#only a cinch of angst just a lil bit

[cicicolorao]

Scritchy scratchy Polokus, stinkiest grampa this side of the Glade

[indiavolojones]

Diavolo is already the villain. Perhaps it is not what Diavolo wants, but it is written in blood in their oath, in the furious tears Lucifer had shed as he held his sister, in the way Diavolo’s magic had worked at her fatal wounds.

There is no way around Lucifer’s hatred, not in any of the futures Barbatos has seen. 

1.2kish words dia/luci. #no sex just angst, #post-celestial war, #lil bit o’ present canon.

not really sure where any of this is going or what it was for, I just… wanted to play a little with dia/luci on the diavolo side of things. I want them to communicate more but it doesn’t… seem like it’ll happen. tender shout out @kibu-me for their wonderful dialuci thots, they were more helpful than they know lmfao

~~~~

“Lucifer,” Diavolo reaches out to help Lucifer up from his knees, and though Lucifer does not flinch away, the sheer hatred in his eyes is enough to make him hesitate. Diavolo steps back from the angel, no, the devil, shakily gets to his feet. The proud jut of his chin and the sharpness in his eyes have become more pronounced in the weeks following the Fall, just as the bone deep exhaustion settles in the bags under his eyes.

“You’re rejecting the change,” He says, quiet as his brows cinch, looking down at him as Lucifer scoops up the sword in his hand before straightening his back. Lucifer does not say anything, only forces his gaze down--but Diavolo can still see the intensity through Lucifer’s long, thick lashes. Even if it is not aimed at him directly, Diavolo can sense the animosity filling the room with a suffocating weight. 

“You will die, Lucifer. And then what use will I have of your oath?” Diavolo says, harsh, but Lucifer does not say anything. The look on his face clearly says, I would rather die. Diavolo’s hand shoots out to grab Lucifer by the front of his collar, pulling him close. Lucifer’s hand holding the sword stays still at his side, but Lucifer finally looks at him with that devastating stare and it is like a strike anyway.

Perhaps if they were closer, then maybe Diavolo would be able to get to him. Would be worthy in Lucifer’s eyes of the severity that rests under the other’s wicked tongue. Diavolo knows that Lucifer hates him, but does not know how to make him voice the desires he is so desperately fighting. 

“Talk to me, Lucifer,” Diavolo demands, pulling up on the other’s tunic, likely disturbing the bindings keeping his tender wounds together. Lucifer does not wince, or perhaps he does not even allow himself to register the pain, too caught up in his pride. 

Diavolo does not need Lucifer to tell him to know what’s going on with Lucifer’s body. He knows that Lucifer’s wings, burned and blackened as they are, still throb with intense pain. He knows that the physical, actual Fall has his body marred, beaten, and Diavolo’s continued requests to spar with the other only impede the angel’s recovery. 

(Devil. The devil’s recovery--if Diavolo is to keep Lucifer as a devil at his side, he should better remember what Lucifer is now. He cannot keep falling prey to the heavenly beauty of Lucifer’s features, as twisted with unvirtuous hatred as they are.)

But what Diavolo does not know is the current state of Lucifer’s mind. How could he, being a devil all his life? 

How does the angel side of Lucifer battle with this new, animalistic devil? Lucifer is too proud to fall to the baser desires of demonhood, too powerful of an angel to relinquish his control in such an unsightly way--but Lucifer has refused it all. He has simply put a stop to all such urges, has put a stop to feeling anything and Diavolo knows better than anyone, that just like giving in without restraight, complete abstinence will lead to his sure end. 

The future of the Realms lies in the equal ground, in the balance of all--and Diavolo is not about to gain another pawn only to lose him to himself. Diavolo is far too selfish for such a thing. 

Lucifer’s submissive redirection of his gaze is nothing more than a shoddy facade, a blatant lie in the tense space between them and Diavolo wants nothing more than to shake him, hit him, anything to knock Lucifer out of this obvious self-imposed rot.

Diavolo does not blame Lucifer for his desire to not trust him, but who else will Lucifer turn to? His brothers, who are all going through their own transformations? Lucifer would never reveal this weakness of his own volition. Diavolo is already the villain. Perhaps it is not what Diavolo wants, but it is written in blood in their oath, in the furious tears Lucifer had shed as he held his sister, in the way Diavolo’s magic had worked at her fatal wounds.

“Is that a command, my lord?” Lucifer’s icy acquiescence is a slap to the face more than anything, and Diavolo’s lips shift into a deeper frown. His own sword is clenched in his free hand, but before he does something stupid, he releases Lucifer, shoving him back. 

There is no way around Lucifer’s hatred, not in any of the futures Barbatos has seen. 

“No.” Diavolo responds, colder than before. He sucks in a breath, and exhales. Diavolo throws the sword on the ground and turns on his heel to walk away. 

“We’re done for today.” 

-

-

-

“Lucifer,” Diavolo reaches out to card his hand through Lucifer’s hair, and though Lucifer does not flinch away, the sheer rage in his eyes is enough to make him hesitate. Diavolo has not seen such vitriol burn for him in Lucifer’s eyes in thousands of years, not since the era after his Fall. 

“What are you thinking?” He asks, quiet as his brows cinch, hand hovering over the skin of Lucifer’s cheek instead. Lucifer does not say anything, does not shy away from Diavolo’s touch, only forces his gaze down--but Diavolo can still see the intensity through Lucifer’s long, thick lashes. Even if it is not aimed at him directly, Diavolo can sense the animosity filling the room with a suffocating weight. 

“Talk to me, Lucifer,” Diavolo implores, dropping his hands to his sides, despite how he wants to make Lucifer look at him. Too many years of Lucifer at his side tell him how bad of an idea that would be.

“Is that a command, my lord?” Lucifer’s cold acquiescence is a slap to the face more than anything, and Diavolo’s lips shift into a deeper frown. Lucifer’s submissive gaze is nothing more than a shoddy facade, a blatant lie in the tense space between them and Diavolo wants nothing more than to hold him. 

But Diavolo has always been the villain. It is not what Diavolo wants, but it is written in blood in the margins of their oath, in the furious tears Lucifer had shed as he held his sister, in the way Diavolo’s magic had worked at her fatal wounds.

