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tcwmatchmakingau · 1 year ago

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Date Night Pt. 3

Summary: Yen Ori'ken finally found her calling as a matchmaker. The work was involved and fulfilling. After helping Rex find his own perfect match, the Captain calls in a favor for one of his brothers. Yen knows she is up to the task, but this trooper proves to be her most difficult client yet.

A/N: Alright, y'all. This chapter has been rewritten so many times I can't even. Two seconds before submitting it earlier, I realized I didn't have the depth I wanted and did a lot of heavy edits and what was supposed to be the final chapter got split into two. So, now Pt 3 is more an intro to Yen and Dogma.

Pairing: Dogma x OC (Yen Ori'ken, RTL Matchmaker Extrodinaire)

Warning: SFW. Mentions of Umbara, general exploration of guilt and anxiety but nothing specific/no details.

W/C: 4,860

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Tapping the papers gently on her desk to help them fall into place in their folder, Yen smiled, satisfied that another day of good work was done, her tasks all checked neatly off her daily to-do list one by one, falling into line like synchronized swimmers. She even managed to knock a few things off her weekly to-do list, and the week had only just started.

Yes, things in her little world were neat and tidy, kept that way through meticulous organization and perseverance.

And a large part of that was thanks to Right to Love.

Matchmaking had been the family business — at least as her grandmother told it. But that was decades ago, and it wasn’t much of a stable career back on her home planet. So when she graduated from Coruscant University with a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Sociology of Humanoid Species, she directed her attention toward making her mark on the business world instead.

One corporate desk job and three stints with start ups so immature the CEOs should have been wearing diapers led Yen to her wits end. One would think the realm of business would be orderly but somehow the entire enterprise operated on chaos, caffeine and petty spite.

No wonder so many companies relied on the war for profits.

It disgusted her down to her core how many seemingly well-to-do firms were war profiteers, no matter the regulatory handwaving by the Senate to grant capitalist exceptions that protected them from that title. And did these companies at least benefit the citizens of the Republic? No, of course not. Not unless you were wealthy and wanted a new speeder.

Yen had been about to quit her fourth job in as many years, more willing to face poverty in the capital than work for those self-important assholes again when her grandmother reached out. Apparently, the matchmaking community was still small enough, and the endeavor of Right to Love so large, that word had reached her Mid-Rim planet.

“Just think about it, love. You were a wonderful apprentice here, and it could be a way to continue our work. I know you have your fancy office job, but do consider this? At least for me?”

At that point, there really wasn’t much for Yen to consider other than how to best update her resume. Once she got the job, the rest of her post-grad life fell into place — she had a decent apartment, a job she enjoyed, and even made friends in the office.

Most importantly, in the six months since, she was proud to have matched ten happy couples.

It wasn’t a numbers game; more a critical analysis. A breakdown of information cleaned from clean profiles and messy interviews to put together a picture of a whole person — not just the wants they admit to, but the flaws and quirks they don’t — in order to pair them with a compatible match.

And Yen was quite good at it.

At least, that’s what her spotless record attested to. Despite not having the same amount of experience as some of her colleagues, Yen had been able to find each one a match they were happy with and currently dating.

One client was so impressed, he’d asked for some … additional help in getting another clone trooper comfortable with the process. Yen typically didn’t get so personally involved — it was hard to stay clear headed and objective if clients became friends. However, Captain Rex’s normally even tone had a hint of something … unsettled in it when he called earlier.

Clearly, her assistance was needed, and if it meant the captain would continue recruiting for her and spreading the word among his brothers of her expertise, then tonight’s small exception would be worth it.

With one last look confirming everything was in its place, Yen locked up and made her way across the city to an intimate little café. Her choice of location, one she knew would be welcoming to the men, but off the beaten path and quiet enough to allow a private conversation.

The journey wasn’t long, but she was late. Captain Rex was sitting at a table outside, facing her, dressed down in “civilian” attire. Yen was glad to see the deep bags under his eyes seemed a little brighter. In fact, his whole person seemed more relaxed, relieved. She tried to silence the small part of her that felt a little proud that her matchmaking may have contributed to this change from the first time they met.

Opposite Rex sat another trooper, his back to Yen. That must be the reluctant brother.

“Hello, sorry I’m late,” Yen said, as she came around the table to greet Rex first.

Ever the gentleman, the captain rose as Yen reached out her hand. ““Not reason to be sorry, we were early. It’s good to see you again, Yen.”

“Good to see you, too, Rex,” she said sincerely, squeezing the captain’s calloused hand before turning to the other trooper. Unlike Rex, he wore his casual fatigues. More striking than his choice to wear a uniform during off-hours was the intricate V-shaped tattoo that bisected his face. “And you must be the man Rex insisted I meet. I’m Yen Ori’ken.”

The trooper’s handshake was stiff and firm, and his eyes never once left hers. “Dogma, ma’am. And apologies. I told the Captain that this was unnecessary, but he pulled rank.”

Yen raised an eyebrow and leveled a look at Rex as she sat next to him. “Did he now?”

Rex raised his hands in surrender. “I just wanted the two of you to meet and have a conversation.”

“You can’t order someone to go see a matchmaker.”

“I didn’t. I gave Dogma the choice of desk duty for a month or one evening with good company and good conversation since he refuses to schedule his interview.”

“Oh, so your paperwork is done?” Yen asked, turning back to Dogma, who gave a small nod.

“Yes, ma’am. The Captain submitted it fifteen rotations ago through the holonet portal.”

Closing her eyes for just a moment, Yen held in a soul-deep sigh. She really should be used to the mental gymnastics clones employed to get their way. Even the commanding officers were guilty of it.

Sometimes they’re even worse, she thought, remembering Daria’s struggles with Commander Neyo. Taking a deep breath, Yen put her professional smile back on, softening it just a bit for the man across from her who sat straight and still as a board.

“Well, the good thing about being a civilian is that your captain can’t pull rank on me. This won’t work, it can’t work, if you don’t want it to. And I’m not looking to risk my record or reputation because one man is too afraid to tell his commanding officer to stay in line. So, Dogma, I leave the choice up to you.”

He looked at her like she was speaking Huttese. “Ma’am?”

“Yen, please,” she smiled softly. “Look, forget Rex for a second. Forget everything, in fact. Just take a moment to think about what you really want. Do you want to meet someone and have a partner in your life? Or do you want to continue as you are?”

The silence that settled wasn’t tense, but it weighed on the trio. Dogma looked down to the tabletop as if it held the answers he was looking for. He looked almost lost at her most simple question.

After a few more beats, he finally looked up. His body was still rigid, but now there was a softness in his eyes as he met hers again.

“I think I’d like to try. For a partner, that is. My brothers … they all look so happy when we’re on planet now.” Dogma paused, like he was trying to find the right words but then the softness drained from his eyes again. “But I’m not leaving the 501st.”

It took all her strength to keep a satisfied smile off her face, but Yen could see from the corner of her eye that Rex didn’t exercise the same control.

“No one is asking you to,” she said. “Plenty of troopers are still enlisted. And obviously your legion still spends a bit of time off planet and that hasn’t been a problem for their partners. That’s where I come in. I’ll take what I know of you and find someone complimentary in our system.”

At that, Yen reached into her purse to pull out a small datapad and stylus.

“Naturally, that means I’ll need you to be completely honest with me. Lying to me means lying to a potential partner, and that does not end well. Further, while my record speaks for itself, I am not actually a miracle worker. You may go on dates that don’t end in a relationship. You may even have bad dates. Please don’t think of these as failures. They are opportunities for me to refine my parameters and try again. Understand?”

Dogma nodded, but his face had lost some color at the mention of failed dates. It was a risk to mention, especially with a nervous client. But one thing Yen had come to realize about clone troopers is their uniform preference to have all the data and face new situations as prepared as possible.

Still, it was disconcerting that Dogma’s mouth kept opening and closing like a fish trying to breathe on dry land.

“Are you okay, Dogma?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

It had left his mouth before she even finished her question.

“Strike one,” Yen said, brandishing her stylus in admonishment. “I said I expect complete honesty. Don’t lie to me again, trooper.”

Dogma’s eyes narrowed at her, nose crinkling slightly. “I didn’t lie, ma’am.”

“Dogma.” Rex’s tone was nothing like Yen had heard before. Must be his captain voice. It worked instantly and had his subordinate leaning back into his seat.

“Fine,” he spat. “I am intimidated by the idea of a date. My experience is limited and I have no training.”

Yen nodded. “Many of your brothers were — and are — in the same boat. And us natborns aren’t really trained in this, either.” She offered another small smile, relieved to see Dogma’s durasteel spine start to soften. She waited for him to relax a little further into his seat before continuing. “We’re all just winging it and trying our best. Some are just better at hiding their nerves.”

Dogma looked unwilling to accept the revelation, but when Yen met his eyes hoping to convey her sincerity, he stared back like he was holding onto a lifeline.

Opening up to civilian life, accepting change and chaos into their worlds that, while dangerous, had been so orderly, was a challenge for many troopers. Nothing unusual or unfamiliar for her to navigate. And yet, Yen couldn’t help but feel that something deeper was at play.

Well, the only way to solve that mystery is to dive right in.

Sitting back with her datapad at the ready, Yen let herself slip fully into work mode. “Are you alright with a few questions to start?”

Despite the rocky start, Dogma was impressively forthwith and thorough in his interview answers, sparing not even the less flattering truths about his personality and habits. Unlike other troopers, he didn’t withhold any information, even about his arrest for killing the traitorous Jedi Pong Krell.

That bit of information certainly caught Yen’s attention, though she fought to keep her surprise off her face. Everything about Dogma screamed regimented order. The thought that the man in front of her could have not only defied orders but turned against a commanding officer was almost unthinkable.

All that to keep his brothers safe.

The curl of Dogma’s fists into the tablecloth was the only physical clue he gave as to how much the incident still impacted him, prompting Yen to mark patience as a necessity in his potential matches.

As the trio ordered and their food arrived, Yen’s questioning became less formal, allowing Rex to hop in with commentary and anecdotes of his trooper, as well as a few stories that brought a tint to Dogma’s copper cheeks and she couldn’t hold back a teasing smile as the trooper turned the tables on his captain, playfully exposing how awkward Rex had apparently been leading up to his first date.

As the night progressed, Yen found she was enjoying herself more than she had in a while, the banter between them flowing naturally.

She had a good feeling about this client. And as she went home that night, she felt in her gut she would find a match worthy of such an exemplary soldier.

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She was lucky she so often neglected physical exercise. Because just a little more strength in her grip and Yen really believed she could break her datapad.

Six dates. Dogma had been on six dates in two weeks and not a single one had passed muster to earn a second date.

If it was a lack of chemistry or incompatibility, she could understand. But the man was a damn vault. Every time Yen attempted a post-event interview to get to the bottom of where her analysis went wrong, he stonewalled her.

It just didn’t work out.

No, I’d prefer not to give it another try.

I’d rather start over than continue with this match.

Between his past and his general hesitancy signing up for her services, she knew she had to tread carefully with him, though she could recognize that the first date she set up was optimistic. That match being particularly outgoing and outspoken. The hope had been that a bright, extroverted energy would compliment Dogma’s introverted and quiet nature.

And maybe she corrected too far with the second, a much more softspoken match, one who would let Dogma take the lead and set his own pace.

But the last four? All perfectly lovely women, who happened to be comfortable being paired with a man who was still enlisted and had personalities that seemed compatible with Dogma’s.

So no, short of them all talking about their exes or their expectations of marriage on a first date — which she didn’t think had happened but couldn’t confirm — Yen could not understand what had gone so horribly wrong.

And from the interviews conducted with the matches, she knew Dogma wasn’t the problem. Apparently, he was a delightful date, well-mannered and respectful. A few had mentioned that he seemed nervous and stiff, maybe not the most forthcoming with conversation, but that was pretty standard for some troopers. All five were in fact quite upset to find their date hadn’t gone as well as they thought and that another wasn’t in their future.

The most frustrating thing was, Yen believed it. From all her own interactions with the man, Dogma had proved to be a grounded, driven man who was reserved but kind. Definitely an academic mind, almost like an old soul, which she supposed was ironic considering he was a clone.

So while the trooper may not be everyone’s cup of tea, there was an enigmatic yet comforting aura to him that certainly had its own appeal.

With nowhere to put the blame for the failures and no insight into what the heck was wrong, Yen was officially stuck. At this point, honestly, she didn’t even care if Dogma found a partner. Forget a relationship. She’d feel accomplished if he asked for someone’s comm frequency at this point.

Even worse was the backlog this fiasco was causing. Checking her to-do list was something that previously gave Yen a sense of focus and direction. Now, a sneer curled her nose and lips as she looked at the unchecked boxes that mocked her as her anxiety sparked.

“Oh, the scary face.” Daria leaned against the entrance to her office, raising her offering of iced caf. “So you do need an afternoon pick me up.”

“I never said I didn’t, just that I was too busy to leave.”

“Uh-huh.” Taking the seat across from her, Daria slid the drink to Yen. “Who’s pissing you off this time?”

Yen leveled a flat look at her friend.

“The 501st trooper? Again?”

Sucking down the biggest gulp of overly sweetened caffeine she could, Yen nodded. “Yup.”

“And he’s still being pigheaded about it?”

“Yes! It doesn’t make any sense! I’ve reviewed his application and interview answers at least four dozen times by this point! I know I’m setting him up with solid candidates and he refuses to give me one objective reason why he won’t consider any of them.”

She slid down in her seat that now felt too big to fill. “Maybe I’m just losing my touch …”

“No, no no no.” Daria pointed one finger right into Yen’s face, leaning across her desk to scold her properly. “We are not doing that ‘woe is me’ osik.”

“Osik?” Yen asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Bantha fodder.”

“Yeah, I know. I didn’t know you speak Mando’a.”

“Well, I do. Or I’m learning,” Daria explained, and if Yen didn’t know her friend so well, she may not have noticed the flustered way Daria’s fingers began fidgeting with the neatly lined styluses on the desk. “Regardless, we’re focusing on you. And what you need, my dear, is to go undercover.”

“Undercover?” she asked, her tone flat as a credit chip.

“Ok, not undercover. But you know what I mean. You need to see what’s happening firsthand.”

“Dar, please. Do not make me verbalize my refusal to go on a date with a client.”

With a roll of her eyes and a huff, Daria returned Yen’s attitude pound for pound. “Yen, please. Give me more credit than that. I’m not saying date him. I’m saying spend a little time with him so you can fill in the blanks. Think of it like field research.”

Yen leaned back in her chair, succumbing to her old habit of swiveling it aimlessly as she sipped her iced caf again. “Field research, huh?”

In the end, it really didn’t take long for her to consider Daria’s advice more seriously. As the workday drew to an end with still fewer tasks being resolved, Yen couldn’t take the uncertainty anymore. She caved, and rather quickly, too, for her tastes.

It took everything in her to break her personal code and send the message to Dogma asking him to meet up. She could hear her grandmother’s voice, chastising her the entire time, bemoaning that good matchmakers do not get to know their clients on a personal level.

It was that unspoken and unrealized disappointment that ensured Yen clarified no less than three times that this outing was a solution — unconventional though it may be — that could help her better match him and most certainly not a toe beyond professional boundaries.

Fortunately, Dogma didn’t leave her agonizing in limbo long. His reply came promptly, agreeing to her terms and leaving the planning to her.

Perfect. I just need to get to the bottom of this conundrum, and I can get things back to normal.

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Dogma fiddled with the cuff of his sleeve for the fourth time in as many minutes, though the perfectly pressed seams were already sitting properly on his wrist.

He should have said no.

She was going to ask. Again. About why his dates keep ending in rejection. Why he hadn’t connected with any of the matches she set up for him.

She’s going to find out he lied.

Dogma had no kriffing idea what he wanted from a partner. He’d asked every brother he trusted when he found out Captain Rex was going to drag him to finally meet with the matchmaker they all kept praising. And those karking idiots couldn’t come up with a single answer.

It must be his curse, or the cosmic repercussions for his actions to be reassigned to the chaotic quagmire that is the 501st.

That’s what the Force was, right?

In the end, Kix was the only one to give him any sort of suitable advice. If you don’t feel a connection to your date, that’s ok. Just move on and try again.

The dates Yen set him up on were all lovely but … he just didn’t connect with them. He couldn’t.

Pouring salt in the wound was the way Yen would look at him with so much sincere kindness in her eyes after each disappointing evening. Looking at her like that, he couldn’t say the truth he knew deep down: he’s defective. He’s not meant for a partner. He’s barely meant for the battlefield now, but at least there he has his brothers to help him.

He wondered how long until she gave up on him, until she learned the truth.

The small seed of optimism that coaxed him into trusting the system around him still urged him to keep up hope. But that little voice had shrunk and grown quieter since Umbara. It didn’t matter that his brothers all agreed his actions were justified, or that he was considered a hero now. The betrayal was still there.

But not just Krell’s. His own haunted him just as much. Sometimes more.

Despite all the extenuating facts, Dogma still broke the ultimate rule, the foundation of a soldier’s code of honor: Trust in and listen to your commanding officer.

Even Captain Rex hadn’t been able to pull the trigger. But he had. And in his heart, he knew he didn’t shoot to protect anyone. The only thing he felt in that moment was rage … and pain. And he took that out on a prisoner of war.

Now, the guilt was what he operated on. He knew that it was preventing him from connecting with anyone. But how could he tell that to Rex, his brother who somehow still believed he deserved anything beyond the chance to make amends?

How could he tell that to Yen, to this civilian woman who owed him nothing but was clearly working her hardest to do right by him?

He couldn’t. So he didn’t. He went through the motions, and tonight he knew his lies would catch up with him. He hated the dread he felt, almost wishing it could be over now.

“I should have guessed you’d beat me here.”

Dogma hid his startled jump by turning at the sound of Yen’s voice, impressed she managed to get so close unnoticed. He must have been too far into his own thoughts.

She clearly came straight from work. Her dark hair pulled back and into a neat twist, leaving only her straight cut bangs out, cutting a military straight line across her forehead. Her outfit was simple but professional, all dark colors and gold accents perfectly tailored to her form, her bag tucked neatly under her arm. Everything about her was neat and orderly, as it was each time he saw her.

There was a small, pretty smile on her lips as she looked up at him expectantly.

It took him a beat too long to realize he never answered her.

“Just like to be punctual, ma’am.”

“Yen, please. And so do I, which is why I got here five minutes early. So now I’m wondering how early you got here.”

Her tone was light, playful, and yet Dogma still felt like he was facing a test no one had ever instructed him for.

“Sorry, ma- Yen, I mean,” he said, his arms automatically falling into an “at rest” position behind his back as she took the lead and began walking across the plaza, her eyes never leaving his. “I haven’t been waiting long,” he lied.

“No need to apologize. It’s kind of fun not being the one to wait for once,” she said, her smile widening. “So, as I said in my message, I’m a bit stuck in picking your next match and since our post-date interviews haven’t yielded any new information, I wanted to meet up and touch base.

“Of course, ma’am.” He gave a short nod and fought to hide his confusion as Yen’s smile fell from genuine to stale.

“I know you’re doing it out of respect, but I’d much prefer you call me by my name,” she said, her tone firm but not angry as far as he could tell. “I’m not your commanding officer. In fact, for tonight, it would be best if you think of me as a peer.”

“A peer?”

“Yes. I didn’t fully explain in my message, but this isn’t just to meet up. I wanted to see first-hand what a date with you is like. This way, I can have better insight when picking your next match. That can’t work if you keep treating me as a superior.”

A date?

It wasn’t real. It was just for professional purposes.

And yet Dogma couldn’t understand the rush that rose through him like a wave at the prospect of a date with Yen. Even a fake one. Out of all the civies he’d met — through Right to Love and in general — she was by far the easiest to talk to. The kindest, too. He kept all the soft smiles and the gentle encouragement she gave when he told her his story locked in his memory.

He always felt supported by his brothers. But the way she guided him that night was something he hadn’t experienced before or since.

“Is that okay?” she asked, looking as if she believed he would actually say no.

He had to remind himself that technically, it wouldn’t be out of bounds for him to refuse. And he ignored the incessant thought that said he should, that this couldn’t be regulation behavior. But she was offering, looking at him expectantly for an answer but unassuming beyond that.

Like a bolt, Dogma realized that’s what made him feel so secure around her. Yen expected nothing from him but himself. And she was the first person to do so.

He realized he liked that very much.

“Yes, it’s okay.”

“Wonderful! I hope you like light shows. There’s one tonight in the plaza, set to a Pantoran opera. It isn’t too long, so I figured it would be perfect. Ready?”

Yen didn’t wait for an answer. She took his hand without another word and began pulling him through the crowd to the opposite end of the plaza.

That same wave of gentle support washed through him, just like when he spoke to her after each date, and he reveled in it. Nothing had ever soothed him like this. Even before Umbara, Dogma struggled with his anxious nature, retreating into the order and boundaries of the regulations to guide him. Nothing could go wrong if he was acting as he was supposed to.

Or so he thought. Umbara showed him how limited the regulations were, how confining. And worse, how fallible the structures of power could be to corruption. Without those pillars, his anxiety had grown worse.

His brothers helped where they could. Kix, Maker bless him, had researched medication and breathing techniques to help him in acute situations. Captain Rex was always patient with him. And while Jesse still kept a bit of distance, Fives’ exuberant friendship did wonders alleviating remnant guilt, even if he wanted to punch the ARC trooper more often than not.

But this? The feeling of Yen’s skin on his, the natural warmth that oozed out of her cut to his core, silencing the thoughts that came unbidden to plague his mind. She was a quiet power — neat, organized, controlled. And yet so damn soft as she forged ahead without worry. At least, none that he could see.

He wasn’t sure if she expected people to follow her or just became accustomed to it. Probably the latter. He couldn’t see her demanding anything. And yet, it was so natural to fall into step just behind her. More so than the captain, or even the marshal commander. He knew on that first night that he could trust her.

She would never lead him somewhere unsafe.

As the crowd grew thicker, Dogma lengthened his stride until he pulled up to Yen’s side. With only the barest of thoughts, his hand dropped hers to rest gently on her lower waist, pulling and pushing with as little pressure as possible to help ease her movement through the mass of people, his own body angled to take the brunt when bodies would collide with theirs.

Recognizing what he was doing, Yen pulled herself closer to him, throwing an appreciative smile at him before turning back to watch where she was going.

He never really had someone he could trust his battered heart to before, so being able to help her back, steer her through this crowd with her approval had notes of pride and satisfaction harmonizing with the now ingrained sense of calm.

There was something else, too. Something more foreign, but …

Oh.

Kix said to wait for a connection. Fives said he would just know. Dogma felt so stupid. Of course he wouldn’t just know.

But then again, maybe he did. Maybe deep down, he knew from that first meeting that Yen was someone special. And none of the matches she found could compare.

