#the emma boots live on | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

orphicdreamers-wp · 11 months ago

Text

When Emma Falls In Love — Luke Hughes

Summary: In which watching your roommate Emma and her trials of love, makes you realize your in love with your best friend

Content Warning; Heartbreak, Insecurities, Pining Luke & Oblivious Reader, UMich Luke

Pairing: Fem Reader & Luke Hughes

You were sprawled across Emma’s bed scrolling through your instagram feed as Emma tried on various outfits for whatever date she was going on tonight. You spoke as you tossed your phone on the bed beside you, “You barely know this guy Em, why are you stressing over your outfit?” Emma shrugged, “It’s easy to go on dates, keeping guys is hard. I don’t know how you and Luke do it.” Your cheeks flushed red, “I’ve told you a million times me and Luke aren’t a thing.” Emma shrugged, “Maybe you should be.”

You sighed and rolled off the bed, “He’d never see me like that, wear the pink dress and the silver heels. Hair down pink lipstick no lashes.” You walked out of her bedroom and laid on the couch and turned it on to whatever old timey movie was playing. You scrolled on your phone debating on what to doordash for your dinner. Emma walked out of her room and struck a pose in front of you.

You looked up from your phone and smiled, “You look amazing Em. Have fun.” The doorbell rang and Emma scurried to the door with a huge grin on her face as she opened the door. James or Jake stood on the opposite side of the door holding a bouquet of flowers. Emma smiled and placed the flowers in a vase by the door as she waved bye to you and headed out.

Two weeks later you were in the same position, laying on the couch as Emma slipped on a pair of UGG boots. You looked up from your psychology textbook, “What’s tonight’s occasion?” Emma smiled, “One of the hockey guys asked me to go to some ice skating rink with him and some hockey guys. Didn’t Luke ask you?” You shook your head, “Nope, he’s been ghosting me anyways.” Emma smiled as she slipped her coat over her shoulders, “You have to put yourself out there honey.” You shrugged as you shut your book, “Maybe someday.”

Luke let out a deep breath as he paced outside your door, Dylan had tried to get Luke to ask you out to the ice skating rink tonight. He was sweaty and panicked as he stood on the other side of the door holding flowers. He rang the doorbell and turned around in panic as the door opened. Your voice filled his ears, “Em, your dates here!” Luke felt his hands clam up, “No Y/N wait, I’m here for you. I was wondering if you’d go to this thing with me tonight?”

You smiled at your best friend, “Sure Luke, what are friends for?” Luke felt his mouth dry up, “Okay. Do you want me to wait for you or do you want to meet me there?” You smiled, “You can come in Luke, I’ll be like 10 minutes.” You went to your room and pulled on a pair of jeans and a UMich hoodie. You pulled your hair out of your face and slipped on a pair of boots. You entered the living room where Luke sat on your coach awkwardly.

You smiled, “Let’s go.” Luke smiled as the two of you headed for his car. The drive to the ice skating rink was awkward to say the least. You had gotten to the ice rink and in record time you, Emma and Rutger’s girlfriend Parker were off skating away from the boys to regroup. Parker smiled at you, “So Y/N, you and Luke?” You shrugged, “I don’t think so. I don’t think he sees me like that.” Parker shrugged, “Well your boys on his way towards us. Better find out.”

You smiled softly as Luke approached you and held his arm out, “Can we talk?” You nodded, “Sure Luke, let’s skate for a bit.” Luke intertwined your hands as you skated around for a bit and eventually stopped near the center of the rink. Luke spoke breathlessly and rushed out, “I love you.” You looked at your best friend confused, “I love you too Luke, your the best person I know.” Luke shook his head, “No, you don’t understand. I’m in love with you. I mean I wake up and I think about you. I go to sleep and I think about you. I just am so in love with yo-”

You cut him off by smashing your lips against his. His lips immediately were on yours. You pulled away breathlessly, “I’m in love with you too Luke Warren Hughes. You are the one constant in my life.” You pressed your forehead against Luke’s as you held his face in your hands. You were broken out of your daze by Emma’s loud squeals. You looked up at the falling snow around you. Luke grinned sheepishly, “How’s that for a first kiss?” You smiled up at him, “With you? It’s perfect.”

#hockey player x reader #fanfic #hockey #nhl #nhl fanfiction #umich imagine #umich hockey #umich wolverines #umich boys #umich blurbs #luke hughes #lh44 #luke hughes x reader #luke hughes x y/n

459 notes · View notes

jakesangel · 5 months ago

Text

unrequited love w jake - 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔 event request

preview : he is always putting you first, why can't he be his girlfriend. allas, you're only his childhood best friend

word count + genre : angst ( i tried to ) . 3.1k ( word vomit so it's not proofread

warning : dorm roommate, childhood best friends, confession, rejection, happy ending, reader gets in her head easily but never cries, jake is a sweetheart

having jake as a bestfriend is the best thing possible in the world. the sweet australian boy who always help you for your physic exams or who's being his dog layla when you're on your period. but it's also the worst thing because of random girls asking you for his number or being hugged by him because you're his cute little sister. it's even worse because no boys are hitting on you, being too scared of to hit on the leader soccer team's favorite girl. so you're jsut left to watch your love story inexist, daydreams of kissing jake the only thing you can do.

baby y/nie ? are you listening to me ? he said with a pout when he realized you werent listening to his usual lego rants while doing lego. sorry jaeyunie, i just keep thinking about our last exam, but i'm here now, you say as you try to convince him tho the pet name made you sadder than what your thoughts did. y/n ? youre okay ? his worry overtaking his body, dropping the lego piece comming closer to you, you know im here for you hm ? his round eyes searching yours. yes, i promise yunie ! im sorry for worrying you, please tell me about that star wars lego set ? to pretedn to the fullest youre acrually okay, you finish your sentence with your hand on his cheek, smiling softly at him but it wssbt needed as hearinf the wors star wards and lego set together pearked his imaginary puppy ears. he goes back on the set, talking about how excited he is for the pieces to arrive tomorrow, indirectly asking you to do them with him tomorrow . i'm studying tomorrow yunie, i’m not done yet with the last chapter, you reply with some sadness filling your voice, not believing of what you gonna say next, but you could do it with emma ? he gives you a confused expression that can only warms your heart, emma ? why would i do lego with her ? its our thing baby y/nie, he answers nonchalently, as he places the last piece on his now finishes thor hammer. finally ! its looks so good isnt it ! he shows you the piece finally done, come on we need to put it up, it's the best one we've ever done ! he excitedly said, jumping on his feet to go to his bedroom. you followed smiling to his puppiness but also from his unasked reasurance. wouldn't it be better in the living room ? i want to see it too, you say w round eyes too, genuinely wanting to see you guys work everyday. which he is more than happy to comply, his love for your happiness alwaya taking over when it fomes to you. omg yes ! always having good ideas, y/nie !, kissing your cheek as he goes to tje round tbale in the center of the kivinf room.

it comes to a shock, coming back from classes to see the said emma on the sofa, checking the lego pieces done just a day before. oh hi y/n, i didn't hear you coming, she said staying on the sofa, just turning around, not even greeting you properly. she has that arrogant smile of hers, paired w her high knee boots and mini skirt. you smile back, going straight to your room, studies waiting or you, you know i should thank you for talking about me to jake but it would be hypeocite of me to do so. we all really really hate you, so please, once jake is mine, stop bothering me hm ? she warned me before turning around to reapply your lipgloss. you can't even defend yourself as jake comes back from his room, smiling at you. baby y/nie ? how was your day ? he asked as he comes for a hug. just classes, you know how it is. you ? you hug him tighter to piss emma even more. as much as he will never date you, he is still your jake and everyone knows it, that she likes it or not. dont wait for me tonight, im having dinner with emma. but i made you your usually study snack and ive made a study plan waiting for you on ur desk. please use it well hm ? he softly says, detaching from you, see you later baby y/nie, domt stuyd too late! he says, coming closer to her, not even looking at her but taking the girls hands, making her proudly smile at you, winning the mental battle you both had. he doesnt even see it as he waits for you to bid him goodbye, which you gladly do, not forgetting to add the baby innfromt of his name, makimg him giggle and getting a frown from her. finally gone, you enter your bedroom, plopping on your bed, softly sighing, taking in everything that had happened. why would she hate me ? ive never ever talked to her, but when she asked me his phone number. and who is we ? are the girls threatened by you ? do they think i have a chance with jake ? or even the boys ? that would explain why none of thek ask me out ? but what about him ? is emma even his type ? she is pretty and seems smart but she is also so arrogant and entitle ? cant he see it ? or is it actually what he likes ?

trying to study is useless, your thoughts belonging to jake, you can only take a shower and pray for the best tomorrow. but even as you shampoo your hair, you can't help but think about emma's reaction. was she really scared of you or is it just her usual self ? so you've been standing there, the water hitting your scalp, for 30 minutes, trying to figure out what you should do. if she was really scared of you that means you can actually have a future with jake as your boyfriend. all the baby y/nie or little gesture will come out as romantic and not as his little sister anymore. as you realized you have a chance, you finish your day in peace, eating the snack jake made you, his infamous ramen, heating it up before going the watch a movie on the sofa. it's only mid movie in, you hear the keys in the door, announcing jake's arrival. i'm in living room ! you whisper yell, letting him know of your presence. y/nie ? why are you still awake at this time bby, he say wrapping his arms around your neck, are you done studying, he finally whisper in your ear, making you all fuzzy. not really, but i saw your study plan, i'll read it before sleeping. join me ? the movie is almost done. you offer, your head titling so you can look at him, i also want to cuddle with you and you can tell me about your date ? you ask cutely, knowing jake wouldn't never say no to cuddles with you. anything you want bby, he says with a kiss before detaching himself from your back. he would smile as he lay on your belly, indirectly asking you to play with his hair, which isn't even needed to be asked. he rubs his face on you, almost cat like, and hums finally getting comfortable. did you have a bad day yunie ? you seemed okay earlier. you softly ask, still brushing hair hair. yeah, it's just emma. she isn't how i thought she was and she talked bad about you so im just disappointed. i could never date someone who doesn't like you bye y/nie, you mean to much for me he says, his head finally lift up, looking right at you. besides she is too much of a diva, i prefer someone like you. someone who wouldnt judge me for playing legos or playing with my hair without needing to be asked to, he smiles at you. i'm really lucky to know you y/nie, he finishes, his head finally going back on the rubbing, acting as if those words were normal to be told, but you know jake is someone really vocal, specially to you, but you can't help but hear something else. like he wants you. and more than just friends. me too yunie, im really really happy to have you by my side. besides who wouldn't want to play with your soft hair, i love them so much. you say making the both of you giggle. and it's like that, the day ends, jake laying on you and you playing with his hair, comfort filling the living room.

omg jake wake up ! we're gonna be late for the exam ! is how up you started your day. but you're now, here, almost tearing where you were soothing jake yesterday who is now the one comforting you, which is something you hate the most. i'm okay jake, we don't have to talk about it, let's just order pizza please. jake knows you aren't the type to talk about your feelings, specially when you feel like crying but for some reason today he can't stop pressuring you, come on y/nie baby, we can talk about it. im sure u didn't do that bad, you'll do better next time, he tried to reassure you, his hand coming to your hair, stroking it. jake, you said, going back, leaving a inch between the two of you, i do not want to talk about it. are you gonna order them or should i do it, you reply almost too coldly. y/n please, i know you, you don't have to keep it in. i'm sorry you feel disappoint- if you know me you'd know i don't want to talk about it nor do i enjoy being in this position right now, jake, you cut him off leaving the living room to go in your bed room, leaving a sad puppy by himself. you feel awful for snapping at him, but you couldn't help it as your nerves are already hanging w a thin thread because of that exam. and having jake all over you, interrogate you with question over your feelings is too much.

you didn't realized you zoned out, right here, sitting up on the edge of your bed, until you hear jake's knock on your door, y/n ? can you open the door please ? you hear a scared jake on the other side of the door, yeah come in, making him enter your bedroom. he never looked this sad, your best friend never wanted to make you sad or be the cause of your distress. ive ordered the pizzas do you want some ? he softly ask, slowly coming towards you, scared to do the wrong thing. it's in the kitchen if you do want it. he is finally in front of you, kneeling up to see your face. i'm sorry if i pressured you, y/nie, i know you don't like being vulnerable. i don't know why i pressured you. he softly tells, his finger lifting your chin to look at him. my apologize baby. he finishes with his eyes asking for forgiveness. i'm so sorry too, i shouldn't have lashed out on you, you say as you throw your arms around you. you're always so so nice to me, i shouldn't have snapped at you. i'm sorry jake, you really dont deserve it, as your arms thigthens around his neck. hearing you, only made his heart sadden, he picks you up by your thighs, to make you more comfy in the bed w a come on baby,let's get you comfy. you can only giggle to that making his heart and mind happy again. once settled, your head on his chest, his on your pillow, a comfortable silence falls upon the both of you. his arms encircling you and his thumbs softly stroking your skin, his soft scent filling up your nose, made you feel such at peace. cuddling with jake is always so calming and comforting and it's somehow making you fearless to tell him your true feelings. jaeyunie ? you say looking up to him, asking for his attention. hm ? he just replies , already looking at you. always looking at you. i feel really good with you. i love being in your arms or playing with your hair. you're confident jake likes you back, he wouldn't be here if he didn't right ? me too y/nie baby, me too, he softly chuckled, happy that you arent mad at him anymore. no jake i mean it, i love it all. youre so nice, and smart and i just can't help but want to be more than your best friend. you expected to see a jake smiling at you, but you're faced with a jake with a confused furrowed brows. what ? as he detach himself from you, to actually look at you, looking for any joke in your face. i hate it when you go on dates with others girl or when you call me baby because im a year younger than you, i want to be the one holding your arm on friday nights or being called baby because you like me as your gf, you explain yourself, the end of the your phrase said in a whisper. and the once comfortable silence became anxious to you, jake processing your tirade. do you not feel the same way ? you asked scared of his verdict, but that only made him leave the room, shock overtaking him.

since then jake been avoiding you. the once nights fulled of braiding jake's hair and legos are now replaced with the living room empty, the light always turned off. jake spent his time either at practice or in his room, even avoided you in the kitchen, going in when you leave or leaving you when you go in. you on the other hand, is busying yourself with studies trying to do your best for the next final but it's mostly to stay in denial of your current situation. you've lost your best friend, and every time you come out of your room, the thor hammer keeps reminding you of it. he even stopped offering his help for any studies, or prepared you any study snacks. he stopped looking at you or mentioning you. the girls also stopped coming to you for his number, sensing the shift of your dynamic with him, but going straight to him. it even more painful now to see so many dolled up girls all over him, all of them knowing you aren't in the picture anymore. so here you are, spending a friday night by yourself after the long week full of studying n repressing your feelings. you know jake isn't going to be here tonight, surely in one of many dates he has, so you snuggle yourself on the couch along with snack you bought yourself earlier. but it came to a surprise, to see jake arriving at 7pm. he stops when he sees the tv light on, not knowing if he should greet you or not. he simply stay frozen, the both of you staring at each other, but like a week ago, he leaves you alone, going into his bedroom. and you thought all of this didnt affected you that much, but as you have nothing to focus on anymore, you can only cry, right there, in front of the movie you picked earlier, for the first time in a long time.

the tears keep failling down as the movie goes by, the tv light the only thing linking your mind and reality together, you can't even hear how loud you are. your sobs doesn't go unnoticed by jake, coming out of his room. you don't even hear his first y/n ? your back the only thing he can see. he never saw you nor hear you crying, and the scene in front of you is way too funny to make you cry. so he calls again, louder, with no answers but the slightest from the movie. he tries one last time, with a hand touching your shoulder, making you leave that weird trance you were in. jake ? you say as you wipe your tears. wha- what do you want ? you ask, failing to pretend that you are okay. he doesn't reply right away, coming to sit next to you. he opens his arm, a sign of an invitation not sure if you're okay with it or not, but still wanting to offer. you on the other hand were craving his touch, so you juts crawl on his lap, hand clenching on his hoodie, tears automatically coming back.

