting her hands out in front of her acting ready for cuffs.

The woman chuckled rubbing the back of her neck.

“You going to be a real handful huh?”

“I could be two handfuls if you wanted..” Cali said grabbing her chest and making the woman laugh.

“C'mon then my car is around the corner she said grabbing Cali’s hand to guide her. It was warm and grounding, enough for her to realize.

“Wait wait wait,” Cali said making the woman stop to face her.

“I’m about to go home with you but I don't even know your name. I mean not like I haven't hooked up with someone before not knowing their name” Cali said.

The woman thought for a moment before touching Cali's chin lightly.

“ We are not doing anything tonight in the state you are in besides getting you a new outfit. You can call me Rhea…what can I call you?” Rhea said her voice low.

“Shit with that voice you can call me whatever you like.” Cali felt her face heat up. “But my friends call me Cali”.

“Well…Cali, shall we go home?”

The next thing Cali knew she was opening her eyes to a bull terrier licking her face.

She shot up in a bed that was not hers as a woman ran in the door.

“Oh shit I am so sorry I wanted to let you sleep in. Barry DOWN off the bed.” the woman snapped as the dog ran off.

Cali looked at the woman momentarily as last night flooded back to her. She remembered her picking her off of the sidewalk, going back to her place…throwing up on her-

“Oh, my god.” Cali said “I just remembered…I am so sorry!” She went to move from the bed until she realized she had no clothes on.

Cali looked mortified as Rhea quickly reassured her.

“We didn't do anything! After you threw up on me I went to go shower and I came back to you naked and laying on my bed so I threw the blanket on you and went to sleep on the couch” Rhea said frantically.

“I- oh my god.” is all Cali could say putting her head in her hands.

“Hey hey we all have had those days, trust me,” Rhea said leaning down next to her and placing a glass of water and ibuprofen on the nightstand.

“You have woken up naked in a stranger's bed after she picked you up out of your own puke?” Cali said peeking out of her hands.

“Well…no,” Rhea admitted causing Cali to groan and fall over.

Rhea laughed going to her closet to grab Cali some clothes.

“Here you can take a shower real quick and throw on these clothes, I will make us some coffee.” Rhea smiled before leaving Cali alone.

As Cali showered all she could do was die of embarrassment remembering the night before. Did she call A total stranger a “sexy buff lady?”. On top of that strip naked and lay on her bed. Cali had to get out of there quickly but after walking out to the kitchen she was hit with the smell of toast.

“There you are sunshine, I got coffee and some toast, the hangover breakfast of champions.”

Rhea sat the food on her kitchen island before Cali as she just stared at the woman.

“Why are you being so nice to me…” Cali said quietly. Rhea looked at the woman with soft eyes.

“Last night you told me you didn't want to go home…you said no one was waiting there..and I don't think anyone should feel that way…especially not someone as beautiful as you are.”

Rhea mumbled the last part as Cali blushed taking a seat and drinking a sip of coffee.

“So did you just break up with your partner then?” Rhea questioned as she leaned against the counter sipping a cup of her coffee.

“Oh no, I haven't dated in…a long time.” Cali laughed

Rhea cocked her eyebrow.

“Sorry you mentioned someone was paying for your nails and perfume so I assumed,” Rhea said

Cali groaned internally thinking how she was about to explain to this kind stranger that she just gets sugar mommies to buy her things. She should have just lied but the ibuprofen was taking longer than she wanted to kick in.

“I uh…people like to buy me those things sometimes,” Cali said avoiding eye contact.

Rhea had a devious smile across her face.

“Are you a sugar baby?” Rhea questioned.

Cali signed looking at Rhea.

“Okay okay let me explain I started back in college and it was super easy and I started getting used to all the gifts and attention and-” Cali rambled.

“Hey hey, no judgment from me..It's not like you are scamming people. They just like giving you what you want, and I see why.” Rhea smirked.

Cali looked confused as Rhea set her cup down standing in front of Cali grabbing her hand. “You were right last night. I cannot believe someone would let you have your nails grown out this much. I would let you change them multiple times a week if that was what you wanted.

Cali stared at her shaking her head and laughing.

“Okay okay poke fun of me all you want thank you for the breakfast,” Cali said getting up as Rhea as Rhea pulled her hand again.

“I’m being serious…Cali.” Rhea said.

“My job has me flying everywhere, I am rarely here at home and it would be nice to have someone to come home to when I am back Maybe even fly out sometimes.” Rhea smiled.

Cali blinked a couple of times trying to process what Rhea was saying.

“… I’m sorry but do you remember me puking on you less than twenty-four hours ago? Why in the fuck would you want to be my sugar mommy.” Cali said highly confused.

“Because Cali I find you…interesting, and I want to find out why,” Rhea said lightly kissing the inside of Cali’s wrist making her blush.

As the offer hung in the air Cali’s mind raced at the unexpected turn of events. Rhea offered to go get her nails fixed she couldn't help but feel a sort of tension in the air…Cali did not know if it was all in her head or what but she could have sworn that kiss to her wrist was more romantic than transactional.

[hb-writes]

The Keeper

Summary: 1923 in the Little Lady Blinderverse. When Clara hides herself away at a charity event, Isiah is tasked with finding her and bringing her back to the party.

Characters: Isiah Jesus & Clara Shelby (OC)

Peaky Blinders (Little Lady Blinder) Masterlist

Comfy-vember 2024 Masterlist

—

Clara ignored the throbbing pain in her ankle, most of her weight resting on her good leg and her crutches as she reached for a book two shelves up. 

“All these years and you’re still sneaking your brother’s books, eh?” 

Clara stumbled at the interruption, both her crutches and the book she had been reaching for clattering to the floor as she twisted around to find Isiah there leaning against the door frame, a smirk playing on his lips.

Clara sighed, her hand firmly gripping on the edge of the bookshelf as she steadied herself, balancing on one foot.  

“I’m allowed to read what I wish now, Isiah,” she offered, a fond smile on her face as Isiah pushed off the door frame and crossed the room, leaning down to pick up the book when he reached her side.

He hummed in acknowledgment as he handed her the book. “You’re not allowed on that ankle though, are you, love?”

Isiah didn't wait for a response, using Clara’s moment of distraction as she tried to come up with a clever retort to sweep her up into his arms and take the few steps to the sofa. 

“I was—” Clara let out a huff as Isiah dropped her down on the sofa. “—fine. My ankle is fine, Isiah.” 

Isiah hummed again as he elevated Clara’s legs, slipping beneath them so he could settle her feet in his lap. 

“This one looks a bit swollen,” he answered as he studied the offending ankle. “Does it hurt?”

“No,” Clara quipped, trying unsuccessfully to pull her foot back from Isiah’s inspection. “And it’s not swollen.” 

“No?” Isiah asked, his hands idly rearranging her feet to better compare, a sudden hiss coming from Clara’s lips as his fingers grazed the offending ankle. “Seems like you’ve been up straining it more than you’ve been resting it.”

“I have not—”

“That’s not what Frances says,” Isiah answered. “I thought the doctor put you on bedrest?” 

“I don’t recall him specifying anything beyond resting,” she answered. “And I have been resting. All day long, in fact. So much so that now I’m terribly bored.”

“Ah yes, you've been resting so much that you’ve somehow found yourself down in your brother’s office.”

“I was looking for a new book,” Clara answered, waving the book in question in her hand. 

“You sure you weren’t looking for those books over there?” Isiah nodded toward the stack of accounting books on Tommy’s desk.

“Just this one,” Clara answered.

"So if I went to check, I wouldn't see any new in the ledger?" he asked.

Clara tried to scoot herself to sit up straight and pull her legs out of Isiah's hold, but he stopped her, holding Clara's feet firmly in his lap. 

"I only came down for the book," she answered as she gave up on getting away from him. It was technically the truth. She had come down for the book, scooting down the main stairs on her bottom in order to get from her bedroom to the first floor. She'd only remembered the ledgers were there while scooting between the fourth and fifth steps. "And before you ask, I only came down by myself because no one was around."

Both of Isiah's eyebrows rose as he snorted. “Well now you have your book, so I guess you can stay put right here. If you need something else, I can—”

“If I need something, I have crutches and I can get it myself.” 

“Your crutches are on the other side of the room, love,” he answered. “If you need to go anywhere, I’ll be taking you. You're meant to be off your feet.” 

Clara scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest. “And see I thought you stopped by because you missed my company, Is.”

Isiah snorted. “I’m here because you don’t seem to listen to anyone but me, and even then, it's only after a fight.”

“I don’t need a keeper.” 

“Tommy says you do,” Isiah offered, continuing on before Clara could interrupt. “And so does Aunt Pol.” 

Clara huffed, her eyes rolling as she handed over the book and leaned back against a throw pillow, making herself comfortable. “Well, you best make yourself useful while you’re here, keeper boy.”

Isiah opened the book and didn’t bother arguing with her. He just started reading, unsurprised to find it was one of Tommy’s books on psychology, a topic Clara had been reading more and more on recently though it didn’t particularly interest Isiah.

He read a few pages, his attentions focused solely on the pages before finally stealing a glance at Clara, the features of her face already smooth and relaxed as she dosed, finally at rest for what he imagined was the first time all day. Noticing Clara was asleep, Isiah set the book aside. He knew he should take her up to bed, but he knew that if he did so, it would mean the end of their evening together. 

If Isiah put Clara to bed properly now, it would mean leaving her to find himself a spot in one of the guest rooms. It would mean he wouldn't see her until morning.

