#sixteen candles imagine
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saint-petah-the-good · 2 months ago
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my biggest fear is being closed in a room with all of my fictional crushes
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kiestrokes · 1 year ago
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I have no idea how many asks I've sent you this week 🤣 Sunny and I have talked about Pretty in Pink before but now I'm asking you.
Between BTS, SKZ, ATZ, who would be in each clique in Pretty in Pink? Bonus if you cast the main characters.
Ok so I find the clique structure less definitive in PiP, it’s mostly Rich vs Poor. So I’ll give you a little casting.
Pretty In Pink: Duckie - Hongjoong, please HJ sing Try a Little Tenderness to me 🤗 (arguably also Taehyung) Andie - Felix (Jimin for Taehyung though) Iona - Yeosang Jenna - Minho Simon - Mingi Blane - Jimin (Yoongi for Jimin and Tae versions) Steff - Jungkook 🫣 Benny - Hyunjin (sorry bby) Kate - Hobi (sorry bby #2)
Bonus!
Sixteen Candles: (my sleep deprived brain went here first) The Nerds my stray kids 😅 these anime loving dorks.
The Loaners ATEEZ! they're that wild mix of nerd, choir boys, skaters and artists.
The Preps Gotta be Bangtan...they're the "popular boys" who are misunderstood.
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Honestly the only reason why i haven't had a really bad night in like two months is cuz I've been living almost completely in the little worlds in my head where I'm cool and everything's okay
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earlgreytea68 · 1 year ago
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LOOK AWAY IF YOU DON'T WANT SO MUCH FOR (TOUR) DUST SPOILERS, OKAY?
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Set list:
(1) That Pink Seashell spoken word thing actually opens the show
(2) Love from the Other Side: I assumed they'd play this first, and they did, and they looked very happy with the reception that it got
(3) The Phoenix
(4) Sugar, We're Goin Down: I overheard two guys when I was leaving saying, "I only came to this show for that Sugar song, and it was the third song they played," whatever to those two guys lol
(5) Uma Thurman
(6) A Litttle Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me
(7) Chicago Is So Two Years Ago: I know they always play this song when they play Chicago but the way the show is set up, there's this spoken intro that references a light being left on in Chicago, and then they launch into this song, and so I feel like maybe it's permanently in the set list for this tour, we'll see.
(8) Grand Theft Autumn: Patrick told the story again of how he wrote the lyrics while jogging with Pete. Here is exactly what he said, because I recorded it, hahaha: "I wrote this song out here, jogging, trying to figure out the words. This was back when I wrote a lot of the words. And Pete was jogging with me and he was like, 'Eh, maybe change this, maybe change this.' Before we knew it he was writing all the lyrics." And then Pete said, "Imagine us jogging" lolololol
(9) Calm Before the Storm
(10) This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race: They added a little Peterick-y moment in here? I don't remember them playing at each other during this song in previous performances? It was cute, it was during the instrumental part before Patrick leads the singalong, maybe I've just always missed it? They played it each other and kind of did some kind of kick thing with their legs??
(11) Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes: Honestly, always a delight to hear this song, this is one of my favorites <3
(12) Heaven, Iowa: THIS SONG LIVE, I SWEAR
(13) "The Take Over, the Breaks Over": OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS SONG AND I TOTALLY DIDN'T EXPECT THEM TO PLAY IT, I WAS SO HAPPY
(14) Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet: <3 Guess they got over being scared of playing this one lol
(15) Fake Out: I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I WAS THAT THEY PLAYED THIS ONE OMGGGGGGG. Also, there was some plan I wasn't aware of to, like, hold up cell phones with pink paper over the lights so the crowd lit up pink???? I have no idea who engineered that but it was CHARMING and at the end of the song Pete said, "Thanks for that, guys, that was beautiful," and the stage was on darkness so it seemed absolutely spontaneous on his part and I think they really did like the effect, so, Idk, future shows, keep doing it????
(16) Patrick did some kind of piano interlude where he played "Don't Stop Believin'"????? It was random but he was super charming, I think the rest of the band used it as a break, it was just SO GREAT. Part of his intro was: "Pete was putting together this show and he said to me, 'Hey, you should play piano.' And I was like, 'I kinda only play songs I wrote. I don't really play piano. I don't know how to play piano.' And he's like, 'Eh, you'll figure it out.'" And then Patrick sat down and played gorgeous piano ugh THANKS, PETE.
(17) Last of the Real Ones: I am glad Mania got some love.
(18) Save Rock and Roll
(19) PETE RECITED BABY ANNIHILATION WHAT. I SWEAR TO GOD. I SO DID NOT EXPECT THIS AND I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IT HAPPENED. If you're going to the show, pay attention, because I looked away and apparently there's, like, a magic trick at the end of the monologue where he disappears behind a piece of black silk?????
(20) Crazy Train cover: I...don't know what to say about this randomness hahaha but it happened??
(21) Dance Dance
(22) Hold Me Like a Grudge: I think Patrick adores singing this song, I really do.
(23) G.I.N.A.S.F.S.: I KNOW. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, EITHER.
(24) My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)
(25) Thnks fr th Mmrs
(26) Centuries
(27) Saturday <3
The show ends with a little piano version of So Much (for) Stardust played over the sound system, so pay attention for that.
The set is super Alice in Wonderland-y and I adored it, it's playful and fantastical and has all these whimsical touches and interludes and I just thought it was delightful and at one point there were bubbles, and I heard some people complaining after the concert that the fantasy thing didn't suit their style of music and really, I was surrounded by downers after the concert, I thought they were perfect hahaha. Like, ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. They looked so, so, so tangibly happy, all of them. Patrick sounded fantastic and he looked like he was having a blast, he smiled the whole time.
I have a lot of videos but they seem like they're all pretty terrible, but I'll see how I feel in the morning lol
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leennaan · 8 months ago
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Alessia Russo// Take on the world pt.3
It’s the third and final part of this story. I hope you enjoyed it☺️ as always happy about feedback.
Special thanks to @babsisbakery who helped me with some ideas 😁
The song mentioned in this little series is “Take on the world” by You me at six. If you don’t know it go check it out😊
Warnings: Big time jump, Flashbacks, mentions of eating disorder. If this triggers you in any way please do not read, your health is more important than this story.
January 2024
Playing with the Ring on your finger you were nervously standing outside of a meeting room in London Colony. You still couldn’t believe that you were actually here. Standing in the Arsenal training gear, waiting that you were allowed to go into the room where all your new teammates were sitting.
It was the first team bonding night with all the new signings you included. Only difference being that no one besides Kim, Leah and Lotte knew that you had signed. Besides the fact that it was a last minute signing you also wanted to surprise Lessi. You still couldn’t believe that you had actually made it this long. Your relationship was stronger than ever eventho still no one besides your old College-Teammates, family and best friends knew of your relationship let alone about your engagement last summer.
After being knocked out of the tournament in the round of sixteen you where incredible frustrated and blamed yourself endlessly, being one of the penalty takers who missed there shot resulting in Sweden advancing to the quarterfinal. But you decided to be there for Alessia whose journey with her national team wasn’t even close to over. You supported her from the stands until the final step. Reaching the Final wa a dream come true for your girlfriend that sadly ended in tears. Under the cover of being close friends to both Alessia and Lotte you were allowed on to the pitch where your Girlfriend collapsed into your arms. “I am so endlessly proud of you, Baby.” You had whispered into her heat holding her close. “It hurts so bad. I should have done more. I am the striker I should score the goals.” “I know it hurts right now and that you want nothing more than blame yourself but I can tell you tomorrow you are going to be so proud of what you achieved. You did something special.”
Over the curse of the night the mood changed in all the England players like you predicted. After the party and the rush back to England where Alessia had to train with her new team for the Champions League qualifications you decided that you both needed a rest. So after the Qualifiers that siding went like plan for Arsenal, you went on holiday together. Italy to be precise. Alessia showed you all her favorite spots and took you to dinner in the best Italian restaurants you ever visited. After one late night date you both strolled down an empty beach until you reached a little area where candles were set up. With a questioning glance you turned around only to find Alessia kneeling before you. Gasping you looked at her tears already streaming down your face. “You know I promised you that one day I would go down on one knee. We went through so much together. And I know with the long distance it’s not always easy but you are the most beautiful, special and loving person that I know. I can’t imagine life without you and I don’t think I would even be standing here right know without you. You are my missing part, my best friend, my love. Like we always said. Together we take one the world. Would you take on the next big adventure with me and do me the honor of becoming my wife?” While Alessia spoke a few tears also escaped her eyes and you could clearly see all the love you felt for her reflected in her eyes.
“Yes. A thousand times yes. I love you so much.”
You were pulled from your thoughts when the door opened and Lotte stepped out of the room and in front of you. While pulling you into a hug the brunet expressed her excitement. “I still can’t believe you are actually here. Alessia is going to be so happy and excited once she realizes.”
Your transfer happened really quickly with Arsenal already being interested in you last summer but with your contract still up with FC Courage and your belief in winning the NWSL with your team which you to the surprise of a lot of people did, you and your old club declined. It was a really hard decision because you knew that Alessia was signing with the London Club and after now almost four years of long distance you were tired of it. And when the end of the winter transfers window neared and no WSL Club showed interest in you, you started to regret your earlier decision. Just before you put pen to paper at Gotham once more Arsenal resurfaced. With that the decision was made and here you were.
“UNC Girls back together right?!” You laughed. With Emily also signing there were now four former UNC Players at the Club.
You noticed Lotte spotting your guitar that was still in its bag. “What’s your initiation song going to be?” She asked.
“Not telling you. It’s another surprise for Less.”
“You two are still disgustingly cute you now that? I thought after four years it would subdue but I guess not.” Lotte laughed. “Come one I think it’s time. Everyone else has already done their initiation. I’ll go in first and give Leah the signal. You just come in behind me. There is another sliding door that’s not completely closed you can see into the room, but Less won’t see you.”
You nodded and followed Lotte to the sliding door. You could see the girls sitting on different round tables chatting and snacking on sweets.
When you saw the blonde locks of your girlfriend you couldn’t help the smile. It was still so good to see her eating carefree.
The first few months after Alessia went back to England worked surprisingly good. You once again called at least once a day. Talking and just being together. But soon you noticed that something changed in Alessia. Her eyes lacked that twinkle and her smile didn’t feel real. You noticed her loosing weight and skipping meals. Where you once had cooked meals together she would say that she had already eaten. When she completely ruptured her hamstring only month after coming to Man U it all got ten times worse.
Her hair got dull, you could start to see her cheekbones and collarbones.
You tried to talk to her but with no result. She always told you that everything was fine and that she was feeling great besides her hamstring Ofcourse. So you decided to take matters into your own hands. Talking to your teachers and Coaching stuff you were allowed to leave for winter break a week earlier and booked a ticket to Manchester. You asked Lotte for Ella’s number who helped you surprise your girlfriend.
And it was the best decision you could have made. Alessia was so happy to see you and within two days she broke down in your arms.
“I think I need help.” She had sobbed. “I… I am so scared to eat. At first I just counted my calories but I know what I do is not healthy anymore. I thought I looked better but then my hamstring happend. I know my body isn’t strong enough but I don’t want to gain weight.” You had tried to console her the whole night. You told her that she looked beautiful, that you loved her and that she wasn’t alone.
The next daythe two of you talked to her team psychologist. You were there for her the whole time. And slowly over the next two weeks you watched her smile return. She started to cook for the two of you. Healthy foods without measuring the calories. Sometimes it was harder for her sometimes it was easier.
Sadly you had to go back to the US shortly after New Year but you still cooked together over FaceTime and eating together afterwards. Sometime Alessia would fall back to old habits and trying to skip a meal but you were always there to help her through it.
“Guys! I need your attention once more. I know you all thought that Emily and Sarah were the only signings but we’ve got one more surprise. She plays for the US national team. Has just won the NWSL with courage and is another addition to our UNC Squad.” While Leah introduced you, your eyes were solely on Alessia. You could see how she slowly figured it out and when it finally dropped she gasped. Hand flying to her mouth and tears starting to appear in her eyes.
“Y/n it’s your stage.” Leah waved you in. It was planned that you would right away start to play your song.
You came in playing the accords on your guitar. As it was an original that only Alessia knew a few pieces of there was no back up music playing.
“Hey guys. This song is an original piece that is really special to me. I wrote it about my relationship to a very special person. I hope you like it.”
Alessia was already in tears. Lotte had sat herself next to her pulling her into her arms. Emily as well was sitting next to your girl. She grinned at you. Smiling you started to sing.
“Just say the word
We'll take on the world
Just say you're hurt
We'll face the worst, oh
I can see, see the pain in your eyes
Oh, believe, believe me, and I have tried
No, I won't, I won't pretend to know what you've been through
You should know, I wish it was me, not you”
You would never forget the pain in Alessias eyes when she told you about her grandfather. How you had wished to be the one in pain. You never had lost someone so close to you before but you desperately wished you could take the pain from Alessia.
“And just say the word
We'll take on the world
And just say you're hurt
We'll face the worst
Nobody knows you the way that I know you
Look in my eyes, I will never desert you
And just say the word
We'll take on the world”
From the beginning of your relationship the both of you sticked together. No matter how hard the way was. You trusted each other. Now for years later you only needed to look at her to see what she needed. Yes you both knew each other better than anyone.
“And it's the fight
The fight of our lives
You and I, we were made to thrive
Oh, yeah
And I am your future
And I am your past
Never forget, we were built to last
Step out of the shadows and into my life
Silence the voices that haunt you inside”
Long distance was hard. But you always made time for each other. Both leaving everything behind to sea the other in person if needed. Never once thinking that you weren’t meant to be.
And just say the word
We'll take on the world
And just say you're hurt
We'll face the worst
Nobody knows you the way that I know you
Look in my eyes, I will never desert you
And just say the word
We'll take on the world
We'll take on the world
Oh, oh, oh, oh
And nobody knows you
The way that I know you
And nobody knows you
The way that I know you
“We'll fight, we'll crawl, into the night
I won't let go, with you by my side
The calm, the storm, we'll face it all”
Of course there were fights but never for long. You promised each other to never go to bed angry. You were just better together.
And just say the word
We'll take on the world
And nobody knows you
The way that I know you
Look in my eyes, I will never desert you
And just say the word (just say the, just say the word)
We'll take on the world
Take on the world”
Slowly you let the sound die out. Alessia had stood up once you were finished and you put down your guitar. Opening your arms she run to you. Catching her in your arms. “Is this for real?” She whispered in your ear. “Yes Baby. I signed my contract last week.” She laughed and pulled you even closer. “Can I kiss you? I don’t care if anyone knows. We are finally together and I want everybody to know who my beautiful fiancée is.” Instead of answering you, she kissed you, hard.