he lets you cry for a while, still trying to soothe you with hair strocks and shhh, even rocking you side to side but as he seems your tears don't fade away, his hands leaves your hair to hold gently the both side of your face, y/nie look at me please, he whisper. but as you can't even dare to look at him, a mix of shame and sadness filling your body, he'd just start kissing your tears. come on y/nie,as he keeps on pecking your face, i want to tell you something but i need you to look at me first, the long time per names finally coming back. you slowly turn your eyes to his, only to see adoration on his, speaking silently to you. i am so sorry of how i reacted this entire week. i was so shock when you told me you liked me, i genuinely saw you like my little sister, my long time bestfriend i've always had. i couldn't possibly imagine myself dating you. but i should have told you that instead of being a dumb ass. and then i felt so so ashame, i couldn't even face you in the kitchen. how i could i make the most important person in my life,so sad and, he stops, a hand coming to his hair, trying to find his words, i just couldn't bear it anymore. that time away from you made me realize that i in fact like you too y/nie. i cant live without you baby. who will i do my legos with ? or go home to, to have my hair played with ? or eat my not so good ramen whne i make them, he says between chuckles, making you laugh too. what i wanna say is that, i dont want any of those activites to be done with anyone else. i just want you y/n.

notes : hai anon, i've never written any fic before, n im not even gonna talk about the angst, i hope it feeds you well tho > < i actually didn't want to write it as i don't write anything fictional but i somehow liked ur request so here it is <3

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨🍓୧⋆ ˚｡⋆ tag list : @dreamiestay @jakesprincess1

perm tag list : @allurecile @luvj4key @stwrjvke @amouriu @neos127 @goldenretrieverjakezgirlbaby @jaeyunpinkyring @pockettwinzz @jwsdoll @heeheeswifey @sjylouvre @txnwvc @oopshee @luvlyhee @en-ner-jay @en-chantedtomeetyou @erenmyman @driedflowwr @hoonion . @enchive @enhablr

#⋆˗ˏˋ 🍓 ˎˊ˗ strawberry kiss #enchive #enhablr #jake fanfic #jake sim x reader #jake fluff #jake x reader #jake headcanons #jake sim #jake angst #enhypen fluff #enhypen angst #sim jaeyun fluff #sim jaeyun #enhypen jake fluff #jake soft hours #jaeyun fluff #jaeyun angst

243 notes · View notes

mrsevans90 · 1 year ago

Text

Puppy Love

Captain Syverson x OFC Emma Miller Part 1

Summary: Austin Syverson has returned to Texas after retiring from the military and starts his own contracting business. Syverson is used to being alone and thinks he prefers it that way. While at work he stumbles upon an injured and abused puppy. When he meets the new veterinarian in town, Emma Miller, he is immediately smitten with her. It turns out Emma has some baggage of her own. Will they be able to make it work? Or is it just a case of fleeting puppy love?

Pairing: Henry Cavill as Captain Austin Syverson x OFC Emma Miller

Word Count: 3,502

Warnings: Abused animal, domestic violence, stalker ex-boyfriend, mention of nightmares/PTSD, smut in future chapters.

MINORS DNI! Must be 18+

I do not authorize any copying/pasting, stealing of my work, or using my words as your own.

This story is not beta’d. All mistakes are my own.

A big thanks to @shellyshellshell for encouraging me to write this story!

A/N: I am an imperfect person who makes mistakes. All that I ask is to please be kind and if you enjoy it then please comment and REPOST! I appreciate any love, comments, and reposts more than you could know. Thank you for reading!

*Syverson POV*

It’s certainly difficult to leave the cool air conditioning of the house to head to work when the weather forecast predicts another scorching Texas summer day where the humidity makes your clothes immediately stick to your skin. It’s nothing I’m not familiar with having grown up in Texas my whole life and then spending two tours in the desert before returning home. You’d think I would move somewhere cold, but the south is all I know. I certainly couldn’t leave Nana and Pawpaw either. After finishing my last tour, I came home and bought an empty house in disrepair and spent the better part of a year ripping it to studs and rebuilding. I was really struggling with returning to civvy life after spending the majority last ten years in the sand pit. Originally, I had just planned to fix up my house so that it was comfortable and hell, livable, until I discovered what I wanted to do outside of the army. Remodeling my house taught me that I really enjoyed working with my hands and building things. I guess you could say taking a broken, outdated home and making it beautiful and functional again really resonated with me on a deeper level. I was lucky to leave the army with only some mild PTSD and nightmares. Hell, I had all of my limbs and was alive which is more that I can say I deserve. Staying busy helped me cope so after working towards getting my contractor’s license, I decided to start my own company, Syverson Contracting. It was still a small operation with only about seven employees including my cousin Alex, but we got by just fine.

After getting ready for the day and sipping on my cup of coffee on the porch with my German Shepard, Aika, I put my boots on and headed to the truck for the first day on a new worksite. Like usual, I called Nana on the way to work to check in. My grandparents lived about fifteen minutes away from me, but I still called to check on them every morning and make sure they’re doing alright. As I drive, Nana starts chattering all about how her friend’s granddaughter is single and I should be looking for a good woman to marry and settle down with. We’ve had this conversation umpteen times before but I can’t seem to get it through my stubborn grandmother’s head that it’s useless. I’ve been burned by too many women in the past as a young and naïve man and I just don’t want to bring someone into all of my problems. Yes, I go to therapy at the VA to help with my PTSD but it still doesn’t stop the sleepless nights and nightmares that immediately send me back to wartime in the desert. As much as I’ve always wanted a partner in life; a beautiful wife to come home to, a couple of kids and the proverbial picket fence, I just don’t see how it could be in the cards for me now. I’m too fucked up. Nana of course would never understand and I certainly don’t want to drag her into it so I just listen to her drone on and on about some chick named Susanne and then tell her that I’ve got to go.

After speaking with my team and giving instructions for the job, I went to Alex’s flatbed truck and we all started unloading the materials. The home we were working on was owned by a young couple expecting their first child. It was a simple job, replacing the flooring throughout the house, building a shed in the backyard for lawnmowers and other garden tools, and repairing some dry rotting siding near the fireplace. The great thing about my team is that I could get them started and didn’t have to micromanage them. After several hours in the walloping sun, we all broke for lunch. After cooling off and reenergizing at the local Wendy’s, we all headed back to the house to continue our work. Since I was used to being in these weather conditions, I decided to head out toward the edge of the woods in the backyard and start building the garden shed. When I went to lift up some of the plywood, I was beyond shocked to find a shaking and filthy little tan dog who appeared to be injured and terrified.

“Shit. Heya buddy, I ain’t gonna hurt you. It’s alright pal. Let me take a look atcha.”

As a true animal lover, I was immediately enraged. Someone had intentionally abused this poor defenseless animal and either abandoned it or it was able to limp off to the woods. The little male pup, couldn’t be older than a year was bleeding from four different wounds on the side of his sand colored body. The second I scooped him up, he was whining and cowering in fear.

“You’re alright little man. I’m gonna take care of ya. Let’s see if we can getcha to a vet.” I call Aika’s vet office and unfortunately there is no answer. Janet must still be taking her lunch break.

I see Alex walking outside to grab some of the flooring to bring inside and yell for him to come here.

“What’s up, Sy?”

“Just found this little guy beat to hell by the woods.”

“Jesus. What kind of bastards do that to an animal?” Alex ponders as he was looking at the injured and sick animal.

“I’m gonna see if Dr. Robinson’s in. Hopefully I can get the little feller in today but I need you to run the site until I get back.”

“No problem, Sy. Didn’t she just have another kid? I’m not sure if she’ll be there but I know Jessica said something about them hiring a new vet so I’m sure someone will be around.”

The veterinarian’s office was only a fifteen-minute drive from the site so after giving the poor thing some water, I loaded him up and drove there.

On the ride over, he seemed to relax a bit and not shake as bad as he had been and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Oh Austin! How good to see you! Did your Aika have an appointment?”

“Hey Ms. Janet, is Dr. Robinson in? It’s not for Aika. I found this guy by the woods and he’s been hurt something awful.”

“Heavens to Betsy! Poor little angel! Elizabeth is out on maternity leave but we’ve hired a new vet. You'll like her. Let me check with her and see if she can work you in.”

“Yes ma’am.”

A few moments later, Janet scurries back and directs me to an exam room with the little guy. I guess I could have just dropped him off and went back to work but my heart just couldn’t stand it. Hell, I fought to bring back Aika from Afghanistan because of how quickly I fell in love with her and she’s been the best dog ever. I can’t imagine leaving this little guy to potentially die from his injuries without a friendly face nearby.

*Knock Knock!*

The door opens and my heart stops at the same time. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen enters while carrying a clipboard and a stethoscope. She’s a petite little thing only reaching to my shoulders with long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, and crystal blue eyes that feel like they see straight to my soul.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Emma Miller. I hear you found this little guy in the woods?”

“Uh, yes ma’am. Hello there, I’m Austin Syverson. Yeah, I uh, I found him and he looks like he’s been abused.”

She smiles brightly and shakes my hand when I introduce myself and the moment I touch her soft skin, I can hardly think straight. Why the hell do I feel so jittery? It’s just a beautiful woman Sy. Get ahold of yourself. I tell her exactly what I found and she quickly starts examining him while speaking to him in a sweet voice.

“Hi sweet boy. You poor thing! I’m so sorry someone has been treating you so horribly. We’re going to take care of you, yes we are. You’re going to be good as new! I’m going to give you some fluids because you’re dehydrated little guy. Once we get some fluids in you, I’ll try giving you some food. How about that little man?”

I can’t help but smile as she baby talks to him while inserting an IV in his tiny arm and starting him on fluids. She examines the wounds more carefully before retrieving a pair of things that look like tweezers.

“If I had to guess, I would say this guy is about 10-12 months old. I suspect these wounds on his side are from a BB gun. Would you mind holding his head? I’m going to give him some pain relief in his IV to help him relax and then try and clean the area and see if I can remove them. We’re a bit short staffed at the moment with Dr. Robinson out and two of our techs calling in sick so I’ll need your help if that’s okay?”

“Fucking BB guns.” I murmur under my breath. Damn some people are just the worst.

“I’m happy to help.” I tell her quickly and take up residence next to the puppy’s head to hold him still.

“Thank you.” She replies quietly while concentrating on rubbing some brown cleaner across each wound.

I can’t help but watch her as she focuses on removing all four bb’s and placing them into a metal bowl. She’s so effortlessly beautiful and incredibly adorable as she works on the dog who seems to be feeling so much better with the medication and fluids that he has received. She sews up each wound quickly and efficiently. The pup seems to be almost as captivated by her as I am. When she’s done, he even attempts to wag his tail for her. Dr. Miller explains that he will need a flea and tick bath before she can dress the wounds because he has several fleas on him and she doesn’t want them getting into the incisions.

“Mr. Syverson, I hate to keep you from your day. Would you want to just come back for him in a little while? I have to do an exam on a yorkie with diabetes but then I’ll bathe him on my break and get his wounds dressed.”

“Sugar?” I ask.

“I’m sorry, pardon?” She responds a bit flustered.

I smirk as I see the blush tinting her cheeks. “The yorkie. Is it named Sugar?”

“Oh! Yes! Someone you know?”

“My grandma’s neighbor, Mrs. Clayton, has a yappy little yorkie named Sugar and I believe I overheard that it has diabetes.”

“Yes, well that would be her.” She smirks back.

“I don’t mind waiting with the little guy. Is it alright if I stay and help you bathe him? Since your short staffed and all?” I ask with my most charming smile.

Her beaming grin tells me all I need to know. “Sure, Mr. Syverson. Can you give me about twenty minutes?”

“Only if you’ll call me Austin or Sy. Mr. Syverson is my pawpaw.” I say with a grin.

“Alright Austin. I’m going to leave you with some wet food on the table for this little fellow, but can I trust you to only give him small amounts slowly? We don’t know when his last meal was so we don’t want to overwhelm his belly.”

“Yes ma’am.” I mock salute at her with two fingers and she giggles when she leaves the exam room. I swear the moment she did I was a goner. I need to find a way to hear that giggle more.

“Well little guy, it looks as though we are helping each other out, huh? You ain’t the only one broken and battered.” I say as I give the dog a small plastic spoonful of wet dog food that he almost swallows hole.

“What should I call you?” I hypothesize aloud while the pup continues eating sloppily from the spoon I’m holding.

“Since Dr. Miller here patched you up, how about Miller? We can call you Mills for short. What do you think about that? I like it.”

Emma finally returns to the exam room and is happy to see that the Mills has eaten the food I gave him and kept it all down. Due to the food, medications, and fluids he received you can already tell a slight difference in his demeanor.

“Let’s get you all cleaned up, shall we?” She says while carefully picking him up and carrying him to the back of the building before pausing. “You coming, Austin?” She asks.

God, I hope I will be soon. I think before I rush over to open the exam door for her and follow her to the back.

“You know, I’m breaking rules by letting you back here so don’t make me regret it.” She says to me teasingly as she carefully sets Mills into a large stainless-steel sink and begins to bathe him with medicated shampoo.

“You don’t have to worry about me, Dr. Miller.”

“No, if I have to call you Austin, you have to call me Emma. It’s only fair.”

“Well, Emma is a beautiful name so that will be easy. If you don’t mind my asking, where are you from? We haven’t had a new vet in town since Dr. Robinson came and that was probably ten years ago.” I watch as Emma carefully removes three ticks from his fur and want to outwardly cringe. Ticks are the devil’s bug.

“I’m from Alabama. I’ve only been in Texas for about a month but just started working in the office this last week.” She tells me as she very carefully continues to clean Mills.

“What brought you all the way out here? Did your husband get transferred out here or something?”

She side eyes my question with a smirk. “Nope, just the job. No husband or kids. No boyfriend either in case that was your next question.” She remarks sarcastically.

My stomach flips with excitement even though she caught on to what I was really fishing for.

“Well, I’m certainly glad you’re here. For Mills’ health needs of course.” I add quickly while gesturing to the pup.

“Mills?”

“Yup. Short for Miller, after the doctor who’s taking care of him.”

Her cheeks blush bright red as she runs a flea comb gently through his fur. “Well aren’t you just the charmer. I’m surprised Janet didn’t warn me about you. She’s been clueing me in on pretty much the entire town.”

“Ah, good ole’ Janet. She knows there’s no need to warn you about me. She’s known me since I was in diapers so that should tell you enough about my character if she didn’t warn you off.”

“That’s good to know. So, are you planning on keeping little Mills? Or are you wanting us to adopt him out once he’s all healed?”

“Oh, I plan on keeping him if that’s alright. As long as my girl, Aika, is okay with it I’ll keep him. Can’t imagine sending him off to a stranger after what he’s already been through.”

“Well, if your girlfriend isn’t on board with keeping him just let us know and we can see about arranging a foster for him until he’s able to be put up for adoption.” She says while stepping a little further away from me.

Girlfriend? Oh dumbass, you made her think Aika is your girlfriend.

“Aika’s my German Shepard. I don’t have a wife, kids, or a girlfriend either.” I said poking fun at her sarcastic comment from earlier.

Emma grins but just continues to rinse Mills off. She notices that one of his paws looks a bit swollen but she can’t find any cuts or wounds so she thinks it may just be bruised from trying to run from his abuser.

Once we get him dried off, I hold his head again for her to clean and dress the wounds on his side and I’m dreading leaving.

“So, I’ll need to see little Mills in 3 days to check his wounds and remove the stitches. I need you to clean and redress the wounds one time a day like I’ve shown you. I’ve got his medication and antibiotics here and a couple of cans of that wet food that you fed him earlier. I recommend continuing to feed it to him slowly so that his tummy doesn’t get upset. Nobody likes waking up to a dog throwing up or having diarrhea in the house. If he does okay with that food we can discuss increasing his food intake at the next appointment. Do you have any questions, Austin?”

“Just one. Can I get your number, Emma? You know, in case I have questions about your prodigy, Little Mills, here.” I add with a smirk.

“I’m sure you have the number for the vet’s office.” She smirks.

“That I do, but I’d like yours as well, please.” I ask with my most convincing smile.

“Alright, alright. Just don’t advertise it. The last thing I need is people like Mrs. Clayton calling me after hours.” She concedes with a giggle and I can’t help my boisterous laughter at the last part.

“Nobody wants someone like Mrs. Clayton calling them all the time. That woman would talk to a wall just to hear her own voice.” I hand her my phone and she quickly types her number and I save it under “Mills’ Future Mama” and smirk to myself.

