#she DOES love pretty things she loves beautiful things and antique jewelry but like

[halfyearsqueen]

she loves fashion as much as she does for a lot of reasons. but also it’s ? the one aspect of her life that she can control to the finest detail.

[aemnd]

𝓇.cameron. ┆ 4:24pm.

◟ ㅤᡣ𐭩ㅤㅤ ݁.﹒ finally introducing to y'all shy, bambi!reader (she's so me!) i hope y'all love her as much as i do. !!! 🧸♡ྀི

bambi!reader is a shy, precious, skittish little thing, with you always burying your nose in some romance novel, loves going antique shopping, obsessed with gold and pearl jewelry, loves the color pastel pink (like most of your outfits), besides the occasional virginal white that your now boyfriend, rafe cameron, likes to see you wear for him, always all dolled up and so, so fucking pretty, rafe thought that first night of meeting you.

you're a painfully shy girl, which rafe finds charming, cute, and addicting like sugary sweetness, making rafe absolutely hooked and possessed, especially when he first introduced himself to you, all charming, confident, and with that typical, rafe cameron smirk.

strangely, even though rafe was a little tipsy, barely even drunk, he couldn't help but walk up to you that night at the party he was hosting, never quite seeing you around before, and try to start up a conversation with you, needing to be close to you—it was like an instant pull towards you, like he needed to be close to you.

it almost felt like his heartstrings were aching, tugging him towards you, like you hypnotized him from across his large balcony at tannyhill—you stood alone, taking tiny sips of the fruity, alcoholic seltzer you've been drinking since you arrived barely an hour ago.

once rafe got you talking, all sweet and shy, and yes, it took some time, your answers were slightly short, timid and nervous, like you were scared of embarrassing yourself in front of him, which rafe thought was incredibly adorable, his obsession with you only growing more and more.

rafe continued making light conversation with you throughout the evening, with you giving him pretty, little demure smiles, and all rafe could think about was fucking you in the most nasty, downright animalistic of ways—however, he knew he would have to have patience, to be gentle, not wanting to frighten you in any way, shape, or form, but maybe you'll let him taste your sweet, little virginal pussy.

you'd make the most perfect little housewife, he was certain of it. rafe already knew you would be his—his dream girl, the girl that he would someday put a giant, sparkling diamond ring on your pretty, dainty little ring finger, seemingly always freshly manicured with french tips, he'd noticed.

rafe couldn't help but also begin to imagine you all full and plump with a kid of his inside of your womb, plenty of little cameron babies to come, he knows it, deep in his bones, that you're the girl for him.

meanwhile, as the conversation between you both continued, with rafe mostly doing most of the talking, he would start asking more personal questions, perhaps too personal, but rafe wasn't ever one to give a fuck—except now, but even still, he had this need to know every little thing about your sweet, beautiful self.

"soo..." rafe chuckled lightly, a lazy smirk on his lips, taking small sips of his beer occasionally, while cocking his head slightly to catch your pretty, doe-like eyes, decorated with long, fluffy mink lashes—so damn pretty, rafe thought to himself in that moment, and every single moment after that while spending time in your company.

"do you, uh... h-have a boyfriend?" he questioned casually, though he could already feel his blood boiling at the mere thought of some other man's hands on you, watching as you immediately became shy and bashful, and it made the oldest cameron sibling want to kiss you, to claim you, to mark you as his and his forever—luckily, he was able to refrain himself and control his temper, and his desire for you, surprisingly.

and then, once you shyly shook your head no, all pretty and doll-like and submissive, rafe was already thinking of multiple ways about making you his, his, his—permanently.

[pbandjesse]

I am feeling a lot better. Still exhausted physically. And the cough plagues me. But my throat is not so swollen. The day did not start as nice. It took most of the day to muster up good feelings. But it didn't stop me from having a pretty good day.

I did not sleep great. I started coughing pretty bad last night. And I couldn't stop. It was kind of horrible. I had really bad fitful sleep because I couldn't stop coughing. I was eventually able to fall asleep slightly propped up. But I woke myself up a few times and that was not fun. I had a very very bizarre dream where the moon hatched like an egg and a baby came out. Very strange way to wake up this morning.

I didn't get out of bed right away. I wasn't sure if James had left yet. But once I got the alert on my phone that they did I let myself fall back asleep for a while longer.

I got up a little after 8. But I stayed in bed for a while. I was just coughing so bad and so tired.

When I got up I didn't take the meds right away. Instead I just brushed my teeth and got washed up and dressed. I felt so weak. I had asked Alexi to give me some work to do but she wouldn't have anything for a while. Which is fine! I was trying to use the limited energy I had. There was not a lot of it.

I had watermelon and crackers for breakfast. I tried to have a yogurt but it didn't taste exactly right after I took the lidocaine. The lidocaine got rid of the cough so quickly and I felt so silly for not taking it sooner. But it does mess with my taste buds really bad so everything was a little off. But eating helped and then I felt comfortable taking the steroids which would give me a couple hours of energy. Not as much as yesterday but enough.

I would hang some little things in the bedroom. Small objects. I have this lovely curio shelf mom got me with a carved cat and mouse that I've had hanging in our old bedroom but I never knew what to put on it. But I remembered we had musuem wax. So I took my tiny jewelry box that has all my special things and finally put them in display. I am thrilled how it came out.

I would also hang my pocket watched. And my tiny scissors. And a pin locket that my grandfather gave my grandmother. It has her initials on it.

I would work on fixing the holes in the blanket I made for James. No idea why the stitches are popping so much but there was actually 6 different breaks! I fixed them up really good but I was very surprised that we hadn't noticed.

I was starting to lose steam and took a little break. I took all the pins off our old canvas flag and organized them into groups. Enamel, button, brass, other. And I'm going to get a different display, maybe just a longer flag, or I'll make something myself. Unsure but it will be fun to create something new for them.

I have some really wonderful and interesting antique pins and art pins and I just want to be able to see them all nice and displayed.

I decided that I should work on moving things around downstairs so there aren't so many piles in the midddles of the rooms. Just make it a little more pleasant but I also think it will help once we start getting our new furniture in here.

I packed up the candle sticks in the boxes and I got my sewing desk more organized. I miss to the kitchen and collected the flat art and consolidated that. I moved all the chairs into the tape lines for where the couch will go. I got rid of trash and organized inside the fridge too.

But then I was very tired. I went upstairs to lay down for a while. The cough would come back and I was gagging again which was horrible. I took more lidocaine. I tried to just. Breathe.

I had a little lunch. Mac and cheese and a roll. And Alexi finally had something for me to do!

I had some more research to focus on for specialized presenters and it was fun reading through things. I couldn't do the second thing she wanted because no one ever sent me the info. But I'm hoping tomorrow I can hit the ground running with that.

I hung up the beautiful printed butterflies Jess got me in Scotland. And started working on clearing off our counters. James has been working hard but I moved some decorative items and put things away. Including the clean dishes. But I didn't know where we were keeping the spatulas and I got frustrated and dizzy tired.

The day was going okay though. I would take a lot of breaks. But I was getting stuff done and that felt good. I finally found the missing nightlight and was able to put that in our bedroom. And was feeling really positive.

James let me know that the Comcast person would be at our apartment to put the Internet lines in between 3 and 5. So around 330 I headed downstairs and started cleaning out our candy drawer while I waited for them.

A lot of our candy seemed to be sticky or not appetizing. So I threw things away and saved the few things I thought we would still use. Some chocolate and mints. And in the old candy box I was able to put in a few things that didn't have homes so it looked very neat.

While I was organizing I accidentally tore the screw out of the wall for the cutting board storage. So I would have to get an anchor to keep that sturdy.

But at 430, before I could do that, the Comcast man came in. William was super sweet. He agreed with James that they seemed to have cut the cords?? And they seemed to be deep in the crawl space behind the duct work.

James would come home not long after William came in. And was able to walks round in the basement continuing to look. But finally we decided to just let him drill through the wall and make a more accessible port.

This was incredibly loud!! I was really surprised. But we have Internet now!! It's kind of in a funny space but once we have the couch in place I have an idea for how it will look so it's all good.

James left to go to the apartment to get things and meet Brandon who was willing to help move some stuff. Thank you Brandon.

William would have me listen to a little thing about the survey we would get about his service today. And he was super nice all of course we will give him a great rating.

He left and I got to work putting things back where I had them. James had had to take down a lot of my art from the back wall so I am really glad I took a picture of how the gallery wall looked so it didn't take to long to reassemble.

I would move things around and did some stuff upstairs. James was upset over at the house that none of the furniture they tried fit in our car. But they were able to get their garment rack once it was all taken apart and a few of my wall shelves and my house shelf collection.

They, James and Brandon, would come to the house soon enough. And I was so happy to see them. James kept apologizing but it was fine! I swear the way they apologize people are going to think I beat them or something. It's fine! Well get the rest of our stuff soon.

After eveything came inside James would make me corn and a quesadilla. Which was a little salty for me, getting over being sick, but once they rinsed off the corn for me it was good.

While James was cooking I gave Brandon a little tour. He said the space is cute and he's excited to see how we develop it more.

James and Brandon would continue to hang out in the kitchen while I continued to put things away. I also hung a few things up. Specifically my key rack and my hair clip rack. I struggled with getting things leveled which was incredibly frustrating for me because I usually never need to actually use a level. I'm very good at eyeballing things. I'm chalking it up to being sick. But I was very grateful to my dad for mailing me a level a while ago. Came in clutch to night.

I passed the drill off to James who put together their garment rack. Brandon headed down the street to see a girl who lives near us. Cute. And I would do some cleaning at my desk and picked some outfits for the next few days.

I would take a like warm shower. Which wasn't ideal but actually wasn't to unpleasant. It was nice to be cozy in bed again though.

Which is where I am now. Having a little ice cream. Took more lidocaine to hopefully keep myself from coughing all night. Because I really would like to go to camp and do some work at least for a little while. I don't know if I'll make it the whole day but I want to get out of the house and try to feel normal.

I hope you all have a nice night tonight. And a beautiful day tomorrow. Sleep well everyone. Goodnight!

[supercorps-imaginesetc]

The Five Love Languages with Agatha Harkness

Masterlist

I got this idea while I was supposed to be paying attention in class. These are little snippets of reader’s relationship with Agatha (and soon to be other characters as well) showing how the five love languages come up in the relationship. I hope you all like this! - Admin Cam

Warnings: brief mentions of nsfw things under the physical touch section

The Five Love Languages with Agatha Harkness

Words of Affirmation

One of the first things you notice when you begin getting to know Agatha is the way compliments flow from her lips whenever you’re near her

It seems like the woman has made it her goal to do whatever she can to make sure your cheeks always hold a rosy tint to them

Agatha gives quite a few people nicknames but no one more so than you

Even after you and her are in an established relationship this still happens in public spaces as much as it does in the privacy of your own home

She comes home to you working in the garden, “What are you working on over there, hot stuff?”

Huffing in annoyance as she gets back from working on something, “Why can’t everyone be as perfect as you? They’re all idiots.”

Greeting you in the morning as you fix her a cup of coffee/tea, “What would I do without you, my dear”

She likes adding “my” in front of a lot of her nicknames for you because you are in fact hers

“You look absolutely ravishing in that, my love”

After years of being with her, she still compliments you like she did from the very beginning

Agatha Harkness will never not think that you are the most beautiful person in the world

So when she says it she means it completely

“Darling, you simply are the most beautiful person I’ve ever set my eyes on”

“Agatha, you’ve been around for centuries”

“Obviously that means that I must know what I’m talking about doesn’t it, hot stuff”

Physical Touch

Agatha LOVES physical touch

It’s right up there with her love for words of affirmation

A hand placed on the small of your back as the two of you walk down the street

Or brushing her hand along your waist as she walks past you to get something

She loves holding your hand

It’s a way of showing people that you’re hers and she simply loves the feel of your hand in hers

She likes it when you squeeze her hand to let her know that you’re there

You help her calm down when she’s about to go off on someone

You’re pretty much the only person who can do this

At night she falls asleep with her arms around you because of course she’s a big spoon

She’ll let you cuddle her sometimes though

Agatha loves when the two of you are sitting together and you rest your head on her shoulder

She’ll wrap her arm around you and place a kiss on the top of your head

Agatha also loves to touch you and be touched in some not so innocent ways

She loves to simply ravish you

Placing kisses all over you

She definitely does not complain when you run your hands through her hair 

and pull slightly on it when she’s in between your legs or in the middle of a heavy make out session

Agatha simply loves having her hands all over you at all times

And she loves when your hands are all over her as well

Receiving Gifts

Agatha cherishes anything you give her and I mean anything

She might brush it off in the moment, but you know she loves it by the look in her eyes

You know she’s a big softie at heart

You love giving her flowers

And every time you give her flowers she makes sure to save at least one of them and puts them in a safe place

She has a little box/chest in the basement filled with dried out flowers that you have given her, some of them even going back from your first dates

She hasn’t ever told you about her collection, but one day you were looking for something and stumbled upon the flowers

It’s safe to say your heart soared at the sight

She also loves to shower you in gifts

Bringing you back little trinkets from anywhere if she has to travel without you

She gives you antique jewelry for anniversaries along with a card that has a little of message of her love written in her perfect, elegant penmanship 

Quality Time

Agatha loves spending time with you whenever she gets the chance

Some of her favorite times are mornings where the two of you can just lay in each other’s arms wasting the morning away

The two of you spend every morning together

Drinking your coffee/tea together each morning

Agatha reads the morning paper while you get breakfast together or make you and her tea/coffee 

“Dear, what’s a three letter word for indignation?”

Going on walks around town together

She loves teaching you things about magic

She could spend hours working with you on brews and spells

She also loves spending time with you like normal people do

Sitting on the couch watching television together

Arguing over who gets to pick the movie

“You picked last time!”

“And the last time you picked the movie was awful”

You end up pouting and she gives in to you, letting you pick

Laying your head in her lap as she tells you stories of her life, running her fingers through your hair

Sitting on a porch swing looking up at the stars together

Reading in bed together, each of you always keeping a book or magazine on your respective night stands

She hates cooking but she’ll help or harass you in the kitchen as you cook or bake

Agatha sits on the counter and waits until she can lick the spoon and bowl like a little kid

Sticking her finger in the batter to get a taste

You shake your head and laugh at her childish antics, “I guess I have to satisfy your sweet tooth some how”

She leans over and kisses your cheek, “Oh you’re plenty sweet for me, darling”

Acts of Service

“Dear, let me handle the dishes tonight. You made an excellent dinner,” she says coming up from behind you to take your place at the sink

Brewing potions and casting spells to make you feel better whenever you’re under the weather

“Try this, my love. It should make you feel better in a pinch”

Whenever you’ve had a hard day, she does anything she can to make it better

Magically cleaning the house, if it’s a mess

Organizes your desk for you

Running you a hot bath

Lighting candles to set the mood

She’ll even cook just for you

And she hates cooking

You have Agatha wrapped around your little finger, so of course she would do anything you asked of her

[canarygirl1017]

Ghosted - Chapter 3 (Teaser)

Pairing: Reader / Jungkook, Reader / Taehyung (past relationship, friends to lovers to friends)

Genre:  College!au, fluff, angst, supernatural drama, smut, friends to lovers, emotional trauma, hurt/comfort

Length:  2, 933k words (partial chapter)

Warnings:  language, episodes of anxiety, panic attacks, sexual themes in later chapters.

Summary:  Living in a world full of things only you have the ability to see, growing up with Jungkook has been your island amidst the chaos. But when your best friend makes an impossible request, your friendship is fractured, and your sudden decision to cut ties and move abroad changes everything. Three years later, Jungkook is thriving at university as he begins his junior year. He’s a star athlete, member of a popular fraternity, and every girl’s ideal boyfriend. He tells himself that he’s long forgotten you and the friendship he never had a chance to mend – that is, until you show up on campus as a transfer student with new friends in tow. It’s been three years, and everything has changed, but the biggest change is you. Your new found determination to use your abilities to help the ghosts you used to live in fear of, no matter how dangerous it might be, makes Jungkook fear he’ll lose you before he has a chance to fix what he broke. College AU.

Disclaimer: Just for funsies, I don’t believe in real-life shipping. But I like to write, and I like fandom, so here we are. Please do not duplicate this work or repost anywhere else without permission.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Ghosted Playlist

Chapter 3

“You ready to go?”

You turned to see Taehyung leaning in your doorway. He was wearing flared jeans and a green paisley silk button-down shirt. The open butterfly collar revealed a vintage Chanel gold medallion, and he’d added light green sunglasses to complete his retro look.

Taehyung had picked out your outfit – a short, cream colored wrap dress with an abstract floral design and long flared sleeves. Knee high rust red boots and pin straight hair completed the look, and for once you felt like a match to his fashionable appearance.

You held up a finger as you opened your jewelry box, looking for the vintage garnet drop earrings you’d found to complement the outfit. You slid them in, moving your hair back to admire how they dangled and caught the light.

“Okay, I’m ready,” you said, turning to find him behind you.

“Almost,” he said, pulling a small box out of his pocket.

“Tae,” you said reprovingly as he opened the box and took out a ring. The antique gold setting was beautiful – an oval opal surrounded by a halo of garnets – and it looked perfect when he slid it onto your right ring finger.

“Now you’re ready,” he said, looking pleased as he stood back to check your appearance.

You raised a brow. “When did you even have time to shop for this?” Taehyung’s little surprise gifts were something to which you’d become accustomed over the last few years, and your attempts to discourage him were usually ignored.

He shrugged and as always, his sheepish grin disarmed you. You reached up and adjusted his collar.

“You look like you’re ready for a Vogue shoot,” you said, smiling back. “The poor girls at this party won’t know what hit them.”

“That’s why I have you to protect me,” he replied.

It was Friday, the final weekend before classes started, and the welcoming activities had ramped up in the last week. You and Taehyung had attended some of them and declined others, but you’d committed to the biggest events of the weekend – tonight’s Musical Eras mixer and tomorrow’s Movie Night on the Quad.

The mixer was being held at the Kappa fraternity house, something that had almost made you reconsider attending because you were certain to run into Jungkook again as you had for the last week. While your anger had cooled, you still felt that knot of anxiety in your stomach whenever you saw him, wondering if he’d still be angry or if he’d just pretend you didn’t exist.

So far, his attitude fell somewhere in the middle – when he saw you and Taehyung together at the supermarket, he tried to hide his reaction, but the little muscle ticking away in his jaw was a dead giveaway. A couple of days later, you saw him in the park while you were walking Yeontan and for once, he didn’t look big mad at the sight of you. You were alone and had considered trying to talk to him, but he was with friends. Not wanting to invite public rejection, you waved at the group and hurried away, noticing the little wrinkle between his brows as he watched you go.

Jin, Jimin and Jimin’s girlfriend, Ayeong, had all been by the house a couple of times. Sera had also visited with her mother, accepting Taehyung’s offer of a house tour since Sera’s mother was interested in how the historical home had been renovated. Jungkook was noticeably absent, though Jin seemed certain that he’d eventually come around.

You weren’t so certain of that. In all the years you’d been friends with Jungkook, you’d never seen him so deeply upset with another person. If someone upset him, he might avoid that person for a while, but he always got over it, and you’d never seen him blow up at anyone the way he had with you.

You always thought you knew him better than anyone, and he you, but now you had to acknowledge the reality of this situation – three years had passed, and the truth was, you didn’t know this Jungkook. Worse, he didn’t know you either and you had no one to blame for that but yourself.

________________

Stepping into the Kappa house was like stepping back in time. The large house had several rooms downstairs, each of which reflected a different decade of music, and everyone had taken their costumes just as seriously. You laughed when Jimin and Ayeong met you out front dressed as Sonny and Cher.

“Very nice,” you said, gesturing to Ayeong’s dress.

“Thanks, I love yours too.”

Thought it was still early, the party was already a crush of people circulating between the rooms. Younger guys, probably freshmen, circulated with drinks on trays which they offered to guests.

“Pledges?” Taehyung asked Jimin as he took a beer.

Jimin nodded. “They have to put in an hour according to a schedule and then they’re free to party. That’s as close to hazing as we get here.”

When Jimin offered you a glass of wine, you shook your head. “I don’t really drink much when I’m…” you paused, unsure how to finish the sentence without being weird. “When I’m out.”

You could see that Jimin understood what you meant. “Got it. We have a dry bar too if you want to call it that.”

Ayeong linked arms with you. “I’ll show her. I’m not really in the mood to drink either.”

The dry bar turned out to be pretty impressive, with lots of juice, sparkling water, club soda, and even fruits you could add. You settled for club soda with a splash of raspberry juice and slices of lemon, while Ayeong created a tropical drink.

“I know Jungkook is being… well, difficult. But I just want you to know that Jimin is so happy you’re back,” Ayeong said. “He said you were all friends since kindergarten.”

“Jimin was always one of the sweetest people at our school,” you replied. “It was really easy to be his friend.”

“Not much has changed then,” Ayeong laughed. “What about Jungkook? Jimin says he wasn’t always such a fuckboy.”

You choked on a sip of your drink. “Jungkook is a fuckboy?”

“Well, a nice one? I think he only hooks up with girls who want the same kind of no-strings fun, so there’s never any drama related to it. He’s not the type to get serious though, which is why I’ve told Erin she needs to move on from her crush.”

Fuckboy Jungkook wasn’t something you could really imagine, nor did you want to. You chose not to think too closely about why it bothered you so much.

But once you spotted him across the room talking to a group of girls, you couldn’t shake that image from your mind. He looked good. Really, really good. He was dressed in tight red pants, a black silk button down, and he’d completed his Michael Jackson Thriller homage with a red leather jacket trimmed in black. When he laughed at something one of the girls said, his dimples appeared.

“I’m surprised Jungkook is wearing a costume – he almost never does,” Ayeong commented.