That was how things usually went when he visited Arrow House. Usually, those conditions—namely, the condition of him sleeping down the hall—didn’t much bother him, but Isiah wouldn’t be able to look after her that way. He wouldn’t be right there if Clara needed him, and some part of him worried that she might need him. Or maybe some part of him just hoped she might need him. Hoped he could help.

Either way, Isiah decided not to carry Clara up to bed. He just leaned back against the sofa instead and closed his eyes, his breathing growing long and steady as it matched the cadence of Clara’s breaths at the other end of the couch…

The light of dawn was just peeking through the windows of Tommy’s office by the time Isiah woke, a fond smile on Clara’s face as she studied him over the top of her book under a bit of lamp light.

“Mornin', love,” Isiah said as he stretched out, careful of the feet that still rested in his lap. 

"Mornin', keeper boy," she answered. "There's tea and biscuits if you'd like some."

Isiah glanced at the tray on the coffee table, a deep sigh coming through his lips as he glanced at Clara, the crutches that had been across the room the night before now settled beside her on the floor.

"And how precisely did that tray get up here from the kitchens?"

Clara shrugged, reaching out for a biscuit before answering. "I suppose we'll never know since my dutiful keeper fell asleep."

—

Peaky Blinders (Little Lady Blinder) Masterlist

Comfy-vember 2024 Masterlist

[hey-heigo]

oh yeah i saw your reblog of togami fun fact and i think i followed you because you chew on him so well. do you have posts of your thoughts on togami's backstory? (you can answer privately btw)

i straight up don't remember if i've ever posted in length about my byakuya backstory headcanons (if i ever did they'd be catalogued under '#my thoughts' probably, that's the tag i use for my fandom posts) but! just for you i will list a few that i have off of the top of my head

i liked the concept of the togami novel and ended up perceiving the heir struggle as like. not a necessarily organized competition (what with heir prospectives trying to assassinate each other or otherwise blackmail, threaten, or force each other out of the running) but more a survival challenge with occasional tests of cleverness, strength, etc. and byakuya managed to win by manipulation and sheer force of will, and doing things that might be considered 'underhanded' or 'shameful' (see: polaris p polanski) -> testament to ambition

byakuya says something cringe in thh like 'im perfect in every way. wits, ability, and body' which always pissed me off but as a result i ended up seeing him as like. above average in athletics, maybe good agility and reaction time? and capable of self-defense, but definitely nowhere near professional levels, and not in a way that's obvious from looking at him

re: physical ability and 'perfection', i don't think he's an 'ultimate' anything aside from 'ultimate progeny'. like he's not the ultimate stock-broker or the ultimate viola-player, but he can do both things pretty well. more of a jack-of-all-trades master-of-none kind of talent. maybe that eats at him a little, the fact that he won't ever be truly outstanding in one single field until he becomes togami head

also re: physical ability, he gets his blue eyes from his mother's side, so he's more sensitive to light. but his mild near-sightedness and need for corrective lenses is from his father's side. he doesn't know this though, so he blames his mother's genetic for all of it

he was planning to get lasik after becoming head of the family but. well. lol

he's half-french. his mother is french. i dont think ive ever posted about mamagami but ive definitely made mention of her in my fic, though at this point she's more of an oc than anything since there's like, no canon info about her at all. but she's a french sculptor who did not want a child and does not want any relation to the togami family other than having them as like. art clients. a cool lady very dedicated to her profession and could have been the ultimate sculptor, but kind of a emotionally neglectful mother ngl

there probably is some more canon info on papagami , aka kijo togami's character but i haven't really bothered looking for it. instead i made him into a sad little man who kind of hates his role as togami head and would've preferred a more mundane life (like as an architect - i actually did make a post about this somewhere), but he won his generation's heir competition because he felt like he had to, not because he necessarily wanted to. for reasons yet unsaid

byakuya spent the first part of his vulnerable youth being emotionally neglected at his mother's villa/art studio in france (hence the bilingualism hinted in the canon). when he left to join the heir competition after one too many assassination attempts he got one of his mom's business partners and former exes (a guy named 'polanski') to shelter him

byakuya's impressions of his parents: his mom sucks (fair i suppose) and his dad lacks real ambition and isn't suited to his role. or at least, he could be surpassed very easily. byakuya plans to make himself the greatest heir ever seen because of his shit parent combo

byakuya's known pennyworth the butler since birth. i have this idea that each togami kid gets just one togami family servant to help shape them into their roles. pennyworth happens to be the oldest of the roster but also the most experienced, and is kind of a shifty old man (i.e: very cunning and more loyal to the family than the child he's been assigned to, though that changes as byakuya gets older)

byakuya's also probably a girl and bisexual but he''s trying to take over the world through his shitty family's conglomerate and then survive a murder game apocalypse so she doesn't really care about that rn

[sea-of-eden]

introducing my newest oc in the best way possible (BOOBS). she’s the one on the left btw. her name’s frances and the other beautiful lady is her girlfriend domino :3

anyways butch4butch FOR LIFE 🫡

[cetaitlaverite]

Anything to Anywhere

Masters of the Air - John Egan x OC

masterlist is hereee <3

19. Mourning Doves

“God, I just can’t stop thinking about it,” Stella said to no one in particular. Lying back on her bed, freshly showered and in her pyjamas, her trusty childhood teddy bear right beside her and all the radiators turned up now that winter had officially fallen; she couldn’t have been further away from what Guy, one of the 161 pilots, was likely going through right now. “Camped out with the Resistance in occupied France,” she went on, shaking her head. She shut her eyes as she tried to picture it; the dark, the cold, the fear. It made her stomach turn. “It must be the scariest thing in the world.”

From the bed opposite Stella’s, Houds gave a noncommittal hum, tactfully uttered in time with the rhythmic rise and fall of the balled up pair of socks she was throwing and catching as she, too, lounged back on her bed. “Well, he’s got a better chance of surviving out there than we would. Official RAF documents and an official RAF uniform - if he gives himself up he’ll be a prisoner of war, yes, but the Germans adhere to the Geneva Convention. At least then he’d definitely survive the war, which is more than any of us over here can say. Much more than we’d be able to say if we went down, undeclared lady pilots as we are.”

“I hope he does give himself up,” Donny said. For her part, she was sitting on her bed, beside Houds’, and painting her toenails a bright shade of red. “It’ll be so much worse if he gets caught trying to escape.”

Lucky scoffed from where she was curled up on her side at Stella’s feet. “If the Germans cannot find the squadron he flew for - which they will not, since it is secret - then they will know he has been up to something suspicious. They will not treat him like any other RAF pilot.” She hummed an affirmative, as though agreeing with herself. “He should hide and escape.”

“But downed airmen caught trying to hide or escape get it worse,” Houds reasoned. Her rhythm never faltered, that balled up pair of socks going up and falling down over and over again like a pendulum. “Discovered downed airmen get about as bad treatment as we’d get if we ever went down.”

Donny reached out with the hand which had been holding her foot steady and gave Houds a firm thump for that one. “Don’t say things like that!”

“What?” Houds asked. Her socks had gone flying across the room with the impact of Donny’s whack but she didn’t bother to retrieve them, simply lay there rubbing her arm and pouting. “It’s true! You’ve heard what people have been saying about those dreadful civilian camps. The men here might get away with POW status but we certainly won’t - there’s no formal recognition of any women serving in the British military, much less flying for a secret squadron in the RAF. They’d assume we’re spies.”

All the blood had drained out of Stella’s face. Her body went still as she stared up at the ceiling above her. “What happens to spies?”

“No one knows,” Lucky said. “We only hear rumours.”

“Torture,” Houds elaborated. “And then medical experimentation. That’s what I heard.”

Donny thumped her again. “Would you shut up?!”

“Medical experimentation?” Stella asked. She felt sick. “Are you serious?”

Lucky gave her ankle a pat. “They are only rumours.”

“I wouldn’t put it past the Nazis though,” Stella pointed out. She didn’t feel like lying down any more, her stomach was too unsettled, so she pushed herself upright and pulled her knees into her chest.

Lucky sat up as well, leaning back against Stella’s shins, and shrugged. “Do not go down and we will not find out. Is simple.”

Reluctantly, Stella cracked a tiny smile. “I’ll try my best.”

“It’s not like they let us land anyway,” Houds pointed out. Pushing herself up, she climbed off her bed to retrieve her socks, speaking over her shoulder as she went, “They promised all four of us that we’d eventually fly for 161 and here we all are, stuck with 138.”

“Nothing wrong with 138,” Donny objected.

“That’s not the point,” Houds argued, returning to her bed and lying back down again. She recommenced her throwing and catching. “The point is, they keep promising us more and then taking it away again. Mouse told Bambi when she first got here that they were preparing her for 161 training, and now she’s been here for a month and nothing. Ten ferries flown and nothing!”

“If medical experimentation’s what’s waiting for me on the ground then maybe I don’t want to fly for 161,” Stella cut in. Her stomach was still rolling at the thought. “I’m quite happy dropping my Joes and turning around if it means I get to keep all my vital organs inside my body.”

Houds scoffed. “Oh, Bambi, don’t be a baby.”

Donny laughed. “She can’t help it! She got her name because she’s a baby.”

“I’m almost twenty-three!” Stella insisted. “In two days I’ll be twenty-three, and then I’ll be only three years younger than Lucky.”

“Such a baby!” Donny cooed. “You’re so cute, Babs.”

Stella scowled. “No one has ever described me as cute.”

Donny grinned at her. “I just did.”

“Are you excited for your birthday, Babs?” Lucky asked, turning to look at Stella and opting to lean sideways against her legs instead. “Twenty-three is a good age, I think.”

Stella shrugged and tried to give no other discernible reaction than that. “I don’t like my birthday, so not really.”