Wolf whistling sounded around you but the both of you didn’t care. “How I missed this, how I missed you.” The blonde whispered before pulling away from you but still touching you.
“Care to explain Russo?” Asked McCabe and your girlfriend laughed. You already knew a lot about your new teammates due to Alessia and also Lotte, so you weren’t surprised by the women’s comment.
“So guys this is Y/n she played together with Lotte, Em and myself at UNC. And she is my fiancée, we have been together for four years now.”
A lot of questions came your way but you didn’t care not a bit. You were just happy to finally be with your girl.
Y/n Y/l/n and Alessia posted to their instagram
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Four years with you! From College to The Arsenal. “Together we take on the world.” From strangers to friends to lovers to fiancés. “You are my future. You are my past.” Love you endlessly ❤️
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g1rld1ary · 10 months ago
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tell me when you're sober ; sirius black x gn!gryffindor!reader
➻ yayay my first sirius fic !!
➻ word count: 2042
➻ synopsis: drunk at a house party, sirius calls the reader and confesses something he shouldn't have
➻ warnings: mentions of alcohol & being drunk, swearing, a little angst (maybe??), happy ending, kissing, gn pronouns (lmk if I've missed any!)
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You were lying on your bed at home, content with your cozy night in. The newest Ella Fitzgerald record playing softly from the corner; a candle burning on your nightstand. You’d completed an extensive self care routine, feeling fresh, healthy and calm as you settled into your newest novel — a romance that had you dreaming of one of your closest friends.
Sirius Black was one of your best friends in the whole world. Both being Gryffindors, you had pretty much grown up together, and somewhere along the way you’d developed feelings for him against your will. But how could you not? He was beautiful, charming, and always managed to make you laugh; even the longest nights studying in the common room weren’t quite as tedious when he was hanging around — as much as you’d complain about him ‘bothering’ you. Whilst you knew he wouldn’t ever reciprocate your feelings and you would remain just friends, you were mostly content with that fact. You were filled with the type of love for him that was somewhat satisfied as long as you could express it, regardless of if it was under the guise of platonic affection. Still, that resignation didn’t stop you from imagining Sirius as the love interest in the novels you read; reciting poetry and executing grand gestures in your head.
The phone ringing down the hall brought you from your daze, and you tried to focus on the words written on the page until your mother knocked on your bedroom door, saying the call was for you. Curiously, you crawled out of bed, straightening your pyjamas as you hurried to the phone attached to the wall just outside of the kitchen.
“Hello?” You didn’t know what to expect, but your face softened to a smile when you heard the reply.
“My gorgeous y/n!” Sirius sang, consonants slightly slurred. You knew your friends were at a house party tonight, one that you’d politely declined despite Sirius’ insistence in you being there. It wasn’t your scene, and the group had organised a quieter games night at James’ place the night after, so you weren’t worried about missing too much.
“What are you doing, Black? Shouldn’t you be dancing on a table somewhere?” You teased, laughing lightly at the memory of one party you did attend, and the absolute fool Sirius had made of himself to Bennie and the Jets. He hummed in agreement.
“I was. But I wanted to talk to my favourite person — ‘ve missed you.”
“You’re seeing me tomorrow, Sirius. I’m sure you can hold on sixteen more hours?” You could practically see Sirius shaking his head no, childish pout on his lips. That was how you knew he was pretty drunk, he always got whiny and overly affectionate.
“But that’s with everyone, I miss you,” You both loved and hated when he flirted with you like this; you knew it was a joke but it still made you weak in the knees. “Tell me about your day.” You sighed, knowing that it was chatting to him or worrying about the dumb inebriated decisions he would no doubt make, so you started.
You gave him a run through of your day, sliding down the wall to be in a seated position as you realised it would probably be a long call. You told him about the summer deep clean you’d powered through and the subsequent self care night you had definitely earned. He listened intently, and you could occasionally hear him hum into the phone or interject with a one word response, just so you knew he was paying attention. You’d launched into a recap of your novel so far when you realised he hadn’t spoken in several minutes. Worrying he’d passed out or lost interest in your ramblings you tapered off.
“Sirius? You there?” He hummed an affirmation. “Oh. Is everything ok?”
“Yeah, ‘course. It’s just…” He trailed off and you frowned, holding the silence so he’d continue. “I love you.”
You sighed in relief. You two, and the rest of the friendship group, said ‘I love you’ all the time, it was never something to be apprehensive about.
“You know I love you too, Black. I’m still on the phone aren’t I?” You laughed, twirling the yellow cord around your freshly painted (but almost definitely dry) fingers. You heard him groan over the phone and faltered again.
“No, y/n. I’m fucking in love with you.”
You almost dropped the phone you were so surprised. You felt your heart beating against your chest, both in excitement and panic. He didn’t mean it, he couldn’t. Maybe Remus had broken his promise and told Sirius about your crush on him and this was all some kind of sick joke. Sirius Black was not in love with you — you had seen him grinding and making out with Marissa from the year above at the end of year party, and that was only a few weeks ago. All the possible joy that had crept into the edges of your heart was extinguished, and instead anger bloomed, spreading to the tips of your fingers, which brought the receiver back up to your face.
“Hang up and tell me when you’re sober.” With that you slammed the phone back on the wall, hot tears building behind your eyes, threatening to fall. You stumbled blindly back into your bedroom, both red hot rage and crushing sadness obscuring your vision.
Safely in bed, you let the tears fall. How dare he? You were the one who had pined after him for years, made peace with the fact that you would never hear those words out of his mouth for you, and for what? For him to rip out your heart because he was drunk and bored? Did he think it was funny? Did he even know what he was doing to you? You sobbed into the stuffed dog Sirius had given you for your last birthday, before the anger resurfaced and you launched it across the room, slamming your head into the pillow as the toy made a dull thud against the wall.
You almost didn’t go to James’ game night the next evening. You reasoned it would just be too humiliating, Sirius would crow about the girl he had hooked up with after you’d ended the call — or even worse make fun of you about the supposed confession. No, you were more than ready to call in sick and spend the night pitying yourself over a fat bowl of ice cream. However, when James called around midday begging you to bring your ‘world famous’ white chocolate brownies “And your sweet face, of course,” how could you refuse? And so you got dressed in your confidence outfit; pulling your hair into your favourite style. You needed all the help you could get today.
Standing in front of James’ door you sucked in a breath. Trying to put an easy smile on your face, it faltered when Sirius was the one to welcome you inside. He grinned when he saw you, which made the flicker of anger spark once more. How could he act like he didn’t just say he was in love with you?
“Hey everyone, y/n’s here!” He called, and you could the hear the stampede of footsteps as your friends all came out to greet you. Your smile returned involuntarily as Remus pulled you into a strong hug, which was copied by each of the girls. James, conversely, dropped to the floor in a position of worship as you presented the tray of brownies.
You all sat around the fire, chatting easily as James painstakingly set up the game of Monopoly in front of you.
“Man, I don’t remember a thing from last night,” Sirius said, reclining back in an armchair. Everyone laughed but you, and you fought with your brain to keep your features relaxed as you stared at him.
“Be grateful for that,” Lily laughed, counting out game money in piles. “You made an utter tool of yourself.”
“Yeah, rambling about Merlin knows what all bloody night; you were nonsensical,” Marlene teased and you cast your eyes down to study your fingers, picking at the already chipping polish. That’s why Sirius had acted like nothing was wrong, he didn’t even remember he’d said it. Only you were left with your whole world changed, and the bastard didn’t even have to suffer the memories of it. Suddenly you were overcome with the urge to take the beer Peter was offering you, downing half the bottle in two gulps.
“What’s got you all riled up, love?” Remus asked and you stuttered, unable of course to tell him the truth. Eyeing James’ finished set up you created a lie.
“Getting ready to dominate you all in Monopoly, duh.”
After that night, you couldn’t face Sirius. You weren’t avoiding him, per se, you could never do that. But you weren’t making any effort to see him, and you were proud of that self restraint. At dinners you’d sit next to your other friends, not looking at him unless he addressed you directly. Between classes you’d take off without waiting for him, claiming you were already stressed about the workload. Your friends could tell something was wrong, but no one could figure out what — seemingly not even Sirius.
Until one Friday night. It was unusually quiet, no parties planned or adventures to be had, and so you and your friends had taken over the Gryffindor common room, laughing and talking over the radio and the crackling of the fireplace.
“Firewhiskey, Pads?” James offered, but Sirius shook his head.
“Not tonight.” He smiled, sparing a casual glance to you. You weren’t looking at him, pretending to be engrossed in Lily’s conversation, but you couldn’t help but be slightly concerned. When did Sirius ever turn down a drink? Especially on a Friday night. You shook your head slightly, it wasn’t your problem anymore, you were still mad at him.
Eventually the night wound down, everyone heading back up to their respective dorm room one by one, tired out by the week. When you look up from the novel you’d been engrossed in for the past half hour, you were shocked by the fact that it was just you and Sirius left. Stranger than that was that Sirius wasn’t even doing anything, just staring blankly at the fire as his leg bounced aggressively.
You got up quickly, collecting your things in the attempt of a smooth escape. No such luck. Sirius stood to stop you and you stepped back carefully.
“What are you doing, Sirius?” You asked, forcefully avoiding his steely gaze.
“I’m in love with you.” You faltered, meeting his eyes to search for hidden meaning. You found none.
“What?”
“I’m in love with you, stupid. And I’m sure as hell sober right now, you can ask anyone.”
You felt your cheeks grow hot as you realised what all this meant. He had told the truth on that phone call and you had not only hung up on him, but also got mad and avoided him. Despite his feelings being more than reciprocated. The burning anger that had made a home in your stomach recently dissolved into butterflies, and a smile grew. Sirius relaxed as he saw your body language change, and chanced a tentative step towards you.
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that,” Your eyes shone in the firelight and Sirius couldn’t help but pull you closer towards him, arms wrapped around your waist.
“I thought, I mean I was worried—” You cut him off by holding his cheeks in your palms, pressing a soft kiss on his lips, one which he hungrily chased. You laughed and indulged him, the two of you holding each other carefully, lips moving slowly, exploring the other.
“Just so we’re clear,” You teased, “I’m pretty in love with you too, Black.”
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tgmsunmontue · 1 month ago
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Season to Taste - 24/? WIP
Explicit Hangster - Celebrity Chef Bradley and Naval Aviator Jake Seresin who have a relationship spanning the globe before they realize how tightly bound they are to one another. Heading into this little world.
PROLOGUE/ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN FORTEEN FIFTEEN SIXTEEN SEVENTEEN EIGHTEEN NINETEEN TWENTY TWENTYONE TWENTYTWO TWENTYTHREE
CHAPTER TWENTYFOUR
                He loses his temper much easier when he’s tired and he’s tired a lot the first year the restaurant is open. He knows the saying burning the candle at both ends, but he’s found some way to hollow himself out and also burn the candle from the middle as well. Of course he’s a hard worker, expects those around him to put in just as much and expects the best from them, but when Vi calls him a thoughtless and heartless bastard in Italian while the film crew are still rolling he knows he’s gone too far but his brain is so fried he doesn’t even know what it is he’s done wrong. He crashes for sixteen hours and then has to go and make several apologies. Especially to Vi.
…            …            …
                “This is Admiral Kerner.”
                “Hello Admiral, this is Bradley Bradshaw.”
                There’s a pause on the other end of the line and Bradley bites his lip. He has no idea if the man he called Uncle Sli growing up will remember him. It’s been over fifteen years since he left, and longer since he’s seen him or spoken to him. But he knows how to sweet talk people and enough people to get Slider’s work number.
                “Baby Goose?”
                “Yeah. Hi Uncle Sli… you do remember me huh?”
                “Holy shit… of course I remember you kid. And as if I could forget your face on my TV every time the misses puts it on when I’m home.”
                “Oh. Sorry?”
                “No. Don’t be sorry. It’s nice to see you doing so well. Wait. Why are you calling me?”
                “Uh, I’m really sorry to ask, but I sort of have a favor to ask. Maybe a couple of favors.”
                “Okay. So you’re calling me out of the blue, after not talking to me for years… What do you need?”
                “Uh. It’s probably available to family, I was just wondering if I could know when and where your ship will be calling into port and for how long."
                “Uh. Okay. That’s… all fine. It’s information I can share. Can I ask why?”
                “My, uh, my boyfriend I guess? He’s going to be on your ship for seven months.”
                “You have a boyfriend?”
                “Yeah. So if I could know when and where I might be able to see him, I’d really appreciate it…”
                “I’m helping you organize booty calls!”
                “Uh, yeah, sorry if that’s too – ”
                “Oh no, this is perfect. Your dad would be so proud. Using all the resources available to you so you can get your dick wet!”
                Bradley rolls his eyes and pulls a face, glad he can’t be seen. Because while he’s not wrong it’s not the only reason why Bradley wants to see Jake. He hasn’t heard things like this about his dad in a long time, not since he left Mav’s. He barely remembers his father, but considering his best friend was Maverick, Ice and Slider also considered him friends speaks enough to the joking kind of personality he can imagine him having, coupled with what his mom told him. He remembers warm laughter the most, along with music. Strong arms picking him up.
                “Also, it’s kind of romantic. Your dad was always doing sweet stuff for your mom, making the rest of us look bad.” Oh. He’s never heard that before. Never imagined what kind of partner his dad might have been like and he adds it to the little list he keeps tucked away in his head. “Of course, he was also a terrible flirt, ladies flocked to him. Lucky for the rest of us all he did was flirt and he’d send them our way.”
                Okay, maybe more than he wants or needs to know about his dad.
                “Yeah, anyway Uncle Slider, thank you so much for this. Let me know what I can do to repay you… maybe come and cook you and your wife dinner?”
                “Well, I wouldn’t say no to that, she’d kill me if she found out you’d offered and I turned it down. But I have to ask… does Ice not know about this boyfriend? He could have got you the same info.”
                “Yeah, I know, but… No. He doesn’t know. I kind of want to keep it on the down low for now. We’re only just starting out… Very early days.” God, he doesn’t want to say it’s literally only weeks old, can only imagine how crazy other people might think he is.
                “No no, wait, go back. You mean I know something before Ice? Not only that you have a boyfriend but that he’s a good Navy boy…”
                “Actually he’s one of your aviators,” Bradley says, because there’s no point in not sharing that information. As soon as he sends the care packages and asks Slider to deliver them, he’s going to know exactly who it is. Fuck. He really needs to give Jake a heads up.
                “Jesus kid. Seriously?”
                “Yeah.”
                “Wow. You really couldn’t escape even when you tried huh?”
