#also her politics are extremely worrying and it's so souring for people not to see faults at all in her behavior :

[cannedapricot]

the bouquet. || njm

in which you love watching your coffee shop regulars and irregulars go about their day. you loved hearing stories about their lives and their loved ones. yet, you'd be lying if you said it didn't make you feel lonely. alternatively, you were in love with the concept of love, na jaemin was in love with you.

word count: 2.8k

genre, warnings: fluff, angst near the end, comfort i think, slice of life, coffee shop!au, flower shop!au, pining, worries about never being able to experience romance covered up with bright smiles and warm coffee, profanities

bgm: people watching by conan gray, cloud 9 by beach bunny, perfect day by mao buyi, sweet dream by nct u

a/n: this only happened because i wanted to write fluff HAHA so by default it isn't proof read also i am not a florist so idk if these flowers look good in a bouquet LMAO

PHILIA (n) - affectionate love - yellow chrysanthemums

A warm beam of sunlight streams in through the glass window, toasting the wooden the tables and chairs in its wake. You stretch behind the counter - warm sunny afternoons always gave you the urge to nap.

Opposite you, on the other side of the store, stood your coworker amongst the displays of flowers. Na Jaemin was attractive, and more often than not, you'd hear people compare him to the flowers he worked with in attempt to woo him. They never worked though, Jaemin would always respond with a polite smile and a "thank you". You'd try your best to hold in your giggle as they leave the store with a sour expression. But then you'd meet eyes with Jaemin, he'd mouth a playful "oops", and you'd have to duck down to hide your laugh behind the counter.

It was a slow day. You barely had anyone to serve so you spent your time arranging and rearranging shelves in the back, cleaning equipment, and munching on the seasonal lavender flavored cake your store offered. Jaemin, on the other hand, seemed to be catching up on bouquet orders. Each bouquet was prepared with the same amount of care and focus as the next. Each flower was chosen with a purpose to serve. Jaemin wasn't only known as a pretty face. He was also known for his beautiful bouquets.

Seemingly haven to caught you staring, without looking up from his work, your coworker jokingly says,

"Go back to work."

"But there is no work. No one wants a coffee from me."

"I do. See, you have work."

You turn around to start his coffee - iced americano, three shots of espresso. He usually whines for more espresso but in attempt to keep his body functioning, you only allow a maximum of three shots.

The overhead bell tinkles and a woman walks in. You give them a smile over your shoulder to welcome them in. She returns the smile, but walks up to Jaemin's counter instead.

"Hi! I had an order for pick up today?"

"Oh yes, chrysanthemums right?"

The woman nods as Jaemin goes to fetch her prepared bouquet. You finish the coffee and bring it over to your coworker's counter, making conversation with the customer as you do so.

"Are the flowers for anyone?"

"They are! One of my friends is graduating today and I wanted to congratulate her as well as thank her for being such a lovely friend."

You can't help but grin at the story. The way the woman brightened up mentioning her friend. The way she spoke so highly of them. They must be someone extremely precious to her.

"A great choice of flowers." Jaemin comments, returning with a bright yellow bouquet.

"Thank you. I spent hours looking up the meanings of flowers. My friend's really into the language of flowers."

The both of you thank her for her patronage and watch as she heads off, the brightly colored flowers tucked safely in her arms.

"Happiness, joy, celebration."

"Hm?"

Jaemin takes a sip of his coffee before answering.

"You wanted to know the meaning right? I could tell."

Sometimes Jaemin's ability to read your mind scares you. How does he just know?

"Also, this coffee doesn't have the amount of espresso I requested."

"I'm saving your life." You retort, heading back to your post.

You spare a glance at the door the woman walked out of. How special it must be to have someone care for you that much. A friend who would scour the internet for the perfect flower for you. A friend who had the most precious expression talking about you.

You loved knowing the stories behind your customers. Yet, for some reason, they always made you feel more alone.

PRAGMA (n) - enduring love - baby's breath

Entering the shop today, you were greeted with the sight of Jaemin surrounded by a copious amount of baby's breath flowers. It was certainly a sight to behold.

"A regular of ours is getting married soon - they've asked me to prepare the flowers for their wedding." He had said, bunching the small flowers together with a white ribbon. You hum, leaning on his counter as he continued to work. Jaemin's breath hitches at the proximity between the two of you - yet it goes unnoticed as you rack your brain to remember the regular.

"I remember! Is it the tall man who always shows up in a suit?"

"The one that always manages to squeeze his partner in every sentence? Yeah."

Jaemin's gaze falls upon you as you rest your head on your palms, a huge smile adorning your face.

"Adorable."

"The couple? Yeah. I can't believe they're getting married!"

His comment wasn't about the couple.

Jaemin returns his focus back on the flowers, aiming for the bunches to be as consistent as possible.

"They've been together for quite long, haven't they?" You mention, watching his slim fingers weave the perfect bow around the fragile flowers.

"Mhm, ten years I think. He said they were high school sweethearts."

A yearnful sigh escapes your lips.

"How cute. I wish I had something like that."

Jaemin gently pokes your forehead, a soft smile on his own lips.

"You're idolizing the idea of love again."

"I can't help it! Isn't the idea of falling for one another just so romantic? The butterflies, the flushed faces, the shy touches!" You squeal at the thought. Romance was your favorite genre, even if you've never experienced it personally, it was always a gem to witness.

"Instead of standing there and squealing like a high schooler - you should come around and help me with these flowers."

"But I'm not the florist - you don't see me asking you to make coffee."

"I am terrified that you will start kicking your legs like a high schooler with a crush next alright? And it's not hard, I'll teach you."

So you make your less than graceful jump across the counter, asking Jaemin to catch you (he didn't) and the two of you spent the day side by side bunching up baby's breaths.

"What do baby's breaths mean?"

Jaemin's shoulder meets yours and his fingers brush against your own as he fixes your ribbon. The sun was warm, or was that your skin flushing?

"Everlasting love."

STORGE (n) - familiar love - white lilac

"What do you recommend for my daughter who's just given birth?"

Your ears perk up from the storage room and you immediately drop the bag of coffee beans you were holding to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Congratulations! I'm sure you must be ecstatic!"

"I am! A healthy young granddaughter! I love her already. The entire family is celebrating."

A wave of joy crashes on you. You weren't just a sucker for romantic love, but all types of love. Humans were surrounded by love all the time, consciously or unconsciously, it was always present. And to you, there wasn't anything that made you happier than seeing others feel the joy of loving and being loved.

You sneak a peak out into the open area, just in time to see the lady leave the store, white lilacs in her bag and a skip in her step.

"Eavesdropping is rude you know?"

"Boo, I'm just trying to get in on some good news."

Jaemin laughs as you jokingly pout at him, his structure stands out against the light streaming in from the big windows. You've always thought his smile was dazzling. It really was no mystery as to why he was so popular.

"Hey, could you help with the coffee beans? You've got nothing to do now anyway."

"Ask cutely."

"I'm reporting you to the boss. That has got to be a breach of some HR protocol."

"I'm just joking." The boy says making his way towards you. Unexpectedly, he stops to tuck a small piece of white lilac behind your ear, face only inches away from yours.

"Purity, innocence. I think it suits you."

He then continues his journey to the storage room casually, as if the two of you weren't just a hair's distance away from each other.

"Na Jaemin what the fuck?"

EROS (n) - romantic love - red roses

A knowing glance was shared between you and your coworker as a couple walks in, arms linked with each other.

"I love you honeybunches."

"I love you more sweetie pie."

The couple shares a kiss, the audible smooching loud enough to be echoing through the store. You had to pretend to clear your throat to grab their attention.

"How may I help you two?"

After placing their order, the couple giggles and slinks to a table in the corner. You notice that they sit next to each other instead of opposite.

"Is that the type of love you want?" Jaemin whispers as you froth the milk for a sweet potato latte.

"Oh come on, they're not that bad. I bet they're just in the honeymoon phase is all."

"Mhm, and they're definitely not making out in the corner right now."

With a roll of your eyes, you wipe down the metal wand. Without the noise of the machine, the wet sounds of mouth on mouth action could clearly be heard.

"They're cute!"

"Why? Do you want to make out in public as well? Come here, I can make that happen."

You were sure Jaemin was joking. The tone of his voice told you so. But when you looked into his eyes, they looked hopeful. Perhaps you were deluding yourself. All these thoughts about love were really altering the way you saw things.

"No. Go serve them their coffee."

"What? I thought you never made me do barista things?"

"It's only fair after you got me to do florist things."

Jaemin smiles at the playful quarrel, though you notice there was a hint of disappointment there. Why?

"This cake is new."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's the new red rose cake. The owner said they used rosewater when baking it."

"Passion, desire, romance. No wonder the couple picked it. Wish me luck."

You give your coworker a salute as he heads over with the drinks and dessert before busying yourself with cleaning. You don't notice the couple giving Jaemin advice and support regarding his stupidly obvious crush on you because stupidly, you believed that romantic love would never come to you.

LUDUS (n) - playful love - white roses

It was a cloudless day, the skies were a lovely shade of blue, and the birds were chirping a happy tune. It was the perfect day for a first date. Which is why you found yourself craning your neck to look at the couple sitting outside.

They were evidently on their first date. The nervous fiddling, the shy giggles, the playful laughter. You weren't even part of their date, but just watching them interact made your insides bubble with excitement.

"Jaemin! Jaemin look! They're comparing hand sizes!"

"I know, I can see what you see."

You were pretending to wipe down a table on the other side of the glass, trying your best to seem uninterested in their conversation. But the reality was, you were dying to hear everything they had to say.

The florist, on the other hand, was watering his flowers. Less interested than you were, but was still listening. Most of his attention wasn't on the couple outside, it was on you.

You were fretting over every small detail, eyes wide and sparkling whenever someone made a move. You were clasping you hands together when they exchanged coy looks, excitedly muttering Jaemin's name in order to have him look.

You were in your element, and you were glowing.

When did he fall for you? Jaemin doesn't even know. You were always so into the small details, remembering the tiniest change in people. So adorable when you unknowingly purse your lips when attempting latte art. Perhaps you had him wrapped around your finger since the day you stepped in the store, asking if they were hiring. Or perhaps he fell slowly, day after day of working together and being in your presence.

Jaemin doesn't know when, but he knows that his attempts at flirting had gone unnoticed. But Jaemin doesn't know how to give up. So he's made the decision to keep trying, again and again. He'll keep trying until the day you stop loving the concept of love, and start loving him.

"Here, a white rose each for the two of you - free of charge."

The couple seemed pleased. Your jaw hanging wide open when Jaemin returned.

"Flies are going to get in your mouth."

"Jaemin... That was so smooth. That made their date even more memorable."

He hopes that one day, your rose colored glasses would be directed at him.

PHILAUTIA (n) - self love - narcissus

The clouds were crying today, dying the sky a deep shade of gray. You sigh. It was as if the weather was mirroring your thoughts. You hated it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Jaemin's warm hands gently hold your face, slowly turning you to face him. Hesitantly, you meet his eyes. They were worried, he was worried. You know. You could tell.

"Okay fine. I'll tell you. But no laughing alright?"

He nods.

"Its just... One of my friends got into a relationship and I'm jealous."

Silence.

"Wait, no, not because I was in love with my friend. But because I've never been in a relationship. As in, I want to know how it feels like?"

Jaemin lets out a silent sigh of relief.

"But I feel like I could never be loved like that. I've never had someone look at me as if I was the only person that ever mattered. And as much as I love the idea of that, I don't know if I'm worthy of it the way I am now."

Your voice slowly turns into a whisper, your insecurities escape and spread out in the small store. The atmosphere was heavy, around the same weight as your heart. Tears threatened to escape your eyes, the embarrassment of crying in front of your handsome coworker was the only thing holding them back.

Suddenly, Jaemin's hands, a little rough from tending to flowers, push against your cheeks.

"Y/N. You are worth loving. You are worthy of everything the world has to offer. Fuck, you're worth more than the world has to offer."

"Huh?" Was all you could make out as Jaemin's palms still had a firm grip on your cheeks.

"Listen, you are the brightest person I've ever laid my eyes upon. If you claimed you were the sun, nobody would argue differently. I don't even know how my world was before you. Stop thinking so negatively, alright?"

Ah shit. The tears were free falling now.

"Thank you, Jaemin."

The sun peeked through the clouds. A rainbow formed in the sky. A single daffodil sat in a vase on the windowsill.

AGAPE (n) - selfless love - red carnation

Jaemin stands alone behind his counter, head in his hands. He had basically confessed to you the other day. He basically said you were his sun damn it. But you still hadn't caught on.

It was your day off today. Jaemin received a lovely selfie of you earlier of you and a friend at an amusement park. A telling smile that formed on his face told everyone in the room all they needed to know.

"Just tell her straight up." Taeyong, the owner, suggests. "At this point I don't think they'd understand if you don't."

"I don't want them to be pressured into a relationship if they're not ready or not into me though." Jaemin replies, groaning. "What if we become awkward? I don't want that. Please, anything but that. All I want is for them to realize that I've been nursing a massive crush on them"

"Make them a bouquet," Johnny, one of the cafe's investors, mentions. "You're good at those right?"

"I've tried. But they don't turn out the way I want them to."

"Try harder."

The older men snicker as the younger shoots them a glare. Jaemin lies his head down on the cool surface of the counter, his eyes catch onto the brilliant red carnations blooming on the side.

"Red carnation. "My heart aches for you"."

The next day you clock in, you find red carnations decorating your work station. They were on the espresso machine, sitting on the cookie jar, and even inside mugs.

"Jaemin? What happened while I was gone?"

The boy smiles brightly from his station opposite yours. A view you've gotten used to.

"Welcome back?"

"I was gone for one day."

"Hey, I missed you for a whole day."

A tingle makes its way up your ears. You admit, you've been thinking a lot about Jaemin's words since the day you cried in front of him. How tender and passionate those words were, how they sounded almost like a confession.

A cake box catches your attention. Wrapped in a white ribbon with your name on it.

Undoing the bow and opening the cardboard reveals flowers. Delicately placed and arranged. You carefully look over the flowers. Yellow chrysanthemums, baby's breath, white lilac, red roses, white roses, daffodils, red carnation.

"Jaemin... is this from you?"

He grins.

"You know the meaning right?"

#me on a random monday: i want to write fluff #i'm sorry this is so scuffed #nct #nct dream #na jaemin #jaemin #nct scenarios #nct imagines #nct fanfics #nct dream fanfic #nct dream imagines #nct dream scenarios #na jaemin scenarios #na jaemin imagines #kpop #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #kpop fanfic #fluff #angst #comfort #coffee shop! au #flower shop! au #pining #jaemin scenarios #jaemin imagines

[majormeilani]

bruh. that squi//ggly//digg situation someone literally said that "they did nothing wrong cancel culture is bad" and like..... i don't agree with 'cancel culture' bc i think a lot of it is toxic and not good (like the dogpiling, doxxing, harrassment, ect. that shit is gross and doesn't help anyone) I DO believe in holding people accountable for their actions and by saying that someone "did nothing wrong" you are not holding someone accountable for their actions and by that not allowing them to grow as a person.

i do not think someone should be cancelled for the rest of their life over past mistakes and but making excuses for their behavior and everyone who supports them proceeding to say "they did nothing wrong" when they very clearly did is not good. it doesn't give them room to really think about what they have done nor a chance to show their maturity by apologizing properly and making amends to do better in the future. as i've said before, being able to be vulnerable in apologizing for your mistakes is very important despite how painful it may be. you can make excuses all you want or think people are overreacting or you could genuinely own up to your faults and people will appreciate you more as a person than you getting overly defensive and shutting ppl out bc they criticize you. esp bc some people who are criticizing you are doing so in order for you to do better. yeah, it will be painful and won't pass overnight but taking the first steps to be the bigger person will help in working things out.

and by squi//ggly not owning up to her faults where they lie, it doesn't look good at all. esp bc she's victimizing herself to the point that she thinks she was cancelled solely over her, albiet, bad) criticism of lilo and stitch as well as her "having a parler" account which if you really look at why people are upset, is not the sole reasons at all. and for her to further tack on that the m/s/a crew cut ties with her just "because she was cancelled" just further proves that she doesn't find fault in her actions at all and wants to pull a "pity me" card bc she's, unfortunately, facing the consequences for her behavior. and i feel like people's love for her work is really clouding their judgment of her behavior because even though you may love someone dearly, it is important for you to let them know when they have made a mistake and for you to hold them accountable for their actions when they royally fuck up. you can support them so they can improve, but don't just sweep their actions under the rug so easily just because they are a talented creator or you feel bad that people seem to be against them.

#drama tw #??? #ig. #i don't really want to put this super out there but in light of everything going on #i felt obligated to say something since i feel like some people are going about this the wrong way #feel free to agree or disagree but i just think this is important to say given i like m/s/a #also some quotes are paraphrased bc i'm going off memory but you can check out the situation yourself and make your judgement call there #i saw stuff in the m/s/a tag abt this and i've never really supported her aside from her work in the mvs but. #if people really love her as they say i think it's important for them to make her recognize where she's gone wrong #also her politics are extremely worrying and it's so souring for people not to see faults at all in her behavior ://

[himbowelsh]

Drunk BOB guys??? Who are the softie hug-loving cuddlers and who are the loud and obnoxious ones? The ones who break out of their shell when intoxicated? The unusually quiet ones? The ones who throw it tf back when Usher comes on? I'd love to hear some thots

oooooh my god okay okay, here are the biggest thots

Richard Winters:  Umm, alcohol whom? Has never been drunk in his life and doesn’t intend to start now. He gets all the buzz he needs off the exhilaration of a brisk jog, or a cool glass of water.

Lewis Nixon: The Literal Alcoholic. Thinks he’s more fun when he’s drunk than when he’s sober; is actually not a very fun drunk. Is even worse when he’s sobering up! At this point, he has to have some liquor in his system 99% of the time, otherwise his body feels like it’s out to destroy itself. (Alcoholism is a disease, boys and girls.) Nix buzzed is Nix at peak performance; he’s friendly, efficient, and capable. Nix drunk is a slowly spiralling plane crash. He usually passes out before he hits the ground, but god forbid he gets there, because...  it’s messy. He can occasionally be a messy, emotional, overdramatic drunk, but only when he’s really overdone it.

Carwood Lipton: The Respectable Drunk. A very calm, kind of sleepy drunk. Doesn’t get drunk often, even though he holds his liquor well, because he doesn’t prefer it  ---   when he’s had a few, he prefers to just watch the people around him, smiling and only half paying attention. His mind tends to wander when he’s drunk. Drunk Lip does have one fatal weakness:  if he’s out with his partner, and his partner shows even the slightest bit of encouragement, Lip will get riled up very quickly. He goes from calm drunk to horny drunk in a very short time; will eagerly press his partner up against the wall if given the chance. (Drunk Lip is way more inclined to PDA.)

Ron Speirs: The Soft Drunk. Literally, he’s such a tender drunk; he has absolutely no balance, and is a little confused, but he’s sweet, okay? Ron is far more expressive when he’s drunk; he gets touchier, ramblier, kinder. Drunk Ron has faith in humanity where Sober Ron gave up long ago. He’s a really relaxed drunk, unlikely to go off and do anything wild, but he wants to be around other people  ---  around his friends. Ron never has a good time when he drinks alone. (Plus, he’s got a reputation to uphold, and only certain people are allowed to see him with his guards down.)

Harry Welsh: The Bionic Drunk. Nothing can injure him; nothing can kill him. Many things have tried. Harry has done so much dumb shit when intoxicated, things that would have wounded him in a heartbeat if he was sober, and has never gotten a scratch to show for it. He’s a very fun drunk  ---  he laughs a lot, is very affectionate, and super pleasant to be around  ---  but common sense and self-preservation goes out the window. Look out, because he might too, if someone dared him.

Eugene Roe: The Changeling Drunk. Who is this man and what did he do with Doc Roe? Drunk Gene is...  an experience, alright? His inhibitions are gone. Suddenly, his personality has been turned up to eleven; he’s extroverted, he’s exciting, he laughs loudly and jokes around...  he’s dancing on top of the bar, holy shit. Is a very fun time, but you have to keep an eye on him, because he sometimes goes off and does something insane, a-la-Sober-Speirs. Drunk Gene fears nothing, including himself.

Joe Toye: The Depressed Drunk. Zoinks, Scoob. Drunk Joe is actually willing to talk about his emotions  ---  and maybe he shouldn’t, because he’s got some sad stuff going on there, man. Drinking is supposed to numb your worries, but Joe often finds the opposite is the case; his burdens somehow get heavier, harder to ignore, and if he’s allowed to slip into them he’ll end up dwelling in them for the rest of the night. So long as he’s around buddies who are actively keeping his spirits up, he’s a decent drunk guy to have around. If neglected, however, Drunk Joe may shed a few tears into his Guinness.