Donny gasped. “You don’t like your birthday?!”

“What’s not to like about a birthday?!” Houds demanded.

Stella laughed but the sound was strained and awkward to her own ears. Forced. “I’ve just never liked it.”

“But you get presents,” Donny said, frowning. “And cake. And attention. And people are obligated to be nice to you.”

Again, Stella gave that forced laugh. She couldn’t seem to help it. She didn’t really know what else to do with herself. “My birthdays are different from your birthdays, I suppose.”

Donny shook her head, an uncomprehending smile on her face. “What do you mean?”

“It’s fine, forget I said -”

“You do not get presents?” Lucky cut in. “Or you do not get cake or attention or people being nice?”

Stella sighed, lifting a hand to rub at her eyes. “The last time I got a birthday present I was eighteen,” she explained grudgingly. “I’ve never had a birthday cake.”

“You what?!”

“It’s fine!” Stella insisted. “It’s not a big deal -”

“It is a huge deal!” Donny cut across her.

Houds was nodding along with her, sitting up again now. “It is kind of the biggest deal ever, Bambi,” she agreed.

“Why have you never had a birthday cake?” Lucky wondered curiously.

Internally, Stella was cringing. She never should have said anything. “My family didn’t do birthday cakes,” she replied simply, picking at the blanket beneath her. “We didn’t have the money.”

“Ingredients for a cake are not expensive,” Houds pointed out.

Once more, Donny whacked her.

“And what is your favourite flavour of cake?” Lucky wondered next. “If you were going to have a birthday cake, you would have..?”

Stella shrugged. “I tried chocolate cake once and it was nice.”

“Once?” Donny echoed.

Lucky spoke before Houds could. “You know what you would love?”

“What?” Stella asked, humouring her.

“Coffee cake. My favourite cake, too.”

Houds scoffed. “Just because it’s your favourite -”

“Me and Babs have similar taste. She will enjoy coffee cake,” Lucky declared, and that was that. The final word.

Lucky had a way of commanding a room without being at all domineering. It was one of the first things Stella had loved about her, along with how she’d so immediately welcomed Stella without ever being overbearing about it.

Tonight, along with deciding that Stella’s favourite type of cake was coffee cake - even though Stella had never actually tried it - she had decided she was sleeping in Stella’s bed with her. Single bed though it was, when everyone tired of conversation and retired to bed, the two of them got snug beneath the covers and lay side by side in the dark, Ralph the teddy bear between them.

They said nothing and barely moved. After a while of contemplating the darkness above her, Stella closed her eyes.

When Lucky spoke, it was entirely out of nowhere, her voice barely a whisper to make sure she wasn’t overheard by Houds or Donny. “I have never had a best friend before,” she said. Her voice was so casual and yet so confessional all at once, like what she was saying was both a matter of great importance and also something Stella probably knew already.

Softly, with a warmth spreading through her chest, Stella smiled. “Me neither,” she whispered back. Because John would have been the closest thing she’d ever had to a best friend, but he’d had Buck. And then there had been Alice, but the two of them were more friends because they lived and worked together than they were because they adored each other. And Jessop - well, Jessop was Jessop and Stella was sure he hadn’t considered her a best friend either.

But with Lucky it was different. They had clicked so immediately, like something in each of them had chosen each other before they’d even met. Stella had felt almost instantly that she wouldn’t have to try very hard to convince Lucky to like her and she had been right; there was something easy about being with Lucky. There was no having to contort herself into something else to win approval, no having to spend every free moment with her just to ensure they were actually friends. The two of them existing at all was enough for them to be friends. The two of them having almost the exact same sense of humour, the same desire for occasional solitude, the same lack of patience with men was enough for them to be best friends.

“Am I your best friend, Babs?” Lucky asked next. Impossibly, her voice was even quieter now.

Stella swallowed. The sound was loud in the quiet. “Yes,” she confessed. “Am I yours?”

She held her breath while she awaited a reply.

She didn’t have to wait for long. “Yes,” Lucky said.

Stella smiled into the darkness, settling further into her mattress. She wanted so badly to tell John about this. More than that, she wanted John to meet Lucky and see how great she was for himself.

“Good,” was all Stella said in reply to Lucky.

“Good,” Lucky agreed.

Two days later, when the clock struck midnight, marking the start of Stella’s twenty-third birthday, she was in the air. With a spy tucked into the back of her Halifax, her chin buried in John’s jacket to ward off the chill, she hummed softly to herself, oblivious of the time, and smiled as she flew over the White Cliffs of Dover and headed across the Channel.

It never got old.

“Oi,” said the spy out of the darkness behind her, a man who must have been in his thirties. Stella knew nothing about him other than that he had such a kind face it was impossible to imagine he was a spy, which she supposed was exactly why he was one. “Miss Pilot,” he added, poking her shoulder.

“Yes?” she asked.

“One of your buddies on the ground told me it’s your birthday today.”

Stella laughed. “As soon as it strikes midnight it will be.”

“It’s twelve-oh-one,” the spy informed her.

Stella furrowed her eyebrows, lifting her right hand off of the yoke to check the time.

He was right. It was the nineteenth of November. Today, she turned twenty-three.

“Oh,” Stella said, laying her hand back on the yoke and looking over her shoulder at the spy. “You’re right. It’s my birthday.”

The spy was grinning at her. “Happy birthday! How old are ya?”

“Twenty-three today,” Stella said.

The spy’s eyes went wide. “Jesus Christ, lass,” he said. “At twenty-three me mam was still tying me shoelaces.”

Stella laughed, scoffing, and turned back to watch her course. “Well, look at you now.”

The spy was clearly an old hand at all this by now; by the time Stella called out that they were approaching the drop off point he was already sitting by the Joe hole, waiting for her to open the hatch.

“Happy birthday, Miss Pilot!” he called right before he parachuted out. “Make me one promise?”

“What’s that?” Stella called back.

“Do something this year that really fucking scares you,” he said. “It’s the last year of your early twenties, last year you can blame it on being a baby adult. Do something that makes it fucking count.”

Stella laughed but he was being serious.

“Do you promise?”

“Ten seconds to drop,” she shouted above the roar of the wind. “I promise!”

“Happy birthday, lass!” he said. “Make it fucking count!” With that, he parachuted out of the Joe hole, undoubtedly ready to cause absolute chaos in occupied France.

Everyone but Lucky was asleep when Stella got back. She didn’t always wait up for Stella, but she had today because of the occasion.

“Happy birthday!” she cheered, wearing a party hat as she sat on Stella’s bed. She’d placed a party hat on Ralph the teddy bear’s head, too, and had him sitting in her lap.

Stella laughed. “Go to sleep! You’re flying tomorrow!”

“I wanted to be the first to say it!” Lucky objected.

Stella grinned. “You weren’t. Someone told my Joe. He was the first.”

Lucky swore under her breath. “Who told him?”

“No idea. My money would be on Goose.”

Lucky nodded solemnly. “He knows all the Joes.”

“God knows how, since that’s not allowed at all.”

“This is why he still flies for 138,” Lucky said, grinning. “He has a big mouth. If he ever went down, the Nazis would know everything.”

Stella didn’t make it to breakfast the next morning. It was commonplace for those who had been flying the previous night to sleep in until lunch. But when she entered the tiny mess hall at one in the afternoon, still rubbing sleep from her eyes, she was stopped still in her tracks, her heart in her stomach, as an almighty cry of, “Happy birthday!” bombarded her with the force of a boulder rolling down a mountain.

“Fucking hell!” she shouted, horrified.

No one batted an eye.

“Happy birthday, Bambi!” Donny cried, skipping out of the crowd with Lucky and Houds hot on her heels. All of the gathered group were wearing the same type of party hat Lucky had been wearing last night and, on the far wall, they had strung up bunting which declared, “Happy birthday!” in bright colours.

“Twenty-three!” Lucky exclaimed, bounding towards Stella and skidding to a stop before her. “You are so old,” she said, giving her shoulder an affectionate jostle.

Stella scoffed but ducked her head nonetheless so Lucky could put a party hat on for her.

“We have birthday cake for breakfast,” Donny said, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for Lucky to finish and then grabbing Stella’s hand. She led her over to the centre of the mess hall, where one table had been covered with a plastic tablecloth and already had plates laid out in front of all the seats. In the centre of the table were two glass cake stands, each displaying a cake, one of them a dark brown and the other much lighter in colour.

“Lucky made us get coffee cake but I got chocolate as well,” Houds cut in from behind them, explaining the second. “Just in case.”

Stella grinned at her over her shoulder. “Houds,” she said, her voice soft and high-pitched because she was touched. She reached out and gave her arm a squeeze. “Thank you.”

Houds brushed her aside, turning her face away and shrugging. “Chocolate is my favourite, don’t be too touched.”

Stella laughed but couldn’t add anything more because the next thing she knew she was being shoved into one of the seats opposite the centre of the table, and then Donny was shouting above all the chatter that she wanted to be the one to cut and hand out the cake. Stella got the first two slices - one of coffee cake and one of chocolate cake, just in case - and in amongst the chaos of everyone else fighting for a slice of either one, Stella took a moment to stare down at her plate.

Her first birthday cake and she’d been given two, just to make sure she liked at least one of them. There were tears stinging in her eyes, as there seemed to be so often these days. She’d never cried more than she had since coming to Tempsford but she couldn’t find it in her to resent the development; her tears were happy ones far more often than not, and when they were sad they were because of John, a physical expression of all the affection she had stored up for him which she’d never given herself permission to show.

