#posting this chapter is an early birthday present for myself

[lenievi]

“Where’s the carriage?” Valjean asked, raising his voice to be heard through the rain, and when he didn't get an answer, he followed with, “Come inside.”

The world crushes around Javert, and everything he's believed to be true, shatters.

Jean Valjean thinks that now that Cosette has fallen in love, there is no room for him in her heart.

So when Javert, lost and desperate, kisses Valjean, it opens a different path for them both.

------

Valjean/Javert. WIP. No warnings. Overall rated E, but this chapter is T. Thematically a post-Seine AU, but I wanted to try something a bit different and so it diverges from the moment the carriage stops on the Rue de l’Homme-Armé, and Javert lets Valjean go home.

I've been working on this for some time, and I've had so much fun so far. If you've seen a snippet posted from me in the last months, they were all from this fic.

I hope that if you decide to give it a shot, you'll enjoy it! (and Javert's little break down in the first chapter 🥺)

[marta-bee]

In honor of a certain two hobbits' birthday

I thought I'd share Tolkien's letter #214 in its entirety. It's long for a Tumblr post, but fascinating. Hobbit inheritance laws, several interesting women-hobbits, whole paragraphs on hobbit gift-giving traditions and why Gollum (of hobbit-kind) expected to be given a gift on his birthday instead of giving them to others. And that's without getting into the Agatha Christie-worthy story that is Lalia the Great (or Fat).

If you like this stuff but haven't dug into this particular corner of the lore, I hope you enjoy.

214 To A. C. Nunn (draft)

[A reply to a reader who pointed out an apparent contradiction in The Lord of the Rings: that in the chapter 'A Long-expected Party' it is stated that 'Hobbits give presents to other people on their own birthdays'; yet Gollum refers to the Ring as his 'birthday present', and the account of how he acquired it, in the chapter 'The Shadow of the Past', indicates that his people received presents on their birthdays. Mr Nunn's letter continued: 'Therefore, one of the following must be true: (1) Sméagol's people were not "of hobbit-kind" as suggested by Gandalf (I p. 62); (2) the Hobbit custom of giving presents was only a recent growth; (3) the customs of the Stoors [Sméagol-Gollum's people] differed from those of other Hobbits; or (5) [sic] there is an error in the text. I shall be most grateful if you can spare the time to undertake some research into this important matter.]

[Not dated; probably late 1958-early 1959.]

Dear Mr Nunn,

I am not a model of scholarship; but in the matter of the Third Age I regard myself as a 'recorder' only. The faults that may appear in my record are, I believe, in no case due to errors, that is statements of what is not true, but omissions, and incompleteness of information, mostly due to the necessity of compression, and to the attempt to introduce information en passant in the course of narrative which naturally tended to cut out many things not immediately bearing on the tale.

In the matter of birthday-customs and the apparent discrepancies that you note, we can therefore, I think, dismiss your alternatives (1) and (5). You omit (4).

With regard to (1) Gandalf certainly says at first 'I guess' p. 62; but that is in accordance with his character and wisdom. In more modern language he would have said 'I deduce', referring to matters that had not come under his direct observation, but on which he had formed a conclusion based on study. (You will observe in the Appendix B that the Wizards did not come until shortly before the first appearance of Hobbits in any records, at which time they were already divided into three marked branches.) But he did not in fact doubt his conclusion 'It is true all the same, etc.' p. 63.

Your alternative (2) would be possible; but since the recorder says on p. 35 Hobbits (which he uses whatever its origin, as the name for the whole race), and not the Hobbits of the Shire, or Shire-folk, it must be supposed that he means that the custom of giving presents was in some form common to all varieties, including Stoors. But since your (3) is naturally true, we might expect even so deep-rooted a custom to be exhibited in rather different ways in different branches. With the remigration of the Stoors back to Wilderland in TA 1356, all contact between this retrograde group and the ancestors of the Shirefolk was broken. More than 1100 years elapsed before the Déagol-Sméagol incident (c. 2463). At the time of the Party in TA 3001, when the customs of the Shire-folk are cursorily alluded to insofar as they affect the story, the gap of time was nearly 1650 years.

All Hobbits were slow to change, but the remigrant Stoors were going back to a wilder and more primitive life of small and dwindling[1] communities; while the Shire-folk in the 1400 years of their occupation had developed a more settled and elaborate social life, in which the importance of kinship to their sentiment and customs was assisted by detailed traditions, written and oral.

Though I omitted any discourse on this curious but characteristic fact of their behaviour, the facts concerning the Shire could be set out in some detail. The riverside Stoors must, naturally, remain more conjectural.

'Birthdays' had a considerable social importance. A person celebrating his/her birthday was called a ribadyan (which may be rendered according to the system described and adopted a byrding). The customs connected with birthdays had, though deeply rooted, become regulated by fairly strict etiquette; and so in consequence were in many cases reduced to formalities: as indeed suggested by 'not very expensive ones as a rule' p. 35; and especially by p. 46 11. 20-26. With regard to presents: on his birthday the 'byrding' both gave and received presents; but the processes were different in origin, function, and etiquette. The reception was omitted by the narrator (since it does not concern the Party) but it was in fact the older custom, and therefore the one most formalized. (It does concern the Sméagol-Déagol incident, but the narrator, being obliged to reduce this to its most significant elements, and to put it into the mouth of Gandalf talking to a hobbit, naturally made no comment on a custom which the hobbit (and we) should regard as natural in connexion with birthdays.)

Receiving of gifts: this was an ancient ritual connected with kinship. It was in origin a recognition of the byrding's membership of a family or clan, and a commemoration of his formal 'incorporation'.[2] No present was given by father or mother to their children on their (the children's) birthdays (except in the rare cases of adoption); but the reputed head of the family was supposed to give something, if only in 'token'.

Giving gifts: was a personal matter, not limited to kinship. It was a form of 'thanksgiving', and taken as a recognition of services, benefits, and friendship shown, especially in the past year.

It may be noted that Hobbits, as soon as they became 'faunts' (that is talkers and walkers: formally taken to be on their third birthday-anniversary) gave presents to their parents. These were supposed to be things 'produced' by the giver (that is found, grown, or made by the 'byrding'), beginning in small children with bunches of wild flowers. This may have been the origin of the 'thanksgiving' presents of wider distribution, and the reason why it remained 'correct' even in the Shire for such presents to be things belonging to or produced by the giver. Samples of the produce of their gardens fields or workshops remained the usual 'gifts given', especially among the poorer Hobbits.

In the Shire etiquette, at the date of the Party, 'expectation of receiving' was limited to second cousins or nearer kin, and to residence within 12 miles.[3] Even close friends (if unrelated) were not 'expected' to give, though they might. The Shire residence-limit was obviously a fairly recent result of the gradual break-up of kinship communities and families and dispersal of relatives, under long-settled conditions. For the received birthday presents (no doubt as a relic of the customs of small ancient families) must be delivered in person, properly on the eve of the Day, and at latest before nuncheon on the Day. They were received privately by the 'byrding'; and it was very improper to exhibit them separately or as a collection – precisely to avoid such embarrassments as may occur in our wedding-exhibitions (which would have horrified the Shirefolk).[4] The giver could thus accommodate his gift to his purse and his affections without incurring public comment or offending (if anyone) any other than the recipient. But custom did not demand costly presents, and a Hobbit was more readily flattered and delighted by an unexpectedly 'good' or desirable present than offended by a customary token of family good-will.

A trace of this can be seen in the account of Sméagol and Déagol – modified by the individual characters of these rather miserable specimens. Déagol, evidently a relative (as no doubt all the members of the small community were), had already given his customary present to Sméagol, although they probably set out on their expedition v. early in the morning. Being a mean little soul he grudged it. Sméagol, being meaner and greedier, tried to use the 'birthday' as an excuse for an act of tyranny. 'Because I wants it' was his frank statement of his chief claim. But he also implied that D's gift was a poor and insufficient token: hence D's retort that on the contrary it was more than he could afford.

The giving of presents by the 'byrding' – leaving out of account the gifts to parents,[5] mentioned above — being personal and a form of thanks, varied much more in form in different times and places, and according to the age and status of the 'byrding'. The master and mistress of a house or hole, in the Shire, would give gifts to all under their roof, or in their service, and usually also to near neighbours. And they might extend the list as they pleased, remembering any special favours in the past year. It was understood that the giving of presents was not fixed by rule ; though the withholding of a usual gift (as e.g. to a child, a servant, or a next door neighbour) was taken as a rebuke and mark of severe displeasure. Juniors & Inmates (those having no house of their own) were under no such obligations as rested on householders; but they usually gave presents according to their means or affections. 'Not very expensive as a rule' – applied to all the gifts. Bilbo was in this as in other ways an exceptional person, and his Party was a riot of generosity even for a wealthy Hobbit. But one of the commonest birthday ceremonies was the giving of a 'party' – in the evening of the Day. All those invited were given presents by the host, and expected them, as part of the entertainment (if secondary to the fare provided). But they did not bring presents with them. Shire-folk would have thought that very improper. If the guests had not already given a gift (being one of those required to do so by kinship), it was too late. For other guests it was a thing 'not done' – it looked like paying for the party or matching the party-gift, and was most embarrassing. Sometimes, in the case of a very dear friend unable to come to a party (because of distance or other causes) a token invitation would be sent, with a present. In that case the present was always something to eat or drink, purporting to be a sample of the party-fare.

I think it will be seen that all the details recorded as 'facts' do actually fit into a definite picture of sentiment and custom, though this picture is not sketched even in the incomplete fashion of this note. It could, of course, have appeared in the Prologue: e.g. in the middle of p. 12. But though I cut out a great deal, that Prologue is still too long and overloaded according even to those critics who allow that it has some use, and do not (as some) advise readers to forget it or skip it.

Incomplete as it is, this note may seem to you much too long; and though you asked for it, more than you asked for. But I do not see how I could have answered your queries more shortly in a way suitable to the compliment you pay me by taking an interest in Hobbits sufficient to mark the lacuna in the information provided.

However, the giving of information always opens still further vistas; and you will no doubt see that the brief account of 'presents' opens yet more anthropological matters implicit to such terms as kinship, family, clan, and so on. I venture to add a further note on this point, lest, in considering the text in the light of my reply, you should feel inclined to enquire further about Sméagol's 'grandmother', whom Gandalf represents as a ruler (of a family of high repute, large and wealthier than most, p. 62) and even calls a 'matriarch' (p. 66).

As far as I know Hobbits were universally monogamous (indeed they very seldom married a second time, even if wife or husband died very young); and I should say that their family arrangements were 'patrilinear' rather than patriarchal. That is, their family names descended in the male-line (and women were adopted into their husband's name); also the titular head of the family was usually the eldest male. In the case of large powerful families (such as the Tooks), still cohesive even when they had become very numerous, and more what we might call clans, the head was properly the eldest male of what was considered the most direct line of descent. But the government of a 'family', as of the real unit: the 'household', was not a monarchy (except by accident). It was a 'dyarchy', in which master and mistress had equal status, if different functions. Either was held to be the proper representative of the other in the case of absence (including death). There were no 'dowagers'. If the master died first, his place was taken by his wife, and this included (if he had held that position) the titular headship of a large family or clan. This title thus did not descend to the son, or other heir, while she lived, unless she voluntarily resigned.[6] It could, therefore, happen in various circumstances that a long-lived woman of forceful character remained 'head of the family', until she had full-grown grandchildren.

Laura Baggins (née Grubb) remained 'head' of the family of 'Baggins of Hobbiton', until she was 102. As she was 7 years younger than her husband (who died at the age of 93 in SY 1300), she held this position for 16 years, until SY 1316; and her son Bungo did not become 'head', until he was 70, ten years before he died at the early age of 80. Bilbo did not succeed, until the death of his Took mother. Belladonna, in 1334, when he was 44.

The Baggins headship then, owing to the strange events, fell into doubt. Otho Sackville-Baggins was heir to this title – quite apart from questions of property that would have arisen if his cousin Bilbo had died intestate; but after the legal fiasco of 1342 (when Bilbo returned alive after being 'presumed dead') no one dared to presume his death again. Otho died in 1412, his son Lotho was murdered in 1419, and his wife Lobelia died in 1420. When Master Samwise reported the 'departure over Sea' of Bilbo (and Frodo) in 1421, it was still held impossible to presume death; and when Master Samwise became Mayor in 1427, a rule was made that: 'if any inhabitant of the Shire shall pass over Sea in the presence of a reliable witness, with the expressed intention not to return, or in circumstances plainly implying such an intention, he or she shall be deemed to have relinquished all titles rights or properties previously held or occupied, and the heir or heirs thereof shall forthwith enter into possession of these titles, rights, or properties, as is directed by established custom, or by the will and disposition of the departed, as the case may require.' Presumably the title of 'head' then passed to the descendants of Ponto Baggins – probably Ponto (II).