Has he always been this foolish? To think that he could have Lucifer’s brightness at his side and to not be blinded by it, like all the others before? It is a terrible, but hilarious joke; Diavolo has been burned by his own selfishness. He supposes it is his divine retribution at continuing the farce for as long as he has, settling into the comfortable nature as if there aren’t skeletons just waiting to be dug up beneath them. 

What can he do? What would Lucifer allow him to do? The answer, unfortunately, is not much--there is no way around Lucifer’s hatred, not in any of the futures Barbatos has seen. 

“No.” Diavolo says, something a little like resignation in his shoulders. “It isn’t.” 

“May I go, then?” Lucifer continues to not look at him, but Diavolo, for all of his power and might, cannot bear to not look at Lucifer. Diavolo nods stiffly. Lucifer bows, and as he leaves, he takes all the light out of the room with him.

“We’re done for the day.” 

[thetorchwoodnineroleplayerwriter]

Popular!Luz AU concept post

This au concept is something me, @crispyclown , and @molotov-does-stuff worked out together on @pastatiger ‘s TOH discord.

The basic concept is “what if Luz never did become friends with Willow and actually did become popular” based on an offhanded comment from boscha in ‘Understanding Willow’ that went to the effect of “that human could have been popular if she wasn’t hanging out with Willow”.

Here’s all the headcanons we’ve all put together:

Timeline:

1) 'teenage abomination' never happens. Luz just has a boring day and becomes vaguely aware of Hexside.

2) during ’Covention’, Amity and Luz meet for the first time. They don’t hit it off but they don’t not hit it off either. After the Lilith speech, Amity still steps on King’s cupcake, but it’s completely by accident. Amity tries to ‘keep up appearances as a Blight’ and ends up accidentally insulting Luz and King while attempting to apologize. Luz ultimately still has the “Bog of Immediate Regret” line, but Amity doesn’t really care one way or the other, so she nearly says ‘you read Azura too?!’ Before instead accepting. Amity and Luz’s bet is pretty low stakes — Amity apologizes to king if she loses, Luz apologizes to Amity if she loses, maybe? But Eda and Lillith get waaaay into the bet and both sides cheat as canon. Amity still breaks down when the construction glyph is revealed, but Luz formally concedes anyways (with low stakes she doesn’t have any serious need to win, and she still would rather be this girl’s friend than her enemy), citing their own relative skill levels, before going and talking to Amity. Amity is still DISTRAUGHT about the whole ordeal, but she and Luz have a much more in-depth heart-to-heart, where Luz explains what she did, tells Amity how cool Luz thinks she is, and manages to tell her the “I’m not a witch, but… I’m training to be one“ line. Amity leaves Luz with the line, ‘they say humans can't learn any magic. But... I don't think that's going to stop you.' And… they’re, maybe friends? Unclear friends? Probably just acquaintances but the point is its nonnegative relationship development.

3) ‘Hooty's Moving Hassle' is removed.

4) in ‘Lost in Language’, Luz is still a little over-friendly with Amity (Amity respects her for serious but also She Has A Reputation, Luz) when they meet in the library. Luz still gets sucked in to the twins’ chaotic energy, and Luz still thinks hanging out with them will somehow translate to brownie points with Amity. When Amity walks in on them in the secret room, she’s much more visibly and viscerally betrayed by (what she thinks) Luz did. However after saving themselves from evil Otabin, Luz does convince her the twins tricked her, they book trade as canon, Amity actually clearly thinks of Luz as a friend at the end of it all.

5) the moonlight conjuration incident happens after the library incident. Amity spins a BS story about Luz being a skilled witch to her parents and invites her to the conjuring. While initially their conjuring goes as canon (ie nowhere), Luz turns it to a regular party with Boscha, Skara, Amity, and herself. (and Cat, i think? Whoever their canon fourth was, she’s still here.) Eventually they try again, and since (in this au) the conjuring's power == your conjuring group's friendship's strength, and everyone here is at least somewhat friends with luz now, they do manage to animate a few things.

6) at some point here, Luz, Boscha, and Skara team up for a pickup game of grudgeby, and Luz learns the fireball glyph.

7) During ‘Once Upon a Swap', both Skara and Boscha notice how out of character King!Luz is acting. They can admit King!Luz is being cool, if a lil dorky, but they have an out-of-character moment where Boscha tries to ask 'Luz' if she's okay. King doesn't get it, but the others walk in on it so Boscha resumes acting like a challenged alpha bitch. (Luz eventually explains to Skara what was goin on that day. Luz ‘conveniently’ never got the chance to clue Boscha in.)

8) at some point around here, Luz manages to get Eda to enroll her in Hexside.

9) 'adventures in the elements' is changed bc Luz does know two glyphs. However, She and Amity want to hang out some more and Amity thought Luz's fire glyph could help her learn the fireball spell, so they still go to the knee together (with Eda, Emira, and Edric as terrible excuses for chaperones.) Luz learns the ice spell under Eda’s somewhat hands-off tutelage, possibly after accidentally angering the Slitherbeast as in canon.

10) In ‘First Day', Boscha is looking forward to finally getting a read on this girl who wormed her way straight into Amity's heart. (she's not jealous. nuhuh. not even a little. YOU’RE jealous!) Luz still immediately gets Detention'd, tho, but this time Amity and Boscha show up to bust her out unprompted, leading to a VERY awkward moment where Viney (and Jerbo and Barcus) refuse to trust Luz on the basis that Boscha and Amity are her friends, and both of them are notorious jerks who would ABSOLUTELY bully the DT kids. Amity has to duck out for her performance tho. the episode concludes as canon.

11) we get an extended time where we see how Luz easily makes friends with almost everyone at Hexside. She's friend-shaped and she gets a HUGE popularity boost for being honest friends with Skara and Amity. (she gets rancid vibes from Boscha when they’re at school together, but she can't put her finger on *why*. and besides, Boscha calls Luz her friend too, so that probably counts.) during this time Luz meets Gus, who is one of E&E's classmates. Gus can have an episode, as a treat.

12) Luz finally meets Willow, and gets slapped in the face HARD with confirmation that Amity and Boscha are kind of massive assholes. Luz tries to befriend Willow, but Willow refuses to trust her due to how often Boscha, Amity, and the rest of the popular girls who make up most of Luz’s closer friend group have bullied her.