She marvelled at the effort this group of people who had known her for only a month had gone to for her. She had had twenty-two cake-less birthdays and a month after arriving here she had gotten two at once. Not only that, they had decorated for her and made sure to gather and sit with her at lunch.

This was, without a shadow of a doubt, her favourite birthday.

Maybe she wouldn’t have to try very hard to make her twenty-third year count after all, as her Joe last night had bid her. Maybe it would come naturally.

“Dig in, then, birthday girl,” Goose said from across the table, his mouth already full of cake. “You waiting for a personal invitation?”

Stella laughed, the sound wet and weepy, and when she looked up at him she had to swipe a few rogue tears off of her cheeks.

From the seat beside her, Lucky wrapped her arm around Stella’s shoulders and tucked herself into her side. “Happy birthday, Babs. Now eat your coffee cake. Is delicious, I promise.”

Stella rested her head atop her best friend’s as she picked up her fork and dug into the first of her two birthday cakes. Lucky did the same, and she left her head tucked beneath Stella’s as she did. And the two of them sat there like that throughout lunch, plastered together and eating their cake, their heads ducked together like a pair of mourning doves.

[no1tolerateitfan]

got lovestruck went straight to my head...

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welcome to my girlblog!

colette , fifteen (taylor's version) , january capricorn , she/her , american-french-spanish , tennis , soccer , estj , pinterest girlie , city girl , cabin 10 , ravenclaw , thought daughter , hector forts wife actually

im a girl who loves...

pasta , shoes , fancy dresses , swans , jane austen , fashion , affirmations , grwms , hector fort , fruit salads , history , rome , mason thames , christmas , picnics , brandy melville , spain , navy blue , pink , snow , music , reading , winter , ivy leagues , fc barcelona , evermore , romcoms , coffee , emma chamberlain , models , concerts , any march , period films , the idea of motherhood , adam brody , traveling , brunettes , vogue magazine , nyt games , staying in , autumn , birthday parties , rhode , my family , the sturniolo triplets , france , doing my hair , learning new words , making new friends , nara smith , daydreaming , piercings , my boyfriend , being on dnd , shopping , matcha , setting goals , vanilla everything , summer roberts , real estate , concerts , stuffed animals , girlbloggers , healthy lifestyle , makeup , flowers , animals , halloween , starbucks , early mornings , subdued<3

fangirl favorites

spotify deep dive;

gracie abrams , taylor swift , olivia rodrigo , sabrina carpenter , chappell roan , madison beer , lana del rey , clairo , billie eilish , lizzy mcalpine , noah kahan , maisie peters , laufey , role model , phoebe bridgers , harry styles , reneé rapp , mitski , tate mcrae , cas , paramore , boygenius , beabadoobee , niall horan , conan gray , billy joel , the neighbourhood , fleetwood mac , ethel cain , marley brown , arctic monkeys , abba , the cranberries , alessi rose , mazzy star , zach bryan , chris stapleton , ariana grande , avril lavigne , mckenna grace<3

film files;

little women , la la land , the princess diaries , lady bird , 10 things i hate about you , 13 going on 30 , pretty woman , 27 dresses , the devil wears prada , scream , when harry met sally , call me by your name , 500 days of summer , how to lose a guy in 10 days , notting hill , runaway bride , clueless , priscilla , a rainy day in new york , midnight in paris , corpse bride , the perks of being a wallflower , black swan , dead poets society , harry potter , narnia , enola holmes , beautiful boy , pride and prejudice , the notebook , the proposal , mamma mia , dirty dancing , grease , the parent trap , white chicks , ella enchanted , sixteen candles , she's the man , miss congeniality , my girl , the virgin suicides , the edge of seventeen , the amazing spiderman , mean girls , legally blonde , thirteen , breakfast at tiffany's , girl, interrupted , twilight , uptown girls , star wars , heathers , old disney<3

tv show archive;

grey's anatomy , gossip girl , gilmore girls , the oc , one tree hill , one day , friends , derry girls , baby , pretty little liars , anne with an e , how i met your mother , the office , criminal minds , supernatural , tsitp , bones , the flash , outer banks , suits , stranger things , you , the crown , emily in paris , satc , agggtm , jane the virgin , the vampire diaries , scream queens , supergirl , killing eve , glee , teen wolf , b99 , boy meets world , dawsons creek , smallville<3

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please please please reach out to me if we have the same interests , need to chat , or wanna be moots, i love meeting new ppl and being able to interact with you guys. my sideblog is @vani11alattes , if you wanna check it out! xoxo💗

!! dni if you are nsfw , 18+ , a mature themed blogs , racist , homophobic , misogynistic , and rude. this is a safe space for myself and others, do NOT ruin it by being oppressive !!

^if you are over the age of 18 and a girlblogger you are exempt from this

i am catholic , pro-palestine , and do not support russia. i don't typically talk about these topics, but if you don't agree with my views and beliefs , simply do not interact with me. thank you!

[msweebyness]

Weeby, Sparky, and Artzy’s Code Names Guide!!!

Hey, y’all! This is a helpful little tool for you guys! Whenever we’re talking about characters in the context of our AU’s, we use code names to distinguish! Here’s a guide to those! @artzychic27 @imsparky2002

Updates will be added as new content is released!

KEY:

Class of Heroes

Class of Villainy

Monstrous Youths

Ghoul Squad

DC/Arkham

Marvel

MiracOlympus

Animal AU

Akuma AU

BATRACULOUS

LaNd BeFoRe TiMe Au

Barbie AU

(Extras: Were!(Name)= WereMiraculous, Phantom!(Name)= Phantoms of Paris, Shady!(Name)= Shadyverse)

CHARACTERS:

Marinette: Marilan, Mari De Vil, Maridoll, Marideath, Iron Gal, Jestress, Heranette, Maribug, Miss Fortune, LADYBUG BAT, Princess Mariliese, DuCkYnEtTe

Adrien: Adripunzel, Jafardrien, Average Adrien, Haydrien, AdriQuin, Thunder, Zeusdrien, AdriCat, Chat Blanc, CAT BAT, JulAdrien

Alya: TiAlya, YzAlya, SpectrAlya, Alynis, Whirlwind, Enigma, ThemAlya, Alyfox, Lady WiFi, REPORTER BAT, Alyarinne

Nino: Fairy GodBro, Honest Nino, FrankenNino, Nino Jekyll, Mr. Marvel, Mudslide, DioNyno, Shellno, Bubbler, SONIC BAT

Chloe: Chloéstasia, Lady Chloe, Chloepatra, Chlophaba, Diamond Demon, Dagger, Chlolios, ChloBee, Queen Wasp, Chloetta, CHARISMA BAT

Sabrina: Sabrinocchio, Madame Sabrina, Zombrina, Invisibrina, Duality, Miss-Appear, Hestibrina, SabriHound, Vanisher, SUPPORT BAT

Max: Maxiro, Maxdrome, Max Steam, Maxtian, Nuit Panther, Max Luthor, AtheMax, Ponyax, Gamer, TECH BAT

Kim: Kimules, Kimton, WereKim, Kimzilla, Croc King, Spider-Bro, PoseiKim, MonKim, Dark Cupid, Prince Kimiel, POWER BAT

Alix: Aladdix, Alix Khan, Alix Gorgon, Winlix, Caracal, Widow, Hermlix, Bunlix, Timebreaker, PenelAlix, SPEED BAT, CeRaLiX

Mylene: Snow Mylene, Mylensula, MyLeaf, Mylentasma, Nightmare Weaver, Bullseye, DeMylenter, Mousylene, Horrificator, Rolene, EMPATHY BAT

Ivan: QuasiIvan, Ivan Oogie, Ivan Bumble, Ivan Kong, Venom Bringer, Capitaine France, HephIvan, Oxvan, Stoneheart, Prince AntonIvan, STRENGTH BAT

Rose: Roselle, QRC (Queen Rose Candy), SkeleRose, Rose Frankenteen, Thorn, Miss Marvelous, AphroRose, Rose Piggy, Princess Fragrance, Rosiana, PeTrOsE, LOVE BAT

Juleka: JuleBeast, Juleficent, Draculeka, Jubella, Feline Shadow, Doctor Odd, Julemis, JuleClaw, Reflekta, Julexa, STEALTH BAT, ChOmPlEkA

Nathaniel: Sleeping Nath, Nath of Hearts, Nath Goyle, Nathra, Colossus, Rage, Nathdes, Goathaniel, Evillustrator, Nathpunzel, ARTIST BAT, NaThFoOt

Marc: MarcElsa, King Marc, MothMarc, Marcoyle, Myzan’r, Discord, Marcsephone, Marckerel, Reverser, Prince StefMarc, SpArC, WRITER BAT

Zoe: CinderZoe, Zoe of the Southern Isles, NeferZoe, Rouge, Inevitable, Zolene, ZoWasp, Sole Crusher, Princess Zonika, PUNK BAT

Luka: Maestro Luka, DiabLuka, VampLuka, DracuLuka, Shadow, Chi Punch, ApolLuka, Snakeka, Silencer, MUSIC BAT

Kagami: Kagamerida, Kagami Yu, DracoGami, Kagami Hollow, Naginata, Kamakiri Kānjo, KagamAres, Komodogami, Riposte, PRECISION BAT

Ondine: AriOndine, LeOnDine, Ondine Blue, LagoOndine, Sea Enchantress, Shield Maiden, Onditrite, HerOndine, Syren, Ondette, SWIMMER BAT

Aurore: BlueRore, MimRore, Astrarore, Whirlpool, Geode, Zephrore, Swanrore, WEATHER BAT