A well-known case, also, was that of Lalia the Great (or less courteously the Fat). Fortinbras II, one time head of the Tooks and Thain, married Lalia of the Clayhangers in 1314, when he was 36 and she was 31. He died in 1380 at the age of 102, but she long outlived him, coming to an unfortunate end in 1402 at the age of 119. So she ruled the Tooks and the Great Smials for 22 years, a great and memorable, if not universally beloved, 'matriarch'. She was not at the famous Party (SY 1401), but was prevented from attending rather by her great size and immobility than by her age. Her son, Ferumbras, had no wife, being unable (it was alleged) to find anyone willing to occupy apartments in the Great Smials, under the rule of Lalia. Lalia, in her last and fattest years, had the custom of being wheeled to the Great Door, to take the air on a fine morning. In the spring of SY 1402 her clumsy attendant let the heavy chair run over the threshold and tipped Lalia down the flight of steps into the garden. So ended a reign and life that might well have rivalled that of the Great Took.

It was widely rumoured that the attendant was Pearl (Pippin's sister), though the Tooks tried to keep the matter within the family. At the celebration of Ferumbras' accession the displeasure and regret of the family was formally expressed by the exclusion of Pearl from the ceremony and feast; but it did not escape notice that later (after a decent interval) she appeared in a splendid necklace of her name-jewels that had long lain in the hoard of the Thains.

Customs differed in cases where the 'head' died leaving no son. In the Took-family, since the headship was also connected with the title and (originally military) office of Thain,[7] descent was strictly through the male line. In other great families the headship might pass through a daughter of the deceased to his eldest grandson (irrespective of the daughter's age). This latter custom was usual in families of more recent origin, without ancient records or ancestral mansions. In such cases the heir (if he accepted the courtesy title) took the name of his mother's family – though he often retained that of his father's family also (placed second). This was the case with Otho Sackville-Baggins. For the nominal headship of the Sackvilles had come to him through his mother Camellia. It was his rather absurd ambition to achieve the rare distinction of being 'head' of two families (he would probably then have called himself Baggins-Sackville-Baggins) : a situation which will explain his exasperation with the adventures and disappearances of Bilbo, quite apart from any loss of property involved in the adoption of Frodo.

I believe it was a moot-point in Hobbit lore (which the ruling of Mayor Samwise prevented from being argued in this particular case) whether 'adoption' by a childless 'head' could affect the descent of the headship. It was agreed that the adoption of a member of a different family could not affect the headship, that being a matter of blood and kinship; but there was an opinion that adoption of a close relative of the same name[8] before he was of age entitled him to all privileges of a son. This opinion (held by Bilbo) was naturally contested by Otho.

There is no reason to suppose that the Stoors of Wilderland had developed a strictly 'matriarchal' system, properly so called. No trace of any such thing was to be found among the Stoor-element in the Eastfarthing and Buckland, though they maintained various differences of custom and law. Gandalf's use (or rather his reporter and translator's use) of the word 'matriarch' was not 'anthropological', but meant simply a woman who in fact ruled the clan. No doubt because she had outlived her husband, and was a woman of dominant character.

It is likely enough that, in the recessive and decadent Stoor-country of Wilderland, the women-folk (as is often to be observed in such conditions) tended to preserve better the physical and mental character of the past, and so became of special importance. But it is not (I think) to be supposed that any fundamental change in their marriage-customs had taken place, or any sort of matriarchal or polyandrous society developed (even though this might explain the absence of any reference whatever to Sméagol-Gollum's father). 'Monogamy' was at this period in the West universally practised, and other systems were regarded with repugnance, as things only done 'under the Shadow'.

I actually started this letter nearly four months ago; but it never got finished. Shortly after I received your enquiries my wife, who had been ill most of 1958, celebrated the return of health by a fall in the garden, smashing up her left arm so badly that she is still crippled and in plaster. So 1958 was an almost completely frustrated year, and with other troubles, and the imminence of my retirement involving many rearrangements, I have had no time at all to deal with the Silmarillion. Much though I wish to do so (and, happily, Allen and Unwin also seem to wish me to do).

[1] Between 2463 and the beginning of Gandalf's special enquiries concerning the Ring (nearly 500 years later) they appear indeed to have died out altogether (except, of course, for Sméagol); or to have fled from the shadow of Dol Guldur.

[2] Anciently this apparently took place, shortly after birth, by the announcement of the name of the child to the family assembled, or in larger more elaborate communities to the titular 'head' of the clan or family. See note at end.

[3] Hence the Hobbit expression 'a twelve-mile cousin' for a person who stickled for the law, and recognized no obligations beyond its precise interpretation: one who would give you no present if the distance from his doorstep to yours was not under 12 miles (according to his own measurement).

[4] No presents were given at or during the celebration of Hobbit weddings, except flowers (weddings were mostly in Spring or early Summer). Assistance in furnishing a home (if the couple were to have a separate one, or private apartments in a Smial) was given long before by the parents on either side.

[5] In more primitive communities, as those still living in clan-smials, the byrding also made a gift to the 'head of the family'. There is no mention of Sméagol's presents. I imagine that he was an orphan; and do not suppose that he gave any present on his birthday, save (grudgingly) the tribute to his 'grandmother'. Fish probably. One of the reasons, maybe, for the expedition. It would have been just like Sméagol to give fish, actually caught by Déagol!

[6] We are here dealing only with titular 'headship' not with ownership of property, and its management. These were distinct matters; though in the case of the surviving 'great households', such as Great Smials or Brandy Hall, they might overlap. In other cases, headship, being a mere title, and a matter of courtesy, was naturally seldom relinquished by the living.

[7] This title and office descended immediately, and was not held by a widow. But Ferumbras, though he became Thain Ferumbras III in 1380, still occupied no more than a small bachelor-son's apartment in the Great Smials, until 1402.

[8] descendants of a common great-grandfather of the same name.

[kaydeefalls]

Chapter 6 - In which the Romans renew their assault on the city, tensions run high, and Yusuf and Nicolò navigate what it means to fight on the same side.

Chapters: 1/9 Fandom: The Old Guard (Movie 2020) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova Characters: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Original Characters Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, or more specifically one night stand to enemies to friends to lovers, Slow Burn, sex is easy but feelings are hard, Sexual Content, Angst with a Happy Ending, Romance, Punic Wars, Fall of Carthage, shockingly those are not common historical tags, author is a history geek, Ancient Rome Summary:

Historical AU set during the Fall of Carthage (2nd century BCE). When Carthaginian merchant Yusuf first met Nicolò in Rome, he thought him simply a pleasant night’s distraction from the looming threat of war between their respective homelands. He did not expect to meet him again in battle outside the walls of Carthage—or, well…anything else that followed, really.

[legolasbadass]

Italian Holiday, Part V

Summary: A few weeks before Richard leaves for Boston, he and Lorelei go on holiday in Italy to make the most of the summer and the time they have left together.

This story takes between the penultimate and last chapter of Office Hours and contains major spoilers for that story, so make sure you read it first!

Relationship: Richard Armitage x OC (Professor AU)

Word Count: 4.2K

Rating: E

A/N: I know I've already posted a chapter this week, but it seemed fitting to post this chapter today... 😉💙

Read the full story on AO3

On the morning of Richard’s birthday, I wake early to pick up pastries and fruit for breakfast and a cake at the nearest bakery to surprise him. He is not big on birthdays, but I still want to make this day special. I hold my breath as I sneak back inside the flat, cursing the racket the keys make as I insert them into the lock. But thankfully, Richard is still sound asleep. 

After hiding the cake in the refrigerator, I make my way toward the bed. The crumpled duvet exposes Richard’s naked chest, which rises and falls in an even rhythm, golden under the morning sun sneaking in through the half-closed curtains. One of his arms is stretched out on his side, where I slept earlier, but he does not seem to have noticed my absence. Smiling to myself, I carefully sit on the edge of the bed and rest a gentle hand on his chest, running my fingers over the patch of hair between his pectorals and feeling the steady beating of his heart under his warm skin. There is something quite comforting about seeing him so relaxed, so at ease, and it is in moments like this that I realize just how much I will miss him when he leaves for Boston. My heart tightens at the thought, but I force myself not to think about it. Not here, not now, on this most special day. 

I am admiring the soft, grey hairs in Richard’s beard when he begins to stir. A moment later, his eyes flutter open, his sapphire irises shining like the glittering waves at the beach, and when his gaze meets mine, he smiles sleepily. 

“Good morning,” he says, his voice slurred by sleep. 

“Happy birthday, my love,” I whisper before leaning in to kiss him softly, my loose hair spilling over my shoulders, tickling his cheeks. 

He groans into the kiss as he wraps his arms around me, his large hands caressing my waist through the thin fabric of my dress. “Why aren’t you in bed?” he asks when we pull apart for air a moment later, sounding displeased. 

“I had to go pick up a surprise for you,” I answer with a smile as I bring a hand to caress his unruly hair, then let my fingers trace his temple before settling on his beard. He opens his mouth to retort, but before he can say anything, I add, “I know you don’t care for birthdays, but let me take care of you today, okay?” 

He grins in response and buries his hand in my hair as I lean in closer, supporting myself with one hand on the mattress. I let my eyes flutter close as I rub my nose against his, enjoying the way his beard tickles my cheeks before meeting his lips in a languid kiss. The kiss quickly becomes more heated, and as his tongue tangles with mine, I move to straddle him, welcoming the feeling of his growing arousal between my thighs. 

“A birthday present so soon in the day?” Richard teases, and I giggle, burying my face in his neck and inhaling his scent as I trail a path from his ear down to his Adam’s apple with my lips. 

His large hands rest on my bare thighs, gently stroking them, leaving no inch of skin untouched. Eagerly, they slip under my dress, all the way up to my hips, leaving the fabric bundled at my waist. My skin burns under his touch, and when I instinctively grind myself against him, I am rewarded with a gentle wave of pleasure. His hands dig into my flesh as he hardens under me, his body surrendering to the same sensations he awakens in me.

“Take off your dress, darling,” he suddenly says in a deep voice, fisting the fabric, and I shiver. 

Gazing into his lust-darkened eyes, I raise myself and slowly reach from the hem of my dress to pull it over my head, letting it fall to the floor before reaching for the clasp of my bra. Richard swallows heavily as he stares unabashedly at my breasts and the hardened peaks that beg for his touch. The love and desire burning in his eyes set my whole body on fire, and heat pools between my thighs, soaking my knickers. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, almost as if to himself, then licks his lips, momentarily distracting me. I desperately want to kiss him, to drown in his intoxicating taste while his beard scratches my cheeks, but I force myself to wait. This morning, I intend to draw out his pleasure and explore every inch of his striking body. It is his birthday, after all. 

I offer him a seductive smile before devoting my attention to his chest, pressing light kisses across his collarbone, then down into the valley between his pectorals. Encouraged by his increasingly ragged breathing, I lightly bite his skin, slowly inching closer to his nipples, and he groans and arches into my touch when I teasingly swirl my tongue over one. 

“Sweetheart.” The endearment is both a plea and a command, but I ignore him, making my way further down. “Please—I want you, Lorelei.” 

“Not yet,” I say, shaking my head before caressing his navel with my tongue. 

His hands are now buried in my hair, and I can tell he is holding back; he could easily take control and push me onto my back to have his way with me, but thankfully, he seems content to let me be in control for now. 

Never tearing my eyes from him, I settle myself comfortably between his thighs and press a lingering kiss on the tip of his hardness, then another, this time teasing him with my tongue, revelling in the low groan that tumbles from his parted lips. Smiling, I wrap one hand around him, letting it glide against him in tandem with my mouth, teasing him until the first salty drops of his pleasure meet my tongue.

Richard's moans grow louder, and his body tenses beneath me, muscles straining as I keep up the teasing rhythm. When I take him deeper into my mouth, he tugs on my hair and lets his head fall back, exposing the column of his throat to a sunbeam that travels across the bed, and I moan against him, mesmerized by this tender, handsome man I have the chance to call mine. The way he looks at me now, like I am all that matters to him in the world, makes my heart swell with a love so deep it takes my breath away. And suddenly, despite my desire to take my time with him, I can no longer ignore my need to feel him inside me and share this pleasure with him.

His groan of protest is immediate when I pull away, and I cannot help but laugh as I slowly move to straddle him once more, steadying myself with my hands on each side of his head. Even through the cotton of my knickers, I feel how warm he is, and I know he can feel how wet I am already. 

“Lorelei,” he groans in a deep, desperate voice, pressing his head into his pillow as he struggles to keep his eyes open. “Are you trying to kill me?” 

Another breathless laugh escapes my lips as I lower myself to kiss his jaw, and the new angle causes us both to moan. Richard’s hands are now tugging on my knickers in a desperate attempt to remove the last piece of fabric between us. 

Clumsily, I wriggle out of my knickers by raising one leg at a time, and when, at last, I am completely naked, I wrap my hand around his hardness to guide him inside me. As soon as he slips between my folds, I reach for his hand to steady myself; I am more than accustomed to his size now, but it renders me breathless each time. Inch by delectable inch, he fills me, stretches me, and when he is all the way in, his groan mingles with my moan. Then we still. Neither of us moves for a moment, and only the distant sound of waves and our heavy breathing reveal the passing of time as we lose ourselves in each other’s eyes, bathed in sunlight and the summer heat. No words are spoken between us, but I know we are both savouring every single second and imprinting each little detail in our hearts to cherish when we will be apart. 

The first time I sink down on him, the pleasure is so intense that it draws a shuddering gasp from both of us. Richard follows my rhythm, lifting his hips to meet me as I lower myself onto him, taking him in as deep as I can, desperate to give him as much pleasure as he so passionately offers me. One of his hands moves to my lower back while the other slides up to cup my breast, his thumb brushing over the sensitive peak. Heat swirls through me, spreading from my core all the way to my toes, as he gazes up at me with a mixture of awe and need, the blue of his irises almost lost in the depth of his desire.