13) Luz tries to get Boscha to take it down a notch. Boscha takes it up a notch. Luz tries to get Amity to help, Amity asks why it matters — it’s just ‘half a witch willow’, no one cares. Luz realizes, awkwardly (and probably with the assistance of Jerbo and/or Barcus), that while she currently has a lot a friends and is popular, if she defends Willow from Boscha’s bullying she’ll lose a lot of her popularity. Luz kind of has a small breakdown over this, because she doesn’t want to risk friends here when in the human world she has so few, but at the same time, she has Principles! She can’t just ignore this! As one of her schemes to help Willow without going against Boscha directly, Luz manages to get Willow transferred out of Abominations, although Willow is kinda annoyed by this since even though she’s in plant track she feels a stranger. (This alienation eventually goes away, but not before…)


14) Luz snaps and punches Boscha in the face one day for bullying Willow once too many times. Boscha gets PISSED and Luz is NOT BACKING DOWN, even though she’s scared. Boscha basically exiles Luz from the friend group, which has the added effect of making almost all of Luz’s friends stop talking to her, most painfully Skara and Amity. Willow starts to tolerate her, but only barely. (Gus is still Luz’s friend tho. In fact, Gus, the DT kids, and E&E Are the only Hexside students at this point who’ll be caught dead with Luz.)


15) ‘Understanding Willow’ Is changed; Luz catches Amity burning up Willow’s memories. However, since Amity, Luz, and Willow are distinctly *not* talking to each other, the quest to save Willow’s mind is *much* more tense. Luz keeps taking potshots at Amity for abandoning the both of them, Inner Willow hates both of them, and Amity is trying desperately not to have fun with people who hate her and also trying desperately to defend her actions. Amity still reveals the same secret of the day she stopped being Willow’s friend; Luz, meanwhile, reveals some bad memories of her own human school that make it very obvious how much the chance to be popular meant to her and how she genuinely empathizes with Willow’s whole situation. Ultimately ends with a bit of a tense moment between the three where they admit they’re not friends yet… but at the very least they’re all willing to be friends, now.

16) We get some time watching Luz slowly re-making her friends throughout the school, as people decide they really do like Willow and Luz as people and they’re kinda tired of Boscha been an alpha bitch. Maybe spliced with Willow & Luz & Amity hangin out, being friendly, or with Boscha been salty and Skara et al. being here by obligation even though they *clearly* wanna hang out with Luz some more.

17) ‘Wing It Like Witches’ happens largely beat for beat here. Boscha attempts to re-assert social dominance, Luz invokes the sacred rites of a game of grubby with a bet, Luz tries to get Willow and Gus in for it but Gus can’t and Willow won’t; Amity talks Willow into forming a 3 person team with her. Extra angst from the fact that Boscha and Luz did actually have some bonding over being on the same team on an earlier grubby game.

18) Grom happens now, largely as canon. When preparing Luz for the main fight, Amity theorizes (incorrectly) that Luz’s greatest fear is losing her friends on the boiling isles; Luz goes along with it, because ‘I already faced that fear once this year, it’ll be a cinch’. Grom tries it but it doesn’t work, but then from turns into her mom. (We see Amity nearly cry from Grom turning into her, but realizes what’s going on, and then has a massive blush from being called ‘her’ Amity. Skara rolls her eyes, bc she’s been clued in. Boscha is deliberately not caring.)

.

20) Boscha eventually gets to the point where she decides to apologize to Willow. She starts with a BS ‘lol sry’ approach, ends with a record-scratch-sudden rant where Boscha really does break it — and herself — down in honest apology. Some of the bad attempts are played for comedy, this one played completely straight.

Miscellanious other elements:

Unrequited Boschamity / exes Boschamity, boscha has cool banter with her friends (mildly platonic boschluz banter, snarky boschamity banter, member boschkara banter, etc), Boscha being really jealous of Luz, Everyone — EVERYONE — pines at Skara, Luz also pines at willow eventually, BOSCHA ACTUALLY GETS A REDEMPTION ARC AND ITS WELL WRITTEN AND NO ITS NOT IN SERVICE OF A SHIP, Boscha::Azula Amity::Zuko wrt redemption arcs, Boscha joins the inevitable rebellion as one of those ‘everyone in public thinks I’m an enemy of the rebellion so I can help them out real nice in the DL’ people, and yes we ARE overthrowing the government at some point in this au just not right now, right now we’re having ANGST and LUMITY, boscha is actually very nice to her friends when she wants to be she just usually doesn’t feel like she Should Be Vulnerable, any episode that’s just ‘Luz With Willow And/or Gus doing Hijinks’ (ex ‘Really Small Problems’, ‘Something Ventured, Someone Framed’) that hasn’t already been mapped to an event in this timeline is skipped completely, yes that means Mathholomule successfully becomes president of the human club, none of this aus cast is actually friends with him tho don’t worry, Edric has been quietly dating Jerbo for a while now but his sisters don’t know, Emira is a disaster lesbian for Viney and the teasing is relentless, Emira is a terminal prankster with a maladapted sense of boundaries as a result of her parents, this is a point of contention for her courtship of Viney who can and will go OFF on her for crossing the line and not feeling guilty, Edric is very aware of boundaries but he also finds looking to her for direction gets him in trouble the least at home so he just feels terrible afterwards and tries to get Emira to tone it down and/or apologize, basically the library incident was her idea in this au and he went along with it because of blight child optics stuff, Luz’s memory may out Luz to Willow and Amity, Willow and Amity absolutely say ‘gay rights’, in fact the entire isle says ‘gay rights’, this au tricks you into thinking ‘oh easy lumity’ but then Willow comes in like a wrecking ball, during that murky period when Luz’s friends all hate her bc she punched boscha all the people still willing to talk to her get friendly REAL fast, yes that includes willow and amity once they all stop hating each other, nobody lets Amity live down “Oh, wow,,, sports” except Luz who didn’t get it, Everyone has a song assigned to them at the sleepover, Luz’s is Bad Reputation, Skara’s is Caramelldansen, Boscha’s is Money Machine, Amity’s is Eminence Front because I say so

[badwolf-in-the-impala]

~The Edge of Heaven~

Moodboard credit: Myself, @badwolf-in-the-impala. None of the pictures are mine obviously. Only the editing.