I pay and make the next appointment for Mills and then head to the local pet store for a collar, leash, dog bed, and more dog food. Luckily, Mills sleeps on the ride home and I can’t decide if he’s finally realized I’m not going to hurt him or if he’s still drowsy from the effects of the meds he received. I head home and send Alex an update that I’ll be back at the site tomorrow.

When I get home, I bring everything inside before carrying Mills over to Aika and carefully introducing him. After the initial excitement wears off, Aika heads outside to the backyard and I’m relieved that she seems to accept him. She’s always been such a good dog so hopefully I can rely on her to show our little rookie around and teach him our routines.

I go about showering and eating dinner, but I can’t seem to get my mind off Emma. I obviously want to play it cool but she has infiltrated my mind to the point where I just can’t think of anything else. I know this is a bad idea but I can't stop myself. I decide to take a picture of Mills in his little bed and text it to her.

Sy: <attached image>

Mills’ Future Mama: I’m glad to see my namesake is adjusting to his new life. I take it that his sibling accepts him?

Mills’ Future Mama: Also, you’re lucky I opened that picture text. Typically receiving a picture from an unknown number is never a good thing 😖

Sy: Sounds like your mind is in the gutter or you have some seriously unhinged acquaintances, darlin. Aika has accepted him into the pack without hesitation.

Mills’ Future Mama: More like, men are nasty and will take any opportunity to send an unsolicited dick pic to even the most unwilling recipients. Glad you found the little guy. He seems right at home.

Sy: He is. You should come visit him sometime.

Mills’ Future Mama: Why would I do that when he’ll be in my office in three days?

Sy: Maybe to see his owner?

Mills’ Future Mama: I’d imagine his daddy will be the one bringing him back to my office though?

Sy: Alright then, how about I make you some dinner at my place? Say tomorrow at 5pm?

Mills’ Future Mama: Make it 5:30 and I’ll be there. Just know I’ll be sending your information to my best friend in case you try and murder me.

Sy: What type of people were you surrounded by in Alabama? 🤨

Mills’ Future Mama: I was actually in a super safe town. Just watch too many crime shows to make careless mistakes.

Sy: Smart lady. You can tell whoever you want, darlin’. I’ve got nothing to hide and I appreciate a woman who has some self-preservation skills.

Mills’ Future Mama: Trust me, I’m very skilled at many things. 😜

Sy: Damn woman, I’m trying my best to be a gentleman here. It’s not fair to tease me.

Mills’ Future Mama: Not teasing. Just stating facts. 🙃

Sy: Tomorrow can’t get here soon enough. Here’s my address. Any food allergies?

Mills’ Future Mama: Nope! I’ll bring dessert. I’m interested to test your cooking prowess.

Sy: You’re killing me.

Mills’ Future Mama: See you tomorrow!

Part 2

Taglist: @shellyshellshell @henryownsme @caramariehurst @beck07990 @mollymal

#captain syverson fanfiction #captain sy #captain syverson fic #captain syverson smut #captain syverson #captain syverson fluff #syverson #henry cavill characters #henry cavill fanfiction #sand castle #henry cavill

296 notes · View notes

doc-pickles · 1 year ago

Text

waking up in vegas | matthew tkachuk x hughes!sister (p. 2)

series masterlist

summary: the hughes-tkachuk family thanksgiving dinner from hell

warnings: mentions vomiting

a/n: here’s part two of my matty fic! hope y’all enjoy :)

xoxo

nina

Your parents' living room is loud and boisterous as everyone mills around for an early Thanksgiving dinner. The dinner had been a Hughes-Tkachuk tradition for as long as you could remember, but this year your stomach rolled uneasily at the thought of having to sit at a table and lie to everyone at it.

“Did the annulment go through?”

Matthew’s voice makes you jump as you turn to face him. His stubble has grown out into the beginnings of a beard and you can’t deny it’s a good look on him.

“About that,” your eyes shift down to your boots as you speak quietly. “They can’t annul it, we’re going to have to get a legal divorce.”

Matthew doesn’t say anything, simply drags you down the hall into one of the spare bedrooms before closing the door and looking at you with wide eyes.

“What do you mean we need a divorce? I thought we could get it annulled and pretend like it never happened,” Matthew's tone was incredulous as he stared at you.

“Me too but apparently when you marry someone with a multimillion-dollar hockey contract that complicates things,” you swallow down the bile trying to climb your throat as you look up at Matthew. His gaze softens and you realize you must look scared shitless right now. “Listen I’ll figure it out okay? It’s not a big deal.”

Without warning, Matthew pulls you into a hug and you breathe in his warm woodsy scent, grounding yourself in the contact. You take a shaky breath as he runs a hand down your back, “Let me know how I can help, okay? I don’t want you stressing over this and it takes two to tango anyways.”

You barely hold back the urge to laugh at his statement, Matthew not knowing how true his words are. Instead, you nod and stay there for a few more comforting seconds before he pulls away, “You okay?”

Nodding you meet Matthew's eyes, “Can we talk after dinner?”

“Sure,” Matthew nods and presses a kiss to your forehead before he gives you one last smirk and leaves the room.

When you leave a few minutes later, everyone is starting to sit down around the table. You take your spot next to Luke and across from Matthew who winks at you as you sit. He groans and you see Quinn glaring at him, assuming your brother had kicked him under the table.

“Table is getting full,” Keith chuckles as he looks between all of the kids, Emma now seated next to Brady. “Might need a bigger one next year.”

Your mother lets out a huff and as soon as you look at her you know whatever comes out of her mouth next isn’t going to be good.

“I’d say so. In fact, I think someone here has a little announcement they want to make,” as you scan the table and meet Matthew’s gaze your stomach drops, both of your faces blanching. “Who wants to share?”

You and Matthew break away from each other's stares to look around at all of your siblings. None of them look like they’re quite sure what’s happening, but they all keep flicking back to you and Matthew.

“Mom-”

“Anyone want to tell me why there was a pregnancy test in the guest bath? A positive one at that?”

Your mouth snaps shut at your moms admission and side glances immediately start flying across the table. Most eyes turn to Brady and Emma, the newlyweds shaking their heads. Emma grabs her wine and takes a hearty sip before answering your mom, “Not me, I’m very much still enjoying my wine.”

Eyes dart around the table again and you can tell the moment Luke spots your can of Coke next to his bottle of beer, a long and loud groan leaving him, “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”

“Luke Warren Hughes! Language,” your father scolds, but you can barely register his chastising as you lock eyes with your twin.

“Okay but who’s pregnant?” Jack asks cluelessly as he continues to look around the table. “If it’s not Emma it’s Taryn or- Oh my god!”

You can feel every set of eyes at the table fall onto you but you can only meet Matthew’s gaze across the table, his blue eyes wide and searching as he stares you down. You hold his gaze until Quinn and Jack both start yelling simultaneously.

“Are you kidding me? You knocked up my sister you fucking douche canoe!”

“Holy shit! Holy shit this is from Vegas? First, you marry my sister then you knock her up?!”

At Jack and Quinn’s outbursts, you push your head into your hands as all four of your parents begin to hurl questions across the table. The noise leaves your head swimming as bile begins to rise up your throat, everyone around you shouting.

“Wait, Matthew got you pregnant?”

“What the hell happened in Vegas?”

“Did he just say you're married? How long have you two been together?”

“Does this mean we’re all going to be grandparents?”

As everyone continues to yell over the table you do the only thing you can think to do. Leaning to your right you promptly throw up your meager lunch into the potted plant next to you. Everyone stops as you continue to throw up and you vaguely register your mom ushering everyone out of the room while a hand settles on your back. You’re not entirely sure who’s holding you but the hand on your back is comforting.

“S’okay, I got you,” you’re slightly shocked when Matthew’s voice sounds out as his hand rubs your back. “Fun dinner huh?”

You huff out a laugh as you finally stop retching, looking over your shoulder at Matthew, “No one got a chance to take a single bite.”

There’s a silent minute where you’re simply breathing and trying to ground yourself before Matthew asks with a small voice, “You okay?”

Nodding slightly you sit up and face him, “I’m fine. Besides single-handedly ruining Thanksgiving and not being able to keep any food besides cranberry sauce down all day.”

Matthew chuckles as he runs a hand over his face, “Hey at least we had the common sense to get married before having a baby, huh?”

You both sit in silence for a second before a bubble of laughter bursts out from you, Matthew joining in. You look at him with a small smile, leaning your head against his shoulder, “I found out last night, I was going to tell you after dinner. I didn’t want to freak you out before we had to sit down and lie to everyone about being married, but here we are.”

“It’s okay. At least we don’t have to stress about telling everyone,” you’re both quiet for a second before Matthew whispers his next words. “You… Do you want to keep it?”

“Yes,” you answer quickly as you focus on your fingers. “Yes I… I hope that’s okay.”

Matthew nods, pulling you closer before speaking, “I… Yeah. We’ll figure it out, okay? Don’t worry about it.”

“Did you stop puking yet?” Luke asks as he sticks his head around the corner. Seeing you and Matthew sitting together he rolls his eyes. “Good. Can you please go into the living room before someone in there combusts? I think dad and Keith are about to start throwing punches.”

Matthew helps you up and you walk hand in hand to the living room. Keith and your dad are yelling and Quinn is trying (and failing) to explain what happened in Vegas to your mom.

“You think if we slip out they’d notice?” Matthew whispers right next to your ear and you have to stop yourself from letting out a full body shudder at the feeling.

“Unfortunately, yes. Plus I’m getting kind of hungry so I want to wrap this up and get back to dinner as soon as possible.”

Matthew chuckles behind you and everyone seems to realize you two are standing there. Your dad takes a step forward, but you put your hand up to stop him from coming any closer as you step in front of Matthew.

“Okay so we’re not going to threaten to beat up the man you’ve known since he was five,” you fix your dad with a knowing look before eyeing your brothers over his shoulder. “You three are included in that.”

“Why don’t we just let the kids explain what happened,” Chantal broaches from her spot on the couch next to your mom. “Maybe we have the story wrong.”

“Ummm so we went to Las Vegas… And then we got married,” you can’t meet anyone’s eyes as you speak but Matthew grabs your hand again and squeezes it comfortingly. “So there-“

“You got married because you were drunk and couldn’t find something better to do,” your father asked as he stared at you and Matthew.

“Jim!”

“No, Dad-“

“Well it’s fine they can just get it annulled,” Keith says from his spot across the room.

“Not if she’s pregnant,” Chantal shrieks and you can feel your heartbeat pick up. “You are pregnant, right?”

You nod, feeling tears prickling your eyes as your parents begin to speak again.

“What if it’s not even Matthew’s?”

“Well you can’t have a baby out of wedlock! Even if it’s not his-“

“You saying my daughter is a-“

“I didn’t say that! I’m just suggesting-“

“Listen I know that all of this wasn’t planned but both of us are responsible adults who can make decisions on our own,” Matthew interrupts your parents bickering and you don’t realize you're harshly squeezing his hand until he pulls you back into chest. “Can we table this conversation and eat dinner? Please?”

Everyone files back into the dining room and you cast a grateful look to Luke who’s taken the seat across from you so Matthew can sit next to you. Plates get passed around and when everyone is eating you finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“So besides the impromptu elopement, how was Vegas?” your mom asks with a small grin and a chorus of laughter sounds from the table.

Left it kind of open ended but I love writing the Hughes/Tkachuk gang so maybe another part?

#matthew tkachuk #matthew tkachuk fic #matthew tkachuk imagine #jack hughes #luke hughes #quinn hughes #nhl fic #nhl imagine #hockey fic #hockey imagine #nina writes

358 notes · View notes

corruptedcaps · 11 months ago

Text

Peeking Presents

Katie felt bad about opening the package that arrived addressed to her mom, but she was just so excited for Christmas that she hoped it was the chemistry set she had asked her for. She was going to need it for the next semester of college and wanted to get as familiar with it as possible.

But when she peeked in the package, she saw a pair of sleek brown shiny thigh-high boots. It was unlike her mother to buy something so expensive-looking and so fashionable. They weren’t her mother’s style or her own for that matter, preferring more loose-fitting and comfortable clothing. In fact she had never ever worn a high heel before. However something about the boots was intriguing her. They seemed so dangerous and sexy.

As she held them in her hands, she noticed a small note tucked inside the box. To her surprise, it simply read, "To: Emma, enjoy taking your life back with the new Bitch Boots." Katie furrowed her brow, puzzled by the unexpected message. Intrigued and a bit amused, she decided to try them on, wondering how a pair of boots could live up to such a bold name.

With some effort, Katie slipped on the boots, their sleek brown surface hugging her legs tightly. A sense of constriction settled in, and an unexpected surge of irritation accompanied the feeling. As she zipped them up, the boots seemed to transform her demeanor. A sudden wave of anger and a hint of meanness overcame her. It was as if the boots had a personality of their own, influencing her emotions.

In the midst of this strange sensation, she muttered to herself, "That idiot mother of mine is so inept. Couldn't she have got boots that fit me?" The words spilled out impulsively, catching Katie off guard. She was surprised at the venom in her tone and the resentment directed towards her mother. Quickly realizing the harshness of her words, she clamped a hand over her mouth, attempting to silence the unintended outburst.

To Katie's astonishment, as if responding to her angry outburst, the boots began to subtly warp and adjust her legs. A strange warmth enveloped her, as her legs, once confined by the tightness, now underwent a transformation. They became slim, yet surprisingly toned, as if the boots were not just a fashion statement but a magical conduit molding her form to their liking. Bewildered, Katie marveled at the unexpected metamorphosis.

Katie, unable to resist the intrigue, stood before the mirror, examining her legs clad in the transformed boots. A strange sense of satisfaction washed over her as she muttered, "Now that's more like it, a perfect fit for a perfect bitch." The words, laced with an unexpected brattiness, escaped her lips. Shocked by her own audacity, she swiftly clamped a hand to her mouth again, disbelief etched across her face.

Yet, as if attuned to her words, the boots responded once again. A subtle energy enveloped her, and she felt a gradual shift in her figure. Her body became more slim and toned, while a warm tan embraced her skin. Katie could only stare at the mirror in astonishment.

Katie examined her reflection, turning side to side to witness a body that was no longer flabby but instead athletic and fit. "I could be a sorority girl with a body like this," she murmured, the words effortlessly flowing out as if guided by an external force.

Yet, Katie found herself not resisting this time. In fact, she continued, "No. I could be head of a sorority looking like this," accompanied by a sly smirk. The boots vibrated lightly, encouraged by Katie’s own vanity, responded by initiating another round of changes but this time faster. Her boring brown hair transformed into a bright, almost platinum blonde, falling effortlessly in smooth, silky waves. Her nails extended into long, pointed perfection, manicured flawlessly. Makeup adorned her face, enhancing features she hadn't paid much attention to before.

“Mmmm fuck yes I feel so bratty and mean, don’t stop!” Katie moaned as she felt her loose-fitting jeans shrank into a short mini skirt, mirroring the color and material of her now sleek and tight boots. The transformation extended to her oversized sweater, which morphed into a white linen blouse, the fabric luxuriously pleasing against her now-toned skin, exuding an air of expense.

Finally her boobs started to grow and push against her expensive shirt, her nipples pressed hard into the material. “Yesssss! Big beautiful tits that will make me the envy of every woman!” She said matter of factly as the changes ceased and a wicked smile crept across her lips. A new persona seemed to awaken within her, one that seamlessly embraced the sexy clothes hugging her transformed body. The once reserved girl now exuded a confidence that matched her provocative attire.

With a wicked glint in her eyes, Katie fully embraced her newfound persona. No longer the nice and shy science nerd, she reveled in the persona of Kayla—the bitchy, bratty bully who got what she wanted when she wanted. The "Bitch Boots" had not only transformed her appearance but had seemingly rewritten her very essence, molding her into a character of audacious confidence.

As the echoes of her former identity faded away, Katie's mother arrived home to a most unexpected sight.

"Katie? What... what happened?" her mother stammered, her eyes wide with shock.

Kayla chuckled, her voice dripping with newfound malice, "Oh, Emma sweetie, Katie's gone. Now it's just me, Kayla. Merry Christmas. Like my new look?" She gestured playfully to her provocative outfit.

Her mother's gaze shifted to the sleek brown boots, realization dawning. "Those are the mind controlling boots I ordered. Please, take them off! Let me help you."