“He kind of stopped wearing them by the time we were in high school,” you said. “But this kind of party, plus a Thriller homage, is pretty on brand for him.”

“Oh, that’s who he’s supposed to be! I’m really bad at guessing all of these costumes.”

You and Taehyung stuck with Jimin and Ayeong, who introduced you to people you hadn’t met yet. Everyone was welcoming, but two hours in you were starting to feel a little overwhelmed by the crowds and the noise. There was also the fact that ever since Jungkook became aware of your presence, you’d felt his eyes on you. You’d hoped his neutral response to you at the park was progress, but you could feel his judgmental stare like a brand.

Every time you glanced over at him, his impassive expression was contradicted by some blazing emotion in his eyes. You reminded yourself that you’d known this would probably be a struggle – that Jungkook would likely be angry with you for leaving. Emmie had even said that no one mentioned your name to him anymore.

You’d just underestimated how much it would hurt.

___________________

Jungkook almost skipped Movie Night on the Quad because he was in a foul mood after the Musical Eras mixer. Seeing you there with Taehyung in your matching costumes had made him inexplicably angry, something Jin called him out on.

“Shouldn’t we be glad that she has good people in her life?” Jin asked him when he stomped around the kitchen the next day, slamming cabinets as he fixed a late breakfast.

“He’s right,” Jimin said. “Plus you know that she and Taehyung aren’t together, right?”

That made him pause. “They look like they’re together.” Fucking matching costumes and all, he thought viciously.

“They dated, but Ayeong said y/n told her it’s been a while since they were together like that. At least six months or so.”

“Who the hell follows their ex-girlfriend to another country? And buys a house?”

“If you took the time to get to know Taehyung, you’d understand that he feels like y/n saved his life. He’s committed to helping her with the ghost hunting because of that, but he also genuinely cares about her. So do Namjoon and Chloe,” Jin said. “They’re all good people.”

“Whatever,” Jungkook muttered, shoving cereal into his mouth.

“Forget it, Jin. He won’t admit the real problem, and we all know his anger default setting when it comes to y/n is because of that.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Jungkook demanded.

“You’re jealous. You’ve always been jealous of anyone that got close to y/n,” Jimin replied calmly. He crossed his arms and sat back in his chair.

Jungkook grit his teeth. “I’m not jealous.”

“Really? So every time a guy expressed interest in dating her back in high school, and you very pointedly warned them all off, that was you just being what? A good friend?” Jimin rolled his eyes.

“Who? Like Lucas? You’re damn right I warned him off. He didn’t deserve her.”

“What about me?” Jimin asked, a challenge in his tone. “I told you that I liked her our sophomore year, and you shot down that idea so fast I was afraid if I pursued it, it would actually ruin our friendship.”

Jungkook stared at him, shifting uncomfortably. “Because you weren’t serious about it.”

“Says who? I was dead serious, Jungkook, and you know it. For that matter, I think even Lucas was serious about liking her. He never said a word about her that wasn’t totally respectful.”

“Yeah, because he knew I would beat his ass,” Jungkook said.

“You’re right – everybody knew that. Why do you think people steered clear of her? Why do you think Grace hated her so much? I told you that Grace wasn’t as nice as you thought she was. Yet you still held tight to y/n with one hand while you chased after Grace. And I figured it was just a matter of time until you realized how you really felt about y/n, so I let it go. But damn, Jungkook, you need to stop taking out your anger on y/n. Let her explain why she left.”

No one spoke for a moment. Then Jungkook asked, “Has she told you why?”

“I asked her,” Jin said. “But I think she’s waiting to talk to you first.”

Jungkook tried not to think about what Jimin said, but now that he was here on the quad, and you were just a few feet away, it was all he could think about. Jealousy.

He couldn’t deny he hated seeing how close you were to Taehyung. The way the other man touched you, or kept a protective arm around you, pissed him off. The way you smiled at him made him even angrier. Still, beneath the anger was something else – a yearning for the way things had been. No one had ever understood him the way you did, and he missed that connection with you.

It was his fault you left. That little voice in the back of his head kept reminding him that you weren’t the only one to blame for this vast distance between you now. He kind of understood why you’d left, but he didn’t know why it had taken you so long to return.

He kept stealing glances at you rather than watching the movie playing on the large screen set up on the quad. You’d been to the concession stand, and he wasn’t surprised to see you eating gummy bears since that had always been your favorite movie snack.

You looked pretty. Your hair was a little longer now than it had been in high school and fell in gentle waves around your shoulders. You wore another floaty little summer dress, the kind you had always liked, small feet encased in comfortable flat sandals. You and Taehyung had joined Jimin, Ayeong, Erin and Jin on a large blanket towards the front of the crowd.

Stubbornly, Jungkook had opted to sit with some of his friends from the baseball team. He was still close enough to watch you – to hear your voice – to just observe you while his mind sorted through his confusing thoughts and emotions. You had glanced over at him a few times, as if feeling his eyes on you, a silent question in your own. And somehow, he knew that you understood that he needed some time.

At the intermission between films, you went with Ayeong and Erin to the bathroom. Jungkook got tacos from a nearby food truck and when he returned, he noticed that you were the only one missing from the group. A few minutes later, Taehyung was frowning at his phone after making a call that had gone unanswered.

“I’m going to go check on her,” he heard the other man say as he stood up.

Jungkook hesitated for a few seconds before following him. Taehyung had his phone to his ear again, though again there seemed to be no answer.

“What’s wrong?” Jungkook asked as he caught up to him.

Taehyung turned and scowled at him. Then he sighed. “Ayeong said she stayed back because she got a call from her mom that she needed to answer. Maybe it’s nothing, but she’s been gone for almost twenty minutes, so I just want to make sure nothing happened.”

Jungkook nodded and then they were silent as they walked around the buildings that were still open. The campus was well lit, so it was easy to see the faces of people walking to the dorms or back to the quad. When they didn’t see you anywhere, Taehyung made another call.

“Chloe, I need you to ping y/n’s location and send it to my phone.” He listened for a minute. “Maybe nothing but I can’t find her and I don’t know – I’m getting a weird feeling. Okay, thanks.”

Taehyung’s unease was contagious, and Jungkook shifted from one foot to the other as they waited. Then Taehyung’s phone vibrated, and he studied his screen for a moment before gesturing for Jungkook to follow him. After walking for a few minutes, Jungkook realized they were heading towards a park where students often had lunch or relaxed between classes.

And there you were, a silent, ghostly figure swaying in the moonlight as you hummed a strange tune.

“Fuck.” Taehyung started running.

Jungkook was right behind him. When he reached you, he tried to take your arm to turn you towards them, but Taehyung stopped him.

“Don’t touch her,” he said, a note of warning in his tone. “She’s in a sort of fugue state, and it’s safer if she comes out of it herself.”

Rather than argue, Jungkook walked around to face you, but froze when he saw that your eyes were unfocused, and almost… glowing? It was clear that you didn’t see him, though he was standing right in front of you.

Jungkook’s heart was pounding now. “How do we make her do that?”

“There’s something else here,” Taehyung explained. “It probably tried to communicate with her. Sometimes, if she lets her guard down, or if the spirit is especially powerful, she gets sort of… pulled to the other side. It’s usually because they’re trying to show her something.”

Swallowing hard, Jungkook nodded. “Okay. How do we make her come out of it?”

“We can’t make her, and if we try, it can cause severe shock. She’ll already be in a state of shock when she comes to on her own, so we have to be careful. I’m going to go get the car. You wait here with her and just keep talking to her, okay?”

“Can I touch her hands?”

“Carefully,” Taehyung said. “Don’t pull her or shake her, and don’t try to make her move.”

“Okay.” Jungkook pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Jin, I need you to come to the park right now. The one behind the science building.”

You were still humming and swaying when Jungkook reached out to touch your hand. There was no response, so he carefully took both your hands in his.

“Jesus, your hands are freezing,” he said quietly. “You never dress right for being out at night. You know that you get cold even when it’s not that cold, right?”

He squeezed your hands carefully in an attempt to warm them up. There was no response from you, your eyes still fixed on something he couldn’t see.

A/N: I know it's been a long time since I posted, and I'm sorry about that. If you're still reading, I'll get the rest of the chapter up this week, and there is some fluff in the future as Jungkook and y/n start repairing their relationship. I hope I remembered all the people who asked to be tagged (and got the tags right.) If you’d like to be tagged for updates, let me know.

Tag list: @ggukkieland @jikooksgirl19 @waves-and-woods @kookiesbreaky @koochiekoo @monvieesdaebak

[canary3d-obsessed]

Lost Tomb Lewks: Reboot Part 11

(LTL Masterpost) (All Canary Masterposts)(Part 10)

I’m making my post titles more specific because I’m loving the clothes in The Mystic Nine and in Ultimate Note, so I expect I’ll continue this series with other shows when I get to the end of Reboot Season 2. 

Look 56 is - surprise! - a cozy sweater. This one is a deep, huggable brown in a sort of waffle stitch (OP is not a knitter; knitters pls feel free to elaborate in comments). He wears this with loose blue jeans and...shoes. This show doesn’t feature his feet often enough for proper shoe commentary. 

This is a perfect look for pacing and talking, half to yourself and half to your buddy, as he gets absolutely, completely baked. 

Wu Xie is doing his pacing while he gazes at an enormous pin board filled with pictures linked together with red string. The red string board is becoming one of my favorite CDrama tropes. I’ve seen it in Detective L, Mystic Nine, that new show with Wue Xie number 2 Psych Hunter, and probably a couple more shows. It’s a thing in older American detective dramas, too, but not in modern ones and not nearly as often. 

It does look cooler than a whiteboard with magnets, but it seems like a lot of work. For this pin board, Wu Xie Wang Meng had to cut a bunch of red string and print out a bazillion cell phone pictures, which someone managed to take during all of the running around & death defying action. All so Wu Xie could theorize that everything connects to...some random point in the middle of the board? I don’t know who these guys are in the middle picture, but I don’t think they’re responsible for all of the rocks in the other pictures. 

If you change your mind about a connection, and move a pin, do you have to re-loop all the string to keep everything taut? What if you need to move an end pin when you’ve already cut the string? Perhaps OP is overthinking this. 

This look is a comfortable one for lying on the couch when you’ve exhausted yourself with string management. 

(more behind the cut!)

I love the aesthetic of this apartment. It appears to be full of furniture taken from Wu Xie’s study in Wushanju, but because it isn’t mixed in with the fancy older antiques, the vibe is totally different. The furniture is midcentury modern, with a lot of warm tones and leather, which matches Wu Xie’s clothing choices. This quality of furniture subtly reminds us that these guys are antique dealers. Even when they’re down and out, they have discerning taste.

The textiles, cushions, the throw blanket on the table, are all colorful, tactile, and comfortable, matching Pangzi’s clothing and overall vibe. Overall the space is a nice mix of both of their looks, which is appropriate for an old married couple long-term roommates. 

He completes this outfit with a olive-green hooded jacket with lots of flaps and pockets. 

Side note: their buddy  Jin Wan Tang (on the left) might be officially gay? Unlike the blatant subtle queer coding that appears in a lot of CDramas, this character (and that one guy in the Rain Village section) seems flamboyant in a stereotypical “gay best friend” way. But I’ve only ever seen one acknowledged gay character in Chinese cinema--the very stereotypical tailor in Kung Fu Hustle--so I don’t know if the semiotics are the same as in western media. 

Anyway, I dig his mix of business suit and funky jewelry, and I share his appreciation of shirtless Xiao Ge (in Season 1, not today, sorry).

Look 57 is actually a rerun of Look 45, but it’s one of my favorites, featuring a beautiful soft suede jacket in a warm camel color. This time we get a much better look at the jacket, so I’m featuring it a second time. (Previously he wore this to hijack Li Jiale’s truck.) The jacket features detailed tailoring, with pleated pockets with flaps and buttons, and a nice strong collar and lapel that contrast with the softness of the material. 

Under this lovely jacket he wears a cream colored sweater, jeans that fit really well for a change, and work boots. 

This outfit is good for mournfully looking at a heap of smashed ceramics. 

It’s also good for struggling through a gas attack designed specifically to destroy your unhealthy lungs...

...and make you hork up blood, because it’s not a Zhu Yilong show if there’s no mouth blood, and it’s been at least a couple of episodes since we’ve had any. 

This look is perfect for going to visit your snippy ex-boyfriend while you’re unconscious, so he can bitchily save your life. 

“Hey, Canary,” you might have thought up above, “with all these above-the waist shots, how can you tell his jeans fit well?”

This. This is how. 

Oh and hey, we finally get a really good look at his shoes. His shoes, people. 

Look 58 belongs to bitchy doctor/chef Huo Daofu. 

He’s wearing a white double-breasted chef’s coat featuring contrasting piping and buttons. It is perfectly fitted, which will will learn is true of everything this man wears. 

Over the jacket he’s got an immaculate work apron, and under it he’s wearing a thin grey turtleneck sweater with ribbed collar and cuffs. He wears turtlenecks a lot. Whoever is giving him hickeys, it’s not Wu Xie any more because he hates Wu Xie. Hates him! 

Cue endless tender medical care and eventual deep abiding friendship. Also possibly shacking up, it’s hard to tell how many people really live in Wushanju at any given time. 

The first part of Look 59 is a deep olive-green long-sleeve tee shirt worn over a grey undershirt. 

It’s a shirt. It’s green. 

He looks really fucking good in it, okay? His arms are beautiful even when they’re covered up.  This shirt needs three gifs because...it just does.

Look 60 is Bai Haotian’s awesome green satin roller-disco jacket. 

The styling is straight out of 1979, which is long before she was born, making this a fun retro throwback. Or possibly she borrowed it from her grandma. The collar and cuffs have sporty black-and-white ribbing.

The jacket has nice contemporary details to give it a fresh look. These include suns, moons, and mountains (I think) running down the arms in a contrast stripe, and the words “magical altitudes” in embroidered sections on the back and chest. 

Wu Xie’s Look 59, Part 2 is also featured in these caps. He’s put a strangely short waisted grey jacket over his nice green shirt. Other than the short waist, it fits nicely. 

Those jeans, on the other hand. Wu Xie’s ass deserves better treatment than this. Paging Xiao Ge

Periodic reminder: Xiao Bai is absurdly, absurdly pretty. 

So is Wu Xie.

Bonus Look 1: Okay, Xue Wu is a bad bad man but damn, his clothes are always amazing. He favors emphatically Chinese looks, but always  with contemporary tailoring details, so he doesn’t look old fashioned. For his daughter’s wedding he’s wearing a deep blue suit with blue embroidery and this cool gold collar pin. 

Bonus Look 2 is Wu Xie in his favorite blue marl sweater. Or he has a few blue marl sweaters. Anyway, this time he’s lying down and resting his eyelashes while he wears it. 

[scarletarosa]

Athena

Greek goddess of logic, truth, intelligence, knowledge, wit, wisdom, war, battle strategy, heroism, protection, law, justice, order, good counsel, skill, victory, and handicrafts

Athena (Roman: Minerva) is the magnificent goddess of Truth, she is a tremendous being of light who ensouls the cosmic consciousness of Truth and grants it to the world. She is the guardian over all knowledge and despises ignorance, facing it and destroying it like light ripping through darkness. She was one of the most important goddesses of Ancient Greece and is said to have led the Greeks to their homeland and supported their development by teaching them many things. She was also their greatest protectress and would valiantly defend them while defending their cities, even mentoring them in particular battle techniques. As a very complex goddess, Athena would watch over many areas of life, including all forms of education, crafts/inventions, and philosophical thinking. She also is one of the three Virgin goddesses (along with Artemis and Hestia) who are never swayed by romance or lust, since Athena values being solely devoted to the realm of the mind. 

Mythology: Many ages ago when Zeus was less moral than he is nowadays, he was very jealous of anyone who threatened his position of power. When he learnt that his wife, Metis, the goddess of wisdom, may birth his successor, he became desperate to end their lives. Zeus devoured Metis while she was pregnant, thinking this would secure him. But when the time came, Zeus began feeling tremendous headaches. As even he couldn’t bear them, Hephaestus struck Zeus with his axe and Athena leapt out of Zeus’ head, fully armed and with a furious cry. This frightened some of the deities, but Zeus, however, was delighted and full of pride. In this story of Athena’s birth, we see her as enraged wisdom that fights as a defender and upholder of justice.

A popular myth of Athena is the story of Arachne, a mortal craftswoman who boasted that she was more skillful than Athena herself. Athena offered her a chance to repent, but after Arachne refused, she challenged her to a weaving duel. The goddess fashioned a beautiful tapestry which illustrated the gruesome fate of the mortals who had the hubris of challenging the gods. Arachne, on the other hand, chose to depict stories of the mortals unjustly victimized by the gods. But she didn’t even have a chance to finish it for the enraged Athena tore Arachne’s fabric to pieces and turned her into a spider. As such, Arachne is doomed to weave ever since. This was a myth written by the Greeks as a warning against hubris, and does not portray an actual event, especially since Arachne is actually a goddess of spiders and wasn’t a cursed human.

Roles: Despite Athena’s connection to war, she moreso represents the strategy behind it and the ability to protect and bring about order (whereas Ares represents battle-lust, Athena fights out of necessity). She was also known to bestow victory in war, as she is at times seen accompanied by Nike, the goddess of victory. Through these connections, Athena is the patroness of heroes and is known to wisely advise them in their quests and grant divine weapons in times of need.

Other than the art of battle, Athena is known as a skillful inventor and even holds the title of ‘protectress of agriculture’. She is represented as the inventor of the plough and rake: she created the olive tree (the greatest blessing of Attica), taught the people to yoke oxen to the plough, took care of the breeding of horses, invented the bridle, instructed people how to tame horses, and much more. At the beginning of spring, offerings were given to Athena in advance for the protection she was to afford to crops and fields. Besides the tools of agriculture, Athena was said to be the inventor of numbers, science, hand-made crafts, chariots, and other such helpful things. 

Athena is a magnificently powerful goddess who can easily strike fear into her enemies. In times of battle, she is known to have lightning flashing from her eyes, and can even overpower Ares himself with her strategic mind during combat. She is peace gained through battle, courage gained through struggle, and clarity gained through wisdom. She has explained to me that the Aegis (the head of Medusa) on her breastplate represents her victory over her own shadow, the part of one’s psyche that creates negative emotions such as fear or cruelty. This is a true mark of wisdom and shows even further just how glorious Athena is. She can always be relied upon for sage advice in any matter, and knows how to directly tell someone what needs to be done or how they should change to become better. Athena says that she is also the goddess who inspires women to be more than their domestic roles that are pressured on them. She inspires rebellion in their hearts and teaches them how to fight and overcome oppression. Thus, Athena is the glorious warrior goddess of illuminating truth and courage; there is nothing that can break her down. 

Appearance: a tall woman in her 30′s with long brown hair, gray eyes, and wears either a white dress or silver armour

Personality: Overall, Athena is wise, intelligent, serious, diligent, straightforward, courageous, determined, perfectionistic, and a steadfast protector of peace. She has a very strong sense of morality and is able to keep calm and collected under a great deal of pressure. She loves to spread knowledge to others, but does not guide us through everything since she seeks to make her devotees independent. She greatly values strength of character, open-mindedness, and the desire to make oneself better no matter what. Athena can be a bit motherly at times with those she likes, but not too much in a “soft” way but more like a quiet and dedicated mother who wants the best for you. Although she does not have much patience for most people, especially if they are unwilling to take responsibility or overcome their ignorance. She also has no patience for people who disrespect her or disregard her nature as a virgin goddess. When Athena is angered, she becomes terrifying and cold. Lightening begins flashing out from her eyes and is relentless in bringing her fury upon whoever offended her. 

Athena is very empowering and knows exactly what to say when her devotees feel down or lost, for she can see past clouded emotions and into the clarity of truth. She also hates injustices of any kind and seeks to destroy all ignorance. She is a very protective warrior and an Illuminator, following the path that Lucifer teaches about wisdom through adversity. She is also a very close friend of the goddess Lilith, so they work well together for gaining Illumination. One of the most sacred animals of Athena is the serpent, which sheds its skin to be reborn, making it a symbol of wisdom and knowledge. This is one of the lesson that she often teaches to her followers, that their current self must die to be reborn in wisdom. In some of her statues, a giant snake can be seen beside her.

| Symbolism of Athena |

Owls

Eagles

Doves

Snakes

Helmets

Shields

Weapons

Olive Tree

Books

| Some of her epithets |

Alkis (The Strong)

Areia (The Warlike)

Ærgáni (Instructor of the Arts)

Axiopoinos (The Avenger)

Día (Heavenly)

Drákaina (She-Dragon)

Chalinitis (Tamer of Horses)

Erganê (The Worker)

Mêchaneus (Skillful Inventor)

Mítir Tǽkhni (Mother of the Arts)

Paiônia (The Healer)

Kóri (The Maiden)

Parthenos (The Virgin)

Pallas (The One who Brandishes Her Weapon)

Lýteira kakóhn (Deliverer from Evil)

Omvrimóthymos (Strong of Spirit)

Oplophóros (The Warrior)

Ormásteira (She Who Urges You Forward)

Polias (Protector of the City)

Polæmitókos (Bringer of Necessary War)

Polývoulos (Exceedingly Wise)

Nikephoros (Bringer of Victory)

Sóhteira (Saviour) 

Devotional Actions: Above all, Athena values offerings of action. She expects those devoted to her to constantly seek to improve themselves by gaining spiritual advancement, overcoming their Egos, and gaining as much knowledge as they can. Wisdom is embraced through battling hardships, analyzing yourself, and learning from trial and error. Dedication to what she teaches pleases her far more than physical offerings.