                Bradley laughs, because yeah, he guesses it might look like that from the outside, but Jake’s career doesn’t actually matter to him, other than the fact that he’s now got the background niggling worry that he’s in a dangerous profession. He finds that there’s no longer any bitterness about not being an aviator himself.
                “Well, I didn’t exactly go seeking him out. Just happens to be what he does, and well… you’re right. I’m not above using any contacts I might have to keep an eye on him and keep him in some comforts of home.”
                Slider snorts at that.
                “I’ll send you all the dates and locations. Plans change of course, but I can keep you updated.”
                “Thanks. I’ll send you some cookies or biscotti next time I send a care package. You still partial to pistachios?”
                “Oh, this just gets better and better. Yeah kid, send me something to keep me on your good side. I am all open to bribery from you.”
                “Oh, there’s one more thing. He calls me Leo. Leonardo. We met in Italy and that’s how I introduced myself, he knows my name is really Bradley Bradshaw, and what happened to my dad, but uh, he’s either completely oblivious about who I am exactly, or he’s really good at pretending he has no idea. So uh… yeah.”
                “Right. Got it. So keep it on the down-low that you’re Bradley Bradshaw.”
                “No. Not really. Just don’t announce it over the PA system?”
                “Got ya.”
…            …            …
                “Lieutenant.”
                “Admiral Kerner sir.”
                “Relax son, I’m not here for work. Just. Turns out we have a mutual friend.”
                “Sir?”
                “Bradley Bradshaw.”
                “Oh! Leo.”
                “Ah. Yes. He did say you called him that. Anyway, I flew with his old man. Was at Top Gun when the training accident happened.”
                “Oh. Yeah. He told me about that. I didn’t realize he still knew people in the service.”
                “Oh, he knows a few,” Admiral Kerner says dryly and Jake wonders who else might pop out of the woodwork. “He was forced onto a different path, and while it might have worked out for the best there are still some deep hurts there.”
                Jake keeps his mouth shut.
                “Anyway, he sent me a care package, because I get mail more regularly. However he sent this to you, care of me. So. I’m now apparently his delivery man.”
                “I’m sorry sir, I’ll ask him not –”
                “It’s fine Lieutenant. He did ring and ask first. Just… he sounded happy. It was good to hear.”
                “Yes sir,” Jake says, not really sure how he can take part in this conversation safely, if this is somehow a weird sort of semi-shovel talk given the reference he made to knowing Leo’s dead father. Does he consider Leo a sort-of son?
                “Enjoy your care package. I know I’ll enjoy mine.”
                “Oh, yes. You too sir,” Jake says, suddenly understanding that Leo must have also sent Admiral Kerner something to his liking, and yeah, if it’s going to keep his CO happy then Jake’s all for it. He takes the package and nods his farewell as he watches Admiral Kerner stride away. He’s going to look up Bradshaw in the database, have a look at whatever Top Gun class Leo’s dad was in, because it might pop up again and he’d rather not be taken by surprise again. He suspects that the whole class might be keeping tabs on Leo, whether he knows about it or not.
                “Why was Admiral Kerner talking to you? What did you do?”
                “Phoenix. Always a pleasure. Why do you automatically assume I’ve done something?”
                “Because you’ve usually done something?”
                “Haha. No. He just, uh, introduced himself I guess. He flew with my boyfriend’s old man,” Jake says, rolling the word boyfriend around in his mouth, because that’s all he can think of calling Leo. He’s never had a boyfriend before, and he finds himself smiling at just the sweet gesture of Leo sending him a care package via the fucking Admiral of all people. Stupidly sweet.
                “You have a boyfriend?”
                “Yeah… You?”
                “More trouble than they’re worth.”
                “Not my one. He sent me a care package.”
                “Through Admiral Kerner?”
                “Yeah. You want to see what he sent me?
                “Do I want to?” Phoenix asks, pulling a face and Jake laughs, in too much of a good mood to get smart.
                “Live dangerously Trace. You might get lucky and I’ll share with you…”
                “Again, do I want that?”
                “He’s a chef. I know you have a sweet tooth.”
                “A chef? Well. Why didn’t you lead with that?”
                Then they’re opening the box, and there’s several carboard boxes, written on the top what they’ve got inside. Cranberry and pistachio cookies. Chocolate chip cookies. Almond and dark chocolate biscotti. Pistachio biscotti. He shouldn’t be surprised, Leo going overboard a little seems very on brand and he has to stop himself from just smiling so widely at the gesture. God, what did he do to deserve such a sweet man doing things like this or him? His sisters are definitely right to be envious.
                “Holy shit these are good…” Phoenix says, and he looks up to find she’s already opened one of the boxes to reveal a resealable plastic bag containing the baked goods. It’s the chocolate chip biscuits and he bites one, crunchy outside, chewy inside, milk chocolate chips and there’s so much sugar he thinks he hears his teeth squeak.
                “Yeah, they’re not bad.”
                “Not bad? These are like… crack.”
                “Hmm. Maybe I just need a glass of milk for the full experience.”
                “Does he sell these? Do you think he’d make me some? I’d suck his dick if he sent me cookies like this.”
                “Well, lucky for you I’m sharing.”
                “Are you sure? If these were mine I’d be hoarding them.”
                “They’re a little too sweet for me.”
                “Your boyfriend is a chef and you critique his cooking?”
                “Everyone has room for improvement Trace.”
                “Even you?”
                “Well, no. It’s hard to improve on perfection.”
                “Perfect asshole maybe…”
                “To your perfect bitch…”
                “What’s his name, this boyfriend of yours?”
                “Leo. Funny story actually. I met him in Italy years ago, like a decade. We… uh, exchanged names, then went our separate ways. Then I was home and there he was at the farmers market my sisters sell their stuff at…”
                “Wow. That’s actually kind of sweet and romantic and nothing like how I imagined your love story might go…”
                “Aw Trace, you imagined my love story?”
                “Yeah, usually it involved conjugal visits.”
                Jake laughs.
TWENTYFIVE
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raph-fangirl · 3 months ago
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Snippet from a new story I'm working on :)
Just started this new demon x reader story! im thinking it's gonna be pretty short, like a novella. hope y'all enjoy!
warnings: language, violence, masturbation, sexual/kinky fantasy
Chapter One
Your life was perfect until the demon came.
Your husband, Ruben, had just been promoted at his job. You unfortunately didn’t know much about it, only that he worked for the government and whatever he was doing was top secret. But you didn’t mind that, because the love between the two of you was real. And that’s what mattered the most.
He bought you a pretty little house in the suburbs. You wanted to paint it pink and attempted to plant a vegetable garden, but HOA wasn’t having any of that. Life there was slightly stifling—after your upbringing in the country—but as long as you and Ruben were together, it didn’t matter where you lived. 
You tried to pillage out a life for yourself while he was gone all day—bake sales, book club, bridge games. The ladies in the neighborhood were unbearably kind to you, and they always asked if you were expecting, but you assured them with a winning smile that you had just been eating too much cream pie as of late.
Ruben told you he loved you no matter your looks, and that he was sure it was just weight you had gained from all the baking you had been doing. You wondered what you had possibly done in your life to earn such a gem of a man. With that slick black hair and tan skin and kind eyes. 
You were just kids when you met, he was sixteen and you were fourteen. Your best friend was going steady with him, and they invited you out on a drive together one day. By the end of the ride, Ruben asked you to take the passenger seat.
Four years later you married. Four years after that you had your forever home. Four more years would you have a kid, or two, or three? 
Tonight was pasta night. You and Ruben would have a glass of wine, or two, and then make love. Back when you were first married, you did it practically every night of the week. Now you were lucky if pasta night even did the trick. 
You launched a string of spaghetti on the wall. It stuck. You took the pot off the stove, dished out the noodles onto two plates, then finished with the meat sauce. For your own indulgence, you added some parsley on top. You smiled at the little green leaves and how pretty your dish had turned out.
Ruben should have been home thirty minutes ago, he promised as he dashed out the door that morning. But you’d gotten used to him being late. 
You lit some candles and ate in silence. You meant to have only one glass of wine but another evening alone required a little more drink.
You cleaned up the kitchen and stuffed Ruben’s plate into a tupperware container before sliding it in the fridge. 
As per usual on pasta nights when he didn’t make it home on time, you slinked into a nice hot bubble bath and proceeded to pleasure yourself. You hated yourself for it but couldn’t help it. In your mind’s eye, you imagined a big strong man with long flowy hair having his way with you. You moaned, aching at the thought of him railing into you on the beach, the waves cascading over your curves. He would grab you so hard it almost hurt.
Ruben had always been gentle with you, loving. But lately you’d found yourself craving more than just the ten minute humping fest. That gentleness he always had with you faded away into something more like passivity as of late. But you figured it was just stress from work. He’d had a lot going on lately and just wanted to come home, scarf down his leftovers, and go straight to sleep after work. It was fine. Every night before he crashed off to sleep he told you he needed you and loved you desperately—that you were the greatest accomplishment of his life. That was all you needed to hear to be able to wake up the next day and bear doing everything all over again. 
Ruben was exceptionally late tonight, though. It was teetering on midnight. You tried to stay awake, fighting off sleep as you lay in bed. But eventually you nodded off, and dreamt of the man with wavy hair at the beach. He grunted as he slammed into you, but soon those grunts turned into yelps. Yelps that almost sounded like Ruben. 
You awoke with a start. It was Ruben, screaming. Pleading. 
You flung the covers off and dashed out of bed, racing to your puffy pink robe and slippers, shaking as you put them on. Ruben’s shrieks grew louder, hailing from the living room. 
As you were just about to open the bedroom door, the voice of another man boomed: “You know why I’m here.” 
You stopped in your tracks. He sounded ferocious, his voice much gruffer and deeper than your husband’s, or any other man for that matter. Blood rushed to your head as you tried to come up with a plan of action. 
“No, please no,” Ruben pleaded. “I didn’t know!”
“Shut the fuck up!” 
A crash. 
A shudder shot down your spine. Your hands shook as you reached for the door handle. You twisted it, careful not to make the door hinges creak. 
“Please, please don’t kill me!”
“Once I’m done with you, you’ll wish I’d have killed you, you monster. I’m going to take everything you love away from you, just like you took everything away from me.”
You peeped an eyeball through the crack in the door and caught sight of a large shadow looming over the living room. 
“God, no, please! I was just doing my job, I didn’t know what they were going to do with what I built!”
“Like fuck you did, you piece of shit. You knew what you were creating.” 
Who was this man? What did he want with your husband? You didn’t have time to ponder before the horror of Ruben crawling across the floor sent you over the edge. You clasped a hand over your mouth to stifle your scream. He was covered in blood, his perfect face bruised.
Pounding footsteps echoed across the room, and one enormous hand reached down and grabbed the collar of Ruben’s shirt, pulling him back out of your sight. The mystery man’s hands were red, blood red. 
“Oh no you don’t. You’re comin’ with me, pal.” 
Ruben squealed and retched. 
You slunk out from behind the bedroom door and tiptoed down the hallway, your back against the wall. 
“Where are you taking me?” Ruben’s voice sounded weaker and weaker.
“To Hell, where you belong.”
You took a deep breath, tears streaming down your face, before peeping around the corner into the living room. Ruben was on the floor, and the man… 
No. Not a man. A monster. 
He had his back to you, but he was so tall his head nearly scraped the popcorn ceilings. Not only were his hands red, but his whole body. He was frighteningly muscular, and you knew he could snap you and your husband in two with one finger. Everything caved in around you and your vision darkened. A hole grew within you and you felt yourself sinking into it. 
The monster dragged your husband over to a circle with strange etchings on the floor, hoisting him up to stand straight. Suddenly, the circle lit up. 
You knew at once what was happening. And this demon was not about to take the only thing that mattered to you in life to hell. Without thinking, you sprinted to your husband. Time slowed down as you ran, like you were treading water. You knocked Ruben out of the way in a split second, and he fell on the ground, out of the circle. You spun around and caught a flash of the demon’s horrid, snarling face. His eyes bore into your soul, then widened at the realization of what you’d just done as a flash of light spread throughout the living room. The place you had come to call home faded away as a ribbon of white strangled you and carried you off.
Chapter Two
You awoke to a strange scent. It was not the candlewick smell of home, but of ash and dust and smoke.
Coughing, you sat up. Wherever you were, it was suffocatingly dark.
“Finally. Thought you’d never wake up,” a familiar gruff voice snarled.
Footsteps echoed before bright light tore into your eyes. You leaned back, covering your face with your hands. 
“Up and at ‘em, sunshine.”
“Wh-where am I?” Your voice sounded so tired.
“Take a look around, princess.” 
You opened your eyes. A dingy motel room. You felt the scratchy covers beneath you. Dust covered every inch of the place.
You looked up, and saw it standing menacingly at the windows, hand on the ugly burgundy curtains.
You wanted to scream, but the sound got caught in your dry throat.
“Don’t scream. I’ve had enough torture for one day.”
“Why did you bring me here? What have you done with my husband?!” 
“Your husband,” the demon growled, “is at an emergency hospital getting his wounds treated. He’ll recover.”
You took a deep breath as a wave of relief crashed into you. All that mattered was that Ruben was safe and away from this thing. Whatever torture he would undoubtedly inflict upon you, you could handle it. But not your Ruben.
“What do you want with me?”
“What do I–” He leaned back and laughed, a dark harrowing sound. “I didn’t even know you existed before last night. You weren’t exactly part of my plan, princess.”
You shuddered at the nickname. “Don’t call me that again.”
“Or what?” He crossed his arms. Thick black hairs sprawled up across them, contrasting against his blood red skin. 
He was awfully well dressed for a demon, you had to admit. A white button down shirt that he had rolled up to his elbow, and tight black pants and black dress shoes. 
“Staring me up and down, eh? Isn’t that considered rude where you come from?” he challenged. 
Your mind fogged up. You weren’t clear headed enough to be sparring words with a demon. 
“But to answer your question,” he moved away from the window, pacing about the tiny motel room, “I have no clue what the fuck I’m going to do with you.” His eyes sparked fiery red. “I only was approved for one trip to Earth to carry out my plan, and I come back with the wrong guy. Do you know how much paperwork I had to file just to come back empty-handed?” 
You paused to think. “Then what did you want with my husband?”
“That’s not exactly information I can just give out, princess. Oops–” he raised his fingers to his mouth in feigned innocence. “Forgot you don’t like to be called that.”
You looked down at your lap. Your hands were bloodstained, you presumed from when you had pushed Ruben out of the way.
“How did I get here?”
“You fainted on the portal ride over. Been knocked out ever since.”
“I meant— in the bed.”
He fell silent. “Well, I didn’t just wanna drag ya. I’m not a monster.”
So he carried you. Great.
“I still don’t really know where I am.” You tried to look out the window, but it was too bright outside to make out anything other than white dust. “In the desert somewhere?”