Kayla leaned in with a disgusted look on her face, "Help me? I don't need help. I'm in control now. I’ve never felt so alive, so free. I was born to be a bitch and these simply unlocked it for me… wait, did you say mind controlling?"

Her mother, desperate, attempted to backtrack, "I... I didn't say mind control. I must have misspoken. Please, let's talk about this. You're my daughter."

Kayla chuckled, standing intimately over her mother, her wicked smile widened. "You did say it, didn't you? Oh, how interesting. Boots, how do I access this power?" Kayla said into the air. The boots responded by vibrating her whole body to the point that Kayla’s eyes rolled back into her head. Not only that but her mind became awash with the instructions she desired.

“Ahhhh yeesss of course.” Kayla purred as her eyes returned but know somehow contained more malice within. Grabbing her mother roughly by the hair she took perverse pleasure in watching the pain on Emma’s face as she pulled her mother’s face to her wicked boots.

“Lick them worm!” Kayla commanded but her mother didn’t budge. Rolling her eyes, Kayla picked her mother’s nose and waited for her to run out of breath. When she did it gave Kayla the short window to push her mother’s tongue against the boot. As soon as she did, Kayla felt all struggle in her mother cease.

WEEKS LATER

Kayla strutted through campus with her clique in tow. They all struggled to keep up with her long strides in her signature boots but they knew if they feel behind Kayla would cut them loose and no one wanted to be on the new popular girl’s bad side.

Kayla had returned from winter break with a new attitude and new wardrobe that took the campus by storm. No longer the quiet science nerd, she had seamlessly integrated herself into the social scene, leaving a trail of intrigued gazes in her wake.

In a surprising turn of events, Kayla had managed to take over the most prestigious sorority and ascended to the role of president, a remarkable feat for a freshman. The former president herself endorsed her, urging the sorority to elect her in.

Since then she had turned the presidency into a queendom, with herself being the figurehead. Those who complained or fought against her soon became her most loyal allies, after they had a private meeting with the queen.

Kayla flickered her immaculate ponytail back and looked at girls bringing up the rear, carrying her books, her bag, her recent clothing purchases, amongst other things. They had arrived at her her car where her driver sat patiently in the driver seat.

“Load it up girls, and don’t scratch the leather.” Kayla scowled as the clique loaded up the trunk and front seat of the car. Once they had, Kayla sat into the back seat and stretched out as she pulled up her phone to text several boys she had on the go.

“You’re looking wonderful today dear.” The driver said sycophantly. Kayla rolled her eyes.

“How many times have I got to tell you Emma, you are not to speak to me in the car. You’re not my mother anymore, you’re just a driver so drive!” Kayla spat and her mother simply smiled and nodded. She was so thankful to have such a wonderful boss, Emma thought to herself as she drove off.

#f2f #corruption #bitchification #magic #corrupted boots #corrupted clothing #cc2023

197 notes · View notes

sturniozo · 11 months ago

Text

Savage Love Part Seven

Matt Sturniolo x reader Mafia AU

masterlist

“It was nice, he was a gentleman, I think I’m his girlfriend now, and-“

“Woah woah woah.” Emma interrupts me. “You’re his girlfriend now?”

“Yeah, actually I think he believed Ive been his girlfriend for a while.” I laugh softly.

“How? Why?”

“I’m not sure, this is confusing to me too.”

“I bet it has something to do with what happened that night. Did you find anything out?”

“No, he doesn’t talk much. He mostly asked me questions about my life and interests, and dodged almost all of my questions about him.”

“Did you learn anything new?”

“He’s too indecisive to pick a favorite color.” I laugh. “But honestly no, he’s too reserved. I did find out he lives with his brothers somewhere in New York. Somewhere close to the restaurant we ate at. His brother called him and asked him when he’d be home near the end of the night, and Matt told him it would only be around 10 minutes.”

“Well that’s something.” Emma says and she looks through the notes. “But so far, what we have is close to nothing!”

I sigh. “I know. But I still have almost three weeks left, that’s plenty of time to find more.”

“I guess. But with the rate you’re going I don’t think you’ll get actual confirmation on his status in the Mafia by the end of your deadline.”

I groan and lean back on the bed. “I don’t know what to do.”

Emma lays down next to me. “I can tell you what I would do.”

I turn to her. “What’s that?”

“Party.” She smiles and gets up from the bed. She walks to her closet and starts digging around the clothes while I sit up.

“Isn’t partying what got me into this situation in the first place?” I laugh.

“Don’t drink so much this time.” Emma replies and throws me clothes from her closet. “Put that on.” She tells me and goes back to digging through her closet.

“I can’t party.”

Emma laughs. “Why not?”

“I just don’t feel like it. I don’t enjoy it.”

“You don’t enjoy anything!” She whines. She looks at me with a pout. “Come on, please?”

I sigh. “Fine whatever. Where are we going?”

Emma looks at me with a bright smile. “Baxter’s new club on third.”

“That was all gibberish to me.” I laugh.

“Just put that outfit on and let’s go!”

I get up from the bed, picking up the outfit and raising my hands in defeat. “Alright, alright, I’m going.” I say as I walk to the bathroom.

I get dressed in the outfit, fishnets and short black shorts, with a white tank top. I walk out of the bathroom and look at Emma.

“God you’re gorgeous.” She says. “I’m almost jealous of Matt.” She giggles and walks to the bathroom to get dressed herself. She comes back out a moment later in a short tight black dress that has an open back.

“Trust me, you have nothing to be jealous of.” I say as I see her in her dress. Emma has always been the pretty one. Whenever we went out together guys would pay more attention to her, even in high school the guys flocked to her. I was just her little friend that had nothing compared to her.

Emma smiles at me and grabs my hand. She quickly pulls me out of the room and to the front room of her penthouse. We put on our shoes, her in heels and I in platform combat boots, and then she rushes me out the door and to the elevator.

Once we arrive at the club Emma has chosen for tonight’s endeavor, she pulls me through the crown of people to the front of the line.

“Emma Hastings plus guest.” She says to the bouncer. He glances at the list and then steps to the side to let us in.

You might find it surprising how often Emma can just get into clubs and bars, but that’s how it’s been for years. Emma has multiple fake IDs, some she made for me without me knowing though I don’t use them. She knows all the club owners and party hosts in New York, and a big part of her job as a journalist involves her in these clubs, mingling with VIPS. So she became a VIP herself.

No ones caught on to Emma’s act though, some have had suspicions, but nothing that can be proven. Emma, like me, publishes her articles under a pseudonym. A false name that takes the blame for all of the secrets Emma has shared with the world.

Some might think it would be easy to figure out it’s her spilling all these secrets, but Emma can cover her tracks well. And no one really reads our paper. That’s the bigger part of it I guess.

“Come on! Let’s go!” Emma shouts over the loud music and talking drunk people. Suddenly I’m yanked by her through the people to the bar.

“Please, I don’t want to drink tonight!” I say to her but she waves me off.

“Two rum and cokes.” She says to the bartender. I shake my head.

“I’m not drinking!” I say to her again. She brushes me off and hands me the drink.

“You’ll feel better if you drink!” She shouts.

“I don’t need to feel better.” I set the drink down on the bar. I turn to walk away and try to weave my way through all the people to find something to eat. Clubs like this always have some type of snack or appetizer.

People dancing around gets slimmer and slimmer as I make my way to a different room. It’s more well lit with a red shaded light. I finally am able to walk freely and find a person carrying a platter of veggie wraps.

I immediately grab a few to eat and smile at the girl holding the tray. I remember when I was in high school I had a job much like hers, serving appetizers on platters at party’s. Although, the parties I worked for were private parties.

I take a bit of a veggie wrap when I feel a hand snake around my waist. I jump and turn to see Matt

“What are doing here?” I ask him.

“I can ask you the same thing.” He says and wraps his arm around my waist. “What are you doing at this party?”

“I asked first.”

Matt laughs. “What are you, 10?”

I groan and stare at the last veggie wrap in my hand. “My friend dragged me here.” I tell him and then I take a bit of my veggie wrap.

“Ah, well, let’s get you out of here and get you something more filling to eat, yeah doll?” He says and begins to lead me away.

“You didn’t say why you’re here.” I say and he laughs again.

“You don’t have to worry about anything, I’m not cheating on you.”

I look at him in shock. “I didn’t think that at all, why would you say something like that?”

Matt just chuckles. “I’m here on business not pleasure, babydoll. I know the club owner, and he owed me something I came to collect on. I just saw you here in the red room and wondered what you were here for. I didn’t think this was your idea of a good time.”

“It’s not.” I reply. “What did the club owner owe you?”

“Just something I paid for.” Matt shrugged and led me to the back door of the club.

“I can’t leave without telling Emma, she’ll be concerned if she can’t find me.” I look back at the dancing people.

“Just text her, I’m not letting you stay in that place. That club is famous for the amount of older men praying on younger girls there are there.” Matt says in a deep tone.

“That’s probably why Emma comes here a lot.” I mumble to myself.

“What did you say, doll?” Matt asks as he looks at me.

“Just Emma, I don’t want to leave without telling her.”

“Just text her, come on, you’re coming home with me.” Matt leads me out the back door and to his car that’s waiting in the alley.

“Home with you? To your house?” I ask as Matt opens the passenger side door for me.

“Yeah, doll. I thought you were asking to come home with me the other night. Didn’t you want to spend a day with me?” Matt gets into the drivers side.

“You said you couldn’t have me around while you were busy.”

“I’m not too busy tomorrow, and you just look so good right now. Unless you want me to dump you at your apartment, you’re coming home with me. Trust me, it’ll be a lot better in my double queen bed with silk sheets then in your bookstore apartment that that looks like it’s one windy day away from blowing to the ground.” Matt laughs to himself as he starts his car.

“Hey, don’t diss my apartment.” I laugh. “I know it’s not the best, but I love my little place. And I love the bookstore.”

“I’ll buy you a fucking library. You living there is a liability. You could get seriously hurt there. You could fall through the floor boards or cut yourself on a loose nail-“

Matt pulls out of the alley and starts driving to his house.

“But that’s my favorite bookstore.”

“You don’t need to live there. I’ll take you back wherever you want to buy books, I’ll take you anywhere you want.”

“Matt-“

“You need a new place.”

“Matt-“

“Im serious.”

“MATT!” I shout to get his attention. He just stays silent. “I like my place, what is this about?”

“Nothing, like I said, it’s a hazard.”

“I’ve never been hurt there. The worst thing that’s happened was a paper cut from a book.”

“Just… don’t stay at that apartment for a while.”

“What, why?” I ask and Matt stays silent. “Matt, why?” I ask more seriously. Again, no answer. “Matt, answer me, why not?”

“I shouldn’t have ever taken you out in public.” He mumbles.

“Matt, what are you talking about!” I ask, starting to shake and my hands get sweaty.

“I’m too fucking dangerous for you to be around.”

“Matt, tell me what you mean by that.”

“That fucking picture-“

“Picture?”

“The one that pap took.”

“Pap?”

“Just stay at my place for a few days, okay? I’m gonna get someone to scope out your apartment and-“

“Matt stop! Why do you need someone to scope out my apartment.”

“I told you I had enemies y/n. Enemies that would think of you as a way to get to me, and they’re right.”

“Matt you’re scaring me.”

“I’m gonna keep you safe, I promise.”

“I wanna go home.”

“I’m taking you to my place, you’ll be safe there, I promise.”

“How long before you were going to tell me about this?” I ask.

“I didn’t know for sure if someone had found out about you yet, I still don’t. I’m just taking precautions until we figure out if someone is watching you.”

“Why would someone be watching me?”

“I told you, I have-“

“Why would someone need to get to you through me? Who would do something like that?” I ask. Matt stays silent, clenching his jaw tightly and he drives up a long drive way.

“We’re here.” He says, finally breaking the silence. He parks the car in the huge driveway in front of the mansion. My jaw drops and I gasp and the large, beautiful home in front of me.

“You live here?” I ask in amazement.

“Doesn’t seem like such a bad idea to stay with me, now does it?” Matt says as he opens his car door and makes his way around the car to open my side door as well. I step out but keep my eyes on the mansion.

“This is beautiful.” I say softly. Matt smiles and begins to lead me inside.

“I live with my brothers, the ones I told you about. They’re not home for a few days, they’re running a few errands in LA. We’ll have the place to ourselves.”

Matt opens the large front door for me and I gasp again at the beautiful entryway.

“Come on, I’ll give you the tour.” Matt says and begins to lead be around the home.

Tags: @stargirlsturniololover @sturniolobessed @eyelessdemon00 @sturnioloenthusiast @sturniolopookie @urmommysbathroom @qwertytit @whatever1021 @chrisfavoritepepsi @stramboli4life @sturniolosreads @timmyscomputer @iloveneilperry

234 notes · View notes

haddonfieldwhore · 11 months ago

Text

winter things - matthew tkachuk

matthew tkachuk x gn!reader

summary: your best friend matthew brings you home to celebrate the holidays with his family. their only christmas wish is for the two of you to finally get together

warnings: mentions of drinking, use of y/n like twice? (this is my first time including the whole tkachuk fam in a fic and i’m not super confident with it so please take it easy on me)

i hope you all enjoy the fic! happy holidays🌲♥️❄️

word count: 2.8k

you smiled at the familiar house that came into view as matthew pulled the car into the driveway. you had spent so much time here growing up with the tkachuks that it was almost a second home, welcoming you back with open arms as you stepped out of the car, a thin crust of snow crunching beneath your boots. matthew sniffled as he walked up the driveway next to you, and you laughed, watching as he struggled to carry all of the gifts that he insisted to bring all in one trip from the car.

“calm down, florida. it’s not that cold,” you laughed, careful not to drop the tin of christmas cookies your mitten covered hands held tightly. you and matthew had traveled from the sunshine-state to st.louis, where you had grown up together. whenever you came back to visit, despite all the years he spent living in calgary, it always took him a day to get used to the snow again.

“shut up,” he pouted, but even he couldn’t contain the smile that spread across his lips. even with his hands full of gifts, matthew held the outside door for you, and before you could even raise a hand to knock the inside door opened, revealing taryns smiling face.

“hey! took you guys long enough to get here,” she laughed, and matt sent her a mocking glare. “let me take that from you”, she offered, grabbing the cookie tin from your hands as you and matthew walked inside. you shook off the light dusting of snow that had gathered on your shoulders, before you felt matthews hands slide your jacket off your arms, hanging it up in the closet for you. keith stood up from the couch and walked over to greet the two of you as you dusted a few snowflakes out of matt’s hair. keith embraced his eldest son in a hug, which matthew happily returned, before he gave you one as well.

“we almost thought you two weren’t coming. did matthew forget how to drive in snow?” keith asked, causing you and taryn to laugh, and matthew to roll his eyes.

“i haven’t been here 2 minutes and that’s two florida jokes,” he raised his hands in disbelief.

“i didn’t hear dad say that word, did you?” taryn asked you, and you shook your head, and matthew narrowed his eyes at you playfully.

“why is avery one ganging up on me?” he asked, and you heard the thump of footsteps coming down the stairs behind him, as brady and his wife emma appeared.

“that’s what happens when you show up late, buddy,” the younger tkachuk brother teased, and matthew grabbed him in a headlock in response, but it quickly turned into a friendly hug.

“y/n got here at the same time as me,” matt argued, and you raised your hands in mock surrender, as chantal walked into the living room to see what all the commotion was.

“we don’t pick on our guests, that’s the rule. it’s so nice to see you!” she smiled, and gave you a warm hug.

“mom!” matt protested, and she walked over to hug him too.

“oh, relax. come here,” she pulled him into her arms.

taryn brought you into the kitchen, and after each of you washed your hands, she helped you take the cookies out of the tin and put them out into a festive plate.

“have you been home from school very long?” you asked, and taryn shook her head.

“just a few days. how was the drive from the airport?” she asked.

“it was pretty good,” you said. there wasn’t too much snow this year so driving conditions were good. “my driver wasn’t great, but he was cheap so i can’t complain-“ you teased as matthew walked into the kitchen and within earshot.

“i heard that,” he smiled.

“good,” you smiled back, scrunching your nose up as he stuck his tongue out at you.

