#so on that regard they don't have to worry about finding someone whose voice works well with niko's

[hwnglx]

dating jungkook - q&a

physical ideal type, how to catch his attention, as a boyfriend, love languages (give and receive), favorite type of dates, jealousy, etc.

based on tarot. i do not know these idols personally. energies are always changing. what i say is NOT straight fact. pls take it with a grain of salt!

what physical traits in a person is jungkook most attracted to?

well-balanced features

humble, effortless and natural beauty (i keep seeing bare faces in my mind's eye)

sophisticated, well-groomed and clean

takes good care of their appearance

curves! (especially the top area)

graceful movement

soft and pretty hands

elegance

❥ more specific traits could include:

red lips

baby face

sharp face

black hair

light hair

long hair

straight hair

white clothing

beauty marks

i keep seeing iu in my mind's eye, dressed in this long and beautiful white dress.

she sums up his physical ideal type in many ways. i can see him feeling drawn to people who have this fairy-like aesthetic.

however! i do have to say, i can see him feeling attracted to several types of looks. he's not as specific in his preferences as others; more open-minded in that regard.

for example, i absolutely see him liking girls whose aesthetics are on the “baddie” side as well. someone with tattoos or piercings, and more casual but edgy clothing. he for sure really likes it when someone just has a lot of sex-appeal.

one thing i keep getting though, is that he likes people who are well-put together and look after themselves. he definitely likes people who put effort into maintaining their looks, but don't look like they try too hard; let's say someone who works out regulary, eats healthy, takes care of their skin. things like that.

he seems like the type to like it when his partner can do both; glamorous and fancy on special occasions (like going to the red carpet together all dolled and dressed up), and more casual, laidback and natural when alone with him.

❥ possible rising signs he could feel attracted to:

capricorn

scorpio

libra

leo

what does it take to catch jungkook's attention?

he finds it intriguing when a person is intelligent, bold and wellspoken. lets say both of you are in a group of people; if all of you get into a discussion, and you're the one standing out by the way you express yourself in an eloquent, impactful and strong manner, that can very much intrigue him. people whose words have depth; a voice that doesn't raise often but once it does, it makes everyone in the room shut up and listen.

he feels drawn to individuals who are independent, knowledgeable, fair-minded and self-sufficient. i also keep hearing “frank” .. someone who's direct and honest with him. jungkook likes it when people aren't too shy or afraid to talk back at him, and humble him. he definitely enjoys a challenge and feeling like he needs to prove himself to someone first.

he also likes it when someone doesn't put him on a pedestal due to his status, and doesn't approach him with starstruck eyes, and unrealistic expectations he can't reach. he likes it when a person isn't intimidated or burdened by his presence, and is capable of simply putting his fame to the side; just see him as a human being.

how does jungkook act when someone catches his attention?

basically, man loses all focus. once someone actually catches his eye, that person can quickly become all he sees. like tunnel vision, forget about everything and everyone else, you're all i see. he can lose his inner composure, and get kinda obsessive of the thought of them. it's likely he'll struggle looking away and find himself naturally observing them a lot.

i'm in his energy, and i keep feeling like.. “oh wow, i need to be with them and approach them before anyone else can”

i can feel his possessive vein coming out quite fast, and him being worried the person might possibly be snatched away by someone else. so, it's likely for him to act quickly.

if there's an opportunity for him to get to them, he will for sure take it. though i have to say, he's definitely the self-conscious type to overanalyse things; like the way they reacted, and worry about the things he said in the heat of the moment.

how does jungkook act in the beginning of a relationship?

okay, this went deeper than i expected. i will try to keep it as understandable as i can.

as i mentioned before, and i keep getting this (the four of cups comes up without fail), this man can feel empty, lacking and apathetic a lot.. big part of the reason as to why he can get so attached to his s/o, is because he naturally puts the entirety of himself into his romantic partners.

jungkook's lovers can quickly become his safe space; his main source of comfort. the first place he seeks if he needs some peace. once he feels like he finally (this can take a while!) found a person he can comfortably pour his heart and soul out to, he can have the tendency to overdo it a little.

i just see him latching onto the person he's with, in hopes of them being able to fill this emotional void he can experience when on his own. he naturally expects a lot from them for this reason. like “i need you to fill the things i lack.”

i keep seeing an image of a diamond in my hand. imagine you found this diamond made out glass. you feel like it's so precious, because it gives you everything you asked for in life. it makes things seem brighter, more beautiful, enriches you. you will hold onto it for dear life, not ever letting it go anywhere else, out of fear of it slipping out of your grip; but this could potentially lead to the diamond breaking in your hands, since you just can't expect glass to be as hard as steel.

this reflects his dynamic with his lovers quite well; he can often make his partners the centers of his life, “dump” a lot of his expectations on to them, be immensely and obsessively protective over them out of fear of them being damaged, or taken away from him. however, this has the potential to put a lot of weight on their shoulders, which some people might have problems dealing with.

he can be contradictory in a sense, because make no mistake; jungkook will want to do all the work for you in a physical realm. it's almost like he overcompensates in the areas he's comfortable with. (especially acts of service)

he's the type to be like “don't work, i will work, you shouldn't tire yourself out. don't carry that upstairs, i will do it for you. are you exhausted? is one pillow not enough? don't worry, i will buy you two.” i can sense this genuine desire to make his lovers feel good in their relationship, and take care of them.

but, he's this case of.. you can't love anyone else in a healthy manner, if you don't learn to love yourself first.

he wants to give his lovers everything they deserve, and to an extent he does; but he still has his emotionally needy tendencies, since a lot of his inner issues remain unresolved. this as a result, can lead to jk naturally putting a lot of the relationship on his partner's back, without even intending to.

what is jungkook's love language? how does he like to receive and give?

❥ give:

acts of service

whatever he can get done for you, he will. the type to try and cook your favourite meal because you said you craved it the other day, even if he's not the best chef in his eyes. he'd probably end up embarrassed, overanalyze your reaction and tell you he's sorry about the dish being so bad. the type to love helping you out with anything; e.g. give him the task of building a new shelf you bought, he will do it and put the entirety of his effort in. i can also see him loving to drive you around, or carry your heavy shopping bags.

physical touch

he'll love to just have you close to him. it's almost like everything's okay once you're near him and he can physically feel you with him. a lot of possessive hand holding, sneaky and subtle but electrifying touches. the type to beg for a kiss over and over because he can't get enough, even if you get annoyed at some point; that'd just rile him up even more. (he'd grin all smug and amused) also random insight i got, but he seems like the type to love carrying his partners around. whether that's in a playful manner, or during e.g. the foreplay of more intimate intercourses. (like carrying you upstairs)

quality time/physical intercourse

he has a very powerful drive, and is the type to bond and connect a lot over physical intercourse. confident, incredibly sensual, intense and passionate lover in bed. i do see him letting off steam this way as well.

❥ receive:

words of affirmation

i got the empress card, which is the mother figure.

jk likes receiving comfort, support and reassurance from his lovers. he wants them to give him this feeling of “this person accepts, and loves me for everything i am.”

think of a mothers love; it's pure, unconditional and forgiving.

he's someone who desires an intuitive, and emotionally intelligent person who can give him both; tough, and soft love.

someone who's tough and honest when he needs a reality check or fist on the table, as well as a sweet nurturer, who's able to attune themselves to him emotionally, and reassure him in a gently supportive manner when he's in need of it.

he just wants someone he can have that subconscious connection and natural understanding with; a person who can almost read his mind by just one look at his face.

what kind of dates does jungkook enjoy the most?

first of all, when it comes to dates; jk likes being the initiator. the one who plans it all and has the ideas. this seems to be another way in which he likes to flex and display his affection. planning romantic and beautiful dates. let me give you a few examples that popped into my head.

romantic dinner

high-end restaurant, roses, wine, live jazz music, candlelit, dim and warm lighting, kinda like the first scene in seven -> i can also see him liking to reserve the entire restaurant out in advance, so that you're the only people in there. or planning the dinner to be on a rooftop while the sun is setting. it just needs to feel intimate.. like there's no one, but the two of you.

night walks

i can see him loving to be in a calm and serene atmosphere with his partners. he's someone who would love sneaking out at night after a long stressful day, to unwind and comfortably walk along the hangkang together with his lover, and the beautiful night scenery surrounding them. just having deep conversations and enjoying each other's presence.

educating yourselves together

he'd love to learn something together. maybe take on a new hobby with his partner; like a cooking course, or learning a new language. engaging in some kind of sport, or gym dates.

one thing that keeps coming through, is him genuinely wanting to feel like they're a “normal” couple.

he's incredibly adamant on fiercely protecting his lover from all the negative attention or haters, and escaping crazy people who try to dig their nose into their business. but at the same time, he doesn't want the relationship or his partner to feel uncomfortable. he can often seek normalcy in his private life.

how does jungkook act when he's jealous?

cold. he distances himself. if not physically, emotionally. leaves you to figure out what's wrong on your own for a while. let's say jk caught you talking to some other guy across the room; he will hate the sight and it will trigger a switch in him.

he'll feel threatened by the guy. he just taps out of sweet and accommodating boyfriend mode, into his darker and resentful energy. jealousy is something which can trigger many of his inner fears and insecurities. he might silently take deep breaths to press down his frustration and try his best not to make it obvious in his facial expression, but his face can easily drop and grow increasingly serious.

i don't see him as the type to impulsively confront his partner or be very vocal about how he feels, but moreso internalize his negative emotions and try to process them by distracting himself with other things or withdrawing into his own space. a lot of that comes from him not wanting to explode in your face, honestly. you'll have to dig slowly and approach him in a very patient way for him to open up.

he will feel left alone, there's some sadness here. he'll feel wronged, and like his fears were validated. his judgement is likely to be very clouded in that moment; even if you want to explain it as a misunderstanding, it's likely he won't wanna hear any of it for a while. he might collect information on the guy you talked to though, like asking his friends who he is, etc.

[theonlywritter]

FadelStyle: Slow Mending

[Disclaimer: this story was written during the airing of the series, set before FadelStyle reached the island, but it's only being posted now. Please, don't let that deter you from reading, and enjoy your stay in here.]

******************************>>>>>>>*******************************

In life, there was always a moment when someone's heart would beat faster, regardless of the emotion and how cool and controlled that person was. As a professional hitman, a person whose main job was killing other people for pay, Fadel a man who knew how to control himself very well by keeping all the emotions he could in check and, with Bison being the rising psychopath that he was, the shorty who was out of control with his ideas, the existence of someone with the steady abilities to turn any adverse situation into a walk in the park and put everything back on track had became a necessity; by that, he didn't mean that his younger brother wasn't a professional because he was, very focused and precise like a sharp knife, but there were times when Fadel would end up being the one responsible for ensuring that the two of them would return home in one piece and not each in a black bag like the ones they used to put their targets in after a job was done.

For now, everything seemed to be under control, although his thoughts were on finding Bison and resolving that matter once and for all. Leaning against a wall, his briefcase hanging from one of his shoulders, from where he could monitor the movement of people entering and leaving the establishment, Fadel tried to put on an annoyed expression to hide the fact that he was apprehensive and worried, as he didn't want to show any weakness to his companion, and he watched closely where Style was walking, being on alert in case the younger man tried something funny.

After they had left the hidden house (of course Fadel had to have a guarantee that neither of the two men would call the police as soon as their backs were turned or try to kill them again), and due to the pure and annoying insistence of Style, who complained that he didn't have any "appropriate" clothes (read: no crop tops) to wear, they had gone to a clothing store they found on the way while looking for a repair shop, so that the mechanic could buy some clothes that he liked (had he forgotten that he was Fadel's hostage and that they weren't on a romantic getaway, no matter how many jokes and double insinuations he made?) and they set off on their way to Bison's parents' house. Since Fadel had his own clothes, because he was a man used to always being prepared for any eventuality, he refused Style's attempts to buy matching clothes or to take him to the dressing room ("Have you never had a fantasy like that? I have") and took it upon himself to protect both of their backs, so that nothing would happen until he could get to his brother and together they could decide what would be the fate of the two friends.

Betrayal was not something Fadel took lightly. Being the man with the history he had, he knew that he did not have much moral authority to be so picky about what other people said or did to him, because his job required him to assume several personalities in order to fit in with the environment (black clothes were not enough, had learned that the hard way in the beginning). Still, when he was not being the assassin who worked for his mother, and he was not being Bison's older brother, Fadel just wanted to have a genuine relationship with someone different, who did not live with that rotten side of him. For some reason, in a moment of weakness, he even thought that Style could be that person, even when there was that burning suspicion in the back of his head regarding Style but, in the end, as always happened with him, happiness was not something that was part of his permanent vocabulary.

Assassins had no love to give to anyone, only destruction.

"Del, what do you think of this one?" - Style's voice took Fadel out of his thoughts and he looked away from the door to look at the source of the sound. Style was holding a blue crop top with white stripes and a "treat me like a toy" printed on the front; Fadel was sure he chose it precisely because of the writing. "It suits me perfectly, doesn't it?" - the sly smile confirmed the older man's suspicions.

"First, only my brother can use that nickname" - Fadel replied in a low but assertive tone. He needed to take away all the intimacy he had once given the other man and increase the distance between them. Only in that way could he execute his revenge. "Second, we are looking for practical clothes, not pieces of cloth."

"Now that you are mad at me, you call your fashion sense a 'piece of cloth' but you love to see me dressed like this and showing my waist" - Style replied with a frown and a somewhat offended tone. - "You idiot."

In fact, that wasn't exactly something that corresponded to reality. Being a somewhat/almost/not very/not so possessive man, seeing Style showing that amount of skin sometimes managed to make him more jealous than horny but, due to his legendary control, he didn't let any of those emotions escape so as not to cause problems. Not to mention that knowing about that would end up making Style's ego bigger than it already was and he didn't need that, not at that moment.

"This one?" - a white cropped top with Led Zeppelin's name on the front.

"No."

"This one?" - an orange cropped top with a pair of red lips on the front. That one took Fadel a while to answer, because all he could remember was the fact that Style's lips had a habit of getting that red after they kissed.

"No."

"How about…?"

"Style, please take any one and go to the cashier to pay. Time wasted here means time wasted in the search of my brother."

"Fadel, believe me, if I know my friend the way I know I do, I'm sure they've already made up."

Those words made Fadel frown.

"Like, Kant managing to manipulate my brother again?"

"No" - Style, who had decided to take all the cropped tops he had shown Fadel, walked over to the older man, a serious expression on his face. It was so rare to see the mechanic like that that it caught Fadel's attention and distracted him from his mission of keeping his eyes fixed on the door. "Kant is going to show Bison that he really love him and that he had his reasons for doing what he did, just like I love you and had my reasons."

They both stared at each other, the world around them fading away, each fighting against the feelings that were overwhelming them. On one hand, there was a man who wore his feelings on his sleeve, with the same confidence that he used his tools in his workshop, and was not afraid to speak for everyone to hear, and on the other, a man who fought against everything he had to not let himself be fooled by something that he wanted to believe was just a lie and not something that could actually have a positive result in the future. Two men who fought a silent war and refused to give in.

And it was that stubbornness that ended up tearing down almost all the walls that Fadel had built around his heart. The constant flirting, the teasing, the attempts to infiltrate every corner of his body, to get under his skin, to become a person as special to him as Bison was, the statements that he would always love him no matter what and that one day he would be his 100%, all of that was destroying in an overwhelming way the protection that Fadel had so meticulously placed in front of him. The glow of certainty, the determination, the will… all of that called to Fadel like a moth drawn to a flame in the middle of the darkness.

Even if he was minimally distracted, there was a part of Fadel's brain that was always alert and looking for things signaling that the environment was not "good" for him. So, at the same time that Fadel passed in front of one of the many mirrors scattered around the store and his gaze followed it, two things happened at the same time: first, the image of a person entering the store caught his attention and the sound of something brushing past his ear, in the exact place where Style had been mere seconds ago, put Fadel on alert.