Offerings: Fine quality white wine (esp. if flower-scented), olives, olive oil, milk, bread, goat cheese, pomegranates, citrus, apples, cherries, figs, white lilies, myrrh incense, sandalwood, almonds, honey, cakes, cooked lamb or goat, beeswax candles, non-fiction books, fancy pens, quills, pottery, paintings, swords, daggers, silver armour, snakeskin, owl feathers, votive owls, clear crystals, silver jewelry, chess games, wool, knitting tools, pretty antiques, white marble, artworks, poetry, snake statuettes, and imagery of her sacred animals.

[wonkasmissstarshine]

The Chocolatier’s Rose {Willy Wonka x OC} Ch.44

GIFs not mine. Credit go to owners.

Summary: It’s Christmas and the whole family comes together to celebrate.

A/N: Here we are. The final chapter! However, there will be an epilogue after this and then I’ll get to working on the fairytale AU. Again, let me know if you want to be tagged for The Chocolate Prince and The Lovely Maiden.

Tagging: @willymywonkers @holdmeicant @sleepiesapphicxoxo @frozenhuntress67

It was that wonderful time of the year where the snow fell, leaving a thick soft blanket on the ground, the windows of homes and shops would be filled with decorations on display, a certain sense of cheer filled the air, and families all came together. Christmas had come around again like it does every year.

Christmas had to be Rose's favorite holiday. There was just something about it that always made her feel so happy. Maybe it was because the snow always looked so pretty around the holidays. Maybe it was because the town looked festive when there were lights strewn about, windows filled to the brim with decorations, and the tree that always went up in the middle of town. Maybe it was because this was the time of year that always brought families together.

No matter what the reason, Rose loved Christmas. All the Buckets did.

Normally, Willy didn't give Christmas a second thought. He used to be alone at Christmas so he didn't bother to celebrate it. But that changed when Rose came into his life. When she told him how much she loved Christmas, he decided to give it a chance and celebrate it.

Turns out that Christmas was a whole lot better when you had a family to celebrate it with. And he loved how happy Rose got around this time of year. He loved coming home one day to find that she had the entire Garden Room covered in decorations, as well as the house. He loved how he found a large Christmas tree already put up and decorated in the living room. He loved hearing Rose break out into Christmas carols.

Christmas quickly became Willy's favorite holiday.

But this Christmas wasn't going to be any ordinary Christmas. This would the first Christmas with the twins. And the Wonkas were going all out with it. Normally, Christmas dinner would be held at the Bucket house, hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Bucket. This year, however, Rose and Willy decided to host dinner for the first time. And their whole family would be coming.

******

Rose and Mrs. Bucket were cooking together in the kitchen. Every once in a while, Rose would look up and peek out the window. Every time she looked out that window, she saw her children playing together with their father and Uncle Charlie. She smiled at the sight.

"Look at them, mum" Rose said. Mrs. Bucket looked up from the vegetables she was cutting. She followed her daughter's line of sight. "He's such a wonderful father. A wonderful husband. He looks at me, and he looks Fleur and Dulce like we're his whole world. You should hear him telling them bedtime stories"

Mrs. Bucket didn't say anything. Instead, she just smiled, stared, and listened as her daughter went on about Willy and the twins. "Mum, why are you looking at me like that?" Rose asked when she caught her mom staring.

"Nothing," Mrs. Bucket chuckled, shaking her head. "It's just, you've been so happy for the past two years. Before Charlie found that ticket, you've worn many smiles on your face but you've never really been happy" Mrs. Bucket placed her hand on her daughter's cheek. "But now when you smile, it's not because you're trying to be strong for us. It's because you have truly found happiness in your life that we alone couldn't give to you"

"I find myself thinking sometimes where I would be right now if Charlie hadn't found that ticket," Rose thought out loud. "I'd probably still be working for Mrs. Mason, barely just getting by. Or, perhaps maybe I'd be stuck in a marriage that I didn't want"

"Or, maybe you'd still have met Willy somehow"

"You really think so, mum?"

"Of course I do, darling. He's your soulmate. If Charlie hadn't found that ticket and hadn't brought you along on that tour, you still would have met Willy one way or another" Mrs. Bucket seemed so sure about that.

Rose giggled. "Is dad your soulmate?"

Mrs. Bucket smiled, pushing a fallen strand of hair out of Rose's face. "Without any doubt"

A new voice called out, making its presence known. "Hello, Rose! Hello, Helen!" It was Priscilla. She had wandered into the kitchen. "Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas, dear" Mrs. Bucket smiled at the girl who overtime, started feeling like her own daughter.

"Merry Christmas, Cilla" Rose said. "Did you say hi to Willy and the twins?"

"I did" Priscilla nodded. "I swear, Fleur and Dulce keep getting cuter every time I see them"

Rose eyed the thick bag that Priscilla was carrying. She did not doubt that there were a bunch of toys and other gifts inside. "Cilla, what did we say about spoiling?"

"This isn't all for the twins" Priscilla defended. "There are things for Charlie and Jenny here. And at least one present for everyone else. That reminds me" She reached into the bag and pulled out a couple of presents. She gave the bigger of the presents to Mrs. Bucket, who in turn looked quite surprised.

"Priscilla, sweetheart, that's very kind of you, but you didn't--"

"I wanted to, Mrs. Bucket"

Mrs. Bucket smiled and accepted the present. She opened it up, revealing a small antique display case. But it wasn't the display case that made her eyes light up. It was what was inside it. "Priscilla, this china is beautiful" There were beautifully designed plates, bowls, and cups.

"I actually made it" Priscilla explained. "I have a knack for pottery"

"I never knew you liked pottery," Rose said. She was surprised that Priscilla never mentioned her talent.

All Priscilla did was shrug. "It's nothing serious, really. More of a hobby" She presented the other present in hand to Rose. "This one for you"

Rose smiled, taking the small present in her hand. She unwrapped it, revealing a velvet red box. Then, she opened up the box to reveal a piece of jewelry. It was a pendant of a terrarium with a tiny rose inside of it. "Oh, it's beautiful"

"I immediately thought of you when I saw that, and not just because of the rose," Priscilla said.

"Wait right here!" Rose said in sudden excitement. She ran off, disappearing behind the curtain that led to hers and Willy's bedroom. When she came back, she was wearing the pendant and had a gift in her hand. "Here," She handed the gift to Priscilla.

Priscilla grinned and she ripped the wrapping paper off. She gasped in delight when she found a sweater, made in her favorite color with her name stitched in cursive gold along the front of it. "Rose, did you make this?"

"Yeah" She bit her lip, waiting to hear Priscilla's thoughts on it. "Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" Priscilla gave Rose a great big hug. "Rose, you're amazing, you know that? You're the best sister anyone could ask for"

"Sister?" Rose asked. Sure, she and Priscilla have been close for a long time, but she's never heard her call her sister before.

"Well, yeah. You're not just my best friend, Rose. You're my sister. You, Willy, and the twins? My family. Charlie and the rest of the Buckets? My family. Danny, Eleanor, Felix, Lucy, Jenny, and Harry? My family. Mrs. Mason and Dr. Wonka? My family. We're all one big family, Rose"

Rose smiled. She thought back to some wise words Charlie once said long ago.

You don't have to be related to someone for them to be your family. People who care about each other can be considered a family, whether you're related or not.

For a boy of thirteen, Charlie was quite wise for his age.

"Darling, why don't you go out there and say hi to your friends?" Mrs. Bucket suggested. "I've got it in here"

Rose kissed her mother before walking out of the house with Priscilla. All of their friends were crowding together with Willy and Charlie. The twins were now being held by Lucy and Harry respectively. Of course, Willy was the first one to see his wife. "Hello, starshine!" He beamed at her.

"Cocoa bean" She greeted back, wrapping her arms around him in a secure hug. Rose's eyes wandered to Fleur, who was being held by Lucy. But it wasn't her daughter's infectious grin that caught her eye. It was the sparkling diamond that was wrapped around Lucy's ring finger. "Lu?"

Lucy looked at Rose. "Yes?"

"On your finger, is that what I think it is?"

Eleanor went wide-eyed. "Wait, you and Harry are engaged!?"

Lucy shrugged, smirked, and made an attempt at a joke. "Who said it was Harry I was engaged to?"

"Sis, you're not fooling anyone" Jenny laughed. "We all know you two are googly-eyed in love with each other"

"Let me see," Priscilla said. She took Lucy's hand and inspected the diamond on her finger. Priscilla let out an impressed whistle. "That's quite the stone you gave her, Harry"

Lucy grinned and then eyed her fiance. "Even if I told him a simple plain ring would do"

"And I'm only getting truly engaged once" Harry quipped. He and Rose shared a knowing look. The two of them were never really engaged. It was more of an...agreement... of sorts. Luckily, it was one that was never carried out. Harry looked back at Lucy. "I wanted to make it special for both of us"

Lucy very well knew of what had transpired between Rose and Harry. They were both very honest with her about that. But, she was just glad to see that they had made amends and that they were now friends.

"Where are those little angels?" A happy sing-song voice called out. "Nana's here! And she wants to see all her angels!"

Mrs. Mason came running with Dr. Wonka not far behind her. The two of them were married now. The ceremony had been small and private, taking place at a courthouse with only Rose, Willy, and Charlie in attendance.

"There they are!" Mrs. Mason cooed once she saw her grandchildren. She squished their cheeks and kissed their foreheads, causing the babies to smile and giggle. Once she greeted the twins, she greeted the rest of her angels the same way, starting with Priscilla.

"Uh, Mrs. Mason" Priscilla mumbled through her squished cheeks. "What are you doing?"

"I did say I wanted to see all my angels, now didn't I?"

Mrs. Mason got through with greeting Priscilla, Eleanor, Lucy, Danny, Felix, and Harry all the same way. With squished cheeks and wet kisses on the forehead. She still saw all of them as her children, even if they weren't related to her the way Rose, Charlie, and Willy were.

"And where's my youngest son?" Mrs. Mason turned on her heel until she spotted Charlie. "Charlie, my dear boy! Come here!" She hugged Charlie as tight as she could. "I swear you're getting bigger every day I see you"

"And you keep getting kinder" Charlie said to her.

Mrs. Mason grinned wildly. "How does a boy get so sweet and polite?" She let go of Charlie, and then there was no saving Jenny from the inevitable hug. "And here's my sweet girl! Oh, Jenny, you just keep getting prettier"

Jenny blushed and giggled. "Thank you, Mrs. Mason"

"Charlie, you've got quite the girlfriend here. Don't ever let her go" Mrs. Mason advised, winking at the young boy.

Both Charlie and Jenny blushed deeply and glanced at each other. "We're not boyfriend and girlfriend" Charlie defended.

"Yeah. We're just friends" Jenny added. "Best friends"

"And that means in exactly ten years time, you two will be married" Mrs. Mason joked but at the same time, there was a hint of seriousness in her voice. Charlie and Jenny both muttered something about Mrs. Mason being embarrassing before the two of them ran off.

Mrs. Mason chuckled, shaking her head. She caught Rose in her sight and smiled at her. "And last but certainly not least, my beautiful daughter" She grasped Rose's face with a gentle grip and kissed her on both of the cheeks. "And my wonderful son" Mrs. Mason hugged Willy and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Hi mom" Willy greeted her, giving her a kiss and a hug back. He then let go of Mrs. Mason and walked over to his father. "Hi dad" He greeted before hugging him.

"Hello son," Dr. Wonka said, a grin coming over him. After hugging his son, he stepped closer to Rose and hugged her as well. "Hello daughter"

Rose smiled at that. It always warmed her heart when she heard Dr. Wonka calling her daughter. "Hi, dad. Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas"

Mrs. Bucket stepped out onto the porch of the house. "Rose and Willy, dears" Mrs. Bucket called out for her daughter and her son-in-law. "I need your help with something!" She flashed an almost mischievous smile at them, before disappearing inside the house again.

"Hmm," Willy hummed curiously. "I wonder what that's about" He wasn't blind to see the way she had smiled at both of them.

"I suppose we should go find out" Rose said. She and Willy joined hands and made their way to the house.

******

"That's weird," Willy said as soon as he and Rose entered the house. They found it empty except for all the furniture and the finished food that was sitting on the counters in the kitchen. "Moms not here"

"Mum!" Rose called out. There was no reply. "Come on, mum. Where are you? Are you playing some kind of joke?"

Willy looked around the room as his wife continued to call for Mrs. Bucket's attention. It wasn't until he looked up that he noticed something hanging off of the ceiling. It was a green plant with white berries and a red bow wrapped around it.

"Cocoa bean," Rose finally noticed her husband staring upwards. "What are you looking at?"

"Have you gotten any new flowers or plants recently?"

"No" Rose finally looked up to see what Willy was looking at. She recognized what it was right away. A smirk danced across her lips. "Oh, I see what you're looking at"

"What is it?" Rose didn't answer him right away. Instead, she started giggling. Willy's eyebrows furrowed and he looked back at his wife. "What's so funny, starshine?"

"You've never seen mistletoe before?"

"No" He looked back up at it. "I wonder why it's there"

"I'm thinking mum probably put it there"

"Now, why would she do that?" Wow, he really didn't know. "I'm sorry but it's just a poor choice for decoration. It doesn't do anything to tie this room together at all"

"Cocoa bean, it's not for decoration"

"No? Then what's it for?"

Rose grabbed Willy's face and tilted his head down so that he was looking at her rather than the plant on the ceiling. "Do you really not know the tradition for people who stand together under the mistletoe?" Her voice had softened into an almost sultry purr. Her thumb was stroking his soft and plump bottom lip, and she was giving him that look with hooded and glossy eyes that made him weak in the knees.

Willy blushed deeply as he looked her right in the eye. "No"

"When two people find themselves standing under the mistletoe, they're supposed to kiss, otherwise they'll have bad luck"

"Oh. So is it like walking under a ladder, or opening an umbrella indoors, or breaking a mirror--" Willy was cut off when Rose's lips were pressed against his in a passionate kiss. It didn't take long for him to ease into the kiss, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around her waist. What they didn't see was Mrs. Bucket standing in the doorway of the nursery, watching both of them with a smile on her face.

She knew that her daughter and son-in-law had yet to kiss under the mistletoe. So, she set up the mistletoe and lured them inside the house.

Rose and Willy pulled away from the kiss, both of them with a dazed look in their eyes. No matter how many times they kissed, sometimes certain kisses still felt like their first one. "Wow," Willy muttered, breathless from the kiss.

Rose giggled. "Yeah, wow"

Willy smiled at the sound of her heavenly giggle. "I like that tradition. Can it only be done at Christmas?"

"I don't think so"

"Good, because I'm going to set up mistletoe all throughout the factory so you'll have to kiss me wherever we are, or else we'll both end up with bad luck"

******

It finally came time for Christmas dinner. Everyone was seated at the long table that was set up just outside the house and underneath a fluffy, pink cotton candy tree. Rose helped her mum and dad bring out all the food.

"Mum, all of this looks wonderful" Rose mentioned.

"Well, I did have some help" Mrs. Bucket smiled, winking at Rose. Once all the food was set out and she was back in her seat, Mrs. Bucket announced. "Everyone dig in and enjoy"

Everyone served amongst themselves and quickly got into feasting. Rose and Willy fed their children when they weren't feeding themselves. Everyone chatted, joked, laughed, and told stories with each other. It truly was like they were all one extended family.

'That's because we are a family'  Willy thought to himself.

Family. He really was beginning to like that word a lot.

"Mr. Bucket and I would like to say something," Mrs. Bucket said as she stood up. Mr. Bucket stood up as well and joined hands with his wife. "If we may?"

Rose nodded and gave an encouraging smile. "Please!"

Mrs. Bucket nodded and then looked at her husband, urging him to start. "We've celebrated many Christmases in the past. For us, it was never about the gifts or even the food we ate. It was about spending this special time of the year as a family"

"But no Christmas has never felt more like Christmas than it does now" Mrs. Bucket continued. "And it all has to do with our special family. Look at us. We went from being a family of six to a family of eighteen"

"And we couldn't have asked for a better one" Mr. Bucket finished off. He and Mrs. Bucket sat back down, indicating that they had said all they wanted to say.

Dinner continued. Rose noticed that Willy had fallen awfully quiet beside her. He had been talkative all night, especially to his children. When she looked at him, she noticed that he was in a dazed look, like when he used to get his flashbacks. But there was something different about this dazed look. It was the smile on his face.

"Cocoa bean?" Rose piped, placing her hand over his. "Is everything okay?"

Willy looked over to her, blinking as he broke out of his daze. "Oh, starshine. I feel absolutely wonderful"

"Yeah?" Rose smiled.

"I was just thinking about something"

"And what would that be?"

"Before I met you, I never realized just how lonely I was" Willy was looking right at Rose when he spoke, but his words weren't just directed to her.  "Looking back, maybe I was a little miserable because I was lonely, but my success made me blind to that. Now, I can't imagine a life without you, starshine" He looked to everyone else, realizing their stares were on him. "Or any of you, really. If there's a family out there better than this one, then I don't want to meet them because we're already a perfect family. You're all my family"

Everyone smiled in agreement and nodded to Willy's words.

"I say we make a toast" Priscilla announced. She reached over and grabbed her cup. She held it up high in the air. "To our great, big, and happy family"

Everyone else grabbed their drinks and joined in the toast. "To family!"

In the end, Charlie Bucket won a chocolate factory.

But Willy Wonka got something even better.

A family.  

And one thing was absolutely certain.

Life had never been sweeter.

THE END

[sugar-petals]

Hav u done predictive readings for who the boys will end up with & how their career will go etc?

a 2020 career prediction i’ll publish at the end of december! their future partner we’re doing now. i added some angel oracle cards today ♡ those describe the theme of their relationship.

Jungkook: QUEEN OF CUPS

Hallelujah! Oh yeah. That’s an ideal card, picture perfect. The Queen of Cups is quite possibly one of the best partner allegories to have because a) Cups rule smoothness of relationships and emotions and b) she’s a royal card which indicates a highly developed state of mind where things finally come to fruition unlike with the aces and pages. Jungkook will mean so, so much to his partner. That’s a twin flame or soulmate connection we’re talking here. A really beautiful and dignified person, a little touchy feely, but experienced with love. They can really depend on another. Maybe they’re from Busan like him or the shore generally, the sea plays an important role for the Queen of Cups. There are tiny little cherubs on the card, I’m thinking he’ll be treated like an angel. It’s a very healthy relationship that leaves nothing left to be desired. As for looks: It might be a blonde, taller person whose favorite color is blue. There are cliffs on the card that remind me of Cornwall’s coast. The English theme is pretty consistent in his readings lmao we’re dealing with an excellent speaker. And, because it’s a court card with quite abundant imagery, it’ll be a S/O of quite some status. I am sure the person will be known to us already, or at least a big deal within his or her family. It’s queen energy, so the mom friend is right on their way into JK’s heart. Another aspect is that his partner might be rather spiritually inclined — mind you, every person is spiritual, how aware you are makes the difference — or even psychic. Water signs ahead; Pisces, Scorpio, Cancer.

— angel card: “Playfulness — To bring about romantic feelings, allow your youthfulness to shine with delight.”

Taehyung: THE EMPRESS

Yet another powerful female archetype, this reading does not mince words.  And also a very wholesome outlook, it’s very similar to the Queen of Cups vibe, or Queen of Pentacles if we’re looking at other tarot suits. I was really happy when I saw this card come out. The Empress almost always signifies kids, the theme is fertility. Taehyung will live a very lavish life with this partner. The card has so much opulence and positivity on it. Nature, food, pillows, ample garments, jewelry, good weather, and harvest time. And, of course, the Empress is fairly curvy, so expect either Taehyung gaining weight in the future or his partner being chubby. It’ll be the good life, in a good place, with the right person. There’s a settled and satiated feeling there. Stagnation could be possible after a while because this card gets too cozy. However, loyalty and a ripe sexual life are like glue to the union so I don’t see Taehyung stress anytime soon there. The card gives me plenty of clues how his home will look like as well, it’s highly decorated and comfortable. Interestingly enough, we see a huge wheat field surrounding the Empress — hence the card symbolizes fertility — so I wonder whether Taehyung’s dream of getting involved in farming will play out. I mean… coincidence? The countryside will take on an important role in any case, maybe with photography as well. Tae marrying a farmer’s girl, who knows! Beautiful card, definitely. It’s a good prospect for him. The Empress is major arcana so, this state of happiness will last him for a giant while and it’s destined. The boy will shed a tear no more. 

— angel card: “Attraction — you receive love by enjoying the moment.”

Yoongi: KNIGHT OF SWORDS

It’s the fastest card of the tarot! The power of swords paired with a knight on his speedy horse is quite a combination. Yoongi’s future partner is not going to waste time to charge right into sweet honey boy’s life. We’re dealing with a hothead, athlete, extrovert. I don’t think Yoongi has to do as much as crook a single finger to get things going. In fact, he’s the one waiting it out. He’ll just lean back and poof there is his significant other bursting into his life. Though I gotta say, the Knight of Swords has a detriment and that is: He leaves as fast as he arrives, and you have to be sure of your boudaries. Major burnout dangers there. The relationship might be short compared to say Namjoon’s or Tae’s reading. It’s Yoongi’s part to make this last if that’s what he’s going for. It’s a sword card, there have to be efforts and mental clarity involved to solve the problem. Though, someone rushing towards their love interest with so much passion has a good reason why he or she does that. Yoongi could get snatched away by someone else, with so many people interested in him you really have to be determined. With the archetype being a knight I also know it’s going to be someone younger than him, there’s a certain rebellion to the card. It has military energy. Yoongi’s partner will be one outrageous and direct person. They are 100% unafraid to face off with Yoongi, they have better comebacks than the master of sharp remarks himself. When it comes to sex, Yoongi will probably forget his own damn name after that ride. This person is wild as hell. It’s not a fellow sleepyhead as we saw in the ideal type reading, but a S/O bringing him out of his dreamy world. There’s a strong encouragement for Yoongi to achieve a lot more when he enters that relationship, it’s a power up to be expected here.