#tcw matchmaking au #clone matchmaking au #501st Legion #prompt submission

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lordarsonizzzzt · 2 years ago

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Hi hi first off words can not describe how much i love this blog for filling the love I have for these silly mentally questionable men.

Anyways could i throw in a request for hc's of kondraki with a s/o who's basically best friends with Draven, like the s/o often takes Draven out to eat, go shopping, taking him to fairs and amusment parks, always checks up on him in the foundation, etc (aka a s/o who is not bio parent of draven but treats him like he is and just kondraki being puddy at the fact his s/o loves his son as much as, if not more then, him) ooo and maybe even doing family outings with the 3 of them if its not too much already

I LOVE THIS IDEA SO MUCH god I gotta love giving old men the family they deserve

ALSOG EIJG IM GLAD YOU ENJOY MY SILLY DUMB BLOG

KONDRAKI WITH AN S/O THAT CARES ABOUT DRAVEN

⭐︎ At first, Kondraki was unsure about introducing you to Draven, as much as he wants him to be apart of a stable family he knows he is already a grown up man.

⭐︎ And yeah at first it was awkward, when Kondraki was out of the room for a moment you took your chance to talk to him.

⭐︎ "Listen Draven, I hope you don't think I'm like,, trying to replace your mom or anything, or trying to I...I don't know, treat you like a kid or something. I would like to have a nice relationship with you tho, I know your dad loves you and I know you must be a wonderful person, so I wouldn't want to miss that chance"

⭐︎ He nodded, and it took him a few days to understand that his dad was no longer,,, needed to take care of? Like, at first when he went to check on him, you will be coming out of his room and you would see him and smile. "Do you want some tea? You should go to sleep y'know, it's getting late"

⭐︎ That alone made him warm up to you, you would catch him awake at ungodly hours because he still was getting used to not have to vent to Talloran (who wasn't his boyfriend yet) about his father drinking problem, instead the two of you would hang out in the cafeteria while drinking some tea, then you'll 'escort' him to his room.

⭐︎ One day he came rushing into your office, startling you.

⭐︎ "HE SAID YES, TALLORAN SAID YES"

⭐︎ You both hugged each other and he started thanking you, because last night you pester him so much to tell Talloran that he finally did!

⭐︎ A few months in dating, Draven ask his dad and you if he can get Talloran to join family dinner.

⭐︎ So there you were, fixing your fiance tie because he wanted to dress fancy when you heard a knock on the door, you rushed to open it and saw Draven holding hands with Talloran.

⭐︎ He introduced him to you two, and what made you almost cry was the 'This is my dad, Kondraki and this is my other parent, Y/N'

⭐︎ You all had a nice dinner night, Konnie told Talloran that if he even dared to do something to his boy he would have his balls chopped off, and you told them both to be happy.

⭐︎ When Draven had days off, you would treat him to some lunch and go around the city.

⭐︎ When you had days off, Draven would call in sick to visit you and tell you stuff about being in the field.

⭐︎ You know that part in Portraits of your Father where Draven was in a hospital bed?

⭐︎ It happened again, another accident, Konnie and you were called and Draven was still unconsciuos when you got there. Kondraki was sitting on a chair next to him, holding his hand and mumbling prayers to a god he doesn't believe in and you were just sobbing.

⭐︎ When he woke up tho, you were the first to react and hugged the life out of him, crying and telling him to never fucking do this again, even tho it was part of his job, you weren't thinking and neither was Kondraki who is too old for this shit and was also crying.

⭐︎ When you and Kondraki got married he wanted to be EVERYTHING, the flower boy, the man of honor, the one you went clothes shopping with, everything.

⭐︎ My dude was like a baby crying in Talloran's shoulder when he saw you walking down the aisle, and he told you afterwards that he was so happy that you were married to his dad and you were in his life.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED JGIJHG if you want me to change anything tell me

#scp x reader #scp dr kondraki #dr kondraki x reader

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huntermcgill · 1 year ago

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ꕀ ᐝ 𖠳 ryan gosling, cis man, he/him 𖠳 ᐝ ꕀ ‷ heads up ; if you hear CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA by OASIS blaring, it’s most likely HUNTER MCGILL making their way down the shore ! they’re 40 years old and celebrate their birthday on 06/03��- i knew they were a/an GEMINI ! especially since they’re very CHARISMATIC and STUBBORN TRAIT. they are from MONTREAL, CANADA, staying in SUN RETREAT and are currently working as a PLASTIC SURGEON, here at the cape. they always did remind me of highlighted passages in books, blasting music late at night, and the guilty pleasure of watching cheesy 00s rom-coms

basic information.

full name: hunter mcgill

gender & pronouns: cis man, he/him

place of birth: montreal, canada

age & birthday: 40, june 3rd, 1983

area of residence: sun retreat

occupation: plastic surgeon

summary.

growing up in a modest montreal neighborhood, hunter mcgill defied limited expectations with an unmatched intellect and mischievous spirit, offering him the choice to become either his family's shining prodigy or its unconventional outlier. his yearning to escape a turbulent family situation led to academic excellence and a prestigious scholarship to princeton university. after graduation, he left a stable job on wall street to volunteer for the united nations in guatemala, where he discovered the need for plastic surgeons and decided to pursue a medical career. amidst a blossoming love story, an opportunity with doctors without borders forced him to choose between his passion for helping others and his personal life. embarking on a four-year journey to different corners of the world, he made a lasting impact before settling as a plastic surgeon in cape may, yet always yearning to venture abroad once more.

background.

trigger warning: alcoholism

growing up in a modest montreal neighborhood, where limited expectations prevailed, could have easily led hunter mcgill to accept the few opportunities life presented him. he appeared destined for an ordinary existence, but hidden within this young boy was an unmatched intellect and a mischievous spirit, offering him the choice to either become the family's shining prodigy or its unconventional outlier.

his yearning to escape the life he knew became his way of coping with the turbulent instability of his family situation, characterized by a hardworking mother juggling two jobs and an often absent alcoholic father. uncertainty wrapped itself around his high school experience, but it also provided the stage for him to finally put his intellect to good use.

as an exceptional student, hunter earned an esteemed scholarship to a prestigious academy, where he not only excelled academically but also emerged as a leader, captaining both the swimming and soccer teams. despite his academic pursuits, he remained grounded, dedicating every afternoon to work at a supermarket, diligently saving money with the hope of funding his university education.

with a gradual yet determined shift in his life's trajectory, the young man's fortune took a definitive turn for the better when an acceptance letter arrived. the enticing offers from other universities paled in comparison to the words that greeted him: "dear hunter: congratulations! it is with great pleasure that i offer you admission to the class of 2001 at princeton university."

while his mother and siblings celebrated the news with joy, his father's response was less enthusiastic. he retorted dryly, "princeton? people like us don't go to those fancy schools." undeterred, the young man packed his life's belongings into two bags, bidding farewell to canada as he set his sights on new jersey.

at twenty-two, freshly graduated from college, he found himself engulfed in the anonymity of the bustling city, where countless workers commuted daily from high-rise apartments to towering glass office buildings. armed with an economics degree, he ventured to new york and secured a position at an investment management firm. however, it didn't take long for him to realize that wall street wasn't the right fit for him. fueled by a desire for meaningful experiences, he took a brave step and left behind a stable and profitable job to volunteer for the united nations.

his journey led him to guatemala, where he spent nearly a year and discovered the dire lack of plastic surgeons available to assist trauma and congenital deformity victims. this profound realization prompted a life-changing decision, and he made up his mind seemingly overnight to pursue a medical career, setting his sights on attending med school in palo alto.

during his residency, he unexpectedly encountered a woman who swiftly captured his heart, and they began dating. this relationship proved to be unlike any he had experienced before, as his focus had always been dedicated to his professional life, leaving little room for lasting connections. despite sensing potential challenges from the outset, his youthful optimism and love blinded him to the red flags, and he eventually proposed to her. as the wedding approached, however, doubts clouded his thoughts, and anxiety grew within him.

in the midst of this emotional turmoil, a significant opportunity arose just a day before they were to finalize their wedding venue. he received an intriguing proposal to embark on a two-year journey with doctors without borders, allowing him to fulfill his true calling—the reason he had initially chosen to become a doctor. this decision posed a profound dilemma, as he had inadvertently neglected his personal life while pursuing his career ambitions. the stakes were higher now; this wasn't merely a random fling but his fiancée, someone he deeply cared for and loved. the gravity of the choice before him weighed heavily on his heart.

everything was set for the big day – invitations sent, her dress undergoing final alterations, and the perfect venue chosen. the anticipation was building, promising a wonderfully sappy celebration. but fate had other plans when gaza came calling. an urgent need for a plastic surgeon altered everything. instead of walking down the aisle, he hastily booked a one-way trip to tel aviv, from where he would venture into gaza. unable to face the heartbreak of breaking the news to his fiancée, he left her a heartfelt letter, and that was the last communication she received from him.

over the course of four intense years, hunter's journey took him to various corners of the world – jordan, ukraine, and zimbabwe. the experiences etched into his soul, leaving a lasting impact. despite lingering remorse for how he left his fiancée, he holds no regrets for the life-changing path he chose. recently, he returned to his homeland for his father's funeral, and as he was supposed to head to serbia, a former colleague extended an intriguing invitation – to take part in a pilot study in new jersey.

embracing the tranquil charm of cape may, hunter now leads a stable career at a hospital, primarily performing cosmetic surgeries. however, his heart is set on venturing abroad once the study is completed.

wanted connections.

ex-fiancée: i'm gonna post a wanted connection but overall, hunter and her were engaged and just days from getting married when he decided to take a job offer abroad and pretty much left her with nothing but a letter explaining his reasons.

work related: hunter is a plastic surgeon at the local hospital, he's currently working mostly on cosmetic surgeries (which he's not a fan of it). anyway, so this could be other doctors, nurses or patients.

drinking buddies: they call each other when they want to have a good time. while they are friends, they mostly hang out to get drunk and rarely talk about feelings or their problems. it’s an easy going friendship, hunter enjoys spending time with your muse.

fwb: maybe your muse is slowly becoming someone he trusts outside of the bedroom but it all started as a no strings attached relationship.

you've got mail: maybe they matched on tinder but they really haven’t met each other for whatever reason but they speak often online, it could also not be on tinder and idk maybe it’s an anon things like text to wrong number idk.

enemies: personalities clash all the time and it’s especially true with these two. after all, hunter can be self-righteous and arrogant at times. It’s not that they’re enemies or rivals; they simply don’t like each other.

#( intro. )#tw alcoholism

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laughing-with-god · 4 years ago

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The Unsaid Vow (Prologue)

Synopsis- You always knew when you weren't wanted. And the way things are going in your marriage with Jungkook, a divorce is looking more and more likely. While he's getting closer to a woman at work that you're certain he's having an affair with, you're planning your escape with your four-year-old son. However, five years of marriage did not expose you to a certain side of your husband. A side of Jungkook that only gets triggered when you try to leave and break apart your perfect 'family'.

Warnings- Yandere behavior, graphic language, violence/murder, women bashing on other women, heavily implied infidelity, bad parenting, absent father, broken family vibes, very slow buildup bc Jungkook doesn't really snap until you leave him so just give him a min lol, inexperienced author writing for a four-year-old (I never wrote for a kid before pls gimme a break), also I chose my future son's name for this fic but pls feel free to name him whatever you want :)

Slow burn Yandere Husband Jungkook

Word Count; 5.4k

Unlike the vast majority of married couples, neither you nor Jungkook donned wedding rings.

Never in your five years of marriage did you regret this decision, given it was brought upon by you and your husband’s lack of funds for fancy wedding bands at the time of your rushed marriage.

Well, you were never annoyed....until tonight, that is.

The scene before you was exceptionally intimate, so much so that you felt the instinctual need to look away in respect of the two before you.

The woman was gorgeous, effortlessly attracting all the attention the small conference room had to offer. In addition to this natural charisma spurred on by her borderline enchanting looks, her short and skin-tight red dress showed off her pleasantly curvy body. Her long, silky, and jet-black hair was pulled back into an elegant ponytail that provided a simple background for her darling features. Utterly doll-like was her face; petite, creamy in complexion with bright doe eyes and berry-pink lips.

Such a beautiful woman was currently in the arms of an equally, if not more so, attractive man.

He was tall and slender, yet not at all lanky given his sturdy build that was a testament to his strict workout regime. His olive skin was complimented with occasional tattoos, a mix of faded and fresh ink that you knew like the back of your hand despite only the tats on his hand currently showing in his crisp Valentino suit. His mid-length inky black hair was down to frame his sharp face, and indeed it was a very handsome one consisting of full eyebrows, bow-like lips, a fleshy yet impish nose, and two large, yet seemingly bottomless, raven orbs.

This man had his arms encircling the middle of the mysterious woman, her expression lifting into a light-hearted giggle as she leaned forward to whisper something in his ear.

Whatever she said must’ve been amusing to the man, given his usual stoic facade briefly melted away as he allowed a small smile at her words, his pearly round teeth peeking out for a split-second appearance.

If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought that these two were lovers.

But there was only one problem with this scene.

That was your husband, Jungkook.

And that woman in his arms was not you.

As if sensing your distress and wanting to soothe your well-founded suspicion, Jungkook pulled away from the woman and ran his gaze across the room- only stopping when he spotted you. Your spouse then gestured at you, the girl following his line of sight and landing on you and your pitiful spot by the snack table. Her joyful expression briefly dropped for a blink-and-you'll-miss-it second, but she quickly plastered on another grin and nodded. The two then strode their way over to you, barely giving you enough time to steel your nerves and muster a polite purse of the lips.

Before you knew it, the woman was right in front of you with your partner at her side instead of yours. Much to your dismay, she was only more attractive up close, and you narrowly held back a grimace as she held out a hand in introduction. You took it and shook it lifelessly.

“Hello, you must be Mrs. Jeon. I’m Sana, Jungkook’s colleague.” Even her voice was pretty, musical and light to the ears.

“H-Hi, nice to meet you but please call me Y/n.” A brief and awkward pause as Sana briefly sized you up and down. “Um, Jungkook has never mentioned you….” you trailed off, side-eyeing your husband in hopes he would intervene and add context to this random goddess he’s thrust upon you.

Jungkook gracefully took his cue and explained, “Sana transferred from another branch out of the city and has only been with us for five months. I’m her case supervisor and have been taking care of her, showing her the ropes and whatnot.”

Sana didn’t even spare you a glance as she fondly looked up at your husband, coyly biting her lip and saying in a much softer tone that could've been just for his ears only, “And he’s been really good at taking care of me.”

You didn’t consider yourself a jealous stay-at-home wife who obsessed over the tiniest details between her husband and other women, but the double meaning behind her badly-whispered comment was enough to make you splutter in disbelief. However before you could even gather up the courage to ask just what the hell ‘taking care of me’ consisted of, two new faces waltzed up and joined the conversation.

“Are you all enjoying this fabulous Christmas party?” A tall, broad-shouldered but nice-looking man asked in a tone of familiar amicability.

You thankfully smiled up at him, having met him many times before.

His name was Jin, and he was the one who got Jungkook this job.

It occurred about five years ago when you first told Jungkook that you were pregnant. Being the romantic but overall good guy that Jungkook was, he insisted that you two get married so that your child could have parents who were at least husband and wife. In addition it would also lessen the judgment in your two families, which at the time was extremely appealing to you. You had agreed to marry on one condition: after running to the courthouse you two would need to move in together in a decent apartment with a room for the nursery. But getting an apartment would mean month-to-month rent, and Jungkook’s tattooing gigs weren’t stable enough to ensure that.

Jin was originally a friend of Jungkook’s older brother, but when he heard through the grapevine about the issue, he bought Jungkook a couple of suits and offered him a job at the corporation he worked at.

Now Jungkook made more than enough money to support your little family, and it was all because Jin took a chance on a college drop-out and his knocked-up girlfriend.

You opened your mouth to respond but were cut off by the unknown lady beside Jin.

“I’d say a little too much fun if anything. Sana and Jungkook, we get that you're the infamous office couple but maybe tone it down a bit, huh?” She joked while raising her brows at the close proximity between the two.

A long and tortuous silence swept the scene.

Jin glanced at you, pity swimming in his usually carefree eyes.

Not trusting your voice to say anything and desperately wanting to hide your face from the piercing eyes, you distracted yourself by taking calculated sips of watered-down eggnog.

“Daehyun...this is actually Y/n, Jungkook’s wife,” Jin told the lady in an uncomfortable voice.

You didn’t know what stung more, the fact that this stranger thought that there was more chemistry between Sana and your husband than with you, or that it was Jin who corrected this mistake and not Jungkook himself.

“O-Oh, well it’s nice to meet you.” Daehyun awkwardly said to you while avoiding direct eye contact.

You offered a tight smile, “Pleasure.”

Whatever gratitude you could’ve had for Daehyun’s clear embarrassment quickly vanished when the woman went on to continue, “I’m sorry. Jungkook never mentioned being married and he doesn’t wear a ring so I didn’t even know. I bet it must be interesting for his housewife to meet his office wife though, right?”

She laughed, not realizing that she only succeeded in putting a foot in her mouth right before stomping it all over your pesky little heart. The group didn’t seem to share your uneasiness, all three of them politely chuckling along to the lukewarm joke at your expense. Once again, you focused on your dwindling beverage to avoid the burden of speaking or even facing them directly, too scared that your miserable expression would be unanimously inspected.

“Well, we just came over to recruit you all for some karaoke!” Jin cheerfully announced, clearly trying to change the subject, “There’s a machine in the break-out room and it’s more fun to sing with a group.”

“More like you want an audience.” Jungkook wittingly teased, a handsome smirk on his face as Sana playfully scolded him with a push to the chest.

“I’ll take your jabs now Kookie because I know they stem from your insecurity that I can actually upstage you in the vocals department.” Jin rebutted in good nature, even letting your husband’s old nickname slip.

Daehyun and Sana both guffawed at this declaration, exaggerated disbelief present on their faces.

“Jungkook is the best singer in the office. He’ll upstage you without even trying.” Daehyun said in a tenor of utter confidence.

“Only one way to find out!” Jin brushed the comment off, pointing to the direction of the assumed breakout room, “Karaoke anyone?”

The so-called office wife nodded enthusiastically, taking your husband’s arm and looking up at him to plead, “Can we do a duet of that one song we like?”

Jungkook, for the first time in seemingly hours, shot you with a questioning gaze.

Be married to someone for a while and you’ll learn how to decipher what they’re trying to say with just mere looks. Your husband was wordlessly inquiring if you were going to join, if he should go along with the group or if you two should break away and do something else.

The ball was finally in your court.

Not wanting to be rude but needing to get away from these people before you lost your cool, you decided on a subtle excuse.

“I need a refill, but maybe we can meet you all later?” You said, shaking your empty paper cup as if to prove your case.

“Oh, well the drinks are right behind you.” Sana condescendingly pointed out, tightening her hold on your husband and began steering him towards the exit, “We’ll save a seat for you.”

Bewildered, you watched as Jungkook obediently followed her lead with the Daehyun girl trailing behind.

He didn’t even spare you a glance.

You wanted to be angry.

You wanted to storm up to your husband, yank him out of the clutches of his colleagues and practically drag him back home under the premise that he would never speak to Sana ever again.

But instead of a righteous rage fueled by the marital vows you two took, utter exhaustion bestowed upon you and prevented any instigation on your part.

Maybe earlier in your marriage you would’ve fought for his attention, but now you simply just wanted to go home and lick your wounds with the help of a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream while self-obsessing over Sana’s outrageous attractiveness. After all, who could blame any hot-blooded man for choosing that goddess over you? What could you possibly do but lean back and accept that she was the obvious choice?

Other than her being a knockout beauty while you were merely average on your best day, she had other qualities that made her a more appealing catch. She was most likely younger than you, obviously fit, more ambitious and professionally driven than you, and presumably has no kids.

Meanwhile, you were just an old stay-at-home mom who lived off of her husband’s paychecks while he fucked his coworkers behind her oblivious back.

Before you could draw more detailed comparisons between Sana and yourself, you felt a large hand place itself on the middle of your back, successfully guiding your attention to the only person who bothered staying by your side.

Jin smiled sadly at you, sympathy shadowing his expression as he gestured with his other hand to the empty cup still in your hold. “Let’s get you some more eggnog.”

You nodded wordlessly, still speechless from the interaction, and allowed the taller man to guide you towards the snack table. Jin then took your cup and refilled it himself, providing you the opportunity to pick at the catered food in some cheap attempt at stress eating. By the time Jin came back with a full cup, you were halfway done with a sugar cookie and eyeing the meatballs next.

“Here ya go,” Jin said as he handed over the drink to you. You took it and nodded in thanks but kept your eyes glued to the food, not wanting him to see just how defeated and tired your face probably was. But, Jin wasn’t going to let the whole thing go. “Y/n….I know what you saw and heard looks really bad but trust me….nothing is going on between Sana and Jungkook.”

You snorted. “It doesn’t just look bad, Jin. It was like they were practically rubbing it in my face. Him having an affair isn’t the problem, it’s the way they’re not even bothering to keep it down. The least they could do is be discreet.”

Jin’s jaw slightly dropped, “‘Him having an affair isn’t the problem’? Y/n, do you even hear yourself? Of course that would be a problem! Do you not care about your own marriage anymore?”

And there it was.

The big question.

Did you truly even care about this marriage?

Well, let’s look at the facts.

One: The disrespect of his alleged mistress was more offensive to you than the fact that she was a mistress.

Two: Jungkook dragging you along to this office Christmas party was the first time in over a year that he bothered to take you out.

Three: You two had humble beginnings and could barely afford food, much less wedding bands when you first got married, but now he was a very wealthy man and had no excuse for not buying you or himself a ring. Unless, of course, he enjoyed acting single around other women.

Four: And on top of all this, it had to be factored in how distant he has been with overwhelming work hours that prevented any alone time with your husband. Sex with Jungkook has been off the table for almost a year now.

But did any of this really bother you until tonight? The answer was a resounding no. You were willing to take all those burdens in stride but tonight it wasn’t just about the fact that you were the unwanted wife Jungkook got sacked with, it was the fact that you were humiliated and forced to face the type of girl Jungkook should’ve been married to all along. That was all you were truly upset about.

The conclusion that you indeed didn’t care about your marriage and haven’t in some time now hit you in a sudden wave, but in no way were you shocked.

Voice shaky and brittle, you allowed yourself to be vulnerable with Jin and say the one thing you always secretly thought but never dared utter out loud. “I-I guess I always expected it to end like this. When we were younger, he was always the popular one and all the girls wanted him. We were only dating for three months when I got pregnant, and if it weren’t for our son he probably would’ve dumped me eventually and left for another girl. But, he stuck around for his kid because he’s a good father. And I’ve been nothing but a burden to him for a while now.”

Tears began to blur your vision, forcing you to quickly duck down and quietly sip at your drink so as to not embarrass yourself even more.