George Luz: The Showman Drunk. His jokes and impressions get way sloppier, but somehow he’s twice as hilarious, so he can get away with it. Drunk George is way more animated, with a seemingly endless supply of energy; he teases everybody, he laughs the loudest in the room, and he really seems like he’s just come out to have a good time. The kind of buddy you want to get drunk with.  (Be warned: comes with a rarely activated Depressed Drunk mode, when he shuts off and wants to be left the hell alone. Maybe his battery runs out after a while or something. During this time, George is feeling a lot of things very strongly; this condition is best treated with a cozy blanket and glass of water. Very rare, but once you’ve seen him in this state, you can never unsee it.)

Bill Guarnere: The Loud Drunk. Is there a difference between sober Bill and drunk Bill? Debateable. Drunk Bill is just Bill turned up to eleven. He doesn’t actually get drunk a lot  ---  somehow he ends up the designated driver, and minds less than he should  ---  but social drinking usually leads to Bill shouting over a crowded bar. He’s usually up for a good time, he just has no volume control. (Also, the accent. It thickens. Can someone translate, please? Is he speaking English? What the hell is he saying?)

Babe Heffron: The Weird Drunk. Drunk Babe will break it down on the dance floor (should he? maybe not) and do his president rooster impression in public, but he’s equally likely to just...  confuse everybody else. He’s got a lot of thoughts. A lot of feelings. Some of them are about the meaning of life, some of them are about the best kind of sandwich bread, some of them are about whether the Loch Ness Monster has a favorite type of bird.  He talks so much when he’s drunk, and will ramble anyone’s ear off about any of these topics. Escape while you can.

Joseph Liebgott: The Volatile Drunk. Really a mixed bag; you never know what you’re going to get from him. Sometimes, Joe can be a very fun drunk, the life of the party, willing to do anything anybody dares him to. That’s if he’s drinking in a good mood. If he starts drinking in a sour mood, it’ll only get worse from there. Honestly, he can be a mean drunk. He lashes out at people, gets angry, sometimes starts crying...  it’s not great. You have to keep tabs on him while he’s drinking, because if his mood looks like it’s dipping, he should not be allowed any more alcohol.

David Kenyon Webster: The Emotional Drunk. He’s just...  got a lot of feelings! And he really wants to talk about them! Becomes extremely talkative while drunk; this is not always a good thing, because he’s pronouncedly less eloquent. Drunk Web is very passionate about politics...  and the environment... and marine biology...  and the commercialization of public holidays. He has something to say about most things. Sometimes he’s just muttering to himself, and no one can keep up with what he’s saying. Makes so many notes, either in his phone or scribbling them down on napkins, because he’s “going to need to remember this”, but they’re all illegible come morning. Feels things very strongly. Might cry.

Johnny Martin: The Feral Drunk. Wrangling Johnny when he’s had a few too many is an experience. Holy shit, this man knows no fear. Drunk Johnny has 5x less patience for everyone’s bullshit, and wants them to know it. The amount of bar fights this man has gotten into... the best part is, he’s never lost. (Yeah, because he has Bull right there to make sure his drunk friend doesn’t get himself killed.)

Frank Perconte: The Confused Drunk. Only kind of knows where he is. Complains a lot; puts things down, misplaces them, and blames someone else for taking them. Drunk Perco has a ‘Real Housewives at Brunch’ mode, only activated when someone gives him tequila; he will scream and throw drinks. Otherwise he’s just kind of tiresome and needs someone to make sure he makes it home okay.

Floyd Talbert: The Mom Drunk. Yes, he did just do four shots of gin, but he’s still going to make sure everyone else is drinking water and not wandering off with anyone creepy. Drunk Floyd’s got an eye on everyone; he’s kind of the mama hen wrangling all her chicks, making sure they don’t stray far. He parties like a frat boy, but will wrangle everyone like a girl scout mother. 

Shifty Powers: The Missing Drunk. What the hell? What happened, where did he go? He was sitting right there a second ago  ---   when he’s drunk, Shifty tends to wander. He just likes the quiet. His friends will always find him in bizarre places, after a few minutes of panicked searching. Once, he was laying on top of a car; once he was on the club’s roof. He’s fine, he knows where he is, he’s just thinking about stuff.

Donald Malarkey: The Absurdly Lucky Drunk. He’s got some Irish faeries looking out for him or something, because Drunk Don is literally living his best life. If he gambles, he’s going to win. If he misplaces his wallet, he’s going to find it with an extra $30 inside. If he trips, he’s going to land in an attractive person’s lap. Everyone wants to be in proximity to Drunk Don, not only because he’s a pretty good  (if emotional)  time, but because some of his luck might rub off.

Skip Muck: The Giggly Drunk. What’s so funny? No one knows. Skip might not even know, but he’s going to laugh anyways, because everything is hilarious. He somehow tells even better jokes when drunk, but he laughs at them himself, so that measures it out. He effortlessly makes himself the life of the party; Skip will get up and karaoke with the band, cheer all his friends on in their dumb shit, drink way more than he reasonably should...  going out drinking with Skip is always a great time.

Herbert Sobel: The Alarmingly Fun Drunk. No, I’m not going to elaborate. Fill in the mental images yourself.

#winters and i say teetotaler rights #headcanons #band of brothers #hbo war

[alistonjdrake]

Part Eight: The Charitable

*Perhaps not the “first” but was the first spouse of any of the infamous ten children of King Frederick and certainly left her mark on the family. 

Lady Liliana ana’Ignacio Varona Born: Year 1748 after the fall of the Saints Parents: Lord Ignacio an’Lucho Varona and Lady Rosario ana’Max Murillo Spouse: Prince Cidro an’Frederick Harver

Much like Arturo, not much is known about Liliana’s upbringing. She was born in Nava, right before it’s reunion with Escan, in her father’s estate in Varon. She lived by the sea, surrounded by fields and grassy beaches instead of a city. As her father had sided with the victors, they had their titles changed and had some dues owed to their new king, but they did not lose things completely (and some of it could be owed to Lady Rosario having some de Flores relatives, making them in part distant cousins to the Harvers in their own right). 

We can assume she had a childhood befitting of any noble woman under the reign of King Frederick. She would have been educated in music and literature, and the adult Liliana could play three instruments. She would have been taught manners and etiquette, she would be raised to wear the new garments King Frederick introduced. She might have had companions, she might have been the type of girl to run barefoot through her estate’s gardens. This is not known for sure because as an adult, Liliana was astutely serious and never spoke much about her childhood.

Liliana truly first became known during her tenure as Princess Consort and wife to Prince Cidro, Crown Prince of the Escana Empire. It would remiss not to start there.

Liliana came to Graza in 1768 when she was twenty years old as a potential lady-in-waiting for either Princess Zurina or Queen Luca. She must have fit all the requirements so we can also claim that Liliana spoke Escan with the Grazan flare instead of the Navanese dialect, that she would have been beautiful and had kind manners, and (most importantly) was single.

It makes sense that a lady for the single Princess Zurina would also be single, but there was some rumors that King Frederick liked his queens to have single ladies-in-waiting for when he needed a companion during their months of confinement during pregnancy (although there’s been no express proof of this and frankly, King Frederick did not need to go to extremes to find someone to keep him company).

The most likely cause of this was likely to tempt more singles to Graza. The culture of the court was changing, turning younger as King Frederick’s children were getting older and entering public life. Notably, Prince Cidro was said to be a wild romantic not unlike his father although he never reached his name level of scandalous infamy. The younger brother, Prince Leonides, was also becoming famous both for his accomplishments and the council and general aloof nature. Liliana was not the only daughter sent in hordes for the first time as an attempt to woo the princes instead of the aging king. 

There are rumors that Liliana was first intended for Prince Leonides. The only evidence to suggest this being perhaps because King Frederick had never picked a candidate from Nava himself, they thought they’d be overlooked for his heir and it was perhaps more alluring to her parents to aim for the person who wasn’t famous for showering a new woman in romantic gifts every other month. 

However, those close to Prince Cidro said he nearly fainted the moment he saw Liliana. They had many differences. Prince Cidro was most known for his charming and friendly manners. A people pleaser, polite and almost ignorantly kind. Short in stature with humorously boyish looks. Liliana was the opposite of him in both appearance and personality. She was always more reserved with a rarely changing expression. And she was a head taller than him. 

Prince Cidro courted her for some several months. In letters Liliana sent back home, she would confess to being put off by his shortness and lack of serious attitude. She thought him foolish and claimed she could not bear to have a husband who make her feel like a mother. 

However, letters uncovered between the two of them tell a different story. There was a slow growth of mutual respect and admiration. Prince Cidro often addressed her in letters as, “my captor” or “my warden” suggesting that he felt entirely captivated and enthralled by her. The two did marry for love and by their choice in 1770 when they were twenty-two. 

The capital celebrated although not as loudly as they wanted (Queen Luca died not long after and mourning soured the usual long period of Escana partying after a wedding) but the people of the empire still rejoiced in delight for their new Princess Consort. 

Liliana might have never taken to the culture of the court, but she truly admired Graza and took up efforts to continue to ensure the city had clean water, well maintained streets, and used the influence she gained through marriage to fund the hygiene committee and also put more money into the hands of local charities. There was a lull after Queen Luca’s death where King Frederick did not immediately remarry for once and in the eyes of the people, Liliana took up this space.

She made a point to donate the things she wasn’t using, making a display to encourage courtiers to stop minding their own luxuries and to care about the people who lived in the city below the palace. She donated her clothes, her food. sheets and pillows. Some of which would be auctioned off at high prices and the money used to open schools or went towards building.

It should also be said, despite her Navanese background, Liliana was very Santivian which also made her, and by extension Prince Cidro, appeal favorably to the Justice and the holy capital. Liliana personally funded four convents and occasionally visited to sit and pray with the nuns.

When King Frederick married Queen Cordinia in 1773 she was immediately criticized for not being as charitable and caring as the empire’s Princess Consort, as well as mocked for being younger than her new daughter-in-law and stepson. In some cartoons that circulated Graza, Queen Cordinia was portrayed as a screaming baby while Liliana was always the “mature, kind, older sister” (the cartoons never named the characters but it was always pretty clear). 

Liliana and Prince Cidro also traveled frequently. Although they very rarely left the territories under the Escana Empire, they made a point of going on yearly tours. Even in Graza, Liliana made a point to spend time in the city and away from the palace. Wherever she went, the common people clamored to see her.  Liliana was never popular among courtiers, much she made her power in being a sort of beacon to the people they ruled. 

This makes her nearly the perfect contrast to Prince Leonides, who was feared by courtiers, loved by the council, and treated as folklore by the common people. They would butt heads often. Most owe this to how Prince Cidro treated them. Prince Leonides had already taken a position similar to Prince Sebastian’s both for his father and Prince Cidro himself, and Liliana’s influence over Prince Cidro not unlike Lady Helena’s over King Frederick. Some feared the two would fight over their spots beside the future king. Not to say that Prince Cidro was wholly uncapable, but he never stopped their rivalry either. 

What is also unique is how truly loving the marriage between Prince Cidro and Liliana was. The people were used to watching the trials of King Frederick’s relationships and how quickly he jumped from one bed to another, whereas Prince Cidro was almost cloyingly dedicated in his affection and faithfulness towards his wife. It served as a perfect added tag to the growing story of the lusty Escana man that was created by King Frederick and quickly spread outside the empire. That now it was possible to tame one of them.

While Liliana was loved, there was also some sour gossip waiting in the wings. Obviously, many at court did not shy away from voicing their negative opinions about her especially when she made no move to accommodate them or be the sort of social “queen” they were used to. She also did not have any children. At the time they married, the Escana were used to the announcement of pregnancies coming almost too fast but Prince Cidro and Liliana seemed in no hurry. 

King Frederick did not hide his worry at this. He was especially children-focused if only because he’d witnessed firsthand what not having an heir did to Oskya and the Ponsonbys, as well as lived among the fearful and vicious stories of baby killing and bloody fights for the throne. He did not want his children and descendants to have a similar problem. He pulled Liliana aside more than once to talk to her about this to which she would kiss his hand and say, “My Lord Father, please have patience,” and then she and Prince Cidro would be off on another trip. 

Liliana always kept herself composed and kept herself away from the rest of the Harver siblings. She did not pay attention to their dramas and did not mind court gossip either. She cultivated a close circle of ladies-in-waiting and went everywhere with an air of maturity and grace that was intimidating to many. 

At times, it has been recorded that she has a temper and has had moments of anger. For the most part, Liliana has kept to her own private circle and rarely shows herself in public but this does not grant her the same mockery as Princess Damaris. In fact, besides the few odd voices from councilmen and the extremely brave, most won’t even dare to say her name in even a sarcastic tone. 

in 1782, after twelve years of marriage, King Frederick could finally stop sweating as Liliana would return to Graza with the news that she’s pregnant. 

#my writing #my characters #world building #y'know I never really talk about Liliana #I guess especially with where I am in the story I tend to group her together with Leonides #and Argus is kinda wary of her so she doesn't show up that often until those points #tss trilogy

[the-irish-mayhem]

Toph and Aang need Fire Lady Katara to advise on a bloodbending case in Republic City. Or: The Yakone vs. Katara bloodbending battle that we were owed.

This was originally going to go up for @zutaramonth Day 11: Secret, but it also works a bit for today’s prompt, which is Sacrifice.

Read on AO3.

The Scarlet Tree

128 AG Year of the Rat Republic City

“It’s a beautiful theory, Aang, but we’re not going to be able to convince people of any of it,” Toph says, voice soft, cognizant of the two children sleeping down the hall. “Yakone’s been weaseling out of charges for years. We can’t do this again unless it’s airtight.”

Their kitchen is dimly lit by a lamp in the center of the table, and a Republic City Police file is spread out across the surface. Aang is seated on one end, fingers idly toying with a witness statement taken a few months prior, while his wife paces like a caged animal at the opposite end.

“We already have ten willing witnesses,” Aang replies, matching her quiet tone, “and I’m willing to bet we can find more. A lot more.”

“Look, I hear you, I do, but I can also hear what his defense attorney is going to say--bloodbending is extremely rare, and Yakone has airtight alibis during full moons,” Toph says.

“Just because it’s never been done before doesn’t mean it isn’t possible,” Aang says. “You of all people should know that.”

Toph’s expression twists, and she stops pacing. For all her tense mannerisms, she looks surprisingly calm, if in a sour mood. The soft slope of her nose and the defiance in her jaw are highlighted by the dim firelight, and he wishes he could tell her that she’s beautiful, but he suspects that wouldn’t get him very far this evening. (Not that that particular compliment gets him very far often, but what kind of husband would he be if he never said it at all?)

“It seems unfair that something so awful might have no limits,” she finally says.

Aang sighs. He certainly doesn’t disagree. “It takes a prodigal waterbender to be able to do it in the first place. It’s not like we’ve met an abundance of benders with the ability.”

“Speaking of prodigal waterbenders, maybe we ask Katara about it,” she asks. She rests her fists on the table, knuckles pressed to the papers. “She probably has a better idea on how to handle this than we do.”

“Do I hear… a trip to visit the Fire Nation?” Aang asks with a growing look of delight on his face.

Toph smiles at the suggestion. “It’s been a while since we paid Sugar Queen and Sparky a visit. I’m sure Tenzin and Lin would love to see their cousins.”

Aang replies, “I can arrange for an airship. Next week sound okay to you?”

“Why not take Appa for old times’ sake?”

“If you’d like to be stuck on an air bison with an eight and a nine year old all the way to the Fire Nation…”

Toph pales. “Yeah, an airship is probably a better option; although, you might be able to convince Tenzin to meditate all the way there.”

A beat of silence passes, and though she can’t see him, Aang is grinning like an idiot at her.

“What?” she asks.

“The domineering Toph Beifong, so easily convinced to take time off? Who are you and what have you done with my wife?”

She smirks right back. “We’re doing this so we can finally arrest Yakone, not take leisurely strolls on beaches.”

“Oh, I think I can convince you to take at least one stroll.”

“Keep me out of the sand, and I might consider it, Twinkletoes.”

Aang groans. “Is there going to be a certain anniversary we hit when I can finally get rid of that nickname?”

“You always ask, and my answer is always the same.”

He shakes his head, fondness tightening his chest. “Here, I’ll clean this up,” he says, scraping the files into a pile. She’d brought them home for his benefit, after all. “You’ve had a long day. Head up to bed, and I’ll see you there.”

Toph chuckles. “ I’m the master here.” She doesn’t give any other protest, kisses his cheek, and plods down the hallway to their bedroom.

Aang finishes up in the kitchen, and quickly checks on Tenzin and Lin, both sleeping soundly, and heads to bed himself.

***

It’s just past midday, and the sun is high in the sky on a cloudless, hot day in the Fire Nation. The capital city is abuzz with life--benders and non-benders alike seek out merchants and street vendors, construction crews break in shaded areas and guzzle water brought in by ostrich horse-drawn carts, tea shop owners hawk their custom blends across busy streets, school children are released for the day, and the city itself seems alive, pulsing and breathing like any one of its citizens.

In the Caldera, Fire Lady Katara looks out over the city from a balcony of the palace. Even after nearly 25 years of living here, she still doesn’t care for how the mouth of the ancient volcano holds them separate from the outlying city districts. Despite the expansion of the city and various programs she and Zuko had created targeting class stratification, it still feels far too guarded. Considering that the Caldera is mostly just residences of those able to afford the outrageous prices (a group that, historically, has not been Katara’s biggest fan), it doesn’t really hold the same place in Katara’s heart that the city at large does.

“What are you thinking about?”

Katara looks over her shoulder to find her husband approaching. He looks every inch an intimidating Fire Lord, what with the spiked epaulettes on the elaborate robes and the traditional headpiece tucked into his topknot, but the dorky grin he’s got on is purely Zuko and purely for her.

It makes her grin back, and she looks back out over the city as he comes to stand next to her.

“I’m trying to judge how much the Council would hate me if I suggested demolishing the volcano.”

He hums thoughtfully. “Well, significantly more than when you wanted to build the first publicly funded school, but probably less than when you suggested decriminalizing prostitution.”

“What I’m hearing are a bunch of fights that I did win, so…”

“How about this: we wait until the day before we abdicate, then do it, and let Izumi deal with the fallout.”

Katara laughs. “She’s a peacekeeper at heart, so there might be some merit there.” She leans into his side and he puts an arm around her in response. “Are the kids done with their lessons?” she asks.

“Yes, they just finished. They’re excited to see Tenzin and Lin. Or,” he amends, “Kya is excited to see them. I can’t really tell if Kyokani remembers them, or if he’s just feeding off of Kya’s excitement. And Iroh is exactly how I was at sixteen.”

Katara rolls her eyes. “Evil and angsty?”

“I did not think anyone could out-angst me, but our son has done it.”

Katara scoffs. “I’m not so sure about that.”

Zuko smiles wistfully. “I wish Suki and Sokka could be here too. It feels like it’s been so long since we’ve properly gotten everyone together.”

“Spirits, it must have been at least a Council or two ago.” She sighs deeply. “Remember when we were hiding out on Ember Island when we were kids? It was only a few days before Sozin’s Comet, but we were…” She sighs again. “I don’t ever want to go to war again, but sometimes I really, really miss those days. Us, all together.”

“Me too,” he agrees. “It was so much simpler in a lot of ways, too. Teach Aang bending. Beat the Fire Lord. Win the war.”

Katara hums in agreement. “Before we had to worry about things like securing funding for social welfare programs and economic development variables and social statistics surveys.”

“Hey, I didn’t have much of a choice, but you voluntarily signed up for all of that when you married me.”

She grins. “I suppose so. It was a good deal, if you ask me,” she says before leaning over to kiss his cheek. He turns his head so he catches her lips with his. 21 years of marriage and four children later, their kisses don’t always render her weak in the knees like they used to. Rather, it’s bracing, reassuring, a small reminder in a day of distractions that they are not alone.

She pulls back with a sigh and stares out across the Caldera once more.

Their conversation trails into light political discussion, as many of their conversations are wont to do during their working hours. The funding for the hospital on Hing Wa Island that would complete a ten year project to bring publicly-funded medical care to every island had finally ground its way through the political process. The completion of the Hing Wa Hospital would kick off the next phase of Katara’s plan to expand the existing hospital system in the Earth Kingdom, and hopefully her careful planning in coordination with the Northern and Southern Water Tribes would mean that there would be at least one healer in most of the major regions. (“Oh!” she exclaims, “It will coincide perfectly with the end of her semester, so Izumi might be able to join me.”)