A bullet had just passed by him and the one responsible had been the newcomer.

In a second, everything became chaos. With a scream, Fadel pulled Style towards him and lowered the younger man's body down, where he would be reasonably protected from whoever was attacking him, and took the gun from behind his shirt and pointed it at the source of the previous shot, firing a shot of his own and alerting the other people around him that something was happening. The stranger (Fadel was able to identify that it was a man) fired a few more times, but no sound accompanied the bullets that tried to hit the two, making Fadel realize that the other man was using a silencer, explaining why he had not realized they were under attack until it was almost too late.

Keeping Style out of the other man's sight, Fadel continued the exchange of gunfire, mentally counting the number of bullets he still had available in the revolver before he needed to change the magazine. As soon as he realized he was almost out of bullets, he crouched down and whispered in Style's ear:

"When I count to three, I want you to go to the back door and wait for me there. I'll try to distract the guy so you can get out without being seen."

"Are you crazy?! I'm not going to leave you here."

"Style, at least now, please listen to me. I know very well what I'm doing, it's not the first time this has happened to me."

"I don't give a shit if this has already happened or not, I'm not going anywhere."

"Style…"

"No. Either we go together, or we stay here. There is no middle ground."

Realizing that he had no time to try to convince the mechanic to accept his plan, Fadel let out a sigh of resignation and removed the magazine from the gun, confirming the number of bullets, before reassembling it. Style watched the smoothness and speed with which the movement was made, strangely silent, perhaps because he realized that it was not the time to open his mouth. Fadel needed any and all concentration he could muster.

"Ok. So, you will always remain crouched and will only stand up when I tell you to, understood?" - Fadel's tone of voice brooked no arguments.

"Yes."

"Did you get what you wanted?"

"Yes?"

"Then let's go."

Style didn't have time to react before he was pulled by Fadel and dragged through the store's aisles, his position not allowing him to have a clear view of what was happening, he could only hear. They passed through a narrow path and Style heard a noise of impact before Fadel cursed and the gun he was holding fell from his hand. In a thoughtless act, Style stood up and at that very moment one of the bullets, which was probably intended for Fadel, ended up hitting him in the arm, just missing him.

"Shit" - this time it was Style who cursed and Fadel's head turned in his direction.

"I told you to stay down, damn it" - Fadel almost shouted, before grabbing his gun and putting it in its usual place, quickly taking another one out of his bag. "Only get up when I tell you to!"

Style found himself being pulled for a few more steps before realizing that they were in a parking lot, with several cars around him. Fadel frantically searched for something and, seconds later, took a screwdriver out of his briefcase.

"Are we going to steal a car?"

"My jeep is miles away and we need to escape from whoever is trying to kill us. I hope you don't mind."

"Fadel, I'm in love with a murderer and my best friend used to steal cars years ago. Believe me, that doesn't scare me at all."

"But you should" - Fadel grumbled but Style didn't realize to which of his words he was referring to, so he remained silent, pressing the wound on his arm with one of the crop tops he had taken from the store. He tried not to think about the fact that he hadn't paid for any of them, but he was in too dangerous a situation to worry about such a small detail.

A few seconds passed before a soft click was heard and Fadel hurried to turn off the car alarm before it went off. Fadel looked around before throwing his briefcase in the backseat and then turned to Style.

"How's that wound?"

"I've been better" - was Style's answer, trying to smile to lessen the pain he was feeling. He knew the bullet hadn't gone in, just grazed him, but it still hurt like hell. "It'll go away."

"We'll see. Let's look for a pharmacy and treat that wound before we continue to the island where Bison is" - Fadel said and closed the door of the passenger seat where Style was sitting, before turning around and getting in the car too, starting the car right away.

The trip was silent, different from when it had started, with Style making an inappropriate or uninteresting comment every 5 minutes, each one of them lost in thought. While Fadel would give a fortune to know what the younger man was thinking, he also thought it was good because that way he could focus on his own thoughts.

In life, there was always a moment when someone's heart would beat faster, regardless of the emotion and how cool and controlled that person was. As a professional hitman, a person whose main job was killing other people for pay, Fadel a man who knew how to control himself very well by keeping all the emotions he could in check but at that moment he could hear and feel the strong beating of his heart, knowing that it was not only due to adrenaline but also something deeper, something that he refused to accept, something that he found himself with his eyes closed and breathing more heavily sometimes, something that had managed to melt the ice that had surrounded his heart for so long.

Fadel had almost lost Style because of his carelessness and he would never forgive himself for that. Then, feeling fear spread through his body and leave him cold, in contrast to the strong heat that was at that moment, Fadel stepped on the accelerator, desperate to get to where Bison was as quickly as possible, so that he could get rid of Style and go back to his old life. Even if his heart refused to accept that decision, he would have to force it to conform.

After all, murderers had no love to give to anyone, only destruction.

[hatboyproject]

First, you are a legend. Second, I have finally broken down and started playing thru the ME trilogy thanks to (a) my ability to take a sabbatical, and (b) a friend buying me the legendary edition, and (c) threats of violence from my loved ones should I not play it. I've finished ME2 and I am 100% not booting up ME3 if there's snowball's chance in hell that the LE version of your mod is dropping any time soon.

*sings* you're not our bitch and you're not a machine * I'm a fic writer, I expect nothing. And I know this stuff takes forever and I 1000% expect the answer to be 'no' but the only thing I am inquiring is whether there is an updated ETA for your mod. OR if you have need for a legendary edition beta tester. OR if I can send you cash money to help offset the time being spent on a labor of love. OR if I should say -f- it and get my hands on the original edition of ME3 so the hatboy mod you've already (gloriously) provided us, works.

Also thank you for giving me hope that I will get to play a Shoker option, which makes the most sense thematically and narratively and I am aghast at what bioware chose to do with Joker (and EDI, wtf). You're doing god's work.

Just this week, I got some of the updated synths I've been waiting for, but I'm still waiting on BroShep.

I am still working on HBLE, don't you worry! In between writing fic myself, doing a painting, and a playthrough of ME3 to refamiliarise myself with its pacing, I have been going in and putting some necessary setup stuff in place, which is all very boring and un-exciting and not really showcase-able. Big chunks of the structure have been built, but most of the audio work has to be done, still.

In the OT, a lot of work had been done before I had the ability to read a line to the synth myself and have it transpose the voice directly, which noticeably improves delivery. So much so that it is difficult to use a lot of the previous edition's takes. This has the knock-on effect of the line needing to be re-animated because, of course, the timings of everything are now different with the new audio. There are very few lines whose takes will not be re-done.

Fortunately, however, I have my lipsync automation tools, and I'm much better at animating now than when I started. So it takes a lot less time this go-around... but still time!

Sadly and wonderfully, this is a massive mod and is much more than just a straight port. If it was a straight port, it'd have been done already. I would apologise for that, but I like to think the end result will be worth it, haha!

I am adding new content this time, including an entire conversation about his sister that you can unlock by completing some vanilla dialogues.

I am so glad that you've been enjoying your time with Mass Effect and that my mod is on your list of things to do. In what I am sure is the most shocking statement of the century, I agree that Joker is the most thematically satisfying romance for Shepard. I can't wait to get it to you! I promise, I am doing my best and there's nobody who wants it in your hands more than me.

Regarding testing, it's not quite in a state where it can be tested just yet. A few conversations work (first convo, EDI body convo, EDI discussion, some ambients) but nothing else yet.

Regarding supporting me, I do have a Ko-Fi. You can find a link to it in the pinned post, and donations absolutely do help my creative efforts, and I go a little feral when I see someone has donated. But as always, I want to make it clear; The Hatboy Project is free and will never be gated in any way. Everyone gets the same release at the same time. All you have to do is own a legit copy of the game... Which you already do!

Excitement like yours helps keep me going. Thank you so much.

Edit: lmao my link is not in my pinned post lol rofl it's hatboyproject.ko-fi.com tho

[deleteddewewted]

Ok, this is my last request, I swear and scout's honor...I'm sorry for bothering you and being annoying, please forgive me!

Uhm...how about a fic or headcanons on Monoma with a female s/o who's short (as in, 4' 11"...I think our boy is 5' 7", but I could be wrong) and is a coffee-addict, and it gets to a point where Monoma's worried for her addiction and health, so he tries to keep it away from her for a few days, please? He can also like, tease her about it and play the height bully since she's a shrimp compared to him when she tries to get her coffee back?

Like last time, I don't mind if what you write is sfw or nsfw. I just need more blonde copycat boi in my life, lol! Thank you! 😊 I hope you have a good day/night/weekend!

I’M SO HAPPY YOU CAME BACK!!! Don’t ever feel like your annoying, i love hearing from you.

It took me a bit to make this, sorry about that. Hope you enjoy!

Caffeine Rush

Monoma x F! Reader

Note: H/c (your hair color)

W: Mentions of NSFW, Monoma Being Absolutely in Love With You

TW: Vomit, Addiction

Monoma’s favorite thing to do each morning is to wake up to your beautiful face. You always tell him that it isn’t but he gladly disagrees with you because you’re wrong. He would watch you sleep for a few minutes, hours if the day before was truly exhausting for you, and just sigh like the lovesick fool he was. That peace becoming disrupted when the alarm in his phone would go off indicating the beginning of the weekday.

“My love, wake up.” Monoma leaned down to shower you with kisses, even as you swatted him away with your hand. The attempts that were made to cover yourself with the blanket didn’t stop him from attacking you with hugs. Warm and inviting rest but quickly changing to panic as he lifted you from the bed and walked out to the common area blanket included. Your other classmates were already up doing their usual morning routines. They found your relationship with Monoma adorable, concerning but adorable. The way Monoma brags about you and your achievement was sickening.

“Nei! Put me down, please. I was comfortable and warm.” Monoma laughed at the whining and placed you down on the couch.

“No can do my love. You need fuel in that body of yours. A healthy meal makes a healthy body. A healthy body makes a healthy mind.” You rolled your eyes at your boyfriends’ poetic speech and made yourself comfortable on the couch, laying down and covering yourself again with the blanket he wrapped you in.

“What do want for breakfast, my love?”

“Give me coffee, no sugar. If there are any muffins, give me one please.” Monomas posture deflated a little to the request.

“Coffee, again?” He questioned. You nodded your head and drifted back to sleep. The rest of the class watched as Monoma begrudgingly made the coffee you requested. The entire time he was mumbling something under his breath, something about how you loved the tar drink more than him.

You thanked him once he handed over your drink while Monoma sat down next to you with his meal. He leaned into you and ate in peace. He kept grumbling from time to time and chewed violently when he took another bite.

“Monoma? What are you doing?” You asked him.

“Nothing.” Was his only response before continuing to shovel food into his mouth. Once finished, he took your empty cup and his plate to the sink to wash. You on the other hand had other plans.

“Neito, I’m going out. I’ll see you later.” Monoma said goodbye to you and let you go. He knew what you were planning on doing and he wasn’t happy about it. Honestly, it was ridiculous how much you seemed to depend on it. It was the weekend, so there was no harm in leaving campus.

You got dressed back in your dorm room and said your goodbyes to your classmates who were still in the common area. As you headed into the city you went straight to your favorite shop. It was a small business run by a college kid who had too much money and too much time to burn. You weren’t about to complain, the coffee was good and the environment was pleasant to be in. Once there you ordered your usual coffee variant and sat down to enjoy it, not being aware that you were being watched the entire time.

Monoma was fuming. Another cup of coffee right away? You just drank your first a few minutes ago, why would you need another one? It wasn’t like you didn’t work hard, that wasn’t the problem. You were dedicated to training and your relationship with him. He understands that he could be a hassle sometimes and he’s very grateful for the opportunity to be with you, but this was just ridiculous. He didn’t want to destroy your piece but it had to be done.

“Y/n, what are you doing?” You turned towards the voice and watched as your boyfriend walked up to you. He was marching, an interesting choice but he was him so it wasn’t out of character.

“Hi, Nei is there a problem? Also, why did you follow me?” You asked amused. Monoma didn’t bother to sit down once he was next to you instead, he opted to bend down to look at you. He wasn’t happy.

“I followed you to see if you were going to buy another cup of coffee. Do you want to guess what happened Y/n? Hmm?” You giggled at him and took a sip from your drink.

“I bought coffee.”

“Yes, you bought coffee!” The other customers in the shop turned to look at the scene Monoma was making and the sudden attention filled you with embarrassment. You didn’t think Monoma would make a huge deal out of something so meaningless.

“Nei, cut it out!” You whisper yelled at him. You tried pulling him down so he would sit, instead, Monoma grabbed your cup and your hand. He dragged you out of the shop and walk with you to the train station.

“Where are we going now?” Monoma didn’t bother to respond to you. He just stared ahead of him and kept your coffee cup away from you. Once the train arrived he practically picked you up and took you inside. It was a bit empty so he was able to find seats for the both of you, he wrapped an arm around you as he kept the cup in between his legs and out of your reach. He pulled you up once you got to the correct stop and took you to the entrance of the mall.

“Whats this Nei? A last-minute date?” You teased. Monomas face flushed and just ignored your stare.

“We haven’t gone on a date in some time-”

“We had one yesterday.”

“So I thought that this would be nice and I also get to spoil you, so don’t complain.” He took your hand and brought you inside.

It was bustling with life. People walking around looking for things that they need and buying others that they don’t. It was a pleasant scene yet your body would disagree with you. The throbbing that you felt in the front part of your skull wasn’t pleasant but it was constant. It’s been like this for a few weeks. You read that coffee could help with easing it, something about it probably the throbbing being due to some visual exposure. Monoma had taken your drink so that was no longer an option. Knowing him, he probably takes a small sip and then spits it out while berating you on how your taste buds must be dead if you didn’t react as he did.

“So where to?” You asked him. Monoma laced his hand with yours and walked you to a clothing store. He looked at different articles of clothing and asked for your input. Most of the things he picked out were simple in design or minimalist, nothing that needed consideration. Yet he asked and you being the ever caring girlfriend gave some input.

“This would look nice with um, with some light blue jeans” The throbbing in your head was beginning to get worse and it wasn’t helping that the bright light within the store was the only thing to look at. It was too much for you.

“Hey, Monoma. I need to go to the bathroom, ok?” You left Monoma in the middle of the store as he just watched you go. He spoke to you but you couldn’t hear him.

He had tried reaching for you but you were already too far for him to grab. Monoma. You called him by his last name instead of his first. In the times that you both have had arguments, you always called him by his first name no matter what the situation was. You’ve been acting odd for some time and it was worrying him. He was aware that you drank more than the recommended when it came to coffee, so it wasn’t surprising that you felt ill. Monoma was no stranger to bad habits, he was being too clingy and overly competitive. You reassured him that he wasn’t clingy and that you found it endearing more than anything. Regarding the competitiveness, he could tone it down a little bit when it came to arguing with the other hero course. He felt like he was annoying to you and that you only started dating him because you felt pity for him after he fell on his face as he was running up to you. His nose was bleeding but that didn’t stop you from kissing him on the lips and accepting his date offer. He loved you, he’s known this since his first year. Seeing you sick was upsetting, he felt like a lost boyfriend for not helping you. He tried, he hides the coffee grounds, he hides your wallet sometimes and even started having you sleep in his dorm to ensure you slept.

Monoma waited outside of the store for a moment, waiting to see if you would come back once you were done in the bathroom. You never came back which lead to him going towards the bathrooms. He was met with a line of women waiting for the bathroom and a few people waiting outside of the all gendered bathroom.

“Hello. I’m sorry to interrupt you but did you by any chance see a woman who looked ill come by here?” The person turned around to look at Monoma.

“Was it someone with h/o hair?” Monoma nodded his head and the stranger pointed at one of the bathrooms that were occupied. Monoma thanked them and knocked on the door gently.