Then, between two thrusts, Richard pushes himself up to kiss me, his beard scratching my burning cheeks as I whimper against his mouth. Even though it is only mid-morning and a refreshing breeze floats in from the open doors leading onto the balcony, the air is already hot and humid, and my skin is slightly sticky, but Richard does not seem to mind. Ardently, he covers every inch of my neck with kisses, and a soft, desperate moan falls from my lips as I let my head fall back, drowning in the sensations he stirs within me. 

That is always the flaw in my plan—he knows my body too well. So despite my intention to take control and draw out his pleasure, it does not take long before he sends me over the edge. Clinging to him, I cry out, my nails digging into his tanned back as I tighten around him. And that is all it takes to send him over the edge with me. Groaning my name, he buries his face in my neck, and we cling to each other, trembling as the waves of pleasure gradually subside, leaving us breathless and spent. I can feel his heart pounding against my chest, matching the rapid beat of my own, as his fingers trace lazy patterns on my back. 

“You certainly know how to wish someone ‘happy birthday,’” Richard says eons later, causing me to giggle.

“You deserve nothing less, my love,” I respond, kissing him softly before he lowers us onto the bed so that I lie on his side, one warm wrapped around his middle. Once I catch my breath, I snuggle closer and press a light kiss onto his sweat-slicked chest. “So, do you feel any different? Wiser, perhaps?”

Richard chuckles as he absently plays with my hand, then pauses. “I just feel even luckier. I mean, an old man like me, with a girl like you…”

I bite my lips but choose to lighten the mood by saying, “And I feel lucky every day I’m with you… my old man.” 

Another chuckle falls from his lips before he moves his hand up my arm, then into my hair to caress the tangled locks, prompting me to look up at him. “You really don’t think I’m old?” 

My heart tightens in my chest at the insecurity that softens his eyes. “Of course not! Not that there’s anything wrong with being old.” 

“Hm,” he mumbles, looking up at the beamed ceiling. “I’m getting more and more grey hairs—might have to start dying my hair.” 

“Don’t you dare!” He raises his eyebrows. “I happen to love your grey hairs,” I say earnestly as I run my fingers through his unruly curls. “I love the greys in your beard as well.” I accentuate my words with kisses along his bearded jaw. “I also happen to love the wrinkles at the corner of your eyes.” With my lips, I trace a path from his beard to the lines around his eyes. 

“You like my wrinkles?” Richard asks with raised eyebrows. 

I cradle his face with one hand and lean in until his lips are mere inches from mine. “I think they’re sexy,” I say before pressing a lingering kiss at the corner of his mouth.

“Really?” He sounds even more incredulous now.

I nod. “Surely I’ve told you before?”

“You haven’t.”

“Well let me rectify that, then,” I say softly, then kiss him once more as I bury one hand in his hair. “Your grey hairs are very sexy, as are the little wrinkles at the corner of your eyes. In fact, you are the sexiest man I’ve ever met—I’ve thought so since the very first time I saw you.” 

“Oh yeah?” He chuckles in amusement, but his cheeks are now red with embarrassment. 

“Yes—you were wearing a grey tweed blazer and a white button-up underneath, and your collar was undone, and I remember thinking that was very distracting,” I say, unable to hold back my giggle.

Richard grins, a twinkle in his eyes. “Well, I had no idea I was distracting you so much.”

I bite my lips. “And you know—I’ve seen photos of you from when you were younger, and I can tell you, you only get better with age, darling.” 

Richard chuckles, his cheeks still red. “Yeah, I was a lanky teenager and it took me years to grow into my big nose.” 

“Well, you’ve certainly grown into it. And other appendages...”

Richard’s laughter joins mine, and his chest rumbles against me as he pulls me closer. He is still smiling when he captures my lips in a slow, toe-curling kiss. Then another, deeper, more passionate. His tongue tangles with mine as I wrap my arms around his neck, my fingers pulling on the curls at the back of his head, causing him to moan and pull me even closer; my breasts are pressed into his chest now, and one of his hands slides down my back to caress my bum just as I wrap one leg around his hips, but then he groans and pulls away. 

“Well, there is one thing that doesn’t get better with age,” he begins, slightly breathless. “I don’t think I can make love to you again so soon, no matter how much I wish I could.” 

I cannot hold back my giggle as he brushes the hair from my face. His eyes shine with playfulness, but I still notice a hint of insecurity in his gaze, as though he is worried about disappointing me. I press a chaste kiss onto his lips to reassure him, then say, “It’s just as well—my legs are sore.” I kiss him again. “And I’m starving!” 

“That’s not good. We have lots of steps to go down to reach the nearest café.”

“No, we don’t. Why do you think I got up so early?” Richard raises an inquisitive eyebrow. “I got eggs, cheese, and fruit from the market. And I got us chocolate and pistachio cornettos at the bakery. I thought we could have breakfast on the balcony.” 

In response, Richard smiles and buries his face in the crook of my neck. “God, I love you.” 

“I love you, too,” I say, giggling and smiling widely as I hug him tight against me, pressing a tender kiss in his hair. 

Sometime later, we manage to leave the bed. While Richard goes to the loo, I steal one of his t-shirts to keep his scent on me even longer and slip into my knickers before going into the small kitchen. When he joins me, he helps me prepare breakfast despite my initial protests, seeing as it is his birthday. But we have always enjoyed cooking together, and when he wraps his arms around me to tell me this, I know he is thinking of how much he will miss little moments like this when he leaves. Neither of us speaks about it, though, because as long as we are here, we can pretend that time stands still, and he is not leaving anytime soon. 

We take breakfast out to the balcony, where a gentle breeze rustles the leaves of the potted plants. The sun has climbed higher in the sky, casting a warm glow over the cliffs and the seaside town. As we sit across from each other, sharing laughs and stories, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mixes with the salty sea breeze as the town below awakes. 

After a lovely breakfast and a long shower, we set out to explore more corners of the charming seaside town, strolling through narrow streets lined with colourful houses and charming shops. But we spend most of the afternoon at the beach, laughing and sharing stolen kisses under the warmth of the afternoon sun and in the refreshing embrace of the Ligurian Sea. In the evening, I bring Richard to a quaint restaurant, where we enjoy delicious pasta and a bottle of local wine. 

The sun has nearly set when we make our way back to the flat after dinner, our hands intertwined as I rest my head against his arm. 

“Today has been perfect, sweetheart,” he says as we reach the front door. “I don’t know how to thank you.” 

I smile up at him, my heart light and warm. “You don’t have to thank me. And the day isn’t over yet, birthday boy.” 

He raises one eyebrow and grins. “You’re spoiling me.” 

“Well, you never let me, so I’m taking advantage of this special occasion.”

Once inside, I pull him toward the balcony and make him sit down at the table. 

“Now close your eyes—and no peeking!” 

He chuckles but complies, and for a moment, I simply watch him, admiring the boyish grin that tugs at his lips and his tousled curls, enhanced by the humidity and the sea air. I cannot help but press a kiss onto his bearded cheek before darting back inside, smiling in excitement. In the kitchen, I hasten to retrieve the cake from the box, then grab the tube of decorative icing I bought this morning. The cake already looks amazing, but I want to add a little personal touch. Unfortunately, the icing comes out uneven as I try to spell out ‘Happy Birthday’ in the centre with a small heart at the end, but I know he will still appreciate it.

“I won’t sing you ‘Happy Birthday’ because I know you hate that, but I’d still like you to make a wish,” I say as I step back onto the balcony and carefully place the cake before him on the table. His eyes are still closed, and I smile to myself as I strike a match, then light the candles. “You can open your eyes now.” 

A surprised laugh tumbles from his lips as he opens his eyes and stares at the messy lettering on the cake. “Did you do that?” 

“I tried!” I reply, laughing at myself. 

“It’s perfect,” he says, raising one finger to swipe off some excess icing from the heart I made, then brings it to his lips and hums appreciatively. 

“Blow the candles before you lick the icing!” I chastise him, but I cannot stop smiling as I wrap my arms around his neck from behind. Richard stares at his cake for a moment, then blows out the candles, except one stubborn one. “Quick, or your wish won’t come true!” I say, but he succeeds in blowing it out before I finish speaking, so I cheer and press a kiss atop his hair. 

He squeezes me tight, then says, “What if it already has?” 

“What?” I ask, not quite understanding, but then I look at the candles, then back at him, and the meaning of his words is clear in his tender eyes as he gazes up at me. 

Smoke is still rising from the candles as he extends a hand toward me, inviting me into his arms, and I momentarily forget all about the delicious cake awaiting us as I sit on his lap. When he speaks, his voice is heavier than usual, though laced with tenderness. 

“You know, for so long I wondered if maybe there was something wrong with me,” he begins slowly as he absentmindedly caresses my arm, causing me to frown. “Everyone around me was falling in love, getting married, having kids, and I could never seem to make a relationship last, no matter how hard I tried. But now I understand why…I was waiting for you.” 

“Richard…” I swallow hard as myriad emotions clog my throat. 

“I’ve been on so many crappy dates over the past eight years, you wouldn’t believe. But it wasn’t these women’s fault—I tried, I really did, but I just never really clicked with anyone and I didn’t see the point in trying and—and risking my heart over again. But then I met you.” He smiles brightly and chuckles as though remembering something. “And everything was just so easy with you.” I open my mouth to retort, and seeing the look on my face, he chuckles and says, “Well, sure, we’ve had our problems—but I mean the connection between us. It just works with you—I’ve always been so comfortable with you, and you understand me in a way no one has ever understood me before. And you make me feel loved in a way no one ever has. I might not have known it at the time, but I fell in love with you the very first time we met. I remember you telling me about your research and what drew you to Tolkien’s work—and the passion in your voice was just…” He trails off then and smiles, and the love in his eyes makes my heart swell ten-fold. 

“And to think I worried I was boring you by rambling about Tolkien,” I chuckle at the memory, trying to ignore the frenzied beating of my heart.

He smiles again before pressing a soft kiss onto my lips, his arms now wrapped around my waist as the sun sinks below the horizon, submerging us in the gentle glow of twilight. 

“I know I’m leaving for a year soon…” Richard hesitantly breaks the agreement to avoid the topic of his departure during our holiday, and I look down at the unbuttoned collar of his linen shirt. “But I want you to know that… I can’t imagine my future without you. I want to enjoy many more lazy mornings with you and I want you to keep sharing all your brilliant thoughts with me.” I cannot help but chuckle and shake my head, and he smiles, squeezing my hand as he continues. “And I want us to go on many more holidays like this one where we dance under the stars and eat great food and have amazing sex,” he adds, causing me to blush, but then he swallows heavily, growing serious once more. “I guess I’m saying all this because… I want to reassure you that even though I’m leaving, you remain my priority. That future with you is my priority—and I’m sorry we have to put things on pause for a little while.” 

I swallow heavily, slightly overwhelmed by the love behind his words and the tenderness in his eyes. “I—I don’t know what to say.” 

“You don’t have to say anything, sweetheart,” he responds, ever so caring and patient with me, as he rests his forehead against mine.

“You know I want all that as well, right?” I eventually say.

Richard smiles. “Yes, I know. But it’s nice to hear you say it.” 

I chuckle, then bite my lower lip. “You’re wrong about something, though,” I say, and he frowns. “We’re not putting anything on pause. It’s just something we have to go through. Sure, it might not be as nice as going on holiday in Italy or that amazing sex you referred to…” He squeezes my thigh, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “But it’s still part of that future—our future.” 

His eyes locked on mine, he raises his large hands to cradle my face. “You saying that… you don’t know how much that means to me.” 

I smile shyly before pressing my lips to his in a fleeting kiss, trying to calm down the frantic beating of my heart. “Now, how about that cake…” 

Richard laughs, squeezing my waist. “Yes, please!” he exclaims, reaching out for the knife. “How big a slice do you want?” 

I chuckle and nod in approval of the generous slice he offers me. The cake turns out to be even more delicious than it looks, and as the night air grows cooler and the streets below grow quieter, we take our time savouring it, exchanging loving glances and fleeting kisses. 

Richard was definitely right; this holiday does just keep getting better.

Tag list: @lathalea @linasofia @fizzyxcustard @bitter-sweet-farmgirl @i-did-not-mean-to @xxbyimm @middleearthpixie @enchantzz @myselfandfantasy @notlostgnome @laurfilijames @swoopswishsward @quiall321 @dianakc @sazzlep @albionscastle @evenstaredits @mistresskayla-blog1

Let me know if you'd like to be added/removed from my tag list or tagged in future chapters! 💙

[missvelvetsstuff]

Miss Velvet

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Y/N is a disabled equestrian and therapeutic riding instructor who helps Tony Stark with his PTSD after returning from Titan. When the Avengers bring everyone back he hires her to work with Avengers and SHIELD hires her as therapist and teaching basic riding skills because you never know when a horse will be the best mode of transportation.

Bucky Barnes is a manwhore who is enjoying his freedom for the first time in decades and pays no mind to y/n when she meets the team because he learned to ride from Hydra and too is busy pursuing his next conquest.

Post Endgame but everybody survived, because I said so. And Steve helped get Sharon Carter pardoned so they are together.