There is also, of course, the United Republic of Nations, which is an ever-growing and changing responsibility for them. Zuko and Katara are the only ones currently not living there of the original Team Avatar, so their involvement hasn’t been as hands-on in the last few years. It’s not strange for Aang and Toph to want them to advise on something, but it is slightly out-of-the-ordinary for them to not share what that something is in a letter.

They don’t have to wonder about it for very long.

“Your Majesties,” one of their messengers says, and they turn to face him. “Apologies for disturbing you.”

“It’s no worry, Xi,” Zuko says. “What is it?”

“Avatar Aang and Chief Beifong have arrived from Republic City.”

***

On a balcony overlooking one of the courtyards where their children play together (and the young Iroh sits grumpily off to the side), the old friends catch up over steaming cups of tea.

(Tenzin’s airbending is progressing quickly, and Lin still can’t metal bend.)

(Izumi likes studying in Ba Sing Se, Iroh strives for new levels of teen angst every day, Kya healed her first papercut last week, and Kyokani hasn’t bent anything just yet.)

Katara had asked eagerly after her brother and his wife and kids.

(Sokka is tackling the challenges of being on Republic City’s Council like he does everything in life--cleverly and without reservation. Suki’s expansion of the Kyoshi Warriors past their ancestral borders has been hitting a few snags. Luna and Ukira have recently begun their training to become Kyoshi Warriors, like their mother before them.)

But alas, the subject at hand raises its nasty head much sooner than they would’ve liked.

“Yakone,” Zuko growls when Toph and Aang share their reason for visiting. “That perpetual thorn in our sides is still alive?”

“Unfortunately,” Toph replies.

“So what’s he done this time?” Katara asks. “Please tell me it’s something you guys can actually convict him on.”

Aang winces. “That’s… where things get complicated.”

“Complicated how?” Zuko asks.

Aang scratches the back of his neck. “Well…”

Toph swings into it with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, “We think Yakone is a bloodbender.”

They can hear the shouts of their children below in the courtyard, the sounds of joy discordant with the tone their conversation has veered into.

“Well, shit,” Katara says.

Zuko looks over at her with widened eyes. “Usually you’re the diplomatic one.”

“Well, I can’t really think of a diplomatic way to react to that revelation.”

Toph says, “How’s this for shit: based on what witnesses have said, it looks like he can bloodbend without a full moon.”

Zuko and Katara share a loaded look.

Aang blinks. “You… don’t seem surprised.” He glances between the two. “We came to ask you if you thought it could be possible. We have witnesses, but--”

“It’s possible,” Katara interrupts, calm and sure.

A heavy beat passes before Aang asks, “Have you-- Katara, have you done it?”

She lets out a long breath before she explains, “Until now, Hama was the only other bloodbender we’d ever met, and she told us that a full moon was necessary for the technique. And…” Katara sighs softly. “And for Hama, the full moon was necessary, but my bending is stronger than hers was. The full moon certainly makes it easier, but it’s not required.”

“Katara--”

“Don’t start with me, Aang.” Under the table, Zuko takes her hand. “When I first did it, I swore I would never do it again. It felt… wrong and barbaric, and that was never something I had ever associated with my bending.

“But I realized years ago that by cutting myself off from the possibilities--”

“What possibilities?” Aang asks, heated. “We outlawed it for a reason. You fought for it as much as anyone else!”

Katara lets out an exasperated breath. “Have you forgotten already, my pupil?” she says with a wry edge. “Waterbending isn’t all about fighting.”

“Healing,” Toph surmises. “You used it for healing.”

“Yes,” Katara answers. “One of the biggest drawbacks of healing with water is that deeper, more serious injuries are often harder and take longer to fix. But if we can heal someone using their blood, then healing those injuries will be faster and much less taxing. And perhaps someday it won’t be just injuries we can fix. Illness, maiming, wounds that could’ve been crippling or fatal…”

Aang sighs. “You can save more people,” he concludes.

“Yes,” she replies.

He does have the good sense to look sheepish. “Sorry for assuming the worst. Sifu Katara,” he adds with a little mock bow, just to make her smile.

It works, but it’s tempered. “Look, I get your reluctance,” Katara says. “Really, I do. When we made it illegal, it was meant to be a bottle stopper on a technique that can easily be abused, but if what you’re saying about Yakone is true, then the bottle is leaking.”

“So how do we stop it?” Aang asks.

“Well, a good start would be putting Yakone in prison once and for all,” Katara says.

Zuko says, “He’s managed to weasel his way out of all the charges that have been brought against him. Trying to convince people that he can bloodbend without a full moon won’t be easy. What evidence do you have so far?”

“Witnesses,” Toph answers. “Lots of them.”

Katara says, “You’ll have a tough time getting enough credible witnesses who tell a consistent story to convince people that something thought to be impossible is possible.”

Aang says, “We’ve already got a dozen ready and willing to share what they saw.”

“That won’t be enough,” Zuko says.

“We’re working on that,” Toph says, “and we have leads for at least ten--”

“What if I testified?” Katara asks suddenly.

“No,” Zuko says. “Katara, you can’t be serious.”

“I am serious,” she says. “I’m a bloodbender who can do the technique you’re trying to convince people is possible. That would mean the burden of proof is moved away from proving it’s possible to proving that Yakone can do and has done it.”

Toph nods along with her words, and says in response, “That’s actually a really good idea. If we can get the Council to focus on the testimony rather than the bending…”

“And get the Fire Lady,” Aang says, “one of the most powerful politicians in the world, to admit on record that she also can do and has done something that illegal?”

Zuko looks over at Katara as if to say See?

She sighs. “I can’t just turn my back on Republic City because we’ve been keeping my bloodbending a secret. It sounds like we have a chance, a real chance, to finally put Yakone away, and if I don’t do everything I can to ensure that that happens, then how can I look myself in the mirror and say I’m trying to make the world a better place?”

“Think about the political implications,” Zuko says, and gets a strange look on his face. “I can’t believe I’m the one saying that to you right now but seriously. Agni knows how many enemies we have, and this would be the exact sort of thing to give them more wind in their sails. Plus, with all the fearmongering that went on about bloodbending after the war, testifying that you can do it whenever you want? People are going to fear you,” he shakes his head, expression sad.

“Give the people some credit,” Toph says. “Katara is probably the most popular public figure in the world behind Aang. People freaking love her. What kind of evil bloodbending witch builds hospitals for poor people?”

A silence draws over the table. An impasse.

In true Avatar fashion, Aang breaks the silence by saying, “I propose a compromise.” He smiles ruefully. “I think with the case we’re building, the evidence and the witnesses Toph has found, I think it will be enough.” He turns to Toph, “You trust the people enough to not turn on Katara, but not enough to rely on the witnesses to help convict Yakone? Look,” he continues, looking between all of them, “I think this time we will have enough to convict him. My worry is that when the time comes and he is convicted, he will not take that lying down.”

Katara nods slowly. “If he is as talented a bender as you say, and based on what we know about him, I doubt he goes quietly.”

“Exactly,” Aang says. “We need someone who could go up against him.” He looks meaningfully at Katara. “Instead of testifying, you provide backup in case we lose control. If that happens, I will take his bending away.”

Zuko says, “I still don’t like the idea of Katara exposing herself like that. But,” he tacks on at his wife’s look, “it’s not the worst plan.”

“It leaves a lot up to chance,” Katara says, but it is not a disagreement.

Aang replies, “So does any plan. This is the one with the least risk and highest reward.”

Katara contemplates silently for a few moments, a finger stroking her chin. “I think this could work, and taking his bending seems like the safest way to handle him. Toph,” she says, “what do you think?”

Toph groans and slouches back in her seat, tipping her head back and saying her next words to the sky, “I think we’re going to have to find the best prosecutor in Republic City, because this is going to be a fight.”

***

“We have dozens of witnesses, Yakone. We know what you are.”

Yakone growls as metal cuffs are bent onto his wrists, “I’ve beaten every trumped up charge you yahoos have brought against me, and I’ll beat this one too.”

“Get him out of here,” Toph says, and he allows himself to be escorted out of the restaurant by two officers, and the doors slam shut behind him. This leaves her and Aang standing next to each other, the silence that has descended just shy of eerie.

Aang’s face is grim. “Now comes the hard part.”

***

Several weeks later, the case of Republic City versus Yakone of the Southern Water Tribe is heard by the sitting United Republic Council.

Katara dresses down for the occasion, leaving behind her Fire Lady regalia and headpiece in favor of a short-sleeved, fur-trimmed amauti belted across her waist, sealskin boots, and a long, indigo blue skirt slit up the sides to just above her knee to allow full range of movement. She looks no different than any other Water Tribe woman and blends in with the onlookers who have come to witness the open door spectacle that is Yakone’s (hopefully last) trial.

In trying to remain anonymous, Aang and Toph agreed to not interact with her; Sokka doesn’t even know she’s here. It hurts to keep a secret from him, but with his duty to remain impartial, it’s better to keep him in the dark.

(Initially, Zuko had wanted to send security with her, but she rolled her eyes. “Zuko, I am the security.” She had eventually relented in the face of her husband’s genuine concern and agreed to take two Kyoshi-trained bodyguards with her, both of whom are also anonymously dressed and seated far enough from her to maintain their cover.)

(It is much harder for her husband to remain anonymous in this city, so he agrees to watch the children and wait for them at Aang and Toph’s home on Air Temple Island.)

(She can’t wait to tell Sokka that the Fire Lord is babysitting.)

Katara prays the two flasks of water she has attached to her belt prove unnecessary. Hopefully, any bending will be unnecessary. She hasn’t used bloodbending as a weapon in many years, and she isn’t keen to break her streak.

As she settles into a seat in the middle of the rows of tables and chairs in the main room of City Hall, Katara lets her eyes make a sweep of the room. The architecture is decidedly modern, but takes many cues from all four nations. The sweeping, high ceilings remind her of many grand rooms in the Fire Palace. The solid marble pillars and stone pilasters are uniquely Earth Kingdom. The open room looking up to the many different floors of the building invoke the Air Temples. The graceful arches, including the embellished one behind the Council’s dais, are very clearly inspired by the Northern Water Tribe.

(Katara wishes she could see something distinctively inspired by the South Pole, but their architectural heritage had been all but lost. Despite years having passed since the end of the war, its scars linger in the most unexpected ways.)

The Council files into the hall, and the constant murmur of the gathered crowd dies out and the councilmembers take their seats. Sokka, keeping with his duties as chairman, begins the proceedings. He lists the date and location for the benefit of the stenographer, going through the various things that need to be recorded for posterity. Katara can feel the tension ratcheting up in the room as Sokka details the rules of the courtroom and warns that disruptive individuals will be escorted out.

“With that settled, please bring out the accused.”

Yakone has aged since Katara had last seen him. Unsurprising, since that must’ve been ten or so years past that she was face to face with him. He looks entirely too confident for a man on trial. It rankles something in her that he thinks he can just spit in the face of the laws they put in place to secure peace, that people can let the wounds of war fester and sow the very same discord that caused their wounds in the first place.

Once Yakone is seated, Sokka asks counsel to present their opening arguments.

The prosecutor representing Republic City stands and begins, “Yakone has ruled Republic City’s criminal empire for years, yet he has always managed to stay out of the law’s reach… Until now. You will hear testimony from dozens of his victims, and they will tell you Yakone has maintained his grip on the underworld by using an ability that has been illegal for decades. Bloodbending.” She continues to lay out the case for the Council, and Katara must admit, she spins a compelling narrative. As she summarizes the case Toph and Aang have built against him, Katara glances around the room. Most of the faces she sees are nodding, and a few murmured words of agreement reach her ears. At the very least it would seem the public is on their side, but that doesn’t mean conviction is a given.

Sokka had told her that the representatives from the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Water Tribe have been the holdouts on convicting Yakone, citing the heavily circumstantial evidence. (“It’s not like they’re exactly wrong,” Sokka had said, “but come on . When even circumstantial evidence piles up like that, something is fishy.”) A conviction was anything but guaranteed. And if they manage to secure a guilty verdict, then there’s the matter of if Yakone will go quietly.

After the prosecutor wraps up her speech, she is seated, and Yakone’s defense attorney stands and delivers his own argument.

“The prosecution’s entire case is built upon the make believe notion that my client is able to bloodbend at will, at any time on any day. I remind the council that bloodbending is an incredibly rare skill and it can only be performed during a full moon,” he says, and Katara shifts in her seat. Perhaps it had been a mistake for her to conceal her abilities. At least then the public would be able to hear the witness testimony with the full truth already known.

He continues, “Yet, the witnesses will claim that my client used bloodbending at every other time except during a full moon. It would be a mockery of justice to convict a man of a crime that is impossible to commit.” For several more minutes, the attorney continues in this vein, impugning the witnesses’ character and motives and maintaining that Yakone is a victim of partisan politics and a smear campaign. It’s difficult for Katara to listen to without wanting to break something.

When Yakone’s attorney concludes, Sokka asks for witnesses, and the trial itself truly begins.

***

It’s a grueling trial. In total, it ends up lasting something like twenty-two hours with dozens of witnesses testifying to what they saw. Person after person, from a variety of backgrounds and nations. Shopkeepers and artisans, stay-at-home mothers and military veterans, jailhouse informants and former gang members, and all say the same thing: Yakone is a bloodbender, and he doesn’t need the full moon to do it.

Katara has to hand it to Aang and Toph--they did not take any shortcuts on their investigation. The testimony had been thorough, brutal, and consistent. Somewhere around the seventh witness, the defense attorney’s arguments became progressively more repetitive and less believable. In short, it had been utterly damning.

“Councilman Sokka will now deliver the verdict.”

Her brother stands, looking out across the gathered crowd. “In my years, I have encountered people born with rare and unique bending abilities. I once bested a man with my trusty boomerang who was able to firebend with his mind.” That makes Katara crack a grin. Of course he’d find a way to bring up his boomerang. At least he skipped over the name he’d given to said firebender.

Sooka continues, “Why, even metalbending was considered impossible for all of history until our esteemed chief of police Toph Beifong single-handedly developed the skill. The overwhelming amount of testimony and evidence has convinced this council that Yakone is one of these unique benders, and he exploited his ability to commit these heinous crimes. We find Yakone guilty of all charges and sentence him to life in prison.”

A gavel bang officially adjourns the court, and they have done it. Yakone is going away for good.

This is what they were hoping for, and also the situation they were dreading. Katara tenses in her seat, shifting forward with her eyes locked on Yakone.

Initially, he is still. His attorney wads a sheet of paper and throws it across the room with a huff. Two metalbenders come to take him away.

Then Yakone stands. She cannot see his hands, but Katara can feel the exact moment he starts to bend.

She was only fourteen last time someone bent her blood, nearly thirty years ago now but the sensation slides over her like a familiar, unwelcome caress. Her muscles seize, her veins throb, and for a handful of fearful seconds, Katara is afraid that she isn’t strong enough to beat him.

He’s bloodbending an entire room full of people, the Council, the crowd, Toph, and even Aang.

Aang appears to be fighting against the control, his hand shaking with exertion as he reaches out towards Yakone.

As a groaning Toph is forced to undo his shackles, Aang grits out, “Yakone, you won’t get away with this.”

Yakone forcefully drops his arms, and Katara can feel it in the rush of her blood--he’s going to knock everyone out. As everyone in the room drops, Katara breathes and controls her fear. She stops the rush of her blood away from her head. She feels the hush and whisper of the water moving in her flasks, and when she pushes herself, she can feel the same movement in everyone around her, the push and pull of blood through their veins like the push and pull of the sea.

As much as Hama was dangerous, she was also right. Water is everywhere. Katara is surrounded by it, and when she is surrounded by her element, she cannot lose.

Yakone laughs and turns toward Aang, still frozen, and lifts him into the air. “Republic City is mine, Avatar. I’ll be back one day to claim it.”

The mobster makes a move to throw Aang into the stairs at the foot of the Council’s table, but finds himself quite suddenly stopped.

“Over my dead body,” Katara calls out, and steps out into the aisle between the tables, hands before her in bloodbending form. She can feel his blood flowing through his body, the shape of the circulatory system like a scarlet tree running through him, and it is hers to control.

Aang drops like a sack of flour, and Katara winces as he hits the floor.

“That could be arranged, Fire Lady,” Yakone growls, and Katara gasps and he wrenches himself from her control and the full force of his bloodbending hits her like a runaway wagon.

He is powerful. Far more powerful than Hama. The fear of being weaker than him slams into her again as he lifts her off the floor. The breath is forced from her lungs as her head is jerked backwards. She grits her teeth together, trying to wrest control of her body back, but he’s fighting her.

“You’re strong,” Yakone says, a touch of strain in his deep voice, “but not strong enough.”

She feels as though she is about to explode, but he is not stronger than her. “Funny,” she wheezes, “I was about to say the same to you! ” On her last word, she finally breaks her arms free of his control and hurls Yakone into a pillar. His back collides with the surface, and his head snaps backwards and cracks against the marble.

Katara drops, grunting when she hits the floor, but she finds her feet again fast. She’s gasping with exertion, but she cannot let her guard down now. She will not lose.

Unfortunately, the hit against the pillar wasn’t as severe as it sounded, as Yakone is already standing again.

“You little brat,” he says, and before she can stop him, he picks her up and returns the favor, sending her flying backwards, all the way to the doors of City Hall. They shatter under the force of her body, and shards of wood slice through her skin and clothing. She maintains the presence of mind to bend the water out of her flasks and create a wall of ice that she slides up against before she can go tumbling down the stairs.

She staggers to her feet, her head pounding from the impact and her joints reminding her that she is not as young as she once was.

Yakone follows her out, pace measured and slow--perhaps her throw had done more damage than he let on. Katara takes quick stock of herself--the cuts from her unpleasant trip through the door are superficial, and her head’s throbbing is quieting. Nothing is broken, though her ankle might be slightly twisted. Nothing that will make her unable to fight.

She prays that Aang won’t be down for long, and bends like her life depends on it.

She’s never been in a bloodbending fight like this. It’s always been the case where she was clearly stronger, like with Hama, or her opponent was not a waterbender, like when she and Zuko went after the Southern Raiders. But this is her seizing control of Yakone and trying to force him to his knees, and then him wresting back control and trying to dislocate her shoulders. Her joints and tendons creak, her heart heaves in confusion in her chest, and a pained groan forces its way out of her throat.

This is Katara managing to break free just before the joints pop out of place and throwing Yakone down the stairs to give herself a moment of respite. Sweat beads on her forehead as she bends the water she’d brought with her over Yakone, freezing him in place.

Her bonds don’t last long as he melts the water and sends it back in her direction. He bends it into a dozen daggers, razor sharp and coming at her fast. Taking control of her blood, Yakone holds her directly in their path.

With a pained shout, Katara manages to take control of her body back in time to dodge out of the way, tucking and rolling. She comes up onto one knee and reaches out to take hold of Yakone’s blood once more.

This back and forth is exhausting, the unnatural movements forced onto her body make her feel bruised and raw, and doing this technique under the sun is no small task.

She tries to do what Yakone did earlier, tries to force his blood away from his head and make him pass out like he’d done to the whole courtroom, but he manages to hold her off. She can see the strain on his face and is gratified that she’s not the only one struggling.

She grits her teeth, pushing at his blood harder.

With a tortured shout, Yakone takes his own blood back. Katara stumbles, and he presses his advantage. She finds herself pushed down onto the ground, first her knees, then her hands, Yakone pressing down against her back. If she cedes her ability to move, if he manages to get her face down on the ground, she won’t be able to bend. She will lose.

Kicking one of her knees up so she rests on just the one, Katara looses her arms from Yakone’s control. In a move that was adapted from firebending, she punches out with her arms quickly, one aimed for the blood in his chest and the other towards his knees.

The first lands hard, she can feel the blood shimmering under the impact as the breath is driven from his lungs and he loses his grip on Katara. The second is a lighter hit--less blood in the joints, but it is effective in breaking his root and knocking him off balance. Katara pushes forward, taking on the traditional bloodbending form as she forces him down to his knees.

“Katara!”

Thank the Spirits . Aang shoots out of City Hall faster than an eel hound, riding a ball of compressed air.

Her hands shake as she attempts to keep her hold fast.

“Aang, now!” she shouts.