— angel card: “Worth the Wait — Divine timing predicates your relationship.”

Namjoon: TEN OF PENTACLES

Nice! Wow. The tarot says Namjoon is blessed. This is the card of wealthy, happy old age. He’s headed right for it already. In all tarot suits, the 10 indicates fulfillment. E.g. the Ten of Cups shows relationship completion because cups stand for love, the Ten of Swords shows total defeat because swords symbolize conflict, the Ten of Wands signifies complete effort/exhaustion since wands represent impetus. So the Ten of Pentacles equals coming full circle in terms of material things as pentacles are responsible for all tangible value in life. He’ll be living blissfully with his S/O. Everything is cared for. We’re talking long-term relationship here. The card shows an old man settled in his favorite coat and spot. Namjoon has a kind of master plan to gently arrive in his 80s, 90s. It’s not a surprise, we know he looks ahead, the tarot is aware of it, too. And yes: He will finally be able to answer his question “Who the hell am I?”. Ten of Pentacles means: Identity found. I had to wipe away a tear for that one man. I think it has to do with the location. The setting of the card is like a polished type of town with castles. A bit Italian, Mediterranean. Not as modern as say Seoul, bigger cities. It could be him moving to a warm country where things are slow, antique, and indulgent. I once said Namjoon has a type of European mindset going on, if he moves there it with his loved one or his partner is European it wouldn’t be shocking. There are two dogs on the card so, Joon will have pets involved in the partnership. The 10 of Coins also shows a couple immersed in a chat. His S/O is primarily someone he can talk to about the world, it’s a very conversation-heavy union. Now, the old man on the card could also show that he finds another old soul— we’ve had that topic come up in the other readings as well, the tarot is sure he’ll meet someone on par. Earth sign energy here.

— angel card: “Love Without Fear — Open your heart to give and receive the highest of energies.”

Hobi: THREE OF PENTACLES

Even more pentacles. Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn is possible. His partner is a darn good team player, their friendship bond is strong. First thing that came to my mind, they’ll build a house together or get busy working around their home in some kind of way, that’s interestingly enough the central theme I get from the card. Distribution of chores and general tasks is a big thing, and they’ll be planning a gazillion industrious things from what I got through the imagery. There’s an abbot, architect/craftsman, and monk seen on that card working on a church wall embellishment. One gives directions, the other has drawn a sketch that illustrates what kind of decor the abbot wants to have on the church wall, and the third guy does the crafting, hammer and chisel in hand. It’s not a love-related card per see so it’s important to point that out. It could hint at some pretty huge artistic collaborations coming our way instead. If you combine that, it could happen in a way like… Hoseok gets with someone he collaborated/collaborates with sometime soon, or a little later. Yup. Chicken noodle soup with Becky G on the side! Their chemistry is amazing and she is so cute, it’s very much possible. Or, in a wider sense, it’s someone from an upcoming project. That’s interesting. It seems quite sure that Hoseok won’t retire after BTS even if he’s pretty damn rich already, he’ll stay in the industry and foster (=embellish) his career with a strategy behind it much like the abbot on the card. We’ll get to know his partnership(s) along the way, but the tarot says it’s not top priority. Pentacles are earth sign energy so Mercury, Saturn and Venus are what will dictate that union, it’s the overall pragmatic energy that’s taking center spot. Also, since the church is so prominent on the card, Hoseok is working towards marriage nine times out of ten. 

— angel card: “Fresh Love — A new person has stirred your romantic feelings.”

Jimin: FIVE OF SWORDS

That one is… sigh. The odd one out in this post. How do I put it. It’s a series that just doesn’t break. Jimin constantly gets the messy cards and not so love-friendly swords when I do relationship readings on him. There is something going on and I kind of hate it already. But the tarot is being adamant so we have to decipher what’s going on and see the resolution, there’s more to it than just the cards doing him dirty. The Five of Swords pictures a battle aftermath with a mischievous winner and two defeated parties walking away sore. The winner picks up the weapons left behind to hoard then. So when it comes to his future S/O, we’re talking someone wants to play win-lose with Jimin’s insecurities and will get away with it because they’re strong, sly, and full of themselves. They don’t have his best interests in mind, especially when quarrels go down. Lack of harmony overshadows the relationship. There’s some major bullshit and that’s scary. The partner is like a leech, leaving only Jimin pissed, it’s not a lose-lose situation, things are wholly unequal. Picking on Jimin leaves their ego inflated and intensifies resentment. Working against each other over working with another is going on. Jimin has to walk away from that situation and mend his wounds, and never return. It’ll be a period of growth in his life ahead where he becomes aware just how giving too much and being defeated by that does him no good, as well as learning how to spot douchebags who don’t care about him. The Five of Swords is among the quintessential breakup card, it’ll be what defines his future relationship unless or until he has the grit to stop the fight and search for equity and affection instead of put-downs.

— angel card: “You Deserve Being Loved — You’re worthy of love.”

Jin: SIX OF PENTACLES

Pentacles, pentacles everywhere. I see that the hyungs have some financial themes going on, Jin’s card is emblematic of that. First let’s have a look what’s going on with the imagery. A wealthy man holds a scale on this card. He distributes coins to poor men kneeling before him. It’s an interesting symbol for a relationship, if not for another more important area of Jin’s life which could very well be philanthropy. He is the wealthy man on the card, sharing in just ways as the scale indicates. That could be providing for his partner a lot or simply doing charity together with them. I do have to say, and that is similar to Hoseok’s card, I don’t see too much of a romantic theme here which is surprising, but the tarot knows its ways. Some members might be doing partnerships much later in life or eschew them. With Jin here, I get a sense that business relations and deals will be an overarching theme in the near future. It could be the situation with his dad’s business in Germany the card is hinting at, and if marriage is involved, there’s a major exchange of valuable ideals and things involved between parties. A recurring theme is class difference though, the same popped up in the last reading. Jin’s status will be much, much higher but he can tip things into balance with a fairness mindset, Libra energy. A huge gap will be bridged. Last but not least, mea culpa: I think I’ve been missing the obvious interpretation there. The signs are everywhere in the cards for his readings, and oh my god: Jin is the member who’ll get together with a fan. 

— angel card: “Children — Kids will have an influence on your love life.”

[theanarik]

Day 1: Welcome to Hyuga Antiquing

Happy SasuHina Month everyone! I’m gonna try to participate the whole month, that’s my personal challenge.

Day 1: Antique Shops.

Welcome to Hyuga Antiquing

You can also read it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24489868

When Hinata started working at the Antique Shop her father owned, she thought that every single day would be dull and boring. Sure, there have been days where the only thing she wanted was for someone to come in and just take a look, someone she could talk to. Well, she talked to the dolls, sometimes, but one-sided conversations weren’t really that gratifying. There were days upon days that no one would come inside, and then there were other days where she had five to ten costumers. Those were her happiest days. She really enjoyed working at the Antique Shop, most of the time she could just, tune out the rest of the world until the door bell rang, daydream or do homework, or just forget the outside world existed for a bit.

When she was little, her mom would take her through the shelves, would let her play with the dolls, would let her pick vinyl after vinyl and they would enjoy the music, and dance, and sing, and laugh. Hinata always felt like the Antique Shop was a completely different world. It was hard going back, after her mother died, but her dad made it through and he brought Hanabi and her every single day, and he would let them play with the dolls, and would let them play music, and laugh, and have fun. But he never walked through the shelves with them. Always staying behind and letting them play however they wanted. Hinata remembers hearing sobbing, the sound echoing through the walls. She never said anything.

As she grew up, she found the Antique Shop to be quite boring, some other things taking up her time and she just… stopped enjoying it. She would come to visit her father to bring him lunch, or just to talk, but she wouldn’t go through the shelves, or play music, or check the dolls. After she started college, though, her father got sick and she decided, along with her cousin, Neji, that they would man the front desk while he got better. And one month became two, and two became three, and three became four. After working at the Shop for four and a half months, and her father not getting better, Hinata decided that maybe, just maybe, she would stay longer.

*

There were lots of things she enjoyed about working at the Antique Shop, one of them were when her friends came to visit. Kiba and Shino enjoyed checking the new stuff, organizing it with her, joke around and asking for payment, make her laugh when they used the dolls to reenact some shitty movie they saw. Another thing she enjoyed was making small talk with the regular customers. There were five of them: Kaho, Kurenai, Sarutobi, Tsunade and a boy around her age, that she still doesn’t know the name of.

He’s tall, dark and broody, doesn’t say much and always looks like he’s ready to murder someone. The first three times he came in, she didn’t say anything to him, mostly because he had this look on his face where he pretty much told her that if she came to talk to him, he would kill her. Hinata has had her fair share of difficult customers, she’s learned that if they need help, they’ll come to look for her. Also, he was way too attractive for her to turn into her work persona. So, when he does come to ask her for something, she is decidedly not surprised (and a lot more collected). After that, she starts to keep tabs on his interests. She does that with all her regulars, just so she knows where to put the new stuff when it comes.

Kaho loves doll houses, so when a new one comes in through the back door, she makes note to call her when everything is settled. It takes her two to three days to come, and most of the time she takes them with her. Kurenai loves custom jewelry and comic books. She comes regularly to check them out and maybe buy them, if she doesn’t, she just stays for longer chatting with Hinata. Sarutobi loves first edition books. They have three whole shelves full of them and he comes once a week to check them out, he probably knows all the tittles by now. Tsunade, on the other hand, she loves postcards. She says they remind her of a time when she would send them to her lover. Hinata wonders a lot how old she really is.

The brooding man, though? Yeah, no, he doesn’t stick to one thing.

He’s bought books, guitars, jewelry, porcelain, videogame consoles, comic books. He once bought a doll house. Though Hinata is pretty sure it was for his girlfriend or something like that. He came to return it after a few weeks though, which made Kaho very happy. Hinata thinks that maybe he’s just buying gifts for his loved ones, and she wonders how he manages to get that much money every single time he comes, which is pretty much once a month.

One day, she learns his name. He comes in with a blond boy. He has the loudest laugh she’s ever heard – and she’s friends with Kiba – and the bluest eyes she’s ever seen. He is, decidedly, the most attractive guy she’s ever seen. Well, aside from Tall, Dark and Broody, of course. Tall, Dark and Broody’s name is Sasuke. And he seems just so relaxed around the other boy that she just can’t help but stare for a few seconds.

“Welcome to Hyuga Antiquing,” she says, automatically. “Please tell me if you need any help.”

“Thank you!” Blond boy says.

“Actually-.” Sasuke says. “Naruto, can you go check the shelves?”

“Why?”

“Just go.”

Sasuke walks to her, and she gets out of the front desk to meet him, he seems… nervous, and that’s something she never quite thought she would say about TDB.

“Yes?”

“My mother’s birthday is coming up, and the last time I was here, I saw you had some lockets on display?”

“Oh, yeah!” Hinata says and motions him to follow her. “We moved them beside the dolls, it was uh… a last-minute decision.”

Kaho and Kurenai met, and that’s all Hinata’s going to say. She’s a romantic, sue her.

Sasuke follows her in silence and when they arrive to the jewelry section of the store, she grabs one of the displays and turns around.

“These are all the lockets that are in the shop, please tell me if you need any help?”

“Uh, sure.”

She goes back to the front desk and passes Blond Boy, Naruto, who’s looking at the guitars like they came from another world. Most people get that look when they check out the prices.

“Can I help you?” she asks him, offering a smile.

“Uh, no, I’m just… Sasuke gave me a guitar for my birthday this year, he’s a big gesture guy like that, I just… I didn’t know they were so expensive.”

“He must really appreciate you, then.”

“Sure, he does! I’m basically his brother from another mother.”

“Stop telling her nonsense.”

Hinata jumps at the voice behind her. She didn’t hear his footsteps and that’s something. Everything echoes inside the shop. It’s creepy sometimes.

“You’re a ghost, dude.” Naruto says, clutching his heart. “And what do you mean ‘nonsense’!? It’s true!” Naruto says fake hurt.

“Uh huh.” Sasuke rolls his eyes and denies with his head. Hinata wants to laugh at the theatrics Naruto is pulling.

“Did you find the one you wanted?” she asks, instead. This is her job, after all.

“Yeah.” He says, showing her a silver locket.

“Ooohhh, that’s pretty!” Naruto says, trying to grab it. Sasuke snatches it away. “Hey! I just want to see it!”

“See it, not touch it.” Sasuke shows it again and Hinata gets a proper look.

It’s the locket that was far, far back in the display. Silver, round, a flower of eight petals engraved and an overlapping branch of a cherry blossom tree. It’s, by far, one of the most beautiful lockets she’s ever seen, and she wonders if Kurenai ever saw it.

“Mikoto’s going to love it.”

“Stop calling my mom by her first name.”

“You call my mom by hers!”

“I use her tittle first.” Sasuke says, turning around, and she goes to follow him to the front desk

“I use her tittle first.”, Naruto repeats, mocking, and Hinata fakes a cough to cover up her laugh. The look Naruto gives her tells her that she failed at that.

*

Sasuke comes back alone, five days later, and he looks just as relaxed as he looked when he came in with Naruto. She wonders if good things are happening to him.

“Hey, how can I help you today?” Hinata says as he comes closer to the front desk, and he asks her about porcelain.

“My mom loved the locket, and she was saying that she wanted new porcelain this morning. Can you show me?”

“Sure!”

He buys a set of four teacups, their plates, a tea pot, and teaspoons.

*

It… kind of becomes a regular thing after that? Hinata doesn’t change most of the stuff in the store, but Sasuke keeps coming to ask for her help to find something, without even looking for it himself. She’s pretty sure he has the entire shop memorized and it’s not like the thing is too big. But he just… he just keeps asking for her help, and then he asks how her day is going, and then he just continues to talk to her; and soon enough, Hinata leaves behind her work persona once he enters the shop and she’s not just talking to the dolls but to Sasuke. And yes, sometimes it becomes a one-sided conversation, along with some stuttering and sometimes with too much emotion, but Sasuke keeps humming and nodding and saying just the right thing at the right time and it makes her feel… different.

They exchange numbers one afternoon after Sasuke hasn’t been able to come to visit for almost a week. He has dark circles around his eyes and seems stressed out. He tells her that his brother is sick and that he needs surgery, that he’s been staying with him at the hospital, and that when he came, there was another man at the front desk. Hinata explains that that’s her cousin Neji, as she offers him a cup of tea and he tells her about his childhood, when Itachi would come home tired and still go out with him to play. Hinata tells him about her mother, and how she would carry her on her shoulders, and they would walk around the shelves and check the highest books and speculate together about what they were about.

Sasuke kisses her after that, after she finishes telling him one of the things she invented about the books, after she tells him how embarrassed she was with herself when she finally read the book, after she laughs and blushes and stutters as she asks him to say something.

*

When Hinata started working at the Antique Shop her father owned, she thought that every single day would be dull and boring. As she takes Sasuke’s hand and laces their fingers together after closing the shop for the day, she thinks, I couldn’t be more wrong.

You can also read it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24489868

[ongaku-ato-kakikomi]

So after that hurtful monster prom break up, I'd like to request the Monster prom cast being proposed to.

(A/N): Here you go, hun! Sorry it took so long, I hope you’ll like these :)

Miranda Vanderbilt :

Marrying Miranda Vanderbilt was the only thing you wanted to do for a very long time, the whole thing becoming a wild dream of yours that would hopefully be true someday, until you decided that you couldn’t wait and decided to propose to her.

Only proposing to Miranda, meant first one thing: and that was to ask for her hand to her father, the king of an oceanic kingdom, who was and still is the most terrifying creature you had ever met. But for the sake of your gorgeous girlfriend, you shoved down your fear and asked for a private meeting.

And when you asked him if you could marry his daughter, you were surprised to hear his reaction.

“Finally!” He had put his hands in the air, a glad expression on his face. “I thought you would never ask!”

He then gave you his mother’s wedding ring to propose to Miranda with, a ring that he explained was in his family for a few generations, and told you to not hesitate to ask for his help to give his daughter the proposal of her dreams. Despite being shocked and also utterly happy to have his blessing, you accepted his help, and he managed to prepare for you the most gorgeous setting you could ever ask for.

He paid (or threatened… you never know with this family) the beautiful Botanic Garden to help grow flowers specifically for the proposal, a place that Miranda has always wanted to go to for years.

And so one night, when you invited her to walk in the magical gardens, the two of you were taking the amazing sights of flowers and sparkling lights with wide smiles on your face, Miranda’s grandmother’s ring sitting nicely inside your coat’s pocket.

“This is so beautiful.” Your beautiful princess looks back at you with a sweet smile. “Thank you so much for taking me here, (Y/N).”

“Miranda…” You spot the flowers that were grown for you and her, and you make a sign for her to look at it. “What do you think of this arrangement?”

“Hm?” She turns at the flowers expectantly, squinting her eyes when she notices that they’re forming words. “What does it say? Is it… marry me, Miranda-”

She gasps in surprised, tears coming to her eyes as soon as she analyzes the situation, and then turns back to you only to see that you have already knelt down. She hides her mouth with her hands when she sees you present the ring to her, a million of thoughts coming to her head.

“Miranda, I love you so much… I don’t wanna spend another day without you by my side.” Your smile stretches out, your own tears threatening to fall down. “… will you marry me?”

“Yes!” She jumps at you before you can even give her the ring, her arms wrapped around your neck while she cries on your shoulder. “Yes, I will marry you! Oh, this is the greatest night of my life!”

She parts away to let you put the ring on her finger, then once she takes a good look at it, she grabs your head and crashes her lips against yours.

“Oh, (Y/N)!” She gives you another kiss before parting away, your heart bursting inside your chest from happiness. “I love you so much!”

And you love her too, more than anything in the world.

Damien LaVey :

It took you a long time to find the perfect ring for Damien.

I mean, it’s Damien. You couldn’t just take any random ring in a jewelry store, that would be too boring. No, you needed to get the most intense wedding ring that could ever exist, and that meant forcing the witches to help you put a spell on a ring so it could always be on fire.

Amazing idea, right? Yeah, but the plan you had was a little longer to execute than expected, because convincing the witches to help you was more the most difficult thing in existence. I mean, you took  days to do master manipulation and subtle threats that never worked on them, only to end up telling them the truth (“Fine, I want the ring to always be on fire so I can propose to Damien with it.”) and instantly got a positive response from them (“Oh my god, of course we’re gonna help you! That’s it’s so sweet!”).

Let’s face it, it’s not the way you would have normally go with them (threatening is so much more fun), but you already waste too much time on the ring so you went with truth and kindness instead.

And it worked. A simple spell from them, without even needing a little sacrifice, and you got the wedding ring of Damien’s dream. You couldn’t wait to propose to him with it, so much that you decided to just give him the ring without any other kind of preparation.

“Is that…” His grin widens at the sight of the fire enveloping the ring. “A fire ring!?”

You give him a smile from your place on the couch. “Yep.”

“Awesome!” He doesn’t wait to put on his finger, chuckling at the flames trying to eat his red skin without any success. “Thanks, babe.”

You lose your smile at the lack of reaction, then quirked an eyebrow at him. “Don’t you wanna know why?”

He looks back at you in confusion. “Hum… why?”

“Because you’re getting married.”

He blinks at you in silence for a few seconds then gives out a smirk. “I am?”

“Hm-hm.” You bite your bottom lip, suddenly fearing that he might say no. “On Friday.”

“Really? That’s pretty fast.” He approaches his face to yours, a proud glint in his eyes. “To who?”

“To me!” He laughs out at your annoyed expression and your face scrunches up in embarrassment when you realize that he has been messing with you, then you stand up to walk away. “If you don’t want to, I’ll just find someone else-”

“No, you won’t.” He grabs your hand and pulls you back towards him, ending up falling into his lap and getting trapped with his arms around you. “Because we’re getting married on Friday.”

A wide smile breaks out of your lips, his own starting to give your shoulder small kisses. “Promise?”

“You’re the one who asked the question remember?” You let out a small giggle, almost getting tickled by his lips. “Hope you like hell, ‘cause that’s where it’s gonna be.”

Nothing would make you happier than to marry him. Doing it in hell is just a bonus point.

Scott Howl :

When you decided you wanted to marry Scott, you instantly wanted to make your proposal something sweet and special, just like he has been to you ever since you’ve met. That monster was the most kind and precious person you could ever dream to love, and he deserved all the good things in life you could give him. And although choosing a ring in a jewelry store wasn’t that special of a gesture, you could make the proposal the most amazing thing in the entire universe.

You had planned everything. When he would go coach his football team for one evening, you would take the time to hand-write little notes of why you deeply love him all attached together, ending it with the famous question ‘will you marry me?’ at the end that would then reveal the gorgeous ring you chose a few days earlier in the box. Then tomorrow, when you would spend the day together, you will let him ‘find’ the box somewhere in the house and wait for his answer.

Hopefully, he says yes.

That’s what you think as you finish taking your shower, drying yourself with a towel as soon as you get out of it. Your notes for your proposal were all finished, the box left on your bed and now waiting for you to find it a place to hide it until tomorrow. You can’t help but giggle happily when you think about getting married to Scott, the whole idea feeling like a dream that will come true.

“I’m back!”

The entrance’s door closing make you drop your smile, your eyes going wide upon hearing Scott’s voice.

The box is on the bed!

“(Y/N)? Are you home?”

“Y-yes!” You try your best to put on the clean clothes you took with you, which consists of a very loose shirt and black sweatpants. “I’m in the bathroom!”

“Oh, what’s this?”

“No-” You open the door of the bathroom and stops when you see Scott already reading the little notes. “Oh god-”

“You’re the source of all my joy-Awn.” He turns his head at you to send you a smile. “You’re the source of my joy too!”

Despite your heart warming up at his words, you can’t help but feel stressed out seeing him continue reading your notes, the man getting closer and closer to the ring. You hide your mouth with your hands, frozen on place.