“Kinda. You’re at the border between worlds.”
Your eyes bugged out. “What?!”
“Don’t worry. You’re still safe, at least here you are.”
You shot up out of bed, thankful to see you still had your robe and slippers on. “What do you mean, border between worlds? Am I still on Earth? Is this hell? Purgatory?”
“A purgatory of sorts, I suppose.”
You marched your way over to the window. It was just, nothing. Blank. White. 
“This is the inspection point between Earth and the other worlds,” he explained, turning around to face outside. “Peaceful, yeah?”
“No! Not peaceful! Where is— anything!” You pressed your face up against the windowpane. Dust caked up on your skin.
“There is a diner nearby. I’ll take you there.”
“A diner? In this hell?”
“Oh, trust me. Hell ain’t nothin’ like this, hon.” 
Tears welled up in your eyes. “I just wanna go home…”
“Welp, you made your decision last night when you jumped into my portal at the last second.”
“I was only trying to save my husband!” You faced him, standing up on your tippy-toes to be taller. It was the first time you’d really gotten a close up look at his face. His nose and mouth were turned upward in a permanent sneer. His eyes were dark, black, cold. Although you could have sworn at some point you’d seen them burn fiery red. His hair was jet black, slicked back with gel and neatly combed. And of course his face was just the awfullest shade of blood red. 
“That was your first mistake.” He gnashed his fangs together and then tore away from you. 
You scoffed. 
“Come on, get dressed,” you heard him say from behind.
“With what? It’s not like I—” You turned around. The demon opened a wardrobe full of the most magnificent clothes you’d ever seen. They were just dazzling, a rainbow of different colors. Within the backdrop of the dingy room, it was like a butterfly batting its iridescent wings against the hood of a rusty old truck.
“I figured you probably had pretty extravagant taste, at least based off of that ridiculous robe and slippers.” 
You pretended not to hear him calling your outfit ridiculous as you rushed over to the clothes. “Did you just go out and buy these?” You felt the fabric of each and every one of them.
“Nope. Conjured them up.”
“Oh my goodness! Thank—”
You caught yourself and let go of the fabric. “Wait. No.” This had to be some kind of trick. You took a few steps back from him and the wardrobe. “This isn’t right. You tried to kill my husband last night and I want to know why.”
“Like I said, princess—”
You shriveled up your face.
“That’s not something I can just reveal to anybody.”
“Then why are you treating me to all these clothes? Why take me to eat at a diner? Why not just kill me here and now?!”
“I have to have a permit to go out and kill people, sweetheart. And you aren’t exactly worth the paperwork. I have no reason to kill you.”
“Oh, but my husband was fair game?”
He gave you a long hard look over before licking his lips and stuffing his hulk hands in his pockets. “You don’t know the first thing about your husband, do you? Tell me, what does he do for work?”
“He—” Your face softened.
“That’s what I thought.” He moved away from the wardrobe, to the other side of the room. “You are just an innocent bystander who happened to get caught in my portal. It would not look good on my record for me to kill you, so I won’t. I’ll just make the most of our time together while I figure out what the fuck I’m gonna do with you.” 
Your breaths quickened. “So, I’m just— just supposed to live with you?”
“Don’t worry, I have a nice spot picked out for us.” You thought you saw the slightest smirk on his face.
Your features mushed together, and for the first time since meeting this demon, you screamed.
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myokk · 3 months ago
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before it felt like a sin, ch. 2
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ch.1
pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC
word count: 6900
summary: Eloise never wanted to be different.
And yet, her differences are what have defined her life up until this point: growing up as a squib in one of the most prominent wizarding families, being exiled to muggle society, and then attending Hogwarts at the age of sixteen.
She finds herself thrust into the life she should have been prepared for from birth but was denied. As she navigates this new life and her new precarious position in her family, she must come to terms with the fact that maybe what she dreamed of her whole life isn't turning out how she ever expected it would.
a/n: here's chapter 2!! I just wanted to add these amazing beautiful drawings I look back on allllllll the time, by @kay9leo 🥹🫶 I LOVE YOU SO MUCH !!!!! 😙💓😙💓😙💓
I also want to reiterate that this fic is REALLY CANON DIVERGENT!!!!! I will NOT be following the game’s plot at all really with this (it really starts to diverge around chapter 6/7 maybe I don’t remember), and I don’t see Eloise as the game’s MC either.
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Things were definitely not going as planned…not that Eloise had really known what to expect. Almost from the moment the portkey had brought her to meet Professor Fig, it seemed like everything had gone from bad to worse.
And it had all started out so well. He had handed her the provisional wand, and upon contact the magic coursing through her had been exhilarating. Finally Eloise was able to experience what she had dreamed of for so long. All too soon, however, she was putting the wand to use in ways she hadn’t imagined. Watching Mr. Ospric die had made her blood run cold but then she didn’t have the luxury of processing the shock as so much was happening at once and there was a dragon and death and then…another portkey? Before she knew it, she was fighting some sort of sentient guardians in some mysterious Gringott’s vault and there was concrete proof of the goblin uprising…it was simply too much to take in at once.
Now, she was standing in front of the ornate entrance to a room Professor Fig had called the “Great Hall”. He checked the pocketwatch inside his robes again, and muttered (more to himself than anything) “hopefully the sorting is still going on…” and then in a louder voice as he glanced at Eloise - “come along then, young Eloise!”
He peered more closely at her then, taking in her pale appearance and added in a kinder tone, “I’m sure you’re hungry. We’ll just head in and get you sorted into your house, and then an early night for the both of us. Don’t worry about the things that were lost in the attack - I’m sure one of your new housemates will share her things with you until they are replaced.”
With that, he pushed open the doors and ushered her in. In any normal circumstances, Eloise was sure that she would have been absolutely in awe of the breathtaking appearance that greeted her. It was simply…for lack of a better word, magical. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the night sky above the castle, stars glimmering through the wispy purple clouds that covered the ceiling. There were thousands of candles floating in the air, illuminating the hall in a soft, golden light.
She couldn’t focus on any of that.
As soon as Fig opened the double doors, the low chatter that filled the Great Hall slowly faded as everyone turned to look at who had entered. Eloise froze. Hundreds of faces all staring at her, filled with curiosity.
Judging her.
They must all know that she was a squib and didn’t actually belong there.
No. She had proved her magical capabilities earlier that day, albeit in a different manner than she had expected. She deserved to be here just as much as they did.
The teacher at the far end of the hall was saying something and the students surrounding her had begun to whisper amongst themselves. There was so much buzzing in her ears that she didn’t hear a word that was said. Then, a familiar voice - how in the world could it still be familiar after so much time? - broke through the fog and her head turned sharply to the side at the noise.
“Eloise?”
Her gaze met familiar hazel eyes as Leo quickly stood up, taking a step towards her before he caught himself and stayed where he was. If the shock hadn’t already been apparent enough in his voice, one look at his expression told Eloise everything. He hadn’t had any idea that she had been accepted to Hogwarts. After she had been burned off of the family tree by her mother, it was like she didn’t exist anymore. Of course he hadn’t known that she would be there.
Leo had changed since Eloise last saw him. Of course he did, she thought to herself. It had been five years, after all. The same unruly black curls, same eyes. And yet…he almost seemed a stranger to her. He was taller, face more angular and defined than it had been at thirteen. Voice deeper. But, the expression of vulnerability and guilt written all over his face was something she recognized well. It was the same expression that he had had the last time he saw her, the face she sometimes saw before falling asleep. Just as quickly as it flashed across his face however, it was gone, hidden behind a stony exterior. His expression hardened and he sat down just as quickly as he had stood up, quickly averting his eyes. The people around him were looking between them curiously, but before Eloise could even begin to process this new situation, she felt a gentle push on her shoulder.
Professor Fig had been talking to her. “…the Sorting Hat. You need to go up and get sorted into your house.”
She looked up at him and realized that he was gesturing to the front of the Great Hall, vaguely recalling how Leo had described the sorting ceremony in his first letter home from Hogwarts. Everyone was still staring.
Well, let them, she thought. Eloise tossed her braid over her shoulder and lifted her head high, straightening her posture in the meantime. Did it matter if everyone was staring at her? She determined that if people were going to be whispering about her, speculating about her, she would give them something to talk about. About the girl who was admitted in her fifth-year at Hogwarts. The girl who surpassed them all.
Eloise shook off Professor Fig’s hand and walked to the raised platform, where there was a stool and a professor waiting with an ancient wizarding hat in her hands. As Eloise sat down, a semicircle of professors behind her and the tables of students in front of her, the hat was placed on top of her head. It was so formless and well-worn that the faded fabric slid over her eyes and she was surrounded by darkness.
Hmm…interesting, a voice purred in her mind. Eloise jumped at the sound. Don’t worry, dear. I won’t hurt you, although I suppose that not everyone would say that. My, my. You have had a rough go of things, haven’t you?
It’s not often I get to sort a new fifth-year student. She realized that it was the hat talking to her. Always much more interesting, you see. The first-years are always fun because I get to see their potential and who they will turn out to be, but even that can be fallible sometimes. People are shaped by their experiences.
An older student, though? Someone closer to the person they will be, with more experiences that have shaped them? Oh yes, these are the ones I like the most.
Wait, thought Eloise. You’ve sorted others like me before?
Oh yes. A pause. The voice purred in her ear. I can see the hunger for knowledge in you. But…Ravenclaw seems too simplistic. Behind the intelligence lies great ambition. A desire to prove yourself. Prove you belong. Yes, you may have had a rough life but you have managed to use what’s around you to your advantage. So, you must be a…
“SLYTHERIN!”
Eloise started at the sudden shout, realizing that it must have been out loud. As the hat was pulled off of her head, she could see the students at the table at the far end of the hall, the one Leo was at, break into furious whispers amongst each other. The teacher with her smiled kindly and pointed Eloise in their direction. “That’s the Slytherin table, dear. Once you sit down, we can begin eating.”
Eloise got up numbly and slowly walked towards the table. The whispering got louder as she neared it, and the students kept shooting her glances. Most seemed simply curious about the new, older student who had just been sorted into Slytherin, but others looked at her with hostility. Two students moved aside and motioned to her.
“Figured you would rather sit with us than the first years.”
The girl who spoke gave her an appraising look, taking in her muggle clothing and mussed-up hair. Eloise sat down next to her, nervously smoothing her hands over her skirt. Now that the sorting was over and she was actually interacting with her future classmates, she felt exhausted and completely unable to keep up her facade of nonchalance.
“I was going to ask if you like quidditch but…judging by your clothes -“
“Gods, Imelda,” came a drawling voice to Eloise’s left. “Can’t you give the poor girl a break? Not even one second at our table and you’re already trying to recruit her for the team.”
The boy who spoke gave an amused look to Imelda before turning to Eloise. “You’ll want to watch out for that one - if she even gets a whiff of the fact you can fly a broom, she’ll be out to recruit -“
“It’s not my fault!” Imelda interrupted forcefully, smacking her hands on the table and leaning over Eloise to talk to him. “Our best players all graduated last year and I have it cut out for me -“
“- you to the Slytherin team,” the boy concluded, ignoring Imelda’s heated protests. She sat back with a huff and crossed her arms. “Just ignore her. It’s what we’ve found works best. I’m Sebastian Sallow and this is Ominis Gaunt. Two people you will actually want to spend time with.”
He stuck his tongue out at Imelda as he held his hand out to Eloise. The boy across from them snickered quietly to himself as he listened to Imelda splutter in denial. Eloise shook Sebastian’s hand hesitantly. “Eloise. And actually,” she added, turning to Imelda, “I do know what quidditch is. Unfortunately, I’ve never ridden a broom though.”
That got Imelda going again, this time about how it was absolutely impossible that someone could know about the existence of quidditch without ever touching a broom. She seemed to be of the opinion that knowing of its existence meant an undying desire to learn how to play. “So you’re not a mudblood, then? Oh, who am I kidding - of course you’re not. We’re in Slytherin, after all. But how…”
Fortunately, food started appearing on the table before Imelda could finish her thought. It was enough to move her attention from Eloise as she began to pile different foods on her plate. To be quite honest, Eloise was relieved. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to tell others about her circumstances, especially during this first night before she knew anyone. Would they think differently of her if they knew that she had been disowned from her family and presumed a squib?
Who was she kidding? Of course everyone would judge her for that. Besides, she knew she wanted to talk to Leo before revealing anything - maybe he could help her get a feel for how to approach the situation. If he wanted to even associate with her, that is. Once again, the thought passed through her mind that he could have changed through the years, just as she had. Their parents could be quite persuasive, and more often than not the two siblings had learned that it was easier to go along with them than against.
Leo had grown up with the adoration of their parents, showing magical prowess at the young age of three, when his favorite toys started following him around in a little parade. Eloise, on the other hand…as the years passed and she still wasn’t showing signs of anything at all, not even a measly show of a sneeze blowing her away, their parents started working to distance the siblings from each other. It hadn’t been very effective and yet…without her presence, she could see him moving on in his life. Just as she had tried to do.
A sharp poke to her side. Eloise jumped and looked at Sebastian. “Aren’t you going to eat anything? You need to grab the good things before they’re gone - it’s every man out for himself during the feasts.”
She looked around and, sure enough, the food on the plates was steadily going down. It all looked absolutely delicious - mountains of meat, bread, puddings…her stomach growled loudly as she took it all in. Eloise hurriedly started putting the closest food to her on her plate, reaching over to give herself a heaping serving of mashed potatoes on the side. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” he replied after swallowing the food he was eating. “I’m sure you’ve had a long day if you arrived that late to the sorting ceremony. As you walked up to the stool, Ominis and I had a bet about which house you would be sorted into. I told him, after my first glance at you, that I could tell you’d be one of us, but unfortunately, he - “
“Hey! I can hear you,” Ominis said from across the table, leaning forward slightly. Eloise realized that he was blind - his eyes had no pupils at all. His gaze was unfocused but his head turned in her direction. He explained, “I could only sense your form as you walked down the Hall. And, for the record, before Sebastian can say otherwise, I said I could tell you would be a Slytherin. Will the blind jokes ever get old?”
“As long as I have breath in my body - hey!”
Ominis had thrown a roll at Sebastian’s head which, surprisingly, hit its mark.
“I might not be able to see what just happened, but I know that I’ve just won,” Ominis said smugly, returning his attention to his plate.
Eloise just sat there, not really knowing how to react. This time, it was Imelda’s turn to say, “just ignore them. Luckily, we won’t need to see much more of them as the feast’s finishing up.” She wrinkled her nose in Sebastian’s direction, a gesture that was swiftly returned. Even though she had just met the three of them, Eloise couldn’t help but feel happy just listening to their back-and-forth. She did feel a twinge of…something, though, knowing that she could have been with them since their first year, if only her magic had shown itself sooner.