The years haven’t dulled their ability to work together, and Aang understands exactly what she wants from him. The ball of air dissolves beneath him as he adopts an earthbending stance. With a jab upwards, he bends a tight funnel of rock up and around Yakone, immobilizing him.

Katara stumbles backwards as she finally releases Yakone’s blood and a wave of exhaustion goes over her. She braces her hands on her knees as she watches Aang approach Yakone.

“I’m taking away your bending for good,” Aang says. Between one heartbeat and the next, Aang enters the Avatar State. His eyes and tattoos take on a familiar glow.  His hands go to Yakone’s head and chest, and a few seconds later, it is over. Yakone slumps down as much as the rock prison allows.

“Katara!” Aang calls out again, rushing to her side. “Are you all right?”

She grunts as she puts a little bit of weight on the bad ankle. Definitely a sprain, but not severe. She bends the water across City Hall’s steps back into the flask, but saves a little over her hands and sets about healing the bleeding cuts across her body. Zuko would probably have an aneurysm if she came back bleeding. As it is, he’ll probably have at least a minor meltdown looking at the tattered and bloody state of her clothing. “I’m okay.” She looks past him at Yakone, whose eyes are closed as if asleep. “He’s down?”

Aang nods. “He’ll never bend again.”

Katara nods and bends the water on her hands back into her flasks. “Good, because I’d just like to go on record as saying I never want to do that again.”

Aang steps forward and hugs her tightly. He really can give some of the best hugs--he’s always solid and warm, his robes are soft and smell faintly of incense, and his height and long limbs mean she always feels surrounded by his affection and sincerity. There’s a part of her that misses when he was younger, when he was the kid that she was responsible for, the kid she needed to protect and take care of. But this? This is it’s own kind of better.

“I’m sorry you had to do it at all,” Aang says softly.

“Necessary sacrifices. It’s what needed to be done,” Katara says. She lingers in his embrace for a few more seconds before she pulls away.

“And you’re sure you’re okay?”

“I will be. I think I just need some rest.” She chuckles breathlessly. “I feel like I just ran a marathon.”

“Here, I’ll call Appa for you so you can get back to Air Temple Island--”

“No,” she interrupts gently. “I want to see this through.”

And as much as collapsing on a bed right now sounds appealing, it is not too much of a task to see Yakone off to prison and ensure that everyone who was a victim of his bending in the courtroom is unharmed.

Toph lets off some creative expletives when Katara revives her, and Aang hugs her desperately before she can go off on a rampage. Toph softens, and the pair kiss before they pull away from each other. Toph punches Katara in the arm in both greeting and gratitude.

Sokka comes back to in a similar fashion, and is livid in turn about Katara having to fight Yakone by herself and also about missing an “epic bloodbending battle.” She can sense that he’s a little hurt she never told him about her full bloodbending abilities, but he keeps it to himself for now. She owes him a full explanation later, when it’s just the two of them. She’s always hated keeping secrets from him.

(There’s also a part of her that knows he’s going to censure her for pushing to illegalize something and then continuing to do it behind everyone’s backs. And perhaps he’ll be right to be mad, but that’s just going to have to be a bridge she’ll cross when she gets to it. If there’s one thing she hates more than keeping secrets from Sokka, it’s him being disappointed in her.)

Aang eventually does call for Appa once the chaos of the day has settled and Toph puts her second-in-command in control of the rest of the cleanup, and the bison takes them all to Air Temple Island. Despite the ride only taking ten minutes, Katara nearly falls asleep on Sokka’s shoulder.

When they arrive, Suki is already there with a worried Zuko standing next to her.

“We heard what happened,” Suki says in explanation, and Zuko rushes over to Appa and helps Sokka get Katara out of the saddle. She feels a little pathetic that she can barely stand on her own and has to have her brother and husband practically lift her down, but mostly she’s grateful.

Zuko’s hug is tighter than Aang’s was, and she can feel the minuscule shakes going through him. A ball of tension lingering in her chest finally eases as she clutches him back. “It’s been so long since we’ve had to fight anyone,” he whispers. “I forgot how scary it is to send you off on your own.”

“I know,” she replies, stroking a hand through his hair. It’s completely unbound, a rarity he only indulges in when in the most intimate of settings, and it allows fingers to run through it without interruption. “But I’m alright. My whole body feels like a giant bruise and I want to go to bed in the middle of the afternoon, but I’m alright.”

His arms tighten around her again, and he kisses her hair.

All too soon, or perhaps not soon enough, reality comes rushing back in the form of their children.

“Mom!”

She’d expected Kyokani or Kya, their exuberance at seeing their mother still untempered, but to her surprise and delight, it’s Iroh who calls out to her. He runs up to her and hugs her with a similar degree of desperation as his father had, and Katara has to hold back tears.

It’s not that Iroh isn’t a loving, wonderful son (in spite of the brooding angst that had bloomed not long after he’d turned sixteen), but he’s going through a phase where hugging his mom is not exactly on the top of the list of things he wants to do. But Spirits, if he isn’t hugging her now like he had when he was six years old and was frightened by the Dragon Catacombs when he’d stumbled upon them while alone.

She supposes it makes sense--they hadn’t told their youngest children much beyond the fact that Mom needed to help Uncle Aang and Aunt Toph take down a bad guy. However, Iroh knows exactly who Yakone is and exactly how much danger his mother was just in. (Katara imagines she’ll be getting an earful from Izumi about her safety next time she sees her. Her firstborn is a lot like her father in that way.)

She’s hears a high pitched, “Mama!” and looks over Iroh’s shoulder to find little Kyokani with Kya hot on his heels racing to greet her. Katara can’t bring herself to let go of her oldest son just yet, and with a grin brings him down to his knees with her so that she can have all her kids in her arms at once. Iroh, surprisingly, doesn’t complain. “Did you and Uncle Aang and Aunt Toph get the bad guy?” Kyo asks.

“Yeah,” Katara chuckles. “We got him.”

“Was there a big fight?” asks Kya, and their little group hug begins to disperse as it’s clear Kya and Kyokani want the story of how they got the bad guy.

Katara laughs. “Yes, there was a big fight.”

“Whoa,” Kya says with wide eyes. “And you beat him?”

“Well,” Katara says with a small shrug, “Uncle Aang helped a little bit.”

Aang gives Appa a parting pat and turns with his hands on his hips. “Hey, I did more than a little bit!”

“He came in at the end,” Katara stage whispers. When she moves to stand again, she loses her balance a bit. “Oof.” She’s steadied by Iroh’s hand on her back.

“Mom, are you alright?” Iroh asks.

“Just tired,” she tells him, and pats his cheek. “Thank you.”

“Mom you gotta tell us about the big fight!” Kya asks, tugging at her mother’s skirt.

“Hey, I can tell you about it!” Aang says, and then he crouches down. “Also, I want a hug too!”

“Me three!” says Sokka, and the youngest of the Fire Nation clan scatters to hug their favorite uncles.

Katara elbows Iroh, who is still standing next to her with a look of worry on his face. “Go say hi to your uncles and aunts. Aunt Toph also probably wants a hug, even if she’s not going to ask for one.”

Iroh nods and does as he’s told. (And yes, Aunt Toph absolutely did want a hug. Katara can almost hear Iroh’s bones crack under her grip from where she stands.)

Then Zuko comes to her side and takes her hand. He says, “They’re going to distract them for a while so that you can go get some rest.”

Suki, who’d been waiting to join the fray of hugs, says, “There’s a guest room set up for you just off the main hall. Zuko knows where it is.” She looks back at the Temple and then back at Katara, “You might want to go before Luna and Ukira get wind that you’re here. I trust Tenzin and Lin to be a little more restrained, but--”

“Wait,” Katara says, “they’re all here? I shouldn’t be sleeping while everyone is here.” She wishes even more fervently that Izumi was home. Then her family would truly be complete.

“Hey,” Zuko says softly, squeezing her hand, “everyone will still be here when you wake up.”

It takes a bit more cajoling to get Katara to the guest room, but once she lies down, Zuko sitting next to the bed and promising to stay until she falls asleep, it’s almost no time at all before she drifts off.

After all, she’d always slept best surrounded by the people she loves.

#zutara month #zutara #zutara fic #atla #my fic #tbh this was an excuse to write OP katara and by god i fucking took it #with a fast denouement because that's what i'm all about babeyy

[liliesoftherain]

My Hero Academia 3 Main Boys x Reader

Todoroki, Midoriya, and Bakugou x Reader fic! You're finally getting to attend the school of your dreams, meeting great people along the way. Trying to live up to your fathers expectation without his help may be difficult but you're ready to prove to him and everyone you have what it takes to become a pro hero. You're not looking for any love, but when does that stop it from finding you on it's own?

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

You really couldn't believe the news that was being told to you when you received your digital acceptance letter. You knew you always wanted to go to U.A. considering you wanted to follow in your fathers footsteps, yet you were still so shocked that you completed the entrance exams in second place with 75 points. While you felt you didn't even do too much, your rescue points really did give you a boost seeing as you only had 40 of the villain points in your favor.

You felt happy that you got in on your own accord and not based on your father's recommendation. While you loved him dearly, you wanted to prove that you were going to be a great of a hero, just like he is. So for the rest of the evening you and your father were celebrating your successes, enjoying yourselves before you went to bed, your father telling you in a stern but gentle voice that you needed rest if you were going to do the best you could in your studies. You agreed wholeheartedly, giving your father a goodnight and making your way to you room. You felt no nerves like you assumed you'd be feeling. You felt ready and more determined than ever

When the first day finally rolled around, you knew your hero career finally going to be turning into a reality. You learned you were going to be in class 1-A, and you had 20 other students your class. 21 may have been an odd number but it was still pretty small. 41 students in total had gotten into the hero course at U.A, and you were still overjoyed you made it in with you own hard work.

You walked into the classroom and noticed not many of the other students were here, and many heads turned to look at you. You didn't let it get to you and found an empty seat towards the back of the class room and settling in. Your focus was immediately turned to two other students who began to bicker loudly, and it seemed it was to everyone's amusement.

"Take your feet of off that desk now!" A large boy with a thick set of glasses spoke out.

"HUH?" The other student grinned cheekily back, slanted eyes held some annoyance but he was still brimming with a cocky attitude.

"It's the first day and you're already disrespecting this academy by scuffing school property you cretin."

"Wouldn't calling a fellow classmate names also be disrespectful? This is the hero course after all and name calling isn't very heroic." You spoke out before you could stop yourself, and you felt the two boys look over to you.

The taller one flushed heavily, a frown now set even firmer across his face as he held his hand to his chest.

"I-I suppose so yes. You're right" He looked back towards the other boy.

" I deeply apologize, here let me start over. I'm Tenya Iida from the Soumei Private Academy."

"You're kidding me right? You born with a stick up your ass or did Soumei put it up there, since coming from there you obviously think you're better than me." His grin widened even more as he leaned closer, his feet still perched on top of his desk as he continued.

"I'm going to have fun tearing you a new one." You rolled your eyes seeing that the blondie was just as disrespectful as what the Iida kid was claiming, even if it was for different reasons. You saw the door was open, causing you to look over and see another boy who looked very nervous while glancing between the two you were previously looking at. The boy caught your gaze and flushed, making a noise that quickly made all eyes on him. You heard Iida mutter a 'it's him'. Was he popular or something. You really weren't sure.

"UH HI!" The green haired student shouted out, clearly embarrassed by the stares as he looked away, finding something on the roof more interesting than everyone else.  

"Good morning!" Iida shouted, marching his way over to the kid, acting very formal and proper. That academy must of really had done a number on his personality if this was how he always was.

You were trying to get back to focusing on yourself, but overheard that the shy boy was named Izuku Midoryia. You hummed to yourself as you were trying to remember all the names you were going to eventually have to learn. You were terrible with names. You looked up and saw the cold stare the blondie was giving to Midoryia. You didn't like that look, it was pretty sinister.

'Oh well.' You thought, it wasn't your place to interfere.

"If you're just here to make friends you can pack up your stuff now. Welcome to U.A.s Hero Course" A gruff voice echoed throughout the classroom, and you saw a man in a sleeping bag.

"What a weirdo." You heard a mutter from next to you, and when you glanced you saw spiky red hair. He gave you a quick grin, and you smiled politely back. You didn't want to have no friends after all.

You watched the man stand up and take his bright yellow sleeping bag off, talking about how it took 8 seconds to stop talking and how it was unacceptable. He looked dead tired, and you wondered what this guy was doing teaching. Did he actually like this job?

"Hello I am Shouta Aizawa, your teacher." Multiple gasps ring out through the air, and you looked around wondering why it was all that hard to believe. Homeless looking or not, he was too old to be a student.

"Right let's get to it, put these on and head outside." He held up what looked to be gym uniforms. So you all did, changing in the locker rooms then heading outside. While walking out there, you saw the same spiky red head and decided was a good time to introduce yourself.

"Hi!" You walk next to him and saw he looked frazzled at first.

"Oh hey, you sit next to me right?" You nodded your head with a smile.

"My name is (f/n), it's nice to meet you. I wonder what this is all about." He grinned back, holding out his hand for you to shake.

"Likewise, I'm Eijiro Kirishima." You shook hands and he kept walking next to you, keeping the conversation going.

"Honestly I have no idea but I'm ready no matter what, I placed third in the entrance exam and I plan on staying in top three no matter what!" Your eyes widened.

"What no way! That's awesome you placed so high." You let a smug smile adorn your lips, thinking to yourself about if your father was here he'd scold you for bearing an arrogant persona.

"I mean, I guess you'll have to fight with me on that seeing as I got second place." Now it was Kirishima's turn for his eyes to widen, but he didn't get upset, letting out a small laugh and a grin full of resolve.

"Sounds like it! Be ready to be dethroned (f/n)!" His smiled suddenly faltered as he blushed slightly.

"It's uh, alright if I call you by your first name right? You didn't give me your last name." You nodded your head.

"I don't mind as long as I can call you by your first name, I don't give out my last name but it's Hakamata." You didn't see any recognition pop up on his face from your name so you relaxed a bit. He grinned and agreed you both could call each other by your first names, and your conversation was interrupted by Aizawa.

You stopped outside, what seemed to have certain outdoor activities like a track and a throwing area. Aizawa explained to all of you that you'd be having a quirk assessment test, causing a lot of students to raise their voice. It causes you to flinch at the loudness of it all. Were they going to be like this all the time?

Your teacher continued speaking, answering the question from another female student. She looked confused as she expressed her concerns of not being able to attend the opening ceremony that was held for first years, and Aizawa shot back that heroes shouldn't waste time on pointless things. And he'll run his class however he'd see fit.

"Bakugo you managed to get the most points on the entrance exam." You turned to see who he was talking to, and to your surprise it was the Blondie with the sour attitude.

"What was your farthest distance throw with a softball in junior high?"

Bakugo thought back for a moment before responding, a from never leaving his face.

"67 meters I think."

"Right," Aizawa spoke back, "now try doing it again with your quirk."

You watched as Bakugo take his place in the circle of the throwing area, not replying to the teacher as he said anything goes. You looked at Eijiro and he looked back, you both shrugged at each other, wondering what exactly could happen.

"Go on," Aizawa mutters out, getting impatient. "You're wasting our time."

Bakugo finally acknowledges him with an amused face before doing a quick stretch. Getting ready to throw. Bakugo cocked his arm back, and through with all his might, shouting a very lovely sentiment as he did so.

"DIE!" You held up a hand to cover your face with the extreme heat that came from his quirk use, and watched as the ball flew away at an extremely fast speed. You heard that Midoryia kid whisper out a woah, and you couldn't blame him. It was impressive to say the least.

While the class gasped as your teacher showed Bakugo's score, you felt yourself gasping along with them.

"705.2 meters, holy crap." You couldn't help your draw drop as you felt taken aback. You heard the buzz from the other students around you, till a very energetic girl who has a pink skin tone gushed about wanting to give it a try. While everyone was getting hyped, you nudged Kirishima and pointed towards the dangerous look Mr. Aizawa had on his face. Kirishima looked worried as you bite your lip, wondering what was going to happen now.

"So this looks fun huh."

'Crap here it goes.' You thought, the rest of the class quieting down, looking bewildered.

"You have three years at this school to try to become a hero. You think it's all going to be playtime?" He let out a creepy grin.

"Idiots. Today you'll complete in eight physical tests to gauge your potential. Whoever comes in last has none, and therefore will be expelled right then and there."

You were taken aback,  but felt a surge of adrenaline going through your body as the prospect of fighting for your right to be here. You grinned to yourself at the thought of making your father proud. You shared another look with Kirishima, it seems you both were thinking the same thing about proving worth.

"Good luck, you better not be expelled, because then that wouldn't give me a good feeling about kicking your ass you know."

"Oh we'll see who kicks whose ass now won't we."

It was time for the first test, the whole class pumped after hearing Mr. Aizawa's encouraging speech.

The 50-meter dash was the first test, and you felt yourself line up along with the brown haired girl from before, and a boy with a tail. You did a light stretch and released any thought you might've had. Now you really haven't perfected using your quirk in this way before.

Your quirk was called Light Manipulation. You are able to take the photons that make up light, and store them into your body as energy. Releasing them when you want. Normally photons are unable to interact with each other, which makes light impossible to grab, however, you are able to turn the light into mass by using light with very short wavelengths and high energies and frequencies. When this type of light is created, you're able to have them smash together to form protons and electrons, which can then make light into a solid matter.

What you were trying to do now was difficult. Since your body is full of light photons, in a sense you can make yourself become light, and move at light speed. You weren't too keen on practicing this since it always made you overheat, which is a drawback to your quirk.

You quickly ran to Kirishima before your race, and saw him standing next to a boy with blond hair with what look like to be a lightening bolt in black in his hair, as well as another boy with large elbows.

"Hey Eijiro can I ask you something real quick." He smiled down and you, his arms crossed.

"Yeah what's up (f/n)?" You handed him a large bottle of water.

"Can you stand by the finish line and pour this on me when I'm finished." You blushed.

"I know it's a little weird but my quirk causes me to overheat and I don't know if I'll be able to do it myself fast enough." Even though Kirishima looked puzzled he took the water and gave you a thumbs up.

"You can count on me dude! Kick some ass." You smiled gratefully and ran back to the starting line. You got into position, and felt yourself began to glow and left off a ton of heat.  The brown haired girl next to you looked at you and started to fan her face.

"Oh jeez you're burning up!" You grinned at her.

"Don't lose focus, run with all you've got!" She was taken aback, but gave you a hard smile, face set for the finish line.

"You too!" You heard the robot start the countdown, and felt yourself get lighten. As soon as the gunshot went off you felt your entire being practically explode, the heat almost unbearable as you sprinted across. You made it to the finish line and fell forward to stop yourself. You almost collided into Kirishima and he was too stunned to move. You felt your body turn back to normal as you gasped for air. Hearing you breath made him snap out of his daze as he poured water onto your frame. Watching the steam roll off in large puffs. You heard the robot yell out your score.

".45 seconds!" You grunted out, proud you were getting faster but tired from the overuse of your quirk. You grinned up at Kirishima as he laughed loudly.

"(y/n) that was amazing!" You stood up and grabbed the empty bottle, throwing it away.

"Thanks for cooling me down, even though I'm still a bit overheated I just need a moment and I'll be fine." You still had some steam rising out of your body, and you looked over to see most of the class staring at you with wide eyes. You saw Iida and waved.

"Sorry to say it looks like I won that one!" He frowned slightly but then quickly gave a sportsman like smile back.

"Well done!"

"That was really amazing! I'm Ochaco Uraraka!" Ochaco grinned as she held out her hand, you shook it and sheepishly rubbed the back of your head.

"I'm (y/n), you did amazing, 7.15 seconds is still really good."

You two stopped your talking as soon as the other students were up for the next round. You all stood off to the side, and met the boys that Kirishima was talking to earlier, learning their names were Denki Kaminari and Hanata Sero respectively. You felt a pair of eyes on you while you were talking to your new friends so you glanced around, seeing Bakugo had a hard stare fixed on you. His arms crossed and jaw tight, and his eyes only narrowed more as you looked at him. You didn't want to feel intimidated but his stare was pretty icy, so you waved back, not waiting for a reply before turning back around. After a few other students, you saw Bakugo going against that Midoryia he seemed to dislike so much. You saw how Midoryia was looking really nervous, more than he should be. Maybe his quirk wasn't really good for this type of stuff?

You assumed you were right as you saw Bakugo take off, creating explosions in his hands while Midoryia ran normally, having beat Ochaco by a couple of seconds. You congratulated Kirishima when he finished his test, teasing him about his time. He scoffed and playfully shoved you.