This is happening. This is really happening. I’m proposing to Scott… and I’m wearing sweatpants! I can’t propose to Scott wearing sweatpants-

Scott gasps, taking the ring out of the box with sparkles in his eyes, but they seem to get even brighter when he looks at you.

“We’re gonna get married!” All your worries go away as soon as he says this, a heartwarming laugh escaping your throat when he takes you in his arms for a tight embrace. “We’re gonna get married!”

“Y-yes!” You still giggle when he suddenly attacks your face with kisses, his lips feeling like a million butterflies against your skin. “Yes, we are!”

“I’m so happy…” He puts his lips against yours for a moment, only parting away to look back into your (e/c) orbs. “I love you so much!”

Your smile widens. “I love you too.”

You honestly couldn’t marry a better person.

Liam de Lioncourt :

Finding Liam the greatest ring of all time wasn’t as hard as you thought it would be.

I mean, you had this amazing idea of finding a ring that was made the year he was born, which you thought would be almost impossible to do since Liam is literally centuries old… but guess what? With a little help of Vera, you managed to unearth the perfect ring from the darkest corners of a very old Antique Store, and now you’re always carrying it in your pocket while waiting for the perfect moment to ask him to marry.

So yeah, finding the ring wasn’t hard at all, but convincing Liam to settle down in a marriage (possibly for eternity, as well) will probably be the most impossible thing you would ever have to do. Remember how hard it was to get him to just accept he could love someone without it being ‘ironically’? Or how it took you weeks to make him want to truly become your boyfriend, with and without the cliché moments? Or how you had to give him a huge list of logical reasons why your lives would be easier if you lived together? What do you think it’s gonna take for him to want to marry you?

Luckily, you’re not the kind of person who gives up before even trying. So, one random afternoon at your place, you sit down beside him on the couch, looking at him read an 80’s Hungarian book for a few seconds before you speak up.

“Liam.”

He slowly turns a page from his book, but his head slightly perks up at the sound of your voice. “Hm?”

“You love me… right?”

He blinks at his page in confusion then turns his head at you with a small smile.

“Yes, I love you.” He quirks an eyebrow when you give out your own grin. “Why are you asking me that?”

“So, since you love me… it’s okay for me to assume that you like spending time with me.”

“Yes… that is true…” He closes his book, curious to where you’re going with this.

“And since you love me and enjoy spending time with me, then you might wanna do it forever… right?”

“Where is this coming from?”

Your lips stretch out at his confusion. “Just answer my question.”

He sighs, replacing his glasses on his nose as he thinks.

“I suppose that…” A red blush creeps up on his cheeks when he imagines a lifetime with you. “… being with you for eternity would be… a little more than nice…

“So you wanna marry me.”

He looks back at you with wide eyes. “Pardon?”

“If you wanna spend eternity with me…” Your cheeks almost hurt from how much your smiling. “Then you wanna marry me.”

“I-I… well-I won’t lie…” He seems to be at lost of words until his yellow eyes look into yours. “… I did think about it one or two times.”

“Good.” You take the ring out of your pocket, his eyes widening at the sight of it. “Because I wouldn’t want this ring to go to waste.”

“How did you- When did you-”

“Just say yes, love.”

He lets out a nervous chuckle. “Yes… I will marry you.”

You let him take the ring to put it on his finger, his eyes memorizing all the details of it before he looks at you with a smile.

“What would I do without you?”

“I have the same question for you.” You approach your face to his, still grinning happily. “You do realize I just manipulated you to marry me.”

“I wasn’t manipulated.” His own smile turns to a proud grin. “You only proposed before I had the chance to do so.”

“Wait, you-” Your eyes go wide in realization. “You wanted-”

It only takes him a second before he traps your lips within his, one of many ways he chooses to show that he’s thankful to have you in his life, and finally parts away to show the ring he had bought for you himself.

“If we’re doing cliché, might as well do a double proposal, no?”

Polly Geist :

If there’s one thing that hasn’t change in the years you’ve been with Polly, it’s her need to always go party somewhere no matter the time nor the place. Sure, you’re both not as excessive as you used to be,  but you still crash random parties you weren’t invited to or go drink on a roof until dawn, watching fireworks and giggling together. It’s something you hope that never changes, but if you could ever hope for something it’s to get the chance to spend eternity by her side, loving her and cherishing her with all of your heart and mind.

Finding her a ring was something hard to do because you couldn’t just buy any random rings for her. It needed to be a ring that she could wear, a ring that was ‘dead’ enough to be in a ghost form, but also a ring that you knew she would love.

It took a little help from Liam, both of you going in dark and unknown places to try and find the most perfect ring for Polly you could ever find without her knowing anything about it. And thanks to them, you did, finding a sparkling ghost ring in the oldest antique shop Liam could find for you. You could never thank him enough for that, having promised him to help him with anything if he ever gets in trouble (which you might regret later on, but who cares? It’s for love). And now there was only thing you needed to do.

Asking the question and hoping for a positive answer.

“You’ve been quiet for a while.”

You look away from the colorful fireworks popping off in the black sky to watch your girlfriend’s face, the ghost woman taking a sip from the bottle you’ve been sharing all night while grinning at you. You giver her back a bright smile, grabbing the box inside your coat’s pocket.

“Tonight’s perfect.” You give her cheek a kiss, proud to see her blue cheek turn red. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

She lets out a giggle. “Oh yeah? I thought you said I was annoying.”

“Hm… sometimes.” You take the bottle from her hands, approaching the tip to your lips to take a sip. “I wouldn’t love you if you weren’t.”

“Oh my, thank you. I feel so special.” She looks back at the sky, her eyes lightening up at the fireworks. “You’re right, tonight’s perfect.”

You keep looking at her, the pop of colors in the sky reflecting inside her soul.

“We’re living a pretty good life, right?”

Polly’s lips stretch out. “Oh yeah. Wouldn’t trade it for nothing else.”

You take the box out of your pocket, catching her attention, and her eyes open wide as soon as you open it to reveal the ring.

“Wanna do it forever?”

“Oh my god.” She puts her hands in front of her mouth, then puts them down. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god-”

“I need an answer, Polly-”

“Yes! A thousand times yes!” You let out a laugh as you put the ring on her finger, then get cut off when she suddenly throws herself at you. “This is amazing! Oh my god, I love you so much!”

She puts her mouth against yours before you can even answer, then just keeps giving your lips kisses despite your laugh.

“I love you too.” You finally manage to say the words when she parts away, your smile stretching out as you look at her happy expression. “It’s too late for you to run away now.”

She snorts. “You realize that just sounded like the interdimensional prince, right?”

Your expression falls down to a horrified one, making your fiancee laugh as hard as she ever did.

Vera Oberlin :

Ever since you picked up a ring in a jewelry store, you’ve been asking yourself the same question over and over.

What if Vera doesn’t want me to propose?

Not that you don’t think that she doesn’t wanna get married. She’s actually been pretty clear on the subject for the last few years you’ve been together. She would like to spend the rest of her life with you, even if you both become criminals and get locked up, she wants the two of you to stay together. It’s a sweet thought, although you’re glad none of you have been arrested and that she has calmed down with age, and you couldn’t be happier to know that she wants the same thing as you.

No, what you’re wondering is if she would want to be the one proposing to you instead of the other way around. I mean, it’s what happened with most of the important events in your relationship. When you asked her to prom, she refused before she got on to invite you instead a few seconds later. Same thing happened when you asked her to be your girlfriend… and don’t even try to remember when you brought the idea of moving in together.

Vera likes to be the one with the big ideas, and so you’re not sure she would like it if you were the one proposing.

But you couldn’t just ignore that perfect wedding ring you coincidentally saw in an Antique store. It was a silver snake with black diamonds forming its eyes, the animal wrapping itself around the person’s finger and forming a beautiful ring. Everything about it screamed ‘Vera’ to you when you saw it, and you bought it before you could even think about if she would like it or not.

So now, you’re just waiting and worrying while you continue your everyday life with your gorgeous girlfriend, trying to act like you’ve never bought a wedding ring for her even though it’s always hidden in your pockets every time you two go out… even when you’re just grocery shopping.

“Do we still have chili at home?”

Vera’s staring at the spices on the shelves when she asks you that question, holding unto your grocery basket full of food while the snakes on her head look around. You let out a giggle when one of them gives your cheek a small lick, your left hand fidgeting with the black box in your coat’s pocket the whole time.

“Didn’t we bought some not too long ago?”

“I think we already used it all, but I’m not sure…” She stays silent for a moment, then grabs two bottles of chili spices. “Let’s take some just in case.”

“Of course.” You give out a grin. “And you sure it’s not because you love spicy food?”

��Shut up.” You giggle at her words, her cheeks blushing in embarrassment. “You never complain about it.”

“True.” You put your lips against her cheek, leaving a small kiss before parting away. “I love you too much to complain.”

Her lips stretch out under your touch, her eyes looking up at you. “Can you go pick up pasta?”

“Sure, I’ll be right-” The loud thud of something hitting the ground stops you in the middle of your walk, your expression faltering down when you look down to see the ring box between you and her. “…back.”

You both stare at the black box in silence, feeling the tension rising inside your chest and your head when you see that she is just staring without moving an inch. You suddenly feel like this is a bad idea, that you shouldn’t have bought the ring and brought it with you wherever you went. You should have waited to know if she wanted to be the one to do it or if she wanted you to-

“Do it.”

You blink, looking back at her to see that she’s looking right at you. “Huh?”

“I said ‘Do it’.” You see her lips stretch out wildly, her breathing hard from the excitement.  “Do it!”

“O-okay-um…” You kneel down to pick the box ring, already being in the familiar position to ask the big question, and you look up to stare at her red eyes. “This is not where I thought I would do this, but…”

She lets out a sharp breath, her smile widening.

“Vera…” You open the box, taking out the snake ring between your fingers and showing it to her, ignoring the few gasps from random people arriving in the isle. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” She lets you put the ring on her finger, her eyes mesmerized by everything that’s happening right now. “Y-yes… why-”

You stand up with a huge grin on your face, waiting for her to look back at you.

“It’s beautiful.” Tears appear in her eyes, a rare sight that you almost never get to see. “Why do you always do those things before I get a chance to?”

“I don’t know, but I’m glad you didn’t steal that moment this time-”

You yelp when she grabs your shirt to shove your mouth against hers, the other clients applauding you two until you part away. You stare at the determination in her red eyes, her cheeks red both from embarrassment and from love.

“I’m saying my vows first.”

Your grin stretches out. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

[livingmybestfakelife]

The Crown’s Jewels

Summary: The boys pull off a robbery at your birthday party.

(something for @giingers birthday)

“I swear your man just spoils you rotten Millie, he needs to hurry up and marry you already”

“I know right, it’s what mother keeps telling me- YN, did you see my ring yet?”

You snap out of your thoughts and look over at the young heiress that you didn’t want to invite but had to, to keep up the charade, it’s not something that you felt like doing on your birthday but it would all pay off soon, literally. If the boys’ plan worked, you’d all leave with one million pounds worth of jewelry, it had been Tommy’s idea of course, Worthington Abbey housed some of the most valuable jewels in the country and arguably the world, and getting their hands on it and selling it the highest bidder would earn the family a fortune.

“Oh, yes it’s beautiful you lucky girl”

She smiles even bigger at your approval, the young thing had been a big admirer of yours for some reason, you didn’t know why, you weren’t an actress or royalty or anything of that importance, just a local businesswoman who also happened to be the girlfriend of a gangster, it’s not something you thought someone of her status would ever respect. As she was tapped on the shoulder and whisked away by another party goer you took this as an opportunity to finally break away from the circle aristocrats and try to locate anyone from the family, you were beginning to grow tired and was ready to head back home.

“Okay everyone, please may I have your attention please! Yes everyone, please join me in singing happy birthday to YN”

You turn around to see Arthur on the stage with his hands behind his back and speaking in a calm professional voice, shaking your head you walk closer to the stage then walk up the stairs attached to it where your big cake was. He quickly walked over to help you up the stairs before clapping with everyone.

“We’ve got the jewels let’s just eat this cake and we’ll be outta here, laugh like I’ve said something funny”

He quickly whispers in your ear, you giggle and lightly smack him on the arm, looking out into the crowd you can make out a few familiar faces, John in the middle smirking and Polly not to far away smoking, the only person you can’t find is Tommy and it’s starting you worry you, praying that nothing bad happened, this place has security up the ass, and you just hoped that he didn’t run into one.

“Okay, one, two, three, happy birthday to you”

You bashfully look away from everyone to look at Arthur who gives you a wink while singing along with everyone, having a big party wasn’t something you’re used to, not ever caring too much about your birthday and feeling the need to make a big deal of it, still Tommy wanted to celebrate your life anyway he could despite your protests throughout the years, and out of all of them this one the most extravagant one, one where he would be stealing something for you, for your future together, it’s not what you would call romantic but it’s Tommy.

Once the song ended you clapped along with everyone else before walking over to the microphone

“Thank you everyone for a lovely evening, to have you all here means the world to me, before you go treat yourself to some cake, enjoy the rest of the evening”

They clapped and cheered again and you take a hold of Arthur’s arm as you both make your way downstairs, the rest of the family make their way over to you and pretty much explain what what Arthur told you early, only this time Polly had a look in her eyes that showed excitement.

“Why don’t you go outside and get yourself some fresh air sweetheart? We’ll catch up with you later”

They all walk off leaving you confused but you head outside near the parking lot, the wind blows softly sending chills up your spine, making you pull your fur closer against you.

“Happy birthday, bunny”

“Oh my goodness, no ones called me that in years”

“Well I’m bringing it back”

“You better not Thomas, it might cost you a punch in the throat”

“Like you could reach it”

“I’d get a step stool to do it”

“Yeah, alright, well come here I’ve got something to show you”

“What?”

“Just come here”

Walking over to him while giving him a suspicious look he chuckles and reaches out for your hand, you place yours in his then pulls the other one from his pocket to show you what he was wanting you to see, an antique red beryl ring, he places it on your ring finger before kissing your hand.

“T-Tommy What?”

“I told you YN, that tonight was the night that would mean everything to our future, we could invest in bigger and better things, get us that mansion that I told you I had my eyes on, hell our wedding will be in that house, a proper wedding not some strung together in a grassy field with Johnny Dogs ordaining it”

“Oh, don’t go breaking poor Johnny’s heart now”

He chuckles and gives you a soft sweet kiss

“Marry me YN, I don’t want any of that in my future unless you’re in it, can’t live in that big old house by myself now can I?”

Tears welling in your eyes you shake your head and kiss him back hugging him tight

“No, no you can’t, oh Tommy”

He smiles to himself at your acceptance, all this planning had been worth it, everything he does has been for his family and most importantly out of all of them was you, this was the start to many more promising chapters of your life together

He pulls back to look at you and wipe your tears away

“This is it baby, I told you I’d make you proud of me, you’re proud of me right?”

“God, Tom I’ve always been proud of you, everyone is”

“Yeah well, I’m more worried about impressing you”

“You’ve already won me over what else is there to impress me about?”

“Because everyday with you feels like meeting you for the first time, like falling in love over and over again”

The look in his eyes shows that he’s serious, if he were to loose your respect he’d loose everything, you were the only prize that he was proud to win, that he couldn’t take for granted, it would be the biggest lost of his life.

“I’m telling the boys that you’ve gone soft”

“They know, and remind me almost everyday, now are you gonna quit picking on me? I’d really like a slice of that cake”

“Sure, for now, might call you soft again later”

“Yeah, okay bunny”

“Oh, Fuck off”

[ostcntatious]

          honey ( and also everyone else ) , i’m home ! and that means that at last ... it’s time to post this intro . since it’s been literally six hours , i’ll just go ahead and let you read all about miss ophelia . feel free to message me on discord for plots ! i’ll be posting a plotting call there soon !

          ʻ / let me introduce you to a prized member of our student government , ophelia song . this cisfemale gemini has been a student at our institution for four years and is currently a twenty one year old junior . through the halls , she has always reminded me of chungha , but there is always more than meets the eye , like the fact that she planted drugs on a rival to sabotage them . coral cape has made their future just as bright as their smile , i assure you . ʼ

𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘

tw : familial neglect , sexism , drug use .

          𝐃𝐈𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐘 . 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐀 profession out of etiquette , social norms , tact … manipulation . her father excelled at it , once . he turned a blind eye to those undeserving of his time , then showered his superiors in calculated praise . he married the prettiest –– and quietest –– model of his generation to marry after gifting her lovely dresses , and extravagant pearl jewelry .

          𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘  𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌  𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 korea , the pair jetted around the world practically every year . they had a child , born in austria –– a son . he was lucky , got the best treatment , the future inheritance . two years later , another child , birthed during their stay in england . not only younger , but also a woman –– ophelia song , the younger song sibling , was doomed from the start . she was expected to hit the ground running , to conquer every challenge set upon her , to maintain her composure at all times . tantrums were unacceptable, crying in her household was unheard of . ophelia got used to being the shadow at her brother ’ s side , the pretty sister to the accomplished brother . she and her brother would often be sat side by side , him a head taller than her , both smiles forced until their photograph was taken and they could go back to turning their back on each other just as their parents had turned their backs on the two of them .

          𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐃 , ophelia did everything right –– and got no recognition from it . to her peers , she was the pretty , machinating girl who would show up brandishing cutting words spoken with a soft accent ( she was never that good at languages , really , so getting rid of the accent was always too hard ) and taking over whatever leadership spot she could get her hands on . beautiful , elegant , captivating –– gone by the end of the year , to repeat her routine at another rich private school , in whatever country they’d be shipped off to next . the only permanent thing in her life was the ongoing competition with her brother . they were always enrolled at the same school , and ophelia would always outdo him in every way . her grades were better , she was debate team captain and prima ballerina , she became best friends with the wealthiest classmate . he was always second place –– vice captain , a bit lonelier , less subtle about his vices . the ninety - nine percent to her one hundred . 
but he was a boy , and that was enough to put him above her in the family’s eyes .

          𝐁𝐘  𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐑  𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑 of high school , when her brother was caught cheating on an exam in duke university and her parents just got an auditorium made in their name to make up for it , ophelia made the clever decision to fuck off and do things for herself instead of those who seemed to think that the only great achievement she could obtain in her lifetime was a loveless marriage to a really powerful , most likely really uninteresting man . and a couple of babies too , for good measure . they underestimated her , so ophelia got herself a spot in cape coral for senior year , dyed her hair blonde and convinced them to let her do her own thing ( it wasn’t hard –– they were mostly indifferent , really , and all ophelia asked for was a home , some staff to do the cooking and cleaning , and a hefty allowance for the price of staying out of trouble ) . there was only the small detail of the sat’s . ophelia had always done well academically , but there was absolutely no room for mistakes now . any slip up would prove to her parents that she couldn’t really succeed on her own .

          𝐒𝐎  𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐀  𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃  her brain , as she does –– the fact that she got an amazing score was her own merit . the fact that she was best in the whole year group too , she told herself –– though there had been some … insurance . there was a rival , someone whose scores were too close to hers for comfort . when threats and bribery failed to convince them to underperform, ophelia had to get creative . some pills purchased from the same person who would sometimes supply her with her own party favors , carefully planted inside their bag , followed by a performance at the headmaster’s office that , in her humble opinion , could’ve landed her a place in acting school . through a haze of tears ( thank you , eye drops ) she expressed concern for her classmate ’ s wellbeing . they seemed so stressed , she could tell this process was taking a toll on them , and they’d started behaving strangely recently . ophelia dropped just enough hints for them to grow suspicious and ask to see the contents of their bag . too bad the sat’s were only a couple of days later and they underperformed , leaving ophelia to earn all the praise and adoration of faculty members –– and a place in the university of her dreams .

          𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑  𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 , life has been a dream to ophelia song . free of all expectations but those she sets for herself ( high , but not unattainable considering the lengths at which she’s willing to go to get her way — ophelia has never taken no for an answer , after all , and she will not start now ) . sure , she may be slightly malicious at times — with her social , economic and academic status , manipulation is practically a survival skill to keep any threats beneath her level . but ophelia wears her flaws almost as beautifully as she does her virtues — as a golden crown , resting on golden hair , while crimson lips turn upwards in an entrancing smile . mother and father may have given her a bit of a fucked up childhood , sure … but they also gave her money , beauty and brains — more than enough for her to build an empire of her own .

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍

+ charismatic –– ophelia  knows  her  way  around  people . hell ,  it’s  basically  what  her  father  did  for  a  living . so  her  words  are  often  calculated  to  be  the  right  thing  to  say , in  order  to  keep  herself  likable  in  the  eyes  of  others .

+ ambitious –– the  moment  she  gave  up on her parents’ expectations of her altogether, the world opened up for ophelia song. there were no limits now, no reason why she should fall in line with their unreasonable and antiquated views of what place she should occupy in society ( namely, married off to become some man’s educated and accomplished trophy wife ). she knows her own value, her own intelligence, and her own resilience. why be some person’s wife when she can be their boss instead?

+ persevering –– she does not take no for an answer, ever. maybe because no one ever told her no growing up, and ophelia got used to get her way. whatever the case, ophelia doesn’t stop pushing and working until she gets what she wants.

- manipulative –– ophelia views herself as superior to those surrounding her, and in turn, can treat others as pawns. she doesn’t find a problem in manipulating people to get her way, so it’s no secret that she’s so calculating.

- reclusive –– she has high walls built around her heart, and  only  a  select  few  have  gotten  past  them –– whether  that  is  because  they’ve  put  in  the  effort  needed  to  earn  her  trust , because they’ve  known  her  for  long  enough , or because  they’ve  simply  forged  a  strong  bond . whatever  the  case , she’s  mostly  closed  off  emotionally.

- materialistic –– growing up with a silver spoon in her mouth, luxury is all she knows. it has become a standard in her life, to the point where she accepts nothing but opulence.