”Y/n. It’s me, are you ok?” You tried answering but the sound of gagging and something liquid hitting the toilet was indicating that you wouldn’t answer him. Monoma quickly asked around to see who had a quirk that allowed him to help you. He found someone whose quirk allowed them to change their fingers into any key, interesting quirk, and he opened the bathroom door. When he closed it he saw you slumped over the toilet throwing up.

“Nei- I can’t- breath.” You hiccuped. Monoma pulled your hair back and rubbed your back in a soothing motion.

“It’s ok, I’m here.” You continued to throw up everything in your stomach. Almost everything that came up was liquid and smelled heavily of stomach acid with a touch of coffee. Monoma watched in horror as you emptied yourself. He felt useless. He couldn’t do anything other than making sure that your clothes stayed clean.

“Y/n, let me take you back to the dorms. You need to get checked by Recovery Girl.” You felt too dizzy to protest and just lifted your arms and had him carry you out.

On the train, Monoma draped his jacket over your head, hiding you away from any light that could worsen your headache. He kept you close, your head laying on top of his shoulder and his hand on the side of your head keeping you steady as the train rocked. Once off, he picked you up and carried you to Recovery Girl. She asked him a multitude of questions about what happened and asked him to step outside of the infirmary. She sent you to your dorm to rest with a bottle full of medicine and Monoma picked you up again to make the trip easier on you.

At your dorm, he laid you down on your bed and went down to the kitchen to get you a glass of water. You sat yourself up on your bed and took some of the liquid medicine. It was bitter yet sweet, it soothed your aching throat and helped ease your agitated stomach. When Monoma came back he crouched down in front of you, handing you the glass of water he had gotten for you.

“How do feel?” His face was showered with concern. This wasn’t uncommon for him when it came to you or any of his classmates. He didn’t like seeing you hurt nor sick, so this was overwhelming his heart a little bit.

“My throat burns a bit but I’m ok.” You smiled weakly. Monoma didn’t believe anything you were telling him but he also didn’t want to start an argument.

Monoma decided to pull you into bed and lay next to you. He covered your body with his arms around your waist as he tangled your legs with his own. He gave you a quick kiss on the lips, then placing his chin on the top of your head.

“Rest my love. You’ll feel better tomorrow.” You didn’t attempt to argue with him. Your head was hurting badly and your body was still tense from the vomiting you did earlier. You made yourself comfortable within Monomas chest and used him as an anchor. He was warm and welcoming, how couldn’t you take advantage of this.

The morning came and so did the sunlight that invaded your room. Monoma woke up ready to look at your beautiful face, a smile already forming as he imagined how you would look that morning. Ethereal as always he believes. Yet, when he opened his eyes you weren’t comfortably placed in his arms. You weren’t even in the room. He shot up from the bed and went rushing down to the common room.

“Y/n! What are you doing!?” Monoma watched you as you were seated on one of the tables. With a cup of steaming coffee. Again.

“My head hurts, the coffee helps it feel better.” Monomas eyes widened as he walked towards you.

“I understand, but couldn’t you have taken some pain medication or have at least told me?” He stood next to you and looked at how much coffee you still had left in your cup. It was at halfway. He made an executive decision and grabbed it from you.

“Neito, what are you?” You tried to reach for the cup but it was immediately raised above you.

“Nei, that isn’t funny. Give me back my coffee!” Monoma only grinds at you.

“No, it isn’t my fault you’re the shortest person in our year.” You used your quirk to try and inflict some damage onto him but to no avail. He just raised it higher.

“Nei! I swear you’re all legs and arms. How are you this tall!?” Monoma could only laugh at your silly attempts to reach for the cup. He leaned down enough for your faces to meet.

“I’ll give it back if you promise me something.”

“Sure, what is it?” Monomas grin softened around the edges. His eyes looking briefly at your lips and back to your eyes.

“For one, limit your coffee intake.” You frowned at him.

“Didn’t you just hear me? It helps with the headaches.”

“And for two,” He got closer to you. His mouth inches from your own. “For every time you minimize, ill give you whatever else you want.”

You cocked a brow up and returned the sly grin.

“Oh, like what exactly Neito Monoma?” He shivered at the mention of his full name. A tint becoming present on his cheeks.

“I don’t know, maybe kissing.” He leaned closer. Your lips touching but just by a little.

“Or maybe something more.” He added in. You decided to take the lead and closed the gap between the two of you. His lips were surprisingly soft, must be because of the religious chapstick use.

He became impatient and pushed his tongue into your mouth. He sighed into the kiss and pull you in closer by placing a hand on your lower back. You kissed back with fever and played with his tongue a bit. You made him moan, the hand holding the cup lowering to place it on the table. You quickly snatched it from him and backed away from the kiss you were sharing. A  wet popping sound made itself present once you parted from him, a light string of saliva attached to your once connected lips. Monoma looked confused, his eyes hazy from the euphoria of kissing you.

“What?” He asked confused. You just giggled and walked away with the cup of the now lukewarm coffee. Monoma quickly trailed behind you, hand reaching out to take the cup. You walked to the sink and dumped all of the coffee down the drain.

“I know I should stop. I know.” You turned towards him and place your hand on his cheek. You admired him for a moment. His face was still red and his chest was still expanding slowly trying to get more air in. You gently caressed his lips with your thumb and quickly gave him a peck on them.

“But I’ll only stop because you asked me to.” You kissed him deeply. Monoma wrapped his arms around your waist, holding you in place.

“I love you Nei.” Monomas face flushed deeper and he hid his face on the crook of your neck. He had to bend down to do so but it was worth it.

“I love you too Y/n.”

[aelin-queen-of-terrasen]

𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 | 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 - 𝐓𝐰𝐨

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After her successful debut into the ton, Celaena Sardothein was much in demand.

The Hamel townhouse saw a constant stream of callers; many a gentlemen fawned over the charming, eligible heiress and many a visiting lady came with the intention of recruiting this new addition to their circles as a prospective bride to their own brothers and sons. Despite her determination to laugh off compliments and insults alike - or perhaps because of it - it was not long before she was declared at par with the most eligible debutantes of the season. How this distinction pleased the lady herself could not be discerned but regardless of whether or not she liked it, she was the talk of the season and invitations to exclusive events poured in. When she accepted an invite ti the Stanhope's dinner party, the rumor mill worked and it was not long before word reached Lord Fenrys Ashryver.

"This is all pointless," muttered James Galathynius to his cousin with a pinched expression on his face.

Lord Fenrys stared at him through the mirror, sprawled as he was on James' bed.

"Really, Fen," the incensed man tried, "I know how you miss my sister—we all do but I wish you would not raise your hopes again. It is simply not possible—"

"I know the last time we found a lead, it turned out to be a dead end," said Fenrys sharply, "but it's different now. I saw her. I am not so far gone in my grief that I won't recognise the girl whose portrait I see in your father's study every day, even if she has grown up quite a bit."

"She died in the fire."

"How do you know?" The familiar arguement from last week rose to the surface. "It could have been anyone! The anklet we retrieved from the little girl's body was the only evidence of her identity."

"The anklet, a man's body beside the girl's, the warehouse's distance from our estate, it was all too coincidental."

"I think our parents might have been wrong, Jem - it could have been a misunderstanding for all we know," he tried patiently, attempting to keep the frustration with his cousin out of his voice or expression. "There can be no harm in meeting her anyway, she still is the Hamel heir after all and I know you wanted an introduction; once you see her, you will know why I am so sure."

"If you insist, I will meet her," said James. "I fear you are setting yourself up for disappointment."

"I think you will be pleasantly surprised."

James regarded his cousin. "I hate to say this, Fen—"

"Then don't."

"—but it could be an impostor too. My sister had a significant inheritance, and father recently changed his will. Aelin's assets—"

"Aelin's assets, whatever they are, can be nothing compared to the Hamel fortune."

James frowned, knowing he was backed into a corner. "If we are, I should like to inquire into her background as evidence."

Evidence.

Fenrys wondered if he meant evidence against his claims or to support them but he readily agreed that it was the wisest course. Promptly, a note was sent to his solicitor to make discreet inquires about the Hamel business, the owner and his adoptive daughter. The solicitor, Mr Stone, was a competent man and it took less than two hours to provide the basic information: the Hamel's townhouse address, their rumoured income, her dowry and the stories around Miss Sardothein's 'adoption.'

"She isn't Arobynn's adoptive daughter like everyone assumed then?"

Mr Stone said, "Arobynn did adopt her, to be sure, but only on papers. Arobynn found her in the slums of London when she was but five, and persuaded the Rhunns—who have long been his dearest friends and loyal clients—to take her in. By all accounts, it looks like he took an active interest in her education but it was the Rhunns who raised her until Arobynn amassed for himself a big enough fortune, bought an estate or two in the countryside and took her in."

"How old is she now, do you know?"

"The young lady is eighteen or around, sir, though no one can be sure."

Fenrys shot a look at his cousin.

"And what can you tell us about the Rhunns, Mr Stone?" asked James.

"Nothing good, sir."

The cousins shared a look.

"Thomas Rhunn was a country gentleman until he lost his estate in gambling and like. He has been the Hamel Corporations' prime investor since it was founded some twenty years ago—that's where his fortune comes from," said he. "You will be interested in the bank records, sir, I think—he, uh, he gets an yearly sum of five thousand pounds every year from an anonymous account since 1798."

"The year they adopted Miss Sardothein?"

Neither cousin mentioned it was also the year Aelin had 'died.'

Mr Stone went on. "It is my belief, sir, that the money was for raising the young lady - the timing certainly matches - but it is not one of Arobynn's shell accounts."

"So you think someone else is paying the Rhunns to raise her?"

"I am."

"Their financial situation," James wondered how he should broach this, "Do you think they might employ deceit to secure wealth or position?"

Fenrys gave him an annoyed look.

Mr Stone, thoughtfully said, "Thomas Rhunn is a clever sort of man, sir, but too lazy for something so devious and his wife—a more insipid, unintelligent creature doesn't exist. The daughter, though, she is an ambitious one like her godfather." He hesitated, but the gentlemen looked so interested, he continued. "But I—I think, from what I heard, she is devoted to her trade and quote adept at it. I could not believe her capable of deception to achieve that."

The gentlemen sincerely thanked him for the information and he departed.

Fenrys turned to him. "So?"

"So?"

"So did you see the many proofs?"

"I didn't see any proofs, Fen. So she's the same age as our Aelin and she was adopted."

"The same year as Aelin disappeared!"

James frowned. "That doesn't mean—"

"Yes, it does." Fenrys huffed, more hopeful than ever. "To quote your own words, 'tis too much of a coincidence.'"

He fell silent, eyes shut and took a deep breath. "It's too much. If she is—If she didn't die, you know what it means? Edward has been a shell of himself all these years, my father—he is, he is on his deathbed and Aedion joined the army—he is on the continent somewhere and we might never see him! All those years we lost grieving, and she might never have been dead. None of us even thought to look! If we had, If I had... perhaps she would have been found sooner? But no, I wish to see her first. I will not worry about all that until I am sure."

Fenrys placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know it will be hard and I am sorry for the years you wasted," said he with a calm, reassuring smile, "but all is not lost. If tis really her, your father could see her and know she is alive before he passes, Edward could finally let go of his guilt and have his sister back—he might even die of happiness—and we will call Aedion back; he will come once he hears she is back. Tis not too late to fix everything and save the years we all still have left."

"If it is her."

"I hope, that is, I really hope that it's her."

"Indeed." James nodded. "I hope so too."

"You said she is here?" Lady Perrington looked faintly scandalized.

James rolled his eyes as the crowd turned to look at the doors where a tall, blonde woman stood on the arm of a red-haired man. The room broke into furious whispers.

Beside him, a lady—Mrs Evans, perhaps?—tittered with a companion. "My George said she is not even legally adopted, you know? You don't stand that close to your godfather." This was meant to be a whisper but her voice was too nasally, the words carried over the room and people shared alarmed looks as the object of this conversation walked towards them. The woman kept talking, entirely unaware, "I could never countenance the very thought that she is to inherit a trade empire. All of her dowry will not find her a suitor if she acts like a man."

Miss Sardothein stopped in front of them. "My dear Mrs Evans! I am so grateful for your concern for my marriage prospects." Both ladies tilted his head curiously. She pressed on. "You of all people will understand the importance of caution, I am certain." Her back was towards him but he heard the smile on her face as she spoke. "Is dear Mr Evans' gout any better now?"

James choked on his drink and sputtered. Fenrys winked at him from across the room.

Mrs Evans' face turned red.

Lady Perrington jumped to her friend's rescue. "Miss Sardothein, why, it is such a surprise to see you here! Lady Stanhope has certainly been," here, she pursed her lips and then, commented in a suggestive tone, "liberal in her choice of guests. Your godfather," she nodded towards that gentleman, "is in trade, I hear. Pray, what kind of trade, can you tell?" The guests had all abandoned their own conversations in favour of eavesdropping on this one. Lord Stanhope looked torn between amusement and alarm while his wife openly and unattractively gaped at the spectacle.

Miss Sardothein lifted a hand to dismiss the enquiry. "Oh, I can never talk business on social events but you may ask your husband at your leisure. Lord Perrington regularly invests in many of our ventures." Though the lady's back was turned to him, her voice was fierce.

"Such a devious creature," a familiar voice remarked.

Rowan greeted his cousin with a nod before fixing his eyes back on the drama unfolding in front of them.

Lady Perrington was looking around in search of allies among the onlookers but when no one stepped forward, she inclined her head, her face colored. "Indeed, I shall," she said and hastily excused herself.

Mrs Evans followed suit, eyes firmly on the floor and James almost felt sorry for them. Almost.

Before his apparent sister—how he scoffed at that notion—could turn, Rowan approached at her side. It was rare indeed that the dour man approached anyone first and never so readily. The novelty of that alone occupied his attention.

"Miss Sardothein." He bowed.

She curtsied with a smile. "Mr Whitethorn." Another man approached with a lady on his arm. "Lord Fenrys! I did not know you would be in attendance."

Lord Fenrys bowed over her hand. "I came as soon as I heard you were attending." She laughed at the gallantry—a sweet, tinkling laugh that caught his attention and he again ignored his heart's nagging— and he turned to introduce his companion. "Allow me to introduce my cousin, Mr Rowan Whitethorn of Harcomb, Doranelle and his wife, Mrs Lyria Whitethorn." Fenrys' dark eyes glinted and he smiled charmingly, letting a loose lock of hair fall on his forehead.

"I have already met Mr Whitethorn." Celaena smiled at the woman, then with a less pleasant expression towards the woman. "Mrs Whitethorn, it's a pleasure to meet you."

James had met Mrs Whitethorn barely once or twice in his life and only in passing. He had expected a genial creature, if perhaps a little reserved like her husband but she looked like a simpleton.

Though the fabric of her clothes was expensive and the stitching perfect, but the colour was dull and did no favours to her sallow complexion. Her neck remained unadorned and she wore no necklaces, bracelets or earrings, a fact made more pronounced by the tight modest bun she wore her dark hair in. By her appearance, she seemed more suited to a nunnery than to a fancy dinner party as the wife of a gentleman of rank. She exchanged curtsies and shared greetings but otherwise showed no inclination to converse and hastily excused herself as soon as was polite.

Rowan stood where he was, brooding, stiff as a board when the tradesman's daughter addressed him. "I thought you would be happy here, at least, for you detest balls but you are scowling still."

Rowan said stiffly, "I detest social events."

"Even when you don't have to dance?"

"Even then."

"I should like to hear why."

"I doubt you would understand."

"Come now, sir," said she smilingly, "Do not insult my intelligence by assuming that. Tell me and I might."

"It is not that. I—I do not—you will laugh but I hardly ever know what to say and often give offense where it is not intended." He turned to her. "You cannot have any such problem."

She arched an eyebrow in question.

He said, "You are too lively and charming, you could not possibly manage it."