"Sorry we can't all run at the speed of light." You laughed and you all walked together towards a gym to perform your next task. It was simple enough, but you knew you weren't going to get a good of a sore as you did in the first test. You couldn't really use your quirk for strength.

Even though you tried your hardest at the grip strength test, but sigh dejectedly as you only got around a 60kg.

"WOW! You hit 540kg? You're such a beast!" You looked to see Sero praise another boy of the class who was using three different body parts, all looking like arms.

The next test was the standing long jump, and you were hoping you'd be able to shoot some light form your feet towards the ground to help your momentum. When you got up to the starting point, you did a leg stretch and felt heat make its way to your feet. You let it build for a moment before jumping off, willing your light to become solid to propel you high and far before letting the mass turn back to rays of regular light. You went pretty far before finishing the jump. While you landing was a bit messy, causing you to roll to not break any limbs, you were still happy to make it out of the sandpit that normal students without using quirks would've landed in.

The repeated side to side was more of a challenge seeing as you weren't exactly sure how to use the force of your light to help you. Taking your place, you just did normal side to side jumps without the help of your quirk, feeling embarrassed when you heard one student make a loud comment about your breasts. Your face turned bright red and you completed the task, crossing your arms you grumbled and walked away. You saw a tiny boy with balls on his head being scolded by Iida about making such inappropriate remarks. You stood by Ochaco as that's where you felt the most comfortable at the moment. Telling her you were okay when she rubbed your back reassuringly.

You walked with Ochaco towards the next area for the ball throw, you went and while you were better than back in your old school, it still wasn't anything too impressive. Ochaco congratulated you on your 50 meter throw, saying it was pretty cool to be able to throw that far with no quirk. You thanked her, letting her then gush to you about how excited she was when her turn was coming up.

"Since I can manipulate gravity, I know I got this in the bag!" You laughed with her.

"You better! That'll be awesome to see, my quirk wasn't useful so I had to stick to a regular pitch."

You watched Ochaco take her place in the circle with a small, before touch the ball and throwing it high. It traveled higher and higher, till you could barely see it even while squinting. Kirishima had his hands over his eyes to block out the sun to try to get a better look, while Kaminari was staring with his mouth wide open. If it were even possible, his eyes bugged out even wider and his mouth fell down farther when Mr. Aizawa revealed her score to be infinite. You cheered her on before looking towards your left.

"Midoryia?" He looked over with you a pale face, sweat dripping down the sides of his face.

"Are you okay?" You asked curiously. You wanted to brush it off as just shock that it went so high up, but you don't think that was the case. He was practically shaking, teeth clenched together. Was he scared of going home?

He nodded and gulped, trying to speak but his words coming out short and breathy.

"Ye-yeah fine. Thanks, uh (y/n)." You gave him a shoulder pat and a slight smile. 

"I'm sure you'll do great okay? Don't stress." He gave a wobbly smile back, before looking down, fear still evident on his face. His name  was called and he hesitantly took a stand. You watched as he stared at the softball intently, having some kind of internal battle.

"I wonder if he'll finally show his strength." Ochaco muttered next to you. You looked over at her as she took the place where Midoryia was previously occupying and gave her a questioning stare.

"Oh? Do you know his quirk?" Ochaco shook her head no.

"I don't know the specifics but he was the one who saved me from a zero pointer." You were shocked. He took down a zero pointer, all by himself? All you did was manage to help get someone out of the way, blasting at it only to slow it down, not doing too much damage.

"Wait, he was that one kid everyone was talking about then!?" You asked with wide eyes. Ochaco didn't even need to ask what you meant, she knew what you were talking about and nodded her head.

You were shocked, This scaredy cat was the one who destroyed a zero pointer. Like, crushed the thing.

"If Midoryia doesn't shape up soon he's the one going home." Iida spoke, you looked over at him, wondering if he knew what his quirk was. But before you could ask Bakugo cut you off.

"HUH? Of course he is! He's a quirkless loser!" You made a confused face, the same as Iida.

"He has a quirk!" Iida responded sharply.

"It must be a pretty good one," you interrupted, looking straight at Bakugo. "You didn't hear about what he did during the entrance exam? Everyone was talking about it."

Bakugo looked annoyed and gave you a questioning look, all he could manage was another,

"Huh??"

You were surprised that he didn't know, the way he was glaring at him during the morning class made you assumed they knew each other, or at the very least knew what he did during the entrance exam and thought he was competition.

Before you got to answer, Midoriya was getting ready to throw, and you saw a red light travel along his arm, and as soon as he pitched, you saw the red disappear as the ball rushed off.

Landing only 46 meters. His face filled with dread and yours with curiosity. That was the power that took out one of those huge robots? You saw long ribbons circling around your teacher, cutting off Midoryia as he mumbled to himself.

"I erased your quirk. The judges of this exam were not rational enough. Someone like you should never be allowed to enroll at this school. "

"Wait you did what to my..." You shared glances with kids around you, wondering why the hell Midoriya cut himself off and gasped.

"Those goggles! I know you! You can look at someone and cancel out their powers!" You listened to him continue as you had own conclusion. You hear your father mention him once or twice, but you never really cared since he wasn't apart of your fathers agency. But you finally came to the same thought as Midoryia.

"The Eraser Hero: Eraserhead!"

Everyone around you began to talk amongst themselves, wondering who the hell that was.

"He's a Pro Hero who doesn't work in the spotlight." You tell your classmates around you.

"He likes to work on the down low." You continued, stumbling a bit when Kirishima slapped your back.

"Look at you with all the answers!" You pushed him, looking back towards Midoryia and Aizawa, talking about broken bones and battered bodies. Midoryia arguing back before Aizawa wrapped his scarf around the boy, bringing him close and calling him a liability in battle.

The rest of the class looked on in silence. You were nervous, Mr. Aizawa seemed to do and say whatever the hell he wanted, who knew how this would go. He was scolding the boy, and you couldn't hear what was going on.

Aizawa finally let him go, and told him to take his final throw.

"I wonder what he was telling him." You questioned to nobody in particular.

"Probably told him to start packing." Bakugo spoke up from next to you, causing you to look up. His eyes were staring straight at Midoriya, before looking down at you. Eyes still cold.

"What." He asked, his tone wasn't as sharp as his eyes but he still had a gruffness to it.

You just smiled, letting out a chuckle before shaking your head.

"It's nothing." You heard him tsk beside you before your focus melted away, going back to Midoriya. He was mumbling to himself, staring at the ground.

He finally looked up and threw the ball, you didn't see his power activating but the ball went far. You noticed his finger was a bright purple, looking badly bruised, maybe even broken? You felt Bakugo stiffen next to you, and you looked back at him. While everyone was cheering or discussing his quirk, Bakugo's face was full of shock. You admitted it was nice to see that the guy could make another emotion besides anger appear on his face, but maybe you jinxed it when his face contorted with anger.

"HEY!" He shouted, blasting by you with his quirk activated, giving him a boost.

"DEKU YOU BASTARD! TELL ME HOW YOU DID THAT OR YOU'RE DEAD!" Bakugo open his palm and you heard Midoriya scream, or was it Deku?

"Wait!" A futile shout left your mouth as more of Mr. Aizawa's scarf came forwards and wrapped Bakugo up. Bakugo began tugging at it, and Aizawa explained why his scarf was so strong. You really weren't paying attention, too busy rethinking how pissed Bakugo looked and he went full force onto Deku.

You stared at Bakugo's back as he shook in anger, he was glaring harshly at Deku, and you felt scared by his gaze.

The next few tests were easy enough, sit-ups, seated toe-touch, and the long distance run. You were in great physical fitness thanks to sparring and training sessions with your father, and passed them no problem.  You felt good, walking to the scoreboard as Mr. Aizawa pulled up all the scores. You cheered when you saw that you were in the top 5.

"Hey fourth that's pretty good!" You glanced at Kirishima as he walked over with Denki and Sero, you smiled up at him.

"Hey number 9 isn't bad either. Top 10!" You looked at the other two boys who frowned, laughing you punched their shoulders.

"You guys did great too, no one here failed."

"Yea poor Midoriya." Denki muttered, and you looked over at the board to see he was right. Dead last. You looked over and saw Deku gripping his wrist, the hand he held with his broken finger clutched tight as he shook.

Mr. Aizawa smiled as he removed the results screen, turning towards the class.

"Oh I was kidding, no one is going home. I was trying to make sure you guys did your very best on this."

Midoriya went into shock as he went as white as a peace of paper. The girl who one first place, Momo you believe her name was, said how she thought everyone knew and should've said something.

"That was pretty nerve racking huh?" Sero chuckled nervously from your little group.

"Nah I'm always down for a challenge!" Ejiro chuckled, and you raised your fist up just like he did.

"Hell yea! No matter what we should always be giving it 100%!" You both snicker together, before you turn around to see Bakugo lost in thought. He was glaring at Deku, then Aizawa, and when he looked at you, to see you already looking, he huffed and looked away.

"Okay we're done for today, pick up a syllabus and read it over for tomorrow's class."

You watched as Mr. Aizawa handed Deku a nurses pass, before leaving along with the group of friends you made. Besides the fighting between classmates, you felt you had achieved a lot today.

You guys made your way back to the classroom, picking up a syllabus. You turned around and bumped into someone.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't realize anyone was right behind me." You gave a sheepish smile to the boy behind you. His hair was bi colored along with his eyes. He gave you a once over before humming. Not saying anything he grabbed a piece of paper and walked away. You clicked your tongue in annoyance at being ignored, but you just let it go.

You walked out with the boys, as well as the pink skinned girl from earlier. She introduced herself as Mina, and you got along fairly well. You saw someone else leaving and quickly called out to them, she turned and smiled turning towards you. You managed to give Ochaco a quick goodbye before she sprinted off in front of you, you notice she was catching up Midoriya and Iida.

When you finally get home, you smiled even though your father wasn't there. You made yourself lunch and spent the remainder of your day studying and training. Simple warm ups since there wasn't much else you could do. By the time your father got home you had dinner made and ate together. You told him all about your day and he was very proud of you.

"I know fourth place is amazing, but don't let it go to your head you understand?" You laughed at the irony of placing fourth, but rolled your eyes at his warning.

"I know dad, I'm not. I'm planning on giving it my all, I don't underestimate any of my classmates!" He grinned at you before smoothing your head down. It was his own way of showing affecting.

"Perfect. Now go get ready for bed." You washed your plate before heading upstairs to get do your nightly routine before getting into bed. You were kept awake by the excitement of a successful first day, rolling over onto your side you smiled quietly to yourself.

"I'm ready for whatever happens, bring it on."

#katsuki bakugo #mha #deku midoriya #deku #deku x reader #izuku x reader #young midoriya #midoriya izuku #mha midoriya #bnha spoilers #bnha bakugou #bnha oc #bnha headcanons #bnha #izuku midoriya #izuku mydoria #izuku mha #izuku midoriya x reader #todoroki x reader #x reader #todoroki shouto #mha shouto #shoutoko #shouto x izuku #todoroki shoto x reader #bakugou katsuki #bakugou x reader #katsuki x reader #kaachan #my hero academia

[roc-thoughtblog]

Sense and Sensibility Readthrough Part 20

Chapter 23, Pages 119-126

Previously, poor Elinor... four years... poor Elinor... four years...

Having given it a little thought, it occured to me that the twist from last chapter worked extremely well for something that I would have expected to occur narratively anyway. And I have complete certainty that it's because the twist went completely overboard by a shocking, twisty margin. Four years!

That's definitely something I'm keeping very close in consideration. Noted, circled and underlined. Just because the basic element of your narrative twist may be heavily foreshadowed or just predictable, doesn't mean the whole part of it has to be. There can and probably should be more than one layer of twist to your twist.

In fact, isn't this a form of misdirection in itself? Put people at ease with something that could be interpreted as simple, then throw something else out from behind it. Wait, now I'm just describing the basic element of a twist... a general principle of playing with expectations... Hmm, anyway!

Readthrough below.

Chapter 23

HOWEVER SMALL Elinor's general dependence on Lucy's veracity might be, it was impossible for her on serious reflection to suspect it in the present case,

IN THE PRESENT CASE? WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN MS. AUSTEN? Is this just a general statement about her unwillingness to question anything right in this moment? Or is it also a foreboding statement that Lucy's word will not be trustworthy in the future? Ms. Austen are you deliberately toying with me? D:

Elinor embarks aboard a long train of thought. The facts as presently established are thus:

There is altogether too much evidence of Lucy's claims being truthful; ergo they are engaged and all evidence presented is true.

She wasn't alone in believing Edward held feelings for her. Her family (supportive) and his sister (unsupportive) both acknowledged the case, so it's not any personal delusion or her own, or positive bias on the part of her family.

Trying to reconcile those two premises, she can draw various possible solutions that might satisfy both:

Eddie has been deliberately playing with her heart. :(

Eddie has unintentionally and hopelessly succumbed to Elinor's affection. :?

Eddie's engagement with Lucy was going nowhere to begin with. :/

I'm personally gonna float a fourth possibility, that Edward forgot Lucy Steele existed until she returned to his life recently to get him to fulfill his engagement promise, and now he's in a pickle. Not going easy on him though, the only scenario in which he doesn’t bear a significant burden of responsibility in this mess is the one where, iunno, Lucy’s been blackmailing him the whole time or something.

The youthful infatuation of nineteen would naturally blind him to everything but her beauty and good nature; but the four succeeding years [...] must have opened his eyes to her defects

Oh, so is this why Mr. Palmer was introduced with the following (lemme dig it up) line?

His temper might perhaps be a little soured by finding, like many of others of his sex, that through some unaccountable bias towards beauty, he was the husband of a very silly woman - but she knew this kind of blunder was too common for any sensible man to be lastingly hurt by it.

When I was reading it I thought it was coming uncharacteristically close to laying a man's responsbility over his own emotions at the feet of his wife instead (even if Mr. Palmer was immediately following diagnosed with class angst instead). I suppose the real purpose of this line would be to prep the reader, so that the possibility of hasty engagements on Edward's part seem reasonably expected, and also to, well, suggest at the possible result of such a hasty, valueless engagement being followed through?

I know there’s a Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, is there a Sense and Sensibility and Alternate Timelines?

Well, either way, I'm given to conclude that the Palmer chapter really does a lot more to set up pacing and expectations than I give it credit for. Though I still don’t think I like these particular expectations very much.

Also, Elinor, as mature as you project yourself to be, you think these thoughts of foolhardy youth as though you're not also presently nineteen right now. :'D

Also geez, you're really picking on Lucy hard for her lack of education, which has so far been presented much more a lack of opportunity than anything else. I noticed while reading the Other Stories in Susan and Stories that many of the protagonists were definitely a little on the not-like-other-girls side of the spectrum. I always love when education is valued, but it does make me uncomfortable when I see it presented as though a virtue in itself, rather than the product of opportunity and environment.

I'm still holding out on general judgement of Lucy as I haven't really felt like I've been introduced to her outside of Elinor's lens. There's a sort of tell vs. show element to reliability of information in the narrative voice I've been sitting on; one where I've been told a lot about Lucy from Elinor's feelings and thoughts (that she's artful or selfish), but I haven't actually seen Lucy behave in any way I would interpret as more than some level of insensitive.

It's really hard for me to get a read on Lucy or Edward. Unlike with Willoughby or Brandon, their actions as depicted do not immediately align with evaluations of their character made by the Dashwood sisters. Lucy has been very little shown to have done anything to earn Elinor's harsher assessments of her character (except insensitivity). Edward, I don't even know what about him I can take at any sort of face value except that he's ambitionless.

As these considerations occured to her in painful succession, she wept for him, more than for herself.

Oh, Elinor... She's worried about how Edward must feel, that his family could possibly support his engagement to Lucy when she is in a worse position than Elinor in every regard.

Supported by the conviction of having done nothing to merit her present unhappiness,

Oh, Elinor... she's rationalised away her natural freedom to be unhappy for unhappiness' sake. And she puts the mask back on. No telling her family. She will take this burden on very alone indeed.

It'll have to be up to Marianne to save her, on the day that Marianne finally throws a fit over Edward's mysterious lack of flirting. Oh, and what about their little moment chapters back where they shared a joke over Willoughby? Oh it will hurt if they ever have a real confrontation... :(

and that Marianne was internally dwelling on the perfections of a man, of whose whole heart she felt thoroughly possessed,

oH NO! Well if you're going to say that! If Edward was four years engaged then what's Willoughby going to have been? Secretly married ten years?? I forgot Marianne is still pining hard. Wait what's even going to happen when Edward and Willoughby meet as promised?

"Hi, I'm not marrying a Dashwood sister." "Hi, it turns out I'm also not marrying a Dashwood sister." "What was the purpose of our meeting again?" "Breaking Dashwood hearts solidarity?"

What is even happening? Please come back Brandon, at least your secret daughter can't break hearts. Also because you can't break hearts in general because noone loves you. Wait, ouch. Sorry. Also because your daughter might become friends with Margaret!

Oh Elinor, she's also justifiably disinclined to tell her family anything anyway because she knows they'll make a gigantic deal out of it, and probably Say Things that she doesn't want to hear. I mean, almost certainly Eddie has done you dirty here Elinor, if at bare minimum through negligence in communication. He's gonna deserve some of that tongue lashing.

Well, now that Elinor has come to terms with her situation, she has new objectives. To talk to Lucy again, and in doing so:

Discover the true depth of Lucy's feelings for Edward

Estimate Edward's regard for herself by gauging Lucy's jealousy towards her (HA!)

Convince Lucy somehow that no, she was never interested in Edward, haha, what a funny joke, I am not hurt or in pain at all. Didn't have a minor breakdown in front of you yesterday, nope. Perfectly fine, no feelings here.

Ah yes, the "What doesn't kill me NEVER HAPPENED" approach. Maybe in a couple of years she might even manage to convince herself she had never loved Edward at all, or indeed, anyone ever?

Apparently for all of Sir Middleton's parties, it can be surprisingly hard to get one-on-one time. Yeah, I get that. It takes Elinor some time before she can speak to Lucy privately again: at a party Sir Middleton arranged but is not attending. Heh.

"Insipidity." That was a word I wanted for the past few days but could only remember "vapid." Also wow, the narrative is pulling no punches over how insipid, boring and generally valueless this gathering and it's conversations are. Elinor's usually polite about things but internally she has no patience anymore. She needs to talk to Lucy and everything about this party is very much Getting In The Way.

So some party shenanigans happen and Lady Middleton is very easily manipulated as usual through appeals to her motherhood, to provide space for Lucy and Elinor to talk. Lucy is trying so hard to finish a basket for little Annamaria before tomorrow you see, and Oh! It is so much work, surely Elinor needs to help her! Works like a charm, Lady Middleton lets them out of card games and leaves them right alone to chat at a worktable.

Marianne just up and ditches Lady Middleton for the piano haha, with all the grace and tact of... iunno, Marianne I guess. Zero subtlety. "I hate cards, piano time starts now." Narrative says she's lost in her own thoughts and emotions while playing, I choose to interpret that as "angrily and noisily."

But it provides the appropriate background noise cover for Elinor and Lucy to talk with some approximation of privacy, which seems to follow directly in the next chapter.

Well, this has been a chapter devoted to Elinor's processing of... last chapter. Considering the weight of some such revelations, yeah, there was a lot for Elinor to process.

I feel as though I could go on to make some observations on the differences between Elinor and Marianne's approaches to processing heartbreak, but, they're just so... comically and wholly contrastive I wouldn't know where to begin except in broad terms. Marianne lets it all out, expressing her internal turmoil to almost performative levels and with complete emotional conviction. Elinor suppresses everything she can't rationalise away, and she tries to rationalise away everything, up to and including her own personal right to be upset.

Also it seems unusual to have a chapter immediately succeed from the events of the previous chapter as the next one does, so I imagine the hits aren't slowing yet. No idea what else could come out right now though.

#1800 words #what doesn't kill elinor never happened #brandon come back #Jane Austen #Sense and Sensibility #readthrough #novels

[fantranslatorbychoice]

Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi Volume 6 Intermission 1 - Another Worthy Opponent

T/N: Hey there Kakuriyo fan-fams, how are you doing so far? Anyway, here's the first intermission of the volume, as an o-make/bonus for everyone, before this month ends. Thank you for noticing this blog, I appreciate it very much. I wouldn’t know if this has notes though, my tumblr app is basically non-functional anymore so I just get surprised when I login. Anyways, I hope you have fun reading.

As always, I mostly didn’t translate some of the names of the ayakashi/youkai, as well as the proper nouns because uhm... They’re basically nouns. It’s like how some translated manga are done. It’s my style, I guess. Links to references at the end of the post.