Mireille: Miremba, Mireides, SliMireille, Echo, Multiply, Boreille, Mireillnguin, MOON BAT

Jean: Jeanzco, Jeanatoa, OperJean, Spellbound, Mariner, ThalJean, Jeacaw, SONG BAT

Lacey: Lacey Bell, Lacey Gothel, Flamecey, Wildmorph, Lightning Run, Nikecey, Cheecey, PARKOUR BAT

Denise: Demolition Denise, Doctor Cabello, Denisquatch, Wonderer, Battlemonger, Gaianise, Bisonise, BUFF BAT

Simon: Simon Pan, Minister O’Connor, SiClops, Speedster, Crimson Warlock, SimOuranos, Simval,TECHNO BAT

Cosette: Robette, Cosettewether, CosetTaur, Voltage, Deathcall, Irisette, Aidette, Hedgette, INCOGNITO BAT

Ismael: IsmaGenie, IsmaScar, IsmaCat, Krypto-Kid, Bizarre, IsmaPan, Ismacoon, MAGIC BAT

Reshma: Reshmabela, Reshma Hook, Spider Resh, Sapphire Beetle, Lady Oc, Nyxma, Reshmaphant, GEM BAT

Austin A: Austin LeBouff, Austin Whistler, Austin Gorgon, Star Quartz, They, Ausglaia, PeacAustin, GLAM BAT

Austin B: Austin Deavor, Austin McSkirmish, Austin Trollson, Roulette, Mystic, Mnemostin, Austicoot, BAT BITE

Austin Q: Austin of Motanui, Prince Austin, Austin Screams, Cosmic Lord, Mako, Tethstin, Sealstin, SHARK BAT

Austin T: JasAustin, Sheriff Austin, Austin Grim, Jade Lantern, Lunar Soldier, Ausmonia, Deerstin, BAKE BAT

DJ: Collector, DJ Cipher, GJ, DJche, Malleable, Trash Panda, HyDJ, PRANK BAT

Spinelli: Spinelli Bunchoy, Spinelli De Spell, Spinellisk, E Voila, Uomo di Sabia, Terpsinelli, Spinellupine, GRACE BAT

Victoria: Lightning LaSalle, Vicnifico, Mertoria, Inferno, Electra, Anantoria, Vicko, HOOP BAT

Gerard: GerEVE, Dr. Grundlershmirtz, Marsh Gerard, Voltaic, Professor Chill, Coerard, Chimprard, GENIUS BAT

Mindy: Mindy P. Sullivan, Mindy Sanderson, MindOgre, Buteos, They-Hunk, PolyhyMindy, Mindary, HARMONY BAT

Gia: Sergeant Griswold, Gigo, Jersey Gia, Peridot Shot, Blizzard, GiAlke, Giagle, G.I. BAT

Mason: Agent M, Emperor Mason, Mason Bogie, Emperor, Ms. Extraordinary, Daskalson, Guinea Mason, INFO BAT

Rochelle: Clopchelle, Rocifer, Gnomechelle, Artemis, Chief, Rocheme, Molechelle, BLACKMAIL BAT

Lotta: Launchpad Jameson, Peg Leg Lotta, Faunta, Power Up, Harbinger, Lotbe, SquirreLotta, STUNT BAT

Kendra: Kendralice, Kaadra, Yowdra, Groove, Green Imp, Kendrotus, Lemundra, UPSIDE DOWN BAT

Ayesha: Ladyesha, Zhan Ayesha, AyeshAngel, Heavenly, Rainbow Surfer, Euprosesha, Lionsha, SPIRIT BAT

Dot: Dot Thatch, Professor Dotigan, InvisiDot, Badass, Speck, Cliot, Dothog, SECRETARY BAT

Petra: Petra Porter, Petra Ratcliffe, Petracorn, Karma, Rascal, IaPetra, Petrobie, SKETCH BAT

Roxie: Roxgara, The Huntrex, Rocksie, Stellar, Infinite, Nemoxie, Rhinoxie, REBEL BAT

Anthony: SalAnthony, Anthony Boggs, DaemAnthony, Umbra, Bloodsucker, Anthonatos, Bathony, SHADOW BAT

Candace: Miss Candace, Lord Candace, Conjuring Candace, Equilibrium, Saber, Candomia, Canzelle, CHEER BAT

Eri: Eri Skellington, Queen Eri, KitsEri, Hex, Amethyst Witch, HecatEri, RavEri, MACABRE BAT

Staci: Rayci, Hoppci, Snakeci, See-You, The Master, StacErebus, Pandaci, COMBAT BAT

Margo: Fix-it Margo, Captain Margo, CalaMargo, Vanquisher, Fury, MargEos, Polar Margo, CRAFT BAT

Brecken: Brecken Hood, BrEd, Brecken Horseman, Oak, Multiple, Cybelecken, Bullcken, CRITTER BAT

Soo-Yeon: Soo-Lin Lee, Soo-Ffee, Dokk-Yeon, Blood Bro, Magnetite, Soo-Eurus, Soo-Raffe, SNIPER BAT

Parker: Parker Hopps, Parker Loveberry, Pondker, K.O., Ares, ParKratos, ParkWolf, SOLDIER BAT

Aggie: GoGo Findlay, Agg'Du, Faegie, Platinum Tide, Specter, Atëgie, Aggiegator, SKATER BAT

Mona: Tow Mona, Chick Truffaut, Gryphona, Hurricane, Mind Warp, Monapheus, Slothna, DIRECTOR BAT

Evie: Evie Poppins, Princess Evy, SirEvie, Lady Mars, Screech, EratEvie, Eviegale, MELODY BAT

Eloise: Eloislin, E.L.O.I.S.E., Roboise, Liz, Illuminate, Metoise, Armadilloise, MATH BAT

Anais: Anais Lemon, Yokais, Batnais, Gear, Critter, UrAnais, Owlnais, SCIENCE BAT

Jesse: Prince Jesse, JessEel, MAPT Jesse, The Weeping Boy, Jessemene, Midnight, MalevoLyricist, JesSheep, MANAGER BAT

Missy: Flounssy, MisShark, MAPT Missy, Rancor, Quick Fire, Misclepius, Lissy the Unicorn, Sharkssy, DIVER BAT

Lila: Lila De La Cruz, Lila Porter, Harpy Lila, Hell-La, Cerebral Queen, Mind Bend, LiEris, Foxla

Felix: Casslix, Felix Darling, Jack O’Ripper

Jess: Jessahontas, Deputy Jess, ThunderJess, Akicita Igmu, Grey Bat, Jesslanta, GREEN LANTERN

Fei: Fei Shang, Feisper, Chai Jun, Sonar, Feipolyta, BEAST GIRL

Socqueline: Socquelinace, Miss Soklinebryglk, Buzz, Socquelinacles, SPIDER-GIRL

Aeon: AEON-E, Deputy Aeon, A.E.O.N.(Adaptive EmotioIntelligent Organization Network), Swarm, Holo, Princess Aeon of Sparta, VISION

Lucien: Prince Lucien, HercLucien, Lucien Van Helsing, Gal-Yant, Vengeance, ZeLucien

Emani: Yosemite Pulateur, Emani White, Spyware, Violet Influence, Dolmani

Sasha: Sasha Oogie, Sasha Bumble, Frostbite, Eilethasha, Crystallight

Kiran: KirAnna, Prince Kiran, MothKiran, Aura, HypKiran, Sandboy

Bustier: Calinora, Fairyline, Empoustier, Witch Caline, Miss Mystery, Gorgana, Lachestier, Zombizou

Mendeliev: Yendeliev Sid, Fairy Godteacher, Headless Mendeliev, Witch Olga, Ant-Woman, The Professor, Atrodeliev, Kwami Buster

Winters: Winterfiki, Enchanters, Aswanters, Professor Polymorph, Threaded Thespian, Clothers

Grotke: Grotmore, Alonzo G. Muntz, GroTiger, Soulshock, Nocturne

Leave your thoughts in the comments and reblogs!

[starcrossedjedis]

Look, I never really got emotionally attached to Bridgerton as a show, which is also why I never went and read the books, but the sneaky peeks these days remind me how very attached I was to my three "Spinster Society" OCs and their storylines 🥹

Ms. Kitty Turner - illegitimate bastard daughter of the late Lord Bridgerton's brother, who - following a string of rather sad events - happened to grow up with her flock of picture perfect Bridgerton cousins.

When it's time for her cousin Daphne to debut, her cousin Anthony as new head of the family makes the decision not to let Kitty debut alongside his sister.

Worried both about what the merciless gossip machine of the ton might do to her and about what such a ruckus could do to Daphne's prospects, he thinks it best to keep her on the periphery of things.

Alas, Queen Charlotte has other ideas ("I believe we are missing a young lady today...") and commands Kitty debuts along with the others.

The young lady in question however is less than thrilled. She had been looking forward to spending the season in peace and with her two best friends. Learning that Poppy is in France and won't be joining them is bad enough, now she has to prance around like a show pony and make nice with spoiled young men who either wouldn't court her even if their life depended on it or who see her as nothing but an exotic notch to put on her belt.

And when it seems that the rakish Duke of Hastings is making the moves on her very innocent cousin, Kitty fears that this season she really has her work cut out for her...

(In which the scene in the maze really is just a misunderstanding and a certain someone declares his intention to marry a certain bastard in front of the Queen and a crowd of people expecting him to propose to The Diamond™️. Also no one is being raped in this one and pulling out is not contraception, thank you ☝️)

Ms. Poppy Featherington (yes, I know Poppy is also an abbreviation for Penelope shhhht 🤫) - the oldest Featherington daughter used to be her mother's favourite, mostly because the ton was certain that out of all the sisters she was the most likely to strike a notable match. Her mother even harboured hopes that she might be the one to finally tie that inseparable bond with the Bridgertons, when her eldest daughter stroke up a surprising friendship with the future Viscount.