You heard a shuffle and suddenly Jin was holding you, using both of his lengthy arms to cage you in and rest you against his broad chest. It had been a long time since a man had held you like that, and you practically went boneless at the contact. You closed your eyes and tried to will away the incoming tears, even going so far as to solely focus on the scent of Jin’s cologne as he soothingly said, “Y/n, listen closely to what I’m about to say. You and Hugo were never a burden to Jungkook, and you two never will be. Your marriage was sudden, but it doesn’t make it less valid than any other marriage out there. Jungkook has been with you for so long, he just doesn’t realize when other women are interested in him because he’s been off the market forever. But I promise you, if I knew for even a second that he cheated, I would tell you right away.”

You didn’t say anything.

Although Jin’s words were comforting, they weren’t necessarily true. A marriage that started from a healthy courtship and true love instead of inconvenient circumstances was of course more valid than yours. And even though you were sure of Jin’s honesty and loyalty to you, Jungkook could’ve easily kept his affair secret from Jin as well.

However, you didn’t wish to concern Jin anymore. You already put him through too much awkwardness tonight and didn’t want to keep him by your side as some sort of emotional sponsor any longer than you already have. Jin always loved parties and was the life of any one he was invited to, even if it was just a lame annual office gathering. You then felt guilty for putting Jin in a situation where he would even have to console you when he should be out enjoying karaoke with the rest of his coworkers.

You promptly pulled away from Jin and wiped at your face. He released you and also took a step back, carefully studying you for any signs of further turmoil. Once sure that your face was acceptably dry, you gazed back up at him and offered a thankful smile. “Thanks Jin, I’m sorry I just dumped all of that on you. I really have to use the ladies' room though, can you point me to it?”

“It’s right by the conference room,” Jin informed, pointing out the general direction for you. You nodded and took a few steps toward it before he grasped your wrist to stop you and ask, “Do you want me to wait for you?”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll just find you and Jungkook when I’m out. Go and join the others for karaoke.”

Jin nodded but seemed unsure.

You didn’t look back to see if he actually went to follow the others, instead just advancing to the restrooms, secretly looking forward to some alone time even if it had to come from a public bathroom.

Once you entered the restroom you were relieved to find it completely empty, you weren’t sure if you could handle another run-in with Jungkook’s female colleagues. They all seemed to have a personal vendetta against you.

Instantly, you dashed to the mirror to inspect your makeup, assuming at least the mascara was ruined from your little cry. Thankfully, the damage was minimal and you were able to clean the smudges up with a damp napkin. You focused all your attention on the dreadfully small task, trying not to study your reflection too much given it would just conjure up more mental comparisons to all the other prettier women you encountered that night.

Yet the small task couldn’t last a lifetime, and you had to resort to looking at your phone in search of things to do. You weren’t emotionally ready to go out and search for your husband, so you wanted to prolong your time in the bathroom. Although it hasn’t been that long since you left the house, you decided to text the babysitter for any updates about your son.

To Emily: Hey, is everything okay with Hugo?

It only took about 40 seconds for the teenage neighbor girl to text back an answer, clearly on top of things and overly eager to provide any updates.

Emily: Yes! He ate his dinner, took his bath and we’re about to get ready for bed.

Your motherly instincts were satisfied with that response, but it didn’t do anything to subdue your desire to return back home. Your thumbs briefly hovered over the keypad, somewhat hesitant with the next text you were about to send.

To Emily: Great, thanks again for doing this. Listen, I think we might head back home sooner than we thought. Don’t worry tho, I’ll still give you the pay for the full four hours.

Before you could wait for a response from her, the sound of multiple incoming footsteps interrupted the steady silence in the restroom. Muffled female conversation could also be heard, the slight laughter and bickering amongst a group of women approaching the bathroom. Your fight or flight instinct was triggered, and to avoid any more awkward encounters you rushed to the nearest stall and shut the door- fully prepared to wait out the faceless group of female colleagues.

You heard the restroom door swish open before the women burst in, chatting and giggling with their heels clicking against the tile floor. One of the unknown females made way to the stall beside you, the others presumably hovering by the mirror if the sudden comments about their appearances were anything to go by. You quietly sighed and pulled out your phone again, ready to drown out their office politics talk.

Only for the conversation to somehow steer towards you.

“Did you see her?”

“Of course, I was very confused, to be honest.” One of them replied. “I mean….look at Jungkook and you just assume that whoever he’s with is drop-dead gorgeous, and she was just eh.”

“Yeah, she was pretty plain. What was her name again?”

“Y/n.” A third voice cut in, this one eerily familiar to you.

You glued a hand over your mouth to silence your gasp.

It was Sana.

“Did he ever mention her around you? You are the closest to him in the office Sana, and we didn’t even know he had a wife until tonight.”

“No, I didn’t know until tonight either.”

“What?! That’s insane. Literally all the time he spends with you: getting coffee, buying you lunch, driving you home after late nights, and he conveniently never mentions that he has a wife at home?”

“That’s suspicious. But I guess if I had a dog like that at home, I’d never mention her either.”

Cruel laughter from all of them.

The toilet from the stall next to you flushed, then opened as a new voice entered the discussion while she approached the sinks.

“It’s more than suspicious. He doesn’t even wear a wedding ring. And he’s so close to Sana but never mentioned that he’s married?” A pause as she washed her hands. “It’s obvious what he’s trying to do. Jungkook is trying to have an affair with Sana.”

Although this exchange was extremely hurtful to you, you felt somewhat relieved that you weren’t the only one to see what your husband was doing.

A pause hung in the air as none of the women spoke for a minute, they were willing to gossip but apparently outright declaring the obvious was a step too far for them.

Eventually, one of them chimed in with their own observation.

“Can you blame him? Sana you’re the most beautiful person in the office and you look so good next to him anyway. Much better than that cow Y/n.”

Another round of obnoxious laughter that broke your heart.

“C’mon guys. We gotta head back. Jungkook is gonna get anxious if Sana is away for too long.” Someone teased.

They all murmured in agreement, heading towards the exit as a group before one stopped them with a final question.

“Wait, Sana. If Jungkook does want to have an affair with you, what are you going to do?”

Although you couldn’t physically see Sana, you practically heard the smirk on her face as she said, “Who says we already aren’t having one?”

Needless to say, you ditched the Christmas party almost immediately after the bathroom incident.

You texted Jungkook a white lie about Emily struggling with Hugo, although a good father would’ve known something was up because your son had never given babysitters any trouble before. But luckily, your husband also wasn’t doing so hot in the dad department either.

You would’ve felt bad for not telling the truth if the truth wasn’t so fucking embarrassing.

“Hey, I’m gonna go home to cry like a little girl because I caught your coworkers talking shit about me. Oh, and also your little girlfriend accidentally let it slip that you’ve been fucking her this whole time. K talk to ya later!”

You grimaced at the thought of actually sending that text.

Sure it’s what that cheating bastard deserves, but you just weren’t emotionally ready for that fight yet. Especially after the night you endured, you needed some time to pick yourself up and figure out what to do next.

Divorce was the next logical step, but you were financially dependent on Jungkook. If you moved out and took Hugo with you, where would you two stay? How could you afford to be a single parent? And if Jungkook were to try to fight you for custody or the divorce in general, you would need a damn good lawyer. Unfortunately, lawyers weren’t cheap, especially one that stood a chance against Jungkook and all his wealth.

Your shoulders sagged with the imaginary weight of all these burdens.

When you entered the high-rise penthouse that you called home, you were surprised to see Emily anxiously pacing the foyer in waiting for your arrival.

“Hey, how was Hugo?” You greeted politely, already opening your clutch to pull out the agreed-upon salary.

“M-Mrs. Jeon, I swear I tried to have him in bed by eight like you said but he’s being stubborn and said he won’t go to sleep until you come back and read to him-” The teenager rushed out all at once, clearly nervous that you would scold her.

You held a hand out to stop her rambles, using your other hand to give her the money, and offered her what you hoped was a comforting smile, “It’s okay, Em. Thanks for doing this on such short notice. Why don’t you run home now and try to enjoy your Christmas Eve?”

Emily looked relieved that you weren’t mad, gratefully taking the cash before grabbing her jacket and shoes to make her exit. “Thanks so much for this Mrs. Jeon. Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas.” You farewelled while walking the young girl out, locking the door behind her.

You turned around and proceeded down a long hallway that led to the bedrooms, stopping at the door beside the master room which belonged to your four-year-old son. You opened it to peer inside, the familiar deep blue walls with painted-on sea creatures greeting you back, swiftly reminding you once more of Hugo’s obsession with the ocean.

Your son was bundled up in a twin bed so big that it practically drowned him, his small frame barely being recognizable in the large fish-printed duvet wrapped around his tiny frame, only his small and adorable face peeking out to stare right back at you.

Hugo was essentially a carbon copy of Jungkook. At first you were somewhat resentful about this, how was it possible that you carried a baby for nine months and he came out with absolutely none of your features? But after a while of watching Hugo grow up and come into his own slowly but surely, you were pacified by the conclusion that while he may look exactly like his father, his personality and heart took after you.

“Dumpling, why did Emily say you were giving her a hard time and wouldn’t go to bed?” You asked gently, sitting by his side and petting his black hair.

‘Dumpling’ was a nickname you chose for Hugo since you first found out you were pregnant with him. It stemmed from your sudden pregnancy craving to eat dumplings and nothing else, you once even going two straight weeks surviving off the food. There were many times where Jungkook had to bribe you into eating other things, playing on your guilt for not providing your baby all the nutrition he needed. But even now ‘Dumpling’ still stuck, if Hugo’s chubby cheeks were anything to go by.

“Mommy, I-I’m sorry but-” His big doe eyes looked up at you in teary guilt, “I really needed you here. It was a nece-necess-”

“Necessity, bub.” You finished for him, grinning at his attempt at a big word.

Part of you wanted to scold the boy for being difficult, but you didn’t have the heart to. Lately, Hugo has been more clingy to you than ever before. Yet it was practically impossible to punish him because Hugo has always been a good kid and you knew deep down that he didn’t act out unless there was something else going on. You suspected that it had something to do with the lack of his father’s presence that forced him to hold onto you like his life depended on it.

“Well try not to do it again, okay? Emily is a nice girl and she’s just following my orders when she tells you to go to bed.” You said, ducking down to peck the crown of his head and continue running your fingers through his hair.

Hugo nodded in understanding but ultimately stayed silent, basking in your cuddles.

All was silent for a passing moment, and while Hugo enjoyed his mother’s touch, your mind gradually returned to the turmoil that was your marriage.

A sudden epiphany struck you and bit your lip as you debated an idea.

Should you expose your son to your future plan?

The victim of any divorce has always been the children who were left behind. And the last thing you wanted to do was blindside Hugo. Perhaps you should play the hypothetical game just to see where your son’s head was at? It went without saying that Hugo was closer to you than Jungkook and you were more of a parent than your husband. But still, every kid deserved to have a say in their parents’ divorce.

“Bub, how would you feel if….it was just me and you?” You hesitantly inquired.

“What do you mean mommy?” Hugo titled his head in bewilderment and craned his neck to look back up at you.

“What if me and you went away to live together?” You clarified.

“Like a va-vayca-”

“Vacation? And no. But forever. Just me, you and no one else.” You whispered, as if Jungkook himself would storm in and catch you planning your escape with the toddler.

“Oh.” A pause as you could practically hear the mechanisms in his four-year-old brain trying to work out the logistics of what you just proposed. “Okay.”

The nonchalance in his youthful voice had you taken aback.

“It’s a really big decision, Hugo. You wouldn’t mind...not living with daddy anymore, right? You would hardly ever see him, dumpling.”

The boy shifted to lean more of his body against you, essentially resting against you with his head on your chest as he said, “But it’s like that already, mommy.”

Your heart broke.

You wrapped your arms around him and pulled him closer to you, feeling a maternal instinct to comfort and protect.

“Okay Dumpling. I need you to promise me not to tell daddy what we talked about.”

“”Kay.” Hugo yawned and closed his eyes, inhaling deep breaths of your scent and beginning the process of falling asleep. “When do we leave?”

“It’ll take some time, bub. You start school in a few months, so mommy will try to find a job while you’re there.” You told him, not bothering to try to explain the concept of a lawyer or apartment deposits on top of that. “But we can do this. It has to be a secret but you're my partner in crime.”

“Like spies?”

You chuckled, “Yeah, like spies. Promise to work with mommy in utter secrecy?”

You held up a pinky, one that Hugo grasped with his own.

“Promise.”

Author’s Note: So....A while ago before I took my long ass hiatus, I did a poll for which yandere story I should write next. The Unsaid Vow won but that was around the same time that shit hit the fan in my life. Recently was scrolling through my notes on my phone and found some of the plot points for this story and I needed a lil break from QQ. Plus I know so many ppl were hyped for this concept so....Here ya go lol. This is kinda short but it’s just a set up, Chapter one’s plot line will start a few months after this when Hugo will start kindergarten and Y/n will actually start looking in to jobs, lawyers and apartments. Also I’m sorry but I’m really bad at writing for kids lol, and I absolutely refuse to write that gross ass baby talk so just pretend your son is a lil genius okay? Also srry Once but I needed really pretty girls to be villians in my story so yeah, Twice girls in here aren’t likable but aren’t reflective of how i actually feel about them lol.

Big thanks to @sushireads once again for creating the cover art for this fic. They literally are becoming my go-to for fic art.

And my beta readers @bigbuffjoonie and @mustardpop! They beta’d for QQ and I came to them really early about this fic. They were with me since the beginning and have given me advice with creative choices to just simple grammar. They easily could’ve leaked the first draft of this too but they didn’t and kept it secret for a while. I was really insecure about getting out of my comfort zone with this plot but they really guided me.

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xxreader-writerxx · 3 years ago

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Already Won

Word count: 2.1k

Fred Weasley x Fem Reader

Warnings: Cursing, angsty, Cheating Mentioned, Blood Mentioned, Knife Kink Mentioned, Reader nearly cuts finger off, Panic Attack-ish (Fred), Poor Plot, Snogging at the end, and Abandonment Issues

A/n: This isn't amazing it was just to kick my arse into writing again lol, fighting writers block atm

Y/N= Your Name L/N= Your Last Name Y/H= Your House

I'm cutting vegetables in the kitchen for dinner when I hear the door unlock. I smile to myself and grab the coffee I made, reheating it with a quick spell. "Baby! Did you get the creamer while you were out?" I ask, turning the corner. "I was supposed to?" I hear a different voice than what I was expecting respond. "Oh its you." I say plainly, annoyed by the sight of my ex boyfriend Draco. "Hey darling. I missed you." He says, walking to try to give me a hug but I push him away disgusted. "Didn't I dump you like what five months ago? After you cheated on me with Pansy?" I ask, turning to go into the kitchen. "Your still on that? I'm back so everything can go back to normal!" He says and I scoff. "Nope." I say when I hear the door open.

"Baby, the witch down the street ran out of creamer but, I got coffees down the street. Then I dropped them on myself trying to get inside." I hear Fred ramble. I walk out chuckling and see him stripping as he walks into our room. "The coffee burns." He says, still distracted by getting clean clothes on. I walk over with Draco tailing behind me. "Honey, someone's here." I tell him and he whips his head around, grabbing his shirt to cover himself. "Shit. Sorry sorry.... Not sorry what the hell is he doing here?" He asks, seeing Draco. "Figuring it out myself- Oh my god Freddie, how hot were those coffees?!" I ask, seeing a burn mark forming on his shoulder.

"I wanted them to be hot enough to make it home." He says sheepishly. I walk over, grabbing the burn medication I conjured after discovering having Fred Weasley as a boyfriend means a lot of burns to heal. I pull down the sleeve and rub the ointment on. "Ow..." He moans and I nod sadly.

When I finish I put a bandage on him and take his hand. I bring him to the fridge and grab a lolly. "Suck on this while it heals, it'll cool your body." I say and he winks, placing the lolly on his tongue. "While I suck on this why don't you- Why are you still here." He says, breaking his flirty behavior to look at Draco who is glaring at Fred. "Name's on the lease." He says with a smirk. "You're kidding. He's kidding." He says looking at me upset. I freeze trying to think of a solution when I finally sigh. "He's right..." I say, I shove my face in his chest and he glares at Draco angrily. "You are going to leave." He says through gritted teeth. "Where would I go huh?" He asks, still cocky. "Do I give a shit? No. Now your things are in the hall closet, take those bags and leave." He repeats, keeping me against him.

"I don't remember your name on the lease." He says with a smirk and Fred nods. "Yeah but I have my initials on-" He says as he start to raise my shirt trying to reveal the initials he cut during an exciting night two days ago. I slap his hand and he looks at me cheekily. "Anyways, I guess you can stay in the guest room and I'll go unpack." He says and I grab his jacket before he can leave the kitchen. "Fix it." I say sternly and he groans. "I'll stay in the guest room." He mumbles and I nod promptly.

***

I wake up next to Fred and look for whatever woke me. I get up realizing its 5:37 and shake Fred softly. "Baby we need to get ready for work. I'll go make breakfast." I whisper and he nods into the pillow, golden ginger hair surrounding his freckled face softly. "Baby, if we told George what happened he'd understand, let's sleep in." He offers and I sigh. "If I had another owner to take care of my shop then I would jump in your arms but..." I say and he groans nodding.

I make my way into the kitchen to make us omelets when a figure makes me jump. "Fuck." I mutter as Draco takes a sip of his coffee. "Honey?" I hear from behind me and I turn to see Fred fiddling with his tie. I walk over smiling to myself at his loose tie and messy hair. "Stupid Blood Traitor can't even tie his own tie." I hear Malfoy mumble as I tied Fred's tie, getting angry I nearly behead Fred on accident but he stops me with a soft hold on my hips. "Here's the thing, Malfoy, I'm doing this... To do this." Fred says smirking pulling me in for his signature kiss. I sigh into the kiss almost forgetting about my troubles until they cough to signify they're still there.

"I'll make our breakfast, you work on tea?" I ask and he salutes cutely. I start chopping up onions when I feel myself get enveloped in a hug, Fred's face snug in my neck. His lips threateningly close to my neck, butterfly kisses every now and then. "What are you up to?" I giggle as his hands tickle my sides. "I just love you..." He whispers and I smile. "I love you more." I whisper and he kisses my cheek. "I'll cook the omelet, you go watch your program. It's on." He whispers and I turn, placing my hands on the counter behind me. "I can take care of the food. Don't worry about me." I whisper back and he kisses my lips softly. "Please? When else will your show be on this early?" He asks and I smile. "If you insist. But at least let me cut the peppers." I say and he nods.

***

I'm cutting dough in my café when I hear the door open. I smile warmly, keeping my eyes to the counter. "Hello! I'll be with you in a moment." I say when someone pushes my chin up softly. "Hey darling." Draco says and I groan. "Malfoy, I'm not your darling anymore. I'm dating Fred." I state, my entire body growing warm with anger. "I know, I know... But I wanted to try and win you back." He states, holding up a gold necklace. "You think I can be bought?" I ask, seething with anger. His face looses color as he shakes his head. "N-no! I meant this as a sorry-" He begins but I slam my knife down. "Get out."

I walk into the twin's shop, unusually tired, I see George and walk over lazily. "Hey- What the hell!?" He asks and he grabs my arm, tugging me to Fred's office. "Where are we going?" I ask lazily. "FRED." He yells banging on the door. Fred opens the door angrily but the anger turns to worry when he lays his eyes on me, or to be specific my finger. I cut it, deep. "Oh look at that..." I say and he scoops me up. "Oh god oh god..." He mumbles as I lay my head on his shoulder. "You smell nice." I whisper and he shakes his head. "What the hell happened?" He asks and I frown. "Draco came to my shop and gave me this." I say and I show him the necklace and he looks at it upset as he buckles me into the car. "You've lost a lot of blood..." He whispers, tearing up a bit. "I'm fineeee." I tell him and he kisses my forehead softly. "Just stay awake..." He whispers and I nod softly.

I wake up in a hospital bed and Fred is holding my hand. "Baby?" I ask roughly, my throat burning from sleep. "Thank god." He exclaims, holding me close to his chest. "Are you alright? Do you need anything?! You don't understand how happy I am to see your eyes open." He tells me, clutching my shirt tightly.

***

Ever since the accident Fred kicked Malfoy out and I got someone to take over the shop while I heal. Fred's been clingy since because he says he nearly lost me and every time I remind him it was only a bit of blood loss but he always responds with "same thing". Malfoy has been sending flowers, expensive gifts, and baskets each with a note begging me to take him back. I laugh at every package because they come from Pansy's apartment. Now its two months later both me and Fred going strong, and Malfoy hasn't given up.

I walk into the house back from groceries with Fred nowhere to be found. I hear shaky breathing from our room. I walk in and see Fred in the corner crying silently. "Freddie?" I ask and he hides his face in his arms. "I'll be out in a minute." He whispers and I sit next to him on the floor. "What's wrong?" I ask and he cries again. "Nothing, don't worry about it." He whispers and I tug his hand to wrap around it. "Tell me..." I whisper back and place my free hand on his cheek. He leans into my hand, closing his eyes happily. "I love you..." I tell him and he sighs. "I'm sorry." He tells me and I furrow my eyebrows.

"Did you break something?" I ask and he laughs, wiping his nose. "No... I'm sorry I can't provide for you." He tells me and I finally am able to sit on his lap, his hands resting on my hips as he places his forehead in the crane of my neck. "What?" I ask and he digs his head further. "Malfoy gets you all these fancy gifts and I know I'm not enough. I don't have diamond necklaces, my flowers are always picked, and he has so much to offer... And I'm here being the idiot who has a joke shop instead of a stable job. Its a matter of time before he finally wins you back and I would understand, who'd want me over Malfoy..." He cries into my neck and I run my hands through his hair softly.

"No... Baby I don't care about jewels or money. I love your flowers, how you tell me why each one reminded you of me... I love you Freddie.... I could never be won by Malfoy wanna know why?" I coo into his ear softly. "Why?" He asks, looking up at me with his soft hazel eyes. "Because you've already won. A million times, you've won. When we became best friends at 8, when I saw you on the bus, when you left school, when you moved in with me after my break-up, not letting me ignore help by saying you needed a place to stay because George and Angelina were moving in when we both knew you could live at the burrow... Every day you have won me. How can I prove that?" I ask and he smiles sweetly. "You just did... I love you so so much." He whispers and I smile, kissing his nose.

I hear the doorbell ring and he looks towards the door upset. I groan getting up and open the door. Draco is there crying holding flowers. "Please." He whispers and I go to slam the door but he stops me. "I know I don't deserve it but please give me another chance. Weaslebee could never care for you, not like I can. So please take me back." He says and I get angered by those words. I grab his collar and shove him back. "Do not talk of Fred that way." I say and he scoffs. "You know he won't. I have money we can land on, he doesn't. So cut the bullshit and take me back." He spits and I punch him right in the nose. "Leave. And I don't mean my door, I mean my life Malfoy." I tell him as he doubles over, flicking him off.