“you two should take your bags upstairs to matthews room. there’s a little early christmas present for each of you up there,” chantal instructed, and you smiled, laughing as matthew stole a cookie off the plate on his way past. you followed after him, protesting as he grabbed both his bag and yours from by the front door, before heading up the stairs.

you knew this house like the back of your hand, and you smiled as the familiar scent of the tkachuk family home mixing with the smell of christmas cooking and baking filling your nose. you turned the corner and saw matt already sitting in his bed, your bags placed on the floor neatly as he read the tags on two gift bags that sat next to him on the bed.

“this one is for you,” he said, holding out the green gift bag to you, keeping the red one for himself. you opened them together, each pulling out flannel pyjama pants, yours green with a plaid pattern and his red, just like the bags had been. it had become a tradition for chantal and keith to buy christmas pyjamas for each of their kids every year, and then for emma as well, and you felt honoured each time you were included.

“we get to match this year,” he smiled, and you set the pants on top of your bag to wear later, and looked around matthews room. while his decorating had changed since you were younger, there were things that remained the same; the small dent in the ceiling from when matthew and brady had decided to play hockey inside and sent a puck flying up into the plaster. there were pencil marks on the door frame with the three siblings initials next to them, even a few with yours.

you walked over to desk and admired the bulletin board with pictures push-pinned to it, most of them containing the two of you, ranging from when you were kids until last time you had visited his parents with him for his birthday a few years ago.

“is it weird being back here?” matthew asked, coming over to look at the pictures with you. his hand rested half on top of your as you leaned on the desk, and you smiled, shaking your head.

“no,” you answered. “it kinda takes you back in time though, doesn’t it? like nothings changed?” you asked, and he turned his head to look at you.

“yeah. i feel like i’m a kid again whenever i’m here with everyone.”

“thank you for inviting me,” you leaned against his shoulder, and you felt him rest his head on yours.

“of course. it wouldn’t be the same without you here,” he replied, and you hummed contently in response.

“hey, dinners almost ready,” you heard taryn’s voice from the doorway, neither of you having noticed her come up the stairs to find you. you turned towards her, a smile on her face as she looked at you and matthew standing together. it had come up a few times between her and matt’s family if the two of you were ever going to realize you were in love with eachother, and as the years went by, taryn was convinced the two of you would never figure it out.

“okay, we’ll be right there,” matthews arm had snaked around your waist at some point, and he pushed you towards the door after taryn, following his younger sister downstairs to eat.

-🧣🧦🌲❄️-

after dinner, keith and chantal watched as ‘the kids’, meaning the three tkachuk siblings along with you and emma, decorated the tree. the lights had already been strung a few weeks before, but it was a family tradition to hang the ornaments on christmas eve. chantel had requested everyone get changed into their pyjamas for pictures, and you noticed that the pattern on brady and emma’s matched, as well as hers and keith’s having a matching design. still, neither you or your best friend figured out that they were in fact meant to be couples pyjamas.

“this one’s yours, brady,” matthew said, handing his brother an ornament with his name on it.

“what movie are we thinking this year?” keith asked from his recliner, holding a few dvds in his hand. “home alone, the grinch, elf…”

“i like home alone,” emma offered, and brady and taryn agreed.

“any of those are fine with me,” you smiled, choosing an ornament and hanging it on the tree.

“sweetheart, why don’t you put the star on the tree this year,” chantal suggested, passing you the tree topper. “you’re the guest after all.”

“are you sure?” you asked, and she nodded with a warm smile. carefully, you stepped up onto the small wooden stool next to the tree so you could reach the top, and you were relieved to feel matthews hands on your waist, gently steadying you so you wouldn’t fall. keith looked at chantal with a knowing glance, watching matt take your hand to help you down from the stool after you had successfully placed the star on top of the tree.

“okay, i want a picture of all you kids by the tree, while it’s still snowing outside. it will look really pretty in the window behind everyone,” chantal said, getting her phone camera ready.

taryn stood in the middle, while brady had one arm over her shoulder and the other arm holding emma close to his side. matt stood behind you with his arms hugging you and his chin on your shoulder as you all smiled for the photo. you and emma made the siblings and their parents take a photo together as well, before taryn put the movie in, home alone winning the vote. keith was sat in his recliner, while taryn and chantal sat on the loveseat. emma and brady sat on one end of the large couch while you sat in the middle of it and matthew leaned against the armrest at the other end.

maybe it was the flight from florida, or the spiked eggnog you’d had after dinner, but you began to feel sleepy about an hour in to the movie, and tried not to make it too obvious that you were yawning as not to be rude. matthew still noticed however, and he gently placed a blanket over your legs, stealing some of it for himself as you curled up under the warm material. while you appreciated the gesture, the added warmth only made you more tired, and you soon drifted off, matthew catching your head just in time as it fell to the side. he rested it safely in his shoulder, and smiled down at you as you snuggled into him.

emma elbowed brady in the side gently, pointing at the two of you, completely in your own little world. chantal glanced over, her eyes meeting emma’s with a quiet laugh before she watched her eldest son place a gentle kiss on the top of your head, oblivious to the two women watching him. the movie ended with you still fast asleep, and as it neared midnight, everyone said goodnight and went off to bed, leaving you and matthew alone on the couch.

“hey, sleepyhead. time to get up,” he shook you gently, and you mumbled incoherently in protest, your fingers digging into the material of his hoodie as you snuggled impossibly closer. “unless you want to sleep down here, but i warn you - dad wakes up at like 6 am,” he laughed, and the sound pulled you out of your slumber.

“why didn’t you wake me up sooner? i feel bad for falling asleep.”

“don’t feel bad,” he laughed again. “you could probably set the house on fire and my family would forgive you, they love you so much. but maybe don’t- i kinda like it here,” he teased.

“i promise not to set the house on fire,” you mocked him playfully, and his hands tickled your ribs, causing you to fall backwards onto the couch with him on top of you. “please, i’m sorry, please stop-“ you pleased through tears of laughter.

“fine, but only because it’s christmas and you asked nicely. lets go up to bed, mom will want us up early to open presents,” he surrendered, getting up off the couch and extending a hand to help you up.

matthew didn’t let go of your hand as you both walked into his room, only letting go of it to go into the attached bathroom to brush his teeth. you did the same after him, walking out to see him already under the blankets.

“come here,” he held his arms open for you to crawl into, his hoodie discarded in a pile on the floor, leaving him in just the flannel pyjama pants. it wasn’t an unusual sleeping arrangement; having shared a bed with him many times when you were kids, and anytime you came to visit his family. you switched off the bathroom light and laid down, curling up next to him as his arms pulled you close, tucking you securely under his chin. the soft facial hair on his chin tickled your forehead as you wrapped your arms around him, his body invitingly warm as you felt yourself getting sleepy again.

matt squinted his eyes, looking at the clock on the nightstand that read 12:03am.

“merry christmas, bug,” he mumbled softly, and you hummed in response.

“merry christmas matty.”

-🧣🧦🌲❄️-

you woke up to the sound of the alarm matthew had set on his phone going off at 8am, the time chantal had requested everyone be up for presents and then breakfast. you tried to get out of bed but matt refused to let go of you, his arms holding you tight as you tried to squirm out of his grip.

“come on, before brady eats all the cookies,” you argued, and that woke matt up, but he still grumbled and groaned as he finally let you of you and rolled out of bed. he pulled a t-shirt over his head, tossing you one from his dresser to throw over your tank-top. running a hand through his messy curls to tame them as best he could, and you rubbed your eyes as you followed him towards the hallway. you bumped into his muscular frame, not realizing he had stopped in the doorway, and you looked at him with confusion, realization flooding over you as he pointed upwards.

“oh-“ you breathed, looking at the small green bundle of mistletoe that had been hung from the doorframe while you were sleeping.

“that wasn’t there before, was it?” matt asked, looking down at you, and you shook your head, your eyes meeting his.

“why would someone hang it there?” you asked, and he laughed, finally getting it.

“i think maybe my family is trying to tell us something,” he said, reaching for your hand with his.

“matty-“ you mumbled, your voice barely above a whisper as you looked at your lips, and then up to your eyes again.

“can i kiss you?” he whispered, stepping closer in the small doorway, leaving almost no space between your bodies. you mind was racing a mile a minute, unable to form words as you nodded, and he leaned forward, pressing his mouth against yours so softly, his lips only ghosting yours before he pulled back, waiting for a reaction.

“do that again,” you smiled, and his hands went to your hips this time to pull your body flush against his, as he kissed you again. his lips lingered on yours longer this time, and your hands rested against his broad chest as you kissed him back, never wanting to let go.

like all good things, the moment had to end, as you heard taryn call from downstairs.

“are you guys awake?”

“yeah, be right there,” matt called back, his eyes never leaving you as you stared up at him, everything making sense as you both put the pieces together.

“i love you, matthew.”

he smiled warmly, and kissed you once more, like he was making up for all the times he should have done it before.

“i love you.”

“i think we’re the last to know,” you admitted, looking down at the matching pyjamas, and up at the mistletoe, before looking back at him, a smile permanently plastered on his face.

“i think you’re right,” he laughed. “come on, before they send a search party.” he dragged you gently by your hand down the stairs, taking a seat on the couch and pulling you to sit in his lap.

taryn and chantal each looked at you with a raised eyebrow, and you had a sneaking suspicion they were behind the mistletoe. taryn watched matty place a kiss on your cheek, and she sent you a wink.

maybe it was the warmth from the fireplace, or matthews arms around your waist holding you close to him, but your heart felt warmer than you could ever remember. brady and emma began passing out the gifts, and you took one for matt from her hands.

“you go first,” he said, gesturing with a nod for you to set it on the coffee table. emma placed a present with your name on the tag in your hands, as matthew whispered in your ear.

“i already have everything i want.”

disclaimer: all screenshots, events, and/or interactions depicted in this are a work of fiction. i have no association with any parties mentioned

236 notes · View notes

frootynovak · 2 months ago

Text

calex vs. outdoor activities vs. being clingy

“So, you are serious about going on this hike!”

Alex stood by the sink, drying her hands with the kitchen cloth hung by the drawer.

It was a chilly morning and the sun was just beginning to rise. The kitchen windows were slightly open and Alex was reveling the refreshing scent of blossoming magnolias next door, welcoming the start of spring. She could hear frantic movements and running around coming from upstairs. A minute passes and Casey emerges from the staircase in tight underpants and sweaters, carrying a backpack and a duffle bag.

“And you’re really not coming with me?”

“I am not going hiking with you, Case.” Alex insists. She takes a plate from one of the drawers and dumps the buttered toasts she prepared. “Did you see the list I gave you detailing the many reasons why it could be dangerous?”

Casey shakes her head in mild disbelief. She puts her bags down and comments, “Didn’t paint you as a pessimist but yes, I did see the list.” She moved closer towards Alex, grabbing a piece of toast off her plate and taking a bite. “And it is ridiculous.”

“Ookay, then what will you do if a brown bear lunged at you?”

“There are no bears where I’m going, idiot.”

“You don’t know that.” Alex pouts. “You could literally die.”

Casey shrugs. She bends down to tie the shoelaces of her hiking boots. “Eh, guess I’ll take my chances.”

Alex turns off the coffee machine and pours a cup. “Won’t you have coffee with me first?”

Try as she might, Alex knew well she can never convince her stubborn wife when Casey is already intent on doing something.

“Love to but can’t.” Casey gets up and walks across the kitchen. She took the remaining coffee from the brewer and poured the liquid straight into her red thermo flask. “I’m sorry. I’m just running a bit late.”

“And who are you going with? Do I know these people that you’re going with? Have I met any of them?”

Casey grins at her hesitantly. “Not exactly… But I am in good hands, Lex.”

When Alex didn’t answer, Casey proceeded to the fridge to get the packed meals and trail mixes she prepared yesterday for her trip. She puts them inside the duffle bag and zips it closed.

Pushing the eyeglasses up her nose, Alex sets aside the newspaper she was reading earlier into the rack in the living room.

She returns to the kitchen to take a sip of her coffee and then turned towards Casey with wide eyes when she realised something. “Oh Casey! You don’t even know the people you’re going with!”

“Relax, babe, I’m going to be fine.”

Alex clenched her jaw and put her hands on her waist. “How are you going to be fine? You will be in the middle of nowhere with strangers!”

“Okay, first of all, we have a guide. Her name is Emma Wheatley and she is a childhood friend.”

Alex raised a brow. “Emma? A girl?”

“Yes. Emma. A woman.” Casey says matter-of-factly. She furrows her brows, studying the expression on Alex’s face. “Before you get jealous, she is happily married with kids.”

Alex will never admit it but she tends to be possessive when it comes to Casey. There is no doubt in her mind that her hopelessly devoted wife will ever have the heart to betray her trust but she learned halfway into their early years that Casey can be so incomprehensibly oblivious when it comes to people flirting with her.

“Do you even know the trail? You could get lost and end up on dateline!”

“Baby,” Casey heaved a deep sigh. She stood in front of her wife and stroke the length of Alex’s arms as if to pacify her. “I say this sincerely but you’ve been watching too much television. And if you’re so worried, why don’t you just come with me, huh?”

She went camping in the woods with Casey once because she wanted to learn more about this side of Casey, outside of the courtroom and outside of the shell she’s built for her fast-paced life in New York—her adventurous, free-spirited, curious, and dynamic Casey.

There was one rainy night that Alex chanced upon a sleepless Casey just watching the raindrops pelting against the big window by the living room. She remembers how she was comfortably perched on the corner next to the couch with a cup of tea on her hand. When Alex approached her, Casey told her that it would have been her grandfather’s 82nd birthday.

Casey relived her childhood memories when their grandfather used to take little Casey and her brothers to go fish and camp in the woods. She said it was always what she looked forward to in the summer—their parents would drop them off and leave her and her two older brothers for a week or two in their grandparents’ small farm.

Touched by the memory and wanting to cheer Casey up, Alex agreed to go to the mountains with her. Casey told her it would be fun and easy, and that Casey will set up their tent and that they could lay down under a starlit sky and how she would even tell her fun facts about constellations. Or bugs.

When they found an appropriate schedule for the both of them, they left for Maine. Casey was overcome with excitement, and Alex, although glad that this little gesture made Casey happy, was nervous.

In the end, they had to circle back to the center and go to the nearest hospital when Alex complained of having itchy rashes.

Alex swore she would never go to the mountains with Casey again after what Alex dubbed as her second “near-death experience”. They both just accepted that outdoor activities would be Casey’s thing, and Alex will stay with playing tennis and riding horses. At times, Casey would still ask if she wants to go in hopes that Alex changes her mind.

“You sure you’re not coming?”

“I will wait for you by the foot of the mountain and you better meet me in one piece.”

Casey rolls her eyes before flashing a childlike smile at her wife. “Okay, okay. See you in three days, Cabot!”

She wraps her arms around Alex and peppered her wife’s face with chaste kisses, and then finally, bade her goodbye with a lingering kiss on the lips.

When Casey shut the door behind her, Alex felt a vague sense of yearning; a quiet ache settling in her chest. For a second, she mentally checks weekend routine to be sure that she won’t have spare time to sulk around the house because she misses Casey’s presence.

Alex bolted outside and quietly stood by the door frame in her silk pajamas. She watched Casey put her bags in the trunk of her Honda.

She debated with herself whether to say something for fear of getting teased by the redhead as being too clingy. She stood by the frame of the main door of their townhouse. “Case?”

“Yes, baby?”

Alex combed through her thoughts before deciding to finally ask something: She cleared her throat and asked whether Casey has double checked everything and packed her essentials: water, bug spray, sunscreen, mosquito repellant, a flash light, a whistle, a hunting knife.

“Yes, yes, and yes. Lex, this is not my first rodeo.”

Alex nods. “I know.”

Casey closed the trunk and then run to the front stairs up to where Alex stood. “Would you rather I stay home with you?”

Alex looks at Casey’s bright, green eyes. Yes, she would rather Casey stays home with her for the weekend. Yes, she would rather have her cuddled up and cozy by the couch while watching their favorite TV shows. Yes, she would rather stroll around busy Manhattan and hold hands with her and stop by for gelato. Yes, yes, yes, Alex wants Casey to just stay by her side so she could keep her safe and love her and adore her and make her hers.

“No, no. Don’t be ridiculous, darling. Go. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.” Alex kisses Casey as she caresses her cheeks. “I would really enjoy if you’d keep me company of course but you don’t have to stop doing the things you enjoy just because you’re worried about me.”