"And people are too apt to forgive a pretty face in general," she agreed.

His lips twitched. "You claimed you were not a fan of convention earlier but I see you have no love for modesty either."

"For false modesty, I do not. I freely acknowledge vanity to be my chief sin." Then, she paused, "Your wife is, she is terribly shy, I think, but I hope you will not trouble yourself so much on her manner."

"I would say she is more unwilling than shy," said he with uncharacteristic openness. "I hope you were not offended."

"Oh, not at all—"

"Dear cousin," an enthusiastic voice cut through the din of polite conversation in the room, "You must stop monopolizing the lady's time. There is someone I should like to introduce her to—James. James, man, she's here, look. Allow me to present my favourite cousin, Mr James Galathynius of Graceview, Orynth."

James turned to them and bowed politely as she turned.

Then his face paled.

"Aelin." He forced a smile. "Forgive me, that is, you look exceedingly like—"

"Like five-year-old Miss Galathynius? So I've been told before," said she good humoredly.

James blinked disbelievingly. His vision blurred. Blonde hair. Ashryver eyes—that damning feature he thought Fenrys had been exaggerating about and the button nose that both, Aunt Evalin and his mother had shared. His cousin, noticing his preoccupation, engaged Miss Sardothein—nay, Aelin—into animated conversation as one thought after another crashed into his mind.

Thirteen years.

Thirteen years lost in grief and regret.

Thirteen years of seperation when they should have been searching for her.

Aelin grinned triumphantly from atop the maple tree down at her brothers, cousins and friends, dress torn and muddied. Her expression had the tiniest hint of pride as she placed herself on a sturdy branch.

"You shall fall down hurt yourself if you do not climb down, Aelin!" exclaimed Elide fretfully, twisting her muslin dress in evident distress. "And then what will we do?"

"No, no, I never shall," she insisted with a pout. "I can make this my home and you may visit me whenever you would like."

"But you cannot stay up there forever! You would feel hungry," reasoned the ever-responsible Chaol, biting his lip. Barely nine-years-old, he was the first to tattle on his friends when mishaps occured between children as they often do.

"James can bring me food," she declared haughtily, pushing one braid over her shoulder.

James grinned. "And whyever should I? You never do anything for me. I will let you starve a little perhaps. It may teach you a lesson."

"May the devil take you!"

Edward, ever the polite elder brother, reprimanded, "Aelin! That is not the language we may use." He was alarmed when her eyes teared up. "I am sorry, Aelin, love, will you not please come down?"

Aelin sniffed. "You are being mean and I will never talk to you."

"But will you not calm down before our father sees you? You would be punished." He frowned when the little rascal stuck her tongue out. He added, "If you come down, I will convince father to give Mrs Norris a leave for today."

"You promise?"

Edward nodded. "A gentleman's word."

She nodded uncertainly, then looked down and whimpered. "I can't."

Edward groaned, prompting the others to snicker at his expense. He extended his hands towards the tree.

"Climb down," he said, "James or I will catch you if you fall."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "How do I know he won't let me fall?"

"You are our little sister, Aelin," Edward said resolutely, extending his hands further as James did the same. "He will never let you hurt, I promise."

"A gentleman's word?" This time, her bright eye were trained on James.

He nodded. "A gentleman's word."

But had he not broken his promise? She ended up in a tradesman's family so far from home while everyone thought her dead. A five-year-old alone in the streets of London with no family whatsoever, thought he with growing unease. How terrified she must have been! He turned towards her now.

Her eyes had always been bright and her disposition lively but it was all tempered with a quiet dignified sort of grace. She looked beautiful now, the roundness in her face gone and her sharp features accentuating that inner fire.

His little sister.

As impulsive and easy to provoke as ever and every inch the little terror he remembered, down to the sneaky smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. He blinked the tears back into his eyes.

"You would not object, would you, James?" asked Fenrys.

He startled. "Huh?"

"Miss Sardothein here expressed her interest in chess and I thought to invite her for her a game tomorrow in your house." He raised an eyebroe. "Unless you have any prior obligations?"

He did have prior obligations but he would cancel them all. "I would be pleased to have you there."

Rowan frowned, looking between the three of them as if he was missing something. "Is that not... nevermind, but perhaps you should consider bringing your mother along, Miss Sardothein, for propriety's sake?" James cursed the man for his caution. A private visit would be an ideal time to reveal all to her but not if she brought someone along.

Thankfully, she dismissed the idea herself. "I will see if I can get papa to come along but I am a tradesman's daughter, far too involved in the business myself. I am certain my reputation will not suffer for it, unless you mind." Both he and Fenrys assured her that they would not mind at all and James reiterated how sincerely pleased he would be to have her there.

"We will see how pleased you are when I make you eat your dust, Mr Galathynius," she teased with a grin.

James grinned back. "I wouldn't be so sure."

Dear Edward,

I know we are not in the habit of exchanging correspondence as brothers ought but I hope you will forgive me for the presumption. Certain events of note have taken place here recently, such that it necessitated that you be informed immediately. I have a shocking good news to impart:

Our dearest Aelin did not die in the warehouse fire. She is very much alive and well.

By some stroke of luck, cousin Fenrys came across her at a ball and you will be shocked to hear she is the sole heir to the Arobynn Hamel, currently known as Miss Sardothein. He insisted she was our cousin since his first meeting, though I refused to believe him but I met her today and there can be no doubt to her identity. Fenrys invited her to a chess match in the evening tomorrow, where we plan to disclose everything to her. Father has not been informed yet.

Make haste to London, brother.

Yours,

James

Edward Galathynius, the Viscount Milton sat in his armchair, stunned.

He had been the last person to see Aelin. He had stupidly left her alone on the estate grounds that awful day. He remembered his father's panic, his mother's disinterest and his little brother's distress. He had been thirteen years old, back home from Eton for the duration of the summer. He envied James who could look at their childhood—her childhood—with the rose-coloured veil of forgetfulness. James was four when she was born. He would not remember her first steps, her first words, the nights she spent in his bed when she escaped the nursery, her favourite haunts and mischiefs. James would be able to look at their time together without being wrecked with agony because of his grief, the guilt for his blunder, the irrational desire to have her back. James would not dream up variations of that cursed day repeatedly over the years.

"Aelin! Aelin, love, slow down, no, not there, yes, gods, Aelin!" Edward shouted behind her. "Your frock! You look wild—no, stop that, Mrs Norris will faint of horror if you are any more muddied."

Aelin stepped into one mud puddle after another. She sent dirt flying back at her proper, dignified elder brother who pinched his nose in distaste. "Now we are both muddied," said she, grinning over her shoulder. "You can tell her that we didn't see the mud and both slipped."

"And lie to her?" He looked horrified.

Aelin tilted her head, fussing over her hair matted with mud. "Is it a lie if we do it for the greater good?"

"The greater good?"

Aelin nodded, pleased with herself. "Of not letting her faint. She is so thin, I sometimes fear a strong gust of wind will blow her away."

She ran further, bursting into giggles every few minutes and by now, had both of them looking no less than two street urchins. He tried to be stern with her but it was awfully hard to remain angry at someone so determined not to pay attention to a word. He knew better than to scold her, lest she summon her tears. That never failed to make him comply with whatever she asked.

"Aelin, there's a hole there, be careful. Stop running, will you—Aelin!" It was too late.

Her right hand gripped her ankle while the other was on her mouth in a poor attempt to stifle her sob.

Edward frowned as she whimpered in pain. "I told you not to run, no, no, don't cry, darling, it will be fine. I shall call for someone." They had been out on the grounds for a while now and the manor house was far away. She was too heavy for him to carry so far and he did not want to hurt her further.

He patted her cheek affectionately. "There, now, you are a brave girl, and I need you to wait right here. I will run back to the manor and bring help, yes?"

She promised she would not and he hurried back to the house.

The rest of the day remained hazy in his memories. He had arrived back at the spot with his father, a growing sense of dread in the pit of his stomach to find her gone. Search parties were organised and the merchants, locals and servants were all on alert for the beloved little spitfire. Day faded into night, then night into dawn when an express rider came with a letter from the magistrate and his father left the house in haste. He had chanced a look at his father's letter, his concern for her too great to worry about the impropriety of reading another's letter without permission. The contents read:

Dear sir,

I am afraid I have sad tidings to depart. One of the warehouses outside the town had caught fire the previous night and two lives were lost as far as we can determine. The first—a grown man, in his thirties or forties, has been determined as a local thief—and the second, a little girl, perhaps five or six years old. Her identity has not been confirmed but we retrieved a silver anklet among the remains. I beg for your assistance in identifying the girl's family. Do come as soon as you can.

Yours

Sir Arthur Renard

His heart pounded too loud in his ears. He felt hot and cold at once. He knew why only one ankle was retrieved from the corpse, because he had the other. It had fallen off her leg earlier that day and he had retrieved it with the intention to fix the loose lock on it.

His knees buckled.

"What happened?" James asked.

Edward shook his head, about to tell him not to worry. His words choked up in his throat and he excused himself from company, pale and ashen, his head throbbing. He ran up the stairs to his room, dismissed his valet for the night and slumped onto bed. The same bed he had shared with her on nights when she was spooked by thunder or some horror story Fenrys had related to her earlier that day.

Edward had left her there alone.

He buried his face in the pillow and wept.

Rhoe withdrew into himself after the funeral. Edward found comfort back at university, where no one or nothing would remind him of his loss, where he could avoid his guilt and pain.

Then mother died.

The summer visits to family became rarer and rarer. Father never insisted, retiring into his library, the one place where her presence was most patent and he was all too happy to remain where he was. The distance increased after he left university. His father preferred James' company, who was lively and good-humored and as James preferred the society to be found in London, they made the townhouse their home while Edward ran their country estates.

But now,

She is very much alive and well. His heart would not be satisfied.

He ordered for his horse to be saddled and riding gear prepared. The best of the family suites were to be prepared and aired out. She was alive and well, and soon, she would be back home.

Feeling happier than he had in months, Edward Galathynius spurred his horse onwards, fast as he could, to London.

I know I was supposed to update Cinders first but my brain insisted on rebelling and this is what happened. I will update that one soon tho, and I think you'll like it. 💖

tags:

@thesirenwashere // @courtofjurdan //@little-crow-corvere // @the-dark-swan // @queenofgreenbriar // @clockworkgraystairs // @julemmaes // @mymultiversee // @queen-of-glass // @strangely-constructed-soul // @mijaldraws // @http-itsrebecca // @aesthetics-11 // @lord-douglas-the-third // @flowersinvegas // @aelinchocolatelover // @cool-ish-nerd // @faerie-queen-fireheart // @sad-book-whore // @hizqueen4life // @the-gods-killer // @booknerdproblems // @annejulianneh111 // @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln // @b00kworm // @mysweetvillain // @curlyredqueen06 // @moondancer-204 // @thesurielships // @witchling-leonor // @ladywitchling // @amren-courtofdreams // @ifinallygavein //@jlinez // @faequeenaelin // @df3ndyr // @in-love-with-caramel-macchiato // @superspiritfestival // @xx-fiona-xx // @stardelia // @maastrash // @miihlovesnoone // @sanakapoor // @abookishfreak // @ireallyshouldsleeprn // @morganofthewildfire // @bellamyblakru // @theilliumbluebell10 // @jesstargaryenqueen // @woollycat22

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged.

[mirrinbelde-shitposts]

Hello ma'am I'm D and idk if I'm guessing it right or not but i really have noticed that you don't use that much emojis, so from my experience i guess MAY BE MAY BE IF POSSIBLE you might have an earth mercury (like virgo mercury something like that). I'm really sorry if my guess was wrong. And this is my birth chart.

Thankyousosomuch🥂💕🌼

Oh hello! I do have an Earth Mercury, although it is Capricorn instead of Virgo, but good guess! No need to be sorry :)

Welcome to your reading. Please remember to send feedback.

First impressions when looking at your chart: you almost have a mystic rectangle, only Pluto is too close to the beginning of Sagittarius

SUN IN CANCER

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about this sign is intuitive. You are probably rather intuitive, even if you don't pay much attention to it. You are, of course, calm, caring and loving, especially toward your family. There's a significant connection to your family, as well as to your home. These aspects allow you to feel emotional security, which is something that you crave very much. You are probably shy with people that you don't know. You much prefer to be surrounded by the people you know and love. You need to feel loved and cherished every day in order to feel well. However, Cancer Suns are known to be manipulative. With your unaspected Sun, Pisces degree and Gemini Mercury, I think this can be especially true.

SUN IN THE 6TH HOUSE

Here, the Sun is in the house of Virgo. This means that you can find your sense of self-worth through things and activities associated with this sign, like career, routine and health. Firstly, you may feel accomplished through your job, especially if it is a profession related to the direct service of others. Being useful makes you feel good. You're not one to just sit around all day doing nothing. Then, you may prize your daily routines because they allow your life to continue running smoothly. It may very much upset you if things don't go like they are used to happen. Lastly, health is very important to you. It is crucial that you connect mind and body and secure the well-being of both because you can be prone to diseases, from which it may not always be easy to recover.

MOON IN TAURUS

The Moon is exalted in Taurus. Placed here, the Moon is quite happy, for this sign goes nicely with its characteristics: family-oriented, home, comfort, calm, familiar things, loving and caring. You may place a big importance on material things and develop an emotional attachment to some belongings of yours, perhaps because they provide you security. You’re the kind of person to stay home and enjoy a hearty meal, cuddle in front of the fireplace and enjoy sleeping in a comfy bed. You’re quite calm and caring; however, expressing your emotions may not be your strong suit. You should work on your deep attachment issues because they can destroy you if the object of that attachment abandons you.

MOON IN THE 3RD HOUSE

This placement allows the Moon, or your emotions, to connect to Gemini, the thoughts of yourself and others. You may have a tendency to be quieter because you prefer to observe and ascertain what other people are thinking and feeling. The placement adds to the intuitiveness of the Moon. However, what you gather from your observation and rationalization may be affected by your emotions because this is the Moon we're talking about, not Mercury. Whereas Mercury is objective, the Moon is subjective. You should approach the situation with a clear head and try not to let your emotions cloud your judgement. Also, you may have a not-very-motherly relationship with your mother, since the 3H represents siblings. She may act more like a sister to you than a mother; or, you may have had to be a mother to your siblings.

MERCURY IN GEMINI

This is one of the two signs ruled by Mercury. Gemini embodies the more chatty, talkative side of Mercury. You are curious, intelligent and love to possess and acquire knowledge of every kind. You are good at both writing and speaking; however, speaking is probably the thing for which you are known. Gemini is known as the sign that never shuts up; this is particularly true in your case, with Mercury in this sign. However, since your mind is always racing, you may lack an attention span, always going from one thing to the other. Staying committed to tasks and goals may be a problem for you because you get tired of things quickly. You are good with words and love to socialize. Emotions may be rationalized.

MERCURY IN THE 5TH HOUSE

This is a great placement for artists, especially those whose fields are ruled by Mercury, such as writers. It allows you to pour all your creativity and originality into your craft. Your many ideas are expressed in fun ways and your show a jovial way of seeing things. You may enjoy puzzles or other activities that involve strategy, as well as sports (yes, because sports also require tactics). Basketball, for example, would be a good sport for someone with this placement. Additionally, it’s a good Mercury position for someone who works with kids or teenagers, as well as parents. You are creative and fun and it shows.

LEO VENUS

Venus feels well here. You are showy with your emotions and you probably go for people who admire and adore you. You are like that yourself as well, of course: your partner is your whole world to you. You love gifts, both giving and receiving, as well as surprises. You're dramatic in the way you show your feelings and you probably like it when your relationship is in the spotlight. Other than that, you are quite creative and artistic. You shine brightly and you embrace those vibes. Venus also gives you a good taste in art and fashion and a natural charm that makes people look up to you. However, like Leo in general, you may value your opinion too much and other people's too little. This is all well and good, but it can cause a lot of problems with your partner. Relationships are all about compromise; if you're unable to do so, they won't last.