I walk back into my house and find Fred smiling at me, eyes still puffy but I couldn't care less, he's beautiful. "I love-" Is all he can say before I grab his collar, pulling him into a long kiss. He leans into it after recovering from the shock. I wrap my arms around his neck as he pulls me to wrap my legs around his torso. He sits on the couch, pulling me flush against his body. "I love you so much..." He mumbles as we take a second to get air. "I love you more." I say, diving to attach my lips to his. He pulls away after a while and smiles, moving hair from my face softly. I smile back, a giggle escaping my lips. "What?" I ask and he kisses me softly. "I guess I did win." He whispers and I kiss him again.

#fred weasley #canon #Fred Weasley Fanfiction #Fred Weasley Fic #Fred Weasley x Y/n #Fred Weasley Story #hogwarts #gryffindor #hufflepuff #ravenclaw #slytherin #smut x reader #fred weasley x reader #love #fanfiction #harry potter fanfiction #OlderWeasleyTwin

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rein-ette · 3 years ago

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Engport Thoughts:

Warnings: this ain’t fancy sh/t ok it’s just the stuff I yell in my own head at 4 AM and its hella long too

I don’t really vibe with the view that engport’s power dynamic is skewed in Arthur’s favour, and that Port somehow loves Arthur more than Arthur loves him. Yes, Port has his moments of doubt, and yes, politically speaking for the past two centuries England’s been more powerful and relevant on the world stage. But nowadays they’re not that different, and while Port did harbour some serious resentment in the 1800-1900s because he felt that Arthur wasn’t treating him like an equal, in the century they spent apart I think he realized how much of that feeling came from his own self-hatred and fears rather than Arthur’s actions.

Like yes, there was the period after Napoleon where England controlled Port’s affairs for a while, and ofc there was the ultimatum — but is the ultimatums importance not sometimes overstated? Even for its time it was a pretty minor disagreement with little political fallout. To me, the ultimatum is only important as the last straw that broke the camel's back—since the decline of the Portuguese empire began, slowly at first and more noticeably after 1800, Ports own worries and anger and fear grew, often exacerbated by comparisons with England. Arthur noticed, but could do nothing about it; he couldn’t well have sacrificed British interests to assuage Ports nebulous feeling of inadequacy, and even if he had Port would only have seen it as pity. In fact Arthur didn’t know how to deal with it at all, so he said nothing. It’s that feeling when a friend or loved one says to you “I don’t deserve you” (as a way of saying “I’m not good enough”, not “you’re really great”) -- how is one supposed to respond? As a nation and a man Portugal needed to redefine the source of his own value, and that wasn’t something Arthur could do for him.

Of course Arthur may not have made this process any easier; in the best of times Arthur is about as good at communicating complex and tangled emotions as a sea cucumber, and when you add in the growing ambition of the British people and the daily European squabbles and power shifts, it all becomes a mess. I honestly think Arthur probably made the best choice available to him by not addressing it in the 19th century — if he had tried, his abrasiveness and Ports extreme sensitivity on this issue would surely have blown up their relationship sooner than 1890. To illustrate the point that this wasn’t a “Arthur treats Gabi as an inferior” issue, consider if England had briefly directed French policy like they did Portuguese after the Napoleonic Wars. Francis would of course start squawking up a storm, but I don’t think Francis would feel like him and Arthur were no longer equals. France in fact went through a similar experience as Portugal but hyperspeed from 1940-1950 where they had to confront going from Great Power to “stfu ur only on this council cuz the US is in a good mood.” But Arthur and Francis had a stable relationship during this time, because Francis’s identity and self worth (as a man, not a nation) is less rigid and based upon “providing for others” and “being Europe’s sole supply of shiny and yummy things” than Port's was.

So yeah, my point is that Arthur treated Gabi in the 1800s like he had always treated him — and even being extra careful not to aggravate his insecurities. It was Gabriel that felt more and more inadequate, irrelevant, powerless, so that when an issue comes along like the Pink Map; boom, you got urself a self-esteem issue bath bomb. Note that I’m talking about Artie and Gabi's personal interactions, NOT England’s diplomatic treatment of Portugal. Of course as states England recognized Portugal's diminishing relevance -- if they didn't, that would mean the English foreign office was bad at their job. And Gabriel was certainly intelligent and experienced enough to appreciate this distinction between interpersonal and international relationships, which is also why Gabi didn’t seek an argument with Arthur before 1890, either. He knew it wasn’t Arthur’s fault that he felt the way he did, but the humiliation of the ultimatum hit too close to home and he exploded anyways.

One last thought about their power dynamic: on an emotional level, I feel like Gabi has more cards to play than Arthur. Gabi holds so much sway over Arthur’s emotional well-being that I often think about how bad it could get if Gabriel chose to abuse that power. Arthur himself has so many insecurities and traumas that it would be so easy for Gabi, who knows him so well, to exploit them, especially when Arthur’s pretty much been hardwired after 9 centuries to trust Gabi. I think Arthur’s logic goes something like, if I can’t trust Gabriel than theres truly no one in this world I can rely on, which makes it, uh, really easy for Gabi to gaslight him. Like, if he just said “no one will ever love you but me,” Artie would believe that shit. He’d be on guard if it came from anyone else, but if Gabi says it mf would f/in internalize it. “If you leave me you’ll be alone,” “no one can forgive you for what you’ve done, but I will,” “if you died no one will give a shit but me.” These are all things Arthur half believes already, so it’d be a piece of cake for someone as astute as Gabriel to push him over the edge (@needcake has a great fic here about dark!engport which explores this abuse of trust). I think Port is actually very aware of this and goes out of his way to avoid saying things like that, precisely because he knows how fragile Arthur’s mental health is and how much he needs to trust Gabi. Sometimes this can be a burden on Port, too, which results in him softening his stance or giving in when he should draw a clearer line because he’s scared he’ll aggravate Arthur's insecurities.

TLDR; PORT'S PROBLEMS ARE NOT ALL MADE IN ENGLAND, PORTUGAL HAS ITS OWN DOMESTIC INDUSTRY FOR MANUFACTURING ISSUES™, and they’re actually very soft on each other and careful with each other’s feelings. They’re trying so hard, but history doesn’t give out medals for effort.

#engport #hws england #hws portugal #my hcs #when i was doing research for the dark world is not far from us #i read some speeches given in the House about the importance of anglo-portuguese relations #i can't recall if it was turn of the 20th century or during ww2 #but they basically talked about port's strategic importance to England as a check for Spain #as well as Port's historical loyalty to and sincere treatment of England #so yeah this whole long ass post is basically ab that and how port aint some starry eyed victim of his own terrible affection #he's a grown ass man for goodness sake #lets not make their relationship that one dimensional

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aion-rsa · 3 years ago

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Squid Game: Best of the Cast’s Shows and Movies to Watch

https://ift.tt/39n8nzK

This Squid Game article contains some spoilers, though not the outcome of the game.

There are so many things to like about Squid Game, Netflix‘s Korean-language series about a group of desperate people competing in a deadly game, but one of the major ones is the stellar cast. Featuring some well-known Korean actors, as well as some relative newcomers to the acting scene, Squid Game‘s ensemble is more than ready to elevate the clever script and sharp direction. If you’re interested in checking out other projects from this cast after finishing Squid Game, here are our recommendations!

Lee Jung-jae (이정재) as Seong Gi-hun

Squid Game character: Leading the cast of characters is Lee Jung-jae’s Gi-hun, a man who has fallen on tough times after losing his job and his marriage. We are first introduced to Gi-hun in the context of his gambling addiction, as he desperately trues to get out of crippling debt in order to be a better father, son, and friend.

What to watch next: Lee Jung-jae is a 48-year-old actor who began his career as a model before transitioning into TV and later film. Notable projects include Il Mare, the 2000 film on which Hollywood’s The Lake House was based and 2013’s historical drama The Face Reader, in which Lee has second-billing as Grand Prince Suyang.

Jung Ho-yeon (정호연) as Kang Sae-byeok

Squid Game character: Jung Ho-yeon plays Kang Sae-byeok (aka the one who looks like ENHYPEN’s Ni-ki), a North Korean defector who decides to play Squid Game in order to get the money to get her mother out of North Korea and to create a stable life for her younger brother, who is currently living in an orphanage.

What to watch next: Jung Ho-yeon will no doubt be one of the breakout stars of Squid Game. The 27-year-old actress is a successful model, and has previously appeared on Korea’s Next Top Model. Squid Game is her first on-screen role, so we’ll have to wait to see what she does next. In the meantime, you can rewatch Squid Game or check out Season 4 of Korea’s Next Top Model.

Park Hae-soo (박해수) as Cho Sang-woo

Squid Game character: Cho Sang-woo grew up with protagonist Gi-hun, and is the success story of his neighborhood after going to a prestigious university and making it big as a businessman. Unbeknownst to Gi-hun and Sang-woo’s mother, Sang-woo has stolen money from his clients and is wanted by the police. He enters Squid Game in an attempt to make back the money so that he can save his mother’s business and house, both of which he risked to back his illegal activities.

Squid Game Ending Explained

By Kayti Burt

Squid Game: What Could Season 2 Look Like?

By Kayti Burt

What to watch next: Park Hae-soo is a 39-year-old actor who is perhaps previously best known, especially to international audiences, for his starring role in 2017’s Prison Playbook (one of our Best Korean Dramas to Watch on Netflix). In the drama, Park plays a baseball player who unexpectedly lands himself in jail days before his major league baseball debut. The show follows his life within prison, along with the lives of other inmates and guards, including his former best friend, who is now a corrections officer. Prison Playbook is one of the most popular K-dramas ever.

Wi Ha-joon (위하준) as Hwang Jun-ho

Squid Game character: Wi Ha-joon plays Hwang Jun-ho, who is a bit of an outlier character in a series that mostly features characters in the game as protagonists. Unlike Gi-hun or Sang-woo, Jun-ho is a cop who is investigating Squid Game after finding one of the game’s calling cards in his missing brother’s apartment. He does a pretty good job too, infiltrating the operation in diverse ways.

What to watch next: Wi is a 30-year-old actor with a solid filmography. If you’re a horror fan, check out Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, a 2018 found footage horror film that takes place in the former Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital, considered to be one of Korea’s most-haunted places. You could also check out Midnight, a 2021 thriller in which Wi plays a serial killer. If you’re looking for something a bit softer, Wi has a supporting role in 2018 romantic drama Something in the Rain, in which he stars as one protagonist’s younger brother and the other protagonist’s best friend.

Oh Young-soo (오영수) as Oh Il-nam

Squid Game character: Oh Young-soo plays Oh Il-nam, the oldest contestant in Squid Game, and someone Gi-hun feels some responsibility for as the game progresses.

What to watch next: Oh Young-soo is a 76-year-old actor with a filmography that mostly includes monk roles. His previous work has mostly included playing supporting roles, but if you want to see him in something else, check out 2003 feature film A Little Monk, about a generation of three monks living in one temple, or Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring, a 2003 film about the life of a Buddhist monk.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Heo Sung-tae as Jang Deok-su

Squid Game character: Heo Sung-tae plays Jang Deok-su, a gangster who enters Squid Game to settle his gambling debts, and who refuses to trust anyone in the process.

What to watch next: Heo Sung-tae is a 43-year-old actor with an extensive filmography. If you’d like to see him in a very different project, check out Racket Boys, a recent Netflix K-drama in which he appears as the coach of a boys badminton team in Episodes 10-12. If you’d like to see him in another dastardly role, check out 2021’s Beyond Evil, in which he plays a cold-blooded businessman.

Kim Joo-ryung (김주령) as Han Mi-nyeo

Squid Game character: Kim Joo-ryung stars as Han Mi-nyeo, a woman who will say or do whatever she has to in order to find her best chance at winning. Originally introduced claiming to be a new mother, we never actually learn that much about Mi-nyeo’s life outside of the game.

What to watch next: Kim Joo-ryung is a 45-year-old actress with an extensive filmography, though mostly in supporting roles. (Hopefully, her impressive turn in Squid Game will lead to more opportunities for the actress.) If you’d like to see her in a minor role in a successful drama, Kim appears in Episodes 16 and 17 of 2018 historical drama Mr. Sunshine. If you’d like to see Kim in a central role, check out 2012 feature Sleepless Night, in which she plays one half of a married couple working to get through daily life.

Tripathi Anupam as Abdul Ali

Squid Game character: Tripathi Anupam plays Ali, a 33-year-old Pakistani man who joins the game in order to get the money to support his family, including his parents and brother back in Pakistan and his wife and baby son, who traveled with him to Korea.

What to watch next: Tripathi Anupam is a 32-year-old Indian-born actor, who is another standout in Squid Game and a rare actor of non-Korean descent in the Korean TV and film industry. Anupam had a small appearance in Netflix’s Korean sci-fi feature Space Sweepers, in which he appeared as James Sullivan’s secretary. Most of Anupam’s previous roles have been minor, with Squid Game being a breakout role for the actor.

Lee Yoo-mi (이유미) as Ji-yeong

Squid Game character: Lee Yoo-mi plays Ji-yeong, a young woman who we find out entered the game immediately after having been released from prison for the crime of killing her abusive father. She becomes close with Sae-byeok, who recruits her to join her team for tug-of-war.

What to watch next: Lee Yoo-mi is a 27-year-old actress who has appeared in many TV shows and films, mostly in supporting roles. If you’d like to see her in another drama, check out 365: Repeat the Year, a time travel drama that sees 10 people given the chance to travel back a year to “reset” their lives, only to find themselves in danger.

Gong Yoo (공유) as The Salesman

Squid Game character: Gong Yoo appears in a minor role as The Salesman, aka the man who recruits Gi-hun into Squid Game by playing a game of ddakji with him on the subway

What to watch next: Gong Yoo is a very successful actor in Korea who is also known internationally. The 42-year-old actor’s most well-known movie role is Train To Busan, in which he stars as the divorced father and businessman protagonist trying to escape the zombie apocalypse on a high-speed bullet train. His most well-known TV role is in the uber successful Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean TV history. In it, he stars as a 939-year-old immortal goblin and protector of souls. Longtime K-drama stans, however, probably know Gong from his starring role in Coffee Prince, a romance about a woman pretending to be a girl in order to get work and a young food empire mogul, played by Gong.

Lee Byung-hun as The Front Man, aka In-ho

Squid Game character: Lee Byung-hun plays the Front Man, aka the masked man who runs the day-to-day operations of Squid Game. He lives in a fancy apartment within the game’s facility, and maintains contact with the game’s supervisors via a landline.

What to watch next: If you’re looking to see more of Lee Byung-hun’s face than Squid Game offers, then you have a lot of options. The 51-year-old actor and singer has been a part of the Korean entertainment industry for decades, and has been one of the most successful Korean actors in that time, with five films on the 50 highest-grossing domestic films in South Korea list: Joint Security Area; The Good, the Bad, the Weird; Masquerade; Inside Men; and Master.

Lee is the only Squid Game actor to have some substantial Hollywood credits on his filmography as well. American audiences may recognize him from his role as Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe franchise; he has also appeared in Red 2, Terminator Genisys, and The Magnificent Seven. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he was the first South Korean to present an Oscar at the Academy Awards.

Which Squid Game cast member were you the most impressed by? Let us know in the comments below…

The post Squid Game: Best of the Cast’s Shows and Movies to Watch appeared first on Den of Geek.

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let-it-raines · 4 years ago

Text

What a Lie We’re In (1/3)

All Emma was doing was trying to be nice. Her roommate didn’t have anywhere to go, so she invited him home for the holidays. She thought it would be fine and Killian would be a good buffer for a week at home with her parents. That is until her ex-boyfriend showed up, and while she was freaking out, Killian told him they were dating.

That would have been fine except her parents overheard it.

(A Christmas Fake Dating AU)

Rating: Mature

a/n: What? A holiday fake dating story? So original, you say? No one has ever done it before? Especially not me. lol. Forget all of that, and let’s jump into this trope-a-palooza of a holiday story!

Big thank you to @resident-of-storybrooke for reading over this and convincing me that I still know how to write ❤️

ao3: | HERE |

-/-

“Did you eat all of my candy?”

Emma opens another cabinet, looking inside to the wine glasses and tumblers, before closing it. She’s been keeping her bag of candy in the cabinet where they keep their plates and bowls, hidden at the very top behind some reusable water bottles. Killian is a healthy eater, always stocking the fridge with fruits and vegetables and food she doesn’t think is actually real food, so she didn’t think she had to hide her junk food that well.

Hide it, yes. Hide it well, no.

Until now.

“What was that, love?”

Emma slams another cabinet closed and turns to look at Killian. He’s walking out of the bathroom, chest still damp, and only has a white towel wrapped around his waist. When he first moved into the apartment six months ago after Ruby abandoned Emma to go live with Dorothy (live with, get married to, same thing), Emma was taken aback by the lack of clothes wearing Killian partakes in. He’s an attractive man. She’s not blind. He goes to the gym as often as she does, but mostly, he spends a lot of time doing heavy lifting at his job as a contractor since he apparently likes to be hands-on, literally. His body is toned, and the son of the bitch knows it. He also knows he’s got the face to be able to get away with a lot of…well, a lot.

At first, it was all disconcerting, but now, he could walk around with his dick out and Emma wouldn’t care.

What she cares about is where her candy is. That’s the real priority. But she knows Killian will try to use his lack of clothes to distract her. Never worked in the past, not gonna work now, bud.

“My candy,” Emma repeats. “Where is it?”

He wipes behind his ear with the small towel in his hand. “I wouldn’t touch the stuff. You don’t like the good candy.”

“Well, my good candy has been moved, and we’re the only two people who live here.”

Emma places her hands on her hips, staring him down hoping he will somehow be intimidated by her stare and fess up to everything. He won’t be, but Emma can try. They both have their tactics.

Killian clicks his tongue. “What about the fellow you brought home last week?”

“Do you mean the plumber?”

“Was that who he was?”

“You know I don’t bring guys back here.” Emma moves from the counter and opens the fridge, taking out a handful of grapes from the fridge. She probably needs to eat some of them and not candy anyway. As she pops one into her mouth, that’s when it clicks. “Your girlfriend ate my candy, didn’t she?”

He scoffs and keeps drying his hair, but she sees the way he scratches his ear. Gotcha, Jones. “I don’t believe I have a girlfriend.”

“What? Tink break up with you because you wouldn’t let her eat dessert on your dates? Wait, I heard it. Don’t make it dirty.” Killian walks toward her, getting in her space, and she knows him well enough to know he wants her to flinch, to move, to stop her line of questioning. That’s exactly why she doesn’t want to. Emma pops another grape in her mouth. “Did you eat my candy? Was it your way of wallowing? It’s okay if you did. I’ll take another bag for payment.”

“For your information, Swan,” he whispers as he places his hand on her hip, “we are no longer seeing each other, but it was mutual. She did, however, eat your candy when she was last here. If you really want to know, we used it to – ”

“Stop,” Emma groans, pushing him away and running to the other side of the kitchen. “Nope. Don’t take that any further. Some things should be left private.”

His head tilts back as he laughs, the underside of his jaw black with stubble, and then he’s reaching into the cabinet above the fridge and tossing her the bag of sweets.

Oh.

“I hid it after Will and Rob found it while we were playing cards last night. Will nearly went through all your milk duds before I realized what was happening.” He raises his brow. “You have something you want to say to me?”

Emma knows what he’s aiming for, and she isn’t going to give it to him.

“Yeah,” Emma says, “you need a thicker towel. I don’t think you want people seeing you when you look like…that.” She nods her head down and then picks up a handful of Kit Kats. “I gotta go to work.”

“Off to die inside at your cubicle, love?”

“Oh, you know it.”

Emma grabs her purse and unlocks the door only to hear Killian speak. “It’s December. How do you still have Halloween candy leftover?”

Emma shrugs. “I bought one bag to pass out to kids, two bags for me.”

“Bloody brilliant.”

“I do what I can. See you tonight. I’ll try not to wake you up from your nap when I come in.”

“That would be the least you could do.”

Emma rolls her eyes, but then she’s officially walking out the door of her apartment and down toward the elevator, a Kit Kat bar hanging out of the side of her mouth.

The thing about Killian Jones is that he’s simple to her.

He likes his friends, his job, his rum, and his women. There’s not much else to him, and Emma is okay with that. While her last roommate was her best friend, this one doesn’t have to be. He can just be a guy who pays the bills so she can keep living in a nice place and who, on occasion, talks shit about other people with her while they binge watch TV.

That’s all she needs.

And all and all, Killian Jones is a…fine roommate. Yeah, fine is an accurate way to describe him at least eighty percent of the time.

Even if she does get annoyed when he brings his dates home. But that’s only because it’s always on the nights she plans on going to bed early, and the noise of other people being around keeps her from catching up on sleep.

Emma is not one to mess around on sleep.

But yeah, he’s fine. Annoying as hell over half the time, but he’s fine in the small dosages she sees him in. He works odd hours, isn’t always on the job, and she is stuck with regular hours in her office. There’s not a lot of glory in working HR for a small engineering company, but that’s what happens when you make dumbass decisions like Emma did. She’s lucky she has a stable job. She’ll try not to complain too much about it.

That’s what she tells herself every morning when she sits in her car and stares at the drab brick building.

Money. She has to make money.

And hey, she gets almost an entire week off for Christmas next week, and that’s fucking incredible, even if she does have to spend it in her hometown with her parents and their Hallmark-like attitude toward the holiday and the events it puts on. Her mom is a teacher at the elementary school and produces the Christmas play every year while her dad is a vet and outfits all his patients in little holiday bandanas and bows. He even has a tree in his office decorated with bone ornaments.

It’s…a lot. But it’s family, and as Emma stares at this building that’s sucking the life out of her, she can’t wait to have a change of pace and some home-cooked meals, even if there are as many downsides as upsides to going home. Her Kit Kat bars aren’t giving her the nutrients she knows she needs.

Being an adult is not all it’s cracked up to be sometimes, especially when going home for the holidays is seen as more of a burden than a gift with a fancy bow on top. It’s more like that turkey that dries up and falls to pieces in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

Well, that and the squirrel crashing every decoration in the house.

Happy holidays.

-/-

“Nah, mate, I don’t have any plans.”

Emma quietly puts her keys down on the table next to her front door, laying her purse down with it, and she kicks her boots off until they topple over each other and lay in the middle of the hallway. She can hear Killian talking, and it gets even louder when she walks into the kitchen and turns on the coffee maker.

“No, no, well, you know, I rarely do anything, not since Liam.” There’s a pause as the coffee begins to percolate and Emma grabs another Kit Kat from her bag. “I went home with Milah once, but that was years ago…no, mate, it’s alright. I don’t mind staying here by myself…yeah, I think Emma is going home to her parents.”