Chapter 11

Notes: I'm reposting this because the link is broken on the Masterlist for this story and I couldn't find the original post.

Velvets alarm went off and she groaned but when she tried to get up something was stopping her. Waking up a bit more she realized it was a metal arm holding her down.

"Bucky, honey, I have to get up and feed. So much to do today before Tony's Xmas Eve gathering tonite."

Bucky grumbled "No, no feed, no party things, sleep" and pulled her flush against him.

Velvet grimaced "But, Baby, it's Christmas Eve. We can sleep in a few days. I have to bake cookies and make fudge. It's tradition."

"How is it tradition when this is your first Christmas with the team?" Bucky mumbled.

Velvet whined "Because, it's what I do. My mom and I always baked goodies to take to work and school. She's gone but I must bake."

"Just five more minutes, Doll" Bucky tried to negotiate.

"Lazy damn supersoldier" Velvet smacked him on his right shoulder.

"Demanding woman" Bucky grunted

"And I'm all yours" Velvet grinned. "Come on! We have to get up. Unless you want to make me do all that work by myself" she pouted

"Fine! I'm up. Come take a shower with me."

"Sergeant Barnes! We don't have time for such activities. Get up!"

Once they finally got moving they found that Bobby had already taken care of the horses so headed back to the house for breakfast. Velvet started organizing the ingredients and dishes she needed to bake after turning on holiday music.

"Velvet, Doll. It's almost time to get going. Are you almost ready?" Bucky tapped on her bedroom door.

'What do you think Sarge? Do I look acceptable?'

Velvet walked out in a purple cocktail dress with black lace overlay, her hair down in the back and make-up simple. Bucky stared with his mouth open, his black suit with a pocket square that matched the color of her dress. His brain misfiring when he tried to speak so he ended up just grunting.

Velvet laughed "I'll take that as a yes. You look pretty drool worthy yourself."

Bucky shook his head "You just keep getting prettier every time I look at you."

"Such a charmer" Velvet blushed

"Shall we go?" Bucky offered his arm "Everything is in the car"

The compound was very festive with lights, trees, tinsel and red bows & ornaments everywhere. The whole team was in the ballroom, dressed to the nines and still sober enough to seem respectable but it was early. There were tables with finger foods and treats along one wall and a 20ft tree with presents under and around it. Holiday music was playing and everyone was excited for the evening.

After dinner, everyone was a little drunk and some were dancing for a little while until most were sitting on the huge sectional that was around the tree to make the gift exchange easier.

Everyone had their gift except Velvet until Tony handed her an envelope. Her brow crinkled.

"What's this Tony? The deed to my stable?" She joked.

"Not today. This is a Christmas slash birthday gift since your day is the 26th" he grinned

Velvet rolled her eyes "Wow, didn't expect a billionaire to need to combine gifts like my friends in high school did."

Tony scoffed "Just open it and take a look."

Velvet opened the envelope and read the paper inside, her eyes growing wider as she finished. "Are you for real, Tony?"

"Of course. I mean it was your boyfriends idea but yeah. Wanna tell the rest of the class?"

Velvet looks up at everyone "According to this, after brunch tomorrow we are all headed out on a chartered 747 to Disneyland until January 3rd. Staying in the special suites in the Disneyland hotel. There's the Fantasy Suite, Mickey's Penthouse, Pirates of the Carribean, Adventureland and Big Thunder. Plus my bday dinner at The Blue Bayou restaurant in the Pirates ride."

Everyone cheers and Sam's nephews & Clints kids start screaming "Disneyland! Disneyland! Disneyland!"

Velvet can barely contain herself "It's been years since I've been but my family used to go every year. Perk of growing up in So Cal. Y'all are gonna love it."

Tony claps "Alright kids, let's get some shut eye so Santa comes for the kids and we take off after brunch so get packed."

Velvet barely sleeps that nite, Disneyland holds so many special memories with friends and family, from her childhood.

After a hectic morning and brunch everyone heads to the airport, chatting excitedly about this trip.

Velvet wakes up on her 30th bday in one of the bedrooms of Mickeys Penthouse because Bucky is singing Happy Birthday with a huge cupcake with a candle lit. Velvet blows it out and kisses Bucky long and hard.

"Do we have to be anywhere this morning?" She asks Bucky.

"Yes, you and your lady friends are going to the spa at the Grand Californian for massages and other girly stuff today. We are all meeting at the castle at 7 for a group picture before dinner."

Velvet's phone rings "Oh, excuse my public needs me" and answers to hear a very off key rendition of Happy Birthday.

"Velvet!" Nat yells "Wake up, we have pampering to do"

The girls have a blast being pampered and drinking a whole lot of mimosas. Once they are done they head back to their rooms to get ready for dinner. Velvet has an off the shoulder, purple maxi dress and low heels.

"How do I look?"

"Like dessert" Bucky growls "Here, I have your bday present" and he puts an amethyst heart necklace on her.

"Oh, Buck, it's beautiful" She sighs

"Yeah, almost as beautiful as you. Now lets get going before we're late"

They meet the team at the castle and spend 10 minutes being posed by a photographer before he gets the shot he wants. Then all the families and couples take individual shots.

The theme from Beauty and the Beast Tale as Old as Time'(Angela Lansbury NOT Celine Dion) starts coming thru speakers all over Main Street, when Velvet and Bucky are the last couple to pose and when she looks over at him, he's on one knee. She looks around and everyone is watching them.

Bucky takes her hand "I know we've only been together for 5 months but I believe that when it's right, you know. Nothing in my life has ever felt so right.

Y/N, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Holding an amethyst engagement ring he looks at her with all the love he has.

Velvet starts crying and nodding her head "Yes. YES!" Is all she can get out. Bucky slides the ring onto her finger where it fits perfectly. She hugs and kisses him, speechless and so happy.

Applause breaks out, too much to be just the team and when Velvet and Bucky look around there are hundreds of spectators clapping and whooping for the happy couple.

The group heads to New Orleans Square but passes the entrance to Blue Bayou and Velvet speaks up "Tony, we passed the restaurant" but he shakes his head.

"Another little surprise, we are dining in Club 33 this evening"

"Oh my God Tony, I don't know what to say" Velvet tears up

"When you figure it out text me" Tony quips

After a wonderful meal the group gets ready to leave and Velvet groans "Buck, honey. Imma need you to carry me back to the hotel"

Bucky smiles, "Don't worry it's not far" and leads her up a set of stairs.

"Where are we going?" She asks, looking around

"You crazy kids are sleeping in Walt's Dream Suite tonite. Try not to scare the janitorial staff." Tony answers

The team comes up for drinks on the balcony so they can all watch Fantasmic!

Looking at her ring, Velvet sighs

"I can't imagine a better day. Can we get married here? Ooh, Tony do you know Steve Perry? Maybe he could sing at the wedding."

Bucky speaks up "You hear my girl, Stark? You're paying for the wedding too, right?"

[rebelmeg]

Rebelmeg's TSB Mark VII Masterpost

I GOT MYSELF A BLACKOUT FOR THIS ROUND OF THE @tonystarkbingo!!!

S1 - Would You Rather...? | Gen | Iron Family | fanfic

While Tony recovers, Morgan keeps him entertained.

S2 - Tea and Sympathy and Seeing Too Much | Gen | Peggy Carter & Phil Coulson, referenced Pepperony and Ana/Edwin | fanfic

In which awkward SHIELD agents have tea and deal with seeing too much PDA.

S3 - Rebelmeg Drabbles - Chapter 31: Stunned into Stillness | Gen | Iron Family | fanfic drabble

Tony holds his daughter for the first time.

S4 - Not Yet: Chapter 12 | Teen | Tony Stark & Death, Tony & Harley Keener | fanfic

Taking his arc reactor out is always a bad idea, but Tony doesn't think twice this time.

S5 - Laugh Lines | Gen | Pepperony & Iron Family | fanfic

Pepper has spent years watching the subtle (and sometimes unsubtle) ways Tony's face has changed. This one is probably her favorite.

T1 - Wingmen and Airmen, Flirting and Flying - Chapter 1: Two Drink Limit (Limits Were Made To Be Tested) | Teen | Carol/Rhodey, Tony/Maria Rambeau | fanfic

Tony and Rhodey are having a night out before an important Air Force/Stark Industries presentation in the morning. As it so happens, so are Maria and Carol… Except they know who they're talking to, while the boys have no idea that the ladies they're talking to tonight will be the same ones making their jaws drop tomorrow. Rhodey lays down the law, Tony scoffs at the very idea, Carol is considering hijinks, and Maria is up for the challenge.

T2 - Not Yet: Chapter 14 | Teen | Tony Stark & Death | fanfic

The time Tony didn't die.

T3 - Not Yet: Chapter 8 | Teen | Tony Stark & Death | fanfic

Finding out about the palladium poisoning, and trying to fix it, turns out just as well as you could expect.

T4 - I Want You Back | Gen | Pepperony | fanfic

Pepper asked for the separation when Tony couldn't let go of Iron Man. Then, when she got what she asked for, she realized just how much she was giving up. And found a way to own up to her own shortcomings, and meet the love of her life halfway.

T5 - On and Off the Record | Teen | Pepperony | fanfic

Pepper is a broadcast journalist. Tony is a big-time CEO. When their chemistry makes them friends at first sight, it's really only a matter of time until they finally turn into something more.

A1 - Hot and Bothered and Gone on You | Teen | Pepperony | fanfic

A few weeks into Pepperony’s new relationship, Pepper’s heat comes early. And they haven’t talked about it yet.

A2 - Gingerbread, Cocoa, and Coffee | Gen | Tony & Bucky | fanfic

Tony tries to pull one over on Bucky, who is (unsurprisingly) not fooled. Also, there's a real big gingerbread house.

A3 - Tony's New Cars | Gen | Pepperony | fanfic

Tony seems to have replaced all his cars. Pepper finds out why.

A4 - Not Yet: Chapter 5 | Teen | Tony Stark & Death, Tony & Rhodey | fanfic

Tony faces a very unhappy new year.

A5 - Wingmen and Airmen, Flirting and Flying - Chapter 2: Darts and Tequila and Pairing Up | Teen | Carol/Rhodey, Tony/Maria Rambeau | fanfic

Rhodey braces himself to make his move, Tony makes his, and last call comes as a surprise to everyone.

R1 - Optically Deficient Is The New Sexy | Teen | Pepperony | fanfic

Tony ponders the positive effect Pepper's reading glasses have had on his life. In bed.

R2 - Not Yet: Chapter 9 | Teen | Tony Stark & Death, Tony & his Bots | fanfic

Getting out of his banged up suit after his disastrous birthday party isn't going very well.

R3 - Not Yet: Chapter 1 | Teen | Tony Stark & Death, Tony & Maria Stark | fanfic

Tony's life begins with Death.

R4 - Not Yet: Chapter 7 | Teen | Tony Stark & Death | fanfic

In Afghanistan, Tony visits Death again. And again, and again, and again.

R5 - Not Yet: Chapter 4 | Teen | Tony Stark & Death, Tony & Rhodey | fanfic

Tony's night in the lab does not go as he planned.

K1 - Bot Shaming - Part 11 | Gen | Tony & Dum-E | social media post

In which Dum-E continues to be a disaster with a fire extinguisher, and Tony continues to be a shocked and appalled Bot Dad.

K2 - Not Yet: Chapter 11 | Teen | Tony Stark & Death, Tony & JARVIS | fanfic

Tony doesn't like being buried alive, suffocating, and drowning all at once. No, he does not.

K3 - Strictly Ornamental | Gen | Pepperony & Iron Family | fanfic

Tony is doing some last-minute (see also: forgotten) gift-wrapping while Pepper tries to keep their baby out of the Christmas tree.

K4 - Wingmen and Airmen, Flirting and Flying - Chapter 3: I'll See Your Hangover, and Raise You Another | Teen | Carol/Rhodey, Tony/Maria Rambeau | fanfic

The boys are having just as miserable a morning as could be expected after their night out, but when they finally do show up at the demonstration, a couple of familiar faces are there to greet them.

K5 - Primal Satisfaction (of the Clothes-Stealing Variety) | Teen | Pepperony | fanfic

Pepper really understands her husband. Both his possessive caveman side, and his nostalgic pack rat side. Rhodey would really rather not hear about it at all.

ADOPTED PROMPT: abuse - Not Yet: Chapter 2 | Teen | Tony Stark & Death, Tony & the Jarvises | fanfic

An act of neglect sends Tony into Death's arms once again.

ADOPTED PROMPT: Next Generation - It's Good To Be Back | Gen | Peter & the Stark Family | fanfic

After the Snap and everyone comes back, Peter visits Tony in the hospital and meets someone he didn't expect.

[flowermountainpress]

Embers & To-do list (progress update)

February 24

(Cross-posted from Patreon)

I folded and am about to awl Embers-- vol 1-- my husband's birthday present for next month. I noticed so many mistakes on the typesetting, which is from May of 2023. The good news? I don't have to go through the painstaking process of changing the word doc, exporting the PDF, imposing it, downloading it, and printing again-- I can just live with the issues!

Mainly a spacing issue in the first chapter, all the new chapter pages having left-aligned page numbers, and a weird issue with the drop cap spacing. All things I can live with.