But following her debut season - a season without a match, might we add - she did not return to the ton the following year, chosing instead to study in France, according to her mother.

When she returns for what is supposed to be the season of Miss Edwina Sharma, she is a changed woman - earnest and almost reclusive, without patience for her mother's meddling to intervene with Anthony's and Edwina's budding courtship and opening up only to her best friend Kitty - the new Duchess of Hasting - and her cousin Charlie.

But even they aren't privy to her biggest secret - and the real reason she was missing from the merry and the crazy of the ton for so long...

Mr. Charlie Featherington - cousin of the Featherington bunch, oldest member of the "Spinster Society" and a definite favourite of the ton in recent seasons.

Alas, where in the first few years people were aghast as to why someone like him - handsome and kind, with a sweet smiley and dreamy eyes - hadn't found himself a wife yet, more recently hushed rumours have been starting to circulate behind close doors as to why the young man might not be in a hurry to marry.

Benedict Bridgerton - fully occupied by his family's own dramas and scandals and thus blissfully unaware of most of the ton's secrets, lies and cause for rage - is happy to find a likeminded friend in passionate writer and artistic soul Charlie, as well as someone who is not afraid to be frank about his opinions on Benedict's art.

But soon Benedict sees reason to question Charlie's feelings for him - and yet more importantly, the way he feels about the sweet, young man who seems to be so utterly at peace with the implications of living out his days a "Bachelor".

[mythcanvas]

REVERSE 1999 OCS! 🥧🎀

Welcome to me writing infos and fun facts about my Reverse 1999 OCs, Mother Bakery and Precious! I thank @acesw for helping me write ideas for their UTTU Medium and Inspired by ones! I was pretty confused back then so I'm very glad! :D Now, let's not waste any time, I'll walk you through both of them to get to know them better! (let me know if there are historical inaccuracies since I feel like I haven't researched much ;-;)

𝑀𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝐵𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓇𝓎 (a.k.a Boulangerie Mère)

Mineral Arcanist / Reality DMG

An arcanist's work exhibited in the 1950s for 35 years. Completed in spring, on March 21st. First exhibited and displayed in Starsbourg, France.

A diligent baker and a hardworking single-parent. She owns a little bakery that bake breads with her "special methods and ingredients" to make money for a living. Though people are suspicious of her, they can't help but feel at ease around her due to her motherliness, inside or outside of her work.

Medium: Love

Inspired by: Crystalline Salt [Mineral] Local Baking

Fragrance: Ground Cinnamon, Goat Milk, Carbuncle Dusts

Fun Facts:

She carries her baby, Cosette, around in the suitcase and in battles! Don't worry, she knows how to protect her child and teammates like what a mother always does!

Her and her baby's udimo is based off of Babydoll Sheeps!

When she opens her bakery, she has several tactics. She only opens every two weeks, gives the buyer a note that says "Si tu manges plus de deux tranches, tu deviendras une méchante bestiole!", and if they got the side effects (ex. Aggressiveness), she'll secretly kick their stomach to vomit them out, and be on her merry way. So, do as Mother told you or you'll get the price!

𝕻𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖎𝖔𝖚𝖘

Intellect Arcanist / Mental DMG

A ???'s work exhibited in the 18th century for an unkown period. Completed in winter, December 10th. Originally exhibited in Birkshire, England, then the exhibit was relocated to Chicago, USA, and "claimed" by the Manus Vindictae. It is now kept under surveillance in the School of Discipline and Behaviour Modification.

Delicate, fragile, yet has an aura of wisdom. She have been put through so much pressure, so please handle carefully upon contact. Offers therapeutic sessions for those who needs it the most, if she is permitted, that is.

Medium: Boundless Knowledge

Inspired by: Wisdom of the Healer [Intelligence] Therapeutic Meditation

Fragrance: Floral and Musky - Roses, Orange Flowers, Jasmine

Fun Facts:

Precious's inspiration is the characters from Houseki no Kuni/Land of the Lustrous, meaning she's a walking crystal humanoid! She is a semi-immortal zircon!

"Working" with the Manus gave her too much pressure as she have to give pieces of her to them as a form of healing almost every hour. She almost broke herself because of it.

She was once a part of Queen Victoria's family, as the queen found her lying near the castle and took her in as her lady-in-waiting due to obedience and precious knowledge. That is how she got her name!

Aaaaand that's all folks! If you made it this far, you can ask questions about my OCs! (Please do I'll be super excited!!! X3)

[little-bunny-in-space]

M*A*S*H OC TIME

I love being a silly nerd! Literally just a self-insert

I literally just thought to myself "What if I was in the compound? What if I was a silly little bean along with the rest of them?"

NAME: Marieanne "Mutt" Wolfe

Age: 28

Gender: AFAB, presents otherwise, depending on the day. Pronouns are anything- she'll respond to she/her but secretly loves being referred to as male (ooooh lore)

Height: 5'4

Weight: 200

Physically Characteristics: Caucasian with a dark complexion, her dad was half-Latino. Dark brown shoulder length hair and light brown eyes, closer to amber. She has wide hips and a smaller chest. (Can't wait to get art of them aghhhhh)

She's from Georgia, her accent shows as much- not long and drawn out though, she refers to it as "hick." Was raised in the middle of nowhere- the closest small town was 30 minutes away, so her family mostly made their living off their farm. She's used to having close to nothing, so certain things about the compound- the ass tasting food, the terrible sleeping arrangements- she's used to, and takes in stride. This also causes her to have quite a positive outlook, as she's mostly a very positive person- much to a few others' contempt. Hobbies: Back home, she was quite different from her family- she loved to read and study, especially anatomy, botany and fauna as well. She also enjoys studying different religions and cultures- she always dreamed of travelling the world. She loves to sketch the makeup of different flowers and animals in her journals she keeps- although her family rebuke it as a waste of time. They were taught that work was their only livelihood.

She enjoys studying and music quite a bit- her grandmother immigrated from France- and brought over her taste for classical- especially Satie and Debussy. She distinctly remembers listening to them while her mother baked bread in the kitchen.

Because of her upbringing- she always strived to be better. On trips to Savannah as a child she would watch the high-class ladies walking down the street, and wanted to be like them. At age twelve she made it her meaning in life to graduate high school, make it to college and become something greater.

She achieved that dream; sort of. She graduated high school with a high GPA, much to her fathers' disdain. He threatened her life, and her mother was angry at her for even thinking of leaving the farm to go to a University. She applied- behind her parents' backs... and left them after her father threatened to beat her.

She graduated from Duke University- with a specialty in Neurosurgery, a minor in Religion. She achieved her dream- but lost her family at the same time...

She still carries parts from home with her. She loves nature, loves to bake and still likes to study botany in her free time. Oh, and she carries a stuffed yellow rabbit given to her by her grandmother.

She considers herself to be very religious. Her family raised her Southern Baptist- but she found the tradition there a bit unsettling. After studying several different religions, even dabbling in Paganism, she was drawn back to Catholicism- at first, strictly out of admiration for the aesthetics of it. She considers herself to have Catholic beliefs, although she's not confirmed, and even wears a rosary on her belt. She's still studying and making up her mind about her religion.

FRIENDS AT THE 4077

Radar O' Reilly- Radar is one of her best friends at the 4077- they first bonded on their shared backgrounds of growing up on a farm. As they get to know each other, they even share their love of stuffed animals- as she brought a stuffed rabbit from home. She enjoys helping him with his animals and worm farm too.

Father Mulcahy- He is probably her best friend there. Coming in, she dropped her rosary and Mulcahy retrieved it for her. She goes to his services every Sunday- and they even started a Bible Study together. He helps her a lot in her study of religion and offers to help her with her complicated past and religious trauma. They love analyzing Bible stories and theology, she especially loves quizzing him about the Catholic church and the Saints. They also have Biblical inside jokes they like to confuse other people with.

Margaret Houlihan- They are just complete girls together. Marieanne respects Margaret as if she were another surgeon and they hit it off right away. They enjoy sitting in each others tents, gossiping, and making terrible cocktails out of whatever they can find.

Charles Winchester- These two are definitely frenemies to begin with- He especially made fun of her for her upbringing, and she makes fun of his, name calling and all. She genuinely hates him at first… After some time together though, he becomes pleasantly surprised at her neurological expertise and her love of classical music. He becomes very intruiged by her, and her with him- She always wanted desperately the lifestyle that he gets to live- and he is surprised by her own interest in him, and how some "redneck swill" could EVER be interested in the same things. They become very unlikely friends, drinking tea and listening to Mozart sometimes. And of COURSE giving Hawk and BJ a hard time.

5. L. Rizzo- They get along, both from the deep south. They mostly enjoy making fun of all the "damn yanks" at the compound. He flirts with her offhandedly at first, but once she sets him straight with a swift backhand, they get along. Like siblings, she always makes fun of him for falling asleep and not knowing what the hell he's doing, usually visiting him at the garages to wake him up with a stupid prank.