And that’s when she realizes what Killian is talking about.

Christmas plans.

He doesn’t have any. Emma didn’t know that. She didn’t really bother to ask. She doesn’t bother to ask much of Killian. She picks up pieces here and there, as she’s sure he does to her, but they mind their own business.

He doesn’t have a family to go home to? She knows he’s originally from England, but still. There must be someone.

“I’ll talk to you later,” Killian says. “I promise if I need anything, I’ll let you know. Alright, bye Scarlet.”

The coffee finishes, and Emma picks the pot up and starts pouring, filling her large mug halfway before getting hazelnut creamer out of the fridge and making the coffee drinkable. Killian joins her in the kitchen and perches himself on one of their stools.

“Good day at work?” he asks.

“Eh, it was a day. You?”

He shrugs. “The same. I’m finishing up on this house tomorrow, hopefully, so tomorrow will be a good day.”

Emma nods and sips on her coffee as Killian taps his fingers on the counter, the rhythm the same as the song he usually hums when cooking. “So, when are you heading for Storybrooke?” he asks.

“Monday after work.” Killian nods and keeps tapping his fingers, and Emma, stupidly opens her mouth because despite what her exes have told her, she does apparently have a heart. “If you don’t have any plans and have off work, you’re welcome to come with me. My parents are always thrilled to welcome more people. Just be prepared, it’s like a Hallmark movie up there.”

His eyes widen, the blue lighting up, and his upper lip starts to quiver, laughter very obviously waiting to break through. Dammit, why the hell did she decide to be nice? This is going to give him all of the wrong ideas.

“Why, Swan,” he smirks, leaning forward and resting his chin in his propped-up hand, “are you inviting me home for the holidays with you? You’ve been harboring a crush this entire time, haven’t you? I can’t say I’m surprised. I see the way you look at me when I finish up in the bathroom. Don’t be ashamed of it. Most women find me attractive.”

Emma flicks Killian’s forehead, and really, he should be thrilled she didn’t dump her hot coffee on his lap like she wanted to.

“I was just trying to be nice. You didn’t have to be an asshole about it.” Emma rolls her eyes and turns on her heels to walk away. She is going to her room. She doesn’t have to put up with his shit. “Forget I even offered.”

“Wait, wait, Swan.” Emma’s shoulders tense, and she doesn’t turn around. “Are you serious about your offer?”

“I mean, it would have some conditions in that you are a slightly less obnoxious version of yourself, but yeah, if you don’t have anywhere else to go, you can come home with me.”

“I’d like that.” Emma twists around, trying to size him up, and for once, everything seems genuine. “I have a condition as well.”

Idiot. “What could your condition possibly be?”

He winks, and she already knows this is going to have her eyes rolling so far into the back of her head they get stuck there. “Don’t go falling in love with me.”

What a cheesy ass sarcastic line.

“In your dreams, Jones.”

What the hell has she gotten herself into? This is absolutely the last time she lets her conscience guilt her into doing something nice. Emma was already going to be miserable, but now she’s miserable with a buffer.

At least her mom will be happy getting to go into hostess mode.

-/-

In the days leading up to them leaving for Storybrooke, Emma convinces herself Killian is going to back out of the trip. He’ll realize this is awkward and not a good idea. They live together, sure, but they don’t actually know each other. They’re not close friends.

But Killian never backs out. Instead he asks her things like what the weather is like there, if her parents drink wine, if he needs to bring his own bedding. He asks a million questions a day, and they continue when they’re in her bug making the drive from Boston to Storybrooke. He wants to know what her parents do for a living, what their hobbies are, pretty much everything someone needs to know when they’re about to spend half a week in the house of strangers.

Strangers who don’t actually know they’re having someone stay at their house to awkwardly sit on the sidelines as Emma’s family celebrates the holidays and has their usual holiday arguments.

Yeah, Emma didn’t ever tell her parents Killian was coming. She knows her mom well enough to know the moment Emma mentioned bringing someone home, her mom would have stopped listening before Emma could explain that it was just her roommate. It would have been this whole big thing, and Emma knows she can handle explaining it better in person when she can snap her mom out of getting excited about nothing.

Plus, who doesn’t want a Christmas surprise?

(Emma doesn’t.)

After Killian stops being one of those obnoxious kids who never stops asking questions, they sit in relative silence for the car ride, music entertaining them, and little by little, cities fade away and more trees pop up, evergreen forests surrounding them. It’s always the sign for Emma that she’s leaving her life and going back to her old one.

That and the “Welcome to Storybrooke” sign.

Everything about the town is the same. The buildings are small and kind of dingy downtown, and when she passes Granny’s, she bets those onion rings are the same too. God, she hopes they are. This is probably the only thing that can get her through this week. She should have texted Ruby and made sure her grandmother hadn’t changed any of the recipes. If she had, Emma definitely would have stayed home.

People walk down the sidewalk all bundled up in their coats and scarves, saying hello and chatting with others they pass. It’s the opposite of Boston where Emma can go her entire day without having to say hello to someone, and a little shiver runs down her spine at the thought. She needs to get out of here as soon as possible and to the isolation of her parents’ farmhouse, even if that presents her a new set of problems.

Storybrooke, Maine is, decidedly, not Emma’s favorite place for a hell of a lot of different reasons.

Killian, though, seems to be taking it all in with the wonder and confusion of someone who has never lived in a small town like this and who is a bit shell-shocked.

Get used to it, buddy.

“Oh, hey, one more thing,” Emma sighs as she pulls up to her parents’ street a few minutes later. “My real last name is Nolan. I changed it after high school, so my parents’ names are Nolan. The whole ‘Swan’ thing is a sticky situation for them even though it’s my mom’s maiden name.”

Killian’s eyes narrow, and she has definitely shared too much about herself now. “Am I allowed to ask or…”

“No. just try not to call me ‘Swan’ around them.”

“Whatever your heart desires, love.”

Emma slows down as the road turns from paved to loose gravel leading up to their driveway. There are several cars parked alongside it, and either they now own extra cars or her parents have friends over. Great. Just what she needed. Other people around when she’s coming home and surprising her parents with a guest. At least Killian will likely be that buffer she keeps hoping he’ll be.

They get out of her car, and Emma pops the trunk for them to get their bags. Killian grabs the bigger ones despite her arguing with him about it, but she’s fine to just carry her purse and the bag with presents. Emma closes the trunk, slamming it shut, and squares her shoulders.

This is fine. This is all fine.

Until ten steps later, it’s not.

Her parents have this incredible wraparound porch with swings and rocking chairs, and sitting in one of them is Neal Cassidy.

What the hell?

She doesn’t…she can’t…why is he here? He has no right to be here, no business being here, and seeing his face makes her want to vomit.

It makes her want to cry, too, but Emma can’t give him the satisfaction.

Instead, she’d like to sink into the dirt and never emerge again.

“Shit,” Emma mumbles, stopping and turning toward Killian who is looking down at her with an arched brow. “Shit, shit, shit.”

“What is it?”

God, she can’t believe she has to tell this to him. It’s too many pieces of her past in too short a period of time. This isn’t something she ever wanted to talk about again and certainly not to Killian. She was really hoping she never had to see Neal’s face again.

Honestly, she never considered it to be a possibility.

If only.

“That guy sitting on my porch is an ex of mine. And I’m talking about a bad ex, not one of those who you can be friends with afterward.”

“What the bloody hell is he doing here then?” Killian looks over her head to look at Neal, but Emma grabs his hand and yanks on it until he looks at her. “What?”

“Don’t look at him,” she hisses. “I don’t know what he’s doing here, but I’m sure it has something to do with my parents. Just…I don’t know what to do.”

“Do we need to turn around?”

“No, no, that’s pathetic. Just…maybe he’s going to leave soon, and it’ll be a quick hello and then I never have to see his face again. Let’s get it over with.”

“If you’re sure, Sw – Emma.”

“I’m sure.”

She’s not sure at all. Mostly, she wants to take Killian’s suggestion and run far, far away.

Once more, Emma braces her shoulders, and she moves forward. If she stops and thinks too much, she’ll chicken out. It’s how she is. If she thinks about something for too long, it ruins every bit of courage she has. Now isn’t the moment for that when this week is one that makes her need courage.

Maybe, Emma realizes, she didn’t invite Killian here just to be nice. Maybe she needed that buffer to keep her old demons at bay, even if just barely, and that was her motivation all along.

That really makes her asshole of the year. Well, after Neal. She hasn’t seen him in years, but he still gets the asshole of the year award.

Neal sees her before she can get to the front steps. He rises from the rocking chair and moves toward her. He looks older now. He was always older than her, but she can actually see it now. There’s gray in his beard and more lines on his forehead. His features are similar, but she swears there’s an eeriness to his eyes and a lie to his smile. Maybe those were always there, but Emma imagines she was blind to it all when she loved him.

Amazing how opening her eyes to love blinded her to so much else.

“Emma? Is that you?”

No, jackass, it’s some other blonde woman walking into her parents house.

“Hi, Neal.” She forces a smile that she knows is awkward, but he was never good at reading her enough to know the difference between a real smile and a fake one. “What are you doing here?”

“You’ve just seen me for the first time in half a decade, and your first question is what I’m doing here? Nice to see you too, Ems.”

It’s illegal to murder, Emma, she reminds herself. You don’t want to end up in jail because of him.

“It’s my parents’ house. I’m supposed to be here. You’re not. So, again, what are you doing here?”

He shrugs and ignores her. “Who’s this?”

Emma turns to Killian who is staring ahead, his jaw clenched, and he speaks before she gets a chance to. “Killian Jones,” he begins, dropping a bag and reaching forward to shake Neal’s hand, “Emma’s boyfriend.”

Emma nearly chokes on her own air and possibly her own lungs and whatever else is down there, and she’s stuck. Her brain and her feet and especially her mouth are all stuck. What the hell is he doing?

“Emma’s boyfriend,” Neal repeats, his voice incredulous like the fact that she could have a boyfriend is ludicrous to him. “Really?”

“For awhile now,” Killian lies. Wow. Has he always been this good of a liar? “It’s nice to meet you, but I think Emma and I need to get inside and put our stuff away. It’s been a long drive.”

Neal nods, but Emma catches his eyes glance over at her. What was that? “I understand. I need to get my fiancée from inside, but then we’ll be on our way.”

Fiancée?

Neal has a fiancée? Who is in her parents’ house?

What kind of upside down hell has she walked into and how does she reverse time and get back to the place where things are normal?

“Nice seeing you,” Emma lies, but Neal is already walking inside, leaving the door slightly ajar behind him as if it’s his house to go into. She quickly turns to Killian and hopes her face conveys the “what the hell” look she’s going for. And in case it doesn’t, she hisses, “what the fuck was that?”

“Forgive me, love, but you obviously didn’t want to see that man, and I figured there wouldn’t be any harm in saying that. You weren’t planning on ever seeing him again, aye?”

“Not if I can help it.”

“So what’s the harm in him thinking you have a devilishly handsome new boyfriend?”

Emma rolls her eyes, ready to take the piss out of him, when her mother comes running out the front door.

“Emma, you brought a boyfriend home?”

Well, that’s the harm, Jones.

-/-

Emma tries explaining to her parents that Killian isn’t really her boyfriend, that he’s just her roommate who came home with her because he doesn’t have any family, but she never really gets the chance with Neal still hanging around. That would be mortifying, so she rolls with it, hoping that she can clear it all up sooner rather than later.

But Neal never seems to leave.

His fiancée, Tamara, apparently teaches with Emma’s mom, and from the looks of it, they’re great friends. She can’t imagine any other reason why her parents would let Neal Cassidy in their house, but then again, they have always been great at doing the exact opposite of what’s good for her. It’s torture, and as the night goes on, it seems like it’s never going to end.

When are they going to leave?

When can she stop listening to Killian falsify their life?

She’s got to say that he’s fantastic at taking truths and turning them into lies. According to him, they met when he became her roommate (true) and got to know each other as friends first (eh, a half-truth). Then, slowly, feelings started to develop in the little moments, and they decided to give their relationship a chance (unequivocally false).

He’s got this uncanny ability to make everything feel…not ridiculous. She doesn’t know the word she’s searching for, but she’s sure as hell that Killian could find it and incorporate it into a story to make everyone here think they’re in love.

Emma has no clue how they’re going to get out of this without her parents being heartbroken because Emma can see the hope and happiness in her mom’s eyes. She’s over the moon. Her dad, however, doesn’t seem to be.

Of course this is how it goes. Her mom is thrilled because she’s not a spinster, and her dad is upset because she’s not a spinster.

“So what do you do, Killian?” he asks. “You need a roommate apparently.”

“Dad,” Emma hisses, wanting to sink into the couch, especially because she knows she’s the one who needs the roommate and not Killian. “Don’t.”

“What? I’m not allowed to ask about the man who my daughter is dating?”

“You are, but you’re not allowed to interrogate him.”

Killian places his hand over Emma’s on her thigh, and God, this really is the worst night. Why do people have to go home to family on the holidays? At least she didn’t automatically flinch at the feeling of Killian’s hand on hers.

“I’m a contractor,” Killian tells her dad. “I used to work with my brother. It’s his business, but I’m the head on projects now. It’s hard and unpredictable sometimes when my job is to make it predictable, but it’s good work. There’s a lot of good new housing popping up in the neighborhoods outside of Boston. Beautiful new construction.”

“What happened to your brother?” her mom asks.

Killian’s hand tightens over hers while his other hand scratches behind his ear. “Liam passed last year. Car accident.”

Mary Margaret places her hands over her chest while Neal and Tamara look at each other, obviously ready to go. Emma, meanwhile, tries not to act shocked. She should know this. She should know that he had a brother who died. She’s heard him talk about Liam before, but she thought…she thought he was alive, just that he lived really, really far away or something like that.

“I’m so sorry, Killian,” Mary Margaret sighs.

“Thank you, Ms. Nolan.”

Silence falls in the room, and it feels like a lot of her time in high school when she got caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing. At least now she can have alcohol or drive away. One or the other, though, obviously.

Or she can go back to that sinking into the ground thing. That seemed like a good idea.

“Oh, would you look at the time,” Tamara sighs with a clap of her hands. “Honey, we need to go.”

“Won’t you stay for dinner?” Mary Margaret asks.

What the hell, Mom?

“We really have to go,” Tamara insists. “It was nice seeing you guys, though.”

“Oh, it was wonderful seeing you, sweetie. Good luck in New York. You’re going to be great at your new job.” Mary Margaret hugs Tamara. “Nice seeing you as well, Neal. You’ll fit right in, but I know your dad will miss you.”

Emma is so busy trying to take in all of this brand new information that she doesn’t hear the rest of the conversation. Through blurred vision, she sees her mom hug Neal, and yeah, Emma wants to go home. She wants to go back to her apartment where she doesn’t have to put up with this kind of shit.

Where there’s no Neal and his fiancée and especially where her mom isn’t hugging her asshole of an ex and treating him like he’s a good person.

There’s a squeeze on her hand and suddenly, Killian’s fingers are wrapping around hers. That’s when everything snaps back, and she realizes Neal is telling her goodbye.

“Yeah, bye,” Emma mutters, putting on that fake smile again.

“Maybe we could go for lunch while I’m still in town,” he suggests.

Emma bites her tongue to keep from scoffing, but she can’t help the words that come out of her mouth. “Yeah, that’s not happening. Have fun in New York.”

Neal looks like a wounded puppy when Emma manages to look at him, but she doesn’t care. He shouldn’t have had the audacity to ask her in the first place, not after everything he’s done.

Happy holidays to them all.

“Emma,” Mary Margaret hisses as soon as the front door has shut and Neal and Tamara are gone, “that was so rude of you! You can go to lunch with Neal.”

“Oh my God, Mom,” Emma groans, letting go of Killian’s hand and standing up. “I am twenty-eight years old. I’m not going to go to lunch with the man who ruined my life because you don’t like being rude. Just…let’s eat dinner, and you guys can tell me what we have planned for this week. Killian is thrilled to go to the play. I told him all about it.”

“Emma, I still don’t think – ”

“Come on, Mary Margaret,” David sighs as he claps his hand on her shoulder. “Let’s get these two dinner. They had a long drive, and I’m sure they’re starving. You like ham, Jones?”

“Love it,” Killian says as he stands from the couch. “Can I help with anything?”

“You can get a wine bottle from the rack.”

They’re all going to need it. Or at least Emma is going to.

Dinner is, well, awkward, which Emma expected, but she expected the usual awkwardness of having dinner with her parents after going a year without seeing them. This is an entire other level. Killian tries to ease it. He’s put on his most charming smile, his accent coming through thicker with each story he tells, and while her Dad seems put out, her mom is every bit as charmed by him as Emma would expect.

That makes it all fine and good until Emma’s reminded that her parents think Killian is her boyfriend, and his place would go down in flames if she told the truth now.

As much as she would like to spite her mom, that is the last thing she needs.

“So, Killian, you can stay in Emma’s room,” her mom says as they finish up dinner. “I’d have you stay in the guest room, but it’s currently filled with props and costumes for the play. But you're both adults. Who are we to keep you apart at night?”

“The couch would be fine,” Killian insists, holding his hands up.

“Nonsense, you are a guest here. You need to be comfortable. Let’s get you all settled and ready for bed.”

It’s almost like she’s in a trance as her mom guides them up the stairs to Emma’s old room. She vaguely hears her tell stories of different pictures hung on the wall by the staircase, but she doesn’t really notice. Instead, she hangs back with her dad who does not look thrilled at the whole situation.

For some reason that offends Emma. As far as her dad knows, she’s brought a man home for Christmas. A man who she loves enough to bring home, which is not all sunshine and roses for her. Once again, she’s jealous of the people who go home for the holidays and know it’s going to be a happy time.

“You know, you don’t have to act like I’m sixteen,” she tells her dad. “I live with this man. I think it’s okay for us to share a bedroom here for the week.”

“What makes you think I’m not happy about this. If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

Emma stops at the landing and turns to her Dad, crossing her arms over her chest and staring him down. Or up. She forgot how much taller her dad is than her.

“Try a little harder to make that believable.”

David laughs and leans forward to kiss her forehead. “Welcome home, kid. I’m glad you and Killian are here.”

-/-

Tag list (You can be taken off or added at any time): @qualitycoffeethings @marrtinski @klynn-stormz @scarletslippers @elizabeethan @jrob64 @snowbellewells @therealstartraveller776 @thejollyroger-writer @inth-trees @galaxyzxstark @galadriel26 @idristardis @karenfrommisthaven @teamhook @spartanguard @searchingwardrobes @jamif @shireness-says @ultimiflos @onepunintendid @bluewildcatfanatic @superchocovian @killianswannn @carpedzem @captainkillianswanjones @mayquita @mariakov81 @jennjenn615 @onceuponaprincessworld @a-faekindagirl @scientificapricot @xellewoods @ultraluckycatnd @stahlop @kmomof4 @tiganasummertree @singersdd @tornadoamy @cluttermind @lfh1226-linda @andiirivera @itsfabianadocarmo @captain-emmajones @ilovemesomekillianjones @capthamm

#what a lie we're in #cs fic #cs ff #cs fanfic #cs fanfiction #captain swan fic #captain swan ff #captain swan fanfic #captain swan fanfiction #captain swan

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honey-dewey · 4 years ago

Text

(Hold me Closer) Tiny Dancer

Chapter 2

Pairing: Jack ‘Whiskey’ Daniels/Reader

Word Count: 1,293

Fic Warnings: Non-sexual age regression, split perspective, classification AU, canon-typical violence

Chapter Warnings: none?

Taglist: None for this fic. If you want to be added, just ask, but I know this is an odd topic and therefore will not tag anyone unless they ask

Jack’s not exactly the most stable human being on the planet, but when he tests as a Caregiver, all hell breaks loose as someone who was just his work partner suddenly becomes so much more.

Multi-chapter story. Chapter 2 of ? Read Chapter 1 Here

-Whiskey- Two days later, Jack was sitting through the new recruits initiation. As each recruit came through the door and earned their name, Ginger texted him about each one through his glasses.

That one’s a flirt. You two should get along.

Jack snorted under his breath as Agent Gin was given his name.

She’s a sweetheart. Young too. Barely 25.

Agent Jägermeister sat across from Jack, nodding to him. He nodded back.

The final recruit came through the door, and Jack’s breath hitched in his throat.

That’s the Little.

“And finally,” Champ handed the newest agent their hat. “Agent Mojito.”

Agent Mojito sat next to Jack, on his left. He gave them a small nudge. “Welcome to Statesman.”

Mojito smiled a tiny smile and nodded their thanks.

Jack eyed Champ, who shrugged, as if reading his mind.

Standing, Jack held a hand out to Mojito. “Why don’t I show you ‘round. Being new here, it’s a bit of a maze.”

Mojito stood, brushing their shirt off. “Thank you,” they said. “But I have an appointment with Ms. Ginger. I’m sure I’ll see you around Mr. Whiskey.”

And just like that, Jack was left alone in the conference room, wondering exactly how this would all shake out in the end.

-Mojito-

To say you were nervous about working at Statesman was an understatement. You had passed each and every test with flying colors, completely shattering the last marksman record. However, the only hitch had been your classification. Ginger had pronounced you Little, a fact you already knew. She’d seemed nervous upon telling you Statesman had no Little agents, and you’d pretty much resigned yourself to failure then and there.

But apparently Champ saw something in you, because he insisted upon you being a recruit. This meant earning your hat, glasses, and name.

Agent Mojito.

Heading down towards the lab, you met with Ginger, who was waiting in the consultation room. You slid into a chair, nerves bundling in your stomach.

“So,” Ginger passed a few papers your way. “Those are prescription forms. Check all the data over and then sign at the bottom. Once you’ve done that, we can talk about your pills.”

You signed with ease, and once you handed Ginger back the papers, she pulled out an orange bottle. “Strongest dose I can give someone of your size. Take one in the morning, preferably with food. They’re 24 hour, so you only need one a day. This bottle has thirty pills, come back when you get down to five and I’ll authorize a refill. Everything is written on the side of the bottle, so don’t worry about remembering it.” She handed you a plastic card. “That will get you access to the lab, where I will refill your pills.”

You nodded, putting the pills in your pocket. “What if I miss one?”

“One should be fine,” Ginger reassured. “But if you miss more than one, then you could possibly crash. So I suggest you keep those safe. And if you go on any missions, be sure to plan ahead with refills. If you want to drop during weekends to relax or not put too much pressure on your body, not taking your pills from Friday to Monday will work. Just be sure to take a pill Monday morning, or else all hell may break loose.”

Again, you nodded.

Ginger stood. “That should be all,” she said. “Why don’t I show you out. Statesman headquarters are a bit of a maze.”

“That’s what Agent Whiskey said,” you remembered softly. “He’s nice.”

“Huge flirt,” Ginger said with a shrug. “Just mind yourself around him, and it should be fine.”