There was a tinge of red on the apple of Casey’s pale cheeks as she listened to Alex talk. “Two years and you’re ready to renew our vows?” She teased. “Your ass is mine, Cabot.”

Alex could only give her a pointed look. “Shut up.”

Casey enters the car and puts her car key in the ignition. She opened the window slightly and shouted, “Don’t burn down the house while I’m gone! I’ll miss you!”

As Casey drove away, Alex follows the car with her eyes. She frowns and whispers to herself, “I’ll miss you, too, dumbass.”

#casey novak #alex cabot #calex #alex hates that casey got her wrapped around her finger #but she also loves it #casey teases her clingy ass endlessly #calex versus: a series

40 notes · View notes

thepastisalreadywritten · 8 months ago

Text

The day Princess Anne was almost kidnapped on The Mall — 50 years on

On this day 50 years ago, 23-year-old Princess Anne found herself fighting off a gunman as her bodyguard and driver lay wounded beside her. Emma Loffhagen takes a deep dive into the disturbing day one of the most senior royals was almost kidnapped.

By Emma Loffhagen

20 March 2024

“Your daughter has been kidnapped. The following are conditions to be fulfilled for release.”

In March 1974, Ian Ball used a rented typewriter to haphazardly type a letter intended for the then-head of state, Queen Elizabeth II.

Ball, 26, a funeral home worker, demanded £3 million — to be paid in £5 notes — in exchange for the return of the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne.

After becoming fixated with the 23-year-old princess, he spent two years hatching an elaborate plan to kidnap her.

Today, March 20, marks the 50th anniversary of Ball’s kidnap attempt — one of the most bizarre and disturbing episodes in British royal history.

A “loner,” Ball had been inspired to hatch his elaborate kidnap plot by the novel Day of the Jackal.

He wanted to follow in the footsteps of the book’s hero, the contracted assassin the Jackal.

“He was a very strange man,” Ball’s neighbour later said. “The only time he ever went out was when he went down to the launderette or went out for some food.”

It was thought that he had developed a “fixation” on the royal, whipped up by the widespread and lavish coverage of her wedding to Captain Mark Phillips the previous year.

As part of his plan, Ball had moved from his run-down flat in Bayswater to a lush rented house in Fleet, Hampshire.

It was only a few miles from Sandhurst, where Anne lived with her then-husband Phillips.

After a quick phone call to the Buckingham Palace press office, Ball knew which engagements and events Anne attended each week.

He rented a car under the alias John Williams, stocking the boot with Valium tranquilisers and two pairs of handcuffs.

On the evening of 20 March 1974, Anne was travelling back to Buckingham Palace in an Austin Princess limousine.

She had attended a screening of Riding Towards Freedom, a documentary by the charity Riding for the Disabled.

Captain Phillips, her bodyguard James Beaton, and her lady-in-waiting Rowena Jane Brassey, were also in the car driven by royal chauffeur Alexander Callender.

At around 8pm, as the group drove up The Mall, a white Ford Escort swerved in front of the limousine, forcing Callender to stop.

Then a 31-year-old inspector, Beaton, who had been Anne’s bodyguard for a year, got out to investigate.

“I thought it was somebody who wanted to be a pain in the neck,” he later said. “There was no hint of what was to happen.”

Suddenly, a bearded man with light red hair jumped out of the vehicle and pulled out two handguns, smashing the passenger window with the butt of one.

Beaton had not even had the chance to pull out his weapon when he was shot in the shoulder.

He then attempted to fire back at Ball — but missed. Upon a second attempt, his gun — a Walther PPK — jammed.

Ball turned to the passenger door behind the driver’s seat and started shaking it. Anne was sat on the other side. “Open, or I’ll shoot!” he shouted.

As the princess and Captain Phillips desperately tried to hold the door closed, Anne’s lady-in-waiting crawled out of the door on the passenger side.

Beaton got back in the car, placing himself between the couple and their assailant.

Ball shot into the car, and Beaton’s hand deflected the bullet.

He shot the bodyguard a third time, hitting Beaton in the abdomen and causing him to fall from the vehicle.

“I felt tired and very drunk, although I hadn’t been drinking,” Beaton later told police. “I just wanted to lie down.”

Callender stepped out to confront the gunman, but Ball shot him in the chest and he fell back into the car.

Pulling the door open, Ball grabbed Anne’s forearm as her husband held on to her waist.

“Please, come out,” Ball reportedly told the princess. “You’ve got to come.”

As the pair struggled over Anne, her dress ripped, splitting down the back, which she later recalled prompted her to “lose her rag.”

But, rather than panic, she had what she described as a “very irritating conversation” with her potential kidnapper.

Unbelievably calm despite the commotion, Anne famously replied: “Not bloody likely!”

In an interview with the late television presenter Michael Parkinson, she recalled:

“He [the gunman] opened the door and we had a discussion about where — or where not — we were going to go.

“I said I didn’t think I wanted to go. I was scrupulously polite because I thought it would be silly to be too rude at that stage.”

A nearby tabloid journalist, Brian McConnell, arrived on the scene.

Recognising the limo’s insignia, he realised the commotion must have involved a royal family member.

“Don’t be silly, old boy,” he told Ball. “Put the gun down.”

Ball responded by shooting him too and McConnell collapsed bleeding onto the road.

A man named Ronnie Russell drove past at this point.

He was on his way home to Strood, Kent, from working as an area manager for a cleaning company in London.

In a stroke of incredible luck, Russell happened to be a former boxer. He had cut his cloth at the Repton Club in east London, an infamous venue sponsored by the notorious Kray twins.

Jumping out of the car, Russell punched Ball twice in the head before leading Anne and her lady-in-waiting away from the attacker.

He later explained that he “did not like bullies,” which prompted his decision to intervene.

Despite being injured, Ball still shot the first police officer to arrive on the scene, Constable Michael Hills, 22, before running off.

Detective Constable Peter Edmonds, who answered Constable Hills’ radio request for backup, chased Ball down The Mall and through St James’s Park before tackling him on the ground.

At Ball’s Old Bailey trial in May 1974, more details came to light about the plot.

Ball kept his head lowered for most of the proceedings, only uttering the word “guilty” to confirm the charges of attempted murder and kidnapping.

In his pocket, detectives had discovered the kidnap note addressed to the Queen, which demanded the £3 million ransom (the equivalent of £26 million today), a free pardon, and a plane to fly him to Switzerland.

He had planned to take the princess to a central London property he had rented under an alias.

In a police interview, Ball also said he believed Anne would be an easy target after ascertaining her whereabouts by phoning the Buckingham Palace press office.

“I had thought about it for years,” he said. “She would have been the easiest. I have seen her riding with her husband.”

Ball also showed no remorse for having shot three men on the night of the attempted kidnap.

“They were getting in my way so I had to shoot them,” he said. “Well, the police, that's their job. They expect to be shot. I took a chance of getting shot so why shouldn't they?”

He added: “I suppose I’ll be locked up for the rest of my life. I am only sorry I frightened Princess Anne. There is one good thing coming out of this: you will have to improve on her protection.”

Ball was diagnosed with schizophrenia following the trial and sentenced to a mental health facility under the Mental Health Act, “without limit or time."

He remains in the Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire to this day.

The facility has been home to a series of notorious criminals, including serial killer Peter Sutcliffe and London gangster Ronnie Kray.

Immediately after the attack, the royals ceased having only one protection officer.

When Anne visited Beaton in hospital, “she turned up with two policemen,” her bodyguard said. “From then on, that’s what it was.”

“I had nothing…There was no back-up vehicle,” Beaton told The Times separately.

“The training was non-existent; but then again, [we thought] nothing was going to happen. They are highly specialised now, highly trained.”

Beaton continued to work for Anne for another five years — before the Queen employed him.

After Beaton’s weapon jammed, the type of guns used by bodyguards were also changed: “The Walthers were got rid of overnight.”

Beaton was honoured for his bravery, receiving the George Cross — the UK’s highest civilian honour for gallantry.

Russell also received the honour. In a 2006 interview, Russell recalled what Queen Elizabeth said as she presented his George Medal:

“The medal is from the Queen of England, the thank you is from Anne’s mother.”

56 notes · View notes

juliaswickcrs · 4 months ago

Text

HIRAETH

rating: 14+

relationship: robb stark/oc

AO3

summary: Emma Hightower wakes in a land that is not her own with knowledge of a future that does not belong to her. But as she learned from watching Game of Thrones, knowledge is power, and despite warnings about fate and defying the will of the gods, Emma refuses to let any Starks, Tyrells, or Targaryens die at the hands of Lannisters, even if it means throwing herself in their line of sight. Even if it means throwing herself into war. {modern character in westeros, time travel fix it au}

a/n: this has been on ao3 for a while now, but @bisexualterror convinced me to post it on here! please reblog or comment if you enjoyed it!

CHAPTER ONE :: OLDTOWN

She awoke on a soft patch of grass, sunlight streaming through stained glass, crafting a kaleidoscope of colors which danced across her exposed skin.

Her dress held tight to her frame, skirt flaring out at the waist as it gathers around her thighs.

It is exactly what she was wearing when she touched the white bark of the tree in the center of the castle.

Her flannel shirt dangled lazily from her shoulder as she pulls herself up, spandex peeking through the short hem of the white sundress.

The grass refused to stay grasped in her palms, sliding through her fingers like silk.

It seemed to be the only patch of grass in this place, the surrounding areas decorated with black marble that covered the area except for a small hole near the top.

The stained glass depicts figures Emma has never seen, and she finds herself staring at a long-haired woman grasping a bouquet of flowers with her head down.

Besides her stands a broad shouldered man on his knees, sword in hand.

Despite how little Emma knows, something deep in her head rings familiar, the weight of her bag dragging her shoulder down as she moves closer to the windows.

She glances behind her for a brief moment and freezes.

The white tree stands behind her, although it is much smaller than she remembers.

There is no face carved into it, but the white bark and red leaves are unmistakable.

It is nearly the exact tree Emma remembers touching after hearing the screams and yells of Cassie and Alec.

Her leather boots clicked against the beautifully crafted floors of the Cathedral.

That is the best approximation she can give for the place she woke up in and for all her hatred of it, Emma cannot undo the religious knowledge she grew up with.

Stained glass, black and white marble, the sounds of choirs in the distance…it’s all horribly familiar to her and yet unknown at the same time.

The sweet smell of incense caused her to wrinkle her nose as she continued down the narrow halls, religious imagery and icons plastered upon the walls.

It does little to quell the rising nausea in her stomach.

She hates the smell of churches, the close walls and hymns that accompany the wide-eyed stares and whispered prayers.

“Excuse me, miss” a deep voice rumbles behind her and she whips around, hair nearly slapping the man in the face.

He’s tall and bearded, with wide eyes resembling her own staring down at her.

The clothes he’s dressed in are of fine fabrics with gold threaded through the deep forest green of his tunic.

The sword that swings by his side is certainly not something Emma would see back home, but maybe people in Ireland take live action roleplay more seriously?

That was the only alternative that didn’t have Emma questioning her own sanity.

“Are you lost?”

His tone was one she’d heard many times, where an adult would ask a question that was clearly meant to be rhetorical. But Emma had never been good at answering those.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Her eyes fell to the grey tower and golden flames emblazoned on his doublet, the emblem feeling unmistakably familiar “I don’t know where I am, I believe—“

“You don’t know where you are?” The man scoffed incredulously, crossing his arms and shaking his head as if she were a child, “I’ve heard many excuses from whores, but I do believe that is a new one.”

Emma’s chest burned at the insult, “I beg your pardon?”

“Come now brother,” A melodic voice interrupted her attempt to defend herself, “Is that any way to talk to one of our own?”

A pair of long nails attached to spindly fingers landed on Emma’s shoulder, cold to the touch and causing her to tense up.

The man sighed, “Malora, I do not have time for your antics today, surely father—“

“Father has sent me to retrieve your issue,” The woman behind her spoke pointedly, eyes staring down the man, before lowering her voice, “Or at least, that’s who he believes has shown up in the garden of the Starry Sept.”

The man shook his head again, “You and I both know Father had gone quite mad these days, surely he does not believe—“

“You don’t know what he believes anymore, brother,” the woman, Malora, spoke with a sharp tone, “You are not the one he asks to join him in the High Tower. You have not seen him of late. He is filled with dreams, ideas that no other lord would dare speak aloud, and when he asks his children to perform an errand, he expects it to be done quickly and discreetly.”

Malora’s brother tightened his grip on his sword, jaw clenching as his eyes wandered over Emma’s frame once more.

She tried to ignore the ridiculous thoughts filling her head as the conversation took place.

With words like Starry Sept, and High Tower standing out and joining the emblem in familiarity.

The woman who saved her from the insult steers her past the bearded man and Emma finally catches a glimpse of her.

She is tall and willowy, with long dark hair that seemed to match the imagery of the stained glass Emma saw earlier. Her skirts fell to the floor, causing Emma to tug on the hem of her sundress.

They were made of a dark velvet the color of the night sky, dotted with flecks of gold and seemed to move when Malora moved.

As they passed the bearded man, Emma stopped and stared up at him, gathering every bit of vitriol she could muster, “I’m not a whore,” She spat, “And even if I was, you could not afford me.”

The man’s face turned red and Malora’s lips tilted upward into a smirk.

The older woman unclasped the cloak around her shoulders, “Here,” she handed it to Emma, “Unless you wish to be mistaken for a whore again, I would advise you keep that on you until we reach my father.”

Emma stared at the deep violet color for a moment before dropping her gaze toward her short hem.

She wanted to say no, to protest against the ridiculous standards they were enforcing on her. But she had questions, and she needed to know if all of this was as impossible as she believed it to be.

The golden strings tied neatly around her neck and Emma pulled the thick hood over her long dark hair.

She did not know where Malora was taking her, nor why the bearded man seemed intent on following them through the winding passageways and sweltering heat of what was clearly a bustling city.

As she held tight to Malora’s hand, a series of possibilities floated through her mind.

The first was that she’d been dragged into the middle of a very elaborate LARP scenario.

The swords, the fancy accents, the beautiful Cathedral.

It all made sense.

After all, Ireland was famous for their beautiful churches and…unique characters but Emma had never heard of people being this committed to the bit before.

The second was she’d accidentally stumbled onto the set of a fantasy show for Netflix. Ireland was a popular filming place after all, and it would explain why everyone was dressed in similar silhouttes and spoke as if following a script.

But that would not explain how she fit into this whole thing. Unless it was like that one show where everyone else was an actor except for the lone person out of the loop.

The third was something too impossible for her to contemplate.

But it explained more than the first two options ever could.

The strange dialect, the clothes and belief she was a whore, the fact that the city she was now weaving through resembling nothing of the Irish countryside she’d been given a tour of before with her friends.

It all made too much sense and yet none at the same time.

“Look out!” Malora yelled and Emma turned just in time to see a wide-eyed man with crooked teeth and a knife fall to the ground with a groan.

Blood spilled out of his mouth and onto her dress as a steel blade punctured his throat.

The bearded man stood before her with a look of disdain, but all Emma could feel the warmth of the blood spattering her face and chest, staining her dress crimson as the life left the man’s eyes.

And suddenly the impossible became reality.

If it was a movie, a director would have yelled cut. If it was a show, special effects would have taken place. And if it was a LARPing session, there would be no need for live steel.

She could taste the iron.

This was real.

The blood was real.

Emma knelt down and grasped the knife in her hand. It was crudely made, with a misshapen wooden handle and a flimsy blade.

It punctured the tip of her finger and she winced.

The knife was real.

This was no longer a dream, nor an impossible option.

“Holy shit,” She whispered.

Malora grasped her hand and quickened her pace, the bearded man falling back into place as they continued downriver.

The water rushed beside them as whispers turned to bustling conversations.

Survival instinct kicked in and Emma ran alongside the woman, still not knowing where she was headed or what her fate would be when they got there.

A white marble bridge arched across the mouth of the rushing river toward the jagged bluffs overlooking the sea.

The waves crashed against the obsidian fortress which lay atop the cliffs and if Emma forced herself to listen, it almost sounded like the whispers of a thousand voices every time the water hit the brick.

It was only when a door closed behind her that Emma returned to reality, gauging her surroundings once more.

If this really was the truth, then she would need every bit of cleverness and wit she possessed.

She would not win battles with swords or bows or strength, only what was in her mind.