[caelestis-aurumxv]

FFXV’s Scenario 01: ‘When they steal you a kiss’ Prompto Ver.

—Good morning…—you murmured, rubbing one of your eyes.

—Good morning, ___________—Noctis answered, sitting in the living room with the other guys—It seems you didn’t sleep very well.

—On the contrary…—you shook your head, taking the seat next to Gladio—I slept very, very, very well.

—You see? I told you that you would feel the difference between a motel bed and a hotel bed—Prompto smiled, crossing his arms.

—The Altissia Hotel is a different thing than the Lestalleum Hotel—Gladio said, looking at every detail of the walls.

—But that doesn’t mean that is a bad hotel…—Noctis spoke, defending the Lestalleum hotel.

—Okay, let’s not get into discussion—Prompto shook his head and arms—Iggy, our itinerary today?

—Well…—the man with the glasses began to say, checking his mobile phone—We have two days before Noctis has his negotiation with Mrs. Camelia

—That lady doesn’t give me any security…—Gladio commented.

—She’s protecting her capital—Noct shrugged—Anyway, does that mean we can explore Altissia?

—Indeed—Ignis answered, revealing a small curve in his mouth—It’s my moment to buy ingredients of a different quality…

—You look pretty excited —Gladio commented—Well, then… will we be all day together?

—I think that we can eat together and then everyone goes wherever he wants—Prompto said.

—It’s a good idea…I’ll see if I can fish from a gondola—Noctis said and everyone laughed in their ways.

—I don’t think you can do that, you’ll have to pay a lot to the main in charge—you said, laughing at the king’s ideas.  

—Well, I’m the King of Insomnia, he should leave me—with that he said, everyone started making noises, and Ignis sighed for that comment.

—That is completely abuse of power—Gladio said.

—You should be ashamed Noctis Lucis Caelum—Prompto threatened laughing.

—What would your father say about you, Noct?—you disapproved, shaking your head.

—Ok, ok… Let’s go to Maagho—said the King before you continued to bother him.

               Altissia was really beautiful, it was something you shouldn’t recognize, because you saw it. The crystal clear water everywhere, the jewelry stalls, the floating shops, the gondolas… It was just wonderful; you loved it.

               Traveling in a gondola was one of the best parts of begin in the capital, besides seeing how people walked enjoying the beauty that surrounded them, you always liked to observe other people and in a moment you saw yourself trapped by the aura of those four guys who had a couple of time traveling with you. Great friends and companions.

—Hey, ___________, are you here?—Gladio called you, then you reacted to shake your head, you had been watching them for a long time.

—I-I…. was… spacing out?—You asked a little nervous, beginning to blush.

—You are blushing!—Prompto said, pointing your face.

—Leave her…—Noctis defend you, hitting Prompto on the head.

—I, I was… just watching you, and then… I thought how much I like to share with you guys, you are a treasure for me—you began to say, looking at each of the boys and giving them a bright smile.

—W-Woah… —Gladiolus only made that sound—It’s the cutest thing that someone has said to me ever.

—Are you serious?!—Noctis exclaimed mockingly.

—I’m sorry, your majesty—Gladio rolled his eyes—People didn’t praise me every day.

—Gladio…—Ignis murmured arranging his glasses.

—Ok, ok… —the big boy grumbled—After eating with you guys, I’ll stay at the bar.

—My idea of fishing from a gondola stills—Noctis said.

—I’ll look for some small things—you said, after all you were a girl and you loved to have some accessories.

               They were all naming parts of the landscape that attracted their attention, creating a tourist atmosphere, however, the boy with freckles seemed absorbed in looking at your profile that was watching the citizens of Altissia, he pressed his camera in his hand just for a moment. I knew he could take a picture of you and that you wouldn’t be angry, but what bothered him was the fact that he hadn’t take a photograph of your smile.

—Prompto? What will you do?—the cook asked to the photographer.

—E-Eh? … I think I’ll for some new parts for my camera, or some old-vintage cameras—the boy answered, quickly returning to reality.

—Oh! Then you can come with me—you said, taking the shoulder of the boy who turned to see you and nodded, giving you a small smile.

—You must be careful; we don’t know if we are safe here—Gladio warned.

—Ah, I hope so… I must say I’m a little tired—Noctis commented and then yawned, then everyone in the gondola yawned.

—Woah, it really is mirror—Prompto said laughing.

—We’ve arrived…—Ignis interrupted.

               Going to Maagho was something more homey and magical, besides being almost under the structures of the city, it was also floating, rather it was like a small port, but that didn’t take away the interesting. Weskham always received them cordially, willing to give them information of the places where they could find things they needed. It was a cozy place, where they could eat while listening to the stories of the host and cook of the post.

—I could do this when we camp…—Ignis murmured, while looking at the plate of the ‘Fettini di Cernia’

—It seems so delicate—Prompto murmured, then grabbed his camera and took a picture, but he almost drops it when he hears a sound, better said a sound from your mouth.

—Hey, hey! Hahahahaha—Gladio started to laugh—_______, watch out to make those noises here, people could misinterpret it.

—W-What? It was very loud?—You asked, feeling like your face was slowly turning red.

—If you take a man to sleep with you and make a sound like that, surely the man will be doing his work very well—Weskham said, making everyone bursts out laughing, except you, who only managed to get more and more red.

—I’m sorry…—you apologized, looking down—It’s because is so delicious.

—Don’t panic—Noctis covered his smile with one of his hands—Your culinary orgasm is safe with us.

—Forget it, please—you begged, eating another portion of the dish, and this time covering your mouth immediately.

—___________, you’re one in a million, really!—Gladio let out a laugh.

—Il will be difficult to do it—Prompto commented laughing.

—Dude, sometimes you sound so perverted—Noctis said, and the now the laughter went against the blond one.

—Enough, I didn’t say it was that intention!—Prompto claimed, red to the ears.

—Calm down Prompto, it doesn’t bother me, at all…—you said with a smile, hoping that they stopped bothering the boy—I’m neither the first nor the last girl that you will listen.

               And they all lowered their heads with a red tone on their cheeks, the boys have never had the opportunity to talk about those things in your presence, it’s still like a taboo subject when you’re present.

—Well, Weskham, thank you very much for the food…I’ll start walking, Altissia is very big and I have a lot to bargain with—you said, leaving your seat and placing a couple of guiles on the table—There’s my money.

—Oh! W-Wait, ___________!—Prompto took a quick sip of his glass of juice and let it behind with some money, catching you in the gondola harbor.

—We’ll communicate! —Gladio shouted in your direction, both of you raised your thumbs.

               Again you were in a gondola, and you couldn’t feel more absorbed in this amazing scenery; the light had gone down and the lanterns were starting to light little by little, it was time for the night to come. Everything in Altissia seemed to become even more beautiful when the lights appeared, the reflections of the streetlights made it seem that the water under the gondola was similar to a sea of fireflies.

               The beauty of Altissia always blinded you from the other, to see how some blue eyes looked at you and every detail of your person, from head to toe. Prompto knew you were a pretty girl, but seeing the lights of Altissia enhanced your beauty and caused havoc in him. From your smile early today, the culinary orgasm you had, to the beauty and delicacy of your profile. Obviously, he wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to take a couple of photos, but he hears Noctis’s words echoed in his head.

—…Hey, _________—Prompto pronounced your name, with a different tone of voice—About what Noct said…

—Did it really affect you?—You asked turning to see the blond boy, he lowered his head—Let’s see…—and the you approached the boy and took a seat next to him—It didn’t bother me, seriously, there are things that… sometimes girls likes to ear.

—Really?—Prompto asked raising his eyebrows and opening his eyes wide.

—Yeah, of course… And the fact that you said that you won’t be able to forget my sound, makes me feel confident, but sh… It’s a secret—You whispered at the final, winking and placing your finger over your lips—You can’t tell anyone.

—O-Ok… I won’t—he stutters a little, and thanks to the moment when the gondola goes under a bridge, the blonde and his blushes went completely unnoticed for you.

—We have arrived—said the gondolier.

               Your journey through Altissia began in the stores that had appliances, some had treasures that were very valuable, antique vases with gold details, silver frames, antique mirrors, vinyl players… It was like traveling through time. However, Prompto had not found any old camera, or spare parts. Although he wasn’t very upset about it either, because he occasionally took a photograph of some object he liked.

—What do you think?—You asked the blond guy, placing an open fan on your face, beginning to blink many times.

—A damsel—said Prompto, bowing in front of you, starting to follow your game.

—Oh, what a gentleman…—You followed, offering your hand to him, and as soon as Prompto knelt he left a kiss on the back of your hand.

               You both laughed, thanking the vendor of the store, and then getting out of it and continuing with the search. Apparently there weren’t many cameras available for what you could see in the streets, but Prompto didn’t look annoyed or disappointed, in fact; He had a thousand photo to take in the streets of Altissia.

—Miss, sorry… Could you help me to see the map of the place?—and old and small woman asked, near you, interrupting your walk with Prompto.

—O-Oh… sure—you answered, then you take the arm of the blue-eyed boy—Prompto, I’ll be back soon… —You said suddenly, and the boy nodded, taking pictures again with his camera.

               The lends worked perfectly despite the number of photos he had taken and the trips it had endured. The photos went one after the other, Altissia was a beautiful sector and that inspired Prompto even more to take more photos, until his camera stopped in front of a jewelry stand. And there he stayed, seeing a beautiful necklace. A blue diamond that looked like the living reflection of the Altissia sea.

               On the other side, you were helping Mrs. Rosea, who had introduced herself. She explained that she was looking for a gift for her husband, who like gifts from ancient times, relics… And you remembered the shop that with Prompto had visited previously, it didn’t take long to find the store, as you were moving along the catwalks and stairs of Altissia. Mrs. Rosea seemed to hold the rhythm well, but equally you waited for her or slowed your steps.

               When you arrived at the store, you greeted the seller again, who was busy with some boxes, you didn’t want to bother him and took the little old woman to see the items you had previously checked with your blond friend, and when the seller saw you were approaching the sector where he was, he stopped you with his hand then he took your arm.  

—W-What happens?—You asked  a little scared by his reaction.

—I have something for you—the salesman said, dedicating a smile.

               It passed about thirty minutes, your breath was broken while you run between the streets and the people of Altissia, you really hoped that Prompto hadn’t been far away, because finding him it would be only possible by talking on the phone. But to your relief, when you were almost arriving at another gondola port, you saw him. There he was, looking at the Altissia sea from that port, with his hands in his pockets.

—Prompto, I’m sorry!—You apologized with a nervous smile.

—Oh, ________! Finally you arrive, I thouth I’d see you again at the hotel—the blond boy said, only taking one hand out of his pockets—Did you help her?

—Take it! TA-DAH!—You exclaimed, showing in front of him a model of a camera ALPA 12 SAW, a relic of the year 1942.

               And Prompto’s eyes shone like those of a child at Christmas when he was the object in your hands, before being able to take that piece of art, he hastened to leave something inside his pocket, and as if his life depended on it he hurried to take the camera, it seemed that his finger caressed it with love and respect.

—You can have a photographic orgasm right now—You said to annoy him and he showed his teeth in a smile—It comes with a bag to carry it.

—Really, thank you very much… How many guiles did it cost?—And after that question you shook your head—Oh, come on… You must have pay a fortune.

—We will take about it later, because I think it’s time to go, we’ve seen many things… although I didn’t find any kind of necklace, but Mrs. Rosea was very nice and cute—You related to Prompto, who was now putting the camera inside the matching bag.

—Wait a moment, I also have something for you—Prompto interrupted, showing the palms of his hands in front of your face, stopping your actions and your words.

               You didn’t say anything until the freckled boy did his part, when the boy took from his pocket that necklace with a drop-shaped diamond, with a color as blue as the sea of Altissia and as blue as… his own eyes, you were completely speechless. You only covered your mouth with both hands.

—T-Thank you, really… It’s beautiful—You said, looking that masterpiece in Prompto’s hands.

—May I…?—Prompto asked, and his gestures made you understand what he had said.

               You proceeded to take your hair, removing it from your neck to make a kind of tail that you held with your right hand.

—Are you really sure about this?—Prompto was a little nervous, you nodded.

—Come on, nothing bad will happen…—You muttered, revealing your naked neck when you turned on your feet in front of the boy, showing your back.

               The cold of the diamond hit your skin gently when the boy managed to position the collar on the top of your torso, finally using extreme care to close the clasp, causing a rubbing between his fingers and your skin. And that caused a chill in you.

—…Come on, let me see it—Prompto said, expectantly.

—Are you going to take a picture…?—you asked, turning slowly, finding a boy who was now taking over his camera again, to take a picture of you.

—Make sure to s…—he was saying, until he raised his gaze and there he found your smile with closed eyes, the same one that you had given to the four of them earlier that day.

               But this time you were blushing and he can see that.

               Prompto could feel the warmth of your cheeks as one of his hands reached your face, causing uncertainty in you, causing you to open your eyes to see how the boy’s eyelashes were showing off in front of you. The blond boy had closed his eyes and rather, now he was kissing you with the same delicacy that had previously showed, caressing the camera that you gave him, even more.

               You could see how everything around you became slower, warmer, more proper as those lips were over yours, maybe it was the romantic atmosphere of Altissia, or just the tender touch of that boy who until now was kissing you, but the moment seemed to start cracking when Prompto opened his eyes and saw yours directly.

—Y-You took the picture?—Your question was a whisper when Prompto walked away. What a stupid question you though later.

—Something better…—the blond boy whispered—I caught the moment myself…

               And then the phone rang for both of you, Ignis was calling you, and in the case of Prompto: Noctis. It was time to go back to the hotel. The boy clicked his tongue and the looked at you with his gift in your neck, the magic of Altissia helped him to be a little braver. And he was happy with that, for now.

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

Yessss, i ended my first scenario pack. So, i’ll wait if someone wants an specific one, or if nothings happens... I’ll bring you a new one, I have some ideas now, but I have to write them... 

But, anyways, thank you for reading, Prompto is my bias, so his scenarios will be always the last, because I need to focus on the others too. 

Reblog, like if you want and follow me for more fanfics <3

[let-it-raines]

Betting on the Bullseye (Part 5)

Summary: Emma Swan loses a bet that means she has to ask her celebrity crush to be her date to her office’s annual fundraising gala. Killian Jones is that celebrity crush. She expects all kinds of humiliation and for her dignity to be completely lost. What she doesn’t expect is for him to say yes.

Rating: Mature (particularly this chapter if you know what I mean)

Found on AO3: Beginning | Current

Found on Tumblr: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 

Clarifying that there are MORE than five parts so no one freak out :D

A/N: I just wanted to add the gif because it’s relevant to this chapter. 

Tag list: @nikkiemms @resident-of-storybrooke @wellhellotragic@profdanglaisstuff ​ @bmbbcs4evr @onceuponaprincessworld@jennjenn615 @mayquita @captainsjedi  @teamhook @skyewardolicitycloisdelena91 @branlovesouat @dreadpirateemma @kmomof4 @ekr032-blog-blog

Killian: Do you want to go out tonight?

Emma: Where?

Killian: I mean, I was thinking a casual night out. We grab something to eat, go to a quiet pub, have a nice time outside of the house for your last night.

Emma: Are you going to be too tired?

Killian: No. You’re going back to Boston tomorrow. I can sleep when you’re gone.

Emma: Alright, see you at home, I guess?

Killian: Yeah, see you at home, love.

She falls back against her bed, stretching out on the mattress and closing her eyes as she smiles and her phone falls against the sheets. God, she’s dreaming. She has to be dreaming because she just doesn’t have things like this happen to her. Or maybe she’s simply in that new relationship (is that what this is?) stage where she’s giddy and happy and things are full of possibility. It’s like she’s walking on some kind of cloud, but really, she’s very solidly on the ground.

Mostly, she’s happy.

So damn happy.

Her phone goes off again, and she fumbles around on the mattress until she finds it.

Ruby: Work is miserable without you. Please come home.

Emma: Miss me, did ya?

Ruby: Terribly. I’m never letting you leave again.

Emma: Pretty sure that’s kidnapping and is illegal.

Ruby: Yeah, well, I’m also going to murder Kathryn. I can’t handle her without you.

Emma: That’s illegal too.

Emma: I’ll be home soon. I promise.

And there’s the kicker to her happiness. She has to go home. It’s not that she doesn’t want to go home. She does. She misses her shit-hole of an apartment, her friends, and even her job, but when she goes home, she’s going to miss Killian. Especially now that she’s been with him, talked to him, kissed him…it’s…there’s pros and cons either way.

But right now, she really doesn’t want to leave. She wants to stay, to make out with Killian some more, and maybe go back to that café and get more waffles. They were damn good waffles, he’s a damn good kisser, and this has been a damn good trip, better than she ever imagined really. Time is winding down and somehow speeding up, and she wants it all to stop for just a moment.

Or maybe just a night.

Or maybe just tonight.

She wanders down to the Santa Monica Pier that day, figuring she can’t very well be visiting there and not go to one of the most iconic sites in the city. It’s packed, people milling about everywhere, but she can’t complain, especially as the smells of salt and sand invade her senses. She’s a tourist just like everyone else, and she most definitely pays the nine bucks to ride on the ferris wheel and get views of the beach and the pier from above, taking pictures on her phone from her view up above. It’s beautiful, so different from Boston even with their similarities. Her friends would love this. Ruby would want to go shopping at all of the boutiques, Mary Margaret would want to take Leo on the rides even though he’s too small and take pictures of him holding a giant thing of cotton candy, and David would complain while secretly enjoying it.

She wonders if Killian has ever been down here. She should have asked when he mentioned it as something for her to do, but she just kind of assumed that he had. But now that she thinks about it, he might have just been listing things in the area. He’d like the views of the ocean, the way the water stretches out further than the eye can see, and she really hopes that one day he’ll get to do this if he hasn’t already.

When she comes back down to the ground, she finds something to eat, munching on a hot dog as she wanders further away from the pier and to all of the small boutiques, her eyes widening at the price range of all of these shirts. Hell, how do people buy any of this stuff? But then she finds a little place, kind of shabby from the outside, and it’s full of small antiques and knick knacks, all cheap and probably fake, but she’s kind of in love with the homemade jewelry and scarves.

So she buys a few long gold chains with pendants at the end, folding them away into her purse, and feeling like it’s been a good day in her adventures.

Even if she’s kind of regretting getting a hot dog when she could have literally eaten anything else.

Killian gets home from set around nine, charging into the house and pressing a quick kiss against her lips that leaves her reeling almost as much as him running upstairs to take a shower, yelling as he goes about her needing to be ready to go in twenty minutes. He just…he kissed her in greeting when he got home from work. That may very well be the most normal, boring thing that could have happened, but it’s not. She can’t remember the last time she had someone like that, and she’s not even sure that she has him now. She doesn’t know because they haven’t talked about it. Everything has just kind of happened.

But maybe that makes it better, more natural. Things have always felt so forced with guys in the past.

Pushing these thoughts down, she heads upstairs to her room and changes into some skinny jeans and a black tank top, the shirt flowing around her waist while the lace or her mustard bralette shows through the top. The ocean air has been helping to curl her hair while she’s been here, almost completely changing the texture of it, so she doesn’t bother doing anything to it. She simply flicks on some eyeliner and mascara before taking one last look in the mirror and heading out into the hallway only to collide with Killian, their bodies crashing together until her hands grab onto his biceps and his grab onto her sides right over her jeans.

“Hi.” His eyes are blown wide and always so blue. “You, uh, you ready to go?”

She nibbles on her bottom lip, and she smiles when Killian’s eyes flicker down to her lips. She presses up on her toes and moves her arms to wrap around his neck, their bodies coming together while her lips press against his for a lingering moment. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

He takes a moment too long to respond, his tan cheeks suddenly becoming flushed, and a sense of pride settles in her stomach. She did that to him with just a kiss. She has that kind of effect on him. This isn’t a one-sided thing. Not at all.

“Good,” he finally responds, pulling back and holding his arm out until she loops hers through his. “Let’s go then.”

Their Uber takes them to a bar downtown. It’s crowded, but she can already tell that it’s a relaxed place. The lights are dim, almost too dark, and a band plays in the corner of the room with plenty of tables filled with people listening along. She moves to sit at one of those tables when Killian shakes his head, the baseball cap he’s got on pulled low nearly hiding his eyes, and guides her to a table off in the corner of the room.

“You know, if you wanted to get me alone all you had to do was ask.”

He snickers under his breath before pulling her chair out for her and waiting for her to sit down. She does, scooting in while Killian moves to sit on the other side. “As much as I’d love to be there in the midst of the crowd, it’s just not a good idea for me.”

“Oh. I didn’t…I forgot for a minute.”

“Tis nothing, Swan. Maybe a bit later in the night, when everyone’s had a few more drinks we can go over there. There’s usually good bands here.”

“Yeah? You come here often.”

“Your pick-up lines are so original, love.”

“I mean, you took me out of the crowded bar and got me alone, so you’re not exactly super original.”

“Please,” he scoffs, flashing her a smile and waving her away. “Can I buy you a drink?”

He waggles his eyebrows as he says it, and she throws her head back in laughter while her cheeks flush. “So original. Um, I think I just want a beer. I don’t care what kind.”

“Perfect.” He stands from his chair and leans down to press a kiss against her temple. “I’ll be right back.”

She watches as he walks away, her eyes flickering over his body as he slyly moves the crowd, not a person looking his way. She wonders what it’s like being such an expert at having to actively blend in like that. In almost record time, she sees him leave the bar with two beer bottles and a basket of…onion rings.

Bless him.

“Milady,” he greets, bowing down and placing the basket in front of her. “I may have swindled you some food.”

“Trying to buy my affection then?”