You two walked out together, Ginger smiling at you. “I can’t wait to work with you, Agent Mojito.”

Smiling, you got into your car, heading towards your small apartment. Today had been one hell of an experience, and you couldn’t wait to get some sleep.

----

Your first official day at Statesman was a disaster.

Well, it wasn’t actually a disaster. It just seemed like one.

You took your pill during breakfast in the cafeteria, sitting alone with a book. However, your glasses pinged before you could even finish your chapter.

Champ wants you down at the shooting range. Seems important.

Sighing, you pocketed your book and picked up your travel mug of coffee. Today was already shaping up to be very interesting.

The shooting range was easy enough to find, and before you knew it, you were face to face with Whiskey once more.

“Fancy seein’ you here,” he said in that thick southern drawl you found surprisingly interesting. “I suppose you’re responsible for breakin’ my shootin’ record.”

You smirked, confidence welling in your chest. “I suppose I am.”

Whiskey whistled. “Well. Let’s see it then. Champ wants to know what you got. And honestly, so do I.”

You nodded, picking up your weapons of choice. Two beautiful custom flintlock pistols. They were Kingsman guns, a gift from your neighbors across the pond. Both were fitted with technological advances that were appropriate for someone of your status. The right pistol shot regular bullets. You could reliably get six shots out before needing to reload, and the actual flint mechanism was automatic, unless you turned it to manual. The left pistol shot specialized bullets. Electric, tracker, exploding, If Statesman made it, you could shoot it. The left pistol could also, in a pinch, be loaded with regular bullets, just as it was right now.

“Target?” You asked sweetly, watching Whiskey pick up his revolvers.

Whiskey pointed down towards the far end of the range. “Those seven dummies in blue.”

You nodded. You took some time lining yourself up on the red X taped to the floor, and when you were ready, you wiggled your stance a tiny bit more, raised your guns, and fired.

Whiskey blinked as the seven shots rang out in such quick succession he didn’t even have time to count them. All of the dummies had perfect bullet holes through them, each and every one shot with deadly accuracy.

“Fuck,” he breathed. “Forget what Champ said. That hat was well earned. I ain’t even gonna try.”

You let out a breath, turning to face Whiskey. “Why thank you,” you said, calm as ever on the outside. On the inside, you were giddy with pride.

That giddiness died at lunchtime.

“Agent Mojito.” Champ approached your lunch table, and you looked up from your book. “I saw your shooting results. Heard about ‘em too. It seems we have a new best sharpshooter.”

You nodded, smiling. “Thank you.”

“That’s why I’m not hesitant about sending you on your first mission.”

Shit.

“With all due respect,” you said slowly. “Am I really ready?”

Champ raised his eyebrows. “Why don’t you tell me.”

Eventually, you agreed, and Champ handed you the file of information for the mission. Instead of reading your book, you ate your lunch and poured over the papers you’d been given, tucking the file under your arm to report to Champ’s office once you’d finished eating. You had a partner on the job, but the file didn’t mention who. It simply said a senior agent and a new recruit.

You entered Champ’s office after knocking three times, suddenly filled with nerves.

“Come in.”

“Sorry I’m late,” you apologized softly, opening the door. “I got a bit lost.”

Champ smiled. “It’s all good,” he said. “Why don’t you say hello to your partner for this mission.”

You turned to the other side of the room, veins running cold upon seeing the other agent sprawled in an armchair.

Agent Whiskey stood, adjusting his hat and nodding to you with a smirk. “Well this is gonna be interesting.”

Blinking, you softly agreed with him. “Yes. I believe it will be.”

#kingsman the golden circle #kingsman #agent whiskey #jack 'whiskey' daniels #agent whiskey x reader #agent whiskey x you #Pedro Pascal #My writing

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pikemoreno · 4 years ago

Text

if you ever wanna be in love

Chapter II: Coincidences

a/n: the response to what i believe will be the slowest chapter in the whole series was honestly kind of overwhelming? like you guys were into it and it’s only going up from here folks!!

taglist is open if you’d like to be added. sorry if you asked and i missed it or forgot. please just ask again if you aren’t on there and would like to be. :’)

pairing: marcus pike x f!reader

word count: 2.3k

warnings: none, and i don’t expect there to really be any serious ones in upcoming chapters either. this is just fun.

You were really starting to regret your life choices.

Even the beginnings of autumn in Austin were hot as hell. It was only maybe 90 degrees but there was no breeze and the sun was shining ruthlessly on the asphalt, making it feel about 10 degrees hotter. And all of that was then made complete with just a dash of humidity. Basically: you were dying. You probably should’ve considered that before deciding to walk to Rick’s Diner from Wendy’s apartment, but when the pancakes call, you two must answer. And why risk losing your parking spot in the meager guest parking area when you could just walk? It’s only a couple of streets away.

Famous last words. The Austin sun, though setting, still felt like it was frying you to your bones and the air conditioning of the little diner only brought minor relief as you finally reached the stool-lined counter to ask for your to-go order. They didn’t have it quite ready yet due to the dinner rush, but it was unadulterated bliss to hear that you didn’t have to brave the heat again quite yet. A vaguely familiar voice reached your ears as you moved away from the counter.

“Fancy meeting you here, Jewels.”

Pike? From the break room yesterday? You spun around to find none other than the very same. Though his work suit was replaced with a more casual look of a casual well-fit grey shirt and jeans, he was still managing to look more put together than you felt in athletic shirts and a t-shirt. Girls night and the weather called for it, but if you knew you were going to be seeing a coworker...

“Art Squad,” you laughed, leaning against the wall next to him. “What brings you here?”

“Best pancakes in the city. What about you? Coffee?”

“Ha-ha. No, girl’s night with Wendy. Gonna get her mind off of everything with what are absolutely the best pancakes in the city,” you agreed.

“A woman of taste.” His order came up and he took it, taking a moment to talk with the server across the counter. You heard him address him by name.

He must come here a lot.

You couldn’t blame him. It was clean, the service was amazing, the food was great, and it was fun-- with nostalgic decor that didn’t sway towards cheesiness.

Marcus left the counter with his takeout bag, but he didn’t leave with it, as expected. Instead he came back to stand beside you.

“Maybe I should get some for Adrian too. These pancakes are magical,” he commented, continuing your previous conversation.

“Exactly.”

“I just wish I could do more for him. Coffee and pancakes aren’t exactly a permanent fix.”

“Agreed. I’m on the lookout for a rebound for Wendy. Maybe you should consider it too. Not a permanent fix but-- better.”

It hit you all at once.

Two single people recently in need of a rebound that work in the same building?

That couldn’t be coincidence.

But, no, that was a crazy idea. There was nothing that actually connected them. Did they have anything in common other than getting their hearts ripped out and working for the FBI? Doubtful. Was that enough for a stable relationship? God, no. Was that enough to bring them together long enough for a hook-up and getting them over their exes?

Maybe.

Your name being called interrupted your thoughts and, pancakes in hand, you and Marcus walked back out into the Austin heat. You had no idea how he was managing in jeans, though you guessed it helped that he was probably smart enough to drive with the protection of A/C.

“Well, see you around,” you nodded to him, ignoring the nagging in the back of your head to tell him about your scheme. It was silly. You turned left to walk towards Wendy’s place.

“Where are you going?” he calls after you; you turn. “Did you not--?” he gestures to the parking lot on his right.

“Walked here.”

“Do you like causing yourself pain?”

“Sometimes.” He gave you a look. “I’m kidding. It’s not that bad.”

“Yeah, right. Let me drive you.” You considered a moment. There wasn’t any harm in accepting the ride, you guessed, though you didn’t actually know him. He could actually be a murderer who’s just trying to get you to a secondary location. You’d seen John Mulaney. You knew what that meant.

But maybe it was worth a try for the pancakes.

Just for the pancakes-- for their safety.

“Sure, why not.”

This couldn’t be coincidence either. Time to scheme.

“So, about Adrian,” you began. The look he gave you was quizzical. “How old is he?”

“33?”

“Would he be interested in a 32 year old beautiful, badass goddess of an FBI Supervisory Special Agent?” He raises an eyebrow as you get in his car.

“Is that Wendy?”

“Yes. Turn left up here.” He did.

“I know what you’re thinking. No, we’re not going to--”

“But think about it!”

“I am. Meddling? That always works.” His tone was drowning in sarcasm.

“Sure it does. Adrian’s work is suffering, right? Driving you crazy? Wendy’s driving me crazy. They belong together.”

“I don’t think that’s a great quality to base a relationship off of.”

“Oh, this is her building here.” He pulled over and you continued, unbuckling your seatbelt “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Surely we can get them together long enough to at least get them off our backs.”

“Absolutely not. I’m not getting involved in Adrian’s love life.”

“Alright, fine. If you never see me again. Wendy finally killed me.” He rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the ride, Art Squad.”

“See you around, Jewels.”

“Don’t be so sure!” you called back as you walked up to the front of Wendy’s apartment.

Arriving back to Wendy’s living room had her asking you how you got back so soon as she gratefully took out her takeout container of pancakes.

“Hitched a ride,” you shrugged in reply, sitting cross-legged on the other end of her couch.

“Oh? With who?” There were approximately eight extra “O’s” attached at the end of the question.

“A guy from work.”

“From work, hmm?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“Not like that.”

“Humor me. Someone from our team?”

“Oh, no. Definitely not. Art Squad.” Wendy widened her eyes, tilting her head at you. “It’s nothing Wendy, honestly.”

“How do you know him?” But the question didn’t come out casually. This was an interrogation. You sighed.

“I don’t, really,” you diverted the conversation digging into your take-out container. “And why are you interrogating me, hmm? I thought we were supposed to be laughing at reality shows and stuffing our faces in pancakes here and forgetting all about this kind of shit.”

“No no no. When my long-time single work friend mentions a secret guy, I ask questions.”

“Hey, I just went on a date two weeks ago! Don’t give me any of that always single crap. I get around.”

“Yeah, you went on one date. And then you came back an hour later saying he was boring and you never contacted him again. And when was the last time before that?”

“Fine, fine. I get it. But this isn’t some ‘secret guy,’” you put down your fork just to give the phrase some emphatic air quotes. “I just ran into him yesterday at the office and then today at Rick’s. That’s it.”

“For now,” she whispered devilishly. You pointed your fork at her, feigning a threat.

“I do not need a man, Wendy Harrod. I have work and I have you.”

“I know you don’t. I just wanna see you happy.” You crossed your arms.

“I am happy. Hey, this night is supposed to be about you and your man troubles. Turn on 90 Day Fiance. Stop talking about me.”

You were telling the truth. Most of it. You felt alright by yourself. You did have work, though it was a dead-end until you managed to move out of the Austin field office. It had been you and Wendy up for a promotion a couple years ago and she received it. You knew the likelihood of her leaving before retirement was minuscule, which left you stuck in your current position until your own retirement. Unless you left. Not an option. You couldn’t leave Wendy scrambling for someone to replace you. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but you had it. It was yours. And you… Liked it well enough.

It was fine. What more could you want?

***

Monday mornings were hard on anyone: the start of another week, the stack of work that Friday-you left for Monday-you staring you in the face. For Marcus it brought the wondering if this could be the week that Adrian was back to himself.

It took all of ten minutes in the office to see that wouldn’t be the case.

Adrian’s pile of work had hardly decreased in height from the last time Marcus saw it on Friday morning. He watched for a moment to see how it was going. Adrian’s pen moved slowly across the page as he followed the words printed on it, occasionally making a mark or circling a section. He was working, but not to his best. It was written on his face and in his body language: hunched over at his desk, his chin resting resting heavily in the hand that wasn’t making lethargic movements over the paper. It just wasn’t the spunky Adrian that loved his job and his co-workers. He was always the hardest worker, and on the rare occasions that Adrian wasn’t working it was because he was too caught up in being a social butterfly. This side of him was frighteningly unprecedented.

“How’re you doing Adrian?” Marcus finally spoke.

Adrian made a noncommittal noise in response, his gaze fixated entirely somewhere above the page, but not quite on him.

“That good, huh?”

Another grunt.

Marcus pulled a rolling chair up to the other side of Adrian’s desk, facing him, studying him. He thought of your proposition from days before. It was kind of a crazy idea. But it might just be crazy enough to work. It wouldn’t be a permanent fix but... Better. Just as you’d said. He was getting about that desperate. Three weeks without Adrian was bad enough for team morale. Another week of this? Maybe more? The very walls of the sixth floor would be turning dull and grey. He still didn’t love the idea, but he hadn’t exactly come up with anything better. Could he bring it up to Adrian? Was it better if they didn’t know they were being set up? He started small.

“Adrian, have you considered maybe, I don’t know, trying to date again soon? Just to get your mind off of… That.”

Adrian shrugged, “Maybe. I’d have to find someone I was interested in. But I just don't think I'll find that anytime soon. I’ll just keep comparing them to Sam.”

Marcus hummed in thought, watching the defeat on Adrian’s face. “Well, I’ll keep my eye out,” he promised loosely as he rolled the rolling chair back away from the desk.

He had to find you.

He quickly announced he was taking a long lunch and headed straight to the elevator, thankful no one followed him to see him go up to the seventh floor instead of down to the first. He poked around offices and desks, ignoring the questioning glances, looking for you or any sign of where your workspace might be. He found you in the seventh floor breakroom, starting into what looked like an extremely mediocre lunch.

He sat directly across from you and watched as you slowly looked up to find the source of the noise, suddenly feeling that he might’ve overstepped and you might not want to disturbed. That was quickly replaced by the odd surge of pride when you looked relieved to see him. You smiled at him and called him Art Squad.

“What brings you to the seventh floor? We still don’t have any coffee,” you huffed.

“I’m in.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I’m in. Let’s set them up.” Your expression was nothing short of cocky as you leaned back in your chair.

“Oh? Coming crawling back so soon? Adrian getting the best of you?”

“Yeah, yeah. Rub it in. So what do we do?”

“Well,” you laid down your fork, “The way I see it. We shouldn’t tell them. They’re having a tough time and feeling like they’re only getting a date from their friends’ pity party would make it worse. They need this to feel natural, like it was their idea and they’re recovering. It’ll give them confidence.”

“So we... What?”

“I don’t know! I didn’t think I’d get this far.” He rolled his eyes.

“You don’t even have a plan and you were trying to convince me to help you?”

“Just let me think about it, alright?”

“Alright. Let’s drive and think. Up for a long lunch break?”

“I guess? But I have,” you looked to your sad little lunch in front of you. When you met his eyes again, he simply raised an eyebrow.

You’re really gonna eat that?

“Rick’s?”

“Rick’s.”

forever taglist: @acomplicatedprofession @hdlynn @makaela27 @space-floozy @catfishingmorales @ithinkhesgaybutwesavedmufasa @princessbatears @synystersilenceinblacknwhite @findhimfives

series taglist: @whiskeyslasso @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @dindjarindiaries @absurdthirst @roxypeanut @fioccodineveautunnale

#bri writes #iyewbil #marcus pike x reader

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shadow-assassin-blix · 4 years ago

Text

Be Still, My Heart

Part 3

A/n: Last official part. Will do headcanons/blurbs for them but for now this story is done.

Everything: @mikeisthricedeceased

Pedro: @m-123 @fioccodineveautunnale @artsymaddie @blo0dangel @mcrmarvelloki

The morning started normally; she was reviewing some files when she first got into the office. She smiled softly when Marcus arrived and sat down across from her at his desk.

The team slowly filed in, and by noon they were transferring files to the team that was taking over for them. They had barely started the process when the head supervisor, Martinez, came in and asked to speak to her.

Steel stood up and followed him to his office. The meeting lasted an hour when Steel was finally sent back out. Marcus noted her face looked blank, but her eyes were rimmed red. She quietly began to pack her desk up.

“…What is going on?” He asked her, coming to stand near her.

“… Short version: I’m fired. Or “asked to take early retirement at half benefits,”” She muttered shortly, tossing things into an empty file box without care.

She refused to look up at him as she did this and quickly grabbed the box and her things before striding to the elevator to leave.

Marcus stared at where she stood in confusion, moving to Martinez’s office to get answers.

“Why did you fire Steel?” He asked as he burst into the office.

He noticed vaguely that the head of the gang unit was also in there.

“Agent Y/L/N was ordered to not go near Felix Hernandez. Her attachment to him causes a great deal of issues. He was arrested 20 minutes ago, asking for her. Her continued involvement within the agency could destroy the RICO case that we have been working on for years. This was the best route,” Martinez informed him with a sigh.

Marcus took a heavy breath, running his hand over his face.

“Why was he asking for her?” Marcus questioned looking at both of them.

“Hernandez apparently named her the emergency guardian for Valentina. Steel was given two options: relinquish guardianship and keep her job or keep it and leave the agency. She chose the latter,” Agent Lowell from the Gang Unit filled in.

“You gave her the option… to abandon a child to the foster system just to keep her job? Did you really think she would do that?” Marcus asked astounded.

He turned and left at that point. He marched to the elevator, determined to catch up to Steel. He found her at her home, sitting outside on her steps. Her arms were wrapped her knees and chin rested atop them.

He took a seat next to her, “Martinez and Lowell told me what happened. What do you need me to do?”

“Tomorrow I go in to see Felix and confirm everything. By the end of the week, Valentina will be with me. I… I know you didn’t sign up for this… I… I don’t know what to do beyond this,” She whispered, sniffling as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Well. I still want to be with you… If… I know this is fast but… my place in DC has 3 bedrooms… You and Valentina can stay with me… if you’d like,” Marcus offered.

“According to the child protective services, we have to stay here for at least 6 months. I don’t want you to stay here and put your career on hold for me. We can… skype and call/text. I just… I still want to be with you as well, I just don’t want you to stop living just for us,” She said to him after a moment.

“Okay. 6 months. I can deal with that. 6 months and the 2 of you come live with me,” Marcus replied with a nod.

She gave a watery smile, hoping that the distance and time wouldn’t put a strain on their relationship.

“So… shall we unpack…everything? Or would you like to keep some of it packed still?” Marcus asked sighing heavily as he realized their work over the weekend was for naught.

“I’d rather not unpack everything. Just the necessary items should be enough. I’m sorry. I… I didn’t think this would happen,” She murmured, staring up at the sky.

“I know. Let’s go get you situated, and tonight I’ll make you dinner. Do… do you want me to take you to the prison tomorrow to see Felix?” He hesitantly inquired as he stood back up.

“Yeah… I’d like that. Honestly, I don’t know how I am going to react tomorrow. He… he dropped a bomb in my lap,” She said swallowing harshly, her mouth dry, as she stood up as well.

“I’ll be there every step of the way, no matter what,” He assured her, kissing her firmly.

She kissed him back, feeling the tension in her body leave her. There was something about Marcus that just instantly relaxed her.

The two of them unpacked a handful of boxes that afternoon. After that Marcus made her pancakes and eggs. She laughed as she watched him try to flip them and be fancy. He made her forget about her worries for the time.

He stayed with her that night; nothing happened, but she wished it did. The two of them shared her bed; Steel didn’t want to be alone and enjoyed cuddling with him.

The next day came around far sooner than she wanted, and she dreaded the trip to the prison. Each step she took toward the visiting room made her feel like she was walking to her doom. She took a seat at the table she was directed to by one of the guards.

It didn’t take long for Felix appear, nor for his scummy lawyer to materialize out of nowhere. His lawyer presented her with some documents and a pen.

Felix stared at her for a long time, not speaking.

“Felix. Let’s just get this over with please,” Steel quietly pleaded.

He blinked, clearing his throat, “Yeah. I named you Valentina’s guardian. Your… your old boss has quite the case against me. I’m… I’m take a plea bargain. But… it still means time in the clink… like… 15 years’ worth at least. Valentina’s only 14. She… she needs someone. I don’t want to go away for that time and let her wind up in the foster system. She… listens to you. Loves you.”

“I love her too. I am willing to take her but… you cost me my job. Twice if we are going to be honest. I won’t deny her if you want to keep in touch but… I don’t want to ever see you again. I can’t…” She struggled to speak.

“I understand. If I may say so… I did… I did love you. Even after…everything. I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you,” He said looking her in the eye.

She nodded her head once, turning her attention to the lawyer. He proceeded to explain that Valentina was to stay in one stable home for at least 6 months until the trial is over before Steel would be allowed to move or relocate. There were other terms and conditions that Steel understood and signed on the dotted line once it was all said and done.

“It will take about 2 business days for these to process. You can pick up Valentina from her group home by the end of the week,” He informed her once everyone signed and he walked away.

“Take care of my baby sister. Um. What he didn’t mention was that there is an account setup for her. All legit money for her to use. She has a limit on what she can spend monthly but once she turns 18 that limit disappears,” He mentioned, as he used the abandoned pen and scrap paper to write the info down.

She took the paper from him, nodding in understanding.

“I’ll take care of her, I promise. Do her a favor… don’t get yourself killed in here. She’s already lost a great deal of family… Don’t let her lose the only person she admires the most,” Steel requested as she walked away from him.

She took a deep breath of relief as she finally stepped outside of the prison and over to Marcus; she had asked for him to wait outside for her.

He drove her not to her home, but to his. The two of them spoke quietly, watching movies for the rest of the day.

At some point, Marcus figured out she was ticklish and was ruthless. She tried to squirm away from him, but he had her securely pinned to the couch. When he finally stopped, and she was able to catch her breath, her eyes locked with his.

She had one thought running through her mind and she slowly reached up to kiss him passionately. Her arms wrapped around his neck and his hands cupped her face. As they kissed, she experimentally rolled her hips against his. He lowly moaned into her mouth as the kiss intensified and their hands began to wander and explore.

He pulled away for them to catch their breath.

He stared at her and quietly asked, “Do… do you want… I mean… shall we move this somewhere more comfortable?”

Steel nodded and the two of them made their way into his room to finish what they had started.

In the early hours of the morning, Marcus woke to his phone buzzing quietly. He blindly reached for it as he blinked awake. He looked at his phone to see he had missed a call from Teresa. He stared at his phone confused, wondering why the hell she was contacting him.

He ignored his phone, not wanting to deal with her. He turned his attention to Steel who was passed out on his chest. He smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head as he settled back down into her arms. He fell asleep hoping that the time apart wouldn’t break them. He wasn’t sure if he could deal with another heartbreak.

Over the next few weeks, Marcus and Steel spent time together while also adjusting to the new addition in their life: Valentina.

At first Valentina wasn’t… thrilled to say the least… at meeting Marcus and finding out what he meant to Steel. Valentina always believed that Steel and her brother would get back together. Valentina was at times cold or standoffish when interacting with Marcus.

However, that changed when the two of them bonded over art. Marcus was a bit of an artist himself, despite his denials that he was any good. The two of them spent hours talking about their favorite artists and painting together.

By the time Marcus was set to leave DC, Valentina was just as sad as Steel to see him leave.