Chapter One || Chapter Two ||

A/N: Sorry I suck and took forever to get this posted. I have one too many fics and not enough brain cells to go around lol...anywho, one minor change that I made, after some more writing/character building for James, is I decided on a different Faceclaim for him, so that has been changed in the Moodboard. I decided that Luke Evans ended up being a better fit than Paul Wesley...cause you know, I’m the worlds most indecisive person. But yeah, I’ll stop rambling now. ENJOY! Let me know if you would like to be added to the TAGLIST ^-^. Sorry if this chapter is kinda shitty.

Word Count: 4,669

Pairings: Thomas Shelby x OC

Face-Claims: Emily Rudd as Aurora - ((Luke Evans as James))

Rating: Mature/18+

General Warnings: Spousal abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, violence general Peaky related things...none of which I romanticize, support, or condone by any means. 

Chapter Warnings: Controlling spouse. Abuse - physical and verbal. General angst. 

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

Several hours after Aurora and James had returned home from the party, Aurora sat alone in their porcelain, claw-foot tub. Knees tucked into her chest as she rested her chin a top them, trying her best to ignore the throbbing of her freshly bruised left cheek, and the split lower her lip. James’ outburst upon their arrival home having been far greater than she anticipated...and while this hadn’t been a first time occurrence; it was the first one in awhile.

The short drive home had been quiet between the two of them. He was drunk and Aurora could tell by his body language that he was upset with her, even despite his calm demeanor on the outside. But his grip on the steering wheel of their car told a different story. His fingers gripping it so tight, that it caused his knuckles to turn a ghostly shade of white. 

Her first mistake upon exiting the car, had been daring to open her mouth in hopes of giving her husband an explanation; and more importantly, to apologize for leaving him while she went gallivanting off around the property with Ada.  “I’m sorry abou’ this evenin’, James...really, I didn’ mean to be away for so long while I was with Ada; it was jus’ so nice to see everyone again I lost track of--” 

The blow that came from his hand striking her across the face was hard enough to knock Aurora off balance, as it caught her off guard mid-apology. Sending her stumbling backwards as she tripped over the bottom of her dress and collided with the walkway beneath her. The gravel biting into the delicate skin of her forearms and knees, causing her to cry out.

“You shut your Goddamn mouth, you useless fucking Whore! Do you have any idea how much of an embarrassment your behavior was too me, tonight?!” James had roared as he stepped over her, raking an agitated hand through short brown locks of hair, sending it into disarray as he began pacing back and forth, like a lion in a cage, as his temper spiraled out of control. Aurora immediately falling silent as she stared at the ground; cradling her injured cheek carefully as the situation escalated. Not trusting herself enough just yet, to try and get back up on her feet.

“Leave it to my fucking wife, to be the one running around, just like old times, throwing herself at any man who’ll fucking pay attention to her like she’s a Goddamn Harlot! You just can’t fucking help yourself, can you?! CAN YOU?!” He scolded.

“I-It wasn’ like that!” Aurora stuttered, trying to defend herself. “If ye’d jus’ let me explain-”

“I know what I fucking saw, Aurora! Are you trying to say that I’m a liar?!” James fumed as he rounded on her, dark eyes clouded with rage;  his voice starting to go hoarse from all the shouting. Aurora shook her head in reply, falling silent as James continued to rebuke her for the behavior she had displayed earlier that evening, and more importantly, for her actions of spending time alone in the presence of another man without his permission.

Eventually, James yanked her up to her feet once he felt his point had been made, before dragging her alongside him by the arm into the house, where he abandoned her in the foyer of their home and locked himself in his study with a bottle of whiskey for the night. But not before delivering one final backhanded slap across her face, the one that left her lower lip swollen and split. Filling her mouth with taste of copper as she forced herself to keep her chin up in an attempt to hold back the tears that threatened to fall, as her husband glared down at her for one more brief moment. His dark eyes filled with such hatred and disgust towards her that it made Aurora wish she could physically disappear.

Thus, how she came to find herself sitting alone in the tub. Door locked and the water turning cold, as she patiently waited for the sounds of his incessant pacing to finally cease so that she could sneak off to bed. Knowing it would be better for her to avoid being caught in her husband's presence a second time that night.

So when the house had finally fallen silent, Aurora climbed out of the tub and toweled herself off; brushing out her dark hair and braiding it, before slipping into her silk nightgown and tiptoeing carefully down to the bedroom that she and her husband rarely shared. Pausing briefly outside the door of James’ study, just to be sure the pacing had actually stopped. Finding only silence coming from within the room as she pressed her ear carefully against the door. 

Aurora allowed herself a quiet sigh of relief as she turned and hurried the rest of the way down the hallway and into the bedroom...Locking the door behind herself and crossed the room, climbing into bed and burrowing deep beneath the blankets, into the feather tick mattress, as she closed her eyes.

Her quiet, brokenhearted sobs falling on deaf ears as she lay there, silently wondering to herself where she had gone so wrong with her life. The tears that fell from emerald eyes, soaking and staining her pillowcase, as she cried herself to sleep.

~

The next morning when she woke, James was nowhere to be found in their home, and the absence of his car meant that he would likely be gone until late evening; if he even came home at all. Leaving Aurora to enjoy a somewhat stress free day, filled mostly with unpacking the last of their belongings and organizing her new home a bit more, once she had completed all the chores that needed doing out in the Stables. All the work falling to her for now, as James had yet to hire any sort of help since the move.

Aurora had been in the midst of cleaning up her dishes from lunch when the phone started to ring, and thinking it could possibly be her husband, she was quick to stop what she was doing and answer it. “Turner residence?” She answered in a cheery tone, despite the solemn expression she wore on her battered face.

“May I speak to Aurora, please.” The woman asked politely.

“This is her?” Aurora replied.

“Aurora! It’s Ada!” The voice greeted excitedly, putting a small smile on Aurora’s face almost instantly.

“Hi, Ada.” She chuckled softly. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?”

“Well,” Ada started. “The boys an’ I are still over at Tommy’s, an’ we got to wonderin’, if maybe you and y’er husband would like to come over? Maybe visit over some tea?” The tone of her voice held an air of hopefulness about it, and by the sounds of the scuffle going on in the background, Aurora was guessing that Ada wasn’t the only one listening in on the conversation.