VENUS IN THE 7TH HOUSE

The 7th is the house of Libra, which falls under the rulership of Venus. This placement places a great emphasis on relationships, namely romantic ones. These can serve as a means to acquire greater self-value and self-esteem. You may seek the “perfect” partner and have quite a lot of thoughts regarding your idea of perfection. Beware of this, because all your fantasies and expectations will probably fall short and nothing is perfect in life. The saying “Love is blind” very much applies to this placement. Venus actively seeks “the one”, but they may not be who you imagine. You may also have too great a rose-coloured glasses idea of relationships and may struggle when they struggle too. You need to learn that they require hard work. This placement favours unions but also enhances jealous tendencies.

CANCER MARS

Mars is in Fall in Cancer. This means that you may struggle to take action, perhaps due to the shyness associated with this sign. You may remain neutral in a lot of situations for fear of taking one side. However, your moods can change often and your emotions are felt intensely, so, if you are on a bad day, you may attack and have ugly outbursts. You have a fear of being hurt by those closest to you. This is also a placement that can lead to emotional manipulation, as well as feelings of neediness and jealousy. You probably hold grudges and have a hard time forgiving and forgetting those who've wronged you in the past.

MARS IN THE 6TH HOUSE

The planet of action has its joy in this house, according to the principles of Hellenistic Astrology. Mars strongly wants to take action, but the 6th house forces it to be more methodical and less impulsive. Your workplace may become your figurative battlefield. You need to be active in everyday life, but you also want to feel that what you’re doing is meaningful and makes you feel useful. Mars here acts strongly and concretely in areas of life that are related to work, mainly career, as I mentioned. This seems to be a good position for a leader in the workplace. 6H Mars may worry a lot about the body. A great deal of your energy may be directed into taking care of it, perhaps going to the gym is an activity you enjoy.

JUPITER IN CANCER

Jupiter is exalted in this sign. The planet of expansion and luck finds in Cancer a good means of expressing its energy, for the sign is a sensitive one. Whilst Cancer is already sweet and caring, Jupiter expands these traits even more. You are generally a calm person, who empathizes with people’s feelings and has a need to both listen and talk to others. However, you can become very fierce when someone messes with those you love. You probably have a very motherly side to you that draws people in. Additionally, I have said that Cancer is the most intuitive sign: Jupiter in Cancer only makes this even more so. Listen to your intuition, which is quite accurate; learn to trust your gut feelings.

JUPITER IN THE 6TH HOUSE

This placement may seem, at first, difficult, because this is the house of Virgo, in which sign Jupiter has its Detriment. Whilst Jupiter is all about the higher mysteries, philosophy and the bigger picture, Virgo prefers hard work, concrete aspects and attention to detail. You should seek to find meaning in life through your job, as well as acts of service. Also, this placement may manifest in more ways than one: you may be able to take on the Virgo traits by achieving focus in one thing, or, on the opposite, you can move from one thing to the next, in a bid to help everyone and achieve everything. Jupiter here needs to find a middle ground between the mundane and the mystical.

SATURN IN GEMINI

Saturn here may cause you to be unsure about the themes of Gemini: communication, thinking and expressing yourself. This can cause you to be afraid to speak in public or to withhold voicing your true opinions. You may delve into the study of every area of life or, on the contrary, avoid it at all costs. You probably ponder your words before you speak them. You may have a tendency to be introverted due to this. In a past life, you may have misused your voice, so your purpose in this life is to learn the power of your words. Also, you probably struggle with order, discipline and setting realistic goals. Saturns wants you to learn how to deal with these topics in this lifetime. You may have a lack of self-esteem due to the problems aforementioned. It is important that you work on these blockages.

SATURN IN THE 5TH HOUSE

Saturn here prevents a positive expression of your creativity and expression. Perhaps in past lives, these aspects of yours yielded bad results, so, in this lifetime, you struggle with them. As a child, you may have felt trouble expressing who you truly were (maybe your parents didn't accept that, or your teachers), so you felt better off repressing those parts of yourself that caused problems. Now, later in life, you may completely disregard having fun and dedicating your time and energy to hobbies and fun activities. You probably, instead, commit yourself to your work and don't allow yourself any time to relax and unwind. This can cause you to maintain a harsh, stiff approach to life even now, showing only what you think society will accept. Your challenge in this life is to free yourself by embracing and allowing others to see who you truly are and how unique and special you are as a person. ⬛

[lk-ramblings]

Carpe Noctem

Seize the Night

Meral x Aydın

MenajerimiAra

"I want movement, not a calm course of existence. I want excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I feel in myself a superabundance of energy which finds no outlet in our quiet life."

-Leo Tolstoy

* * *

Her thumb hovered over the number, only to be used in case of an emergency.

Well, this qualified as an emergency in her opinion. Dicle had not responded to her texts for an hour about whether she had reached Barış or not, and worry was clawing at Meral's insides. She decided to call.

'Merhaba. Aydın? This is Meral.....Dicle's housemate."

A low chuckle sounded at the other end. "Merhaba. Yes, this is Aydın, Barış's brother."

"I know who you are."

"And I know who you are."

She rolled her eyes. " Harika. I was just calling to ask if Dicle texted you or......" she trailed off, suddenly realising how awkward this was. Damn it. She was never anything less than sensible.

"Not since I texted her the address. Is there any problem?"

"Yok. Yok. I just worried since it's quite late and the neighbourhood.....well they must be talking and she forgot."

"Hmm. Yes. Talking. Probably."

She had the feeling he was laughing at her and bristled. " Well, thankyou. Sorry to bother you. Iyi geceler."

                      *     *     *

He could imagine her derisive look, the one he had seen her wearing when talking about Beren. The idea of her rolling her eyes sparked something in him and made him want to snatch the opportunity.

"Wait-"

"Yes?"

"Um....." he did not know what to say, and he was sorely out of practice with conversing about anything other than work. "Your concern for Dicle is very touching," he finished lamely.

There was silence on the other end and he could not really blame her.

"Well...thankyou I think? I hope Barış feels better and comes back soon," she sounded sincere in her goodwill and it warmed his heart, as anything related to Barış always did.

"Yes, InşAllah. I met him today, he's doing better now."

"Good to hear..."

"I was wondering, if you wanted to meet up and discuss? Barış and Dicle, yani. Or general things. Actually more of general things. Since, New Year's was fun and...."

Silence again. He was just about to make sure the call had not dropped, when she spoke, "That sounds great. Where do you want to meet?"

His heart gave an excited thump." Wherever you want."

"Oh, I have a great idea," he heard the smile in her voice that already had him looking forward to tomorrow with a new excitement.

                      *     *     *

Her favourite restaurant was roaring with white noise, the air perfumed with spices. Her mouth was watering and she was already anticipating the pleasure the meal would bring to sate her growling stomach. Even her great love of food was not enough to occupy her thoughts entirely, though.

She was nervous and excited; wondering if they would still have the connection she felt at the New Year's party. It was hard to determine what he felt from the few glances they managed to exchange at parties. Her imagined conversations, however, kept being interrupted by the couple arguing right behind her booth.

She sighed. She was just about to turn around and jump in their quarrel, when he arrived.

Meral had convinced herself that her years of romance and dizi infatution had embellished her memory of him. She had taken extra care dressing up, all the while telling herself she was being silly. Neyse, what had all the effort on that doomed Singles Party been for? Only a single glance?

She did not need to worry or dress up, she reassured herself. It was just a pair of acquaintances meeting. It could be fun even.

The reality of him exceeded her memory. He was snug in a crimson sweater, bold and festive; his hair and face shining from the outside cold. He looked brooding in a dangerous sort of way and she was suddenly glad she had gone to the extra effort.

But then he smiled and Meral was forced to consider that smiles always won over broody pouts.

"Hoş Geldin!"

"Hoş Bulduk. Pardon, did I keep you waiting? You seemed to be frustrated when I came in."

"Ha! That wasn't you." She leaned forward and lowered her voice- motioning to the booth behind her- and he did the same." I was about to join in their fascinating discussion about stocks and resolve the issue for them. As an unbiased third party."

"Ofcourse, because you are an accountancy expert."

"No, because I'm incurably nosy."

He barked a surprised laugh at her.

"Do you often get involved in things that are none of your business?" he said, trying to match her tone.

"Unfortunately, no. That's Dicle. I always gather information but only get in fights that are my business. And I win." She sent a quick prayer of thanks for the loud couple for kickstarting their conversation.

"Öyle mı?"

"Aynen."

"Speaking of Dicle, how is Kiraç Bey doing?"

"Much better!"

"Good to hear. Geçmiş olsun."

"Sağ ol."

She was just thinking they were in danger of lapsing into an awkward pause, when the waiter arrived to save them from it.

"Hoş Geldin. Meral Hanım, the usual?"

"Yes, please!"

"You come here often? I'll have what the lady is having then," Aydın said, closing the menu.

"Yes, I love this place. It's so close to our home too," she continued after the waiter had left. "You're sitting in our special booth, actually."

"Whose?"

"Dicle and mine. We always sit in the same place everytime so the staff practically has it reserved for us."

He smiled but then a teasing glint came into his eyes, "Same place, same order. You don't like new possibilities?"

She could not believe he had hit close to her vulnerable spot so quickly. Half of her wanted to welcome the exploration, delighting in someone trying to know her. The other half, the dominant, ever-sensible one wanted to retreat.

"I do. But there's comfort in familiarity. Honestly? I've realised I would thrive in a communist setting."

Aydın laughed, spluttering, the glass of water raised midway." You say the oddest things."

The pleasure of making him laugh made her glow and she relaxed. "If I have too many choices, it’s my fault if I make the wrong one. But if decisions have been made for me? Not only can I complain to my heart's content, but I also feel like I have triumphed against great odds in the struggle to become the independent woman that I am."

“You see odds in everything? I see now why you chose this job." He was regarding her with respect and curiosity. The combination made her feel heady, wanting to let her guard down.

"Why?"

"You get to calculate odds and meddle with everyone's business on a professional basis.”

It was her turn to laugh in surprise.

                       *     *     *

As they ate, they talked about everything from history, to food to dizis, the conversation darting in different directions. Meral could see his quiet intelligence, his attention to detail. She could not remember simply enjoying talking this much before. He had a ready response to everything. Words and laughter were bubbling inside her.

"I better warn Barış. You've watched too many serial killer movies and would leave no trace."

"You can relax. He's not on my hit list yet."

At his devious smile, she pointed at him with her fork. "For now. He's on my good side for now."

"Don't worry, he's a true romantic. He would never do anything that would get him on your hit list."

Her face softened into a smile, "He really his."

"You know, sometimes I feel like I'm their Teyze."

"Barış and Dicle? From a hitman to a teyze?" he grinned at her.

"Yes.Yani, I cook and clean, which I love to anyway. But then being the unwanted third wheel living in her children's house, I leave quietly once I know he's coming over."

"Oh well, I'm the teyze in our house then. You know when- " he stopped at her burst of laughter. "What?"

"I'm sorry- I just-" she said between gasps, "imagining you as a cranky teyze is- actually that's a pretty good description."

"Oh, you think so? As I was saying," he said in mock affrontery, "after Barış got shot, he was trying desperately to be alone with Dicle. But-'

He was laughing so hard he could barely get the words out and she joined in aswell.

He gathered himself and began again," But every single person we know other than Dicle was appearing at our doorstep. And, you remember, Celal Bey? He brought a mountain of food over. And then when Dicle was finally coming over, what did Barış do? Beyeffendi handed me a couple of boxes and told me to disappear."

"How cruel."

Their laughter gradually faded into comfortable smiles. "That man eats like every meal is his last meal," Meral said.

"Evet, but who does not enjoy food though?" he said with a pointed look towards her just to see her reaction and earned an olive in his face for the jab.

"Ow! How do you know how Celal Bey eats anyway?"

"I saw him. At the TV dinner? In the restaurant you recommended?"

"What?"

Her subconcious writer, which had been busy penning their story, suddenly deflated at him not even remembering their first meeting. What hope did a romance have when one party did not even remember the meet-cute? And since when was she considering this a date? Or a romance?

She shook her head and focused back to the present. His expression was serious now, devoid of all the teasing warmth.

"Yes, I remember. I'm sorry you had to see me that way. That wasn't my best behaviour."

He gazed out the window. Meral was dying to know more, to smooth over the lull in the conversation but afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Finally he met her gaze, having made a decision. "I've always been practical all my life. Had to be. Barış and my father are quite hot tempered and.....impulsive, so I was mostly making the money, holding down the jobs. Keeping the job and the peace. I don't apologise for doing what had to be done."

"Tabi canım, you don't have to explain to me. Pragmatic is my middle name." she agreed easily, yet touched that he had shared some small part of himself.

'To doing what needs to be done," she raised her çay in a toast. He smiled and some of the light heartedness returned.

"I understand that life is more than making money and looking attractive. I know I pressured Barış- even got into a fight with Dicle," he glanced at her embarrassed.

"Growing up, our mahalle just reinforced that a happy life is the type of life that photographs well. I know this isn’t true- now- but it’s hard not to think this way. I’ve internalized it."

"I know." Her voice was soft and sincere, easing some of his discomfort. "That's what our lives have become these days. If only we remember to live the moments that we love to photograph."

"Evet. How right you are."

"And this isn't off the back of some truck. This is my own wisdom." She was grateful to see him smile again.

"Gathered during hours of repetitive work. I sit in that room each day, half my mind on the numbers, half in my infinitely more adventurous world."

"You call that repetitive?! I would love that! The assurity of routine."

He sat back with a sigh. "I had so many jobs, never knowing when one would end. Mesela, my current job with Serkan Bey? I finally know some part of what each day brings."

"But don't you miss the excitement of new things?"

"I guess I would thrive in a communist setting too, Meral Hanım. But this sector already has so many new weird things happening everyday, it's never the same."

"Oh you're a veteran of 'this sector' now?"

"Absolutely. Ha! But truly I.....feel like I belong? Actually, Serkan helped me in a difficult situation and I ended up here. I realised I actually enjoy it. I find I have a talent for organising. And persuading and cajoling. Although, if you listen to the whims of all these people! You come across some complete- well I shouldn't say but- Even more than what I met as a taxi driver. I-"

He stopped and seemed to gather himself. "Just glad I have security. The comfort of certainty."

Meral was fascinated hearing him talk, his eyes lit with keen intelligence. She wished she could revel in the comfort he described, but lately she felt stuck in a rut. She had told him she did not like choices but that was not true. She yearned to take chances. Her life had become a collection of the same days, same nights out with the same people. This evening was the only thing breaking the endless monotony.

"I bet you have great stories to tell though. I love listening to stories. We get absolute weirdos at our place aswell but it's ultimately boring. I live vicariously through Dicle."

"I think we should stop talking about them as if we're the side characters."

"Yani?"

"Yani novel falan filan. We keep talking about Barış and Dicle. We should focus on us a little, I think."

His voice had dropped at the end, his eyes on her felt like a caress. Meral could feel something tugging at her to explore this new territory, to take the chance she kept telling others to. But, imagining something in your head was vastly different than having that play out in real life. She fell back on her customary sarcasm.

"Ah, novels. I see I've already corrupted your practicality. 50 points to Ravenclaw."

He had been giving her a lazy smile but groaned at her words. "You're both 'Potterheads'?"

"I thought we weren't talking about them."

"We won't. Because I don't know where to even begin about this. We watched the movies when we were younger, but apparently that's not enough and Barış has been trying to get into 'the fandom'." His voice was a mix of exasperation and affection.

She cried out in mock outrage trying to hide her glee, "Did you just air quote again? And ofcourse that is not enough. I'm glad he is on the right path."

'Neyse. And before you say anything, yes, I know I'm a Slytherin.'