Also if you like this translation, you can heart it, share the link, reblog, I just respectfully ask that DO NOT REPOST ELSEWHERE. This is my contribution to the scant English content of this fandom, and I worked really hard to finish this thing, it’s not like I just copy-pasted everything. I even had to build the kanji in Jisho one by one. Try it and you’ll see what I mean.

You can rave about this, rant about this, but if possible please link back to this page. If you’re unsure how to do that, just copy the web address of this page. If you’re on a blogsite just insert the web address as a hyperlink as a link back to here. Honestly if this light novel was officially-published in English, I wouldn’t even be doing this right now... And if it did, I’d take this offline to support the publishers and Yuuma-sensei. Creators support creators, is what I believe in.

As previously-mentioned in earlier chapters, if you stumbled upon this one, the two seasons of the anime covered volumes 1-5, so other than the extra details, you didn’t miss much stuff.  OK, this intermission is a fun and light chapter. Not much food though. I want some pizza lol

P104 I, Ginji, the Young Master of Tenjin-ya whom it was entrusted to, with regards to the Autumn Festival activites at the end of October, have finally accepted the fact that I couldn't think of anything else to include in the programme and this time I don't know what to do anymore. Odanna-sama suddenly called for me, and I immediately went while I was in the middle of work. "Really, Ranmaru is coming to Tenjin-ya?" "Yes. It's because Aoi succeeded in the matters at Orio-ya, he's coming here to pay back with rewards. He just accepted Byakuya's unreasonable payment demand as it was. If Aoi hears about it, she'll surely be horrified. Regarding that payment." "Hee hee. Even now, Aoi hasn't realized the magnitude of her doing the ceremony in Orio-ya, hasn't she?" According to Odanna-sama, the fruits of Aoi-san's rewards, after covering the losses and deficits due to Tenjin-ya's prolonged break, there's still probably enough to deduct for Aoi-san's bonus commision. Naturally, it seems that the remainders will be alloted to repay the debts. "Wah, is that true?" After reading out the detailed particulars, it caused even me to unconsciously react. P105 Byakuya-san, how on earth were you able to negotiate such sums? No, it's not that but, as even I was involved in the ceremony at Orio-ya many times and I understood why, Aoi-san going there for us, the achievements of what remained to be done were enormous. Surely, Ranmaru seemed to be aware that the reward was reasonable. "By the way, Odanna-sama. Yesterday, how was your date with Aoi-san? Although called as such, it probably wasn't one." "It's not like that. Aoi was worshipped by the mountain's Kaku-zaru, we conspired with the extermination of bandits... The plans to make the fruits all around us to make a heartwarming date progressed into a disaster, but thankfully we were able to gain some information. Moreover, Aoi made cooking seem fun. We acquired ingredients from the mountain that we rarely have, it was delightful. Aoi's obsession for cooking is probably her greatest cure." "Ah, ahaha. That's Aoi for you. Anyhow, in any case, I'm relieved that you were safe." Odanna-sama just said, "Yes, I guess," and smiled so happily. Sighing, his smile just looked so youthful. I just suddenly thought it was. "Alright Ginji, your brother is arriving very soon. It's a rare opportunity to meet up with him, you’re gonna be with him." "Really, is that fine?" "You're too formal with Byakuya and I. When you're not around, it becomes deathly quiet."

P106

"Is... Is that so? I mean, yes, it is." Although Tenjin-ya and Orio-ya combined their strengths to get through difficulty, there's still a sense of tension. It's for this reason that there's still a business competition, anything that happens as a result of the rivalry, surely when imagining as such, it can lead to painful stories. No, but my worries are probably unnecessary. "Wahhhh! It's been a long time, Tenjin-ya! It's summer since we last came? Today we brought a lot of souvenir gifts-- Now where is Ojou-chan**? I want to have something to eat--" "Hattori, you're being too boisterous! Shut up--" "What the heck Ranmaru-- I just brought you here--" It seems that Hatori went along with Orio-ya's Ranmaru. Surely, due to their extreme inability to read the atmosphere, I wonder if they can fulfill their roles this time. Perhaps... Ranmaru has become like Odanna-sama, and probably doesn't like it when it gets quiet? "We appreciate you coming from so far a distance, respected Head of Orio-ya.** We welcome you." "Whaat. You're damn heartless to talk, Tenjin-ya's Master. But we want to immediately return the favor. For disturbing you lowlifes**, we apologize. Hey, Hatori." "Hey, hey" T/N: Hopefully, by this time it's easy to pinpoint out who's calling Aoi. If there's no honorrifics, it's Odanna-sama, or O-ryo. With -kun, it's Byakuya. With -san, it's Ginji, and everyone else lol Hatori calls her Miss=Ojou-chan yeah you probably get it now lol Yeah Ranmaru is technically not the master of Orio-ya's he's more or less the chief officer for operations, but he's still under Ougondouji-sama, the original founder of Tenjin-ya. Odanna-sama is more or less the chief executive officer or everything because Ougondouji-sama left Tenjin-ya in his care. Something like that. This part was explained in the anime too, before the start of the Orio-ya arc.

Also I didn’t choose to translate temee -  てめえ  for what it really is, I find it too harsh so I just went along with the more milder ones lolol Ranmaru is a potty mouth guys P107 Hatori-san pulled out his bag. It is totally wrapped in mystery, and our chief accountant Byakuya-san solemnly accepted it, and his sharp-sightedness was surely awakened by the contents. "Yes, it is good..." After that, the chief accountant and Odanna-sama, who do not exempt a lot of things other than this, stamped the magnificent receipt with Tenjin-ya's very important golden seal. "After this, we need to make a written report to Aoi-kun.  We also have to include her bonus commision with it." Byakuya-san's sour mood seemed to have lifted somehow. The large payment was deserved, and opening his fan, he leisurely looked up. "This is Aoi-san's first commision, isn't it? She'll be ecstatic--" Once she learns that the bonus has been given, she'll be very surprised. I could imagine her shocked face, and I could only laugh about it silently in my head. "Young-master, can you hand this over? That girl can finally embezzle a lot of ingredients--" "You can't say that.." Odanna-sama couldn't help but say it with a sarcastic laugh, and bizaarely showed it to Ranmaru and Hatori-san. The two looked at each other with a side-glance. P108 “Also, Tenjin-ya's Odanna-sama. Ougondouji-sama, did she came to Tenjin-ya sometime ago?" Ranmaru decided to cut off the conversation, and changed its direction. Odanna-sama immediately shook his head. "No... I wanted something returned to the girl, and I was thinking of getting in touch. I couldn't get the whereabouts of that person, that's why it wasn't easy." "Wanted something returned?" While sipping some of Tenjin-ya's tea, Hatori went "What could that be?" "The Tengu's Uchiwa Fan.** At present, that is Aoi's property, and Ougondouji-sama should bring it here." "Ah, that, yes, yes." It seemed that up until now, Hatori-san seemed to have forgotten about it, and asked Ranmaru about it with his gaze. His eyes read "Hey, what should I do?". Ranmaru kept quiet for a bit, and opened his mouth. "Ougondouji-sama, she said that she was going to the North-western Lands." "The North-western Lands?" Odanna-sama and Byakuya-san's facial expressions changed. The North-western Lands. It is also called the Land of Bun-mon, Scholarly Gates. In that knowledge gate metropolis, there are multitudes of academicians and doctors. Really, they send out so many civil officials, there are just so many politicians in charge of that place, even inside the Hachiyo's centers and nearby areas, that land is said to have strong political powers. T/N: OK, so this explains why Aoi didn't just use the uchiwa-fan to get rid of the bandits. The leafy fan wasn't returned yet. OK, so if you're wondering too, there you go. P109 "Likewise, that place hates anything-that-is-easy-to-understand." Byakuya-san nonchalantly said that in distaste. "Ahh. In Youto's imperial court, the political authority has swayed, it's under the territory of the Minister of the Right, Ieyasu. Anyhow, Ougondouji-sama traveling to the Northern Lands must be related to her calling out for something, but it doesn't seem likely that the Tanuki would easily get moved. She probably doesn't know how to handle that." Odanna-sama placed his hand on his jaw, and let out a long exhale. "It's connected to the Northern Lands. Two days ago, even I heard the stories of the people living the mountains of the Northern Lands. For a long time there, the Great Old Sage has been a go-between in ruling that region, but that person has been bedridden with an illness and no one has been elected to be the successor. It's because of that it seems, that the insurgent forces have increased." "That grandpa, he hasn't died yet?" Hatori's lack of reading the mood appropriately went out with just a few words, and Ranmaru stared at him sternly. Hatori just pretended to be ignorant by whistling.** "I daresay Ougondouji-sama went to the North-western Lands for the sake of resolving the chaotic situation in the north. There's also the issue of opening up a vacancy in the Hachiyo ranks. There's a chance for the aristocrats in the imperial court to increase their power and influence. Currently, owing to the Hachiyos' command, each of the eight districts's sovereignty were held together by each Hachiyo, but there have been calls to abolish the Hachiyo system, and the supremacy of the Central Government will become absolute, as more people will have to make the decisions." After Ranmaru finished talking, he huffed a bitter smile after thinking, and brushed up his hair. T/N: Hatori is such an adorable dumbass, srsly, I wanna be annoyed at him but he's a sweetheart inside, apart from flirting with anybody, I mean ANYBODY lololol Also Ranmaru is such a softie with Nobunaga, I just can't - gahaha you can't stop me you all P110 "Tenjin-ya's Odanna-sama, have you ever imagined that we will be talking together like this?" "Certainly. Surprisingly, your edges have been trimmed off and you're now softer**, Ranmaru." "Tch... Leave me alone!" "Gyahahahaha--" Hatori-san started laughing. After that even Odanna-sama did too, and the intense atmosphere was flipped over, and as everyone around started making playful faces, Byakuya-san cleared his throat and silently glared at Odanna-sama. Don't destroy your dignified attitude, was what I could read from his wordless plea. Even Odanna-sama considerably had a cold sweat vibe. "I give up, can we get over with the tiring conversation? If so, let's talk about more delightful things. Here's a joyous report from Orio-ya. As a matter of fact, our Young Master and Young Mistress have been engaged, somehow." "Really, aren't they Hideyoshi-san and Nene-san**?" Up until now my calmness levels have been fine, but because Hatori-san abruptly revealed an auspicious news from my old stomping grounds, I unconsciously reacted spite of myself. Hideyoshi-san is a goblin monkey Ayakashi, and his position in Orio-ya is Young Master. Nene-san is a fire rat Ayakashi, and is Orio-ya's Young Mistress. T/N: This literally was written like "your horns/corners have been taken out and you're now rounded" but again, probably a pun because maru=round and well, Ranmaru has MARU in it. Oh well. And yeah I ship fire rat girl and monkey boy lol canon shipping ftw P111 During the time we worked together in summer, I didn't feel that kind of atmosphere around them... I saw that Nene-san especially admired Ranmaru, but this awakening of one's love is probably an exceptional case. "But, isn't this development happening too fast?" I was stunned, in reality the time period that elapsed since the engagement happened was at most, two months. "That dumbass Hideyoshi is different, he's a late bloomer." "Whaa... But in your dreams you wouldn't say something like that to the dog you're raising, won't you Ranmaru?" While Ranmaru was smirking, the profound meaning in my words propped him up, and he thoughtlessly replied. "Nonetheless, I heard it from Nene-chan, who was the aggressive one!" "Really?!" What on earth is up with that two...? "That definitely happened, when the two went back to their hometown, during the break after the ceremony." "Oh well, since the beginning those two have been comrades in their old hometown, and having surpassed the ritual, likely they were drawn towards each other. But it was a good thing for Orio-ya.  If the connections between the managing staff gets stronger due to having more trust, then it's going to be more rock-solid." P112 Both Ranmaru and Hatori-san were receptive to the engagement of the two trustworthy management staff. Especially Ranmaru, his face may not show it but his speech and his demeanor shows that he's happy. Even I realized that. "Gahaha-- Well, I told Hideyoshi to mess about some more. But he seems earnest of only one way. Because he was raised in the countryside, he only knows that when you decide to get together with someone, then you get married. Even Nene-chan too, one way or another says that if it's Hideyoshi, then it's good. If it fits, then it must be suitable." "Not playing around is definitely the opposite of what you are, Hatori." "Geez, I think you're absolutely stabbing me. Leave me out of this, Odanna" Hatori-san just destroyed himself. But Odanna-sama was smiling, then he just dared to speak calmly. "Ah, I get that. From now on, it's wonderful that as employees they will be giving their best to gain happiness. But in Tenjin-ya's management staff, ever since Kikuno’s marriage, nobody has ever been married. Also, there's nobody who wants to...**" "..." Kikuno-san was Tenjin-ya's former Young Mistress, and was also doubtful about O-ryo being the current Young Mistress. It's a fact that ever since her marriage, there has been no other celebratory news from Tenjin-ya. Even hints, there's mostly nothing... Anyway, nobody was saying anything, and it got awfully quiet. "Speaking of someone, aren't you dumbasses instantly forgetting about that Shirou's granddaughter's marriage?" T/N: This is just funny AF, salty boi is salty lol but seriously if this ogre-boi just stopped messing around with Aoi maybe he's gonna be the next one to get hitched lololol well IDK what do you think y’all P113 ".. what?" Although Ranmaru pierced through and broke that silence, Odanna-sama's laughing face got frozen stiff. "If that was easy, shouldn't I be working this hard? But since I couldn't do just that, I am in trouble right now." Everyone in here went "ohhh..." and greatly understood what he meant. Guys, right now Aoi-san's thinking about that. It seems that the girl's personality and Odanna-sama's huge efforts can be easily understood in 10 minutes. "Ahahaha-- Odanna, you dumbass can't handle a young girl by yourself, that's an amusing story. It's hilarious--" "Well, that IS about Shirou's granddaughter. That Ojou-chan, no matter how often she falls, she just stands up again. Kakuriyo hasn't been more enlivened by that before." Ranmaru and Hatori-san kept hitting their knees as they laughed. Afterwards, for some time there was chatting about public news, as well as exchanging information about Kakuriyo's affairs, and apart from Orio-ya's payment contract, all sorts of souvenirs and presents were given out. Those were Orio-ya's pride, the famous products from the Southern Lands. Of course there was seafood, Kiseki beef that has a little fat and is famous with the ladies, mangoes that only grow in Kakuriyo's south, and other snacks like that. Lately there has been additional efforts in growing what is called an "avocado" and other fruits from Utsushiyo. P114 I think that with regards to Aoi-san, she'll be happy with these, but Odanna-sama and Byakuya-san seemed to be annoyed by it. "Lately, the topic of interest about Orio-ya is that your souvenirs and products have increased, and we're jealous." "Then Tenjin-ya has to quickly produce and release new products and souvenirs. People asking about old and ancient products are dwindling, you know. With regards to that aspect, Orio-ya has strength. Although we're still continuously on the road to improvement, it's because we're changing to become your worthy competitor." Byakuya-san whispered to me "Even if so..." "Young Master-dono, I have heard your plea that you haven't thought of what to prepare with regards to the Autumn Festival, have you formed any plans right now?" "About that, I think that what we usually have annually aren't interesting and fun. This year, we'll use agricultural produce of the Land of Ogre's gate, such as rice, sweet potato, and pumpkins**." "P... Pumpkins?" Odanna-sama's face became unusually disgusted. "About that.. Odanna-sama doesn't like the texture of pumpkins." "It's sweet, but can't you think of anything other than side dishes?" While we were seating together in the banquet, Odanna-sama, Byakuya-san and I were thinking about it a lot. T/N: Goodness Ginji, no wonder your catering business got whacked. I adore you but really... just hire Aoi in the creative department lol Also if she gets to make Odanna-sama eat pumpkin I really can't say so much about her now lol P115 There weren't any other things that he didn't like, and though Odanna-sama appears to be a flawless ogre, when there's boiled pumpkin I have seen that he casually places it on Byakuya-san's plate. "...Pumpkin, is it..?" "Ginji, why is your expression that of an evil fox's?" "It's not that, Odanna-sama. I just thought of something after a bit." "Ohhh, that's wonderful!" "Whooo.. Those are the words of our genius planning department manager, Young Master-dono. That is certainly going to be a fun plan!" What on earth, Odanna-sama and Byakuya-san were they hounding me for such a plan right after that. "That, uhm..." After the banquet we huddled in a circle and sneakily talked about the scheme. The three people in the management staff planned together in hushed voices, and silently laughed. Chiaki-san, the doorman in charge of footwears, after looking at the night scenery, went by and we must have made him say "Well, that's scary".

End of Intermission 1, Volume 6. Previous - Chapter 3   Next - Chapter 4

References:

Wonderful site for the youkai references

Other stuff I used to do this: Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary (you can buy here, I’m not sponsored btw). I was about to buy the older edition but then the newer one came out 2013 so I bought that instead. Worth buying since I was able to find nearly all of the words I needed just by stroke pattern alone.

Merriam-Webster's Japanese-English Dictionary (the red-covered 1996 version is apparently out of print right now). This is what I have been using for a very long time, I bought it when I was still a fetus (yes I am old so what lol), and after so many years, when compared to newer editions, I still prefer this one since its entirety is Japanese-English, the English to Japanese gloss are just 16 pages tops, so you get more Japanese words for your buck. But that’s just my opinion, maybe other people prefer the Jap-En x En-Jap IDEK.

Basic online dictionary, Jisho. Knowledge of verb conjugations  and other words are necessary since not all have entries.

If you can read Japanese, you can buy the whole set in Amazon Japan, they’re shipping worldwide now, I think.

#kakuriyo no yadomeshi #kakuriyo no yadomeshi volume 6 #kakuriyo no yadomeshi volume 6 intermission 1 #kakuriyo no yadomeshi english fan translations #kakuriyo no yadomeshi volume 6 english fan translations #kakuriyo no yadomeshi light novel translations #kakuriyo no yadomeshi volume 6 intermission 1 english translations

[bxoken-heartss]

Lying: Richard Camacho

A/N: Hey people. Yes it’s me..I’m back with a good work..I just hope it is. Well this is my entry for @papichriscnco​ ‘s writing challenge! CONGRATULATIONS Mami!! You deserve it all! So this is my first time experimenting with a Richard work so hope y’all enjoy it! :)

Warnings: Heartbreak, brief mentions of sex or suggestive content.

Words: 16,000 +

Y/N : Your Name

Y/L/N: Your Last Name

Y/BFF/N: Your Best friend’s name.

And I have inserted names for personal convenience. So if my names have offended you in any manner, this is purely unintentional and I’m apologizing well in advance

~ ~ ~: Lyrics wise ending scenario

///: A contrast between before and after sorta thing

- - -: Timeskip

BOLD WORDS: Important words

Bold underlined words: (I can’t underline..) Lyrics of the song used.

Song used: Lying - PrettyMuch ft. Lil Tjay

Tag List: @wwecncowhydontwetrash​ @calypsocnco​ @trollintraining​ @midnightjmadness​ @pimentelssmile​ @that-bitch-toxica​ @zabdidaddi​ @tu-sonrisaaa-te-amooo​ @besosdecnco​ @cnco-hoenesty​ @mochabunnisblog​ (Tell me if you want to be added in the tag list!)

Richard and Y/N were one of the best examples to still believe that love was still out there for everyone and it was beautiful to be in love...but that was something that happened once upon a time...A few cheating scandals, daily dosage of unhealthy fights, his unhealthy "overprotective" nature, their decision to remain friends rather than lovers, his inability to maintain a serious relationship...all were the contributing factors to the end of their 10 month relationship..

But they were mature adults and saw the break up as something mutual. So despite the chaos they had in their relationship, they still agreed to remain friends and managed to maintain it.

So random calls in the middle of the night, early mornings or just odd times of the day...weren't anything new to the pair.

They'd just talk like normal acquaintances..like there wasn't anything sour between them..

So it wasn't surprising when Y/N got a call at 3:00 in the morning. She rubbed her eyes softly as she picked up her phone and stared at the bright screen as his name flashed on it.

"Hello?" He says as she grumbles and grunts in response "Oh god..Sorry to call you.." He says clearly embarrassed

"Sort of unexpected at this hour.." Y/N replies

"Well..I thought you'd be sleeping so I was gonna leave a message. But I just wanted to hear if you were doing well...I kind of forgot you weren't in Miami anymore..." Richard comments

"You need to understand that not everyone lives in Miami Richard Camacho.." Y/N grumbles as she lets out a soft yawn

"Okay okay I'm sorry...go back to sleep princesa.. I'll call you up later.." He says

"No..no...its's fine..talk...I'm awake.." Y/N mumbles as she clumsily sits up, her hair strands falling on her face as she messily tucks it behind her ear.