Unfortunately the margins are fucked. Plenty of top and bottom and even fore edge margin for me to trim, but it's going to be very slightly awkward on the inner margins due to the sewing. Still perfectly readable, though.

I didn't print a test signature BECAUSE I wasn't willing to change anything (long ass process described above) and I'm happy to live with the mistakes *because* this is something that's not leading my house.

I reread a small bit but caught myself... XD Embers has incredible re-readability so it's a great choice to bind.

After I get stabby, I'm gonna press the signatures overnight to reduce swell. Then sew! Typesetting, which used to be easy to me, is recently a pain in my ass. I find that with doing my day job on the computer (temporary work from home situation) and doing college on the computer, I don't wanna fucking touch it for bookbinding. The practical side of things, however, is nice. I wish I was past the typesetting stage on any of my "owed" projects; the two free paperbacks folks won (Domino and Mouse's).

I've included a picture of my silly to do list that let's me visually track progress on these projects. The first free paperback was easy because it was a fic I'd bound before. Only minor adjustments needed. I'm going to think long and hard about doing so many at once, ever again! Haha. It would have been fine if not compounded by the holidays and IRL work issues, actually-- but I've found it's the height of foolishness to make plans based on my *top* speed at completion things. Fall of last year, I was breezing by everything, and getting everything done soso fast!

Hopefully after this hill, and the break I plan on taking that I can see in the distance, I'll be able to be Speedy™️ once again.

As an aside, I can't remember if I mentioned, all the stickers and bookmarks (and tea and earrings) were mailed out earlier in the week, so February prizes are a bit early this month! Enjoy!

Domino project: 2/20

Mouse: 0/20

Embers: 6/20

Technological struggles: I bought affinity publishing last year when it was on sale, but this week when i tried to upgrade to using it instead of Word for typesetting (high learning curve but highlt recommended program for bookbinding), it crashed twice. The "why" is not a mystery. My laptop has been operating at almost maximum disc space, memory, and cpu, so I drug out my older but nicer laptop.

Re-installed a clean copy of the operating system, ordered a new battery, and have been slowly working my way over. It's a more heavy duty machine and despite being older, has better specs. So that's also been slowing me down. Every time I have spoons to do typesetting (or write), I run headfirst into these difficulties, and by the time I've made progress there, the spoons are gone.

However, slow and steady progress IS being made. I've pretty much vowed to keep trucking on with Word until I finish my current roster of projects, then fuck around with Affinity when I get 5 seconds.

Anyway, long post! Many update. Some progress.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Just saw your WIPs...

Ngl. Yesterday I was thinking when you will post the next part of "who taught you how to love like that?"... aaand you will post it on my birthday!! Now I'm excited.

😄

Have a nice day 💕

I’ve given myself all week to finish my last chapter of Perzys se Rūkla - if I am able to get it done before the weekend, then I may queue bump the next chapter of WTYHTLLT, so you might get an early birthday present. I make no promises though!

[blue-15000]

Notes for Chapter 8 of To Be a Kunoichi

Hello all,

I undercooked the boba. What a tragedy. Anyway.

I struggled with some scenes this chapter, unsure of how Naruto might respond to certain things - I hope everything has come together in a satisfying way.

I thought I might elaborate a bit on my writing process.

I write the scenes set in the present first, and will usually write a few chapters ahead in terms of present scenes - they set the tone and themes for each chapter and for the whole arc, so I like to finish them first.

I have plotted the whole fic in broad strokes, and am plotting a couple arcs ahead in detail (Outline vs Scene Plans, in my notes). I try to begin and end the present and past parts of the arc in the same thematic places, the timelines will catch up, like, 4 or 5 arcs before the end of the fic.

Sometimes the timelines parallel and sometimes they contrast. In Run, Hide, Fight Naruto arguably lost her fight against the Iwa nin - a disastrous, deadly encounter, but won the fight against Bear in the past, a personal triumph. Similarly, in the arc To Be a Kunoichi things in the present improve - Tenzo wakes up, Shisui's leg is finally healed, after 8 chapters of the poor guy struggling. But in the past Naruto is plunging into a particularly bad period of her life, one that will change the way she feels about the Sandaime, the village, herself, and her teammates, forever.

Some details might be hard to catch if you're reading chapter-by-chapter. In the present, Naruto is 15, nearly 16 (she mentions it being early October, she's about to have an exceptionally crappy birthday).

In the past, Naruto is 9, very nearly 10. She was recruited to ANBU in late summer and now it's autumn. She is also about to have an exceptionally crappy birthday. This team has been together a long time - there will be time skips, but not more than 6 months to a year.

I try to keep the arcs on track, and fairly short, stuff that I can wrap up in 5-10 chapters each. I've seen too many long-form fics get bogged down in a particular arc and struggle to reach their conclusions because of it, I didn't want to make the same mistake. I also didn't want to rehash arcs that have been done to death, like the Land of Waves arc. Some arcs will be adapted from canon, some will be original. Depends on what the ripple effects would conceivably be - Nart's hardly going to be in the chunin exams with the rest of her canon cohort, for example, but nothing I've wrote so far changes the fact that Konoha will be invaded during the chunin exams.

I've also noticed a tendency in long-form fics to get stuck with too many POV's, adding more and more characters whose arcs need to be wrapped up. Writing often works best with limitations, so I have limited myself to one POV character, our beloved Nart. Occasionally I write post-fic day-in-the-life fluff from the POV of Shisui or Kakashi. But neither of them will ever narrate the main fic.

I headcanon that Uzumaki's are particularly prone to chakra wasting diseases or chakra parasites, a consequence of their dense and plentiful chakra. This is why Hirohito wasn't getting better.

I've had a couple people comment on the fast-paced nature of my chapters, and perhaps it's just my inability to interpret tone, but I am always open to (kind) constructive criticism. I try to keep things on track but if it's too fast paced I can slow down : ). I write for a hobby, but I would like to be good at it, too, and for my readers to have a good time.

Perhaps it's a bit heavy-handed, but I wanted it to be ambiguous, in most cases, whether Naruto is doing the right thing. The outpost is smuggling drugs, opium, weapons... and also cloth and birth control. Is she right to participate in its destruction? Does she have a choice in it at all? Does it change the rightness/wrongness of her actions if she's forced into it? If she tries to act morally, making sure Hirohito gets his medicine before carrying out the rest of her mission?

Similarly, in the present, we find out that a large part of her plan is to ally with Orochimaru - to whom she has some unknown connection. She's right that he's their best possibility for an ally, she has bargaining chips to lay on the table to keep him in check (and it's so, so far in the future, but I feel I've outlined a negotiating scene that's the bomb). But it's fucking Orochimaru. Does she have a choice in this, if she wants to see her teammates survive? Even if it will be very personally hurtful for her closest friends? What's the line, what's not okay to do in opposition to Danzo?

The point is that there is no possible way to act morally under this system, not if you want to live. Although in this chapter, past-Naruto certainly tries. Present Naruto is a tad more cynical.

It's interesting to me when characters are bad people, especially if they try so very hard to be good.

Orochimaru and Kabuto are the only characters we know of in canon to have visited the ruins of Uzushio, which is a special level of bonkers. It's there that Naruto can make contact with them - perhaps the location of the rendezvous was picked for practical reasons, perhaps out of personal cruelty to Naruto, to be in the place where her grandparents/aunts/uncles/cousins/extended family all died. With those two, who knows.

Cloth used to be super, super valuable, especially in the quasi-medieval economy of Naruto (seriously, how do they have a thriving mercenary economy AND refrigerators?). In my fic, such appliances run mainly on chakra networks, and are thus inaccessible outside of the Hidden Villages, to make a world where merchant caravans are attacked by bandits, where military conflicts are common, and samurai still exist, and also they have fridges, radio, and antibiotics.

As I said in previous notes, hormonal and chemical (implants, IUDs) birth control is pretty inaccessible outside of the kunoichi profession, and is looked down on for the same reason. That doesn't mean there isn't a huge demand for it.

I currently have like, 7-8 more arcs planned until the timelines catch up, roughly (very roughly) one per year of Naruto's ANBU career.

One commenter wrote that they thought Aiko and Hirohito would die. They won't - it's much worse. Naruto has betrayed them, and they'll all have to live with the consequences. No easy way out for any of them >:)

[kenthenugget]

Adobe Broke Photoshop in 2023 (October Update)

Back in July, I made a post detailing how bad Photoshop has gotten for me this year, which you can read here. But if you want a tldr version of it, following new years Photoshop stability and reliability has taken a nose dive with constant crashes that prevent auto recover from being as effective to glitches that make working in it a nightmare. Its been over 3 months since I made that post and I kinda wanted to do an update on how photoshop has been. Has it actually gotten better? Kind of but not really. In some ways, its gotten better, in others worse but generally not much has changed. I guess two positives that come to mind is that one of the afformention glitches I noted was patched up at some point in July, so I was able to update finally. Though, I didnt experience the backlash from not updating photoshop like I had in March (fuck you Adobe). And I havent been experiencing the left click lock as much, although thats more to do with me not doing certian commands that I found could trigger it than adobe actually being a good company and fixing it. There's a thread on the adobe forums about this issue, and according to one of most recent posts as of the 22nd, they run a photo company and have called Adobe support 5 times about this issue, and it seems that no one at Adobe knows about this glitch. Yes a billion dollar company who sells programs at inflated prices because they're "industry standard" knows nothing about a single bug that has been in the program for 6 months, but will gladly add in new features no one will use.

Now when I say things got worse, crashes started happening more frequently again in late September and Early October. But instead of happening weekly, they happened almost every fucking day. One day I would have a crash, the next day nothing would happen, before a crash happening the following day. And what was more crushing about this was that it happened while I was dealing with selections and flatting comic pages... whats funny about this is that not only can selections not be recovered if you close the file (even if you save), but can only be saved by pressing a seperate save button which has no keyboard commands. Which made these crashes more horrible than if I had been inking or sketching. Once again, I consulted the Adobe forums for help and once again, the solution was to update my gpu driver which was out of date. I don't think its the fact that I had already done this and nor that somehow, the driver I had been using since March was already out of date by September that makes this situation so ridiculous. But its the fact that I've pretty much had to bend over to change my pc just so I could run photoshop within the same year. In contrast to how things were before 2023 where I didn't have to do a single thing and photoshop ran fine. Its only this year that for some divine reason that the program decided to be shit to me.

So why was I still using it if it was so bad? It was because of my first Chapter. Around the time I had that initial post, I was still hard at work on finishing my comic's first Chapter which has taken me 4 years to complete. I had anticipated getting it done around that time, but due to burn out I ended up taking much longer, finishing it on October 13th. During those final few months, I decided that upon finish Chapter 1, I would be done with photoshop and moving onto a different art program for the rest of my comic. And that program ended up being Clip Studio Paint which I got as an early birthday present from my dad, following photoshop crashing on me two times in that day, the latter happening an hour after I took a break to calm myself down after the first crash....I wish I was making that up. I went with CSP due to the fact that most tapas artists I know use it and because of the many good things they've said about it. Its a pretty highly regarded program, and even if my motive for buying it wasn't because of Photoshop's "quirks", it has features that make producing comics much faster in CSP than in photoshop. So with CSP in my hands, you'd think the nightmare would be over, right?

You so, my plan was to use CSP for my comic starting with Chapter 2 but after spending some time in the program, I realized I probably wouldn't be knowledgeable enough or adapted to it enough just in time for me to start drawing Chapter 2 with a release date of early 2024. So in the end, I decided to wait until Chapter 3 to make the switch, while limiting myself to CSP for spur of the moment drawing ideas and illustrations. Yes, Photoshop has been a complete failure to me but I am way more experienced with it than with Clip Studio. I dont want there to be a potential quality drop following the most recent episode and I want to be sure I can use it before jumping into creating comics. This isnt like the switch from traditional to digital for my comic back in 2021, because I had already had more than a years worth of experience with photoshop and digital drawing by that time. Because of that, the switch wasn't as rough as it would've been if I had done it earlier. I was going to save this announcement for one my kofi 'comic corner' blogs (btw if you want to support me on kofi click here: https://ko-fi.com/kenthenugget) but Im making this post now so why the hell not. But for the time being, Im still going to be using photoshop for Chapter 2, and my character sheets of course. Given how long I spent on Chapter 1, you might think Im crazy for wanting to use the program for another 4 years but I don't anticipate this chapter taking as long, due to skill and because its much shorter in comparison.

Im not going to lie, I have mixed feelings on continuing to use Photoshop for my comic. On one hand, Im glad I wont need to worry about a potential quality drop but on the other, I dont know how long I can handle crashes and glitches that only seem to persist as time goes on. I'll just pray to God to give me strength during the drawing of Chapter 2 once I finish thumbnailing. Hopefully, I and photoshop will be able to last.....

[ithappensblog]

back to school, back to school

As the familiar tune of Billy Madison's iconic back-to-school song echoes in my mind, I'm transported to a time of innocence and excitement.

Back-to-school season has this magical ability to stir up emotions and take us down memory lane. The memories of those early school days, adorned in fresh outfits and a backpack full of untouched school supplies waiting to be used, remain etched in my heart. The simple joys of childhood!

Back then, each new school year felt like an opportunity for a clean slate, a chance to start new. It's fascinating how time has a way of creating stories that sometimes unravel into unexpected twists, pushing us towards unforeseen experiences.