'Oh absolutely," she laughed at his disgruntled form languishing in the booth.

'Ee?'

She raised an enquiring eyebrow.

"So how did you get into the wonders of accounting. I've been spilling all my secrets to you and you give nothing away. Hadi, don't make me take out my truth potion."

"Tsk, tsk. Banning magical discourse and then indulging in it yourself? Shameless."

His quick smile seemed to seep into her.

"Lütfen ya, give me something here. You mentioned you shifted to Istanbul?"

"Yes I did. But that is a story for another day. It's getting late. I think the owner might be coming to personally throw us out."

Her humour just kept surprising him anew; he could not remember when he had last laughed so much.

                       *     *     *

As they walked back to her house, he noticed her slowing slightly. "Are you tired?"

"Biraz. My soul wants to party but my body is of an old woman."

"And what do old women like doing at night?" he cringed at how it sounded.

"Well it's winter so, we drink hot chocolate wrapped in blankets, and avoid people."

"Well people are sources of warmth aswell." Damn. There she was, throwing out words in bright clusters all night, like the gentle snow falling around them.

And everything he said was coming out like an innuendo.

"I mean, figurative warmth. The pleasure of company."

She just raised her eyebrows and hid a smile behind her hand.

"We revel in solitude."

"I didn't know you were that eager to get away from me."

"Oh, you have no idea."

"I think I have some idea." There was something about her, that just made him fall into this teasing, snappy rhythm.

"But we've only met twice. That's not enough data points to form an accurate picture."

"We have met more than twice. And you're doing this on purpose aren't you?"

"What?"

"Mentioning data points now that I've confessed my love for organisation."

Her laughter rang out in the hushed street.

The snow was falling around them gently, giving everything a glittering glow. Her impish face was turned upto his, the snowflakes in her hair like diamonds and dissolving on her lips.

He had the sudden urge to taste that snowflake, run his tongue along the seam of her lips.

Something inside him held him back. He was afraid it was too soon. Afraid to burst this, whatever magic they had between them, just as it was beginning.

Meral could see the moment he decided to forego kissing, the fire in his eyes cooling as they returned to their normal lazy depths. Keen disappointnent burned inside her but was chased away by the still buzzing energy that had been between them all evening.

This evening had already proved to be much more than her normal. An outlier. She wanted to capture the bright feeling, like a firefly; bask in the light for a brief moment and then let go.

"Thankyou. It was..." Unique. Comfortable. Thlrilling, all at once. "Fun. I enjoyed spending time with you."

Surprisingly, her shyness made him bolder. "Me too. I would love to do this again." She looked up. "If you want to, I mean."

"I wasn't angling for an invitation."

"I know. But it stands regardless. I would love to do this again." He could not believe he had managed to get that out without tripping over his words.

The tentative smile on her face made him add, " I must prove I'm the ultimate teyze between us. I'll cook for you."

"Şaka?!" she gave a delighted laugh. "Well then, let the Battle of the Teyzes commence."

When he took her proffered hand, their was a slight shock, as if their bodies were completing the circuit, that energy finally finding a closed loop.

"O zaman, iyi olan kazansın," he said softly.

"Iyi olan kazansın."

"Iyi geceler. Meral." he said, finally breaking the handshake.

"Iyi geceler." She went in and turned at the doorstep. "Aydin."

His name on her lips, materialising in the cold air for a second.

He smiled that slow smile again. An outlier. An input that could start new trends, open new possibilities, change everything.

                        *     *     *

[lovemalecforever]

Chapter 11

A Reunion to Cherish

Alec woke up to the sound of the television playing in the stillness of their home. He blinked a few times to adjust to the brightness. When he was back in his senses he realized that they fell asleep on the couch while watching the movie and his warlock was sound asleep making his chest as a pillow. A blanket was covering both of their torsos. He looked around and realized it was around midnight.

Reaching for the remote, he switched off the television then tried to move his warlock without disturbing his sleep but failed in doing so. He sighed then reached for his stele and activated his strength and flexibility runes, then carefully wrapped his warlock in his arms, picked him up, and went to their bedroom.

He placed him on the bed, then got on the bed and wrapped his arms around Magnus' waist tightly, cuddling as close as possible, feeling the warmth of their bodies which he knew will miss the next few days. With that in mind, he dozed off within minutes.

______________________________

Alec woke up with the feeling of the most gentle feathery touch around his temples, he bit the inside of his cheeks to suppress his smile knowing really well what his warlock's doing. Even though he knows it's wrong to let Magnus think he's sleeping whenever he plays with his hair, he always loves it whenever his warlock does that. But this time he wants to be a tease.

"Love doing that with my hair?" He said in a husky and sleepy voice, eyes still closed.

Alec slowly opened his eyes slowly only to find a deep red blush creeping on that beautiful makeup-ridden face. He smiled helplessly, that was the most beautiful sight he had ever woken up to.

Magnus quickly buried his face in the pillow, too embarrassed to say anything when he felt a tender touch and a gentle kiss around his neck.

"Morning, love," Alec said in a rough morning voice. When Magnus didn't respond, he tried again. "Don't feel embarrassed, Magnus. It's okay. And honestly, I liked it."

"How do you know?" Magnus asked, face still buried in the pillow.

"Know what?"

"That I'm feeling... embarrassed." He whispered.

A light smile crept on Alec's face as he stroked his soft black hair and whispered in his husband's ears, "It's written all over your face, Mags." Then kissed him on the nape of his neck.

Magnus raised his head from the pillow then looked at his husband who had pure love and reassurance filled in his eyes. "Not fair, Alexander." He pouted.

"Hello, there!" Alec smiled and locked their lips in a soft, gentle yet passionate kiss. They broke their kiss after some time and Alec wrapped his arms around his warlock tightly. Magnus was happy to oblige but confused as well.

"Don't you have to be at the institute?"

"Not today, as I have to leave for New York. Cat and Madzie will be here at 11 o'clock, we'll leave from here only."

"Oh!"

Alec looked at the clock only to find that it's just 8 in the morning. He looked at his husband whose face was now filled with longing and hurt. He sighed knowing that look really well. Scooting closer, he left a feather-light over his temple.

"Hey... I know what you're thinking. I can't force the thoughts out of your mind, but I can reassure you that I'm going to be completely fine. Please, don't worry about it, about me. I love you and you know that. I'm going to miss you." He said and gently pecked his lips.

Magnus gave him a light smile. He knew Alec had promised him that he wouldn't go on any hunts, but the feeling of losing him while he was away was building up strongly in his chest. He didn't know what this feeling was, couldn't put his hands on it, but it seemed like something bad is about to happen. But he didn't want to ruin the moment they were in.

"I know, I'll miss you too. Now, you go get freshen up while I start preparing breakfast." He was about to get up when Alec grabbed him and made him lay down on the bed again, snuggling close to him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Umm... Alexander, breakfast..."

"That can wait! We still have time, Mags. I want to spend time with you, cuddle with you as much as I can before leaving. So you're not getting out of this bed anytime soon. Now, come here!" Alec ordered and who was Magnus to say no to his shadowhunter. He simply nodded, snuggled closer, and buried his head in his husband's chest.

________________________________

It was around 10:30 in the morning, the husbands were in their kitchen preparing breakfast and Alec was all ready to leave for New York. Magnus prepared a pancake with caramel and chocolate syrup and hot chocolate with marshmallows dipped in it for his shadowhunter; one of Alec's favorite, and a simple pancake with chocolate syrup and hot coffee for himself. They were eating their breakfast when their doorbell rang. Magnus waved his hand to open the door.

Before either of them could greet their guests, a soft voice echoed their whole house.

"Maaagnus!! Aaallec!" Madzie ran towards their living room calling their names loudly again and again while Catarina was walking behind her smiling at the little ones' excitement.

Alec and Magnus walked out of their kitchen to greet the little package of excitement.

"Hey, sweet pea!" Magnus bent down to hug his favorite warlock then picked her in his arms.

"Maaagnus! I've missed you!" She said enthusiastically.

"I've missed you too, sweet pea!" He said and rubbed their nose softly, making her giggle.

Alec was standing there listening to their interaction with a wide smile as his husband had a look of genuine happiness after a long time.

"Aalleec!" She said while outstretching her hands towards Alec.

"Hey, my favorite sorceress!" He walked towards them and pecked her on the cheeks, making her giggle again.

"Aalec, you stay too please, we will all party and enjoy." She said in a sweet and pleading voice.

Alec looked over at Magnus and Catarina, then spoke softly. "I wish I could, sweet pea. Your Mom and I have some important work to complete and we'll party once I'm back. Okay?"

"Okay." She said in a sad voice.

"Hey sweet pea, don't get upset. We both will enjoy and party," Magnus said while swaying her in his arms, then whispered to her, "and your Mom won't be here to make complaints, neither Alec, we'll enjoy and party every day."

"I heard that Bane!" Catarina said sharply.

Magnus looked at her then to his husband who raised his eyebrows at him, clearly showing that he heard that too.

"I better not find this home covered with glitter when I'll be back, or I swear I'm gonna make you clean that without using your magic!" Alec said in an authoritative voice.

"Why are you both taking my class!? I don't break rules or make a mess!" Magnus protested.

Alec and Catarina exchanged a look then looked at Magnus making him gulp with nervousness, while someone was enjoying this a lot.

"Hey! Stop laughing sweet pea." Magnus put her down on the floor. "We've prepared your room, go and have a look at it, you know where your room is!" Madzie ran towards her temporary room leaving the three adults in the living room.

"Come on now, don't give me that looks both of you!"

Alec and Catarina sighed in unison.

"You better not spoil Mads behind my back, Bane!" Catarina said and hugged Magnus finally.

"Trust me, I won't! By the way, what's that?" He said, pointing towards a huge bag Catarina was carrying.

"Oh, That. Clave requested some ancient books. I don't know the reason though." She looked at Alec to take over.

Alec was confused at first but quickly understood that it was the book they will be needing for the ritual.

"Even I don't know, Jia's the only one who has information regarding this. She said she'll give the information at the time of the meeting itself." Alec said praying to the angels that Magnus will buy it and Thankfully, he did.

"Oh! All right. How long are you both gone, though?"

"2-3 days max," Alec answered.

"Alec, we should leave now. It's time." Catarina said knowing that the sooner they'll get this done, the better.

Alec nodded in response, then Catarina opened the portal for them. Alec gave Magnus a quick goodbye kiss, before stepping through the portal.

__________________________

The portal opened in front of the institute's gate, and they stepped out of it. Alec took in the scent of a familiar environment he was inhaling after a long time. It was only Izzy and Simon who knew about his visit to New York, for everyone else it's going to be a little surprise.

"I'll go to my apartment here and check more about it," she raised the book she was holding "and you go meet your family. Call me when this needs to be done while I finish my other business in the meantime."

Alec took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you for your help, Cat. It means a lot."

Catarina gave him a warm smile and left. Now it's all on Alec. He took a few deep breaths then knocked on the door of the institute. He expected Izzy to open the door as she knew about his arrival but when the gate opened, the reaction of the other person was priceless and worth witnessing.

"ALEC! Wha... how... oh god!" Jace stuttered which was unlikely of him and hugged his Parabatai tightly, having a warm glow of happiness in his mismatched eyes.

"J... Jace! I can't breathe!" Alec tried to speak while trying to loosen the grip his Parabatai held him in. "J... Jace!"

"Sorry! Sorry! It's been a long time, bro!"

"I'm aware, now can I come in, or I'm not allowed anymore!?" He teased, earning a smack on the head from his Parabatai.

He glared at him then they walked into the Institute. As soon as they entered he heard a loud scream and shook his head.

"JACE HERONDALE! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU DISAPPEARED!?"

He exchanged a look with Jace as he entered the orbs' hall noticing the change in the place that happened over the years.

"Can you not shout at me and ruin my day, Izzy!" Jace said, slightly annoyed with his sister.

"Care to expla- ALEC!" She squealed and ran towards her brother, hugging him tightly.

"Did you forget that I'm coming, Miss Head of the Institute?"

"Well..."

Alec looked down at his sister, noticing mischief in her eyes, and he smacked her lightly on the back of her head. "Someone's that busy!?"

"Ow! Hey!"

He looked down at her while having a bright grin then kissed her on top of the head.

Jace was looking at them, mouth agape with a priceless expression on his face yet again.

"Izzy! You knew he was coming?"

The siblings broke their hug and looked at Jace.

"Yeah, I knew."

"Where are the others?" Alec interrupted, not wanting them to argue over something this small.

"Si is at his apartment, Clary is in the training room, Mom and Luke will be here in an hour, Max by evening, but Dad won't be able to come. I tried but he was busy. Catarina?"

He sighed. "At her apartment, running errands while I talk to you all. I hope dad can make it too."

Izzy gave him a reassuring smile while Jace listened to their conversation, a deep frown forming on his forehead.

"Okay, what is going on? Alec, why didn't your husband tagged along with you this time and why is everyone coming here!?"

Alec looked at his Parabatai then to his sister then to him again and sighed heavily before speaking. "Because there is something I want to talk about which needs all of your presence!"

[hopefuljoon]

BST: Chapter 1

A/N: Hi! Welcome! This is my first long fickie for BTS. I hope you enjoy. Here’s a little something of MC’s room that I had taken inspiration from. Sorry about the weird image spacing  + credits to the owner of the image I couldn’t find, contact me if its your image, thank you!

It was 3:27 AM in the morning when you suddenly woke up, screaming, the sweats beading against your forehead still prominent. You sat upright and fisted the sheets as you gasp for air, feeling more breathless than ever. By then, your eyes had readjusted to accommodate the darkness that surrounds your room. It wasn't unusual for nightmares to occur after the event from two years ago. The looks on your mother and father's faces as they gave up their lives for you still linger as you close your eyes, willing for it to disappear. Not a second later, Yoongi and his consigliere pushed the door aside and barged into your room, white faces laced with worry.

"The same one?" Yoongi asks softly, careful to not startle you. Upon hearing his voice, you slowly turned to him, eyes brimming with unshed tears. Had his attention not have been entirely focused on you, he'd have missed your head nodding ever so gently.

He cautiously and quietly approached you then sat down on your bed with his consigliere trailing close behind. He inches his way up to your bed until he was close enough to affectionately caress your head. His smile begins to manifest as soon as he took notice of the way your eyes widen slightly before you closed your eyes and nuzzled into the safe reality that was his hand.

You retracted back and glanced up at your brother before managing a hoarse "thank you" as you noticed the 6 different pairs of eyes trained on the both of you. Yoongi must have known what you were thinking from the looks of your eyes as he said, "They care about you just as much as I do". When he finished, he turned back and nodded once to his consigliere in gratitude.

Your eyes flicker from the back of your brother's head to the 6 pairs of eyes staring worriedly into yours. Your gaze infinitely softens as you lower your eyes down from the attention they were giving you. The sound of waves crashing against the shore created a comforting blanket of silence as you looked out the window before turning back to them with a soft smile and a light dust of pink that coated your cheeks before saying, "I'm sorry for waking you all at such 'ungodly' hour of the night". Half of the members snickers while the other half returned soft smiles of their own. Time slowly passed before one of the member disrupted the comforting silence.

"Princess, you know we don't mind", Seokjin says kindly as your eyes returned to his. He was wearing a light pink Gucci pajama set that you had gifted him last Christmas when he told you that pink was his favorite color. To you, he wasn't part of your brother's consigliere who killed thousands, if not millions, but a family member who you have come to love besides the other members. His personality and love for cooking painted him far off from the idealistic mafia image of the top gang in Seoul. You returned his kind gaze before Yoongi was ushering his men single-file out of your room to return to their respective home that was connected to the main house where you and Yoongi resided. Some members, specifically Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook, yawned and rubbed their eyes sleepily. So much for your mafia profile, you thought and laughed quietly to yourself.