He assured the both of them that 6 months will pass by faster than they’ll realize.

“I’ll call, skype, text, everyday if need be,” Marcus promised them as the two of them hugged him goodbye.

“You better,” Valentina warned him shaking her finger at him.

Marcus and Steel shared one last kiss before he left.

6 Months Later

Marcus was working undercover in DC and was on his way home from his day of work. He was trying to stifle multiple yawns as he pulled up to his house, smiling when he heard his phone ringing. He parked as he answered the video call.

“Hello, my beautiful ladies. How are we today?” He asked them as he stepped out of his car.

“We’re doing great… in fact… you should turn around handsome,” Steel’s voice teased.

He did so, spotting a car pulling up to the curb. Any exhaustion he felt immediately left him as he spotted Steel and Valentina sitting in the car that was packed with stuff.

Valentina raced out to tackle him in a hug. He grunted softly as he wrapped his arms around her, returning the embrace.

“My goodness, you’ve gotten taller, my mini-Rosa Bonheur,” Marcus said with a smile, referring to one of her favorite artists.

“Hi, we wanted to surprise you! Are you surprised?” She asked excitedly.

“Very,” He said turning his attention to Steel as she walked up to join them.

“Hey handsome,” She greeted him as she held her arms out for a hug as well.

Marcus thought about hugging her but instead hooked his fingers into her belt, jerking her forward to pull her in for a kiss.

She smiled as they kissed, having missed kissing him. She also found she really enjoyed the feel of his scruffy beard. Her hand reached up to touch it, gently scratching at the feel of it. When she broke it, she giggled softly at the tickling situation she felt.

“Hm. Could get used to this. Shall we get inside my love?” She asked motioning toward the front door.

He nodded with a grin, leading the both of them inside. He showed Valentina where her room was; he had kept the room somewhat bare simply so that way she can decorate however she wants. Valentina was excited at the prospect of decorating it how she wants but was also tired. She curled up in the bed and passed out almost immediately.

Marcus and Steel chuckled softly at that, before leaving her to sleep. Marcus led Steel to the master bedroom, presenting the empty drawers and the empty half of the walk-in closet that he had set aside for her.

“I’ve missed you,” He whispered after a moment.

Steel looked at him, noticing he looked at her with an indescribable look.

She stood in front of him, looping her arms around his neck.

“I missed you too honey. These last 6 months have been… rough. Video calls and texts were simply not enough. I hope you are ready to take me out on many real dates and spend lots of time… acting out all of those whispered promises and salacious thoughts we’ve shared,” She flirted with him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

“Very ready. I’ve hated this time apart. Honestly… I was worried… that.. that we wouldn’t…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“I know. Not going to lie, I had the same fears at first. However, I realized one thing in our time apart,” She said mysteriously.

“Oh? What’s that?” He questioned curiously.

“I love you,” She revealed gazing into his eyes.

His breath caught slightly at that; he was overwhelmed with emotions as the words danced around in his ears.

He picked her up suddenly, carrying her to the bed. As he placed her on it, and moved to hover over her, he kissed her several times. After about 10 kisses he said the words back, loving the smile that shined on her face.

The both of them were too tired to do anything more, but they spent some time kissing and enjoying one another’s company.

The next day, between the movers arriving and unpacking her car, it was a long and exhausting day. It took another week for everything to be fully unpacked.

The three of them spent their free time simply enjoying one another’s company while watching movies or enjoying dinners out. It was summertime which meant no school for Valentina so Marcus spent a great deal taking them to every museum or park he could think of.

Before they knew it a year had passed, his undercover work was done. To celebrate they were going to do something he never thought he would do: get a tattoo.

He wanted something small and simple; he chose a bullseye with two circles on his wrist.

“Circles to represent the most important people in my life,” He explained as the artist prepped his skin for the tattoo.

She smiled somewhat shyly at that, as she took hold of his free hand for him to squeeze through the pain. The tattoo took about 30 minutes and Marcus definitely crushed her hand a few times, but it was worth it.

As they drove home that night, Marcus was oddly chipper as they reached their house. Valentina had become friends with the girl next door and was sleeping over with her that night, so they had the house to themselves.

Steel had wandered into the kitchen to start making dinner when Marcus stopped her.

“I’m not… I’m not very good at this. I have a pretty bad history when it comes to this but here we go,” He began as he turned her to face him. “I am so deeply in love with you. You have made my life complete. You are always so attentive to me and checking to make sure I am okay. Something… I am not used to, I will admit. I have been divorced and had the world’s shortest engagement. I haven’t been with anyone who… who loves me unconditionally. You are my sunshine. The light of my life.”

He gradually got down on one knee and simply asked, “Will you marry me?”

He presented a simple ring with a glittering sapphire as the centerpiece with smaller diamonds circling it.

She tried to bite back the grin that threatened to appear, as tears formed in her eyes. She found she couldn’t speak and nodded her head enthusiastically, holding her left hand out.

Marcus slipped the ring onto her finger, standing up to kiss her passionately.

They had found each other out of happenstance and neither of them ever thought they would reach this point. Their hearts had been broken too many times before and love appeared to be a distant dream. They knew in that moment they had found the person they were meant to be with.

Bonus Scene:

Marcus who was up before Steel the next morning was drinking coffee and making pancakes when he heard the front door open, and a set of feet rush inside.

He turned to see Valentina racing into the kitchen.

“Did she say yes!?” She asked excitedly as she ran up to him.

Marcus nodded his head laughing at the cheer she gave.

“So, the tattoo idea worked? The whole “you complete me” thing?” She questioned further.

The two of them had come up with this idea a month ago.

Marcus said, “Yes. It did. She loved it. And I now have a tattoo that I can add on to if we decided to ever give you siblings or even pets.”

She paused in her happy dance at that last line.

“Siblings? Like… I mean… are you… are you saying you see me as your kid?” She hesitantly asked.

“Thought that was obvious little one. If you would like… and we’ll talk it out with Steel but… would you be okay if we adopted you? Steel has guardianship of you, yes, but this would make it more official, if you wanted,” Marcus suggested as he finished up the pancakes.

Valentina stared at him with wide eyes, blinking owlishly. After a moment she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

He heard her lightly mumble that she’d like that, as he noticed Steel quietly step into the room, a smile on her face.

“Guess we should get on that then huh?” Steel said as she took a seat at the island.

Valentina pulled away to go give Steel a big hug as well. Marcus watched his two favorite girls talk and cry happy tears. If someone had told him 2 years ago that he would one day be engaged and about to adopt a child, he wouldn’t have believed them. This was better than anything he ever could have dreamed of and it all started because a woman with nerves of steel walked into his office.

#marcus pike x reader #the mentalist #marcus pike

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ltbroccoli · 3 years ago

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✩ !!

the ultimate relationship tag ( selectively accepting // @galaeus )

Disagreements:

WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO RAISE THEIR VOICE? Echo. WHO THREATENS TO LEAVE BUT NEVER ACTUALLY DOES? Neither. WHO ACTUALLY KEEPS THEIR WORD AND LEAVES? Neither. WHO TRASHES THE HOUSE? Probably Reg. DO EITHER OF THEM GET PHYSICAL? Not likely. HOW OFTEN DO THEY ARGUE/DISAGREE? Not very often. Reg has a tendency to keep things bottled up so he’ll just ignore conflicts until they hit a boiling point. WHO IS THE FIRST TO APOLOGISE? Reg.

Sex:

WHO IS ON TOP? They switch. WHO IS ON THE BOTTOM? They switch. WHO HAS THE STRANGEST DESIRES? Reg. ANY KINKS? Reg would like to pin her down and possibly tie her up (depending how she feels about it). WHO’S DOMINANT IN BED? They switch. IS HEAD EVER IN THE EQUATION? Often! Reg likes going down on her. IF SO, WHO IS BETTER AT PERFORMING IT? They’re both pretty good. EVER HAD SEX IN PUBLIC? They’ve been known to duck into some closets at the Academy. WHO MOANS THE MOST? Reg. WHO LEAVES THE MOST MARKS? Echo. WHO SCREAMS THE LOUDEST? Reg. WHO IS THE MORE EXPERIENCED OF THE TWO? Neither! They were each other’s first. DO THEY ‘FUCK’ OR ‘MAKE LOVE’? Both? Both is good. ROUGH OR SOFT? Depends on the mood, but tends towards rough. HOW LONG DO THEY USUALLY LAST? Decently long. IS PROTECTION USED? Whatever the Federation birth control is, probably. DOES IT EVER GET BORING? No. WHERE IS THE STRANGEST PLACE THEY’D HAVE SEX? Maintenance closets.

Family:

DO YOUR MUSES PLAN ON HAVING CHILDREN/OR HAVE CHILDREN? Reg would love to have kids, if Echo is interested. IF SO, HOW MANY CHILDREN DO YOUR MUSES WANT/HAVE? 2-3 seems like a good number. WHO IS THE FAVORITE PARENT? Reg is a big softie. WHO IS THE AUTHORITATIVE PARENT? Probably Echo. WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO ALLOW THE CHILDREN TO HAVE A DAY OFF SCHOOL? Reg. WHO LETS THE CHILDREN INDULGE IN SWEETS AND JUNK FOOD WHEN THE OTHER ISN’T AROUND? Reg. WHO TURNS UP TO EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN? Both of them. WHO GOES TO PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS? Both of them. WHO CHANGES THE DIAPERS? Both of them. WHO GETS UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO FEED THE BABY? Reg. WHO SPENDS THE MOST TIME WITH THE CHILDREN? Both of them. WHO PACKS THEIR LUNCH BOXES? Reg. WHO GIVES THEIR CHILDREN ‘THE TALK’? Reg wants Echo to do it. But they probably do it together. WHO CLEANS UP AFTER THE KIDS? Both of them. WHO WORRIES THE MOST? Reg. WHO ARE THE CHILDREN MORE LIKELY TO LEARN THEIR FIRST SWEAR WORD FROM? Echo...

Affection:

WHO LIKES TO CUDDLE? Both of them. But mostly Reg. WHO IS THE LITTLE SPOON? Echo, usually. But it can go either way. WHO GETS NAUGHTY IN THE MOST INAPPROPRIATE OF PLACES? Echo... WHO STRUGGLES TO KEEP THEIR HANDS TO THEMSELF? Echo. HOW LONG CAN THEY CUDDLE UNTIL ONE BECOMES UNCOMFORTABLE? Probably days tbh WHO GIVES THE MOST KISSES? Both, they are all over each other. WHAT IS THEIR FAVOURITE NON-SEXUAL ACTIVITY? Curling up in a chair together to read/study/do their own thing. WHERE IS THEIR FAVOURITE PLACE TO CUDDLE? Bed or couch, under a cozy blanket. WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO PLAYFULLY GROPE THE OTHER? Echo. HOW OFTEN DO THEY GET TIME TO THEMSELVES? Fairly often, once they start living together. Before that it’s a lot of stealing time between classes, or taking leave to visit each other.

Sleeping:

WHO SNORES? Reg snores very softly, like a little baby kitten. IF BOTH DO, WHO SNORES THE LOUDEST? Reg. DO THEY SHARE A BED OR SLEEP SEPARATELY? Share. IF THEY SLEEP TOGETHER, DO THEY COZY UP TOGETHER OR LAY FAR APART? Reg snuggles in his sleep. It doesn’t matter what Echo does, she will wake up with Reg half on top of her. WHO TALKS IN THEIR SLEEP? Reg, occasionally. WHAT DO THEY WEAR TO BED? Cozy pajamas. Or nothing. ARE EITHER OF YOUR MUSES INSOMNIACS? Reg. CAN SLEEPING PILLS BE FOUND BY THE BEDSIDE? No. DO THEY WRAP THEIR LIMBS AROUND EACH OTHER OR JUST LAY SIDE BY SIDE? Snuggles. WHO WAKES UP WITH BED HAIR? Reg. WHO WAKES UP FIRST? Echo. WHO PREPARES BREAKFAST IN BED FOR THE OTHER? Reg. WHAT IS THEIR FAVOURITE SLEEPING POSITION? Reg’s first choice would be lying on top of her. His second choice is her curled up with her head on his shoulder so he can hold her. WHO HOGS THE SHEETS? Reg. DO THEY SET AN ALARM EACH NIGHT? Yes, they have to be up for classes/work. CAN A TELEVISION BE FOUND IN THEIR BEDROOM? I imagine they have a viewscreen. WHO HAS NIGHTMARES? Both of them. WHO HAS RIDICULOUS DREAMS? Reg. WHO SPRAWLS OUT AND TAKES UP MOST OF THE BED? Reg. WHO MAKES THE BED? Reg doesn’t. Echo might lmao WHAT TIME IS BED TIME? Whenever Reg eventually passes out. ANY ROUTINES/RITUALS BEFORE BED? Just the standard putting on PJs, brushing teeth, etc. WHO’S THE GRUMPIEST WHEN THEY WAKE UP? Reg is fairly grumpy.

Work:

WHO IS THE BUSIEST? They’re both pretty busy. WHO RAKES IN THE HIGHEST INCOME? Starfleet! ARE ANY OF YOUR MUSES UNEMPLOYED? Nope. WHO TAKES THE MOST SICK DAYS? Reg is much more likely to, Echo strikes me as the type who would just power through being sick. WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO TURN UP LATE TO WORK? Reg. WHO SUCKS UP TO THEIR BOSS? Probably Reg. WHAT ARE THEIR JOBS? Both are in Starfleet, Reg is an engineer, Echo is a tactical officer. WHO STRESSES THE MOST? Reg. DO YOUR MUSES ENJOY OR DESPISE THEIR CAREERS/OCCUPATIONS? Reg doesn’t enjoy his at first. Echo seems fairly content. ARE YOUR MUSES FINANCIALLY STABLE? Starfleet!

Home:

WHO DOES THE WASHING? Either. WHO TAKES OUT THE TRASH? Either. WHO DOES THE IRONING? Reg. WHO DOES THE COOKING? They usually replicate stuff, but if they actually cook, Reg. WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO BURN THE HOUSE DOWN JUST TRYING? Gonna say Echo. WHO IS MESSIER? Reg. WHO LEAVES THE TOILET ROLL EMPTY? Neither. WHO LEAVES THEIR DIRTY CLOTHES ON THE FLOOR? Reg. WHO FORGETS TO FLUSH THE TOILET? Neither. WHO IS THE PRANKSTER AROUND THE HOUSE? Reg. WHO LOSES THE CAR KEYS WHEN IT COMES TIME TO GO SOMEWHERE? Reg. WHO MOWS THE LAWN? Reg. WHO ANSWERS THE TELEPHONE? Echo. WHO DOES THE VACUUMING? Either. WHO DOES THE GROCERIES? Either. WHO TAKES THE LONGEST TO SHOWER? Reg. WHO SPENDS THE MOST TIME IN THE BATHROOM? Reg.

Miscellaneous:

IS MONEY A PROBLEM? Nope! Starfleet! HOW MANY CARS DO THEY OWN? N/A DO THEY OWN THEIR HOME OR DO THEY RENT? They have Starfleet quarters assigned. DO THEY LIVE NEAR THE COAST OR DEEP IN THE COUNTRYSIDE? At the Academy, then aboard starships. DO THEY LIVE IN THE CITY OR IN THE COUNTRY? N/A DO THEY ENJOY THEIR SURROUNDINGS? If Reg is with Echo, yes. Otherwise he’s a bit of a grump. WHAT’S THEIR SONG? Mmmm not sure... WHAT DO THEY DO WHEN THEY’RE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER? When they get different assignments, Reg gets very sad and tries to call her every day. He’s constantly texting her. WHERE DID THEY FIRST MEET? Starfleet Academy. HOW DID THEY FIRST MEET? Echo was having a panic attack after the Kobayashi Maru, and Reg decided to try and help. WHO SPENDS THE MOST MONEY WHEN OUT SHOPPING? If money was a thing, that would probably be Reg. WHO’S MORE LIKELY TO FLASH THEIR ASSETS? Neither. WHO FINDS IT AMUSING WHEN THE OTHER TRIPS OVER? Echo, cause Reg is awkward and can trip over nothing and sometimes it’s very funny. ANY MENTAL ISSUES? Reg has anxiety, and I would not be surprised if Echo has PTSD. WHO’S TERRIFIED OF BUGS? Reg does not like them. WHO KILLS THE SPIDERS AROUND THE HOUSE? Echo. THEIR FAVOURITE PLACE? Their room at the Academy. WHO PAYS THE BILLS? N/A DO THEY HAVE ANY FEARS FOR THEIR FUTURE? Just making things work when they’re just starting out in Starfleet and don’t have much control over anything. WHO’S MORE LIKELY TO SURPRISE THE OTHER WITH A FANCY DINNER? Reg. WHO USES UP ALL OF THE HOT WATER? Reg. WHO’S THE TALLEST? Reg. WHO’S MORE LIKELY TO JUST RANDOMLY HOP INTO THE SHOWER WITH THE OTHER? Echo. WHO WANDERS AROUND IN THEIR UNDERWEAR? Probably Echo. WHO SINGS THE LOUDEST WHEN SINGING ALONG TO THE RADIO? Reg. WHAT DO THEY TEASE EACH OTHER ABOUT? Reg is a total dork and very ease to tease. WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO CRINGE AT THE OTHER’S FASHION SENSE AT TIMES? Reg dressed like a confused dad from the 80s. DO THEY HAVE MUTUAL FRIENDS? Neither of them is very good at making friends besides each other, so... WHO CRUSHED FIRST? Reg was making heart eyes at her for so long. ANY ALCOHOL OR SUBSTANCE RELATED PROBLEMS? Don’t think so. WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO STUMBLE HOME, DRUNK, AT 3AM? Echo. WHO SWEARS THE MOST? Echo.

#galaeus #never had a best friend ( .｡.:*☆ Echo. )#transmission received ( .｡.:*☆ Answers. )#took my best guess on some of these so let me know if any are way off lmao

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letshavanaa · 4 years ago

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Pushing their dreams in a cart, the Moving merchants of Bengaluru

Every journey starts with a dream. A dream to embark on an adventure that reaps the rewards of labour. A walk around Bengaluru will reveal the vibrancy of its rich street trade and moving merchandise in every corner of the city. It’s widely understood that Bangalore market alone is a soft corner for the average citizen’s shopping retreat.

It’s the market places and street trades with moving vendors that mark the vibrance of shopping season. At certain points, you’d find flea markets flocking with eager shopaholics looking to get their hands on the finest accessories and clothing. Where else can you find fine linen, fresh fruits, meat, vegetables, religious items, traditional handicrafts, flowers, crockery, trousers, pet food, appliances and all the flavoursome street food you can imagine at such attractive prices. Although Bangalore is home to some of the largest malls and skyscrapers, there’s a familiar fondness associated to unlimited Gol Gappa at your favourite chat stall by the road. The moving merchants of Bangalore are of much significance to the energized optimism of its citizens.

The Street Trade of Bangalore that Connects People

Street trade has been around longer than most of the buildings in the city. A fresh supply of vegetables, fruits and snacks have been on the rounds for as long as life has existed. When people discover a new flavour, it’s likelier to reach the streets of the city than a Michelin start restaurant. The numerous Dosa vendors lined up at sweet spots in the city are a true reflection of this spirit of sharing and caring. It would be a crime to visit the Garden City of India and not try the best street food on display. Some of the finest, freshest and most scrumptious delicacies are a result of street trade.

If you’re spending more than 10 minutes talking about vegetables, you know you’re on the street bargaining with farm fresh produce. If you’re craving a new selection of comfy pants for your weekends, there are plenty of lucrative options around the corner. Most people want value for their money and street trade has provided access to this value. Shopping in the city streets is not just an individual experience. The experience connects with your locality and shows off the diversity of its people. If it weren’t for moving merchants, handy FM radios wouldn’t be available at such cheap prices. Stainless steel and cast-iron vessels would be hiding in some warehouse fifty blocks away. All the fresh vegetables you eat would have been sitting at a supermarket for three days before you decided to finally go shopping. Not to mention the dhobi who sets up his stall in a corner to collect smelly clothes that hostels never run seem to run out of. It’s just the way the street trade works that makes you think of how lucky we are to have everything within reach.

With digitization, smartphones are in almost every hand, there’s increased connectivity to online shopping. Occasional legal reforms halt certain street vendors for a while. Regulations in farm policies affect the producers who come into the city to share their loot with the country. Branded outlets have taken a significant share of the fine textiles laid across tarp in the streets. The dynamics of street trade have been changing since its earliest recorded popularity in the 16th century. Yet, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, street trade continues to flourish in various parts of the country! Our street vendors continue to rise up and inventively make their products a hot selling item in the neighbourhood. Moving merchants and local street vendors are responsible for the upkeep of a wonderful city experience that makes us all feel a lot safer.

Safety and Security with Ease of Access

In many households, children can walk up to the nearest vendor on the street and get some snacks while they watch their favourite cartoon shows. The elderly can take a stroll down the alley and bump into a vendor with lucrative deals on world-renowned poetry and magazines. A working professional can step out of the office and indulge in the sweet aroma of chai across the street. A group of friends can window shop from dusk till dawn at one of the nearby markets with plenty of items on display. The safety and security that city streets of Bangalore are equipped with, is the mirror of every law-abiding citizen. If you take pride in the access to information of the internet, you will realize how the access to street trade has enlivened our neighbourhoods. Bringing street trade online could revolutionize trade and consumer experiences.

Migrant workers can start a stall by the side of the street and sell their local delicacies to make a living. Farmers from rural areas can sell fresh produce in neighbourhoods where more people are likelier to buy. Shoes can be repaired by handy pros, equipped with everything you need to make them look brand new. The finest sarees can be bought off the nearest street corner. The most elegant sculptures are showcased along the pavement of this vibrant city.

If you want access to buying what you want at your convenience, you have to support the tradition of street trade in India. Find all the street vendors near you, in one place online. This is what could make street trade more popular, livelihoods more stable.

People Connect with Street Vendors

Through technological prowess of the 21st century, we are lucky to gain more and more access to things that are dear to our desires. You can find almost anything online. Almost everything can be delivered to your doorstep in a few hours. Every major business transaction can be automated with technology. People have adapted to digitization that makes almost everything wireless. The city of Bangalore has zero-emission conveyance apps, electric vehicles on standby at the swipe of a button, salon appointments delivered home, grocery shopping online and legal documentation remotely fulfilled. There’s plenty going on with technology and innovation. In fact, Bangalore is rightly dubbed as the Silicon Valley of India. What about our Street Vendors and Moving Merchants? Most vendors certainly accept cashless payments. Kind vendors even offer to take your goods up to your apartment if they want. Some moving merchants list their goods on Amazon. The street trade is evolving and we all want to be a part of the change.