My own journey, once marked by being labeled 'gifted' by the school board at the age of six, took turns I didn't anticipate. Hidden beneath the surface were the struggles I faced – battling ADHD and dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic experience that I'll get into in a future post. The school board saw potential to accelerate me a grade due to my intellect, but my attitude and behavior held me back. ADHD was something that wasn't often observed in the 90's. If it was, it was generally diagnosed in boys and then a prescription for Aderall was thrown at them. Instead of looking into the root cause of my "issues", I was labelled a "bad kid" and overlooked for the rest of my educational career.

Fast forward to the present, I stand at the intersection of the past and future, now a parent to a remarkable four year old who mirrors not only my looks but my own story of giftedness and ADHD. Thankfully, there has been a ton of research regarding ADHD over the years which has provided us with many different avenues to assist her with obtaining the tools she needs to achieve her goals. We were presented with a unique choice: to propel her ahead a grade or to embrace the world of French immersion. Why not seize the opportunity to nurture bilingualism? She spent the last 4 months of Kindergarten completing half days in a French immersion program and witnessing her courageously adapt to this challenge fills me with pride and hope for the journey ahead. French is her Father's first spoken language, and a language used by her family members on a daily basis. I am excited for her to learn more not only so she can understand the conversations her family has, but also for her to develop skills which will prove beneficial in her future endeavors.

Back-to-school isn't just about books and pencils; it is filled with a whirlwind of dance classes, gymnastics sessions, swim lessons, birthday bashes, and school festivities. The blend of excitement and stress in these moments places me in a whirlwind of emotions that reminds me how grateful I am for the life I live.

As the school bells ring in the rhythm of life's chaos, I find myself treasuring every moment of this existence. Motherhood has given the privilege of watching my daughter unfurl her wings, learning and growing with every sunrise. Motherhood, something I never thought I would be able to experience.

On the threshold of another school year, we're ready to embrace this new chapter……Wish us luck!

[a-spell-a-rebel-yell]

be that as it May

hellooo, friends foes and strangers alike! using this title for a tumblr post for second time running and i'm actually early by one day (it's May 30th, so yep) genuinely proud of myself :) hahahaha

well, this post i think it's gonna be a monthly-journal-and-a-serious-note one... a word vomit guaranteed, so apologies in advance and bear with me. May was yet another rollercoaster but in another context i can't disclose yet (and not sure when i can let the secret out in the open or confirm/deny the rumors lol but for 2nd time: it’s not me getting engaged ok 🤣 i don’t even have anyone in mind) but yeah the highlight: not getting coldplay Jakarta ticket.

i'm so damn livid at so many things like 😭😭😭😭😭 first of all the scalpers deliberately buying the tickets just so they can resell it in exorbitant prices, the FOMO crowd for taking my spot as an actual coldplay fan (though i'm not nearly as mad as i am at the scalpers because well, they just want to see the band that i also happen to love), and the coldplay management team for planning a stupid Asia/Oceania leg tour route that doesn't make sense (who the hell decided to go for only a day at Jakarta then straight to Perth which is miles away and then back to Malaysia?)

anyways i'm counting on people suddenly having other events or important business to attend to so there will be tickets i can buy secondhand. not going to appease scalpers by panic buying i want to see them suffer a huge loss and will be rendered to resort selling it half price on d-day or something. i feel like i deserve the tickets so bad the concert day is literally eleven days before my birthday in November 😭 i know i can make it happen i WILL see my band like i did last time!!! 😤

the remainder of May is just me working on the project, preparing stuffs and literally running all over Jakarta to get things done, me overthinking, nothing new (read: clowning as always) not trying to be cryptic but just like coldplay said in Speed of Sound: "every chance that you get is the chance you seize." wish me luck, pals!

my Brisbane based cousin who's going to get married in August sent us the fabric needed to make the outfit for the special day and i'm getting even more hyped up!!! it's not me who's going to say my vows and tie my life to the other half of my soul but i'm super happy. can't wait for Bandung trip 2.0 yippeee

okay here we're entering the serious note territory... for once, for so long, i'm letting myself to just let go of the words. kinda sure some of you have probably caught on, or thought i'm a daft dimbo for this but yes: it's about him. on May 25th, two years ago i spoke to him for the very last time. full reassurance from my part to say that no, it's not about me not being able to move on or blah blah blah, it's quite the opposite actually.

writing this down, on here, feels like some sort of purge. it's not in a bad way either, i am glad i can finally talk about it openly, with no sense of remorse or regret or hatred or resentment. right now, after two years of as much space and time given to think and process it through, remembering him and the days that build the very core of memories i still keep in my mind feels like rereading my favorite book.

it's like me and him are just some other characters that i cheer and cherish for, i long and support and yearn for, and the story ends with a nice closure chapter. a complete book. to me personally, it's like reading Harry Potter. such a huge part of my life, yet i'm no longer there.

i no longer stutter or taken aback or get the chills whenever something in the present pulls me back into a particular memory of him. i embrace it with open arms and with a smile on my face. i reread my last letter to him and actually edited it (my editor self is just, you know, being an editor) i'm as unabashed and unbothered to open my old chats with him (i kinda cheated oops sorry if you read this lmao i just never feel the need to delete the chats because let's be fr i don't need to reread it, i still can recall what we talked about just from memory. that's me and my insanely biased brain, ha!) and actually laugh and cringe (mostly on my part, because it was so clear i tried to catch his attention by doing literally everything omg i was so embarrasing 🤣😭😂) (also for disclaimer, i never opened our chatrooms, not until this month, so i also kinda kept my part of the agreement) but it's fun nonetheless. nothing that happened between us will ever tarnish or alter the fact that i was genuinely happy and the joy filled memories will always be there.

it's a bit hilarious how my 'strategy' is to avoid him like a plague. left zero gap for any chance to even get a glimpse of him or his life. basically two years of absolutely nothing of him (except for some weird twist like how his mum and my mum are still members of the same whatsapp group, though they don't interact much) in a glance it does seem like i'm trying to run away from reality, but i swear it's just my way of dealing with problem at hand, since i suppose fourteen years worth of feelings can't be extinguished in a lazy attempt with feeble manner. yet that doesn't mean i'm gonna play pretend and fake an amnesia, i still think about him sometimes. i guess it's just part of being human, with weaknesses and all.

you've probably wondered, yes: i still do love him with all my heart. just in a different way, and for sure, from far away. see what i'm talking about? he's just like an endearing fictional character you have grown to love and will always be with you (yes i'm a huge Potterhead lol) it's platonic, sometimes familial love, just constantly running in the background. i always do that to the people i regard highly in my life, so again, nothing new.

i still count him as one of my selected few best friends though imprudent and tactless he can be because he sometimes is also the voice of reason to my farfetched always anxious self (also because he knows too much of my secrets thanks to me being biased and a pathological overshare-r) if God ever made destiny to make another funny turn, i would've liked us to be an actual, functional, supportive friends. long live the friends!

Nietzsche is right about without forgetting it's quite impossible to live at all, but i digress. if you’ve watched Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind, you’ll know what i’m talking about; i guess at some point things just don't have any explanation (yet) of why it happens ever so, you just carry on with it. archiving it somewhere in a vault.

so. even though i know he will never read this... hey you, i just want to say i'm so grateful to have you as friend, though things don't always go smoothly. honored to have been graced by your presence in my life, though just for a limited time as it is. i hope you're always happy, healthy, and loved!

phew, i got super emotional. maybe because it's been two years, i can't believe i managed to stand for what is right this long! (and will continue to do so) i am here from all the things i've gone through :) yet another coldplay quote because i just love this band so much, and i think this song is my song. please read the lyrics as you listen to it, best feeling ever.

it's cathartic, a form of healing, alleviating, to put these, all my feelings, out in the open. this is what i live with and it is my life. i'm content with how everything is going and i think it's all settled now, all good. now full throttle focusing on the project, if things go my way, i'll tell you guys all about it on my July post. see you then! 💙

[peachykeenmomster]

2.13.23

Welp, it’s time again for another update! What have I been up to this past week and a half? Well… I finished all my school work for unit 1 a week early, as I mentioned in my last post. So I took advantage of such an occasion and allowed myself a mental break from school. I really want to continue to do well so it is important that I don’t let myself get burned out. During this time, I did some leisure reading. I finished “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides a couple days ago and am about a chapter away from finishing “The Sociopath Next Door” by Dr. Martha Stout.

I thoroughly enjoyed “The Silent Patient” and it is easily a 5/5 rating for me! It is one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller or suspense novel… bonus points if you enjoy Greek mythology and Greek tragedies. It is well written and is a page turner. I won’t give a formal rating for “The Sociopath Next Door” because I have not finished it. But so far it is also an enjoyable read. My only regret is reading these two books simultaneously.. they are too similar in theme and at times were difficult for me to keep straight in my mind.

I have just started reading the classic William Golding novel “Lord of the Flies”. I somehow have made it over 27 years without ever reading this book, and I’ve been told I am doing myself a disservice… we will see in due time if that is an accurate statement.

Reading is not the only thing I’ve been up to this past week. We finally rescheduled my sons birthday party and we had it this past Saturday. The turnout for his party wasn’t great.. hell.. it was actually terrible to be quite honest. It broke my momma heart that more people didn’t show up for my baby. But that is out of my control, so I have really tried not to dwell on it. Albeit, I haven’t done great on not dwelling.. I’m trying to do better. My son had a great time and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.

However, after experiencing such disheartenment, I don’t think I have it in me to put myself through the disappointment again next year. I think a small family get away trip will do just fine to celebrate his birthday and not have to stress over who will show up and who won’t. Hell, I might even save a little money that way… probably not but it certainly will be just as fun. While on the topic of this birthday party.. let me just go ahead and give some friendly advice. If you get invited to a kids birthday party and you are able bodied, please JUST GO. It’s a couple hours out your day, and it will mean the world to that kid and the parent who spent so much time planning it. Can’t afford a gift? Go anyways. It’s not all about the presents. Running behind and don’t think you can make it on time? Go anyways, no one’s going to hold that against you or care that you were a little late. Please. Just. Go. *drops mic, gently steps down from soap box”

Thank you for taking time to read my post! Until next time ✌🏻

[the-al-chemist]

Artemis Hexley and the Circle of Khanna

Chapter 20: The Sunken Vault

A/N: it’s time to face the final Cursed Vault, but is Artemis really ready for what’s inside? Warnings: scenes of violence and trauma, flashbacks, mild horror, mentions of murder.

Mr Maestro was as good as his word. On the final day of the month, after the summer term had already started and Bill had set off to Uganda on his expedition with Gringotts, Artemis received a heavy parcel in the morning post.

“Early birthday present?” asked Tonks.

“In a way,” Artemis replied, able to feel the frame of the lyre through the packaging. “We need to have a meeting with the rest of the Circle of Khanna. Penny, do you reckon you could let everyone know to meet at lunchtime?”

When it came to spreading news, no one was better than Penny Haywood. By lunchtime, the whole of the Circle of Khanna knew to meet at the lakeshore.

“We’ve got the lyre fixed,” Artemis told them. “We can go to the final Vault now. Not right now, Barnaby,” she added, and Barnaby stopped removing his shoes. “I mean later.”

“Later today?”

“Yeah, we could,” Artemis nodded, gnawing at her lower lip as she looked across the lake, in the direction of Hogsmeade station. “So, I know Bill isn’t going to be able to come with us, but I’ve spoken to my brother and he’s offered to help. He’s worried about how safe this is going to be, especially with so many of us going. He wanted it to be just him and me, but-”

“Typical,” muttered Merula, glaring at Artemis.

“I’m sorry?”

“I said that this is just typical,” Merula repeated. “You get all of us involved and then go ditch us to do your own thing as soon as your brother is involved.”

“Actually, that wasn’t what I was going to suggest at all,” said Artemis. “I actually told Jacob that you should come to the Vault, Merula. Rakepick trained you up just as much as she did me.”

Merula’s violet eyes widened. “You did?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I mean, I did want all of you to come, but Jacob said that we shouldn’t draw too much attention to ourselves, and he’s got a point.”

“In case Rakepick is still about?”

“Well, yeah, but it’s not just her. The dementors are still around, the Aurors are looking for him as well as Rakepick, and Dumbledore has told us to leave the Vaults alone. Now that term’s started again, it’s going to look suspicious, all of us diving into the lake, especially with my brother as well.”

“So, what are you suggesting?”

“Some of us need to stay behind to either distract the teachers or keep watch.”

“Tonks and I can set up some distractions,” said Tulip, smirking to herself. “I’ve already got a couple of ideas.”

“Anything I can help with?” Jae asked.

“Almost certainly.”

“Well, that’s that settled,” Artemis nodded. “Anyone else got a preference?”

“I don’t mind keeping watch,” offered Badeea. “There’s an excellent view of the lakeshore from Ravenclaw tower. Andre, Talbott, you could stay with me?” 

“I’ll keep watch, but I’d rather do it from the air,” Talbott said quietly. “Alone.”

“Me, Liz, Ismelda, Charlie, and Alanza can stay behind to deal with the Grindylows,” said Barnaby. “And if there’s any trouble with any baddies or anything, Diego and I can fight them, too.”

“That’s… um… great, Barnaby. Thanks.”