Mountains of dessert started to replace the remnants of the dinner: plum pudding, lemon tarts, cakes…it was more dessert in one place than Eloise had ever seen in her life. None of the students held back at all trying to get their favorites, especially if it was at the expense of another. The atmosphere was electric - everyone was excited to be back among their friends and catch up over everything that had happened the summer before, and Eloise was happy to just be among them.
She reached for a lemon tart, and when she looked up, she saw that Leo was staring at her intently. He looked away as soon as they made eye contact, but the moment didn’t go past Imelda’s notice.
“Do you know him?” she asked, nodding towards Leo. Eloise flushed and looked down at her plate, nodding reluctantly. She knew as soon as they went through role call the next day, everyone would know that she was a Babbit.
“Yes, he’s…er -“
Eloise broke off, grabbing the nearest goblet of pumpkin juice and drinking the whole thing in one go. When she came up for air, Imelda was still looking at her expectantly. Eloise took a deep breath and tried continuing, but… “I’m not really sure,” is all that came out of her mouth.
Imelda furrowed her brow, clearly trying to figure out how that answer made sense and Eloise wasn’t about to clarify for her. Although it wouldn’t be long before it got out that they were siblings, she wasn’t sure how much she wanted these new acquaintances to know about her at the moment. She had had enough pitying looks to last her a lifetime, and she just knew that once they found out she had been a squib…
“Hey Sebastian,” a pretty blonde girl said, leaning towards the group. She shot Eloise a curious glance but quickly looked back at her target. “Where’s Anne? Is she still gone this year? What a pity…the two of you are…were…sewn together at the hip and I was looking forward to finally being the one who gets between the two of you this year.” At this, the girls surrounding her started tittering and she flipped her hair over her shoulder and pouted. “I thought there would be more of a challenge. But if you’re going to be the changed Sebastian again this year…”
“Who’s…” Eloise trailed off as she saw Sebastian’s expression. It had changed into something almost unrecognizable - at least, to someone who had only known him for all of forty-five minutes. He was looking at the girl with a mixture of barely-controlled fury and…something else that Eloise couldn’t quite place. She shrank away from him as she took in his stricken expression.
“She’s still sick,” he said shortly as he stood up. His hands bunched into tight fists and his body was shaking. Sebastian quickly turned and stormed down the hall. They all watched him go in silence; once he left, the blonde girl turned to Ominis.
“Gods, what’s his problem? So what if she misses a few days of school?” She looked around at everyone, pouting. “You all know I’m right. Last year he was a mess but he should be getting over it by now.”
“You always speak before thinking, Victoria,” Ominis said tersely, getting up. “One of these days, it’s going to get you in trouble. If you keep this up, when that happens nobody will be around to help you pick up the pieces.” With that, he strode away after Sebastian.
Eloise blinked and looked around. The rest of the students were starting to get up and slowly move towards their respective common rooms having finished their dessert, and the prefects were starting to herd the first-years along. Victoria laughed weakly and turned to her friends, effectively ignoring Eloise and Imelda as if they weren’t there. “I think the summer holidays have made people extra sensitive this year. I honestly don’t know what their problem is.”
“Come on, then,” said Imelda, shooting Victoria a dirty look. “Let’s head to the dorms.”
Eloise stood up and started following Imelda’s lead. She was parting the students with ease as she walked through the crowd. Her strides were so long that Eloise had to half-jog to keep up with her. “Our common room is in the dungeons,” Imelda said, looking over her shoulder at Eloise. “The other houses are creeped out by it, but they haven’t actually seen it. You’ll see.”
Because of how quickly Imelda strode through the corridors and down the stairs, Eloise didn’t have much time to take in the rest of the castle. She did however realize that they were winding through the corridors in such a way that she would be hopelessly lost if Imelda weren’t with her. The two of them arrived at the Slytherin common room well before the other students due to Imelda’s fast pace. As they entered the common room after saying the correct password - basilisk - Eloise couldn’t help but look around in wonder. There was light piano music playing in the background - Chopin, Eloise thought she recognized it from her piano lessons at the muggle school. Even though the overall tones of the place were cool - blues and greens filtering through the tall glass windows and from the lamps, the checkered marble floors and columns giving off an air of cold elegance - the beautiful rugs and happily crackling fires made it all come together and seem oddly cozy. Various tables and desks were scattered around the space, and comfortable looking armchairs and couches crowded around low tables. Eloise could just picture it teeming with students studying after class or hanging out on the weekends. She knew that it was a place that could finally feel like home to her.
“I tried, Ominis,” came a hushed whisper from near the windows. Imelda and Eloise froze at the entrance to the common room and glanced at each other. “I just can’t do it. I know what you and Anne told me but…”
“Sebastian. Anne doesn’t want you to wallow and waste your time here worrying about her. I know that you’re worried for her. I mean, I am too. You know she’s like a sister to me.”
“You have no idea,” Sebastian interrupted fiercely. His back was hunched over and he was holding his face in his hands. “It should have been me. I can’t live with myself. With this guilt.”
“No, you -“ Ominis cut himself off as the sound of the other students filtering in started to fill the room. The boys abruptly sat up straighter, although they didn’t look at each other. Oblivious to the tension between the two, a group of second-years sat on the sofa right next to them, as they excitedly caught up with each other.
“I’ll show you our room,” Imelda said, turning to Eloise. “It gets pretty crazy here the first night back from any holidays, with everyone catching up. I don’t know about you, but I want to get some sleep! Quidditch tryouts are next week and I already know how exhausting it will be.”
Eloise really was exhausted, and nothing sounded better to her than finally going to sleep. The dorms seemed to be set up so that the stairs going up led to the girls’ dormitories, and the ones going down to the boys’. Imelda explained that it was due to the fact that boys weren’t to be trusted, and the stairs would turn into a slide if any boy attempted to go up them. It wasn’t something that Eloise had even considered, due to the fact that she had just come from an all-girls school, but she flushed at the implication.
As they reached the staircase, they almost crashed into Sebastian. Imelda had been marching towards the stairs with a single-minded determination and Sebastian had been heading towards his with just as much purpose.
Eloise bounced off of his shoulder. She grabbed her own, wincing slightly. He was more solid than he looked. He looked blankly at the two girls before shaking his head and realizing where they were. “Gods, I’m so sorry. I’m just -“ he gave his head another little shake and saw that Eloise was holding her shoulder. “Are you hurt?”
“It’s fine,” Eloise reassured him. She gave a small smile. “I’ve had worse, it’s really nothing.”
“Yeah, yeah,” interrupted Imelda. She shot Sebastian a concerned look. “Go to bed. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Imelda shook her head sadly and the girls resumed their path. “Poor boy. He hasn’t been the same since the summer after our third year. I mean, he was always kind of obsessive, but in a charming way. He was on the quidditch team with me, and always really determined to be the absolute best, always working hard to show all of the other students they don’t even know half as much as he does. That sort of thing, you know? It’s not like he was insufferable, his charm drew everyone to him.”
She held the door open and Eloise walked in. It was a cozy circular room, with five four-poster beds. A small fire in the middle of the room warmed the whole place up, and Eloise was relieved to see it. When Imelda had told her that their dormitory was in the dungeons, she had immediately pictured a dark, cold, slimy space. Only one of the beds didn’t have trunks placed at its foot, and Eloise went straight to it. Her trunk had been lost in the dragon attack. She was relieved to see a nightgown laid on top of the bed and a pair of green slippers neatly lined up on the floor; she hadn’t been sure what she would wear.
Imelda sat down heavily on the bed next to Eloise’s and started unlacing her boots. She continued talking. “Then, in our fourth year, he comes to school after summer holidays. Alone. He hasn’t been the same since. Nobody’s quite sure what’s going on with his sister, except that it’s bad. She’s not expected to live much longer.”
“Oh my god,” breathed Eloise. “I can’t even imagine.”
“Me neither.” Imelda shook her head. “He got into trouble left and right last year, there were even rumors of a duel…I don’t think there was a single week where he didn’t have detention. I mean, I don’t blame him, but - he was taken off the team! This year he better not, I can’t afford to lose my best beater again.”
The girls continued chattering quietly to themselves about other topics as they got ready for the night. Slipping into their nightgowns, braiding each others’ hair, and, finally, slipping under the freshly turned bed covers. Eloise turned towards Imelda and simply whispered, “thank you.” Although they had just met, Eloise felt certain in the knowledge that she had just made her first friend.
Imelda waved her off. “It’s nothing. Get some sleep, the first day of classes is always overwhelming. I can’t even imagine starting as a fifth-year.”
With that, she rolled over and soon Eloise heard her breathing deepen as she fell asleep. She stared at the canopy covering her bed for what seemed like an eternity. The low murmurs of the other girls as they came in and got ready for bed slowly morphed into drowsy good-nights, until finally the room was silent except for the steady tick of a clock and their breathing.
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As tired as she felt, Eloise couldn’t stop the racing of her mind. It felt like the last few days had more action than the entirety of her life. Even though banished had, at the time, been incredibly momentous for her, it paled in comparison to finding out that she actually was a witch and had been admitted to Hogwarts. She had used magic for the first time today. The rush of power that ran through her body when she cast spells was unlike anything else she had ever experienced. It just felt right. Like some part of her that had been hidden away had finally made itself known and she felt whole for the first time. She wondered if everyone else felt that same rush, that same desire to know and master absolutely every aspect of magical knowledge. She had been given a gift that until now had felt like a pathetic little daydream and she wasn’t about to waste it now that she had it.
The clock kept on ticking lazily and still Eloise was awake. She eventually got up and after shrugging on a robe and slipping on the green slippers, headed towards the common room. She and Imelda hadn’t spent much time in it earlier, and she wanted to see it at least once without any people, maybe as a space just for herself.
As it was even later in the night - it must have been around three - the fire had been extinguished and the light filtering through the windows had turned an even deeper shade of emerald green. It covered the mahogany furniture with an eerie light, as if Eloise had stepped into some strange underworld instead of the empty Slytherin common room. She trailed her hand along the velvet back of a sofa, mesmerized by the stark contrast of the green highlights and black shadows as her hand moved. Lazily twirling a globe as she walked past, the room silent except for her muffled footsteps.
It was precisely the silence that absorbed her completely. Being alone had always been her favorite thing; there was just something so special about being the only person in a place, feeling as if you were the only holder of some great secret. Eloise made her way towards the tall glass windows as if in a dream, not really noticing anything of her surroundings and yet taking it all in. The feeling of being there.
When she heard the soft voice she nearly jumped out of her skin.
“You couldn’t sleep either?”
Eloise whirled towards the voice, feeling as if her heart was about to burst through her chest. The student - a male - was sitting by one of the windows. Since the only light source was the windows, his face was entirely shrouded in black. Eloise was suddenly very aware of how indecently she was dressed to be outside of her dormitory. The sudden change from complete, eerie tranquility was shattered and she wrapped her robe more tightly around her, keeping her arms hugged around her body.
“Who -“
The boy straightened up, tilting his head back toward the window and, with the aid of the green light, Eloise saw that it was Ominis.
“What are you doing down here, Ominis? You almost gave me a heart attack! You’re sitting in the shadows and I thought I was alone.”
“I could ask the same of you,” he said simply, the hint of an amused smirk gracing his features. “And, might I add, I didn’t mean to scare you on purpose. I thought you were purposely walking towards me. For all I know, it could be the break of dawn and I’m basking in the early rays of the sun.”
Eloise’s jaw dropped open in mortification. She had completely forgotten that he was blind. “How did you know that I was walking towards you?” She clapped her hands over her mouth in horror, the words leaving before she could stop them. What was wrong with her? With her sudden movement, her robes had fallen open again, revealing her nightgown, but she was too distraught over possibly having offended Ominis than continuing to follow the rules of propriety. “Oh Merlin’s beard, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
He just huffed quietly. They hadn’t spoken much at dinner, and Eloise was positive that he was angry with her. Maybe he had only acknowledged her presence because his best friend had seen fit to talk with her. Growing up blind, it would make sense for him to be sensitive to any comments regarding it…her face was flushed with mortification and guilt, and she slowly started backing away. Eloise figured it was better to just end the whole encounter being ruder still by making a hasty retreat, than to put her foot in her mouth once again and risk offending him more.
“No, wait,” Ominis said as soon as he realized she was walking away. His voice was choked with emotion and it seemed difficult for him to get the words out. Eloise froze and looked at him. His whole body was shaking, and she couldn’t tell if he was angry or…
Was he laughing?
“I might be blind, but I’m not deaf. In this silence, I would have been able to notice if anyone had entered the room even if they were trying to be sneaky, which you certainly were not. Stay, if you want.”
Eloise hesitated, then took the seat across from Ominis in the window. She nervously smoothed her nightgown over her legs. “Just so you know, you’re completely in shadow. If you hadn’t said anything, I probably would have walked right past you without realizing that you were here too.”
“I’ll choose a better spot to sit next time then, when I can’t fall asleep in the middle of the night,” he replied seriously. If not for the fact that he had just been teasing her, she would have thought that he was really taking what she said into consideration. “You never answered my original question. You can’t sleep?”
Eloise shook her head, then quickly added, “no. So much has happened these last few days…my brain always has a hard time turning off. Especially after a day like today.”
Ominis hummed in understanding, tilting his head towards her. The green light filtering through the water danced over his gaunt features, making his cheekbones and the dark circles under his eyes more prominent. His pupil-less eyes glowed eerily in the light. “I can only imagine. You arrived late to the sorting, and your aura was very unnerving as you stepped into the Great Hall. I immediately knew something was extraordinary about you.”
“My…aura?”
“Yes. I might not be able to see, but my wand does it for me. It’s hard to explain but…I can sense the people around me. I can’t make out features, but everyone has their own unique aura radiating from them. Yours is…different.”
Different? It must have something to do with the fact she hadn’t had any magical ability until recently. Maybe it was stunted or…maybe her aura was different due to the stress of the day.
“I saw someone murdered in front of me today,” Eloise blurted out before she could stop herself. Ominis didn’t look surprised by her sudden outburst, he merely remained still as he waited for Eloise to continue. “It was…shocking. A dragon came out of nowhere and just ripped our carriage in half, taking Mr. Osric with it. The worst part is…I’m-I’m shocked because it happened. But I’m not sad. I don’t feel the horror I think I should be feeling, and that is more horrifying to me. When I was lying in bed, the events of today kept replaying in my mind on a loop and I kept on trying to make myself feel the correct emotions. But I couldn’t. Something inside of me is broken.”