Havanaa App: The One-Stop Access to local Street Vendors

Street trade has always provided financial freedom for an estimated number of over 10 million Indians. Street trade is a big part of the local economy. The creators of Havanaa thought, “why not connect street vendors and moving merchants to an online platform for increased visibility among customers?” After all, the Covid19 pandemic slowed down sales for many vendors who depend on foot traffic and eager shoppers. Many vendors lost jobs and ended up seeking a new way of financial freedom. Havanaa wants to provide a solution to rising unemployment. Havanaa wants to encourage the local economy and street trade. Havanaa wants to make shopping more convenient for customers of all ages. Havanaa wanted to provide sustainable options to bargain with your local street vendors. The Havanaa App was an idea born to preserve the culture of street vending and better – make it an attractive profession!

Increased Access and Increased Reliability of Havanaa

Imagine ordering your fresh groceries from the comfort of your living room without having to use a coupon, or subscribe to an offer designed to encourage consumerism at supermarkets. Imagine all the access to farm fresh fruits and vegetables near you. No added pressure, guaranteed quality and directly from the local street vendor and best of all – you pick and choose what you want!. Your kids can find some ingenious toys to keep occupied during holidays. All the local stationary is available at such amazing prices. Customers could browse through fine textiles, household items and fancy gifts that are sold exclusively by street vendors. An order online and you get your favourite chat delivered to you. Wireless transactions, easy negotiation and seamless experiences can make your street shopping experience better, safer and more convenient. Best of all – you are helping someone who is truly in need of that money! The Havanaa App connects customers to local street vendors online.

Customers get access to a wide selection of lucrative items on display. Behind every vendor, there’s a story of hardship and struggle. Everyone has a dream and works every day to attain it. Each street vendor is pushing their dreams in a cart, selling their valuable possessions to you. The Havanaa App is designed to create financial stability, increase shopper’s convenience and promote the local economy by connecting street vendors who are near by to you.

We want you to realize the spirit of street trade and join us on the adventure of promoting local produce, moving merchandise and delicious street food with sustainable options. Havanaa inspires connectivity, reliability and convenience.

So what are you waiting for?

Click here to fill in a form and get 3 months access to moving vendors nearby online.

The Havanaa App is launching soon. Get your hands on fine items and contribute to the street vendors and moving merchants of Bengaluru, pushing their dreams in a cart for you.

#Havanna #Street Vendors #Street Vendors in India #Vendors near me #Vegetable Vendors Near Me

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regrettablemeasure · 4 years ago

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otp tag.

tagged by @solasan, thank u!!!!! tagging: @ritualism and @editoress i think all my other Wayhaven ppl have been @’d already

PENNY AND FELIX EDITION

DISAGREEMENTS.

who is more likely to raise their voice?

i neither! penny if i had to choose, but shes usually p good at keeping cool. and felix doesn’t seem like a shouty person anyways.

who threatens to leave but never actually does?

N/A

who actually keeps their word and leaves?

N/A

who trashes the house?

N/A

do either of them get physical?

N/A

how often do they argue/disagree?

i think their first disagreement is in book 2 when Felix got hurt during Sanja’s rescue. Penny feels super guilty about it and is worried Felix is brushing it off when he has a right to be upset. She’s kinda haunted by that whole situation and the choice she had to make. Other than that, they definitely never really argue. At most in the beginning Penny was just kind of oblivious/flippant because she’s socially awkward lol

who is the first to apologize?

both lmao

SEX.

who is on top? who is on bottom?

Felix is a little top you cant convince me otherwise

any kinks?

not really

who has the strangest desires?

i think they’re mostly just cute in bed without anythnig crazy going on

who’s dominant in bed?

FELIX!! in the cute ‘i got this’ kind of way. Penny’s shy so definitely not her.

is head ever in the equation?

duh

if so, who is better at performing it?

felix has the charisma but i think penny has the technique

ever had sex in public?

they did almost fuck in nate’s library

who moans the most?

Penny! Felix thinks its cute

who leaves the most marks?

FELIX LOVES HICKIES. hes sad that they don’t last super long on him, but she tries anyway.

who is the more experienced of the two?

I think they’re pretty even actually

do they ‘fuck’ or ‘make love’?

latter

how long do they usually last?

im sure it varies

rough or soft?

soft!!

is protection used?

YES. penny is ON that shit. Though she wouldn’t be against having kids one day.

does it ever get boring?

nah they’re too cute and in gross cuddly love. Does felix look like he’d EVER get bored of the detective

where is the strangest place they’d have sex?

it didnt happen but again, nates library. Penny was secretly kinda into it

FAMILY.

do they plan on having children / do they have children?

I don’t think either are seriously considering it for a while but Penny is a good 50/50 on it!

if so, how many children do they want/have?

just one, maybe two.

AFFECTION.

who likes to cuddle?

Felix! Penny’s a little more standoffish in general with physical affection, but she does love cuddling Felix. If he wants to cuddle she’s p much always down for it.

who gets naughty in the most inappropriate of places?

Felix. Have you heard what that boy says

who struggles to keep their hands to themself?

Felix! Though only in private. He know’s Penny’s shy and its cute to do it when shes working or something. He likes playfully distracting her.

how long can they cuddle until one becomes uncomfortable?

Probably for a good while, though Penny has a tendency to get antsy. Usually it just means her getting up and him happily following after her though

what is their favourite non-sexual activity?

video games! She showed him Animal Crossing and it was over

where is their favourite place to cuddle?

on the couch!

SLEEPING.

who snores?

Penny...

if both do, who snores the loudest?

Not loudly , but again penny.

do they share a bed or sleep separately?

they share a bed!

if they sleep together, do they cozy up together or lay far apart?

depends!

what do they wear to bed?

Penny wears pj shorts and a cotton shirt, pretty simple. Felix is probs similar

are either of them insomniacs?

Penny DEFINITELY is. Thankfully Felix doesn’t sleep a lot so she’s rarely disturbing him!

can sleeping pills be found by the bedside?

YEP. Especially after book 1, she started having nightmares.

do they wrap their limbs around each other or just lay side by side?

Felix is a koala.

who wakes up with bed hair?

Penny. Felix somehow always looks fucking perfect and she’d be jealous if she didn’t think it was so charming.

who wakes up first?

Penny. Even if Felix is just lazing about, she’s one of those responsible people or something.

who prepares breakfast in bed for the other?

Felix tried. keyword being tried.

what is their favourite sleeping position?

Penny sleeps on her side and Felix clambers around either with one leg over her or spooning her usually.

do they set an alarm each night?

Penny does!

who has nightmares?

Both :(. Hard to tell with Felix how often for him

can a television be found in their bedroom?

Penny doesn’t have a TV

who has ridiculous dreams?

Felix for sure. Sometimes involving stuff pertaining to the Echo World and Penny is like ??? and he doesn’t know how to explain it.

who sprawls out and takes up most of the bed?

Felix

who makes the bed?

Felix, because he insists. Penny goes back and straightens it out

what time is bed time?

bed by 1

any routines/rituals before bed?

felix insists on brushing their teeth together bc he thinks its cute (penny does too). its how she first actually got a glimpse of his fangs

who’s the grumpiest when they wake up?

neither! though felix DOES complain.

WORK.

who is the busiest?

penny. felix is busy keeping himself from dying of boredom

who rakes in the highest income?

n/a

are any of them unemployed?

n/a

who takes the most sick days?

Penny, though very rarely. She usually saves them for days where she wants to work from home because the office got too overwhelming.

what are their jobs?

Vampire Agent vs Police Detective

who sucks up to their boss?

Felix tries to charm Rebecca. Rebecca just sighs.

who is more likely to turn up late to work?

Felix. Got distracted

who stresses the most?

PENNY. though she usually takes things in stride, she’s a little up tight.

do they enjoy or despise their careers/occupations?

Penny is fine with being a detective and doubly fine with being an agent.

are they financially stable?

yeah!

HOME.

who does the washing?

Penny. We know what Felix’s stance is on laundry considering he hides his socks in Mason’s hamper.

who takes out the trash?

Felix , and he acts like a hero

who does the ironing?

Penny! She wears nice clothes that definitely would require ironing.

who does the cooking?

Penny is a serviceable cook, though she tends to cook the same things. And sometimes still eats like a (healthier) college student because she doesn’t have the energy. Felix LOVES using it as an excuse to order food.

who is more likely to burn the house down just trying?

Felix.

who is messier?

Felix. More just disorganized

who leaves their dirty clothes on the floor?

Felix. Again, boy clearly hates laundry

who loses the car keys when it comes time to go somewhere?

Neither. Unless Felix yoinked the keys - then they could be anywhere.

who answers the telephone?

FELIX. First ring, always.

who mows the lawn?

city slickers for life so neither

who does the vacuuming?

both. felix likes doing it and danciing

who does the groceries?

Penny because felix will bring back a bunch of things they didnt need

who takes the longest to shower?

Penny. She uses so much water

who spends the most time in the bathroom?

neither!

MISCELLANEOUS.

is money a problem?

nah theyre secret agents

how many cars do they own?

just penny’s little clunker

what’s their song?

waterfalls coming out your mouth // violet hour (especially this one) // sugar

do they live in the city or in the country?

small town

do they own their home or do they rent?

penny’s renting but wouldn’t be against owning a little flat somewhere

do they enjoy their surroundings?

wayhaven is home and comfortable for penny! she was actually falling out of love for it before she got promoted, now she feels protective over it and the supernaturals shes now aware live there.

what do they do when they’re away from each other?

felix goes insane waiting until they can meet up again. penny is often thinking abt him but is eager to get work done so she can do it even sooner

where did they first meet?

abandoned warehouse in book one - though the first meeting SHE remembers is him kissing her on the hand... romance...

who spends the most money when out shopping?

i feel they both are pretty similar! Theyre Fashionable, though Pennys really good at budgeting.

who’s more likely to flash their assets?

listen it doesnt happen in canon but if you do the combat training route with felix he fucking puts your hands up his shirt

any mental issues?

penny has anxiety and has been diagnosed as autistic since she was, like, 12. felix clearly has some shit he’s not letting himself fully mourn but OKAY BUDDY

who finds it amusing when the other trips over?

penny laughs when felix trips just because he’s like a beautiful ragdoll and always ‘saves’ himself in really funny ways. felix is such a prince charming i think he’d see her tripping more as an excuse to be dashing and handsome at her and save her from face planting than laugh.

who’s terrified of bugs?

penny definitely isn’t. could see felix losing his shit over a spider.

who kills the spiders around the house?

PENNY. doesn’t kill them though.

do they have any fears for their future?

Penny’s worried that loved ones might get put into danger due to ... everything. Verda found out about vampires and wasn’t hyped, so she’s worried about their friendship and his saftey most of all. She’s also worried about making ‘tough’ choices like the one at the end of book 2. It’s not a pleasant dilemma.

their favourite place?

Penny’s apartment!

who’s more likely to surprise the other with a fancy dinner?

felix FOR SURE

who pays the bills?

both, but penny set it all up on autopay bc felix would forget.

who’s the tallest?

Felix! He’s like what, 5′7-5′9? penny’s 5′3.

who’s more likely to just randomly hop into the shower with the other?

Both! Penny’s shy when doing it but she loves felix’s reaction because he’s always super excited.

who wanders around in their underwear?

neither

who sings the loudest when singing along to the radio?

felix. duh

what do they tease each other about?

everything! penny teases felix over how energetic and goofy and ~suave~ he is. He teases penny over being bashful - but she actually teases him more! He teases her over ROMANTIC stuff.

who is more likely to cringe at the other’s fashion sense at times?

Penny. The waistcoat, Felix. Why. No

who crushed first?

FELIX DIDDDDDDD. Penny got flustered but is very :/ at relationships bc she struggles socially and the only serious relationship she had prior was fucking BOBBY. So she straight up doesn’t trust that felix is being genuine at first. Also she’s a lil bit oblivious.

any alcohol or substance related problems?

nope!

who is more likely to stumble home, drunk, at 3am?

neither

who swears the most?

probably felix, though I don’t think he swears a lot either?

#rosetxt #txt #long post #penny langford

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hadestownmodern · 5 years ago

Text

Eurydice’s Graduation

I hope you all are staying safe <3 Here’s something sappy I managed yesterday. I love you all, be kind and be caring to others and yourselves :) (Danielle)

The day is slightly frigid; lacy frost lining the windows, the skies a characteristically cold shade of slate although the sun had made its appearance. It’s the beginning of December, right before the rush of the holidays and right after Eurydice and Orpheus’s one-year anniversary. The world went on quickly, with finals and wedding plans and a four month-old baby, so quickly that Eurydice barely noticed the transition from finals to graduation until she was slipping her gown on over her dress.

She stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection with a gaze that was not scrutinizing, but thoughtful. With the gown on, things had become real. I had been an immeasurable struggle to come to this place; doubling her course load, finding her footing as a new mother, and trying to make ends meet. It had meant nights spent crying, looking at pages of assignments due all within a week, cradling her newborn to her chest, working through everyone’s schedules to make sure Melody was taken care of and fighting off professors who’d told her time and time again that she couldn’t do it.

That was the true headache of it all-the doubters. She’d been told she couldn’t leave the class to feed her child, that motherhood was her choice and it hadn’t been the right one. She’d been judged for her engagement, how soon it had been and how everyone who didn’t know Orpheus had assumed that the baby was the only reason they’d chosen to get married. She’d fought-debated and yelled, defended not only herself but the people around her who’d chosen to be her support. The gown she wore told that story, if only to herself. She spun in the mirror, watching it lift and fall with gravity, smoothing it over the knee-length, long-sleeved dress she’d chosen to wear underneath it. Eurydice held her cap in her hand, smoothed her fingers over the picture of Melody that had been glued over fancy paper and bold writing. I did it for her. At first she’d found it cheesy-silly, in a way. She hadn’t understood why Persephone had made such a big fuss over things as she’d brought her graduation cap to her office, said she hadn’t planned on doing anything to it.

“It’s mid-year graduation; I’m a mom now, I’m getting married soon. I don’t think I need to have some silly inspirational quote or meme that’ll stop being funny in three weeks. I’m just relieved that it’s finally happening.”

She’d undervalued the moment unintentionally-refusing a party, saying no to gifts, pointing attention to other things that needed to be done instead. Graduation was a big deal-even bigger considering what she’d gone through to achieve it a semester early-but she hadn’t been one for celebrating herself. Her chosen family had come to learn that fact rather quickly, and set out to celebrate her instead.

The bedroom she and Orpheus shared was silent, but the apartment itself was bustling with noise. He’d made a big production of the morning, her poet, waking her with a newly-diapered baby on her chest and a tray of breakfast next to her side of the bed. She rolled over to find his boyish smile, the collapse of his weight back on the bed as he held her and Melody, kissed her abruptly.

“Happy graduation day,” His voice is soft, and light. He draws Eurydice to his chest, Melody snuggled contently between them. Eurydice can feel the deep, even breaths of relaxation Orpheus sends to her, although she can tell that he’s filled with anticipation by the way he occasionally shifts and fidgets. Hers is a more crippling sort of anxiety, one that is quelled by his arms around her and their daughter’s soft little snores-the promise that she won’t have to go to any more classes.

“At this rate, French fry should be getting her own degree, too. She sat in on more classes than half the adults I took them with.”

“Our smart, pretty girl.” Orpheus props himself up on the bed, taking Melody from Eurydice and laying her down on her back between them. He hovers over her, talking to her with a soft, lifted voice and planting kisses all over her stomach and the chunky rolls of her thighs. She babbles happily, eyes widened and watching him, lifting her hands up to grab at his face. Eurydice feels the lump in her throat thicken, her heart softening upon watching his gentle demeanor and the lovestruck look in his eyes. She only interrupts him to bring her hand to his chin, kissing him first before rolling over to hover over Melody right next to him. Their daughter looks between them with curious eyes, smiles and kicks her feet. It’s a long while before they move from this place, a blissful little family with nothing but each other to worry over until Orpheus scoops Melody up from the bed.

“Eat, relax. Eat.” He coaxes, pushing the tray closer to her. “Everything is taken care of until we have to go.”

When he’s gone she stands in front of the mirror and stares-truly looks at herself for the first time in weeks. She feels different-looks different, and not only in the way that new mothers feel. She’d worked through that self-hatred time and time again, and this time it would not seep through-not while she wore her gown. She felt slightly misplaced, older than her years although still so young. There was something about her own reflection that made her unable to turn away; a disbelief. Years ago Eurydice would have never dreamed of being in this moment, standing in a stable home, listening to her soon-to-be-husband dance around with their daughter. Even graduation had seemed an unreachable goal, back when she’d been deemed nothing more than a charity case with no family and a shitty apartment she could barely afford.

Today is different.

Today is the day she’s able to prove herself-memorize the way it feels to wear a gown and an engagement ring, to hold her baby close to her chest and feel Orpheus’s glowing pride. Today, Eurydice decides, is the day she graduates from the titles that had held her down. The anxieties of her past have been evaporated to nothing but a low simmer, a dull aching that spring back in full might only occasionally now. There is more to life now.

There is more to her life than the person she’d been when she’d entered college; fresh out of the system, already having been her own primary caregiver for most of her life despite what the legally binding documents of foster parents that hadn’t cared much had said. She’d been beyond her years, with her head low and focused on the schooling she had worked gruelingly to earn and the jobs that helped her keep the first place that allowed her freedom but had not been equipped with safety. There is more to life than who she’d been back then; scared, withdrawn, just trying to get by. Today she leaves her family-Orpheus and Melody, Persephone and Hades, Demeter and Hermes-to get in line to walk into the ceremony with students she doesn’t know. She holds the hem of her dress and presses a hand to her chest, listens to the crowd shuffle into the auditorium and the chattering of the people around her. Winter graduation is much more subdued than Orpheus’s over the summer; there are less students, less diplomas to be handed out.

It doesn’t make the ceremony have any less hype.

They play the same song she’d heard before-the strings, the importance of it all. And then she’s walking, coming into the light and the crowd, unable to decipher much over the feeling of her own heartbeat and the tears the music have stirred within her. Everything feels surreal-she blinks furiously against her own emotion, a swell that completely takes over. Eurydice adjusts the cap on her head, scans the rows of seats in hopes of spotting her family.

They’re all there-standing, of course. The sight of them nearly knocks the air from her lungs. Orpheus is the first person she sees in all of his tall, lanky, prideful manner. He’s dressed in slacks and suspenders, a bowtie and a thrifted suit jacket. He holds Melody up close to his cheek, points to Eurydice and holds her little hand to make her wave. Eurydice notices the rest of her family; Hades, who stands next to her with a hand on her shoulder, chuckling. There’s Hermes, who stands next to Orpheus and meets her eye while sending her a palpable feeling of pride. Demeter is on the end, sweet smile only extending as Junie jumps up and down in the space in front of all the adults, yelling for her. She waves, makes sure she doesn’t lose them in the crowd as she finds her seat. Eurydice keeps one eye on Orpheus, whose eyes never leave her as he snuggles Melody close.

Persephone sits on the stage, and once Eurydice finds her she sneaks a thumbs-up, a broad smile. This is one of the pieces of her job she’s not so fond of, sitting through graduation ceremonies. But as the job rotates itself every ceremony, and as

She can barely concentrate on the ceremony-the same sorts of speeches they’d all had to sit through over the summer about taking pride in their school, how successful their alumni continue to be. Eurydice doesn’t care; no, she cares about the soft whining she can hear through the crowd, the beginnings of a pout she can see on her baby’s face as Orpheus rocks her, Persephone whispering what she’s sure are words of guidance into his ear. It’s the same look she knows any amount of advice is futile toward. Looking down at the program, Eurydice notes the ever-stretching amount of time between this moment and the end of the ceremony, knows that Melody won’t make it that long. Glancing back over to her family’s place in the audience, she meets Orpheus’s eyes. Without communication-without so much as that single glance-both parents know what to do. He jumps up from his seat, the whimpering growing louder, and moves to the front of the little barricade that separates the audience from the floor seating taken by the graduates. Eurydice rises too, slides past the three people keeping her from the aisle and makes her way to him without a single hesitation. Orpheus is talking to a security worker when she gets there, a tall, broad man who nods as they pass Melody over the little wall before sharing a kiss. And then Eurydice walks back, through a crowd of caps and gowns and eyes all trained on her, before finding her seat and shifting her clothes to feed her daughter.

She goes through the rest of the speeches like this, happily drowning out a speech about acceptance from the one professor she’d had to fight for the ability to leave class to feed Melody. She hopes he can see her now, with her daughter’s big eyes staring up at her and the girls around her transfixed by her chubby little baby. She hopes they can all see her as her row stands and makes their way to the stage-as Melody rests her head on Euydice’s chest and lets out little snores of contentment as she sleeps through the noise.

They call her name and it feels like a dream; she crosses the stage with her sleeping baby and a smile that takes over her entire body, a sense of accomplishment she’s never felt before. Eurydice swears she can hear Orpheus-the entirety of her found family-cheering from the stands. And then Persephone leaps up from her seat and after rounds of polite handshakes swoops her into a hug. She rubs her back, puts a hand on her cheek. Her eyes are brimming with tears and Eurydice immediately mirrors them as Persephone brings her back in for one more tight hug, whispers “I’m so proud of you.”

Eurydice is reeling-she’s given her diploma, walks back to her seat with tear-filled eyes and shaking hands. Everything else is a blur; in one hand is the diploma she’d worked so hard to achieve, had cried countless nights over, worked grueling hours and past her own mental capacities. In the other arm, her daughter snuggles closer to her, with big lips and dark hair, chunky arms and a smile. In this arm is the reason she’d pushed herself so hard for this moment, this mid-winter graduation with half an audience so close to her wedding day. Everything had come to this, all for the tiny human she hadn’t planned for but would sacrifice everything for all over again without a second thought.

When they meet later it’s Orpheus who’s the first to get to her, crashing into her with hurried feet and engulfing her and Melody both in his arms, covering her with kisses until Hades clears his throat, Junie reaching up to Eurydice with a bouquet of flowers as big as herself. Soon she’s surrounded, hugs and congratulations making their way to her in a bombing of love she hadn’t been prepared for-had never envisioned. When Persephone rejoins them she demands pictures. Eurydice can’t say no, follows direction as Persephone uses her access as a professor to get them access to somewhere more private-a room with tall windows, the school logo plastered on the wall. It had been a meeting room for the volunteers before the ceremony, and now she’d claimed it as their own photography location, setting their things down and making herself at home.

“You worked so hard! You earned this!” She pushes Eurydice to the window gently, adjusts the lighting on her camera before grinning from ear to ear. “Look at you, you sexy, accomplished mif!”

There’s a picture that Orpheus keeps in his guitar case, one he prints and hangs on their wall as well. Eurydice’s back is facing the camera, Melody’s head on her shoulder. She kisses the top of her head, eyes closed and lips turned in a soft, blissful smile. In this photo her cap is clearly visible, an unintentional caption to an otherwise candid photo. I did it for her.

#hadestownmodern #hadestown #eurydice #orpheus #danielle writes

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