[franciskirkland-deleted]

Tell us 5 things you love about our babygirl France

just 5?? ugh ok... i'll try 🥺🥺

this is an official ⚜️aph france⚜️ appreciation post

his voluptuous backside... his derriere... his beehind... jonq in the tronq... need i say more?? feast ur eyes ladies and gentlemen we stan a CURVY 👏 LEGEND 👏 🍑🍑

2. that hair 😍 those long luscious glossy blonde locks... it looks so soft and silky. probably my favorite of his features if im being real... ooougughghghggbuhgh ooga booga... long blonde hair gives me caveman brain sorry. and yes im obsessed w this gif, just look at that hair flip she's so sparkly!!! slay the house down mama

3. his voice/accent. like the VA for the english dub has done an amazing job i licherally couldn't imagine a better voice for my fave. it's so charming and melodic, very sweet very demure but a little sassy; all around perfect, no notes. and that laugh?? haunts my every waking moment thanks.

4. his dramatique and mischevious personality... i love when he's a crybaby drama queen and a naughty little scoundrel. just look at this pathetic lil baby... nd he rly thinks he's slick!!!

5. how shippable he is. hima rly gave us a character w unlimited shipping potential who lives to love and be loved. like... from both a historical/nationverse standpoint and as a human, he could go well with just about anyone imo. ofc i have my fave pairings but i ship france with pretty much every male incl OCs, nyo versions of female characters, and his own 2p. if you can name it i can probably see it.

in conclusion. france from hetalia is the greatest character ever brought into creation and the babygirl of all time. im completely normal about him. he's my perfect sweetie angel who's never done anything wrong ever and i want to squorsh him and squeeze him and grind him into a fine powder for snorting or perhaps injection

thank u for the ask anon my beloved 💖💞✨

[videochess]

Which of your OCs has the best singing voice? worst?

hmmm! here's where the chars i've posted about so far land on the Voice Quality/Singing Confidence spectrum...

ceci: great singing voice, great confidence. the star of karaoke night. (fav genres to sing: j-rock, j-hip hop, enka, tv show themes) frances: some classical training. not passionate about singing though. takes a lil work to get her warmed up enough to sing socially. (fav genres to sing: r&b, hip hop, christian rock) sportia: pretty good voice. generally not gonna sing outside of specific contexts though. (fav genres to sing: singing along to grendy's music but making the lyrics more crass, making up lyrics to video game music) mascha: middle of the road voice with limited range. loves singing as a stress relief activity. not shy! (fav genres to sing: 90s grunge, 90s alt rock, rock from local bands nobody has heard of) lobbie: voice and range are not very good but this lady likes to have fun!! a bit self conscious about her music tastes. her confidence stat raises dramatically with a few drinks in her. (fav genres to sing: songs from movie soundtracks, out-of-date pop music, r&b) grendy: her voice is bad and she's really self conscious about it. she'll sing along to music on her own but will clam up if anyone else is around. (fav genres to sing: christian rock, top radio hits) goldie: her voice is bad and she does Not care. confidence meter maxed out. her duets with ceci are disorienting & legendary. (fav genres to sing: dance, top radio hits, country)

edit: i forgot to say that goldie is the name of Dog Woman. i named her. ok thats all thank you

[gensokyogarden]

How well do each of your muses handle spicy foods?

Oh boy! given the fairies were discussing it I'll start with my canons/ocs at the SDM and then include some others that are interesting.

My take on Remilia comes from France so to answer this I decided to research a bit on French cooking. While there do seem to be a few spices used in traditional French meals they seem to have very few with hot spices. Remilia was born in 1491 and became a vampire in 1511. In the time that she lived foreign cuisines were not too readily apparent and I head canon she began eating a lot less upon going vamp so modern time hasn't given her much opportunity to adapt to spice. With that in mind, Remilia doesn't handle spice well at all.

A lot of the factors for Flan are pretty much the same with just slight variance. Frenchish (except technically her home is now in Belgium) born in 1496 became a vampire in 1515. The difference is that Flandre did not have a break with eating as Remi did. Since Flandre doesn't control her strength she can't effectively feed on blood so she has to eat actual meals. FDS reveals the fairy mades do a lot of the cooking but personally I headcanon that Meiling had been with the manor long before the fae staff (Sakuya may well have too). That means Meiling probably did a fair bit of the cooking in the past. Chinese food has a lot of spicy dishes. Meiling probably knew better than to just feed Flandre super spicy food but she can at least handle a bit of kick. Not Mapo Tofu but some other curries she can manage.

My Patchy was raised in China by Italian merchants. Both cultures have a good amount of spicy food in their cooking. However the issue is that Patchouli has several health problems (Anemia, asthma, etc). Personally, as someone without any of that, I am not sure what impact spicy food can have on that. For that reason I'm tentatively going to say that Patchouli handles spice okay but that they irritate her throat in large qualities. So only small doses of spice please.

Chimata is a Japanese market god. Don't know much about Japanese food but from what I can find they don't have many national spicy foods but that Chinese and Indian spicy foods have always been popular there, also some regional spicy foods. Spice itself has always been a big part of merchantry, which gives Chim-chim a good reason to have pretty big stockpiles. I think Chimata actually has the best spice tolerance of all my SDM muses. Spicy food is probably her preferred meal. Lots of Mapo Tofu for this lady.

For my rarely appearing Sakuya muse, she was raised in Mexico. Ate a lot of hot spices before being recruited by her vampire boss. Unfortunately, Remilia's distaste for spices means that since coming to the mansion she hasn't ate anything spicy. After all, the meals prepared are for Remilia (even if she often does not feel like eating). For that reason her spice tolerance has sagged with time.

Now for my SDM ocs.

Mizu is basically a water bucket brought to life. Capsaicin is an oil and her body is even more water than a human's is. Do not give her spice. It will just cause her entire body to feel like it were burning.

Fairies are nature spirits and Summer is one for the hottest season of the year. I don't think she'd have any problem with spice. In fact she enjoys some of the spicier peppers quite a lot.

Don't give the goblins spice. They're English house spirits, the hottest thing they've had is horse radish.

Lavender is not prepared for spice. She does not have Patchouli's background but does have her poor constitution so spicy food will wipe the floor with her.

Now a few other characters:

Reimu does not even seem to process that she's eaten something spicy when given it. Unphased.

Eirin will, similarly, eat some of the hottest peppers and spices known to man and look totally unphased afterwards.

Yuuka very specifically likes Mapo Tofu. Nobody has seen her eat any other spicy foods.

Byakuren can scarf down spices with no problem. Seems to really like it.

Reisen ate a bell pepper and became horrible pained. No spice for her please.

[caratdeulforever]

𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞 | 𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

school bus graveyard x oc's

chapter three

warnings: bad writing, lowercase intended, might contain wrong grammar, none more that i can think of

author's note: i was feeling active? haisjsi im trying my best here so i hope you like the way i write each characters and well the plot. that's all thank you, i hope you enjoy!

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chatter filled the whole high school cafeteria. the lunch ladies watched the well-mannered students get their food. the whole place bustled as everyone talked amongst each other. the place was divided in different friend circles, all talking about different things at different volumes and energy. 

all but one table, for at one side of the cafeteria was a table occupied by our eight protagonists. ben didn't bother eating and was already sleeping on his side of the table. aidhel was mixing the milk from the cafeteria to the coffee in her tumbler. she had let aiden taste some of it and the boy physically recoiled at the bitterness and literally forced her to at least add some dairy to it. he then busied himself by making a temple of some sort with his mashed potatoes and fries. ashlyn was just staring off to nothingness, ignoring her plate of food. tyler was the same on the other side of the table. his chin was propped up on his palm and he stared daggers down at his food. taylor, frances and logan were just soundlessly eating their food. 'just as awkward as i thought it'd be.' ashlyn thought to herself as she basked in the silence of their table. 

"i think we should go back to savannah." 

everyone besides ben, perked up at the voice that suddenly broke the ice. everyone stared at tyler expectantly but he was already looking back at the girl right across him. the same girl who paused in pouring her milk to turn her head at him curiously.

"i thought everyone agreed that it was too dangerous...?" logan asked out as he looked away nervously. they had this conversation one too many times, and he hoped that the answer remained. tyler scoffed and straightened up, taking his chin off his palm to look at the bespectacled boy incredulously. "so what? we're just supposed to let things the way they are?"

"even so, we can't risk the possibility of getting permanently stuck on that place." aidhel commented as she placed the carton of milk back down. she looked at him and he had to bite back his tongue because he can't talk back to her when she's giving him that look. the same look she always did whenever she wanted to challenge him to counter her claim. ashlyn hummed in agreement, "i'd rather be semi-stuck than permanently stuck."

"well maybe if you would have told us the truth from the beginning, we wouldn't be stuck at all!" tyler said getting annoyed as he faced ashlyn's direction. frances made a noise of irritation and shoved her face to her hands, "not this again." she groaned out while logan rubbed her back comfortingly. taylor and logan pursed their lips as they felt the upcoming argument.

"don't even start there ty," aidhel added im with a frown as she looked at tyler. the brunette boy turned to give her his own version of her looks but she just shook her head at him. ashlyn opened her mouth to come in her own defense, "i already explained why i didnt-" but paused to look at aiden when he suddenly interrupted her. 

"aren't you one to talk." aiden said cutting her off, his hand still holding the fry as he stared at his almost finished artwork. "you're the one that brushed it off as a prank and walked off." he said as he raised a fry in the air. aidhel and the others watched him apprehensively, what he says can only infuriate tyler even more. "with your personality, i seriously doubt it." he said coldly, finally looking up to look at the hispanic boy.

silence enveloped them all and the others darted their eyes from aiden to tyler. they all knew that what he said is the final blow. tyler's fist clenched and before he can stop himself- he already had slammed his hands on the table.

slam!!

"whether i would have believed it or not, she should have said something!" tyler exclaimed as he stood up abruptly to make a point. "now we're stuck in some demonic dimension," taylor, frances and logan just stared at him nervously and dumbfounded. "running away from flesh-eating deadly creatures," the guy from beside them awkwardly moved away, growing scared as he subtly heard their topic of conversation. 