“I don’ see why not.” Aurora glanced up at the clock, noting it was still early enough that a few hours couldn’t hurt. It’s not like James would be back anytime soon and besides, it’s not like he needed to know anyways if he was going to be an absolute dick about it. “Lemme jus’ tidy up a lil’ first and I’ll be over in say, half an hour?” 

“Sounds lovely!” Ada exclaimed over the collection of hoops and hollers from Arthur and John that could now be heard in the background. “We’ll see you soon!” And on that note, they hung up.

Aurora was quick to dress; changing into black pair of riding breeches, long sleeved teal blouse and a pair of riding boots. She touched up what little makeup she already wore and tidied her hair up a bit. Tying it up into a half ponytail, leaving the underneath bit down and throwing on a light wool duster, before heading back downstairs where she left a note for James, just in case he should return before she did, explaining that she had gone out for a ride and would be back before supper. 

She made sure to leave the note where he would be sure to see it and headed out to the stable to saddle up one of her horses. Settling on a Dapple Grey mare that she hadn’t ridden in a while; the horse more than eager to get out and stretch her legs. Especially after all the weeks of traveling overseas they’d had to endure.

“Settle down, Lady.” Aurora told the animal firmly as she gave her a pat on the neck, calming the beast a bit before Aurora finished doing up the saddles cinch. The horse nickering softly and turning her head to nudge Aurora’s arm, demanding more attention and nearly knocking her over in the process. “Oi, don’ go gettin’ cheeky with me now! I’m movin’ as fast I can, you impatient nag.” The horse gave another snort, turning her head away as Aurora finished up and untied her before leading them both out of the stables. Mounting the animal with ease before steering them down the drive and off towards Thomas’ estate. 

 ~

The ride took a little longer than expected, after Lady had decided to take them on a little detour across the ditch bank and through some willows. The trip resulting in a broken set of reins, a missing stirrup, and one bruised ego on Aurora’s part. Mumbling under her breath at the horse about having to walk the last two miles of the way, as they reached their destination finally. 

“Car troubles?” Thomas’ voice caught her by surprise, making her jump slightly as she turned around to where he was standing near the front door, shoulder propped against a pillar, enjoying a cigarette. A small smirk fixed to his lips after clearly having witnessed her mumbling to herself.

“Nah.” Aurora chuckled softly with a shake of her head as she approached him. “But I can sell ye a horse real cheap, if y’er interested?” She joked; Lady giving an unamused snort as she jerked at the broken rein in her hand, catching Thomas’ attention. 

“Rough trip?” Thomas questioned as he pointed to the damaged tack, flicking away the last of his cigarette, one brow raised curiously, as he approached them.

“That would be puttin’ it mildly.” Aurora sighed as the horse bumped her nose against her lower back, pushing her forward a bit. 

“Sounds like ya could use a drink then, eh?” Thomas chuckled as he waved over a nearby footman. “Take Mrs. Turner’s horse ‘ere over to the stables.” He instructed the older man who took the reins from Aurora. “An’ have the stable lads fix up the busted tack for her, eh?”

“Of course. Right away, Mr. Shelby.” The man nodded as he turned, flashing Aurora a quick smile before leading the horse off to the stables.

“Thank you.” 

“Don’ mention it.” Thomas grinned as he looked down at her, though that grin quickly faulted as he took in the bruising on her cheek, as well as the split that adorned her lower lip. Neither of which had been there the night before. He was just about to ask what had happened when the door flew open to reveal Ada, hands on her hips as she glared at her older brother.

“She’s not jus’ ‘ere for you, ya know!” Ada scolded playfully as she started to usher the pair back inside. “I know ya missed her, but ye have’ta share, Thomas!” Aurora gave a soft laugh, watching as Thomas rolled his eyes at his Ada, who’d gone off rambling about the tea getting cold or some nonsense he could have cared less about, as they were dragged along into the drawing room where everyone else sat waiting.

“Jesus! Wha’ happened to y’er face?!” Ada gasped as she turned around to ask Aurora how she liked her tea, finally slowing down long enough to take notice of the injuries.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Aurora brushed it off with a soft laugh as she took a seat in one of the nearby armchairs. “I must’ve been drunker than I realized las’ night...Fell gettin’ out of the damn car when we got home.” 

“Ye really haven’ changed a fuckin’ bit!” Arthur gave a hearty laugh in response, making it Ada’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Aye, she always was a touch acciden’ prone wa’nt she?” John joked, kicking his feet up on the table as he settled back in his own chair. Wiggling his brows playfully at her, as he rolled around the toothpick between his lips as they curved upwards into that cocky grin of his that Aurora remembered so well.

“Yeah? Well, tha’ never stopped me from pullin’ yer dumb arse outta the fire, more times than I should ‘ave, now did it?” She shot back with a playful glare, John holding up his hands in mock surrender, knowing she wasn’t wrong.

“Still feisty as ever too.” Arthur commented as the group broke into a fit of laughter, seemingly convinced that what happened to her face had been nothing more than a mere accident...All save for Thomas. Who was more than a little skeptical. The worry in that icy blue gaze of his, more than evident as he approached to hand her a glass of whiskey. Aurora purposely avoiding his gaze as she fell into conversation with Ada.

Thomas remained silent for the most part during the conversations between Aurora and the rest of his siblings. Taking in every detail about her life, no matter how small and insignificant she wrote it off to be. These parts of her life were new and exciting to him and he very much wanted to hear more about them, and in great detail...All of them.

“Do you ‘ave horses?” Ada inquired as she poured herself another cup of tea, trying to keep the small talk alive, while also trying to find out as much about Aurora as possible, without getting too terribly personal; not wanting to pry to far. 

“Aye, several.” Aurora nodded as she finished the last of her whiskey. “Most of ‘em stayed behind at our property back in America, but my best few made the journey with us.” She added with a soft smile.

“Wha’ kinda horses?” Arthur asked, curiously.

“Mostly event horses.” Aurora replied. “Dressage, showjumping, tha’ sorta thing. We ‘ave several race horses as well though, tha’ I raised for James back home in Louisville. Some of the best.” 

“Well, we would expect no less from ye.” Arthur teased, patting her shoulder on his way by to grab the whiskey decanter from its place beside the hearth. “Aside from Tom, ye always did ‘ave alot’a sense when it came to the horses.”