Eloise looked down at her hands, fingers wringing and untwisting together in her lap. She tried to force herself to sit as still as Ominis, but it was impossible. She couldn’t believe how easy it was to unload all of this onto a stranger, but he didn’t seem to mind listening. There was silence for a few minutes, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. Eloise peeked at Ominis from under her lashes. The boy appeared to be deep in thought.
“I couldn’t sleep either,” he finally said. “It’s normal for me, though. I also have a hard time turning off my thoughts, especially at night. This little corner of the common room feels like mine, in a sense. I’ve been coming here to think since I was a first-year. Maybe I subconsciously chose this place because, if you’re right, it’s more hidden than the rest. Nobody will see me if they’re sneaking around late at night, and it’s so peaceful.”
“That I can agree with,” said Eloise. “I actually came down here to see what it was like when it’s empty. I don’t quite know how to explain it, but this place already feels like home to me. A far sight better than the place I left behind. Places.”
“If you want me to leave, I’m fine with giving up my hiding place for a worthy cause.”
“No,” Eloise said quickly. “I…I like having you here. With me. It means I don’t have to be alone with my thoughts.”
Ominis smiled and tilted his head, not quite looking at her in that odd way of his. “It’s nice, talking to you. Most people avoid me. I can’t imagine why.”
Eloise huffed in quiet laughter. They sat in silence for a while longer, until Ominis broke it again. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. But…am I correct in guessing that you and Leo Babbit know each other?”
Eloise’s breath hitched in her throat. She still wasn’t sure how much of her past she wanted people to know…but she also knew that as soon as the day broke the castle would be swirling with rumors. And, as much as she hated the thought, the truth would come out one way or another. She had been lucky enough so far…her name hadn’t been said at the sorting due to the unusual circumstances. But, come morning, everyone would put the pieces together once her name was called out by a teacher.
She could test the waters with someone like Ominis, who seemed like the sort of fellow who would take it in stride.
“I…like I said, you don’t have to tell me,” Ominis said softly.
“No! No, it’s fine,” Eloise assured him. “It’s…complicated. I would prefer if it never came out but…if the school I was at before is any indication, everyone will know by lunch tomorrow regardless of if I say anything or not.” She took a deep breath, steadying herself. “My full name is Eloise Babbit. Leo is my brother.”
Ominis showed no reaction. It gave her the strength to continue.
“I was rejected by my family. As the years went by and I still wasn’t showing any signs of magic, I was ignored by my parents in favor of Leo. When my eleventh year came and went without any acceptance letter to Hogwarts, I had to come to terms with the fact that I was actually a squib. Up until then, I had held onto the hope and the day I lost that, I lost everything. I was banished and burned off of the family tree, like I never existed. Until a few days ago, I was learning how to become a perfect muggle wife at one of their horrid finishing schools. My family had already prepared a marriage for me to a prominent muggle family, reasoning that I could at least give them important connections.” She spat that last word out. Even speaking the words was a bitter reminder of the life she had almost led. “Based on Leo’s reaction, he definitely didn’t know that I had been admitted to Hogwarts. I don’t even know what’s worse: if my parents knew and decided not to tell him, or if the fact that I was burned off the family tree means that they wouldn’t have received a notification.”
She stared at her hands again. What was it about this boy that made her want to unload everything to him? Yes, he had asked her about it, but she still felt guilty for talking to him at all. Like somehow, telling him would make it his problem as well.
“If there’s anyone in this school who understands the horrors of one’s family, it’s me,” he said. Eloise looked up at him in surprise. He chuckled quietly, as if he could see her expression. “My family are direct descendants of Salazar Slytherin. Absolutely stark-raving mad, pureblood fanatics. We’ve gotten quite reclusive in the past hundred years or so, and don’t have much contact with the outside world. Your family’s inbreeding resulted in fear of giving birth to a potential squib. Mine, in the form of a useless, blind son who has no interest in continuing their crazy beliefs. I guess you could say we are two kindred souls. Maybe that’s what your aura was trying to tell me earlier this evening.”
“I guess so,” Eloise replied. Both could tell that the other wasn’t saying everything on their mind, but she wanted to give him the same comfort he had offered her and decided not to pry. “Thank you, Ominis.”
He inclined his head towards her and then moved his unseeing gaze to the large stained glass window. They sat there for quite some time, at least it felt that way to Eloise. The passage of time seemed not to exist as she and Ominis sat there, deep inside their own thoughts. Formless shadows danced behind the window, their regular movements helping to calm her thoughts. After what seemed like an eternity, Eloise found herself stifling a yawn.
“It seems your day has finally caught up with you,” Ominis said, smiling softly. “I think it’s best if we head to bed. Hogwarts might be more progressive than the muggle school you’ve just escaped, but if anyone sees us here together it would just further the rumors already swirling around you.”
Eloise nodded her assent and stood up slowly. She hadn’t realized how much time they had spent there until she felt the stiffness in her muscles that only comes from remaining still for a very long time. Ominis also got up slowly, gracefully stretching out his long body in the process. As he stood, she saw him grab his wand out of his pocket, and it began glowing a faint red as he walked. That must be how he gets around, she thought to herself. He did say his wind has a mind of its own.
She followed him and they slowly made their way to the two sets of stairs leading to the dormitories. They paused once they were about to part. “Goodnight, Ominis.”
“Goodnight, Eloise. I’ll see you tomorrow. Or rather, I’ll sense your presence later on this morning.” He gave her a faint smile and then turned to head down the stairs leading to his dormitory. Eloise stood there, watching until she couldn’t see the red glow of his wand anymore. With a yawn, she turned towards her room and soon slipped under the covers, sleep finally coming. Before she fell asleep, she had only the fleeting realization that Ominis had not actually answered her question.
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The title is a link to everything on ao3, but just in case you didn’t catch that, here it is🫶
next chapter
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mikedfaist · 5 months ago
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does our beloved reader visit the challengers set? does she get along with josh and zendaya? is there a luca movie in her future? 👀
p.s. you’re the best
holy shit you're literally the best??
Well, where do I begin? Yes, she does visit the Challengers set, but she waits until actual filming begins; she doesn’t want to bother them during training. I can imagine Mike becomes a bit homesick in the first few weeks, and when he gets back to his hotel room, he’ll FaceTime her, and then promptly fall asleep. She’ll stay on the call though while she does laundry and makes dinner and runs errands. He’ll wake up to the sound of her singing in the shower, or sometimes less often, her having fallen asleep too.
I also like to imagine her as British – but obviously imagine her as you’d like – so her and Josh become quick besties. Mike and Zendaya are often the odd ones out whenever she and Josh are together, because it’s nice to have a familiar piece of home in a foreign country. And I imagine it helps him battle his own homesickness.
As for Zendaya, she loves the reader; definitely a fan of hers before they met, and likewise. Zendaya loves having her around, solely for the fact it’s nice to have another girl, because the boys can become a little too much. But she and Z would be in her hotel room watching Sixteen Candles and eating takeout, and the boys would promptly come knocking. It would end with the four of them crammed in Zendaya’s bed, basically all of them fighting over who gets to sit next to the reader. (Mike gets first dibs, obviously).
Luca also loves her. She would gush to him about Suspiria and Call Me by your Name. He’s very adamant about having her in a future film of his, if the role calls for her. She even joked she would be an extra with no lines if it came down to it.
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aemysbabyofficial · 10 months ago
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Sweet Sixteen; Aemond Targaryen x Targaryen!OC
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Daemon Targaryen has eyes. He can see things. He can count. The times he catches his daughter's stray gaze find that of his brother's second son are one too many.
Warnings: Daemon being observant; doubt; parental worries/anxiety
Note: This is my very first House of the Dragon work, so please read and accept it with a grain of salt. I'm working this to be part one of series involving different characters and my main girl, Saela Targaryen. If you wish for the fic to be longer or more detailed, PLEASE comment (or heart...) because I love to hear feedback. Heehee:)
Sixteen times.
Daemon was sure of himself. He knew how to count. Hells, he was in charge of the mightiest battalions of men there was. Of course he needed to be sure of himself and know how to count beyond his fingers. But he was a soldier, a warrior to the bone, who could not show emotion. He could not allow his enemies the smallest chance to see him break.
A pure sixteen just now.
His eyes flitted across the table. His tongue glistened over his teeth as he leaned his body back. The wooden and metal armrests melded the leather of his top to his skin. The heat his body radiated burned in the cool evening, but any release of heat was stopped by the stone walls around him. His eyes, gleaming in the candles flame, could shoot out fire if he wished. To be uncomfortable here was an insult. Daemon fought and slayed thousands of men on countless battlefields, and he wasn’t the slightest uncomfortable there. Why now here did he feel trapped under the Red Keep’s stone walls?
Between the start of the Driftmark hearings and the dreadful dinner he was forced to sit at, Daemon counted sixteen times he caught his brother's second son staring at his youngest daughter. Bile from breaking his fast earlier sat pretty in his throat.
How coincidental! Daemon could have laughed at the epiphany he received. His third child, his sweet Saela, had just passed her sixteenth nameday not long ago and from word her sworn protector shared with him, Ser Jorys swore the young lady was celebrated around the Keep in the Greens tight arms and packed feasts.
From where Saela sat at the opposite end of the table, across the vast wood and candles sat the lilac trance the One-Eyed Prince. Daemon's shrugged his shoulders when he glanced back at his daughter. Among the chatter and movement of servants, her round eyes found the one eye. The corner of her lip trembled into a hesitant smile. Even if she tried to break eye-contact and laugh with Baela or Lucerys, Saela's attention always travelled back to the prince. Aemond had not said a word to either of them that day yet felt it in his childish stupor to throw manners aside and gouge the young lady right in front of her father. If Rhaenyra wasn't bracing his thigh under the table, Daemon would have picked the boy's remaining eye with his fork.
"Please just be cordial. For your brother, please."
His wife had begged him before the dinner. Yes, Rhaenyra understood the adrenaline of emotions were high after blood was spilled in the throne room. But if she wanted her father to dine in peace with his entire family, she had to tame her husband's lashes of fire first.
"I have not seen her in months. How I act is out of the question when it comes to her."
Rhaenyra only blew out her woes in a sigh before pacing around their room. “If you cause a mess, what do you think will happen to her?” She could only say and do so much for Daemon to understand. But as a mother herself, she could not imagine loosing any of her children to their enemy.
All Daemon did was scoff an answer. Of course I'll be cordial, the expression translated. He was cordial when he was finally reunited with his youngest daughter. He was cordial when Baela and Rhaena sung their wishes and roared their stories to their baby sister in the Red Keep's halls. He was cordial when the Princess Helaena lingered in the background, waiting for a clear moment to pounce on his child, steal and hide her under Green tapestries and shadows.
"Father."
Saela couldn't hold back her smile in front of him. The corners of Daemon's lips trembled when they held each other's hands. Before he could say a word, Saela flung her arms around his neck and clung to him. The train of her gold dress looked magical when he spun her around. But even in the Green's clothes, Saela was still his fiery daughter. No matter dress she wore, the flames of the dragon roared in her eyes, burning through all the manners the queen could shove on his daughter. She was pure, confident, and graced the empathetic heart no one in their family had the strength to hold.
Not once had he forgotten his sweet daughter's face when they had to part for Dragonstone. When he held her for the first time in years, his brows creased. Her cheeks had slimmed down. The neckline of her dress was higher than usual, scooping from her shoulders and across her collarbones. The mix of silver and gold hair she loved to wear open was braided like that of his brother's wife.
"Saela." Daemon kissed the crown of her head. He held her to his chest as if she would disappear in a second. In these cold walls, she could vanish before his very eyes. "I hope they've treated you well."
If it wasn't for the sister-wife of the drunken excuse called Aegon, Saela would have travelled back with her family and been  reunited with her Grandsire she missed so much. Daemon loved that part of his daughter—the big heart she carried for everyone in their wretched family. Viserys’ nickname for her was an example of that. Hope of the House.
"But you know Helaena is different, father." Saela lamented the night before her family's departure. For the past days the lolly-minded Helaena had begged Saela to stay with her. "She is closer to me than Baela or Rhaena. And I like her, father. She is sweet, hilarious, and needs a friend. Would you want me to feel guilty for leaving her alone with her nagging overlo--I mean, with the Queen?"
O, Daemon hugged his Saela that night so hard. And though years have past the young lady has remained the same kind heart. Her eyes never casted doubt and her lips never told a lie. The woman she became would make her mother proud.
But something about her lilac stare, hooded by her curly eyelashes, and the smile tugging at the corner of her lips brushed Daemon the wrong way. And it all had to do with that wretched second-son. He was the real reason Saela remained in King's Landing; Daemon told himself. Viserys was too kind to hurt a poor child's heart. Aemond took his injury with a dramatic performance and begged his father for his cousin to stay trapped in the Red Keep. Added with Helaena's dalliances and urgent need for someone to watch her, Viserys probably gave in without second thought.
And now her eyes shine for the boy, not her father.
Her heart beats for another man. A man Daemon would never approve of.
"Father?"
Two voices melted into one snapped Daemon from his thoughts. When he looked up from the burning candle, Rhaena and Saela exchanged looks before glancing to their father.
"Do you want more wine, father?"
Daemon stiffly nodded before a servant refilled his cup. The drink was gone in a flash, coating the prince's already burned throat. The wine ceased to numb his mind and the clasp of Rhaenyra's nails in his thighs was more of a comfort than a reminder. Don't be rash.
How can a father stand by and watch his daughter fall into the pits of doom and not be rash?
The will to lunge his knife into the chest of his brother’s son was a dream Daemon would encounter nights upon nights. Aemond had fallen into the shadows the moment Daemon stepped foot into the keep. The boy hadn’t said a word to the prince and the prince hasn’t questioned where the boy was. It was like the moment they entered the Keep, both men knew of the dangerous game they were about to play—they danced to avoid each other while keeping their sights on the ultimate piece. Saela. The young lady had fallen into a game she never asked to play.
Daemon swore to save his daughter from doom and heartbreak. If he had to bare Dark Sister, Daemon would lay his life if it meant getting rid of the One-Eyed prince. Nothing in this world was to precious when compared to his daughter Saela, not even his own life. The world would have to bend its knee and shed its ocean-wide tears for mercy before Daemon would give her hand to any man--even if it included Aemond Targaryen himself.
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drysdalesworld · 10 months ago
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masterlist ੈ✩‧₊˚
this is my masterlist for this blog! my first blog is @normspellsman if you want to check out my other works! <3
will include hockey & percy jackson related works
request guidelines! <3
♡ = fluff | ☹︎ = angst / no comfort | ✧ = comfort | ♢ = suggestive content | ♠︎ = other | ❦ = requested | ❀ = popular
HOCKEY
Anaheim Ducks —
Trevor Zegras
Imagines:
none!
Blurbs:
none!
Headcanons:
none!