When Yoongi was nearly out the door, he heard a quiet plead from you that he made out to be, "Can you...stay with me until I fall asleep?". He was grateful that the members had listened and returned to their home due to fatigue from the work they had done earlier otherwise he could foresee that they would all want to come sleep in your room to comfort you. He scoffed before rolling his eyes as he reentered the room, closed the door behind him before approaching you again.

"Y/n, there is nothing to be afraid of. I am here", he said as he took on the sofa near your bed that allowed him to glance out the window at the ocean. Your eyes trailed along with your brother until he sat down comfortably then you slowly eased yourself back under the warm and inviting cover.

Before long, he heard your breathing evening out and light snores can be heard throughout the room with the tides crashing against the sand in the background. He smiled to himself while looking down at the book held open in his hand but frown when he realized that he and his men had work to do tomorrow: clean up and get rid of the tracks from the useless and clumsy lower raking members whose lives were cut short earlier today as a result.

Little did you know that he had comfortably fell asleep in the upright position holding a book in his hand, smile content on his face as he was sure you were in safe proximity for as long as he's around.

When you woke up again, the time had only passed for an hour and a half. You were tired of attempting to go back to sleep. It had been the 3rd time tonight so you decided to sneak out of your own room to not awaken your brother who was softly snoozing away as to not give a single care in the world. Carefully getting out of bed, you put on your grey bunny indoor slipper that you had left there earlier. Your gaze filters back to the soft-looking-while-resting Yoongi and lingers there for awhile until you decided to exit your room, gently closing your door on your way out.

You slowly descended the cold marble stairs of your grand mansion before turning left to enter the open kitchen. Everything looked clean as usual because there was never enough time for you to spend with your brother and his consigliere who you have come to regard as your own family. They were often away on dangerous jobs, running errands, or doing dirty work that Yoongi had assigned. None were forced work, of course. Everyone had their respective jobs and roles in order for the gang to run smoothly and rose to the top to where they are today.

You began tiptoeing around your kitchen as you nervously grab around for pans and flowers, hoping to not make a sound to disturb your sleeping family. You figured they didn't get as much sleep prior to waking up and coming in to check on you because they came home terribly late. Doing what, you had no idea but you figured it had involved blood and murder this time because the smell of metal was so potent when you woken up, startled, the first roll of the never-ending nightmare beginning to play in your mind that night. You had been sick with worried if it was any of your family's blood but had not seen any cuts or bruises when they barged into your room in the early hours. By now, the smell and tracks of blood was gone because the private cleaning company Yoongi has bought up, had been here just minutes after Yoongi and his consigliere arrived home. Your mind returned to the task at hand which you were set on making simple but loving breakfast of pancakes to show your love and appreciation for your family. After all, each and every one of the member had, without fail, woken up to check on you whenever you had nightmares that shook you to your core. They had never once complained, only replying that no harm can come near you for as long as they are around.

You opened up the iPad that was charging on the kitchen counters and searched for fluffy pancake recipes. When you had finally found one you think was going to be delicious, you began to work on: putting the flower in the mixing bowl, cracking eggs, spooning out a small amount of baking powder and sugar. You set to work on mixing the ingredients in the bowl and placed down to rest while you went to the electronics stove. Turning it on the low setting while placing a pan on top with butter for it to melt, you grabbed the mixing bowl before stirring it around again softly this time. Suddenly, you felt hands creeping around your waist before it rested there. Soon, you felt someone's chin rested on your right shoulder before they nuzzles into you, kissing your neck softly.

"You do realize...you don't have to do this, right babe?" Hoseok whispered out against your ear. You shivered and turned slowly around in his arms as he adjusted his hold on you again. The sight from afar made it looked so awfully domestic, it'd melt even the coldest heart. "I know but it's the least I could do" you rasped out against his chest before turning around, getting back to work on putting the mixture onto the warming pan.

Next

[rainywritingsx]

Torn • BNHA x OC • Chapter 2

Whoooo chapter 2 is done! I'm sorry that the story is moving a bit slow, the fun stuff will happen, please have patience ^_^. If you like this chapter, please leave a like or reblog and if you have any feedback feel free to comment or send it in my inbox if you’re shy, I don’t mind at all as long as you’re being respectful ^^. I think that’s it for now, have fun reading!

xxx rainbow

you can find chapter 1 here

words: 2252

warnings: none

"Welcome at UA High! Feel free to take a look in every class and ask any questions you may have to our teachers. There's no such thing as a dumb question, so don't worry!" The principal, whose name I thought was Nezu, said, his voice filled with excitement. As the pace of my heartbeat quickened, I entered the building. It was huge! There were so many windows and the colours were also lovely.

I gasped quietly upon seeing a few students from class 1-A. If I remembered their names right from watching the sports festival (secretly of course since I'd get killed if my family saw me watching it), they were Uraraka Ochaco and Iida Tenya. Both were standing near one of the classes. A sweet smile grew on Uraraka's face when her gaze fell on me. I was almost surprised at the fact that she smiled at me, but then I remembered that heroes of course didn't know who I was. My parents did everything they could to hide my identity to the 'good people'.

"Welcome! My name is Uraraka, nice to meet you!" She said sweetly, her hair bouncing slightly, matching her cheerful mood. I smiled and greeted her back.

"Nice to meet you too! You can just call me Janie. I would like to say that you were awesome at the sports festival. I know you lost the match but you still did a wonderful job! That Bakugou guy was just really strong, but don't worry." She smiled even brighter when I said this. I could've sworn this girl was the actual sun.

"Thank you! I'll do better next time!" She said, her voice filled with determination. I nodded before turning to her friend, smiling at him politely.

"You were also wonderful at the sports festival. Your quirk is so fascinating! And your whole family is absolutely wonderful, I really respect you all." Iida nodded proudly and saluted me.

"It is my duty to keep up the pride of the Iida family. I'm glad that I'm doing a good job. I'll continue to do my best!" I giggled and nodded. I liked this guy, he was pretty cool.

"So, do you have any questions about UA?" I shook my head.

"Uhm, I don't think so. I don't think I'll attend UA anyway..." I trailed off. Uraraka frowned and tilted her head in confusion.

"Why? It's so cool here! As long as you do your best I'm sure you'd be able to get in." She said, trying to encourage me.

"Ah no... it's Uhm.. my quirk isn't really that special, you know.... a-and I'm not from here." I said before I could even think about it. I mean... it was true in a way. My mom's side of the family was Korean/Japanese and my dad's side of the family was Turkish. I didn't really speak Turkish that well but my Korean was alright.

Uraraka gasped softly as I said this. "You're not from here? That's so cool! And I'm sure your quirk is fine! There's this kid in our class named Mineta. His quirk is uh... let's just say it's quite interesting. But he still managed to get in!" I smiled softly, my heart feeling touched that she tried so hard to encourage me. If only I could actually attend this school...

"I'm sure our other friends think so too! I mean the more the merrier right? That's exactly why this whole thing is organised. Right Iida?"

"That is indeed correct. UA high is in need of more worthy students for a safer future. Definitely with All Might's retirement it is necessary." It was only now that I noticed that Iida was standing in an almost military manner. This guy was very self-disciplined... I mean I guess I could understand that. If my family consisted of such great heroes I'd do my best to keep their reputation that way as well.

UA really seemed like an awesome school... I'd be able to learn so much there and so many well-known heroes worked here as teachers, it was almost like a dream.

But I couldn't do that. My parents wouldn't approve of it and I wouldn't even get accepted anyway.

Why did I think about this so much?

"You can always decide not to go if they let you in. "Please just try the entrance exam, I promise you won't regret it." Uraraka said sweetly as she handed me a flyer with more information. "I really hope to see you again soon." I smiled politely and nodded, saying that I hoped for the same. I doubted it though...

I ended up looking at some other places, gasping softly when I saw Bakugou Katsuki, the guy who won the Sports Festival. Despite his.... anger issues, I still thought he was pretty cool. He was definitely smart, from what I had seen and obviously UA didn't let random people in their school, let alone their best class.

Exactly why I wouldn't be accepted.

I wouldn't consider myself on the level of class 1-A to be honest. Yes I had some physical skills. However, my quirk had its limits. I couldn't make water out of thin air, I actually needed it physically in order to use it. I'd never know at what kind of place  the entrance exam would be held so I'd be at a disadvantage there. Therefore I'd need to completely rely on my physical abilities. I also wasn't trained enough to control other fluids as of right now. I could control water and things like drinks, soup etc, but anything else was still too difficult for me.

And second, how would I even be able to keep this a secret from my parents? The villain school and hero school did have classes at different times considering the fact that those two despised each other but I'd have to find an excuse to be away at those times. And I was a horrible liar. A little white lie was fine but lying about where I always went... I wasn't sure if I could do that.

I stopped walking when the smell of food entered my nose. It smelled heavenly, oh my.... I wished the food at my school had this lovely aroma. I could just get something small like a cupcake and then leave, right? No biggie. The lunch room sure wouldn't be that far anyway, that would be convenient. I smiled when I noticed some signs, showing where people could get some food. That was nice, I'd probably get lost without them.

When I entered the cafeteria the same happy mood that I felt in the other parts of the school was here, except it was more lively. Children were having some meals with their parents, excitedly talking about what they had seen here today, students were helping with the food and some teachers were conversing with parents who had questions regarding the school.

My eyes slowly wandered off to the amazing foods that were placed here. It was an open buffet, a bit small but it all looked great. If only I could stay longer and have an actual meal... I'll just get a cute cupcake instead and eat it on the way home, that was nice too.

The cupcakes were adorable, they all had different colours and the frosting was as white as snow. It had cute sprinkles on it and in the middle was the UA logo. It looked too pretty to eat but at the same time it really made me want to eat so many of them. Of course I wouldn't do that though, I had some self-control.

I grabbed a pink cupcake and then turned around to leave. However, my feet stopped upon hearing someone gasping. Before I could even think about what was going on I was controlling boiling hot tomato soup, keeping it in the air. I looked at the situation and my eyes widened when I saw a little girl, eyes squeezed shut as her hands rested on her short black hair, ready to have it all over her.

"Melody!" A woman's voice, who I assumed was her mother's, called before she ran over to her daughter. She stopped when she noticed me, holding the liquid in the air. I carefully made sure to let it go back into the big pan that it was in earlier. I'd lie if I said that doing that wasn't nerve wracking. If I wasn't concentrating enough it would still hurt the girl and the mother as well.

"Thank you so much." The woman spoke, her voice shaky as she smiled at me thankfully. I blushed and was about to say it was all good when more voices spoke up, praising me for what I did. I gasped and looked around, realising more people had seen this, even some UA teachers.

"I-it's fine! I-my body moved before I could think... I'm glad your daughter is okay, though." I said and looked over at the little girl, who was looking up at me with her adorable brown doe eyes. I crouched down so I was at the same height as her before speaking gently.

"Make sure to be careful next time alright? You really could've gotten hurt." The little girl smiled at me and nodded.

"Woah, so cool! Did you guys see what she did?" I looked up and noticed a blond haired guy talking to some people, including Uraraka and Iida. Many of them seemed to reply enthusiastically as well, except for who I thought was Bakugou. He just scoffed and looked away, making me chuckle softly. Uraraka looked over at me and seemed to recognise me

"Oh it's you from earlier!" She said before walking up to me. "Janie, right?" I smiled and nodded.

"What you did was so heroic! That's another reason you should come here." She said as she excitedly bounced up and down, making me laugh softly.

"That's sweet of you to say, but-"

"Uraraka is right!" Iida said, making me stop talking. "What you did was truly heroic. It shows more than any exam can. You have the heart of hero. None of us went there to help at this moment but you." I mean that sounded nice and all, but was it really true? Maybe it was just a reflex. Sure I was different than my family, but to say I was a hero...

"I know you want to come here, I can see it in your eyes." Uraraka said, causing me to gulp. I really was an open book, huh?

"Just please think about it. You have a week to sign in for the exam, and even after that you can say you don't want to join the class. I'm sure you can do it!" This girl was just too lovely to say no to...

"Alright... I'll think about it. I really need to go now, though." She squealed and nodded.

"That's great! Hopefully I'll see you soon again then!" I nodded and said goodbye to both, before turning to leave the school. Suddenly I walked into something big and buff, making me release an "oof" sound as I stumbled backwards. Luckily, I managed to find my balance again so I didn't fall on my butt. That would've been embarrassing..

"Oh, my apologies, young lady! I didn't mean to startle you!" My eyes widened when I realised who that voice belonged to.

Holy crap.

It was none other than All Might himself.

"What you did there was truly heroic. Not many people do things like that in such a short timespan, let alone children who aren't even planning on becoming a hero. I'm surprised you aren't a student here already!" I blushed and looked down, playing with the purple ends of my hair.

"I mean... it-it just happened, I didn't even realise I was doing it honestly... I don't think it was that heroic, sir."

"Well, don't you know that that's how many great heroes start? Their bodies act before they even have time to think." That was true... I had heard many stories like that from many famous pro heroes. Some stories like that were even from the villain side, except the events didn't take a good turn..

"And there's no need to call me sir, feel comfortable with me! I'm All Might after all." I smiled and nodded, feeling more at ease now. I didn't know what it was but... it was like he had this fatherly aura around him. I was sure he'd make a great father if he didn't have a family of his own yet.

"Thank you so much for the kind words All Might. I truly appreciate it. However, I should really go now, I'm very sorry." He laughed loudly and nodded.

"Of course! No need to apologise for that, I understand! Your parents must be worried but I'm sure they'll be proud once they hear your wonderful story!!" I wish they did... but it was a nice idea to think about. At least All Might was genuinely proud of what I did.

"Thank you so much s-I mean All Might. Have a nice day!"

"Goodbye! Hopefully I'll see you at the entrance exams!"

After all, I might consider actually doing it... trying won't hurt anyone right? Perhaps I wouldn't even be let in.

I still had time to think about it anyway, which was nice. We'd see what would happen after this.

[romancable-tabris]

Curls & Creams & Dreams Such as These, pt 1

Rating: Teen Description: Lanarís Lavellan is tired of being known as the Herald of Andraste. Tired because that means they have to do things they feel they are in no way shape or form ready to do. Author's Note: this was meant to be a tidbit and it turned into an entire fic. Excuse me. Why can't i just make meta. I don't know lmao. Anyway here it is.

When Lana finds themselves stuck with the Inquisition (the use of the word stuck is important, they wanted to go home since they were a prisoner under the Inquisition) every day a new struggle made itself known to them.

One of the bigger stressors they found was their inability to do their hair. Clan Lavellan was made up of brown and black native elves, all whose hair was often complimented as being "new" and "interesting" according to Orlesians. Lanarís never took the time to learn how to do their hair and as a result living with the inquisition at Haven felt like a struggle with their inability to look after themselves properly. Vivienne had figured this was the case at least, what with the Inquisitor's hair lacking any sort of definition in the time she had come to know them.

Thankfully Madamme de Fer, although for her own purposes does not grow hers long in the current political climate, knows how to treat hers. Her mother taught her once they had reconnected, thoroughly, and she felt it necessary to help the Inquisitor.

After all, it's a rough time, and they're obviously struggling with the sheer mass of it. Their hair of course. But the war as well.

She saw them go outside of Haven well past the stable and armory. She saw that they had even walked straight past Blackwall, not even stopping to say hello, as they usually did.

"That's odd, isn't it?"

Blackwall nearly jumps when he hears her turning and regarding the lady.

"Sorry madam. Didn't hear you approach!"

"Do not fret my dear... Does the Inquisitor seem off to you?"

Blackwall paused. He looked back the way the Inquisitor went.

"Pretty sure sh- they, excuse me, went off to the bridge. Not sure why. They didn't look like they wanted to talk."

"No. Im sure they didn't."

Vivienne returned to Haven and created an elaborate plan.

✧

Later that evening when Lanarís returned to Haven's chantry to make their report they were stopped by Vivienne.