"Ya sure? You sound extremely tired...I can call you some other time.." He says as he looks around

"Nah..It's fine..tell me..how are you doing? All good I hope..." Y/N asks casually as she softly rubs her eyes

"I'm doing well..just counting my blessings and happy about whatever I have achieved in life..well what about you mi amol?" He asks

Despite whatever had happened between the two of you..he still couldn't stop his flirty self throughout the entire "friendship" . The saying old habits die hard would be suitable enough for the situation.

"Yeah I'm doing well too...That's good to know Richard." Y/N replies as she lets out an intentional cough so as to cover up how flustered he still made her.

The duo began talking about things in general..from daily routines to just random topics..the both of them comfortable with each other..as if they were still dating..or didn't end things in a sour note.

"Amazing..so well how's work? Stressful?" Richard asks her

"Well..some days. But somehow..yeah I do get enough sleep..so I'm fine..what about you? Do you drink plenty of water? Are you eating healthy?" Y/N asks, her tone filled with concern

"I'm fine..Are you stressing out before any fashion shows or castings?" He asked as if taunting her

"No! Of course..maybe...okay fine I do...But not..okay you're right! I still do get nervous!" She replies flustered at how much he still remembered about her.

"See I know you so well.." He states

"Yeah..too well..actually.." She replies almost whispers as she lets out a quiet sigh but Richard hears it "I- - I didn't-- I mean- -I'm sorry"

Awkward silence fills in the air..as both of them let out uncomfortable breathes..

"It's - -Don't apologize- -" Richard replies as he pauses for while

"I'll call you later..Take care Hermosa. I..Lo- -" Richard begins as he pauses halfway "I mean..sleep tight..Sweet dreams...Bye.." He says

"Take care Richu- -" She begins as she lets out an intentional cough "Don't work yourself out..Bye.." She says as she hangs up.

This was how most of their conversations ended..one of them would feel old beautiful memories return..but things between them had ended..so feelings had no place in their conversations..

~ ~ ~

Y/N kept on politely turning down all the proposals she had received..she didn't feel right after the breakup..She didn't want to take part in the game of LOVE anymore...well not anytime soon though..She didn't know what was she feeling but to say that feeling played with her head would be an understatement. She found her thoughts drifting over to him. Was he eating well? Was he healthy enough? Was he drinking too much? Was he getting enough sleep? She couldn't help but feel a bit dis hearted when she thought of him with another girl..Well she knew they had broken up but she'd feel..weird and..a bit disappointed..

"Okay babes...that is like the 23rd guy you have rejected these 2 weeks!? Are you okay?!?" Y/BFF/N asks as she sits in one of the seats of the greenroom

"I am absolutely fine..I don't like going around dating and getting laid..You do know that right? And besides I just broke up..So I don't want to rush things..you get what I mean?"

"Yes yes..Of course I do..But are you sure the only reason you aren't getting back into a relationship is because...maybe somewhere deep down inside..you still like Richard?" Y/BFF/N asks as she looks at you

The room fills with uncomfortable silences and awkward tensions as Y/N lets out a sigh

"It is true then...Come on Y/N pick a side! You can't sit here grumbling over your feelings and rejecting people..Either get over him or get under him!" Y/BFF/N states, her tone stern

"Y/BFF/N!!!" Y/N scolds

"I'm just being practical...you're absolutely miserable..Why are you pretending like you're fine? I'm pretty sure he feels the same to..why are you both keeping on this facade..?" Y/BFF/N asked

"That's...just.. highly absurd Y/BFF/N..I don't feel anything for him.. Even if I did..it was all in the past..I don't like him romantically anymore.." Y/N comments as she runs a hand through her hair

"But think about it..you were never the one to get into a relationship with anyone within a nights' time and that too WITHOUT getting laid..You know he's not after you for your looks or your body..he just likes you for the fun, bubbly, cheerful, nervous you!" Y/BFF/N

"That's why were dating Y/BFF/N..I respect his existence and the memories he had given me..but I couldn't deal with his..unattractive overprotective nature..and the rumors, hate, scandals, names and just everything was a bit..too..overwhelming..in a negative manner"

"But..he wasn't worried or wasn't like he didn't trust you..it was just..he just didn't trust people around you..."

"I'm not a five year old kid who's going to talk to a stranger and let him kidnap me.."

"But Y/N- -" Y/BFF/N

"But just think about it..I just have so much time to go out..have sometime for myself..He did me a huge favor honestly..I have so much more time to focus on my work..So in reality..I'm so much better now.." Y/N replies a bit loudly and sternly as if trying to convince herself to believe her own words

"Y/N...I've talked what I had to..Now it's up to you.." Y/BFF/N gets up and walks towards Y/N "I just want you to be happy with your decisions and have no regrets about whatever your doing in life..It's all up to you to take the right decision..okay?" She asks as she quickly squeezes her shoulder in reassurance

"I understand Y/BFF/N..But I am happy...I don't want him to be a part of my life..I have barely focused on myself during the relationship so this is..just more relaxing..." Y/N replies

"Well if you say so..ever wanna talk about something..hit me up! Take care babes.." Y/BFF/N says as she pecks her cheek

"Take care.." Y/N says as Y/BFF/N as walks out

- - -

Y/N went home straight away after the casting..feeling completely wrecked and exhausted. She was grateful she didn't have a morning shift scheduled for tomorrow. She walked into her apartment as she was greeted by her helper who looked after her place,Maria.

"Good Evening Y/L/N" Maria greeted

"Please cut the formality..Y/N will do..Good Evening.." Y/N replies

"You seem exhausted Y/N..I've prepared Y/F/M for you..And also turned on the geyser for your daily bath.."

"I can't thank you enough for all you do..I'm so grateful for all you do Maria.."

"Oh of course..it's my duty after all.."

"It's already pretty late..I suggest you should go home and get some rest.." Y/N comments as she takes out her purse

"Yes I do suppose..will you be fine alone? or do you want me- -"

"I'm perfectly fine..Just need to get some rest..Here take this.." Y/N says as she hands out Maria's wages

"Oh thank you Miss.Y/N..."

"And give these to Allison and Troy..They'd love these!" Y/N says as she hands her a medium sized packet of chocolates and other candies assortments referring to Maria's children

"Oh I can't possibly- -"

"Consider it as a gift..."

"Thank you Miss Y/N...but you've paid me more than what is requi- -"

"Hey come on..keep it..It's for all the extra favors you have done for me without asking for any extra money..Please I insist.." Y/N says as

"If you say so..Goodnight Miss Y/N.." Maria says as she walks towards the door

"Goodnight Maria..give me regards to Allison and Troy.."

"I will..Take care.." Maria says as she walks out off the door

"You too.." Y/N says as she closes the door

Y/N walks into her bedroom as she peels off her clothes and heads inside the bathroom for a hot long relaxing shower in an attempt to drown her worries and stress..

She gets out of the shower in her bathrobe as she gets changed into a comfortable pair of pajamas. After she dries her hair she walks towards her kitchen as she grabs a glass of red wine and her dinner plate in her another hand..heading towards the living room as she turns on the television flipping lazily through the channels..The NoteBook was currently playing in Star Movies HD as she keeps the remote down and begins eating her dinner, savoring her dinner. The movie played on..her stomach tightening with a very uncomfortable feeling as she quickly changes the movie..

It brought back memories..Date nights whenever one of them were tired..or was still hungover a heavy schedule they crashed into one of their places..Just some Netflix, some pasta or some home made sh*ts that would end up burnt, take away food and just cuddling. If she was extremely exhausted and just wanted to rest..he'd give her various massages untying the stressful knots that stayed in her body..while she closed her eyes and merely enjoyed it. Whenever he was stressed, he was more of a ranter...He'd rant and rant on and she'd listen to it carefully while she ran her fingers through his hair calming him down..

She really craved for a body massage right now..not any random person's...just Richard hands all over her patiently untying all the knots all around her body..But he wasn't hers anymore.

Stupid movie. Stupid body ache. Stupid feelings.

She hated everyone..and everything...but still a part of her wished if she could go back in the past and fix..things the way it were...but life never gives you second chances..

~ ~ ~

Needless to say...Y/N's and Richard had a passionate life in the bedroom. It wasn't lust that clouded their eyelids, but just love at its highest peak.

Richard wasn't the softest person on bed, but there were days where things would be slow and smooth..when he'd just worship her body, taking his time observing and appreciated every little curve and marks she thought were imperfect. He'd make her feel..that she was the most perfect girl he had ever laid eyes on.

It was just surprising that despite her flaws and imperfections that covered her skin..he still made her feel so special and...deserving..

Their adventures in the bedroom were spicy, crazy and yet..calm and relaxing..all the while nothing but mere love filling the air.

Her eyes gleamed with nothing but genuine love and affection for the Dominican as nothing but soft groans for him fell off her lips..his eyes mirroring the same emotion as he let out satisfied grunts.

///

After the breakup, nothing really changed...Y/N goes back continuing her daily life...and with her overall charms and looks she doesn't need to even try hard to get laid down...

So she isn't surprised when another male model she had worked alongside had asked her out on a few dates..she agreed readily...just wanting to get over her oblivious messed feelings.

After he had finally confessed his feelings and asked her to be his girlfriend...she agrees. So after a light dinner and a few drinks, things get a bit out of hand...

He's all over her neck, placing kisses all across every part of her skin that wasn't clothed..she giggles like a schoolgirl..visibly enjoying the attention she received. She fumbled with the door handle to her hotel room so the two of them could enter quickly.

He placed his lips onto hers as his hands wrapped around her waist..The kiss was intense...He was so good at this..but no matter how good his lips felt on hers she couldn't help but all her mind lingered back was thoughts about Richard...

Richard's lips felt so good against hers..She was so used to his touch that anyone else apart from him felt so wrong...

Things had gotten ahead a bit too quickly...but the quicker it happened...the faster these messed thoughts would just evaporate from her mind.. or at least that's what she thought.

So now when she was under the guy who was presumably her present boyfriend..she should have been happy and pleased..someone giving her the attention and affection she deserved and desired...

His lips fumbled around her neck as he pinned her onto the bed, his teeth grazes her skin trying to find that spot that'd make her go weak on her knees. but then it comes up again - her brain drawing a rapid and hazy contrast between him and Richard as he makes his mark on her skin...

Richard knew her all her sensitive spots..the spots she'd go weak on her knees...

His hickeys and love bites just felt right against her skin and was filled with nothing but affection..

Sure there were days he was absolutely rough..but that was just a reminder that she was his...and no one else could ever make her feel that way.

Her present boyfriend's love bites was nothing more than just mere lust.

What was she even doing? Thinking about Richard when she was with her boyfriend?

Y/N places her arms on his chest and forces him off her...He gets the message and stops kissing her.

"I think we should take sometime you know? I just - -I'm sorry..." Y/N says as she looks away

"Hey...It's okay...I understand...Yeah we're moving a bit too quickly...Okay we'll take it slow.." He reassures her as he kisses her cheek

"Yeah...I'm sorry again.." Y/N says

"It's totally okay..." He says as he gets up from her bed and straighten the creases in his dress..

"I'll see you tomorrow?" He asks as she nods "We have a photo shoot tomorrow...hope you remember.." He says as he heads towards the door.

"Yes I do...I'll be there on time..." She says as she stands up heading towards the door

"Goodnight take care..." He says as he looks at her

"Good night..." She says as she softly closes the door.

- - -

She laid down on her bed, her eyes fixated at the ceiling. What had just happened?

She knew she had done the right thing for she barely was paying attention or enjoyed what he was doing to her because all that occupied her head was thoughts about how Richard would make her feel...

It wouldn't be fair on him if she thought about Richard whilst he was under someone new..No matter how desperate she was to get rid off her messy feelings...she didn't want to "use" someone as a source to get over her f*cked up feelings...

Oh god..Aiden must have felt so bad..But then again it wasn't fair on him..He would be absolutely disappointed if he came to know the reason behind all this..

She never even thought she'd miss him.. Well she's used to dating wrong people..some ended fine while others didn't..But none took 4 months to recover..Why was she still hurting from that one specific mistake of hers in the past? Was it because she never felt this intimate with anyone else? The fact that she's felt the most comfortable around Richard..among all her exes...she never even realized she honestly missed him and needed his presence in her life..

But why was she feeling this way? They had ended things in a very sour note...And the breakup was mutual..So why did she have to bother about it now? Crying over spilt milk wasn't the solution to anything but yet here she was on her bed, careless tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to wipe them off

She furiously wiped her tears as she quickly changed into some comfortable pajamas as she laid on her bed, grabbing the spare pillow on her bed.

She didn't feel anything for him..or did she? What was she doing? Pretending to be happy when she felt nothing but pain and guilt? When all she did was lie whenever she talked to Richard assuming he's happier without her and doesn't misses her at all?

She was dying to tell the truth that maybe...deep down inside she wasn't...over him.

Even after all this time..A part of her always cared and still thought about him.

But the thought of him...on top of some OTHER girl...someone else that wasn't her..him treating another the girl right..looking at her like she was the only one he cared about.. making her feel special and deserved..the way he used to make her feel once upon a time? It felt horrible and heavy...almost..mean and selfish at some point?

That sour thought hits her right in her chest..

But still...her thoughts and feelings had no place now..it didn't matter anymore. But if at the end of the day..he was genuinely happy and pleased with his life..He deserved the best and that what she wished for..even if it wasn't her that made him happy..she could live with it...Hat least until she sees him again..

~ ~ ~

Y/N had a private account for all those people she had a closer connection with...Of course it had included her cousin Joel Pimentel and his band mates eventually considering how close they were to her...

Richard didn't bother to un follow her after their breakup...they weren't the type of people who'd delete their exes pictures, un follow each other, cause drama..they both didn't pretend like the other hadn't been a part of their lives...because they had already given each other a lot to remember than to forget...

So Richard stayed updated with her life despite their breakup..He was casually scrolling through his Instagram feed when he finds that she had posted a new picture from her vacations...of her and a man...a man that wasn't him...

She wore a bikini that made all her curves look right and steadied her hat as her man hugs her from behind, his hands safely secured around her waist...the way he used to...

He instantly scrolled through it, focusing his attention towards something else...

Just as he had scrolled down..a number and a name so familiar had chosen to call him...Y/N.

He stared at the screen internally debating on whether he should answer the call or not...all his messy doubts almost disappearing all at once as he answered the call.

"Hello...Richard.. I'm sorry I couldn't answer your call earlier...I was a bit caught up with something.." She says as soon as he answers the call

"Oh...it's okay..How is everything nena?" He asks through the phone though his y

"Yeah everything's fine...What about you? How was recording?? How was that? Did you wear yourself out?" She asks

"Nah..nothing like that...I'm fine..well..you sound cheerful...I'm not complaining though.." Richard comments as he internally sighs

"Oh nothing of that sorta..Just the usual.." Y/N replies, her tone confused

"Just saw your recent post...well it's Aiden right? (Change the name into whatever you want to if you don't like the name )

"Yeah...I had been meaning to talk to you about him..but things were happening quite quick..so.." Y/N trails off

" I genuinely think you look so happy..Congratulations.. I'm hoping he treats you right eh?" Richard says as he tries to keep his tone steady

"Yeah...thanks...." Y/N trails off

Y/N awkwardly shifts the conversation slowly trying to ease the tension in the air...She succeeds in her aim and soon the conversation is shifted elsewhere..

"Yeah and that's what- -" Richard begins

"Shawty...Have you seen my blue t-shirt..I can't seem to find it in here?" A voice from Y/N's line asks

Richard's heart drops immediately as soon as he hears the nickname...

He was the ONLY one who called her that...He wouldn't let ANYONE apart from himself call her that..

And yet here he was..forced to hear the same..But what could he say? She wasn't his girlfriend anymore..he had no rights to comment on her life anymore.

His heart fell as he thought about how much privilege her boyfriend had gotten...calling her the NICKNAME only he used to....the one special nickname he had dedicated to her alone.

"Have you checked inside my closet? You love dumping your clothes inside my closet!!" Y/N yells as she laughs

"Oh...I'm sorry about that Richard.. So what were you-- saying? Richard? Hello? Can you hear me? Your voice sorta keeps breaking off.." Y/N says

Richard felt his voice shaking dangerously... He bit his inner lip as he took in deep breathes.

"I've gotta go..." Richard breathes out, his tone dull

"But Richard..you were say- -" Y/N begins, Richard harshly interrupting her

"The signal here isn't good here...it's breaking..and besides Erick called for me...I gotta go...I'll talk later..." Richard replies coldly as he hangs up the call...

~ ~ ~

That was the last time Richard ever tried to contact her.

He didn't care about her..so why would he even bother and waste his time on someone who barely mattered to him..or at least that's what he thought.

He was fine..living his best life. Enjoying with his friends, going out, partying and the sociable party life he always enjoyed in the past. He had almost lost this part of his life in the entire chaos of being in a relationship.

He seemed so happier without her in her life..he could go back to living life the he was comfortable with. He had no one to impress, no one to commit to or hang onto. Commitment was hard and just..a mere waste of time.

He liked his life the way his life was..without any relationships or responsibilities as such just doing what he enjoyed the most.

So right now he was in a crowded club, the loud party music blaring through both his ears as everyone in the room danced and had the best time of their lives, having no regrets.

He quickly drowned a shot as he rested his chin on his right palm as he stared at his now empty glass...He should be happy right? He finally had gotten back the life he deserved.

But still he felt his heart almost empty holding no emotions and just merely pumping blood..but at the same time he felt a tight sickening feeling capturing his chest. Why was he feeling like this every time his mind thought about her?

He tried to shut his eyes, and relax his manipulated mind for a while. But then he found how Y/N would listen to him whenever he was having a bad day..how she'd run her fingers through his curls a successful attempt to calm him down..how she'd make him feel- -

"Hey..Got a minute Richard?" speaks a voice breaking Richard from his train of thoughts

He looks up to see Zabdiel seated next to him as Richard simply nods, his gaze still fixated on his glass.

"So...hi." Zabdiel trails off trying to begin a conversation

"Hello?" Richard replies a bit confused

"So..umm..do you mind if I'm being honest with you?" Zabdiel asks

"Are you stating you were never honest while you're with me?"

"No- -not like that..It won't be exactly in your favor.."

"I'm fine..tell me.."

"What is honestly wrong with you?" Zabdiel asks as he looks at Richard

"Nothing? Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?"

"Richard please...you and I know that's nothing but an absolute lie..You just look tired and miserable especially after the break up.." Zabdiel states

"You seriously think I'm miserably without her?" Richard scoffs as he questions Zabdiel

"I never implied anything regarding your relationship with her..I just want to ask you..Are you happy? Because you barely look like you've picked a side Richard..Chris also told me you were hardly sleeping..Are you seriously okay?"

"Of course I am..I've been going out..having my best life..I'm just a bit stressed and just..a bit out of place..I'll be fine within a few days..you've got nothing to worry about okay?"

"If you genuinely think you're happy..then I'm all fine. I don't want you to pretend like you aren't satisfied and happy with your decisions.."

"She did me a favor honestly...I'm so much better now.." Richard states as he looks at Zabdiel.

Zabdiel nods as he gets up and walks away giving Richard the space he wanted.

~ ~ ~

Their egos were too big for repairing something small that'd almost be fine with a genuine heartfelt apology...So they ended up losing a friendship too in the entire process..

Between these events..Aiden had to leave off to Paris, as he had been casted for a fashion show out there..And within two weeks of reaching and settling down at Paris..he had dumped her through a simple two minute phone call...

Y/N had let out a few raw, hateful tears but..at the end of the day..she was partially glad. Throughout the entire relationship..she was just nervous and uncomfortable...it wasn't because he was a bad guy or anything..but she hadn't given her best to sustain the relationship. So it was eventually supposed to happen.

Within a week or two she had eventually recovered. But yet again..her thoughts were filled with little memories of Richard...just him alone..

When would she realize that at the end of the day she was just lying to herself?

She wanted him back..she did miss him..she wanted to make amends and at least stay friends. He meant a lot to her..

~ ~ ~

Rumors, Scandals, Hate, Jealousy, Lust, Envy, Pride...and mostly their undesirable stubborn nature had finally caught them up into this mixed state. The stage where all they want is each other but...when all these ugly negative emotions interplay and they let their egos win and dominate them...in all the reality..the both of them lost something they've always wanted to hold onto forever...

They both won all arguments..both their ego at the extreme level..but it was at the cost of their relationship..