“Oh please…” Aurora blushed, her voice growing softer as she glanced away at the compliment. Trying to dismiss it as she added, “I was never tha’ good...Tommy was always the better horseman.”

“I beg to differ.” Thomas chimed in, only furthering the blush that tinted her cheeks crimson; making him grin. “Matter o’fact, I bet ye could still out race me any day.” 

Aurora was about to argue how that had always boiled down to luck, more than anything else, when a young stable lad came rushing in, clutching his cap nervously as he stood awkwardly in the doorway. Turning several shades of white as everyone in the room turned to look at him at the same time.

“Lemme guess,” Aurora piped up before anyone else could. Keeping her tone reassuring as she addressed the young man, having already made an educated guess as to what this was about. “Lady let herself out of her stall, didn’ she?” The young man nodded quickly in reply. 

“We’ve been try’na catch her, Mrs. Turner, r-really...b-but she keeps gettin’ away.” 

“It’s quite alrigh’.” Aurora chuckled as she stood up from her chair, motioning for him to lead the way to wherever that crazy beast of hers was currently running amuck. “Tha’ bloody horse is too smart for her own good sometimes.” They were almost to the front door when she noted that Thomas had joined them, giving him a small smile as they made their way outside. Aurora sighing as they watched two more of the stable hands chasing the Grey mare about the yard as she nickered loudly, tossing her head in what appeared to be amusement as she romped and bucked about.

“Oi!” Aurora shouted, her voice catching the mares attention immediately as Aurora stepped down into the gravel of the driveway, one hand propped on her hip, as she gave the horse a rather disapproving look. “Did ye leave all y’er manners back in America? Bloody fuckin’ horse.” Thomas let out a chuckle as he watched Aurora give a sharp whistle, the mare turning and prancing over to her owner proudly; swishing her tail and catching one of the stable hands in the face as she totted by. 

“I swear, y’er gonna be the bloody death me if ye don’ knock off this nonsense.” Aurora muttered as she clipped the lead that had just been brought to her onto Lady’s halter, before passing her off to the stable lad from earlier. 

“Smart horse ye’ve got.” Thomas stated with a hint of amusement to his tone as he came to stand beside Aurora; watching as the stable hands lead Lady back down to the stables. Aurora shook her head with a soft smile as she glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye. 

“Oh, she’s smart alrigh’...” Aurora gave a snort as she crossed her arms. “Bloody horse has cost me more in damages than anythin’ else, an’ she’s barely Four!” 

“Does she race?” Thomas asked out of curiosity as they started walking towards the barn. Aurora shook her head in answer.

“No. At least not tha’ I’ve tried. She was meant to be a Show Horse; a jumper, specifically. But the damn Nag’s got the attention span of a nat.” Aurora replied.

“Aye, no wonder she’s bored…” Thomas teased. A slight smirk tugging at the edges of his mouth as Aurora gave him a playful shove; trying to stave off a smirk of her own as she rolled her eyes. “Really though.” Thomas chuckled. “Ye should bring her out to the track sometime. Let’er run. See how she does? Never know, she might surprise ya.” 

“Maybe…” Aurora sighed. “Need’ta do somethin’ with her, ‘fore James decides to get rid of her.” Thomas frowned at Aurora’s answer, noting the slight change in her demeanor at the comment. So subtle he almost missed it, as it was gone in an instant as she covered it up with a smile and added, “He’s not exactly fond of wastin’ money on my hobbies.” 

“Well, if it ever comes to it, I’d be more than ‘appy to take her off y’er hands for ye.” Thomas offered as they entered into the stables, pausing to give Lady -- who was now tethered in the stable lane -- a scratch behind the ears; the Mare letting out a soft nicker as she leaned into the touch. Aurora gave him a soft smile at the offer.

“Aye, well, she seems to like ye well enough, so I’ll have’ta keep that in mind.” She replied, leaning up against one of the empty stalls as she watched Thomas inspect Lady closely; mentally noting things about the horses build, height, and temperament as he circled her slowly. Giving Lady another pat once he had finished, before walking over to join Aurora.

“She’s still growin’, but no doubt tha’ she’d take right to the track. Especially if she loves to run.” Thomas admitted truthfully as he lit a cigarette, taking a drag before offering it to Aurora, who accepted with a smile before taking a drag of her own, wincing as she was reminded of the cut on her bottom lip. 

“Helluva fall ye must’ve taken, eh?” Thomas frowned, shifting so that he was standing in front of Aurora now. Watching as she averted her gaze, exhaling a trail of smoke from the drag she had taken; cheeks tinting crimson out of embarrassment as she fidgeted with the cigarette between her fingertips. 

“Aye, well, I never was very graceful...” Aurora tried to brush off the question with a laugh, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of crimson as Thomas’ fingers gripped her chin lightly, tilting it up as he inspected the bruise on her cheek. His thumb ghosting along the curve of her lower lip gently, the sensation causing a shiver to run down her spine. 

“Hardly how I remember it…” Thomas stated with a frown, though his expression remained soft as his blue eyes glanced up from studying the split on her lip. Aurora swallowing almost audibly as she glanced up finally, green eyes meeting his. The still burning cigarette she held between her fingers falling briefly forgotten; their gazes saying more in that small window of silence, than words could ever begin to cover; Thomas about to speak, when Aurora startled at the chiming of the stables clock, noting that it was well past Five in the evening as she glanced over her shoulder with a frown. 

“It’s late...I should be gettin’ back.” Aurora said softly, clearing her throat nervously as she took a step back, ashing the cigarette between her finger before taking a final drag and passing it back to Thomas as she stepped around him to re-saddle Lady. Thomas giving a nod as he finished off the smoke, grinding out the last of it with the heel of his shoe before lending her a hand. Bridling the mare while Aurora finished doing up the cinch, before giving her a leg up and leading the pair out of the stables and up to the driveway. Checking thoroughly over the bridle, as well as the stirrup, to insure they had been properly fixed before letting her be on her way. 

“Thank you for havin’ me.” Aurora thanked him, her smile seeming a little too forced as she glanced down. “And do give y’er family my apologies for havin’ to cut my visit short...But, perhaps we can get together again soon.” 