Social Media:
none!
New Jersey Devils —
Nico Hischier
Imagines:
none!
Blurbs:
none!
Headcanons:
none!
Social Media:
none!
Luke Hughes
Imagines:
none!
Blurbs:
none!
Headcanons:
none!
Social Media:
puppy love
Jack Hughes
Imagines:
none!
Blurbs:
none!
Headcanons:
none!
Social Media:
none!
Philadelphia Flyers —
Jamie Drysdale
Imagines:
(pre-trade) always trust the match maker (jamie’s version), part two — ♡ | ☹︎ (ish) | ✧
jamie drysdale x fem!reader ➡︎ in which trevor zegras is the ultimate match maker and proves it to you after your last failed relationship.
sneak peek!
Blurbs:
of puppies & jealousy ( ❦)
in sickness & in health
Headcanons:
none!
Social Media:
ducks, ducks, ducks (pre trade)
completely serious
to the moon & back
summer lovin’
beautiful girl
Series:
hughes + drysdale = 4ever! — ♡ | others tbd
jamie drysdale x fem!hughes!reader ➡︎ the story of jamie drysdale and (y/n) hughes’ relationship told through imagines, blurbs, and social media posts.
Montreal Canadiens
Cole Caufield
Imagines:
none!
Blurbs:
none!
Headcanons:
none!
Social Media:
none!
Kirby Dach
Imagines:
nothing but trouble — ♡ | ☹︎ | ✧
kirby dach x fem!xhekaj!reader ➡︎ in which arber finds out about you & kirby’s relationship. he isn’t very pleased to say the least.
Blurbs:
none!
Headcanons:
none!
Social Media:
none!
Vancouver Canucks
Quinn Hughes
Imagines:
none!
Blurbs:
orange peel theory
Headcanons:
none!
Social Media:
quinn girlie
San Jose Sharks
Macklin Celebrini
Imagines:
none!
Blurbs:
none!
Headcanons:
none!
Social Media:
none!
UMICH
Luca Fantilli
Imagines:
always trust the match maker (luca’s version) — ♡ | ☹︎ (ish) | ✧
luca fantilli x fem!reader ➡︎ in which rutger mcgroarty is the ultimate match maker and proves it to you after your last failed relationship.
Blurbs:
“wait, let me get mark!” ➡︎ luca reacting to the tiktok voicemail prank and somehow getting mark involved.
Headcanons:
none!
Social Media:
my lover — ❦
ALL
Headcanons:
them with a highly energetic child
them with a shy & quiet child — ❦
them with a laboring s/o — ❦
Percy Jackson Universe
Percy Jackson
Imagines:
the sun & it’s shadow — ♡ | ☹︎
percy jackson x platonic!fem!nike!reader ➡︎ the sun needs a shadow, a protégé to continue it’s legacy within it’s presence. the sun can live without its shadow, but it’s shadow cannot live without its sun.
Blurbs:
none!
Headcanons:
“why are you hanging halfway out your window?” ( ❦ ) ➡︎ in which percy, thalia, & nico catch reader sneaking out to see their partner.
Social Media:
sixteen candles
Clarisse La Rue
Imagines:
none!
Blurbs:
none!
Headcanons:
none!
Social Media:
terrorizing & love notes
Luke Castellan
Imagines:
work song — ♡ | ☹︎
luke castellan x fem!nike!reader ➡︎ luke would do anything for you, even give up his years long vengeance plan the minute you ask.
Blurbs:
none!
Headcanons:
none!
Social Media:
none!
Fic Recommendations! <3
Hockey:
you’d know — j. drysdale
author: @ohmyeyesmyeyes
had a smile on my face the entire time i was reading this work. it’s so cute & made me giggle 🎀
hey, i can be your boyfriend! — n. hischier
author: @theemporium
the fake dating trope is my literal weakness & never fails to make go absolutely feral. i loved how nico was super respectful of reader yet didn’t let jackson & his shit slide at all. the scene where nico picks reader up after the football/soccer game literally had me foaming at the mouth. their works never fail to make me feel some type of way i swear 💓
PJO:
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jellyfishbeansontoast · 1 year ago
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10 things I hate about you
I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair
ok this is the first part of the series so i hope you enjoy!! a massive thank you to @demxters for literally everything to do with this <3 Word count: 1023
“I’m gonna do it” Mike declares at the lunch table, sliding into his usual chair in the process.
“Do what?” Lucas asks. 
Mike looks around quickly before leaning into the group, “Ask her out.”
“Who? El? Good luck with that one.” Dustin teased. 
“What do you mean? Do you not think she’ll say yes?” hurt and insecurity flashes across Mike’s face, his previous confident demeanour disappearing. 
“Oh I’m sure she’ll want to say yes but she’s not allowed until Y/n starts dating, Hopper’s rules.” 
Mike almost chokes on his sandwich “but she’s like really scary, has she ever even dated anyone?” he looks around the group in desperation “Maybe she’ll say yes anyway? Hopper doesn’t have to know?”
“You can try your luck if you want” Dustin nods his head to a vending machine at the back of the cafeteria where El’s standing, cursing at the machine. Mike stands up, anxiously wiping his palms on his trousers before walking towards El. He turns to the group before he reaches her and mouths a hurried ‘wish me luck’.
“Need assistance?” 
“It won’t give me my stuff” she grumbles.
“Yeah you kind of have to-” he shakes the machine until the chocolate bar that was previously teetering over the precipice finally falls to the bottom, he retrieves the bar and hands it over to the now much happier girl in front. 
“Thank you Mikey! I owe you, do you want some?” He’s caught off guard by the nickname, coughing and spluttering in a way he can only imagine is wildly unattractive, just what he needs right now. 
“No, thank you though,” he fidgets with his hands “I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me somewhere-” he takes a nervous breath “like a date?”
“I’d love to,” Mike almost cheers aloud but realises it’s too soon for celebration when he notices her chewing on her lip “but Hopper won’t let me till Y/n starts dating, and there’s no way she’ll date anyone, she’s scared off like every guy who’s ever asked.”  
“I get it, don’t worry about it.” he mumbles, feigning indifference. She smiles apologetically and they begin to make their way to the table, the rest of the group pretending not to have watched the whole interaction. 
“So?” Dustin elbows him in the ribs as soon as Mike sits down, although he’s sure he already knows the answer.
“Hopper” Mike replies in a dejected whisper, careful not to let El hear, after all he doesn’t want her feeling bad for something she can’t control.
Dustin’s face contorts almost as if he’s in pain. “Woah you okay over there?” Lucas calls from the other end of the table, earning a few snorts of laughter from around the table.
“Shut up I’m thinking”
“Oh that’s what that is?”
The curly haired boy holds up a finger in retort, cutting him off from any further rude remarks. “What if-” he begins, a sly smile sneaking onto his face as he looks between El and Mike “we got someone to date Y/n, then according to Hopper’s rule you two would be free to date and we wouldn’t have to hear Mike pining about you anymore.” He directs the last comment towards El. 
Mike hangs his head, a furious blush spreading over his cheeks “I don’t pine.”
“Sure you don’t.” 
“But we don’t have anyone who’ll date Y/n” El points out.
“So quick to doubt my plan” he shakes his head with a playful tut, “Steve.”
“Steve?” comes the incredulous response from everyone around the table, even Will who had refrained from taking part in the plan making so far. 
“What? You don’t think I can bribe him? The man needs the cash and also, I saw him checking out ‘Sixteen candles’ for himself the other day.”
“We’re gonna pay someone to date my sister?” 
“Got a better idea?” 
She shakes her head resignedly “Fine, but she can’t find out, I don’t want her getting hurt.” Dustin imitates zipping his lips before the conversation turns to something DnD related. 
-
“Steve” The older boy looks up at the line of teenagers forming in front of him “ We need your help.”
Steve looks around the almost empty Family Video store checking for customers “You want me to rent an age restricted film for you again? I’ll do it one last time but don’t come to me when it freaks you out like the Poltergeist did, I warned you”
“We don’t need a movie.” Dustin cuts in.
“Oh? What do you want then” He rests his elbows on the counter, settling his chin on his hands. 
“We need you to date Y/n.” 
“No chance, anything else I can help you with today?” Steve folds his arms across his chest. 
“You haven’t even heard what’s in it for you” he complains. 
“I heard the last man to try and take Y/n out on a date ended up with his car keyed and his tyres slashed,” He flits his eyes towards his car in the parking lot “that can’t happen to my baby.”
“It was just the tyres” corrects El, her nose wrinkling in disgust at the pet name usage for Steve’s car.
Dustin leans across the counter, coming face to face with Steve, “I saw you check out Sixteen Candles, what would people think of King Steve renting out a chick flick?”
“King Steve is long gone, now I hang out with kids” he sighs dejectedly. 
It’s Mike’s turn to beg “Please Steve, Hopper won’t let me date El until Y/n’s dating someone, you’re our only chance.”
“What’s in it for me?” finally they’re getting somewhere.
“Cash?”
Steve groans, already regretting what he’s about to do. “I’ll do it.” The group cheer in sync “But only because this lovesick thing you two have going on is disgusting” 
“Yeah yeah, thanks for your help.” 
Taglist: @johnricharddeacy
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lily-fics-11 · 9 months ago
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The Cynic and The Sweetheart
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You are cynical about love but Robin, the hopeless romantic with a secret crush, tries to convince you that love is real. 
Warnings: not beta read, cynicism, a little bit of angst, a little bit of fluff, kissing/making out, revelations about sexuality
You enter Family Video, and your sort-of-friend Robin is behind the counter. 
“Hey Y/N!” She seems happy to see you. You two run in different social circles but frequent the same parties and have classes together.
“Hey, how’s it going?” You ask with a smile.
“Good, I’m good. Are you looking for anything specific?”
“Not really, I’ve got nothing to do tonight so I figured I would watch a movie.” You sigh. Your best friend had said that she would hang out with you tonight but she bailed on you at the last minute to go on a date. 
“Why don’t I help you pick something out,” Robin offers.
“That sounds great, thank you.” Even though it’s her job, you appreciate her taking the time to help you out after being blow off by your friend. 
Robin heads down one of the rows of videos. You follow her until she stops scanning the shelves and pulls something out.
“Sixteen Candles” she says, holding the video out to you. “We just got it in, I saw it when it was in theatre, it was great.” You can tell she is a fan of the movie by the way she talks about it so you feel bad not accepting the video and rolling your eyes by accident. 
“Robin, I appreciate your help, but I don’t think you know me well enough for this. In all honestly, I wouldn’t be caught dead watching a rom com.” Any of your close friends would know better than to recommend a rom com to you. You don’t blame Robin though, even though you were more than acquaintances you were not quite friends.
Robin looks shocked to say the least. “You don’t like rom coms? Who doesn’t like rom coms? Everyone loves rom coms!” She almost sounds offended. 
“Me I guess. I’m just, not a fan, you know?”
“No, I don’t know. Like at all! I don’t get it, what’s not to love about romance and happy endings?” She is defending rom coms like her life depends on it. 
“Because love is just a concept, Robin, it’s intangible!” You are just as defensive as she is.
“Love is absolutely real!” She seems very protective of this concept.
“Alright then, prove it to me,” you laugh knowing that making reality out of fiction is an impossible task.
“How am I supposed to prove it? I can’t just prove that love is real. Love and romance means something different for everybody. I wouldn’t know what the definition of love and romance would be for you, especially if you don’t even know it yourself. Haven’t you ever had a crush that makes your heart beat fast? Haven’t you ever felt the magic of falling for someone? Haven’t you ever had a perfect kiss? Haven’t you ever had someone look at you like you put the sun in the sky?” Robin is absolutely flabbergasted. 
“No,” you just laugh more. “I’m still in high school. Isn’t it kind of intense? All of that at such a young age?”
“Well, I haven’t exactly experienced most of that myself. But I’ve read so many romance novels and watched so many movies and listened to so many love songs. Love just seems like something to strive for. It seems like falling in love would make the sun shine brighter,” Robin explains slightly in distress. 
“Other people might have a definition of love, but I don’t. Because no one would ever feel that way about me, so I would never let myself feel that way about someone else. I understand that love is real for some people, but it’s just not real for me.” You try to clarify, stubbornly attempting to prove your point. 
“I’m sorry.” Is all she has to say about that, looking like you just crushed her dreams.
“Why are you sorry?” You question.
“For starters, a life without the prospect of love is like a puzzle you can’t finish because there is a piece missing. But also because I can’t imagine what it’s like feeling as if no one could ever love you. I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone. Not even my worst enemy, and you’re a good person.” She looks genuinely concerned about you. 
“Don’t worry about me, Robin.” You laugh again, trying to make light of what has become a deep conversation “I’m just being realistic.”
“What if you’re not?” She suggests. 
“What do you mean?” You are not exactly sure what she is trying to get at.
“Y/N, what if you’re not being realistic? What if there was someone out there who felt drawn to you? That would kiss you if they got the chance? What if there was someone who saw you for who you are, not even caring that you don’t believe in love, because they could see themselves falling for you?” She offers that all to you, reserved but hopeful.
“I don’t know, Robin. I’ve never really thought about it. I guess I just have faith in my assumptions.” You shake your head, trying not to let her into it. You never intended to have a philosophical conversation. You just wanted to watch a movie. 
Robin puts the video back on the shelf and then takes a step towards you. You are not sure why, but you also don’t question it. 
“Just play devil’s advocate for a minute. What if you found out that your assumptions were wrong? Would that be enough to sway your opinion?” Robin seems well intentioned but you really aren’t sure why she is bothering. What does she get out of this? She is, however, starting to make you think no matter how hard you are trying to resist.
You ponder over what could persuade you to view love and romance differently. You eventually come to the conclusion that “I guess I would need some proof, like an experience that made it tangible for me. I guess it would take someone genuinely liking me, or kissing me and actually meaning it. Not just any person could convince me. It would have to be real and special.”
“So what you are telling me is that if someone genuinely wanted to kiss you, they should do it?” She’s got an air of curiosity.
“I wouldn’t want someone to kiss me that I couldn’t see myself with. But I guess if I let someone close enough to kiss me, why not? Neither of us would have anything to lose.” You tell her all this hoping to have satisfied her curiosity. You expect this to be the end of the conversation. There is no one else to turn to and it’s not like she is going to romance you. And she is definitely not going to kiss you. 
That imaginary prospect sparks something in you though. You had never really thought that much about kissing anyone because kissing boys seemed like the only option. But the new found option of kissing a girl, that is intriguing. Your head begins to spin.
Robin takes another step towards you, leaving less than a foot of space between you. She reaches out her hand to brush a piece of hair off of your face. 