“Are you alright?” The bearded man seemed genuinely concerned, a far cry from his behavior before, and Emma forgot that she was now covered in someone else’s blood.

She nodded briskly, certain that her fear was written all over her face.

The bearded man shot a look at Malora, who was already talking with two men in silver armor with more swords at their sides.

Both of them held the same emblem on their armor the bearded man did on his doublet.

God, why couldn’t she remember what it was?

The armored men nodded and disappeared down one of the many hallways.

Several entrances poured out into the foyer, a large spiral staircase reaching up into the endless expanse above her, carved out of the same white marble the bridge was made of.

“Father will be expecting her,” Malora spoke in hushed tones, the woman’s lips tugging themself into a frown, “And seeing as she clearly has nowhere else to go—“

“I will bring her to Father,” The bearded man spoke, eyes darting Emma’s direction. They lingered on the blood coating her face and something akin to regret crossed his face, “The least we can do is provide her with a place to stay if he decides otherwise.”

Malora sighed and squeezed the man’s shoulder, “Thank you Bael.”

Emma tensed as Malora turned her gaze her direction, only relaxing once the woman gently pressed her hands onto her shoulders once more, “You will be safe here. I do not know what my father intends to do with you, but we will not leave you to your own devices, I will ensure it."

Emma nodded, “Thank you,” She breathed out, barely able to comprehend the woman’s words.

They filled her with relief, and even though something seemed to dance behind the woman’s emerald gaze.

Emma blinked, and Malora was gone.

Her skirts swished up the endless marble staircase, and she silently wondered how the woman held the stamina to ascend the staircase without so much as blinking.

A moment passed, and the bearded man entered her vision.

She caught a much better look at him this time around.

Auburn hair hung neatly to his shoulders and his beard was well trimmed. The man was probably in his forties or fifties if she had to guess, close in age to Malora.

In fact, the two seemed to share the same eyes, except the man’s were a much more muted color, resembling waves of grass instead of the cut of emeralds.

The man seemed to be waiting for something, and it wasn’t until his lips moved again that Emma realized he was asking her a question.

“Your name,” He spoke softly, as if suddenly realizing his mistake from earlier, “What is your name?”

“Emma,” She muttered, still in shock, “My name is Emma.”

“Very well, Emma.” The man spoke, offering his arm, “Follow me, I’ll take you to meet my father.”

His father.

Of course it was his father. He was a wealthy man, probably a lord of some kind. A deep groaning sound pulled her back into the moment and she found herself staring at a very unstable, very crude elevator.

The man walked in like he did this every day, staring at Emma for a moment before gesturing for her to follow, “Well, Lady Emma, shall I inform my father you are here or do you plan to stand there all day?”

Gulping down the bundle of nerves in the back of her throat, Emma winced as she stepped onto the wooden floor of the fragile contraption, closing her eyes as the cage shut and began creaking toward the top.

A tough grip wrapped around her shoulders, but she dare not open her eyes for fear of seeing just how high she was dangling.

It was worse than rides up the tall skyscrapers back home and she silently waited for a cable to break and send her plummeting like the Tower of Terror.

The cage shrieked to a stop and she waited.

And waited.

But the sound of a cable snapping never came, and when she opened her eyes, the cage door was open with the bearded man offering his hand to her.

She stepped off without taking it, balancing delicately on the balls of her feet as she pushed herself through the frame.

“I see you still take offense to my earlier remarks, my lady,” The bearded man dropped his hand while Emma attempted to stabilize herself using the stone railing.

“Women typically aren’t fans of being called whores” Emma shot back, unsure where her voice had come from. The man arched an eyebrow and Emma gulped, forgetting where she was for a moment, “…Sir.” She tacked on carelessly, “The only reason you’re treating me differently is because your sister and father say you should, otherwise you’d still assume I’m selling myself, right?”

The man dropped his head in shame and that was all the answer she needed.

Now that she was behind high walls and Malora had promised her safety, her boldness returned in spades, anger rumbling in her stomach at the earlier insult. The short hem and lack of sleeves was all he had to go off of and he’d decided she must have been a prostitute.

After all, what other option was there for a woman in these times?

She wasn’t dressed like the others around her, and she held no emblem to distinguish her as the daughter of a lord or lady.

“And even if I was selling myself, perhaps I had no other choice,” She continued to ramble, the words coming to her as the wheels in her head turned, “Perhaps I was abandoned and left in a whorehouse, or disowned and forced to find my own way. I would hope the gods would see that and forgive me.”

The words were too honest for the world she lived in now, but she might as well take one last moment of truth before being forced to lie for however long she remained here.

With her luck, it would be the rest of her life.

“Well said, my lady.” The man nodded, gesturing toward a magnificent gilded door with the same emblem of a tower aflame carved into the mahogany doors.

It was obviously a symbol of great importance, and Emma wished she could remember what it was.

“With a temper and a wit like that, I can see why my father is eager to meet you.”

He lifted the bronze knocker three times, the echoing sound followed by a muffled voice of similar cadence to the man beside her.

“Enter.” It ordered, the door swinging open.

Anxiety clawed at Emma’s stomach as she stared into the darkness before her, the only light coming from the flame of a candle burning in the middle of the room and the sunlight from outside.

She swallowed the lump building in the back of her throat and shuffled forward, the door slamming shut behind her.

An older man stared up at her, silvery blonde hair illuminated by the flickering flames of the lit candles surrounding a desk in the middle of the room.

Scrolls and parchment lay scattered about the room with books open to specific pages stacked on top of one another.

Many were scrawled in languages Emma didn’t recognize, with drawings of scales and equations written in the margins.

Behind the man lay a stained glass window with a seven pointed star, the ledge underneath it decorated with bunsen burners and beakers and lumps of coal under magnifying glasses.

In the shadows lay a green powder Emma had no desire to touch and she tried to memorize as much as she could to see if it jogged her memory in any capacity.

“Ah, the Lady Emma,” The man’s eyes twinkled as if with knowledge no one else possessed, “How wonderful to receive you. I am Leyton Hightower of Oldtown, Lord of the Hightower and Beacon of the South.”

It all clicked into place.

“I see you’ve already met my eldest daughter Malora and my heir, Baelor.” He gestured toward the bearded man behind her and the shadow beside a bookcase.

Malora stepped out of the shadows with a comforting look, and Emma’s stomach sank further, grasping tightly to the strap of her bag.

“Now that we have all become acquainted,” Leyton continued nonchalantly, looking unbothered as Emma’s eyes darted around the room putting the pieces into place, “Perhaps you would like to tell me exactly how you ended up in Westeros.”

She gulped.

hiraeth taglist: @bisexualterror (lmk if you wanna be added)

#game of thrones #game of thrones fanfic #game of thrones fic #robb stark x oc #robb stark oc #robb stark fanfic #robb stark fic #oc: emma hightower #fic: hiraeth #series: outlanders #my fics #asoiaf fic #asoiaf fanfic #asoiaf oc #Hightower!oc fic #hightower!oc #ship: robbemma

38 notes · View notes

ghostgorlsworld · 11 months ago

Text

Johnny Boy (part 5)

werewolf!Johnny x reader

part one is here

Once upon a time, you would've done anything for John Mctavish. He had been your older brother's cool best friend, and you were always desperate for him to see you as more--until one fateful night that ends up with you pregnant and him...gone. Fast forward six years and you've made a good life for yourself with your daughter Emma, with Johnny none the wiser. Until he decides to knock on your door.

Johnny spent a fair amount of time with you and Emma for the next week, weaseling himself into your schedule with a kind of single-minded determination that must have gotten him far in the military.

By Friday, you were exhausted, irritated, overstimulated, and, disappointingly enough, horny. It turned out the lack of sex over the last year or two had turned your hormones into monsters that were very attracted to the nice smelling man that fixed your refrigerator and coaxed Emma to eat her greens. It didn’t seem to matter that it was Johnny of all people, or the fact that you still couldn’t look at him without anger sparking in your heart.

What was worse was that Johnny brought up finances on Thursday, mentioning something about helping with the bills. That had been like a shot of adrenaline, your blood pressure rising through the roof..

You had dropped the bowl you were washing into the sink, shattering it into a thousand pieces. “I don’t need your help, John,” you had snapped. “I haven’t for the last decade.”

Johnny left shortly after that, seeming to have traded in his old hot-headedness for the same soft, patient tone he uses with Emma. He had explained it well, saying he hadn’t had a house or a family to spend his savings on in the last six years, and he wanted to ease the load for both you and Emma’s sakes.

But it was the fact that he felt so comfortable to casually interject himself into your lives. What would happen if you became dependent on Johnny again and he died? Or decided that family life wasn’t for him?

Then both you and Emma would be crushed. You didn’t want your finances to be involved as well.

So you were angry with him, avoiding the polite texts he had sent and the phone call that you sent to voicemail. All you wanted was peace and a night out with Charlie, perhaps a bit of making out and/or hands-in-pants involved.

You hadn’t gone that far with Charlie yet. Both of you had been burned in the past and you were enjoying the slowness of it all. Today, however, you were ready to be properly touched by a man. It had been too long.

Emma was spending the day with her grandparents by their request–they had picked her up an hour ago, your Mum seeming to sense you needed a nice, peaceful morning.

You did laundry. You cleaned the kitchen. You made yourself lunch and watched an entire episode of the Bachelor without interruption, then took a hot bath with rose petals and a vibrator.

It was lovely.

You were cheerful as you dressed and packed Emma’s overnight bag, planning on dropping it off at Tom’s place since your parents had her.

You turned the page in Jack’s novel before you left, smiling up at the paper maché whale.

It was a nice walk, the air brisk and the snow crisp under your boots. You went over the Emma list in your mind: snacks, her favorite books, her favorite stuffy, toothbrush, pj’s, a chilled and chopped steak in case Tom had forgotten to grab dinner, crayons, paper…

Before you knew it, you were popping the door open with your hip. You had already mentioned to Tom you were popping in so there shouldn’t be any unwelcome, undressed visitors.

Except there was.

A man in a black surgical mask stood in the dark of Tom’s hallway, huge, dark-eyed, and super fucking bloody intimidating.

You dropped the bag with a screech, thinking of burglars, murderers,oh-my-god-is-Tommy-murdered-like-that-woman-in-that-documentary-you-saw-once-

“Shut up!” Tommy said, frowning at you from the couch. “Fuck, lovie, he’s a friend from work.”

The man in the mask raised a hand in an awkward wave.

“Oh,” you said, your heart pounding in your ears. “Oh, I’m so sorry. You’re a right scary chap and my brother usually keeps female company.” “You’re alright, love,” the masked man said, his voice like gravel. He picked up Emma’s backpack from the floor, offering it to you with a massive hand.

The mask was odd and the hoodie covering the rest of his face and hair was odder. But your brother had rather imaginative taste in friends and you had seen and met much worse.

“Thank you,” you said, smiling as your heart resumed its normal pace. “I’m his sister.”

The man hummed, as if amused. “I can tell.” He offered you a gloved palm. “M’name is Simon.”

You shook it firmly, giving him your name in return. “Sorry, if I had known if Tommy was having company I would’ve called before I came over.”

“He’s not company, he’s a guest,” Tommy said, rising to herd you into the kitchen. “He’s staying here for a bit with Johnny.” That certainly had your spine straightening. You hadn’t thought Johnny would still be here, after all there were a dozen relatives that would all love to host their long lost war hero.

“He’s out for an errand, lovie, don’t look so tense.”

You relaxed a fraction, soothed by the thought that you won’t have to deal with Johnny in your hair before your date with Charlie.

“You’re a friend of John’s then?” You asked Simon, your tone just a mite cooler than it had been before.

Simon nodded, his dark gaze tinged with humor. “Don’t hold it against me, love.”

It took you a second to see that he was a wolf too. It was all in the way he moved, the languid way he blinked at his surroundings. “Easier said than done,” you teased, forcing yourself into the good mood you were in before. “In that case, Tom, do I need to reschedule? Emma isn’t much for strangers.”

Tom shrugged, unzipping Em’s pack.“Johnny isn’t much of a stranger now, and Simon is a good lad, he won’t mind her.” Simon nodded again, sinking into the shadows as he took a seat at the kitchen table. “I’ve heard she’s a sweet girl.” “The best,” you said, smiling.

“Jesus, lovie, did you pack enough?” Tom said dryly, pulling out the sliced steak. “I’ve never let the girl starve, not in the last six years.” “You’re a busy man, I was just making sure in case you forgot,” you said. “By the way, she likes a glass of milk before bed now. And her favorite book is the one on top, the one with the rabbits, plus King Robert is the sheep she sleeps with-” “Right. I’ve got this. I promise.” You felt Simon’s eyes on you, judging, appraising. You were sure Johnny probably didn’t have the nicest things to say about you–most likely that you were an irritating little girl that followed him around for twenty years then proceeded to get pregnant and raise the child without him knowing,

“And Johnny will be here, so he’ll be able to spend some time with her,” Tom said, putting the steak in the fridge. “If that’s alright with you.” “It sounds like it’s already been planned,” you said, trying your very best not to be hateful in front of guests.

Tom sighed. “If I were half as smart as you think I am with your theories of scheming and plotting, I’d be living in a much nicer neighborhood.”

You laughed. “No, you’d be in jail.”

“Touché. Simon, how do you feel about a classic steak and potatoes meal tonight? It’s Emma’s favorite, she’s our six year old codger.”

Simon made an agreeable noise, his nose now in some masculine-looking magazine with bears and car parts on the front. He was quite a large man, commanding such a presence.

Johnny was an unsuspecting kind of violent, always smiling and laughing until he wasn’t, until it was serious. Simon was different. He felt older.

Oddly, you didn’t mind him around Emma. You’ve wanted to expose her around more adult wolves anyways, so she’ll learn her manners.

“You’re sure you’ll be alright?” You said, anxiety creeping in like it always did whenever you would be separated from Emma for longer than a few hours.

“We’ll all keep an eye on her, pet,” Simon said. “Between the three of us, I think she’ll be safe.” You relaxed. “Right. Thank you, Simon.”

Tommy ushered you out of his house quickly after that, his phone blowing up with Johnny’s texts and calls. You saw his black truck pull up minutes later, but by then you were already through your door.

Emma and your parents stopped by for lunch, your mother chattering about how she had seen Johnny at the grocery store and how much he had grown. It was like the last six years had been erased in their minds, the times when Emma was ill and you were at your wit’s end, the pregnancy you had spent constantly sick and deeply depressed–all of it was gone.

Your mother was imagining a new life for her daughter, a life of being married to the man that gave you Emma and making a dozen more pups in a nicer house, with financial stability. She didn’t know the whole story with Johnny–hardly anyone did. She assumed the two of you had been dating when you had conceived Emma, and you had never thought to tell her differently.

Johnny had never actually wanted you. He was just drunk and about to truly leave the only home he had ever known. And you were right there, tipsy and desperate for his attention. You had missed him like a lost limb when he started ignoring your letters and calls, and seeing him again had brought up all those feelings again.

But now, he was just setting a trap. He wanted to be in Emma’s life, and when her grandparents, uncle, and various other relatives were on his side…it made your life a lot harder.

Emma nuzzled into your side, sensing your turn in mood. “You smell sad,” she said, her mouth dusted with biscuit crumbs. “You always smell sad.”

Your mother heard her, and seemed to gain some perspective. “When I saw him, I was so angry. I just thought of all the things he had done to you…but then, when I came up to him, he was just so different. He’s a different man than he was all those years ago.”

And you were a different woman. It wasn’t revolutionary to change.

Emma followed you into your bathroom and watched as you began to primp, perched up on your counter as you brushed your teeth and curled your hair, patting makeup over the purple half-moons under your eyes.

Emma was quiet mostly, sensing the strange mood you were in. She played with your red lipstick and powder, smudging them around her lips. “Careful, it might stain,” you said. “And what will Tom say if you’ve got red all over your face?” “Is Johnny going to be there?” Emma asked hopefully. “He’s fun.”

“Yes, he’s staying at Uncle Tom’s house.”

She nodded, smiling messily at herself in the mirror. “He smells just like me, Mum, and he looks like me too.”

“He’s your father, Em, of course he does.” You blinked hard in the mirror, trying not to cry. “But Mum…” Emma looked at you, her face suddenly serious. “If you don’t like Johnny, I don’t like him either.”