“Chiara and I will stay behind at the Hospital Wing in case anyone gets hurt and needs healing,” Penny suggested, looking at Barnaby out of the corner of her eyes. “I’m rather good at Wiggenweld potions, if I do say so myself.”

“And it means we can keep an eye on the statue curse victims. If they get back to normal, we’ll know you’ve managed it.”

“Good point,” Artemis nodded at Chiara before turning to the remaining member of the group. “That just leaves you, Ben. What do you fancy doing?”

Ben frowned silently, his eyes fixed on the silt at his feet. Eventually, he looked up. When he did, he looked straight at Artemis.

“I want to go to the Cursed Vault,” he said, and Artemis blinked. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Ben nodded. “It seems right to go. The first time we found anything to do with the Vaults, it was you and me and Rowan. It was the three of us in the beginning, and now we are ending the Curses once and for all, I… I want to be there to do it. Actually there. For Rowan.”

Artemis swallowed and gave Ben a small smile. She looked around the Circle of Khanna, before fixing her eyes on the still surface of the Black Lake.

“For Rowan.”

With the lyre fixed and a plan in place, everything was ready. As night began to fall over the Hogwarts grounds, the Circle of Khanna took to their positions. Standing on the lakeshore with Ben and Merula, Artemis fired red sparks into the dusky air. 

She shivered as she waited for Jacob, though the evening was not cold. What if he didn’t show up? What if he had been hurt, or captured, or had changed his mind? What if he let her down again? The few minutes following her signal seemed to last an age, and the longer she waited, the more she found herself pushing back her sense of panic. He would be there. He had promised that he would be there.

Jacob kept his promise. Just as Artemis was considering going down the secret passageway to find him herself, he emerged from the boathouse with his head lowered and his hood up, his wand tightly clutched in his hand. 

“Three of you?” he asked, frowning at Ben and Merula, the latter of whom glowered at him. He glanced at Artemis before nodding his head. “Okay then. No time like the present. Let’s return this lyre.”

"We need to find Alanza first, she’s the one who can speak-”

“I can negotiate with the merpeople,” said Jacob, and he smirked at the confused look on Artemis’ face. “What? You really think I never bothered to teach myself a little Mermish?”

He winked and Artemis rolled her eyes as she followed him to the jetty, Merula and Ben in tow. One by one, they cast the bubblehead charm and jumped into the water. Beneath the surface, the water was just as murky as it had been earlier that month.

“Where did you meet the merfolk before?”

“Near here,” said Artemis, her voice muffled in spite of how loudly she was trying to speak. “We went that way, and then they just turned up.”

“Then let’s go that way.”

They walked along the bed of the lake, further into the deep water than they had been when the merpeople had found them before. They must have reached a settlement of sorts, presumably where the merfolk lived, for they started to see signs of habitation: huts made of driftwood, tools lain on the floor, rocks carved into statues, and strings of shells and pebbles hanging like garlands.

“It’s a village,” said Ben. “Are you sure we’re allowed to be here?”

Either Jacob hadn’t heard Ben or was ignoring him, for he was already starting to call out in Mermish. Though Artemis couldn’t understand his words, she could hear them clearly, and so must have the merfolk, for several mermen and mermaids emerged from the huts. As a few of them picked up their weapons, Jacob spoke hurriedly, and gestured to the lyre that Artemis was holding in her arms. After a brief exchange of words and an ever briefer flurry of activity, a younger-looking merman was sent away, only to return a few moments later with the merman who had given them the lyre. 

The merman eyed Jacob sceptically, and held out one hand to Artemis without saying a word.  She handed him the instrument, and he examined it closely before calling to two of his peers and giving them instructions.

“We need to follow them,” said Jacob, nodding at the two merfolk. “They will take us to the Vault.”

“How do you say thank you in Mermish?” Artemis asked, and once Jacob had said the phrase she repeated it slowly and carefully to the Merchief, who inclined his head and waved her on her way.

Artemis, Jacob, Merula, and Ben travelled a long distance through the water, or at least it felt that way. The two merpeople who had been tasked with guiding them to the Cursed Vault were powerful swimmers, and it was tiring trying - and failing - to match their pace. When they eventually slowed down,  Artemis assumed that the merpeople had realised that the humans were struggling to follow them, but instead they turned to Jacob and spoke to him, gesturing into the distance.

“What’s the matter? What’s going on?” 

“They won’t go any further. They’re too afraid.”

The merpeople did look skittish, their grey skin paler than when they had set off and a tremor to their voices that hadn’t been present back at the village. Artemis sighed.

“So now what?” she asked, and Jacob nodded in the direction in which the merfolk had been gesturing. 

“We have to go that way. They said we are looking for a cave.”

“Did they say what the cave looks like?”

“No. Only that it feels evil,” said Jacob, his face grim in the greenish glow of the water. “Sounds like it’s the right place, anyway.”

Artemis thanked their guides, who swam away even faster than they had been swimming before, leaving a rush of small silver bubbles in their wake. The curse-breakers went ahead without them, following their instructions until the outline of something tall could be seen through the dark, dirty water ahead.

“Is that-”

“The cave? It must be.”

As they approached it, the shape became clearer. It was a tall pile of stones, extending from a deep ravine in the floor of the lake towards the surface, towering over the completely still inky water around it.

“Is it just me,” said Ben, “or is the water cleaner here?”

“It’s because there’s nothing living here,” Merula replied, looking around at the now crystal-clear water. “Nothing alive wants to be near that Vault.”

“What do you think is inside?”

Ben’s question went unanswered, neither Artemis nor Merula able to think what might provoke such a strong reaction, or such a feeling of intense evil. Beatrice Haywood’s words echoed through Artemis’ mind as she looked towards the rocks. 

That’s the worst one of all of them… Every time I try to swim away, it’s like I’m being pulled back down…

There was an opening within the rock formation, and they swam in, finding themselves in a wide cave, which had yet another opening to a smaller, darker cave. Stepping inside, Artemis saw that the walls were dripping, and water was pooling at her feet.

“Hang on,” she said, surprised at how loud her voice sounded. “We aren’t underwater anymore!”

She removed her Bubblehead charm and took a deep breath, feeling the stagnant, clammy air enter her lungs. 

“How does that work?” Ben asked, following suit. “We are still underwater, why-”

“It’s magic, Copper, you moron.”

Artemis shrugged apologetically at Ben and followed Merula to another gap in the rock formation. She lit her wand and shone it inside, revealing yet another smaller cave.

“How long does this go on for, do you think?” she murmured, knowing fully well that the only way to find out would be to keep moving through the rocks, deeper into the system of caves.

The four of them did just that, following the path through the enchanted rocks, through the caves which got smaller and smaller, until they reached a dead end.

“This must be it,” said Artemis, and Jacob nodded. He stepped back, and gestured for Artemis to take the lead. She raised her wand. “Revelio!”

She had expected another opening to form in the rocks, or for a door to appear, like in the previous Cursed Vaults. What she hadn’t expected was the rumbling of the ground and the walls of the cave, for the whole space around her to shift, for the rocks to move so that they formed seven walls, or for a glowing golden column to rise from the centre. They had not just found the opening to the Cursed Vault, they were already inside it.

“But there’s nothing guarding it,” whispered Artemis, more to herself than anyone else. She frowned. The relative ease with which they had reached the vault made her feel uneasy. “It should be fighting back.”

“Try and open it,” said Jacob, also looking somewhat sceptical. Artemis stepped forward to touch the column, and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her back forcefully. “Legilimency first!”

Artemis nodded, and wriggled free of Jacob’s grip, which had been so tight that it had left pink marks. She stared at the glowing crystal, willing it to open… 

But it did not. She shrugged. “Looks like I’m just going to have to touch it, doesn’t it?”

“No, Artemis, wait-”

Jacob fell silent the second Artemis’ palm made contact with the cool surface of the column, which immediately stopped glowing. Without the glow of the column, the Vault was pitch black. Artemis frowned and waved her hand in front of her face. She could not see it.

“Jacob?” She called out, but there was no response. “Merula? Ben?”

Silence. Silence and darkness. She shuddered, suddenly feeling more afraid and hopeless than she had ever felt in her life, surrounded only by the endless expanse of nothingness. 

Then, she heard a voice. She stepped towards the sound, straining to see who was there.

“Jacob?”

It was Jacob, but he was taller than before and younger looking, too. When he knelt down, his eyes were level with hers. 

“I’ll be back at Christmas,” he told her, and she felt a tear running down her cheek. “And I’ll write to you every week until then, I promise.”

“Why can’t I come with you?” Artemis found herself asking, her voice more childlike than usual. “I want to go, too.”

“You will one day, Missy,” said Jacob, wiping her cheek and ruffling her hair. “Take care of mum for me whilst I’m gone.” 

He stepped away from her, and a hand on her shoulder stopped her from following him. There was the sound of a whistle, and the smell of smoke, the gentle chugging sound of a train… As the sound faded and Jacob disappeared, Artemis saw a stone archway standing on a daïs in front of her. Before she could stop them, her feet were carrying her towards it.

“ARTEMIS, NO!”

A woman’s voice, and a familiar one at that. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around, but no one was there. She was all alone, surrounded by doors. She reached up to open one, but it was locked. Her heart started beating fast, there were shouts and crashes behind her, and she was scared. She stepped backwards and the doors began to spin around her, so fast she felt dizzy, and she screwed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, the doors had gone. 

Her mother stood in front of her, her face pale and eyes puffy. Jacob was beside her, a grim expression on his face. They both looked young, though Jacob was not as young as he had been before, when the train had been there. She frowned, and her mother nodded her head, tears welling in her eyes. 

“Ma?” she asked, and Sara Hexley closed her eyes. “Jacob?”

Jacob pointed his wand at her, and the darkness returned. In the distance, fireworks were bursting in the sky. Artemis lowered her gaze, and saw Jacob on the street outside her house. He raised a hand to her and walked away to the end of the street, disappearing between the flashes of two fireworks. She was alone, and she was crying, and a blackbird was flying, flying away from her… And her mother wouldn’t hug her, or even look at her, and Reggie the Muggle was packing up his boat, and she felt abandoned all over again. The darkness settled over her once more, and something grabbed her ankle.

“Rowan, it’s got me!” she shouted, desperately trying to fight against the thick vines that were reaching out from the darkness and grabbing her, trapping her, ensnaring her…

Suddenly she was free, but when she looked down, Fergus’ tiny body was limp in her arms. She looked up, and Rowan was hit by a bolt of ice. Artemis ran to her, but she disappeared. Instead, there was a Boggart advancing on her, its face shifting between Jacob’s and her own as it moved closer through the darkness. It’s features changed again, and it was Fenrir Greyback. A red cloak appeared over it, and it raised its wand. Charlie fell to the ground, and so did Rowan. Artemis looked back and the cloak was lifted to reveal Ben Copper’s face. She shook her head, and Rowan was in Ben’s place.

“Your friends are already a part of this,” said Rowan, her eyes glazed and voice monotonous. “Before the end of this year, one of them has to die.”

A jet of red light hit Rowan in the chest and Artemis turned to see Rakepick sitting calmly at her desk, her wand pointed at Artemis. There was another flash of light and Artemis watched her wand split apart in her hands. She snapped her head back up to Rakepick, who was now on her feet.

“Crucio.”

A man writhed on the floor in front of Artemis, and so did Merula, both of them were in pain, so much pain, and they were screaming, and so was Artemis, as Jacob walked away from her again, and Bill sailed away across the lake on a boat with his friends.

“I’m not Bill,” said a voice behind her - Charlie’s voice.

“I wish you were,” Artemis said, but she didn’t mean to say it, she didn’t mean it at all, but she had said it, and now Charlie was hurt and he was walking  away from her, too.

She went to run after him, but everything went dark again. That horrible feeling of unending despair had taken over her once more. She was in the forest, and it was cold. A dementor floated in front of her, and try as she might, she could not cast her patronus. 

But someone else could. Rakepick. She raised her wand and pointed it at Ben, but Rowan jumped out from the trees and they both fell, and Artemis ran towards them, and Rowan was in her arms and she was gone, gone, gone…

A hand took hold of Artemis’ own, and Rowan really was gone, and so was the forest. Artemis was in the Cursed Vault, which was no longer quite so dark. She looked down at her hand and up at the person who was holding it.

“Come on, Hexley,” said Merula, pulling her across to where Ben Copper was stumbling around as if he were blind, shaking and crying silently. 

Merula placed her other hand into Ben’s and though he continued to shake, he blinked at his surroundings, clearly able to see them.

“What… What was that?” he asked, a distinct tremor in his voice.

“That was the Vault fighting back.”

Artemis took a deep shaky breath and looked for Jacob. He had his hands placed to his head and was murmuring to himself under his breath.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he whispered into his palms. Artemis reached out and took one of his hands in hers, and as she did, he blinked. “Artemis?”

“We need to get out of here,” said Artemis, looking at the column with contempt. “This place, it’s… We can’t stay here.”

Jacob frowned and nodded. He raised his wand and pointed it at the wall that had previously been the opening in the rock formation. 

“Bombarda!” 

The wall exploded, with pieces of rock flying out into the cave outside the Vault. Back in the cave, Merula quickly let go of Artemis and Ben’s hands.

“Well?” Artemis asked them. “Do you still… Has it stopped?”