“Is this close enough?” She asks with a smirk. Robin seems to be testing the waters, as if she were following the steps you have given her. But that’s ridiculous. Right? You are just letting yourself get carried away. She’s only gotten inside your head to prove her point. Right?
There is something about the way that Robin looks at you that causes a fluttery feeling in your stomach that you’ve never felt before. It reminds you of the way people describe their first crush or first kiss.
But now you are met with Robin’s pretty face, beautiful smile, and, now that you are looking deeply into them, alluring blue eyes. Something about Robin and this conversation has practically changed the chemistry of your brain and triggered a part of your imagination that you didn’t know existed. You can hardly believe it. But god is she endearing. You’ve quickly come to the conclusion that if it were with a girl, kissing was something you were interested in. Especially if that girl was Robin, who has taken the time to challenge your cynicism in a way that no one else ever cared enough to. 
“I… I… um. Yes. I would say that’s, um, close enough.” You squeak out nervously. Your heart is racing from the attention that no one has ever given you before. You feel drawn to her like a magnet. 
“So you are sure, you wouldn’t mind if I…” Robin begins but you cut her off, taking another step so you two have mere inches between you. “Just shut up and kiss me.” 
Robin leans down towards you and you can feel her smile against your lips as she kisses you, as if she’s been waiting for this moment for a long time. At first you are both standing there a little awkwardly. But you just can’t seem to get enough of Robin. So you get as close to her as you can, your bodies pressed together, and you wrap your arms around her neck. She follows your lead and grabs your hips, clumsily at first but once her hands are settled in their position she tightens her grip. Robin was pulling you in as if she were trying to get closer despite the absence of space between you. Does she feel the same gravitational pull you feel towards her? The way that Robin holds you in place against her and insatiably kisses you starts a fire deep within you. You can tell that she really means it. She kisses you with an intention you didn’t know she had. You never imagined that another girl could make you feel this way.
You have no idea how much time had passed when you hear the door open. You and Robin quickly separate yourselves from one another and try to act casual. But you are unable to take your eyes off eachother or stop smiling. 
“You know what Robin, I think I’ll take that movie,” you tell her nervously. Now that you have had this revelation about her she is making you nervous. Is this a crush? Is this more?
“Really?” She asks, sounding surprised and looking excited. 
“I think you’ve started to convince me that romance is all that it’s cracked up to be.” She looks a little disappointed when you tell her that, “only started?”
You lean towards her and whisper in her ear with a smirk: “I think you should come over after work and watch this movie with me. You can finish proving your point.”
Robin’s jaw drops and her eyes go wide. She takes a moment to recollect herself. 
“You will be a firm believer by the time I’m done with you.”
Thanks for reading, lmk what you think:)
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therealslimshakespeare · 11 months ago
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Any other Elvis and wife/girlfriend sagas in the works in the same vein as Elaine and Gigi?
Mm why yes, yes there are. Who knows if I’ll get to them but I’d love to share. I’m still chipping away at the Regency Au, I bet I’ll keep spitting things out for it at random. But then there’s working title: Honeysuckle. Which sort of came out of people requesting more in the tome of Honeymoon. I’ve nothing written for it yet except a plot pitch I shared with a couple dear friends, I’m going to include it below for anyone interested. Maybe y’all will have additional suggestions, I’d welcome them. Xoxo
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Honeysuckle Plot 🎀
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I once had a whole Governor’s Daughter plot but then the more I read about her (the real gal Ann) the more I thought it was sweet they just had a kissy friendship, both being well aware they were headed in opposite trajectories. They parted ways and remained in contact, we need more of those represented so I’m not going to meddle and make it steamy...
BUT THEN
I had a notion and I do need more scheming on it but -what about her little sister, ok?
See, the Governor's daughter -the little sister-, she’s adorable and very young and a buttercup when Elvis comes home in 1960. She has posters of him in her mansion room, squeezes his hand too tight when he goes through the endless greeting of shaking hands and is a giggly mess when she spies on him kissing Ann while Ann shows him the mansion. Altogether her girlish crush is cute as can be, because he’s sweet as pie to her and he looks like Prince Charming and he becomes friends with the family and laaa deee daaa…
Life goes on. A few years later he even comes to her sweet sixteenth when she writes him a detailed letter making a case and citing how he said (teased more like) that he would marry her just for her custard, the least he could do is come to her birthday party. And so he comes and again, it’s cute.
Now it’s not entirely unusual for him to stay with the Governor and his family when he’s recording in Nashville and one year Ann gets engaged and he comes to that party and perhaps there’s a bit of moment, and eying up of his little friend as she stands with her fruit punch and passes her bridal sister gifts- “lordy, buttercup, you’re fillin’ out nicely” he complaints in a bit of daze.
“Elvis, you know I’ve turned sixteen!” she’s a bit outraged he didn’t notice how grown she’s become, he watched her blow out that candles!
And yet, it remains all cute.
BUT THEN
one night he stays with them when she’s seventeen and she thinks nothing of it, letting him into her room along with a couple other of the old hooligan set, gardeners kids and the maid’s daughter and a few other younguns, because they’re gonna do what they’ve been doing since the first night he stayed with them once all the adults go to bed.
PILLOW FIGHTS!
except this one, oh it’s fun as can be but when 3:00 am strikes they all reckon they should probably go to sleep, so the kids sneak out her window and Elvis sneaks out her door to go to his room down the hall.
but alas!
somebody sees him, and my, my, ain’t that front page news the day after?!
And her daddy calls Elvis into his office furious, i mean, ‘what’s he thinking sneaking into his young daughters room in the middle of the night?’
I’m imagining Elvis trying to explain to her father and Governer’s all “yeah, sure, of course it was a pillow fight uhuh.” 🙄 “Mr Presley, you’ve already taken my hospitality for granted, don’t take me for a fool, too”
Governor had figured between that and the way Elvis had maintained good friendship and been a gentleman with the older sister. that the reports on him where exaggerated -but this!
I’m sorta imagining him calling Buttercup into his office too, partway through this, the Sweet Little Thing swears up and down it was just a pillow fight and even hikes up her skirt to show a bruise, assures her daddy it’s not so bad, she walloped Elvis real hard on his belly right back, “-won’t you show him, E?”
Which is… painfully innocent and also exposes Elvis as being a bit of uh…well…she’s comfy enough to hike her skirt up and demand to see his belly. What a mess.
But like, she’s from the debutante world, she’s seventeen, it’s prime time to be out and meeting boys and snagging s marriage and Elvis has gone and ruined it.
I think chiefly what I love about this possible Au is that it gives Elvis a chance to be impulsively chivalrous as he often was, — he offers to marry her.
And then it allows him to be regretful and lazy, which he also was, and postpone the thing indefinitely. Boarding school and model school and all sorts of engagements he visits her at, keeping up appearance and allowing himself the occasional slip of composure, she’s lovely after all. And likes him so very much. He just knows marrying would be the worst thing imaginable. It would, he’s not suited.
But it’s idiotic leaving a beautiful gem like that in the wild, she should be secure round his finger and chained to his side but he doesn’t see it, not when he’s so busy with his movies and such. Not until she’s in the papers again with a flock of fellas around her, not acting particularly engaged. It makes Elvis’ engaged blood boil. He visits her after that, be sure of it. He even hauls her to Paris and angrily demands a dress be chosen and tailored by the end of the week. By the wedding.
Well, anyway it’s all sorta leading up to what was in Honeymoon. Maybe not exactly the same universe but the whole concept and dynamic. Maybe he gets into diplomacy thanks to her father? I never have endings for my stories, only ever beginnings. Anyways. Innocence kink abounds here, lol. Except for the pillow fights, those are legit just fun.
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skyloftian-nutcase · 5 months ago
Text
@here4dragons, this is for you, sweetheart <3
(mood music - "Motion" by Peter Sandberg)
Abel sighed tiredly. He'd lost track of the time again. But honestly, this time alone was the only part of the day he could relax, in a sense. Ever since his promotion to being captain of the royal guard, he'd been running around nonstop. He'd never really contemplated how much work went into just being in charge, but he absolutely despised it.
It wasn't as if he weren't grateful, honored for this position, of course. He still wasn't entirely sure how he'd managed to get it. A small, insecure part of him wondered if it was simply because the king had found out that the princess' appointed knight was his son. Link's fame was certainly growing ever since he'd rescued Princess Zelda from that rogue guardian. Abel still felt his stomach squirm uncomfortably, his heart swell with pride but shrivel in fear at the sight of his boy cradling his broken arm after deflecting the shot.
It had been entirely too chilling a reminder of the dangers Link was going to face.
But the boy had been fine. He would be fine. He was an amazing warrior, a better swordfighter than anyone, and he was only sixteen. He'd be seventeen soon, and he would continue to grow and improve. It would be all right. He would be alright.
Abel paced his quarters. The private room was one of the few wonderful benefits of his promotion. It gave him time to himself, something he felt like he never really had anymore.
But sometimes, even the quiet of his room wasn't enough. He had his window open, letting a cool breeze inside, listening to the crickets chirp, watching the fireflies lazily float by, but it wasn't enough. So he sighed again and took a candle, heading outside.
It was amazing how quiet the castle could be at night, given how lively it was during the day. There was usually a constant hustle, royal scientists scrambling about with notes, servants moving quickly to ensure everything ran smoothly, soldiers patrolling, guardians' gears whirring as the large metallic beasts tested their legs, nobles tutting about trying to get the attention of the king, citizens from near and far coming with petitions and pleas.
It was tedious. It was exhausting.
Abel was a man of action. He'd always preferred just being a knight. When he'd been assigned to the castle, he'd viewed it as a great honor, but also...
He'd never wanted it. He'd seen enough politics in the Domain, but even there he was happier. An assignment like this, being captain of the royal guard... he imagined it would have made his father proud.
His father. He couldn't even remember what the man looked like anymore. Just what his rotting body had smelled like. Just how his mother's cries had sounded.
Abel swallowed, his throat dry as he made his way outside. His candle attracted the attention of the fireflies, and they flitted about slowly, reflecting its light on their bellies, winking at the man. Abel smiled at them, smiled at the gentle trickle of water from the nearby fountain, smiled at the cool breeze that brushed the warm flush of worry from his cheeks.
He took a deep breath in, trying to soak in the moment, grateful for little occasions like this.
His promotion was so new, so strange, so different. He wasn't just a knight alongside everyone else anymore. It was freeing, it was terrifying. He had so much riding on him now, had others looking to him for guidance and help. The king sometimes asked for his advice. The blasted King of Hyrule.
Abel sighed a little, pulling a letter out from where he'd tucked it into his belt. He'd received it this morning, but hadn't had a chance to read it all day, as busy as he'd been. Finding a bench, he settled down and opened it, reading its contents in the moonlight as the fireflies made daring little dashes for his candle beside him.
My love,
I received your letter a little while ago and only just now had the chance to reply! Oh, you wouldn't believe how busy it's been in Hateno lately! So many people have been passing through. I think that new dye shop is really doing something for the village, it's pretty amazing!
Lyra is doing great. She found a stray cucco and adopted it, so now I have to constantly clean up after it, but she loves it very much. She named her Mipha, and I have to laugh every time I hear it, because somehow I think the princess would be fine with it but Link would not haha! Lyra is so free spirited, it's such a joy spending time with her. I know she misses you very much, and I've got her working on her very own letter to send you as well.
Speaking of princesses, though, can you tell me how Link is doing with his new assignment? I haven't heard from him in a while, and I know I shouldn't worry, but well. I do sometimes. And I know you do too. But I pray for you both every day. I know Hylia is looking out for you, beloved.
I just wanted to say again how proud I am of you, Abel. You have one of the highest ranks in all of Hyrule! Can you believe that? I knew you could reach such heights, but I still have to wrap my head around it sometimes! You and Link are so magnificent, I'm sometimes just baffled that I even know you two, that you're my husband and he's my baby boy. I am so blessed to have you two in my life.
I love you so much, Abel. I hope to hear from you soon.
Love, Tilieth
Abel read the words again and again, bringing the letter to his chest and closing his eyes. The parchment crinkled in his gentle grip as he tried to hug his wife through the words, as he could feel her hugging him in return. Then he smiled in anticipation, pulling out the second letter, seeing the far clumsier handwriting and feeling his heart flutter with joy and excitement at it.
Dear Papa,
Mama let me actually write my own letter this time, and I wanted to include some feathers from Mipha so she could say hi to you too! Anyway, I wanted to say hi and I love you. Mama's food is really good and I can't wait for you to come home and have it and so you can see Mipha. Also it's really hot right now, so I hope it isn't hot where you are. Because it's to hot I feel like a carrot in Mama's cooking pot. But not a tomato because those are gross. And I'm not that red.
Mama talks about you getting some new job, so I wanted to say good job. But I don't think it's as hard as Mama's job because she's always working. So you should send her flowers.
Papa, I was wondering when you were coming home? Do I need to write to the king? Mama says he's why you and Link are still gone. And I know you guys leave a lot for knight duty but you didn't used to be gone for this long. It's been like over a year since I saw you, and I think the king doesn't know that, so you should tell him. If you can't because you're busy, that's ok. I can tell him too.
Anyway there's this new die shop that Mama loves and I think you should take her to it. She took me to it and it was really cool. Lots of people like it! We should get Link and make him splash in it. Blue is the best color, so he should swim in blue paint. I don't know why they call it die because that seems like a bad word for it. The clothes don't die or anything. But I guess they look different, so they die to how they used to be. Something like that.
Papa, I love you. I miss you. I want to hug you, so please come home soon!
Love, Lyra
Abel found himself chuckling as he finished the letter. Goddess, he missed his daughter. Lyra was just as quirky and silly as Tilieth, and she encompassed Tilieth's social boldness with Abel's force of will. That girl was going to be a menace when she became a teenager.
She was right, though. It had been a long time since Abel had gone home. His longest assignment had been at Zora's Domain, spanning years, but that was before Lyra had been born. He'd always been able to see his family at least once a year since then. Now...
He couldn't complain, honestly. He shouldn't. He was proud to serve his country, honored to be able to have such freedom to help others in this new position. And he could see Link so often. It was a blessing.
He smiled again at the letters, holding them to his heart. He would see his wife and daughter again soon someday. He would bring Tilieth flowers. He would play with Lyra and her little pet. He would go to the dye shop (and teach his daughter how to spell dye). And he would take Link with him.
Someday. Perhaps when this crisis was over, when Princess Zelda discovered her powers.
In the meantime, he would treasure these letters. He would write whenever he could. And he would fully utilize the honors given to him so that he could help Hyrule as much as possible, whether he deserved this prestige or not.
I love you too, he whispered in his heart to his beloveds. And then he looked up at the sky, face glowing in the moonlight, heart lighter, and he prayed in thanks to Hylia.
They'd be alright, in the end. They'd be alright.
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