You actually did cry then, bringing your daughter to your chest like you did when she was a baby. You could still remember the day that you first held her in your arms, and all of the heartbreak had seemed worth it. “God, Em, it’s not like I don’t like him,” you said, burying your face in her strawberry-shampoo scented hair. “It’s just…we’re adults, and adults have tricky feelings. I could never dislike Johnny, he gave you to me.” “But you’re so sad when he’s here, we can smell it,” Emma said, sniffling.

“I’m always sad, Em, I cried every morning I dropped you off at school for months.” That seemed to make her feel better. She snuffled, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. “Are you going to see the book man?” She asked.

You nodded. “We’re friends, we’re going to go have dinner, maybe see a movie.”

“Good,” she said, wiser than her years. “You never go out.”

She allowed you to wipe the makeup from her mouth without a fuss before your parents ushered her out the door, giving your cheek a slobbery kiss before waving goodbye.

The house was too quiet, so you turned on music, the old crooning stuff that Jack liked. Another half an hour and you were ready, wearing your second-nicest dress and your favorite red heels as you frantically dried your Chanel nail polish.

Charlie was usually early, but time ticked on well past the time he was supposed to be there. He’s never been late, not in the two years you had known him, not even to work.

You texted a few times, staring at the screen for a response. He lived in the city, so an accident was well possible–he wouldn’t just ditch you, would he?

Maybe he had forgotten. You did make the plans the week before…

Time ticked on. You gave him a call.

“Hello?” Charlie sounded distracted and irritated. You cleared your throat, “Hey, Charlie, I was just calling to see if we’re still on tonight?” Charlie made an apologetic noise. “Ah, shit, I forgot.”

“Oh,” you said, trying very hard not to sound hurt.

“Our team had a last minute thing at the bar and I completely forgot about our date, sweetie, I’m so sorry.”

“That’s-that’s alright,” you said, kicking off your heels.

“Would you like to join us? We’re at the corner bar where the boss had his divorce party.”

“No, no, that’s alright. I’m not really in the mood for a bar,” you said, undoing the clasps to your nice earrings. “Rain check, I suppose.” “I really am sorry,” Charlie said, sounding it. “I can’t believe I forgot.” “I can’t believe it either,” you said, then you hung up.

You stared at the phone, feeling miserable and very, very sorry for yourself. Of course, the first date in ages and you get tossed up for a group of sweaty, gross men.

You showered, to scrub the makeup and product out of your hair. You might have cried a bit, but that was between you and the water faucet.

#cod x reader #soap mactavish #cod mw3 #john soap mactavish #call of duty mw3 #soap x reader #johnny mactavish x reader

80 notes · View notes

awardseason · 2 years ago

Text

Golden Globes 2023 — Film WINNERS

Best Motion Picture – Drama Avatar: The Way of Water Elvis The Fabelmans — WINNER Tár Top Gun: Maverick

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Cate Blanchett, Tár — WINNER Olivia Colman, Empire of Light Viola Davis, The Woman King Ana de Armas, Blonde Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Austin Butler, Elvis — WINNER Brendan Fraser, The Whale Hugh Jackman, The Son Bill Nighy, Living Jeremy Pope, The Inspection

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Babylon The Banshees of Inisherin — WINNER Everything Everywhere All at Once Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Triangle of Sadness

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Lesley Manville, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Margot Robbie, Babylon Anya Taylor-Joy, The Menu Emma Thompson, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once — WINNER

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Diego Calva, Babylon Daniel Craig, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Adam Driver, White Noise Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin — WINNER Ralph Fiennes, The Menu

Best Motion Picture – Animated Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio — WINNER Inu-Oh Marcel the Shell With Shoes On Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Turning Red

Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany) Argentina, 1985 (Argentina) — WINNER Close (Belgium) Decision to Leave (South Korea) RRR (India)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — WINNER Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once Dolly De Leon, Triangle of Sadness Carey Mulligan, She Said

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin Brad Pitt, Babylon Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once — WINNER Eddie Redmayne, The Good Nurse

Best Director — Motion Picture James Cameron, Avatar: The Way of Water Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once Baz Luhrmann, Elvis Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans — WINNER

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture Todd Field, Tár Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin — WINNER Sarah Polley, Women Talking Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans

Best Original Score – Motion Picture Carter Burwell, The Banshees of Inisherin Alexandre Desplat, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio Hildur Gudnadóttir, Women Talking Justin Hurwitz, Babylon — WINNER John Williams, The Fabelmans

Best Original Song – Motion Picture “Carolina,” Taylor Swift (Where the Crawdads Sing) “Ciao Papa,” Alexandre Desplat, Guillermo del Toro, Roeban Katz (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio) “Hold My Hand,” Lady Gaga, BloodPop, Benjamin Rice (Top Gun: Maverick) “Lift Me Up,” Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) “Naatu Naatu,” Kala Bhairava, M.M. Keeravani, Kala Bhairava, Rahul Sipligunj (RRR) — WINNER

#golden globes #80th golden globe awards #golden globes 2023 #gg 2023 #winners

429 notes · View notes

countrymusiclover · 4 months ago

Text

9 - A Man Named Jefferson

Princess Red Thief

Part 10

Tag list - just ask to be added @mystrey101 @melvia-ito @kmc1989 @tallrock35

Blinking my eyes a couple of times I groaned trying to wake up. Slowly glancing around the room I saw I was in the back room of the pawnshop. Shifting my body up further on the old cot I heard the wooden floor creak under someone's feet. "Eve! You're awake."

"Henry. What are you doing here?" Rubbing my eyes to wake myself up more I saw the ten year old boy enter the room.

He answered me. "I heard you being locked up in the hospital until Mr. Gold bailed you out."

"Yeah. Where is Mr. Gold exactly?" I questioned the kid.

Henry came over to my bedside reaching inside his backpack. "He's out with Regina for some reason. So we don't have much time to talk with somebody you need to meet."

"Henrh, I just woke up. I am not really in the mood to meet someone right now." I sat upright holding a hand to my forehead struggling to push away some pain that must have been caused from all the drugs they pushed into my system.

He held open his storybook to a certain page. "But what if I told you there's someone else in this town that has been seeing things just like you."

"And that person in your book would be?" I trailed off scanning my eyes over the book pages seeing a man surrounded with over a dozen hats.

Henry taped a finger on the image. "The Mad Hatter. He goes by Jefferson here."

"Henry...I. You need to leave before he gets back. He doesn't care for unwanted visitors inside his shop." I warned the ten year old.

He didn't back down, shoving his book back inside the bag. He holds out his hands waiting for me to put my hand in his and follow him willingly like I normally did before I was locked away. "Please Eve. You'll start to believe me once you talk with him. I swear."

"Fine, kid. But this doesn't mean I believe you." I put my hands in his getting to my feet and together we slipped outside of the pawnshop in search of where this Jefferson man lived. "Henry, why do you think I will believe before Emma?"

He kept walking, sending me a half smile. "Because you follow your heart more than what your mind tells you." I parted my lips considering what he was saying to me in the moment.

The double doors shut behind me with two guards shutting them. I had decided to keep living in my parents castle which wasn't too far from the Charming castle. My short brown boots clicked against the stone floor until I stood at the edge of the round table to meet Snow. "Everly. I was hoping I'd see you."

"My parents aren't worried about me. Honestly they trust me when it comes to helping y'all with your kingdom. You're glowing by the way." I sent her a smile pulling out one of the chairs near hers.

She was sitting down in one of the head chairs, leaning her elbows on the table. "Thank you, Eve. Your letter said that you wanted to talk with me about something."

"Indeed I do wish to. I've been having certain feelings lately and since we are friends I was hoping we could talk about them." I twiddled my thumbs together on the table.

Snow asked sweetly. "Of course. Is this about a guy?"

"Is it that obvious?"

She nods, chuckling. "I'm sorry to say yes. Besides it's not like I don't remember you saying you always had teaching lessons to return to."

"Oh geeesss." Covering my face with my hands I was blushing like a red tomato.

Snow clasped her hands together. "So who is the stranger you are getting lessons from?"

"It's magic lessons. The man I'm getting taught by is named Rumplestilskin." Heavy silence fell across the large room with an intense feeling falling between the two of us. Everyone in the land generally knew his name and what kind of magic he dabbled in.

"Everly, he...he uses dark magic."

"I know that." I said back. "But I am needing his help to teach me how to control the power that I was born with. Neither of my parents have magic, yet I somehow got it."

"You have feelings for him, don't you. Why else would you be defending the teachings he is showing you." Snow put the pieces together with a smirk on her lips.

"Maybe I do. What do I do about it?" I asked the other princess in the room.

The former bandit princess got up from her chair and I rose to my feet standing up in front of her. "In my experience you just have to follow whatever your heart tells you."

"Even when the person you care about might not feel the same." I knitted my brows at her, wrapping my father’s red cloak tightly around my body.

Snow takes my hands in hers showing me the wedding ring from her Prince Charming. "That's a risk that we each have to take when we love someone. Never stop following your heart, Everly."

"Henry, are you sure we're not breaking and entering? It doesn't even look like he's here. Emma is the sheriff now and I wish to not be placed inside a prison cell anytime soon." Looking around at the area outside the mansion front door. He had pulled out some set of keys he had taken from his mother's office that could open any door.

He pushed one of the keys in the hole and it unlocked with the door swinging open. "We'll be fine. He believes everything about my book. Now come on. Jefferson!" Henrik walks into the house and I follow after him seeing that it was almost pitch black inside giving the creepy loner type guy vibes to me.

"Henry. Henry, wait we can't just - mmm!" I grunted my fighting instincts kicking in when one hand wrapped around my waist and the other hand clasped over my mouth before the front door slammed shut behind me.

A man's voice growled in my ear. "Did anyone follow you?"

"No." I mumbled the best reply I could trying to remove the stranger's hand.

The man removed his hands from my body, spinning me around to face him. "So you're the famous Red Thief who falls in love with the Dark One."

"You've read the story too." I made a confused expression.

The guy named Jefferson responded. "It's more than just a story and his storybook is more than just a book."

"It can't be more than a book. None of those stores are real. I know they are simply just stories." I shake my head thinking back on why I got put in the mental hospital in the first place.

Henry spoke up behind me heading down the hallway. "She's a little slow, Jefferson. That's why I brought her to you. So she'll wake up like you have." Jefferson grabs a hold of my arm dragging me after the young boy until we entered a room filled with hats that all matched the familiar hat the Mad Hatter would have worn.

"You've obviously got an obsession with Alice in Wonderland."

"He's the Mad Hatter, Eve." Henry declares sitting the book on the table, opening it to the page he had shown me back in the shop.

Jefferson pushed me down in the chair with the book laying in front of my face. He flipped through some pages stopping at one photo that showed Rumplestilskin holding up a ring. The woman who wore a red cloak that looked like the one I owned stood in front of him. "Look at the picture and tell me if you recognize anything."

"Jefferson, Henry has already tried this with me once before. It didn't work then, it won't work now." Shifting around in the chair I eyed the man.

Jefferson rounded the table to be on the other side grabbing my chin in between his thumb and index finger so I'd look him in the eye. "Use your power and look into my mind. Then you'll see what I'm saying is the only truth you need to believe."

"Look into your mind. That's not possible."

Jefferson declared not backing down. "You have to open your mind, Red Thief."

"You're losing your mind, Jefferson." Pushing myself away from him he let go of my chin. Stomping towards the doorway about to leave I halted in my tracks grabbing a hold of the doorway when he spoke up about my past.

"You couldn't pay your rent when you first came here. So you made a deal with Mr. Gold. Take my ring and I'll work for you, you said."

Glancing out the corner of my eye I asked. "How do you know about that? He swore he'd never say anything."

"Because it's almost the exact same deal you made with Rumplestilskin after he agreed to teach you magic. You are Princess Everly, daughter of Abigail and Fredrick." Henry stands by the edge of the table.

Shutting my eyes I pushed back the desire to believe them. I couldn't be a princess. I couldn't have magic and the town couldn't all be cursed. Otherwise I belonged back in the mental hospital. "Henry, I'm sorry but all your saying is nonsense."

"It won't all be nonsense once you look for the necklace inside his suit jacket and...." Jefferson trailed off in thought.

Turning around in my boots I dared to ask the question. "And what Jefferson?"

"And you'll believe us when you find the ring in his possession." The man who truly thought he was the Mad Hatter answered my question, sitting one of his hats on top of his head smiling wickedly at me. Henry remained silent and simply nodded in agreement. "As close to his heart as it could possibly be."

Comments really appreciated ❤️

21 notes · View notes

decaflondonfog · 1 month ago

Text

writerly ephemera

a few years back my darling friend @the-starryknight started a tag game inspired by a chat we had in a writing server regarding all the little personal details we add to our art. humans hold so many things close to their hearts without even realising, memories, artefacts, places, turns of phrase... lots of precious little bits and bobs i adore! recently i had a chat with the lovely @billdenbrough about the familiar fear of putting a little too much of yourself into a character — when do you cross the self-insert line? but also, aren’t these the things that make our characters human? which got me thinking about starry's tag game. so i've decided to bring it back! here's how we're doing it:

✨ share some bits little bits of you, easter eggs, memories, etc. you have left scattered in your fics or art. if you fancy it, tag a pal. ✨

i apologise in advance for the ridiculous amount of yapping you’re about to read aaaand here are some silly little mari-isms i’ve let bleed into my writing:

🏡 "The house is a ridiculous thing that could easily sleep a whole Exy team, but when Kevin questions it, all Andrew does is shrug and say, “This wasn’t exactly planned, it’s the best I could find with the time I had.”"

geometric equilibrium has a few mari-isms in it. abby's house is based on my friend emma's house too but this feels the most relevant: the house in Asheville is based on a place i stayed in a couple of years ago! the real life one isn't in Asheville, though it is in NC. i spent a really happy week there with friends and it just popped into my head when i was writing this fic. the setup of the rooms (kevin's and andreil's being across the landing from each other) was useful for what i want to write (as well as the bathroom placement!) so i just ran with it.

🪩 “…the faded band t-shirt two sizes too big that the redhead has tucked into a leather mini skirt. Instead of the usual pair of boots, Neil’s wearing a pair of platform sneakers in black and white.”

ahhhhh kaleidoscope :’) the fic where i genderbent all the monsters and then turned neil into my wee dress up doll! all of neil’s outfits were based on stuff i own and this particular one was a fave during my clubbing days. the only thing i didn’t own when i wrote this fic were the black and white trainers which i now own hahaha

🛁 “Bitty cuts himself a generous slice of pie and eats it in the bath.”

i haven’t lived in a house with a bath for three years and i miss it dearly. i used to have pudding and booze in the bath on hard days and it was super therapeutic — honestly i was just living vicariously through bitty in growing pains

🌸 “There, in the corner, not covered by the laundry that Kevin didn’t put away, is a vintage armchair (…) It’s pink, with old, spoiled velvet, and half of the fringes at the bottom of the chair missing.”

approximately eight years ago i walked past an antique shop and fell in love with a pink velvet toad chair with a wee fringe at the bottom. i didn’t think i could afford it but told my partner i was going to try and convince the shop to let me rent it for a photoshoot. i got home after work one day and my partner had bought it for me 🥹 that chair has now been with us in four houses across three countries and used to be one of my late dog’s favourite nap spots. (the fact that i let kandrew desecrate the chair completely in do not disturb the cats was… a choice lmaooooo)

🪡 “Jean comes back to California after five weeks with the Foxes with his hair slightly too long and falling into his eyes, a smattering of fresh freckles over the bridge of his nose, and a new hobby.”

oh this might just be my favourite! when i saw @alcego’s prompt for t&n last year i kneeeeew it had to be mine. giving my Sad Wet Cat blorbo all of my craft hobbies? what a delight! the best part is that out of all the crafts i made him try in transferable skills, book binding (arguably the main one) is the one i never tried

does anyone want to share? i'll pass this along to the folks tagged above and also @vykio @rwnjun @storiesnstardust @greenautumnleaves @djhedy @thetrojeans @seasy33 @nanatsuyu and @sillyunicorn ❣️

#thought this might be a fun way to get the dash popping since so many of us are potentially making our way back to tumblr #twitter being the shit show that it is currently lol #ALSO please join in even if you're not tagged. i just didn't want to poke too many people but I WANT TO READ ABOUT YOUR QUIRKS AND MEMORIES #tag games #on writing #[insert melting emoji here]

18 notes · View notes