Merula nodded, and Artemis let go of Jacob’s hand. The visions from inside the Vault did not return, but she still felt shaken. 

“That was awful,” said Ben. “Did the rest of you see that? All the worst things that have ever happened to you?” Artemis nodded, and he frowned at the Vault. “Did you feel it, too? Like you’d never feel anything good again?”

“I felt it,” Artemis told him, before turning to look at Jacob. “We need to break the curse. How do we do it?”

“I don’t know.”

Merula blinked at Jacob. “You don’t know?”

“No,” replied Jacob, simply.

“But you’re the one with all that research! You spent all those years studying the Vaults. You spent years inside one of the Vaults. How can you not know?”

“It’s not like I could go to the library when I was stuck in there, is it?” Jacob snapped at Merula, and her violet eyes widened. He immediately softened. “Sorry. But there is a reason that I don’t know. No one does, that’s the issue. No one has broken this Vault before, if they had…”

“Then the Cursed Vaults wouldn’t still be here,” Artemis finished her brother’s sentence for him. “So, what do we do? We’ve got to try something.”

“We’ll need to go back inside,” said Jacob, frowning at the glowing column. “It would be worth you trying Legilimency again. If not, there might be a clue inside the Vault itself. Worst case scenario, we can seal it.”

“Seal it?”

“Close it.”

“We all know what sealing means,” Merula muttered. “But last time we had to open it up. How is doing the opposite going to help?”

“It will stop the curse’s effect. It’s what Patricia did after I got stuck last time. It was too late for me, but… The problem is, it means that the curse won’t be properly broken. You won’t have any more statues, but I don’t know about the people who are already statues.”

“Okay, that’s fine,” said Artemis. “We can stop more people getting hurt, look into how to get past this curse, and come back another day to save everyone else.”

But Jacob shook his head.

“It’s not that simple,” he told her. “The Vaults are sequential. If you fail to open one and seal it instead, you have to start over. That’s why I left the trail for you to follow, I couldn’t get you to free me from the Buried Vault without opening the others first.”

“But even if we do have to open them all, it will still buy us some time to find out how to break it properly.”

From the other side of the cave came a low chuckle, one that sounded familiar in Artemis’ ears and made her blood run cold. She wasn’t the only one to react. Merula’s face paled, Ben looked nauseated, and Jacob grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back behind him.

“I think it is obvious how to break the curse,” said Patricia Rakepick, stepping across the cave towards them, her eyes on Jacob, who tightened his grip on Artemis’ arm. “You can’t protect her forever, Jacob.”

“No,” Jacob said, a note of fear in his voice. “You promised not to hurt her. You promised that-”

“I promised that I would try it your way,” Rakepick told him. “You have tried it your way. Now, we go back to my plan. To R’s plan.”

“We can try again. She can try again. She can do it, she’s the one to do it.”

“Clearly not.”

“Patricia, please don’t do this. I’ll do anything.”

Jacob’s voice was almost cracking with emotion. Rakepick sighed deeply, and a flicker of something softer than disappointment entered her usually callous eyes.

“How many more people would you have die for this, Hexley?” she asked him.

“None,” replied Jacob, shaking his head “No more. And not her. Not Artemis, please. She can do it, trust me.”

Rakepick laughed, a harsh sound. “Oh, Jacob. I don’t think there’s a single person alive or dead who trusts you anymore.”

She raised her wand, and Jacob drew his, stepping in front of Artemis to shield her. But before either of them had the chance to cast the first spell, there was a shout from across the cave.

“INCARCERUS!”

With a flash of light, Merula had pointed her wand at Madam Rakepick and conjured a thick rope that coiled around her chest, binding her arms to her sides.

“Bet you wish you’d never taught us that spell, Professor,” Merula sneered, lowering her wand slowly and staring at Rakepick with look of mingled disgust and fury. Rakepick cocked a sardonic eyebrow.

“Well,” she said quietly, a smirk playing on her lips. “Looks like you can fly after all, little bird.”

Merula blinked. “What?”

But before Rakepick could answer, Ben pointed his wand at her, and silently issued a red flash of light that hit her square in the chest and knocked her unconscious. Artemis and Merula stared at him.

“She can use wandless magic, remember?” he said. “We don’t want her doing what she did in the Vault last year.” 

“Good thinking,” Artemis nodded, her front teeth grazing her lower lip. “Right. We don’t have much time, so we’re just going to have to seal the Vault and hope for the best. We have to take Rakepick to the Aurors. She deserves to go to prison for what she did to Rowan.”

“She deserves worse than that,” Merula muttered, her eyebrows still furrowed deeply. “We should kill her.”

“Merula!”

“She would have done the same to you, Hexley.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make it right,” Artemis said, and she turned to Jacob. “Does it?”

“No, it doesn’t,” her brother agreed with a sigh. “Besides, she knows so much about the Cursed Vaults. More than almost anyone. We can’t let that knowledge go to waste, especially if you want to seal the Vault and try again another time.”

“I do.”

“Then we can’t kill her,” Jacob said, simply. He raised his eyebrows slightly. “But we could… No.”

“What?”

“Well, we could shut her in the Vault before we seal it.”

“In there?” Artemis frowned and looked at the Vault. “But, those visions…”

“It will keep her alive and on hand to break the final curse,” Jacob reasoned. “She might be more amenable to the idea of helping us after a stint in that place.”

“Or she might be even more unhinged than she is already!”

“Patricia is a lot of things, Artemis. Unhinged isn’t one of them.”

“I think it’s a great idea, personally,” said Merula. “No less than she deserves.”

“No. No one deserves that. Not even Rakepick,” Artemis said, decisively. “We do what Ben says. We give her to the Aurors. And we seal the Vault. If everyone that’s been a statue comes back to life, brilliant. If not, we can visit Rakepick in Azkaban prison and ask her how to break the curse properly another time.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Now, let’s seal this thing and get back to the shore.”

When they returned to the shore, a still bound and unconscious Rakepick in tow, they found a larger welcome party than they had expected gathered by the water’s edge: the entire Circle of Khanna, Professors Dumbledore and Snape, and a handful of witches and wizards in Aurors’ uniforms, one of whom Artemis recognised as Mad-Eye Moody, the Auror who had interviewed her in the Hospital Wing in December. As Artemis, Jacob, Merula, and Ben emerged from the water, his  magical blue eye fixed on Rakepick, and he strode over to meet them.

“So, these teenagers are telling the truth,” he said gruffly, casting a look over his shoulder at the Circle of Khanna. “Patricia Rakepick really did enter the lake this evening. Though it looks like we weren’t really needed to apprehend the criminal after all. Stunning charm?” he asked, looking between Artemis, Merula and Ben as Jacob lowered his gaze to the floor, his dark hair casting a shadow over half of his face. When the other three nodded, Moody looked mildly impressed. “Good work, Miss Hexley.”

“Oh no,” said Artemis. “It was all Merula and Ben, really.”

But Moody did not seem to care who had truly caught Rakepick, for he did not say another word before he pointed his wand at her, and she awoke looking mildly dazed.

“Patricia Rakepick, my name is Alastor Moody. I am placing you under arrest - once again -  for your involvement with the criminal organisation ‘R’, and for the murder of Rowan Khanna. You will be sent to Azkaban prison until the time comes for you to be trialled by the Wizengamot for your crimes, and if found guilty, you shall remain in Azkaban for the entirety of your sentence.”

He held on to one of Rakepick’s bound arms and escorted her back across the shore to the rest of the Aurors. As he walked away, Artemis felt a hand on her upper arm.

“Artemis, look at me,” said Jacob, and she did. He bent down slightly so that his eyes were level with hers. “You trust me, don’t you? No matter what happens, or what anyone says?”

Artemis frowned, but nodded her head. “Why?”

Jacob did not reply, but he kissed Artemis on the top of her head and squeezed her upper arms before straightening up and following Mad Eye Moody, taking large strides in an attempt to catch up with the Auror.

“Wait!” Jacob called out, and when Moody stopped and turned around, he threw his wand down at his feet and held his hands up at the level of his shoulders. “My name is Jacob Odysseus Hexley. I was also involved with the criminal organisation ‘R’, and I was responsible for the death of Duncan Ashe in 1981.”

“No,” Artemis said, and realising she had said the word out loud, she repeated it, louder this time. “NO!”

But neither Jacob nor Moody, nor any of the other Aurors paid her any attention. Jacob was bound  and escorted away, leaving Artemis to watch, powerless, as her brother left her once more.

[stolen-pen-name23]

Five Favorite Fics

I was tagged by @kckenobi to list my five fav fics!! Thanks for the tag lovely!! 

1) The Lotus Eater - In a perfect world, the war ends, the Jedi live, and everyone gets a happily ever after. This world is everything Obi-Wan ever wanted. But in this world, nothing is as it seems.

This is my magnum opus. I adore this fic. It was so hard to write and yet so fun. I put so much energy into it and I think it turned out well. 

2) The Ground Beneath Us - Obi-Wan makes Anakin go on walks and maybe it saves the galaxy.

This fic just has a special place in my heart due to the soft, but serious nature of it. It is a fix it (which I don’t do that often) and I think I put a lot of myself into this one. Normally I project on Obi-Wan when I write, but in this one, I projected on Anakin quite a bit. It was a really fun one to write. 

3) Finding Obi-Wan - The only thing Obi-Wan Kenobi remembers about his life is his name. When he wakes up alone and without his memories in the lower levels of Coruscant, he must go on a journey to find himself while his friends try to find him — and maybe some of his enemies.

This is my current WIP (though I’m done writing it, posts on Saturdays!) and my longest fic to date. The total word count is around 85k, which is huge for me because I have zero attention span. This one was a joy to write. It’s angsty and funny and hopeful, and I had a smile on my face with every chapter I wrote. 

4) Like Flowers in Bloom - Ahsoka cannot mess up this early in her apprenticeship. Luckily her grandmaster is Obi-Wan — surely he can help her find Anakin the perfect birthday present, and maybe something else important along the way.

I love the largely unexplored dynamic between Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. Writing them together is a challenge but a good one, and this fic has a fun twist ending that I’m particularly proud of. 

5) Canary’s Song - Injected with an unknown serum, Obi-Wan is forced to reveal (and face) some difficult truths.

I had never done a truth serum fic until this one, and the angst and whump of it was really different to explore. Writing Obi-Wan so vulnerable is always an exciting challenge.

No pressure tags: @indigostars @ilonga @pandora15 @skywalker-tano-kenobi and anyone else who wants to join! 

[swiftsaltsweet]

Wednesday Season 2: Hyde in the Shadows (Fanfic)

Episode 1 Intermission 2: Wednesday’s Letter #1

Prev Episode

Characters: Wednesday and Enid (ft returning chars and new OCs)

Pairing: Wenclair

Important info: VERY Slow Burn, Canon Compliant (with season 1), read A/N For more details on everything.

Summary:  Stalking, murders, troubling visions, sins of the past, and a little bit of kidnapping. Wednesday’s start of the second semester isn’t a normal one, but when is her life ever “normal?” Wednesday has new mysteries to solve and catastrophes prevent, with the help of her overly enthusiastic roommate Enid, she just has to deal with some annoying relatives first.

Other Sites: AO3 and Fanfic.net

Wednesday Season 2:

Hyde in the Shadows

Episode 1 Intermission 2: Wednesday’s Letter #1

Dear Enid,

             Thank you for the thoughtful letter. It was fairly…..coherent, better than your texting at least. You still have an interesting use of punctuation. I do not understand the strange symbols you interjected into your letter, you may need to add a key so I can decipher them next time, it’s a bit hard for Thing to explain the concepts to me.

Yes, we do celebrate Christmas. We enjoy heating up the fire to burn Santa and hanging skeletons off the barren tree; and we enjoy celebrating the supposed birthday of one of the greatest necromancers in existence.

As for your present, I do appreciate the knitted gloves you sent me. They will be useful in my next murder and/or cover-up.

The glitter explosion that was also inside the package I partially could’ve done without. I do appreciate a good explosion. The glitter kind? Not so much. Especially with the color you chose. My revenge against you will be swift, but soft. Only because your prank caused much discourse amongst my relatives, which was an engaging sight to behold. So, I thank you for that.

I wish you luck on your endeavors with the full moon, may you cause much mayhem. Kill a large deer for me, or whatever it is you are supposed to do. I expect many details in the next letter (which I’m sure you will send).

I hope your date goes well. Remember, if anything goes awry, my offer to nail gun his heart still stands.

As tempting as your offer is, unfortunately, I will need to decline due to a family occasion. My relatives are visiting, and I won’t be able to leave.

I also think it’s best you don’t come over. I have a strong feeling that I might lose a roommate and a few relatives if either of you laid eyes on another’s appearance.

I hope your break brings what you want.

                                                                        Regards,

                                                                        Wednesday

 ________________________________________________________________

A/N: Does anyone else have a cat with an Emotional Support Pipe Cleaner? No? Just me?

Anyway, I’m hoping to post regularly on Saturday’s (esp. with the buffer I’ve given myself). If I get something done early, I’ll post another chapter a bit early.

Fun Fact: In the 70s animated show, Lurch has a pen pal, similar to the 60s show, it also involved Lurch fibbing in his letters. >:3c

Fun Fact 2: The Santa fireplace and tree thing are from the original comics (two separate comics)