“Well of course.” He winks before sitting down, his chair noticeably being pulled closer to hers so that they’re right next to each other, and she pops a ring in her mouth, chewing on the fried dough. “I saw them on the menu and knew you love them. There were cheeseburgers too, but I’ve had one of those here before and it was bloody awful.”

“How often do you come here? Like, legitimately, no cheesy pick-up lines involved.”

Killian shrugs before leaning back into his chair and pulling his arms above his head until his hands land on his hat, tipping the bill up. “Occasionally. I don’t get out of the house a lot to be honest. I’m usually not even home. Last year, God, I was never home last year. You never know how much you miss your bed until you haven’t slept in it for four months.”

“Where were you?”

“Filming in Australia for The Artist. It was beautiful out there, but I did miss this place.”

She takes a sip of her beer, watching Killian watch her over the bottle. “So does that happen a lot? The travel?”

“It depends. Though this show is the first time I’ve worked from home in a long time. I’ve never had a lot to tie me down, if I’m honest, so I’ve never minded the travel too much. I do miss my family, though, but before Aiden, Liam and Elsa would come visit wherever I was when they could.”

Her heart begins racing in her chest, the thoughts she’s been pushing down all night, all week really, of her never really being near Killian start crashing down around her while the band plays a slow song in the background.

Those two things just don’t seem to mix.

Suddenly there’s a hand over hers on the table, warm fingers twining together with hers, and when she looks away from them, she can see his blue eyes staring right at her while a soft smile graces his lips. “I always come home, though, Emma. The people around me are far more important than any role. I love it, but it’s just a job.”

She knows he’s talking about his friends and family, but a part of her believes he’s talking about her. It’s too much, and she needs to change the subject before she does something like cry in the middle of this bar. That would be ridiculous.

“Hey, there’s a dart board over there. You want to play?”

Killian hums next to her, leaning in a bit too close while his thumb rubs back and forth over her knuckles. “You’ve only had the one drink. And if how we met tells me anything, it’s not to play darts against Emma Swan when she’s sober.”

“You’re not being any fun. Come on.” She gets up from her chair, letting Killian’s fingers fall from hand only to be replaced by his fingers grabbing onto her wrist and her waist, a thumb snaking beneath her tank top and looping through her belt loop to tug her closer. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

He quirks an eyebrow, and she swears his cheeks blush under the dim lights in the bar. She also sure that she just set a record for going from terrified to kind of turned on in the fastest amount of time possible.

“How so, love?”

“You’ll have to come play to find out.”

She walks away knowing that he’s going to follow, and maybe she slips a little bit of extra sway into her hips. They should go slow, take these things step by step, but honestly, she doesn’t know when she’ll see him again and she really, really wants to sleep with him.

It’s bad.

And this is totally, like, their tenth date, so really, what’s the point in waiting some more? The fact that they didn’t jump each other last night is a miracle. She likes him. A lot. And that’s not going to change just because she’s got a few reservations about him…or his job…or both really. But that doesn’t matter tonight. None of it does, not anymore. This is supposed to be fun and like she thought earlier…natural. She’s going to take things as they happen.  

She picks up the darts, ones with red tips, before handing Killian, who is sure enough right behind her, the other set.

“Game on?” she questions, quirking her eyebrow and smirking, using his own moves against him.

“Game on.”

Killian dips his head down and captures her lips in a kiss that she was in no way expecting. She gasps when he tugs on her upper lip, and he takes it as encouragement, his hands dipping into her back pockets and palming her ass while her arms wrap around his neck. It’s intoxicating, much more than the beer had been, but then she can suddenly feel the darts in her hand poking her skin and remembers what they were about to do.

“Hey,” she gasps when she pulls back, putting space between them, “you’re trying to throw me off my game.”

“Swan, I’d do no such thing.”

“Liar.”

He leans down to kiss her again, and she has to keep herself from smiling into it. “Did it work?”

She turns then, gathering her darts before aligning her stance and throwing, the dart landing almost directly on the bullseye.

“I guess not.”

“Well, we’ll just have to work on that.”

“I guess so.”

Killian waggles his eyebrows, and she laughs at how ridiculous this entire situation is. They’re really challenging each other to some kind of sexual dart throwing contest, and she is here for it. She’s also got to tell Ruby about this later and thank her again for that stupid bet, even if that will inflate her ego.

It may be worth it.

He takes a step up to the faded line on the floor, bumping her hip and making her scoot over before lining up his arm and tossing the dart, the pointed end landing just above hers.

“You’re not the only one with skills, Swan.”

He accentuates the word skills, his voice deepening in timber, and she feels it against every inch of her skin, heat pooling in her belly. God, this was a dumb idea. She should have thought this one through.

“Yeah, well, that was a one-time thing obviously. It’s not going to happen again.”

It goes on like that for awhile, the two of them teasing each other while playing two different kinds of games. The tension in the air is palpable, and it takes everything in her not to smile or laugh or break down into a fit of giggles. When did she lose the ability to flirt in a bar?

“So, darling, I’m still wondering how exactly you plan on making this game worth my while. I remember a promise like that.”

She hums, stepping in front of him and brushing her hand over the front of his jeans where there’s a noticeable bulge, causing Killian to hiss and visibly clench his teeth. Gotcha. “You want to make a wager?”

“Depends,” he dips his head down and growls into her ear, “what do I get when I win?”

“You’re not going to win.”

“So confident.” He bites down on her ear. Hard. And she whimpers, her entire body shaking. “But you’ve lost a bet like this before.”

“True, but I think it’s worked out pretty well.”

His whiskers brush against her cheek while his hands find the skin at her waist, thumbs inching up to brush under her breasts, and her hands find their way to his back pockets, yanking his hips into hers and feeling his growing erection against her. Yeah, totally natural the way that this is progressing.

“It has, but we’re supposed to be making a bet here. If I hit the bullseye first, you come home with me.”

So they’re betting on the bullseye then.

“And if I hit it first?”

“You come home with me.”

She barks out a laugh, some of the tension breaking between them, and she pulls back to look in his face, seeing the total seriousness there except for the smallest uptick of his lips.

“And what will we do while at your home?” “Whatever the hell you want.”

“You need to work on your negotiating skills because I could want to sit on the couch and eat with nothing else.”

“Aye.” He releases her, separating them and grabbing onto his dart from the stool. “But I think this works out for both of us, and those are the best kind of bets.”

Without any preamble, he throws his dart, the small arrow landing with a thud on an outer circle. He’s been throwing nearly perfect throws all night, and she knows that he did that on purpose. Yeah, even if they made the stupidest bet of all time, they’re both winning.

But she’s still going to brag about it regardless. For an indeterminate amount of time.

She lines herself up, making sure her elbow is straight, and throws, the dart landing directly in the bullseye.

“Killian, take me home.”

He kisses her the moment they get back into his side door, the lock clicking into place as his lips move over hers and his hands find their way into her hair. He’s gentle, the fire from earlier simmering instead of burning, and she sighs into the kiss, letting her lips slowly move over his. In the back of her mind she knows they’re moving, her legs walking backward while Killian guides her, but it’s not until her back hits against a wall and his hips rut into hers that she realizes they’re next to the staircase.

His fingers tangle further into her hair, yanking a bit at the roots, and when she bites down on his bottom lip, he makes a muffled groan, his hips stopping in their movements while he just holds her there.

“Emma,” he breathes out on a shuddered breath, the air hot between them. “Emma, you want this right?”

She nods against him and tucks her fingers into his beltloops, pulling him back against her while her lips start moving against his jaw, kissing the whiskers and tasting the salt on his skin. “I want you.”

“Bloody hell do I want you, love.”

He devours her with a kiss that’s deep and hot, commanding really, and she lets him, titling her head to let their tongues tangle together while his hips rut into hers. It becomes messy, tongues wet and warm mixing together while she holds onto his jeans for dear life, not letting go until she can’t breathe.

“Bedroom?”

“Bedroom.”

Killian practically bounds up the stairs, taking two at a time, and when he reaches the top while she’s still only halfway up, he turns around with flushed cheeks and a sheepish smile, his hand immediately tugging on his hair. It’s only then that she realizes he’s lost his hat somewhere along the way, and she breaks out into giggles while hurrying up the stairs.

“What’s so funny, love?”

He sounds breathless, broken, his voice husky, and it almost fully brings her back to realizing how aroused she is.

Almost.

“You lost your hat,” she whispers, finally reaching the top of the stairs and wrapping her arms around his neck so she can play with his flattened hair, “and I don’t remember when that happened.”

“I don’t either.”

They both laugh into the kiss, and when they begin moving down the hallway this time, she’s aware of every step and every movement. She’s aware of the way her shirt is somewhere near the bookshelf that houses his photo albums, and she’s aware that his t-shirt is right next to it. She almost keeps going, heading to her room, but Killian turns into his, the unfamiliar surroundings taking a moment to get used to before the back of her knees hit a mattress and she falls backwards onto it with Killian hovering over her, caging her in, invading her space (always).

He runs his tongue over his bottom lip, and she yanks him closer so that she can taste it again herself, salt and beer on his tongue, and when she nibbles on it, she’s not disappointed by the way he groans into her mouth. She wants to keep going, to keep kissing him, but he drags his tongue against her jaw and traces down the lines of her neck until he’s worrying a bruise into her collarbone and she’s arching her back off the mattress.

Her hands find his bare back, nails digging into the skin, and she urges him closer so that his chest hair brushes against her breasts. But he doesn’t let her do that. Instead his hand that’s not in her hair finds her lace covered nipple, brushing over it and kneading into her skin.

“That,” she gasps, pushing her head into the mattress and fisting the comforter, “keeping doing that.”

He chuckles against her neck while his finger continues to rub against her breast. But then he’s moving, kissing down her chest and on the swell of her breasts until his thumb flicks her bralette down and the cool air of the bedroom hits her nipples.

“Bloody glorious,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss against each nipple before his tongue circles her right breast and she has to close her eyes to try to deal with the sensations. “So beautiful.”

He bites down then, and she moans, the sound almost unfamiliar to her. In the background, she swears she can hear the ocean outside, but she doesn’t care. All she can focus on is Killian and how he’d feel inside of her, the two of them coming together completely. His lips leave her breasts and kiss down her stomach while her chest heaves, hooded eyes watching his black mop of hair moving down her body until he gets to her jeans. He looks up at her then through his lashes, and before he can even ask the question, she nods, giving him permission.

The buttons on her jeans are popped and the zipper unzipped, her legs quickly bared of anything and everything. His whiskers brush against her inner thighs, and a bead of sweat forms at her temple, falling across her skin.

She doesn’t know what he’s going to do until his fingers brush through her folds, feeling the wetness that’s pooled there. She gasps, the warmness and roughness of his fingers shocking her, and he looks up at her with a smirk and a chuckle.

“It’s nice to know I’ve had such an effect on you.”

He thrusts a finger into her then, and her back arches off the mattress, much higher than a few moments ago. He takes a few minutes to explore her, quickly learning things she likes as he toys with her, whispering encouragements and asking subtle questions that she tries to answer all while the pleasure is far too much. She’s almost there, her entire body primed to fall apart when he pulls back and she’s left wanting so much.

“What the fuck, dude?”

He snickers against her thighs before kissing back up her body, paying special attention to her breasts, before slanting his lips over hers. “I couldn’t take not being inside of you any longer. I’m but a man, love, and I’ve wanted you for what feels like a long time.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Aye.”

He rolls off of her until he’s shucking his jeans and his boxers down his legs, his cock, full and thick, suddenly on display to her. She gulps, thinking about what’s about to happen, and she absolutely cannot wait. She watches as Killian finds a condom, opening the package and rolling it down his length while she fumbles with her bra, letting it fall onto the bed.

When he’s finished, he takes a step back over to her, grabbing onto her ankles and pulling her forward until her ass hangs off the edge of the bed. He doesn’t say anything else, but he looks at her and smiles while he slides into her in one quick slide, full and heavy and thick, the both of them groaning at finally being connected. He’s…perfect inside of her, and while it takes a few thrusts to really get into a rhythm, he finally does. Her legs wrap around his waist, hooking together at his ass, and he leans over her, making sure that his lips are always against some part of her body while he moves inside with slow, leisurely pumps that drag against her walls and drive her insane.

“This is – it’s good,” she mumbles, adjusting herself and tightening her legs around his back while he leans down and hovers over her, kissing at her chin.

“You’re so fucking wet,” he mutters as he pumps himself into her, nibbling on her skin as she tries to breathe, her entire body moving under his and her head buried against his side. “So glorious. Everything about you is glorious.”

It’s all too much. She wants him too much, her words broken as his thrusts into her, somehow making his way further inside with every push and pull. But then she looks up at him and can clearly see that he’s just as overwhelmed as she is, that he’s feeling all of this too.

“Fuck, love. I – ”

“I know. Me, too.”

She comes with a shudder, her nails leaving crescent moons in the muscles of his skin as heat flutters within her and around her, and he doesn’t take too long to follow her, her name broken on his tongue. That was…that was perfect and not at all what she was expecting. She doesn’t know what exactly that was she’d dreamed about, but this was better in its simplicity and its passion.

Later, she curls up against him, craving the affection and comfort of being in his arms, and even if she wasn’t completely sure of him earlier, her past demons nipping at her heels, she’s feeling sure of him now. His lips brush against her forehead, and she looks up at him and those ridiculous blue eyes.

“I’m glad you came to visit me, sweetheart.”

A tear escapes her eye, unwarranted and unwanted with the realization that tomorrow is goodbye for an unknown amount of time coming back to her with new meaning. He wipes it away with his thumb before kissing his finger and the tear away.

“It’s been one of the best weeks of my life, Killian. I – thank you.”

He smiles softly down at her before pulling her closer, her leg hooking over his. “It’s definitely been the best week of mine.”

They fall asleep, but they also fall into each other in the middle of the night, each time better than the one before as they learn more of each other’s bodies, the newness fading into experience. When she wakes in the morning, the night comes back to her in the soreness of her body and the way that Killian’s wrapped around her, his body hot against hers. This morning she knows she can hear the ocean outside, waves crashing into the shore, and she smiles as she listens to it mixed in with the rhythm of Killian’s heartbeat beside her, two steady beats that calm her.

She stays that way for awhile until her stomach growls and her head begins to throb, the call of coffee almost as strong as the call of nature, and she very carefully tries to get out of bed without waking Killian. she thinks she’s success, her body almost completely off the bed when Killian speaks.

“Hey,” Killian mumbles, rolling in bed and grasping at the back of her bare thigh, skin still unbelievably warm compared to the house, “where are you going?”

“Downstairs for coffee,” she answers, trying not to whimper as Killian’s fingers move up and down her leg like he’s trying to coax her back into bed, “but I need something to wear because your house is freezing.”

“I think your jeans are somehow over by the balcony door.” “Yeah, that’s not happening. Those are like wearing spanx over my entire body. Where’s your closet?”

“In the bathroom, on the right.”

She hums before walking that way, putting an extra sway in her hips like last night. Just naked. She knows Killian’s staring at her ass, and, well, she can’t help herself. She also still can’t get over how nice his bathroom is, white marble and warm chestnut cabinets everywhere, and when she opens his closet, she’s in no way surprised by the size or the fact that everything is organized by color. Most everything is in blacks and dark grays, the occasional blue or deep purple shirt, but what catches her attention is the bright green sweater with garland and bright ornaments draped across it.

“No way,” she laughs, walking over to it and pulling the ugly Christmas sweater off the hanger. It’s the one he wore in his response video, the same one she has in her closet. “I can’t believe he kept this.”

She throws it on, the material falling just above her mid-thigh, and uses the bathroom before finding her way back out into the bedroom where Killian’s fiddling with his phone. She coughs, very loudly and extremely fake, and he looks up, his face impartial until he catches a glimpse at what she’s wearing. His lips tick up while his eyes crinkle, and he laughs, a full belly one, while she sways toward him, the garland of the sweater moving with her.

“Bloody hell, darling, what possessed you to put that on?”

“What possessed you to keep it?”

His right eyebrow ticks up, and his hands find their way to her hips under the sweater, pulling her down on top of him so that she’s straddling his hips, his skin warm against hers.

“What? You’re telling me you didn’t keep yours?”

“Only because we have a tacky Christmas sweater party at the office every year.”

He hums as his hands run up her sides over the sweater, finding their way to rest at her neck. “You know, the first time I ever saw you, you were wearing this sweater. I was actually in this very bed and thought you were beautiful.”

“That sounds a little pervy, Killian.”

His eyes roll, and he leans forward to press a quick kiss against her cheek. “Shut it, Swan. That’s not what I meant. Robin showed me your little video, and he found you to be positively charming just as I did.”

“Yeah, well, I’d like that video to be purged from the internet.” His eyebrow quirks again, and she swears her heartbeat flutters. “Not that I’m not glad I’m here. I am. I know I said that last night but – I really…I really like you.”

His thumb moves against her cheek, affection absolutely brimming in his eyes. “I like you, too, darling. You need not worry about those affections being returned.” He rolls his hips to make a point, and she scoffs, laughter making its way in somewhere while she tries to keep heat from pooling between her thighs, hunger more important than anything right now. “Obviously. I’d also really like that breakfast you were talking about before I see you off, okay?”

“Sounds like a plan, Stan.”

“You have to stop saying that.”

“Never.”

She climbs off his lap, adjusting the sweater and leaving the bedroom while Killian gets dressed behind her. She’s absolutely giddy (God, when was the last time she was like this?), and she jogs down the stairs, practically sliding into the kitchen and making her way to the pantry, grabbing the bisquick for waffles. She hears a door slam while she’s shuffling through his syrup, trying to find one that’s not sugar free or gross, and when she leaves the room expecting to find Killian waiting for her, he’s not.

His brother is.

“Why the bloody hell are you in my brother’s house?”

[caranfindel]

Recap/review 14.17: “Game Night”

Let the countdown begin, my friends. We only get to do this 24 more times.

THEN: Oh, god, Nick. SO MUCH NICK. It’s not gonna be good. (In fact, I turned to The Husband and warned him it wasn’t going to be a good one. I also pointed out that usually, when he watches with me, it turns out to not be a good one. Case in point: episodes The Husband has watched this season in their entirety include Unhuman Nature. Episodes he has missed include Mint Condition. He may not be allowed to ever watch with me again.) And also Jack and his soul, or lack thereof, but mostly Nick.

NOW: Donatello! He’s baking cookies while singing “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head.” (And as I posted earlier, this song is from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” and if that’s the kind of ending you want for the show, you may find that encouraging. I don’t and I don’t.)

Someone rings the doorbell, impatiently, and we see that Donatello still hasn’t regained his ability to discern good and evil, because he answers the door to some unseen person and the next thing he knows, he’s tied to a table and getting injected with something in an old-timey, completely metal (i.e., opaque) syringe. And screaming. Crap. Those cookies are gonna burn.

Title card!

Bunker. Dean is playing… what is this game called… Mousetrap? Yeah, I think it’s Mousetrap. It’s one of those games that you never actually played according to the rules, you just played with the fun pieces (hello, Operation). Jack’s in the kitchen, being questioned by Mary about his popcorn-popping, when we hear “son of a bitch!” from the other room. And I know some of you are not fans of the gendered insult, but regardless, I’m just glad they dropped that "son of a B” and “rhymes with itch” nonsense. Dean Winchester wouldn’t talk that way. Jack feels game night might not be as relaxing for Dean as intended (what happened to movie night?), but Mary says it was his favorite game as a child (THIRTY SIX YEARS AGO, YOU MEAN?) and okay, who would know about making Dean happy better than Mary? I mean, she caught on to his farewell tour, right? Oh, no, wait, she totally didn’t. Hmmm. Maybe you don’t know him at all.

A little foreshadowing for a trap that will come up later? A metaphor for Dean’s life? Discuss.

Anyway. She asks if Jack is feeling better, and he’s frustrated that people keep asking him that, and she’s all, we’re family. That’s what family does. Pretends they know you. He’s not better. He’s annoyed. As he walks away, she offers to listen to him talk or vent if he’s so inclined, and we watch him very deliberately paste on a smile before he turns back to her and says “you’re here, I know” and he pretends to appreciate her offer and oh, no, Jack. Jack, Jack, Jack. Mary turns away and seems to be thinking pretty much the same thing. But maybe it’s not that Jack is going down a dark road. Maybe it’s just that he’s annoyed with Mary. Because that’s ABSOLUTELY BELIEVABLE.

Game night will begin as soon as Sam gets back with the pizza. Jack expresses interest in the pineapple pizza, proving that he’s at least got some decency left in him. Dean considers it a crime against humanity. (Sidebar: I love Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza, but my mom likes pineapple on her pepperoni pizza, and THAT, my friends, is criminal.)

Mary brings Dean his phone and tells him he missed a call. Dean, you’ve always got at least a dozen pockets on or about your person at any time; there is no excuse for not having your phone.

The message is from Donatello and it’s obviously very disturbing. He puts it on speaker and plays it for Mary and Jack. Donatello begs Dean and Sam for help, and then starts speaking in a language that is not English. And what I want very much is for Sam to listen to this message and recognize it as Enochian and translate it, because OF COURSE SAM SPEAKS ENOCHIAN. But I’m sure we’re not going to get that.

Dean calls Sam and gets his voicemail message, which simply says “you’ve reached Sam Winchester, if this is an emergency, call my brother.” I’m guessing this is the friends-and-family-and-trusted-hunters number, since he doesn’t even give Dean’s number. If you have this number, you have Dean’s number. I like that theory a lot. But why isn’t Sam answering? Has something befallen him? Dean’s not concerned, so I guess I don’t need to be either. He complains that the whole town is a dead zone. (I guess Sam’s supernatural ability to access wifi anywhere doesn’t extend to LTE) and decides they can’t wait for Sam. Oh, good, they’re splitting the brothers up again! Yay! I love it when that happens.

Ahem.