"Oh Inquisitor! I've been waiting for you."

Lana gulps and approaches.

"Oui madame? What can I do for you?"

"I've found myself in quite the predicament. You see I require some things that I've left back in my home in Orlais. I ask that you accompany me there, for I shan't have any other company but yours."

"This... is urgent I presume..?"

"Oh yes quite. Very importsnt buisness, I should think."

"I... alright. Let me check with Cassandra and Josephine. I will return shortly after."

"Of course."

She watched as the Inquisitor ambled back towards the meeting room. She did hope they wouldn't be long.

✧

After what Vivienne could only presume was an hour long conversation about tactics and what not, Lanarís came out of the advisor's room looking even more exhausted than before. But by the time they approached they were wearing a smile. Vivienne thought it odd that they felt the need to be positive around her, but she did not speak of it.

“So I do have time to go with you on this little... I suppose it's an errand?"

“You may suppose. It may be a while once we get there, I have a couple of things to do you see.”

“I see...”

“Worry not my dear, we won't be alone. While you were gone I went around Haven to see which of our budding warriors would like to accompany us, and because The Iron Bull and Blackwall are simply twiddling their thumbs this weekend, I've asked them to accompany us. After all, we needn't worry Cullen and his soldiers, they are busy training. Don't worry, I've figured it all out. You only need to sit back and relax on our trip there."

Lanarís stares for a moment at Vivienne, wondering what on earth she needs that she planned an entire trip. It must be important or she wouldn't have made such a big deal out of it.

"Alright. Then I suppose... when exactly did you want to go-?"

"Well now my dear! We mustn't waste what precious little free time you have, surely?"

Vivienne gripped Lanarís shoulders tightly and smiled gently down at her.

"You ought to pack what you need because it's going to be a while till we reach Orlais."

✧

It was awhile. In fact the trip was lengthy enough that Lanarís slept only a couple of hours into the journey. It wasn't the comfiest thing in the world, but Lanarís had had a long day, so it only seemed fair to let them sleep. While they slept Vivienne, Bull and Blackwall were quitely basking in each other's company. It was the first time the four of them had ever accompanied each other in a group and Vivienne found she quite liked the company of these two quite 'handsome in their own way' warriors. She was the first to break the silence.

"I trust you two have had a long day as well?"

"Suppose so madam. Been helping the soldiers train all day, but it's not that tough. They're fast learners." Blackwall stated. There was a hardened tone to his voice, that spoke of someone who knew what he was doing. Vivienne admired that about him.

"And you Bull?"

"Been shooting the shit with that Sera girl. She's... interesting. Definitely someone you want at a party." Vivienne also admieed Bull's, shall we call it, ferocity.

"If you mean a loud and exuberant party then of course." She smiled a rare smile. She was only teasing. "I've had an encounter with Sera before properly meeting her. Quite the girl." There was a twinkle in Vivienne's eye.

They all fall quiet again. Only the sounds of the horses trotting and the carriage driver's gentle humming filled the silence.

"What about you madam?" Blackwall asked.

"Me? Oh I've not been busy. Merely seeing what Haven has to offer all day. I was quite lucky to have someone on hand to call for this carriage, Haven seems to be in the middle of nowhere."

"Yeah. Real ass end of Fereldan, Haven is. But it means we'll get to your house sooner." Bull stated, leaning back in his seat looking at Lana snoozing on theirs. They were small enough that they made it look somewhat comfortable somehow.

"It does."

"What exactly did you need from your place anyway?" Bull asked.

"Oh just a couple of things. Beauty related I suppose."

Bull and Blackwall both furrow their brows momentarily.

"This is important. Besides, I'm sure our dear Inquisitor needed a weekend off anyway." Vivienne said sternly.

"Wait, so we're doing nothing all weekend?" Bull started.

"Oh, no, you two will be doing something as well. Don't think I have nothing planned for you two. It will all be good fun. The Iron Bull might have more fun than you, Ser." Vivienne looked pointedly at Blackwall, who was rightly confused and whatever Bull could like more than he could.

"You can call me Bull."

"Oh? Is Bull preferred?"

"Friends can call me Bull. We'll all be working together a long time and whatever the hell you've got planned for us gives me the feeling that we're going to be working reeeal closely for the next coupl’a days..."

"This is a pampering weekend Bull. Not a kinky one." Vivienne raised an eyebrow, smiling ever so slightly. Blackwall muffled his laughter.

"Just checking." Bull grinned and breathed a chuckle careful not to be too loud. He got the information he needed anyway. He definitely would enjoy this weekend.

The three of them eventually fall asleep, Bull the last of them when he saw dawn rising up in the sky outside; The Rift further and further away the closer to Orlais they got.

[reds-self-ships]

🔎 The Adventure of the Detection Club

Chapter 10: The Case of the Familiar Coroner

Table of Contents & Trigger Warnings

⚠ CHAPTER SPECIFIC WARNINGS: Contains major spoilers for the ending of The Great Ace Attorney 2,—viewer discretion is severely advised unless you either know the ending or if you don't mind being spoiled. Warning for references to blood & gore made in passing.

“Er, Redford, are you coming?” asked Ryunosuke, standing outside the entrance to the coroner’s laboratory.

“Yeah. Just a second,” said Redford, furiously scribbling into his notebook.

Ryunosuke was ready to admit that, perhaps taking a crime fiction author with a habit for scribbling down notes to Scotland Yard, the headquarters of London’s Metropolitan Police, might not have been the best idea he’d ever had.

After the red-headed writer had taken more than his fill of descriptions of working police officers and layout of their offices and certain procedures, he joined Ryunosuke and Susato in descending down the staircase towards the coroner’s lab.

Ryunosuke gagged. “What’s that…awful smell?”

Susato sniffed the air. “It smells like formaldehyde. If I recall correctly from one of my father’s medical textbooks, it’s often used to sterilize medical tools before an operation. And it can also be used to preserve the human body to make sure that the body doesn’t decompose before its time.”

“So could it be used to stop aging? So I could stay 23 forever?” asked Ryunosuke.

“Well if you wanted to die in order to stop yourself aging, then yes, I suppose you could.” replied Redford. “The stuff, besides smelling as though it’s going to burn the inner hairs of your nostrils off, also happens to be very poisonous. The smell of it’s fine though, as long as the place is kept well ventilated or in a small amount.”

“Fair enough,” said Ryunosuke nasally as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

The three continued to descend down the stairs before pausing at the front door of Dr. Gulloyne’s office as they heard something.

“What’s that noise, Mr. Naruhodo?”

“It sounds like someone humming and mumbling to themselves, but it’s not a song I’d recognise.”

“It sounds familiar to me…” said Redford, picking up the tune himself. “It sounds like ‘Frère Jacques’.”

“Eh?”

“It’s a French song. It means ‘Brother John’ in English though.”

“Ah. That’s probably why I’ve never heard of it before. It was only last week that Kazuma and I learned what the label on a bottle of French sparkling water said.”

“Which was?”

“‘Sparkling Water – Product of France’ or as it said in French: ‘Eau pétillante - Produit de France’.”

“Your pronunciation is rather excellent, Ryunosuke.”

“Oh, er…th-thank you…Mr. Sholmes taught me the pronunciation…” Ryunosuke stuttered, his face turning so red that he was glad that there wasn’t much light down at this depth of the building.

“Wait a second! I think I know whose voice that is…” said Susato, hurriedly opening the door and entering the coroner’s office.

Redford and Ryunosuke followed quickly after as the voice continued singing quietly to themselves:

“Sonnez les matines Sonnez les matines Ding dang dong Ding dang…Oh! Hello Susato!”

Ryunosuke exclaimed: “P-Professor Mikotoba!”

Professor Yujin Mikotoba, dressed in his shirt sleeves and a clean white apron, stood over an examination table, wearing a pair of dark red rubber gloves that seemed to go all the way up towards his elbows.

“Oh hello…Mr. Naruhodo, wasn’t it? And I see you’ve brought a friend. Good afternoon, I am Dr. Yujin Mikotoba.” He bowed his head. “I would shake your hand but I’m currently scrubbed up at the moment.”

“Oh why thank you. My name’s Redford Ninate. I’m a writer, President of the Detection Club and, well, a murder suspect at the moment.”

“Ah, so you must be working Mr. Ninate’s case, Mr. Naruhodo?”

“That’s correct, Professor.”

“Well I happen to be working this case as well, but as the coroner, not the lawyer. Dr. Gulloyne is away at the moment and they managed to catch my boat before it left Calais for the Mediterranean to ask me to step in on her behalf.”

“Well Mr. Sholmes did say that the coroner working the case was one of the best in the world, father…” said Susato with a smile.

“Did he now? He always did try too hard to upsell me, especially in that matter involving ‘The Giant Rat of Sumatra’…”

“Sorry – ‘always did’?” asked Redford.

“Yes. I’m Sholmes’s old investigative partner. The real life ‘Dr. Wilson’ as it were, but that’s a far more complicated matter than I’d care to explain at present. Not for a while in the very least.”

Ryunosuke could tell from the way that Redford had his teeth gritted and the way that he had his fist wrapped around his pen that he was resisting the urge to ask a hundred thousand and one questions.

“You mentioned that you were the coroner working on this case, Father. But a police constable mentioned to Mr. Sholmes that the murder weapon was in your custody for the time being…?”

“Why yes, that’s right. That’s what I’m working on at the moment actually.”

Dr. Mikotoba stood to one side to show the yellowy-white skull sitting on his desk, a large dark red streak splattered across its surface from the unfortunate victim’s blood. Both Ryunosuke and Susato seemed rather taken-aback.

“So…this is…”

“Norman!” exclaimed Redford.

“Is that his name? To me, he looks more like a ‘Takumi’ more than a ‘Norman’.”

“Maybe that could be his full name. If or when I get out of this mess, I’ll need to propose that as a potential surname, doctor.”

“Well I’m glad to be of service in that regard,” said Professor Mikotoba with a smile. “As for a more professional opinion, I can confirm that this was used to inflict quite a few blows to the head of the victim. In fact I think in my entire time working as a trainee coroner-turned-amateur detective-turned-general practitioner-turned-biology professor-turned-professional coroner again that I’ve never seen a body quite…what's the English word for it again...?”

Professor Mikotoba tapped his feet in what appeared to be a small tap-dance routine before he flicked the top of his greying hair and pointed. “Mutilated! That’s the word. Mutilated. I’ve not seen a corpse as mutilated as this one before.”

“You’re telling me! When I saw a photograph that was taken of the crime scene, I truly thought I was going to die myself,” said Ryunosuke with a wince.

“I feel the same sometimes, but I find the smell of formaldehyde actually rather helps keep me focused. As does singing. I learned that song you heard me singing, ‘Frère Jacques’, from a French chap with a top hat, monocle and tuxedo on-board my boat last month. Horace Velmont, he said his name was. Rather annoyingly catchy, I must say…

“…By the way,” added the professor, “If you’re fighting for Mr. Ninate’s innocence in court tomorrow then I might have an ace for you to use up your sleeve. Well, two of them, actually.”

“Go on…” said Redford, notebook and pen already well-prepared in advance.

“The first is that the prosecution have requested my testimony tomorrow, in lieu of Detective Jones’s, you’ll be pleased to hear, seeing as I can tell already that you absolutely loath the man.”

“Wh-What?! How did you know that?” asked Ryunosuke.

“You mumbled ‘彼ではない…’ under your breath as soon as I mentioned his name. That means ‘Not him…’, by the way, Mr. Ninate. If you want I can write out the romaji form of it for you later on for your own records?”

“If you could, that would be appreciated, Dr. Mikotoba.”

“Happy to be of service. But yes, I’ll be testifying with regards to the autopsy report and the state that the victim’s body was found in. I unfortunately can’t say any more, because if the prosecutor found out I was talking to you like this alone he’d have me out of the country again before I could translate Mr. Ninate’s notes into Japanese and back again.”

“I see,” said Ryunosuke. “And what’s the second part?”

“The second is that I have a reason to believe that this skull, Takumi Norman-kun, it may not be the murder weapon that you or the police are looking for.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I’m not sure why I think that at the moment, so we’ll just call it a doctor’s intuition. But I am still yet to conduct the further tests required for me to be able to say that as a certainty. I’m sure I’ll have everything figured out in time for tomorrow morning though.”

“We’ll keep that in mind, Professor Mikotoba. But thank you very much for this information, I’m sure it’ll come in use at some point in court tomorrow.”

Professor Mikotoba bowed his head. “That is exactly what I’m here for, young Naruhodo. I’ll still be cheering you on though, don’t worry about that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must continue my work.”

“We’ll leave you to it then, father. But thank you very much for your assistance.”

“My pleasure, Susato. But just remember, it’s usually the most obvious facts that we end up missing at times. You should do well to remember that, the three of you.”

“Well Redford already has it written down, so I’m sure he can remember it for me if I forget it,” said Ryunosuke.

Professor Mikotoba smiled. “Alright, I shall see you in court tomorrow morning.”

——————————

As Susato had decided to stay behind for a moment, and Redford had decided to wander about asking more policemen more questions, Ryunosuke decided to wait for them in the lobby.

For a building such as Scotland Yard, it was a decidedly unimpressive lobby. A police constable on a high lectern-like desk continued to sift his way through paperwork. He was occasionally interrupted by police officers dragging in criminals to prepare them to be detained in a gaol cell or to meet with a prosecutor to discuss criminal charges.

Other than that, there were the occasional civilian visitors sitting in the lobby waiting their turn to make arrangements for bail or to visit those who had been remanded into police custody, or to provide evidence and statements to officers and detectives for all kinds of other cases.

As he read through the faded anti-crime slogans on the notice board, a young woman with short blonde hair walked in, wearing a long lilac-grey coloured dress and holding a thick leatherbound notebook underarm.

She approached the constable on the high lectern-desk and stood for a few moments, clearing her throat after the constable, too busy wondering whether it was an I or an E in the last part of “antidisestablishmentarianism,” failed to notice her.

“Oh, sorry miss. Er, can I take your name please for our visitor’s book?”

“Christina Agatha.”

“‘Christina Agatha’, lovely. Nice and easy enough one for me to spell.”

(It’s not my fault you can’t spell ‘Ryunosuke Naruhodo’ very well, constable—even though it’s spelt exactly as it sounds…Still…why does that name sound familiar to me…)

“Now then, Miss Agatha. How can I help you today?”

“I was wondering if it were possible to speak to Detective Athelney Jones about the Harris Thomas case?”

“I’d certainly say so—he shouldbe in his office at the moment, and his next meeting’s not for another while yet. Here, I’ll write you a visitor’s pass. Now where did I put that pen of mine…?”

After a minute or so, the constable had the lady’s pass written out and sent her on the way in the direction of the Criminal Investigations Department, Homicide Division. And after that, he didn’t really think much of the entire thing.

“Alright!” cried a Scottish voice. “Tha’s enough o’ that! Out with ye! Go on, git! Git!”

A particularly burly-looking Scottish detective practically threw Redford Ninate into the lobby. “But Detective Superintendent MacDonald—!”

“Ah dinnae care! Now git tha hell outta here befurr ah tayke ye intae custady!”

“Well next time I’m writing a police procedural, you certainly won’t get a good portrayal, you great big Scottish red-faced eegit.”

“Mr. Naruhodo, I think Redford has asked more than enough questions of the police for one day, don’t you agree?”

“Yes. I think now’d be a good time to get out—”

Before Ryunosuke could finish the rest of his sentence, D.S MacDonald threw Redford’s notebook in his face, as well as his pen, followed by a bottle of ink that he only just managed to catch, a wad of blank forms – much to the chagrin of the constable manning the desk – and a full mug of coffee that ended up decorating the wall beside the front door.

“Get out and stay out ya wee bawbag of a—!” roared MacDonald as Ryunosuke, Susato and Redford made their escape whilst the constable despaired over his misplaced paperwork.