“Of course.” Thomas gave her a nod as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, taking a step back as Aurora urged the horse forward, stopping a few feet away to look over her shoulder as Thomas called after her.

“Rora?” Aurora’s expression softened hearing him use the nickname that she had grown so fond of, when they were children. 

“Don’ be a stranger, eh? Y’er always more than welcome ‘ere.” Aurora’s smile grew a little as she gave him a nod, urging Lady forward again as they exited the driveway. Giving Thomas one final wave before taking off down the road at a Canter...Silently praying that James would not be home yet.

~

Aurora was thankful that James’ car was still absent from the driveway upon her arrival home. Heading straight into the stables where she untacked Lady and returned her to proper stall after giving her a quick grooming, followed by feeding her, as well as the rest of the horses before returning to the house where she started on dinner -- a meal of Mutton, fresh baked bread, and potatoes.  As well as unpacking the last half a dozen or so boxes that she had been working on earlier that day before Ada called.

It was well past Ten in the evening before James returned to their home; Drunk, as Aurora had suspected he would be. He barely spoke a word to her upon his return. Simply ordering her to bring his dinner up to the Study, and in a timely manner, along with a bottle of Irish Whiskey from the cellars. 

Aurora did as instructed, without question, just as she always did. Making sure the meal she had prepared hours before -- a meal that she herself hadn’t even touched -- was re-heated and fixed up to his standards, fetching the bottle of whiskey and a glass, before ascending the stairs to James’ study. Aurora paused briefly in front of the solid oak door that lie closed in front of her, swallowing around the thick, dry lump that had formed  in her throat, before raising her hand and giving three sturdy, sharp knocks -- More sturdy than her trembling hands felt, at least.

“Enter.” Was the only response she received, prompting her to carefully balance the serving tray as she reached down and turned the doorknob carefully, stepping inside. She placed his dinner carefully on the cleared area of his desk, specifically designated for his meals, beside him. The silence that hung between them thick, and very unsettling. It put Aurora on edge, but she managed to maintain her composure as she clasped her hands neatly in front of her. Not daring to move from the spot where she stood, until he had dismissed her from his presence. 

And as if he could sense the nervousness that rolled silently off of Aurora, as she stood silently, just behind his chair; James made a point to draw out the dismissal she so desperately waited for. Praying that if he chose to speak, that he would ask her about anything other than what she had done all day.

“Mutton, again?” James questioned her, not even bothering to look up from ledger laid out before him as he studied it closely. Making notes here and there. Aurora shifted uncomfortably as she cleared her throat, nodding even though James wasn’t looking at her to see it.

“Yes…” She answered softly. “I haven’ been able to do the shoppin’ yet, an’ it’s all we had left--” Aurora stopped abruptly as James raised his hand to silence her rambling before she could continue on anymore.

“Take the car tomorrow morning and do whatever needs to be done.” James stated flatly. “The shopping, see about hiring some help…” He continued, retrieving a key from his pocket and unlocking the second drawer to his right, where he pulled out another set of keys and stood. Slowly, he made his way over to the safe that sat in the corner. The safe that he’d had made special, just before their departure to England. Two turns of the key counter clockwise, one turn clockwise, followed by one full rotation, also clockwise. That released the heavy cast iron cover that shielded the dial of the safe.

Clockwise, 32...Clockwise, 18...Counter Clockwise, 53...Clockwise, 15...Click, and the safe was open.

Pulling out a stack of money he counted out more than enough than would be needed for the shopping and hiring of some staff to help around the property. Tucking the rest of the money safely back in the safe before closing it, spinning the dial, and replacing the heavy cast iron covering. Turning, James crossed the room to tower over Aurora. Her first instinct to avert her gaze to the floor, her heart skipping a beat as his calloused fingers came up to grip her chin, forcing her gaze up to meet his dark brown eyes. A frown gracing his thin lips, as he carefully traced a thumb over the mark on her left cheek; trailing it down across the split that adorned her lip before allowing his hand to fall away entirely.

“Use whatever money is left over to buy something nice for yourself...I have an important meeting tomorrow, I’m not sure what time I’ll be finished. Perhaps you should visit that friend of yours, what was her name? Ada! … Maybe inquire about some work. Leave me her number and I’ll ring you when I’m finished. Understood?” 

Aurora nodded as she took the money he held out for her to take. Tucking it safely inside the pocket of her apron before looking back up at her husband, carefully studying the hard to read expression he wore. 

“You’re dismissed.” He added. Turning back to his desk where he took his seat and returned to looking over the ledger. Leaving Aurora to make her way to the door, trying not to appear too eager to escape the study, when his voice caught her attention again. Aurora turning to acknowledge him as he spoke her name.

“And Aurora? You would do wise to stay away from that Thomas fellow. Am I clear?” 

Aurora’s heart nearly stopped beating entirely as she gave a nod, clearing her throat nervously as James straightened in his chair, arching an eyebrow sternly as he awaited her answer. One that came with a forced smile of sincerity, before she closed the door behind herself.

 “Of course, Love.”

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

As always, let me know if you would like to be tagged for future chapters!

TAGLIST: @jacksonroth @livvtheangel @londoncharlotte88 @theworld-is-ahead @zazasblogxx @readsalot73 @ly--canthrope @harjumus @theskinofmyemotions @sympathyfortheblinderdevil @juuliaa-gooliaa @feyrearcheron44 @shikin83 @laketaj24 @echeveriiia

[jaeminlore]

Future Reference // Kim Myungjun

-

the prompt: can I request some fluff (or at least a fluffy ending- I’m not anti-angst) with ASTRO’s Myungjun where you work for Fantagio but aren’t an idol/actress and he falls for you?

words: 1354

category: fluff + a lil angst

author note: my sister recently converted from an eunwoo stan to an mj stan and it’s been interesting to see. honestly mj is the cutest and deserves the best. i made this pretty light and not deep which I'm not used to (since I like my story lines) please enjoy anyway!

- destinee

-

“Y/n!” MJ’s loud voice could be heard all the way down the hall from the place you were: Fantagio’s break room.

As a stylist, your job was mainly picking which outfits the boys would wear on stage and at events during promotion. On days when they had no schedule and only practiced, like today, you mostly put together the outfits and helped the concept team with what type of outfits would fit their next comeback.