Dean leaves Jack with his phone, so Sam can hear the voicemail and then call him back on his spare. I wonder if Dean’s spare phone is his FBI phone, and if so, does his outgoing message say “you’ve reached Agent Mumbledymumble, if this is an emergency, call my partner?” I hope so. (Cas’s says the same thing, except it says “call my partner, who is tall and has beautiful hair.”)

We cut to a little restaurant and Cas and Anael, and I’m going to recap all of that now and get it out of the way. (Feel free to skip. I feel like skipping, but I’m going to recap it anyway, because that’s just how dedicated I am.) He gives Anael a pair of earrings (16th century Burmese blood rubies, 5 carat, according to Anael) which are only lightly cursed, as a bribe. He wants to contact God. “Good luck with that,” she laughs. But he knows she used to be Joshua’s right hand, and God spoke to Joshua, and maybe she knows how he did it. He wants God to restore Jack’s soul.

He says, again, that he doesn’t know how much of his soul is left, and the last time I complained about Cas’s sudden inability to check that for himself, many of you pointed out that there could be very good reasons for this. Maybe it’s different with a nephilim. Maybe it’s too dangerous. And all of that would be fine, it really would, if the SHOW would give it to us. If Dean would have said “can’t you check, like you did with Sam?” and Cas had replied “it would be too risky, Jack is a nephilim, not a human, and it could be like unleashing a nuclear weapon.” But instead, we’re just getting details about earrings. (Also, I’m saddened to learn that Joshua didn’t survive. I liked him. The original Joshua, not the crappy AU version.)

Moving on. She figures the Winchesters don’t know what he’s up to, and says she can’t help, because Joshua never initiated contact with God. He just received. Cas takes the earrings back and she suddenly gets a little more helpful. There was a rumor, after the fall, that Joshua called God and got an answer. She doesn’t know how he did it, but she knows someone who does. They pull up (in yet another Cas vehicle, a huge pickup that I don’t think we’ve seen before, or maybe we have, all I know is Sam still doesn’t have his own gd car) at some kind of junk/antique store. The guy running the place is Methuselah, one of the few surviving angels. He says he and Joshua were roommates after the fall, and “the guy made a mean lasagna.” I wonder why it didn’t taste like molecules. Cas threatens to burn the place down, with Methuselah in it, and Methuselah calls him “kiddo” (hee!) and says he doesn’t care. I don’t know why another angel would be threatened by Cas, but when Cas calls his bluff and gives him the glowy eyes, he says the “thingamajig” Joshua used to contact God is around somewhere, and they’ll know it when they see it. Or not.

They poke around, and I had something to say about Anael’s “mulberry silk” but I’ve lost the will to write it out, and they find nothing. Anael doesn’t think it matters, because she knows God won’t answer and doesn’t care, because according to Joshua he “doesn’t meddle.” Which Cas disputes, because God brought him back. (And put the Winchesters on a plane over Ilchester, but I digress.) As far as Anael is concerned, that’s even worse - he lets millions of humans die screaming, but saves one angel. Huh. She also knows the real reason Cas is doing this is because he knows Jack has no soul at all, and he doesn’t want to have to tell Sam and Dean. Also, she stepped in a dead rat and she’s done. But on their way out, Cas notices something on a jewelry rack - a pendant that looks similar to the Samulet.

Actually, it looks like an evil version of the Samulet. I mean, it’s a freaking SKULL.

Methuselah says Joshua forged it “before he fell,” and I wonder why it didn’t occur to him that this could be the item Cas was looking for. Or he did know and was just being a dick. Cas clutches the amulet and tries to call on God, invoking the names of Sam and Dean, but he gets no answer. “It never worked for Joshua either,” says Methuselah, and again, why didn’t he admit he knew exactly what the thing was, and that it didn’t work? Outside the shop, Cas tells Anael he’s going to go home and tell Sam and Dean the truth, and he doesn’t know what he’ll do after that. He tells her she was wrong when she said everyone is alone (which I think I skipped in my recap but WHATEVER), because they all have each other. Well, you have Sam and Dean and Jack, so it seems a little unfair to rub that in Anael’s face, but go on then.

So let’s go now to Sam, who is back at the bunker (wearing an orange plaid shirt that would probably go nicely with that orange jacket of his, if I liked that monstrosity) and telling Dean exactly what I said, which is that he should be with him. Oh, Sam. You and I have so much in common.

Dean blows off Sam’s concern and asks about Donatello’s message. Sam tells him it’s not Enochian (OH HAPPY DAY) and he thinks it’s ancient Hebrew, but they’re still working on the translation. He tells Dean to watch his back. We stay with Dean and Mary in the Impala, driving through the perpetually-rainy darkness. (The Husband points out that we should be able to hear the windshield wipers. I really don’t think he’s going to be allowed to watch with me any more.) Dean says Sam (Sammy!) sounds stressed, and Mary says Jack and Dean are stressed too, and she wishes… well, we don’t know what she wishes, but Dean cuts her off and says “you’re here,” like that’s an accomplishment. She wishes she could have been here more. I don’t know, Mary. For a woman who was dead for more than 30 years, you’ve been here plenty. She admits that she can be closed-off and hard, and Dean says “that’s where I get it from,” as if John Winchester had none of those qualities. But okay. Mary wants Dean to know that she’s grateful for every day she has with him and Sam. And on first watch, I assumed this was just some leftover emotion from “Lebanon.” Because I’m always talking about foreshadowing but I miss it when it actually happens, don’t I?

Bunker. Sam is still listening to the voicemail and consulting his English-to-ancient-Hebrew dictionary (and rubbing the back of his neck which is SO DAMN CUTE AND I CANNOT EXPLAIN WHY) when he suddenly recognizes that Donatello is quoting the Bible. And of course he knows exactly where, chapter and verse, because he’s Sam Winchester. It translates as Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking who he may devour. WELL. If that doesn’t send chills down a Winchester’s spine.

Dean and Mary get to Donatellotown (sorry, Donny, I do not remember where you live), where there’s snow on the ground. When they enter the house, they can hear the prophet calling for help. But it turns out it’s just a recording on a phone, with no Donatello in sight. And who walks out of the kitchen but Nick, wearing Donatello’s apron. Well, at least he saved the cookies. Dean cuffs him and Mary goes to search the rest of the house.

“So it’s just you?” Nick asks. “Sammy’s home sick?” And on first watch this is just Nick being Nick. But on rewatch… maybe not. It’s interesting that Dean (and I guess all of the extended TFW) had no idea he’d escaped from prison. Mary finds no Donatello, but she did find Nick’s discarded syringe in the trash. He tells them he injected Donatello with thalium, which will cause his organs to shut down in a day. Just to get their attention. He tells Dean to hit the livestream button on the not-really-Donatello phone, and it shows a video of Donatello, tied up and gagged, sitting on a concrete floor somewhere. “You can save him if you can find him.” Dean pulls a gun on him, but Nick’s not afraid of being killed, because 1) that means Donatello would die, so he knows Dean won’t do it, and b) he has nothing to live for anyway. He wants to talk.

Bunker. Nick is still handcuffed, being led down the hall by Dean in slow motion. Sam and Jack are coming from the other direction. Sam looks anxious, so I assume he knows who’s coming, and when he lays eyes on Nick he <i>snarls</i> and grabs him and throws him against the wall and I’m not a fan of the weird slo-mo thing they’re doing here but otherwise? Angry Sam assaulting Nick? I am HERE FOR THAT. Dean pulls him off and says “not now, not yet,” which sounds like he is perfectly fine with Nick being assaulted but now is not the time. Sam makes a frustrated face and stomps off, and Mary and Jack look upset.

(All gifs were stolen from @itsokaysammy and I apologize for not inserting them the usual way, with the automatic credit, but Tumblr wouldn’t cooperate.)

Dean having to get all handsy, holding Sam back? I am here for THAT as well.

War room. Sam wonders what kind of game Nick was playing, just sitting there waiting for Dean. And he doesn’t even know Donatello. “Lucifer did,” Dean points out, and we could spend some time wondering how much bleed there was between Lucifer and his vessel, how much Nick saw, how much of Lucifer’s thoughts he was exposed to, how much he absorbed. We might want to do that later. But right now, Mary reminds us that Donatello is in danger, and Smart!Sam knows the antidote for thallium is something they already have on hand, Prussian blue, which sounds like a breed of cat but really is the antidote for thallium poisoning. And I suppose Sam could have looked it up on Wikipedia earlier, just like I did, but I choose to believe he just knew. He also thinks he might be able to hack the location of the live feed, but he doesn’t know if they have enough time, and if I were so inclined, I’d comment about Sam’s intermittent hacking abilities, where he’s a hacking genius one day, and the next day Charlie needs to look smart so he needs Charlie to tell him how to hack into a bank. But I’m not going to comment on any of Sam’s intermittent abilities right now. Maybe later.

Well, Nick wanted to talk, so Dean thinks it’s time to talk. “Oh yeah, let’s talk,” Sam says enthusiastically, and I think he means talk with his fists. And for the second time in this episode, Dean lays a hand on him and stops him from going after Nick and once again, I’m here for it. So much. Angry vengeful Sam is really doing it for me. “The way you are right now,” he says, “if Nick looks at you wrong, you’re gonna waste him. That can’t happen.” Which doesn’t really sound like Sam, but yeah, he has been pushed to the edge, so okay. Sam once again accepts the promise that he can get to Nick “later,” and Mary once again looks concerned.

After Dean leaves, Sam tells Mary that he’s the reason Donatello is in this and a police offer is dead. “I’m the one who let Nick go, I’m the one…” and he can’t even finish, he just looks up in frustration and despair with tears in his eyes. “What was I thinking?” (Sidebar: Did Sam really “let Nick go?” Nick actually left the bunker while Cas was “babysitting” him at Sam’s request. Discuss.) Mary tries to get him not to blame himself, saying he couldn’t have known, and he says “that’s not an excuse.” OH SAM. “You gave him a chance because you felt for him,” she says. “Because you’re a good man.” (What do we think about this? Do we think that’s the only, or even the main reason Sam felt sorry for Nick? Or was it because he was also Lucifer’s vessel? Are we supposed to believe Mary actually knows his motivation, or is this yet another example of her Not Getting what’s going on in her sons’ heads? Or is it just bad writing?) Sam obviously doesn’t believe he’s a good man, and she repeats “You are; it’s one of the reasons I’m so proud of you.” Aw Sammy. Closure with Dad, approval from Mom. Kind of a parallel, isn’t it?

The way Sam keeps looking up, in an apparent attempt to not cry, is simultaneously killing me and giving me life.

Cut to Dean punching Nick in the dungeon. Ah, Grand Inquisitor Dean. Always a favorite. Nick says he and Dean are almost like brothers because of the Michael and Lucifer thing. “You’re not the same after something like that, are you? Being one, with one of them. Changes you. Makes you more than human.” Huh. This reminds me of that one guy in season 7 who wanted his possessing demon back. Anyway, Nick wants to see “my son.”

His son? I say. “His son?” Mary says. Is Nick actually Lucifer? Are we going there? Dean is totally against it. Jack asks Sam, because AS WE ALL KNOW, Sam is Jack’s primary dad. Dean is angry that Sam’s not immediately against it, but as Sam points out, Nick is locked down and not a threat (“he’s always a threat,” Mary says, and for once I agree with her), and they’re running out of time. I don’t really like the juxtaposition of these scenes. Moments ago, Sam blamed himself for everything Nick has done and castigated himself for being stupid enough to “let him go.” And now he’s all, he’s not a threat. If I were writing this, Sam would have said yes, it’s risky and I’m not happy about it, but I don’t think we have any other way to save Donatello. And Jack would have gone in with a phone in his pocket on speaker so Sam could hear everything that happened. But I didn’t write this. So.

Jack walks into the dungeon and demands to know where Donatello is. Nick is impressed by his spunk and says it comes from his father.

My father was a monster

Everybody’s a monster. Even your three dads. How many innocent people you think they’ve killed?

Okay, we know I love any reference to Jack’s three dads, so thank you for that, Nick. And also, yes, he’s right. They’ve killed a lot of innocent people. Lots of not-so-innocent people too, but yeah, there’s a lot of collateral damage out there.

Nick also tells Jack “He loved you. You know that? He did. I felt it. He loved you so much, and you broke his heart.” And we knew Lucifer said he loved Jack, but it’s interesting to get confirmation that he truly did. As well as confirmation that Nick felt all of Lucifer’s emotions. Nick then clarifies that he was talking about “the old you, the you with a soul,” because he heard all of that from Donatello. Oh, for a minute there, I thought Nick could detect souls. Jack says he has a soul but Nick eggs him on and then Jack gets in his face and I guess has a sudden angry outburst of nosebleed? It’s hard to tell what’s going on. But Jack’s blood is all over his face, and his shirt, and Nick’s shirt. Hope that washes out. Oh, don’t need it, he takes care of all of it with his glowy-eyed power. Nick is afraid of him now. Unless he’s lying. But why would Nick lie?

Jack steps out of the dungeon and tells his assembled fathers and grandmother that Nick will tell them where Donatello is. Sam wraps his arms around himself uncomfortably. Next we see the brothers and Nick in the Impala, driving through the night. Sidebar: Donatello’s hometown of Lewis (yeah, I looked it up) doesn’t exist, according to Mapquest, but elsewhere on the Internets one can learn that it’s a “township” near Tushka, Oklahoma, which is almost an 8 hour drive from Lebanon. I wonder where Lucifer stashed him? In Lewis, or closer to Lebanon? Not that it matters. Carrying on.

When the guys get to Nick’s hidey hole, it’s daylight and it’s snowing. Dean and Sam both threaten that Sam will shoot Nick if he does anything, Sam hands Dean the antidote, and Dean goes off on his own. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Meanwhile, in the bunker, Jack sees Mary going through the pile of stuff she carried back from Donatello’s house for some reason, and recognizes that the hypodermic syringe held angel grace. Wait. Grace? Not thallium? Nick lied? Color me shocked.

Sam’s sitting in the Impala with Nick, who is doing his best to be as annoying as Lucifer, and poor Sam looks like he wants to shoot either Nick or himself. He gets a call from Mary, and while he gets out of the car to talk to her, we see Nick has produced a something from somewhere and is picking at his handcuffs. Sam yanks the car door open, waves his gun at Nick, and orders him out of the car, because he knows that will make for a more dramatic and attractive confrontation. (Hey, I’m not complaining, I’m just pointing it out.) He tells Nick he knows about the grace and asks him why. Nick explains that prophets are like “old CB radios,” and Sam knows that means he was trying to communicate with someone, and who could THAT be? Because Lucifer is dead, right? Well, yeah, if dead means awake, in the empty, and able to tell Nick how to bring him back using Jack’s blood. “Come on, Sam,“ Nick says. "Nobody stays dead any more. You know that.” Well, obviously Nick has been watching our show!

Nick reveals that demons have been hiding him, and obtained the angel grace for him, because they’re as anxious to have Lucifer back as he is. It’s your own fault, Sam. You denied them a leader. What did you expect them to do? Sam’s standing there, holding a gun on Nick, and I’m going “shoot him, shoot him, dammit” and then Nick’s handcuffs fall to the ground so Sam shoots him in the head. Oh no, he doesn’t. He yells for Dean, who is in the warehouse, many yards away.(And it’s not even a Bucklemming episode.) They start punching each other, so I guess Sam drops his gun? He does end up pinning Nick, with his hands around his throat, so it looks like Sammy’s gonna win this one. But he stops before Nick even loses consciousness (SAM! HAVE YOU STILL LEARNED NOTHING FROM THE WHOLE THING WITH JAKE?), because Sam is extremely skilled and efficient at hand-to-hand combat, except when he’s mysteriously NOT.

This gives Nick the opportunity to reach for a rock and bash his head in. Sam is dazed, and Nick throws him against the car (and we know hitting a hard object with your back and shoulders knocks you unconscious, we’ve seen it many times) and taunts him. “Lucifer’s perfect vessel. You aren’t so perfect now, are you?” Oooooooh, wait. Is Nick jealous? Jealous of Sam being the perfect vessel? Has Nick been feeling Lucifer’s thoughts about Sam for all these years, feeling how much he preferred his perfect vessel, and gnashing his jealous little teeth? And if so, why couldn’t we have had 17 episodes of that? Why is this delightful tidbit just coming to light NOW?

Dazed Sam manages to get in the car and lock the doors, and as Nick pounds on the window, he frantically honks the horn. Now, some folks on Tumblr think he was trying to warn Dean, but I think he’s calling for help. Desperately, frantically calling for help.

As this is happening, Dean enters the warehouse (an abandoned warehouse? imagine that!), oblivious to a couple of shadowy figures watching him. He sees Donatello, and then hears Sam call him, but is attacked by demons just as that happens. He does, finally, conquer his demons by way of the angel blade. Donatello manages to free himself during the melee, and they run outside. Nick is gone and Sam has managed to get out of the car, but not to stand up. Dean runs up to him and there’s some panicky “Sammy!” and looking around as if there’s someone or something there to help, and Sam broken and bloody on the ground, just the way I like it.

Hi, my name is Caranfindel and I have a problem.

As Nick yanks a guy out of his truck and makes his getaway, Dean calls Mary and tells her what happened. “He hurt Sam, he got him in the head. I don’t even wanna move him. We called an ambulance but they said twenty minutes. It’s not good, Mom, it’s really bad.” I didn’t even get that this was supposed to be a serious head injury until this point. I mean, obviously it would be serious in real life, but in Supernatural life, Sam gets knocked unconscious on a regular basis and suffers no ill effects, and I thought this was just going to be another one of those.

Nick breaks into a cabin and sets up his little Lucifer spell. (It’s a good thing - or a bad thing - that this abandoned cabin had an ample supply of salt, and apparently everything else Nick needs besides Jack’s blood.) When he lights a fire, Jack reacts in the bunker, saying it feels like his blood is burning. And he can feel him. He can get to him. He says he needs to use his powers, and Mary says “do it,” and I had forgotten that he promised not to use them without permission. Nick chants the spell and Lucifer appears, and for once, the effect is actually pretty cool and not cheesy. He’s a swirling black snake-like mass, lit from within. He’s still got that Terminator face, but it’s mostly hidden by the rest of it, so that’s good.

“I’m here, I’m ready,” says Nick. “Your vessel, your perfect vessel. Make me strong again. Make me you.” Perfect vessel? I don’t THINK so, Nick. Not in your wildest dreams. (And I appreciate another reference to Nick wanting what Sam has.) Lucifer reaches for him, but just before he can touch him, Jack and Mary show up and Jack zaps him out of existence. So, Jack gets to kill Michael and Lucifer? Seems unfair. Jack mutilates Nick’s outreached hand and then sets him on fire, with Mary yelling at him to stop. So, it looks like Nick’s dead, but I’ve been fooled before. And that makes it three for Jack and zero for Sam. If you’re keeping track.

Over at Nick’s hidey hole warehouse, Dean is in full-on “it’s not even that bad” mode. He holds a bandanna against Sam’s cracked-open head and tries t get him to count with him, but he only gets to two before Sam decides it’s time to say goodbye. “You always put me first,” he says, between raspy breaths. “Your whole life.” (I had to resort to closed-captioning to understand that last bit.) And then he goes limp and Dean gets even more panicky and face-patty.

This is not fair, Sammy. You just died on me last season.

Back at Nick’s cabin, Mary tells Jack to go help Sam. He zaps over to the Impala and is horrified to see his favorite (I know it, you know it) father dying. He puts a hand on Sam’s face and heals him, and as Sam gasps back to life, Dean quickly helps him to his feet and then even more quickly turns away and puts a hand to his face because he can’t do this, he can’t let anyone see how emotional he is, he needs a second to compose himself, he’s going to burst out sobbing or screaming or something and he just has to turn away and godDAMN this is such a good acting choice on Jensen’s part. I love it. We need to watch it some more.

And more and more.

Sam asks about Nick and Mary and Jack tells them he stopped Nick, and Mary is fine. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

Narrator: Everything was NOT going to be fine.

Back at the cabin, Mary’s quietly freaking out. Jack zaps back and tells her he healed Sam and everything’s okay (ha ha no), but she’s obviously not happy. Apparently her concern isn’t that Jack killed Nick, but that he did it “like that.” Oh, come on, Mary. Get off your high horse. You seemed to enjoy a bit of “interrogation” back in the day with the BMoL. This isn’t that different. Jack begs her to tell him he did okay, but she refuses. “It’s not your fault, but the Jack I know would never have done that.” Well, I have to disagree, but I can’t think of any real evidence right now.

“If Sam and Dean saw what you did,” she says, “they would be as worried as I am.” Hi, Mary, have you met your son Dean, the Grand Inquisitor from earlier in the episode? Or your other son Sam, the sweet kind gentle giant who was ready to beat Nick to a pulp? Dean had to physically restrain him from pummeling Nick TWICE, and only managed it by promising he could have him “later.” But anyway. She promises they’ll help Jack, because they’re family, but he yells at her to leave him alone and grabs his head and she can NOT take a hint and finally his eyes glow gold and he says “LEAVE ME ALONE” one more time and boom. The screen goes black and we hear “…Mary?”

(Me, to The Husband: “Mary’s gone? Well, I guess this was a good episode after all!”)

Well, that explains why we’ve had so much Mary-and-sons bonding and mutual appreciation in this episode. I mean, it didn’t make me care any more about her being gone, but, okay. And there were a lot of things I could have done without. The guys being separated. Cas’s endless B-plot. Sam not shooting Nick, and losing a fight he really should have won. But these things brought me hurt/dying Sam and frantic Dean, so I accept them. And I’m disappointed that Sam never got his “later” with Nick, and once again he didn’t get to kill Lucifer, but at least SOMEBODY did, and you’ve gotta love that. And we got angry-vengeful Sam and trying-not-to-cry Sam and Grand Inquisitor Dean, so. That makes up for a lot of nonsense.

Please help me stay unspoiled, thanks!