"we don't know yet if they really are flesh eating." aidhel pointed out, crossing her arms as she looked at him cheekily. tyler turned his head sharply and glared at her, "besides the point!" he huffed and clenched his eyes shut. he took a deep breathe and looked at them, "i've lost count how many near-death experiences I've had, none of us have slept in days, we can't tell our parents or any-"

bam!!

ben slammed his own fist at the table, successfully catching everyone off-guard. even though he had a deadpanned expression, the way he put his finger on his lips serves as a warning for him. aidhel placed a hand behind his back and rubbed it comfortingly as she told him to sleep again. she turned to glare at the boy and tyler shivered at the intensity of their gazes combined.

he took a deep breathe and looked down, dropping back to his seat. "if we don't go back to savannah where this cycle begun...then what else are we supposed to do?" he said almost hopelessly. at that, everyone quieted down as they let his words sink in to their mind. what he said is perfectly true, they had done everything they could to get of the mess they were in. so far, they hadn't known how and why they were experiencing this thing that they were experiencing. there was nothing they can do, they were clueless about everything that's been happening. how did they got there? how will they be able to go out? what if they die in there? so many thoughts spiraling all at once.

aidhel pursed her lips as she looked away but not after casting a concerned glance at the brunette boy who was visibly shaking. her hand twitch to hold his hand like she always had done since the first time it had happened. it was a way to calm both of their nerves, a simple way of comfort for them both. but it looked far too intimate when the others were just right there with them. so she just clenched her fist to her lap, sighing.

frances just looked down at her food, and gripped on logan's hand under the table. logan squeezed her hand back and rubbed his thumb over her palm, smiling at her to calm her nerves. ben couldn't even sleep anymore, just looked away to ponder to himself. taylor had also avoided gaze to anyone and looked at tyler worriedly, wanting to take the stress of her brother to herself. aiden kept a smile to himself but if you squint hard enough, you'll see it droop down a little as he thought back on their situation.

'as annoying as his outburst was, it's understandable.' ashlyn thought to herself as she let out a quiet sigh. 'if we go back, then we might find out what's happening and how to escape...or we could make things much worse. should we risk it?'

two weeks ago

ashlyn sighed as she finally got on the bus. her ears buzzed with the muffled voices of her peers, the earbuds surely helped in reducing the volume around her. she quietly walked, her eyes kept to the ground as she did. 'i made it.'  she thought as she remembered racing from her room to the front porch just to reach the bus in time. 'ugh, its so loud.'  everyone was so hyper in the morning. she ignored the ruckus as she brushed past the teens chatting amongst each other.

she perked up when she saw three unfamiliar figures just by the end of the bus seats. 'are they new?' a blonde headed boy was practically stuck on the window pane, gawking at something outside. a black haired boy tried pulling him back, slowly getting annoyed at the antics of the boy. there was also a blonde headed girl sitting in front of them, slowly dozing off by the window with earbuds on her ears. 

as she walked closer, the blonde headed boy turned to look at her and they both made eye contact for a second. 'ah, we made eye contact.' ashlyn looked away almost immediately that they did. 'crap, my seat is in front of them.' she looked around and sighed, the only available seat was beside the blonde headed girl. well so much for sitting alone, she knows she must have jinxed something. she walked over slowly to sit. she would have asked if the girl was awake but she didn't have the heart to disturb a person's good sleep. 'don't talk to me, don't talk to me.' she chanted in her mind in hopes that none of them would try to strike up a conversation with her.

"hi."

ashlyn jolted and nearly jumped out of her seat when the boy suddenly popped up just beside her ear. out of reflex, she fell on her seat and hit her back on the seat in front of them, staring widely at the blonde headed boy who was looking at her from the top of her seat. the loud commotion and sudden movement caused the blonde headed girl beside her to open her eyes. what she didn't expected to see was a ginger girl on her back.

"what are you doing there?" she asked, her hands navigating her phone to lower the volume down of her music. she offered her hand out for her, ready to pull her up back on the seat next to her. ashlyn looked down at her hand and hesitantly took it and she was easily pulled back to sit beside her. 

"is that your house?" the blonde boy asked and pointed to a secluded area beside the house that the bus just stopped into. "what's up with the whole bus graveyard thing?" he added in curiously as he observed the tall walls decorated with murals and grafittis. inside the area was numerous run down school buses with its own set of painted decorations. the blonde girl looked out on the window curiously and raised a brow, 'that looks interesting.'

"its a junkyard with used buses."ashlyn replied gruffly. 'personal space dude, give me some.' she thought to herself and scooted a bit far away from the blonde boy. the blonde headed girl snickered to herself quietly as she watched the girl scoot a bit close to her. the boy however blinked as if his ears didn't processed what ashlyn had just said, "that's it?"

ashlyn frowned, "yeah?" she looked away, anywhere but him. sweat trickled down slowly on the side of her face. "well that's disappointing." the boy said looking at her impassively. the girl beside ashlyn raised a brow and looked back to him, "what do you expect?" she asked amusedly.

the blonde headed boy leaned back on his seat, his head propped behind his arms. "i was hoping for some kind of lore or paranormal jazz." he said shrugging, closing his eyes momentarily.

ashlyn scratched her nape awkwardly as she looked away, 'good luck finding anything like that here.' she thought before sitting up right.

'guess the conversation is over?' she thought when she felt that the conversation died from then. the girl beside her thankfully wasn't as talkative as the guy behind her, which was something she was grateful for. 'please be over.' she thought hopefully as her hand slowly reached over for her phone. but perhaps she spoke too soon because the boy seems to not like silence.

"anyway.."

ashlyn flinched and her shoulders dropped in a discouraged manner, 'so close.' she flinched when the boy suddenly popped up behind her again, "i'm aiden!"

'i'm not interested!' ashlyn internally screamed as she kept her eyes ahead. she tried to ignore the boy but he couldn't seem to pick up the obvious signs of her discomfort.

"that's my cousin ben," aiden said gesturing to the boy sleeping beside him. ben just swayed with the bus as he dozed off in the early morning. "and that's my sister, aidhel." he added in pointing to the blonde headed girl beside her. the girl smiled at her slightly before focusing back to look at the window.

"we just moved here a week or so ago from virginia. can't remember what town it was though. oh hey, we live just a house down from you! since we live so close, we should hang out often." aiden rambled on as he leaned on the seat to look down at her. ashlyn paused and looked up at him nervously, 'no. no way. i need to stop this progressing disaster.'

ashlyn raised a palm up to him, "sorry, nothing personal but, i'm a bit tired and not in much of a conversation mood." she said looking away slightly, not wanting to see his dejected expression. aidhel perked up and glanced curiously at her brother to check his reaction.

aiden was perplexed, blinking slowly as he looked at ashlyn. he smirked slightly and aidhel had to groan, because she knew that look all too well. "its fine, i get it." he said nodding to himself. 'finally.' ashlyn thought to herself a bit relieved that it went well.

"you're just shy right?"

both aidhel and ashlyn paused to process his words. 'huh? hold on-' aiden just continued smiling and looked down at her coyly. "it's alright, i'm good at talking, so it'll be fine."

ashlyn deadpanned at him, 'no, i'm not shy. i just want to be left alone'

aidhel pinched the bridge of her nose, slightly getting stressed at her brother's antics. "aiden just sit back down." she told him with a tight lipped smile. aiden grinned devilishly and shook his head, "nope!"

even as they arrived at school, aiden kept on rambling ashlyn's ear off. ben just stared at the ground as he followed after his cousins. aidhel really felt sorry for ashlyn, she can see the gears in the girls head turning to think of a plan to escape them. aidhel had attempted numerous times to stop his brother's yapping but to no avail.

'how do i escape?' ashlyn thought to herself glumly. the four of them entered the campus and aiden's voice never once faltered. aidhel watched the other students by the hallway and pursed her lips, 'there's so many people.'

"woah this is a small school." aiden commented as he and his sister looked around the place. aidhel hummed, "well this is a small town aiden."

'why are you still following me?' ashlyn asked to herself. 'maybe if i ignore him, he'll leave me alone?' she thought before taking a sip of her tumbler.

aidhel and ben yanked aiden back up making him pause in his talking. ashlyn looked back curiously and shared a look with aidhel who smiled at her knowingly. aiden raised a brow at them both but ben and aidhel just pointed to the door by the hallway. ashlyn glanced at the door they stopped into, office.

"oh right," aiden said with a small chuckle as he fixed the strap of his bag over his shoulder. aidhel sent another smile to ashlyn and thankfully she finally got the message, 'my chance!' ashlyn practically beamed in her mind before sprinting out of the scene for dear life.

"we gotta pick our schedules...up?"

the three of them stared at an empty space in front of them. aidhel grinned while ben just blinked not really caring about everything. however when aiden started to laugh really loudly, the two of them shared an exasperated look. aidhel raised a brow at a stray lady bug on ben's bag while waiting to aiden's laughter to die out.

"look a lady bug." aidhel said as she slowly get the lady bug on her finger. ben raised a brow and stared at the insect before looking at her. he subconsciously smiled at her, sometimes she really was a child. aiden however just grinned to himself, oblivious to what was happening behind him. "she's fast."

aidhel rolled her eyes, "i would too if i was her." she said before blinking when the lady bug suddenly flew away from her hand. ben watched the insect fly away before looking at aidhel pout to herself. he patted her back comfortingly and she huffed a laugh. aiden then sighed before straightening up, "c'mon let's get our schedules." he said before pulling them both inside the office room.

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