You usually didn’t see the boys, so it was surprising for you to hear MJ’s voice calling you.

“I’m in here!” You shouted back. You put the coffee you had been drinking on the side table and stood up, prepared to act as if you had been working and not taking your lunch break ten minutes early.

MJ ran in, wiping his face free of sweat from the strenuous practice he had just endured. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell anyone that you were slacking on the job.” He reached out to pat your head.

You were MJ’s favorite stylist, although you had the sneaking suspicion that it was only because of the fact that you were much shorter than him, even though both of you were the same age. He was finally able to tease someone about their height, and sadly that person was you.

“Why aren’t you practicing?” You asked, watching as MJ took a sip of your coffee.

“We’re taking a break,” he explained. “I thought you might need help since you’re picking outfits for our comeback.”

“Oh!” You gasped, thankful that he reminded you. “I do have a shirt for you that I need to tailor. I ordered the wrong size and I don’t know when the correct size will come in.”

“You don’t know my shirt size?” MJ pressed a hand to his heart and frowned over-dramatically. “I am offended.”

“I was distracted that day,” you defended. You certainly didn’t tell him that he was the reason you were distracted, since you had been watching him record for the new album. His voice was just so nice you didn’t notice your finger pressing the XL option.

“Here it is.” You pulled a black, custom-made t-shirt out of the wardrobe and tossed it at the singer. “Put this on.”

“In front of you?” MJ gasped dramatically. “How scandalous, Y/n, really.”

“Just put it on,” you said, rolling your eyes and turning away.

“Okay, it’s on.” MJ said.

You grabbed your measuring tape and a notebook. “Okay, let me make some notes and adjustments.”

The shirt really did look like it was swallowing MJ whole. It was far too wide and long, reaching down to his knees. “Tuck it in your jeans,” you told him. “I’ll just cinch the waist and then you should be fine.”

MJ tucked the shirt into his jeans, but the large garment still stuck out too widely. You stepped behind MJ and pulled the shirt in at the collar and the waist, making notes as you adjusted it to your liking.

“I need to measure the waist,” you mumbled, not thinking as you walked in front of MJ and wrapped your arms around his waist.

You were just trying to get your measuring tape around him, nothing else, but the action still made you blush.

Your cheeks only grew warmer as MJ started to laugh. “If you wanted a hug, you could’ve just said so, Y/n.”

“I’m measuring your waist,” you corrected him, knowing your face must be redder than a tomato by now. “I’m not hugging you.”

MJ tsked. “You’ve got to hide that blush of yours, Y/n. It really makes me want to kiss you.”

You blinked. MJ always did have a way of flirting bluntly, but he had never said something so outright like that.

“W-What?” You stuttered, looking up the the idol who seemed to be blushing as well.

“I didn’t mean to say that,” MJ said hastily. “Have you got your measurements?”

“Yes…” As you spoke, he pulled off the oversized shirt and slipped his normal one back on.

“Okay, I’ve got to get back to practice. Bye!”

He ran out of the room, and you sat down, struggling to make sense of what just happened.

-

You held a sewing pin between your lips as you tried to concentrate on the shirt you were tailoring.

Your thoughts had been elsewhere lately, thanks to MJ’s random outburst. Did he really mean it, or was it MJ being MJ? He often made jokes and said cheeky things. How were you to know if he was telling the truth?

He had avoided you for days leading up to their comeback. It sort of hurt when he went directly to the other stylists, forcing you to take care of another one of the other boys.

You shook away the thoughts and held up the t-shirt. The finished product looked great and you couldn’t wait to see MJ in this more casual concept. You had to get him to talk to you though, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to make him try it on.

You needed to see him in it to make sure your measurements were correct. Glancing up, you addressed the only other people in the room. Rocky and Moonbin were with their stylists, discussing outfit options.

Once they were finished, you spoke. “Guys, can you tell MJ to come see me? I have to make sure these measurements were done correctly.”

“Sure,” Rocky said, a playful smirk on his face. “I’ll tell him.”

You ignored he and Moonbin’s schoolgirl giggles and nervously bit your lip. Would MJ even come if he was avoiding you? Would he make another stylist check the measurements?

“He’s here!” Rocky beamed, pushing a sleepy MJ into the room.

The older boy seemed to have just been woken up, not quite aware of his surroundings. He brought his sweater paws up to cover his yawn.

You tried your best to ignore his cute actions and handed him the shirt. “Put this on. I need to make sure I measured right.”

“You always do,” MJ mumbled, pulling off his shirt. “You’re so meticulous. That’s another thing I like about you.”

Your eyes widened, “D-Don’t joke about things like that.”

MJ frowned as he pulled the t-shirt over his naked torso. “I’m not joking? I wouldn’t joke about my feelings.”

“Your feelings?” You asked, looking up. MJ was already watching you, a soft smile on his face.

“I like you, Y/n. I thought I made that pretty clear the other day.” He chuckled.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” you argued. “I thought you didn’t like me.”

“I was avoiding you because I had planned this extravagant way of confessing to you and I ruined it by blurting out my thoughts.” MJ explained.

You struggled to hold in a smile. “You can still confess to me, if you want. I’ll pretend I don’t know a thing.”

“I won’t,” MJ said. “But out of curiosity, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?” You asked.

“What color roses do you like?” MJ smiled cheekily. “I thought you might like the classic red ones, but personally I think the yellow ones are pretty.”

“Yellow roses sound beautiful,” you said.

“Good to know,” MJ mentioned. “For future reference, of course.”

“Of course,” you agreed, laughter bubbling out of your mouth.

“Another question,” MJ said. Then he quickly added, “for future reference.”

“What?”

“If I kissed you right now, would you push me away?”

You looked up, feeling your cheeks grow hot and your mouth open in shock. “Uh, no. No, I wouldn’t push you away.”

“Okay,” MJ grinned from ear to ear. “Great.”

He slowly leaned in, and you could feel his breath on your lips as he was just about to kiss you. Then someone began yelling from down the hallway, ruining the moment. “MJ-hyung!”

He exhaled in frustration. “I’ll see you later, Y/n.” He turned his head and kissed your cheek briefly.

“Right,” you said slowly, feeling warm from his touch. “See you later.”

~the end~