Richard wanted her...somehow in his life...How had he let his ego and everything else to enter his life and ruin something he thought would last..long...

Of course he wasn't using his head..he wasn't thinking straight..He should have been wiser...just shouldn't have let his stubbornness and egoism come in between of something that gave him bittersweet memories...mostly sweet but there were bitter times too.

He never believed in "forever and always". Nothing could last forever.. Cash, drinks, people. Everything would run out or everyone would be out of love and time for you...slowly but eventually...

So he stuck to his own ways of coping.. Falling in love with materialistic things..cash, drinks, expensive clothes and cars and everything...

///

It was as if a coincidence had occurred that she learnt that CNCO were performing in Garland, Texas..She was in Texas for a week for a casting she had in Texas so it would be a perfect time to surprise Joel and the others. She managed to buy a ticket to their show in a jiffy and she was all set to go.

She stayed in one of the last rows as she kept herself completely covered as she watched the performance on stage. A few eagle eyed fans had spotted her beyond the disguise and had taken a few quick pictures and just short quick conversations.

5 minutes before the show had ended, she walked towards the backstage room...not trying to cause any drama or draw any attention upon her. She had managed to speak to Ali about her arrival and she managed to pull a few strings and get her a backstage pass. She knocked on the door, Ali greeting her quickly as she went over and hid behind one of the closets. The boys walked in absolutely exhausted as they quickly sat down on the couch to catch their breathes.

"Hey Joel..could you get me a notepad I left inside that cupboard there..I've got something else to do right now..." A voice she recognized as Ali's

"Yeah sure Ali...Give me a minute.." Joel says as he walks towards the closet

3....2....1

"SURPRISE!!!" Y/N yells as Joel opens the closet

Joel's eyes widened as he let out a scared yell, falling backward in the process due to the intensity of her voice and her surprise.

The rest of the boys rushed over to Joel, trying to help him up as Y/N stepped outside and crouched down

"WHAT THE F*CK Y/N?!? " Joel screams as Y/N shuts her ears and shut her eyes

"Okay okay I'm sorry.." Y/N replies as she stands up

"Wow Hermosa!! Y/NN!!!" Chris says as he hugs her, her gratefully returning the gesture

"Hi Chris! I missed you!!" Y/N replies as she misses the hint of surprise and sadness that gleamed Richard's eyes

"Me too!!! It's so nice to see you again Y/N!" Chris says as he lets go off the hug

"Really you decided to show up when you straight away ignored my calls and texts for almost a month?" Joel comments rolling his eyes, standing up as Richard left the scene unnoticed

"I have my reasons Pimentel..This was supposed to be a S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E..." Y/N says as she hugs Zabdiel and Erick quickly

"You were planning this for over a month?" Joel asks

"No..I had..err..some personal stuffs..came in between..and err..yeah.."

"I'll pretend like I believe you" Joel says as he rolls his eyes

"Okay Drama Queen...I'll leave then..It clearly seems like you don't appreciate my presence.."

"No no no...nothing like that..I didn't expect you here.."

"Can we like hug already? I've been standing here with open arms (SorRY NoT sOrRY) for a pretty long time..."

Joel moves forward and hugs her as she hugs him back. After they broke off and she had quick conversations with everyone, and after all that she looks at Joel, a serious look on her face.

"Joel...I need to talk to..Richard.." Y/N breathes out

Joel passes her a look of worry, as the boys look at her and Joel. They look at each other, the awkwardness growing uncomfortable second by second.

"Just please guys..I'm not asking for a relationship with him..just a friendship.." Y/N pleads

The guys nod understandingly as Joel takes her arm and guides her into a room where Richard sat. Before she walks in, Joel holds her wrist as she turns to face him.

"Just..fix him..he's been miserable.." Joel pleads

"I'll see what I can do.." Y/N replies

Y/N knocks a the door as she hears a quick "Come in". Y/N walks in as Richard glances at her as he quickly looks away

"What do you want? Make it quick" Richard comments as he gets a drink for himself

"I wanted to talk to you.."

"Talk..I'll listen.."

"Richard please...stop acting like this.."

"Stop acting? What do you mean by acting like this? You said YOU wanted to talk..I just have nothing to talk to you with..we broke up remember?"

"You said you'd be fine with us being friends..."

"But I realized I wasn't.."

"Just because one random day you called me up and god knows what happened and suddenly your signal breaks huh? Or at least couldn't you have the courtesy to call me up after it got better?"

"I had my reasons..besides it's not practical enough for exes to still be talking"

"All I'm asking is for the friendship we've had together Richard..nothing more..Is it really too much to ask?"

"Yes..yes it is..I don't want you to be a part of my life..us together was just a huge..a huge.. misunderstanding..It wasn't meant to happen.."

Lies...Lies...Lies...He knew he was lying but he couldn't associate with her anymore..because then he'd be disappointed that he wasn't with her.

"I can't believe you'd swoop so low to call our entire RELATIONSHIP a huge mistake! You're still the same Richard...as pathetic as ever.."

It broke him..almost tore him apart..when all he wanted to do was hug onto her and cry..admit he was wrong..admits he wants her back admit he wants them together..admit the reason he never called was because he was just jealous and couldn't stand the thought of anyone calling her shawty apart from him.

"Is that all Y/N? If you're done you could head outside.." Richard replies repressing his inner thoughts and feelings

"Richard...what has happened to you? Why are you acting this way?"

"My heart has had enough..I'm tired of holding it together..my shirt is tired of getting stained with unwanted tears..I wasn't using my brain..I should have know better.." Richard

"Richard...I.." She begins

"This is just me..I'm just stuck in my ways..." Richard pauses as he briefly looks at her "You really posed' a threat to me Y/N...I was dangerously close to fall absolutely in love with you..almost thought you were the one..But you let in petty things like rumors and unnecessary names to come in between us.."

"You were the first and last person I've ever had honest feelings for..Look where it ended us.. especially me up in? Feelings were in the past..so I dashed them up and started to fall in love with cash instead.." Richard spits, venom in his words

"So..you don't want me involved with you anymore? In any possible manner? I was just asking for the friendship we shared.." She asks, as she bites her lips harshly, her heart heavy at his words.

"Isn't that what I said? Or do I have to elaborate on it all over again?" Richard asks, rolling his eyes as his facade spoke clearly what he had wanted as he looked at his drink not bothering to pay any attention to her

"Richard..." She begins again, not wanting to believe him

"I know the truth hurts real bad..that I don't want you in my life anymore..but sometimes it's better than a thousand lies..It's just too late to cry about it..You should have thought about it before.." Richard interrupts her as he sips on his drink

At any other occasion, she would have gotten mad at him for Lying to him but just this once she wished he lied to her instead of..letting her know such a bitter truth.

"If that's what you want..I'll be more than happy to comply..It was nice hearing the truth from your mouth than anyone else's.." Y/N comments as she shoots him a quick grateful smile almost so real that it gets Richard for a split second

"Yes..Glad to see we're here in agreement on something at least Y/L/N..." Richard states as Y/N storms out of the room

The boys look at her as she grabs her bag from the couch as she quickly takes in quick breathes.

"Where are you headed off? I thought you were coming over to the Hotel too.." Joel asks

"I'm a bit busy.. I'm supposed to be back at New York by tomorrow..So I've gotta get going!" Y/N replies as she faces the boys

"How did the conversion go?" Joel asks in a quiet tone

"It wasn't how I expected it to..but I've understood things from his point of view..I only told you guys..I just wanted to talk to him.." Y/N says before she quickly hugs Joel

"So you aren't staying?" Erick asks

"Nope Pretty eyes..I'm sorry..Now give me a hug before I leave" Y/N says as she opens her arms as Erick hugs her

Chris and Zabdiel walk over and hug her after saying their goodbyes. She quickly heads out after she says a quick goodbye to Ali.

She walked outside the backstage room as she walks outside, pulling her hoodie closer and fixing her shades. But she's not quick enough as the paparazzis spot her and within seconds she's blinded by the flashlights and hot fierce questions thrown onto her every split second.

"YOU WERE INSIDE THE BACKSTAGE ROOM WITH THE CNCO BOYS! SO DID YOU RECONCILE WITH RICHARD TOO?!?"

"TELL US..CAN WE CONFIRM YOUR RELATIONSHIP NOW THAT THINGS ARE SORTED?!?"

"DID YOU AND RICHARD TALK THINGS OUT? DID YOU REALIZE YOUR MISTAKE AND AGREED TO MAKE AMENDS?!?"

"IS HE READY TO GIVE UP ON HIS FLIRTY NATURE AND READY TO SETTLE DOWN WITH YOU THIS TIME?!?"

"DO YOU WANT HIM IN YOUR LIFE AFTER ALL THIS OR DO YOU HONESTLY JUST- -" Another pap begins, zoning Y/N off her thoughts as her bodyguards shielded her

She was sick and tired of this..she was frustrated, annoyed, disappointed and almost wanted to cry in fury..

"STOP! STOP! STOP! JUST- -PLEASE! STOP IT!!" She snaps as she effectively shutting the paparazzis that surrounded her.

"I'm tired and sick of these questions...I don't...I just- - I don't understand! The ENTIRE time we were in a relationship..all you were focused was on to break and tear us apart with horrible and the just..b*tchiest rumors..You got what you wanted..WE BROKE UP! And now you want us back together? I don't understand YOUR IRRATIONAL LOGIC! WHAT ARE YOU PROBLEM? Well seemingly any petty little thing..When we were in a relationship you bring up tiny issues, mistakes of the past and create this aura of doubt and confusion within our relationship and when we are not together anymore..you desperately look for hints to analyze if there's any tiny hope we'd get together! WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YOU WANT? YOU TELL ME!?" Y/N snaps out as the flashlights and cameras that had blinded her a few minutes ago suddenly stopped flashing

"Just please- -you have already damaged our relationship...just don't make it worse than it already is..please..I beg you all..I'm just tired..tired of all this drama. We are humans too..I know you're all doing your jobs but just think of it from a perspectives a simple human..Sometimes it would be..just better if you just..stayed out of our personal lives..at least regarding our relationships..." Y/N mutters as she walks towards her car, her bodyguards shielding her in the process

///

A celebration was very well necessary for an awesome success of their performance.

So right now he was in a crowded club, the loud party music blaring through both his ears as everyone in the room danced and had the best time of their lives, having no regrets

He quickly drowned a shot another one right after he finished his drink.

He should be happy...he's got everything he wished for. This partying socializing life is all he dreamt about and he's finally gotten it.

But yet again, here he was having second thoughts about this. Something about this doesn't feel right..he really did enjoy this but..when he realized it costed his relationship with Y/N..it didn't quite feel right..Y/N was amazing..and made others around her feel the same..like they deserved to be happy...

He sat down thinking where his relationship with Y/N would have gone..if he had just fought for the both of them. Relationships were all about making dedicated sacrifices so that in the long run both the partners get what they deserve..a stable relationship with equal amounts of tears and smiles...both of them learning from their mistakes and moving on.

"Richard hi...got a minute?" Joel asks as he sits next to him snapping Richard out of his dream like state of thoughts

"Yeah sure...what's up..?" Richard asks as he passes him a quick smile

"Can I be brutally honest with you and ask you something?"

"Sure..I guess?"

"Are you honestly okay?"

"Yes I am...Why would you ask?"

"Are you sure? You don't seem like you are being honest with your feelings.."

"Why should I lie to you about how I'm feeling when I feel nothing out of the ordinary?"

"You haven't been yourself..after the break up.." Joel says as Richard quickly remembers his conversation he had with Zabdiel a few weeks back.

"Oh so you're trying to patch things up with me and Y/N so that she wouldn't feel all sad and you wouldn't have any sort of bad blood with me.."

"This is exactly what I'm not here for...I'm here as a brother..genuinely concerned about you...So just tell me are you fine?"

"Don't I look fine?"

"Well..honestly no. You look fine on the outside..but the real inner you..the one optimistic, cheerful and genuine you..doesn't seem to appear..you just look like you're existing rather than uhm..living? And that's something you'd never do..As if you're putting on a facade pretending everything is..fine..when you seem..so miserable..in an unexplained manner.."

"I'm better.. I'm fine.I like this life..I can't deal with commitments..it didn't last..I seriously thought I was ready..but I guess I wasn't.. I'm sorry it didn't work out.."

"Hey no worries okay? She's moved on..so I just want you to know I want you to do the same and not..sulk over your feelings."

"Who said anything about me sulking over anything? I HAVE moved on!" Richard replies his tone

"Richard...you're seriously trying to convince me? You can barely check out a girl or kiss her after the break up. Something is seriously wrong with you...maybe you were ready for commitment Richard..think over- -"

"Oh it is on Joel! Watch me!" Richard snaps as he gets off his chair and walks away from Joel

"Richard- -wait! That's not what I - -" Joel begins as he sees Richard walks away.

- - -

Richard quickly scans around the crowd as he sees a brunette female leaning against the wall, some drink in her hand as she sipped on it. She holds his gaze for a while, as he throws her a flirtatious wink as she smirks in response. Richard proudly walked over towards her.

"Hey sexy...Looking fine as hell..the outfit looks amazing..but I bet it'll look better between the crumpled pile on my bedroom floor.."

"Oh...you wanna bet on that hot stuff? But for that first..show me what you've got..." The girl replies as her fingers trail the hem of Richard's shirt as she battles her eyelashes and looks at him.

He took her onto the dance floor and within a few minutes, his arms began to trail all over her body as she lets out soft groans just with his mere touch. She began to grind against him trying to get some momentary relief as he lets out a grunt

And within half an hour of dancing, a few touches, lingering gazes and grinding sessions followed with quick make outs, the girl tugs onto Richard's shirt grabbing his attention

"Let's take this somewhere..private?" The girl purrs innocently as her lips trail down the shell of Richard's ear as she seductively battles her eyelashes.

Richard smirks in response as he holds her hand and heads out of the club after quickly sending a gaze towards the boys who did nothing but groaned in response.

- - -

(My inexperienced smut writing please bear with this.)

Things escalated just within a few minutes and before Richard knew it his hands were roaming freely around her bare body, his lips attached onto her neck as he sucked on her skin.

He pinned her onto the bed as his fingers roamed around her thighs teasing her as his lips and tongue

"Richard..don't- t--tease..P-please.." She whines, gripping onto the sheets

"Hmm..we'll see about that Britney.." Richard replies

He teases and uses her fingers to prep her enough to get her soaked and wet. He doesn't wait for anything as he quickly grabs a condom from the night stand and wraps it around his hard d*ck as he thrusts onto her

"Ah~F*ck! Right there Sir..Yes~ Ah!" Britney moans as Richard lets out small grunts

His pace increases with every thrust.. His eyes became clouded with nothing but lust.

"Ah~ Cheeto! Right there!" Britney whimpers as she lets out a loud moan

Richard grunts quickly..He begins to pick up his pace when his ears register her words.

"What did you call me?" Richard ask, his eyes glinting with surprise instead of lust.

"I'm sorry sir...I didn't- -" She begins as Richard quickens the pace of his thrusts

Soon the both of their orgasms wash over quickly and Richard quickly walks into the bathroom and discards the condom as he quickly steps into the shower and takes a quick shower.

He walks out with his trousers on. The girl quickly wraps herself with a towel as she walks in.

"You can sleep over..I'm not tired." Richard says as he looks at her

"I'll leave early in the morning..thanks for the night.." Britney says as she steps into the bathroom.

Richard nods as he quickly puts a plain white tank top making his way upto the balcony.

He sat down on a chair that laid in his balcony. He gazed at the night sky that was were littered with millions of stars..

He felt disgusted..dirty and guilty. He knew he had only slept with this girl as an attempt to prove Joel wrong and try and get over his feelings for Y/N!

Despite being out of a relationship with her..he still felt like he was cheating on her...He knew they had parted ways but he couldn't help but the feeling of guilty and remorse was over his heart.

What was happening to him? When was he hesitant to hookup with another girl?

And when she called him Cheeto..that was like the final straw..It all made sense.

He still felt something huge and deep for her..and these weren't going to leave him anytime soon.

His heart hurted harder with every little thing he thought about her. The feeling of her under someone new felt wrong and..unfair even though she had all the rights to do whatever she wanted to do..

He was lying when he talked to her that was when he still did..Just lying about being good and fine when deep down inside he was dying and wanted to tell her the truth...he wasn't over her.

~ ~ ~

But that wouldn't stop him from attending her fashion shows along with Joel..Joel needed some company and he joined in...as simple as that..

She had been in the modelling industry for a few years but her overall elegance and charisma had captured the attention of the public and world renowned modelling companies..

She had been casted a lot for other shows under Vogue itself...but being a part of the Milan Fashion Week was her biggest achievement till date.

They couldn't find seats next to each other though. So Richard sat in the middle row, pulling his hoodie closer to his body, fixing his shades and his beanie so that he wouldn't be spotted... because he didn't want to ignite any rumors...

The show began as he watched it peacefully..despite the loud claps and cheers that the crowd inflicted. His ears were used to this..

When it was Y/N's turn..he was more blown away than he could ever admit. His mouth almost fell agape at how attractive she looked..As if the outfit and the runway was just made for her..

He knew how physically attractive she had looked...he could never forget their first encounter..

|FLASHBACK SCENE|

It was a random big party at someone's mansion in Miami. The boys had been invited by a group of their friends..who in turn were invited by..another group of friends.. and the cycle went on..

Richard walked into the party with his regular basic look on. The party went on full swing mode as he casually chatted and interacted with everyone..as he made his way towards the corner where the mini bar filled with all varieties of drinks were served, he saw a girl leaning onto the wooden counter..her eyes scanning the section mysteriously as if figuring out something.

"Need some help there pretty girl?" Richard asks as he sits on the stool next to hers as he looked at her confidently.

She turned her gaze towards him as she squints her eyes at him..Richard raised his eyebrow in confusion as he inspected her face..She quickly pulls her hoodie cap closer to her head..covering her face to a good amount

"So this drill is the absolute same here in Miami?" The girl asks as she turns her body and chair facing towards him, now her entire attention on Richard

"What drill do you mean? I was just tryna' help a pretty girl like you sit here alone and watch her struggle as she tries to find for a drink.."

"Smooth talker..but then again..I've heard the smoothest..But why are you all the same?" She asks hopelessly

"Whacha' mean Princesa?" He asks confused

"I mean the same method of approaching..Offer to buy a drink whilst I'm picking one out, smooth talks and flirty pick up lines, some dancing, a lot more drinks, soft touches and gazes and before you know it..the girl gets laid..Same process, different places..different boys..you guys all over the place are just so... now how do I put it in?..intentional and predictable.." She answers smirking

"Well..okay..ya sorta caught me..but I wasn't planning on getting you laid..Something tells me that I want to try a bit harder to get to know you better.." He states as he looks at her

"I'll pretend like I believe you Cheeto..." She says as she grins

"Cheetos? As in the chips Cheetos?"

"Very well spotted...Your hair absolutely looks like a flaming hot cheeto..." She says as she smiles at him

"I'm going to assume that's a compliment?"

"Oh definitely! I gave you a foodie nickname..so you're already special to me.."

"See we're already making so much progress..Already cute dovey nicknames..And trust me Princesa...My hair isn't the only part that's hot in my body.." Richard replies as he smirks at her

His smirk was just..Sexy...She had just met the guy! How could she- -she quickly shook away her unwanted thoughts...

"Oh god...Look at yourself..aren't you following the same pattern?" She asks ignoring the light tint of pink that flooded her cheeks

"Okay you sorta got me there but...I'm sorry! Force of habit! Natural instinct" Richard replies raising his arms up in surrender

"So what brings you here Princesa?" He asks as he gets her some fruit punch

"You know I'm old enough to drink Cheeto..." She replies as she rolls her eyes playfully

"Let's start with something...lighter... you never know how high parties like these can get.." He says as he hands her the drink

"So.." Richard pauses as he quickly sips on his punch "What brings you here? Like this party? The usual regular..circle of friends relations or..?" He trails off waiting for her to complete him off

"Oh..well one of my friends invited me over..Cause he was invited by his some circle of friends well technically we are somehow...related..he's like my third generation..ya know..family decent and stuffs..and i found out a few months ago that..he was in a band..so yeah we talked over the phone, texted a few..i mean we have seen each other when we were like really little..but then again..I had..or rather have a terrible memory..and why am I telling you all this?" She asks herself

"I don't know..ask yourself that..maybe it's because after all you do want to get to know me.." He replies as he takes a sip of his second punch whilst he removed his hoodie cap

"Ha ha..Very funny..Wait...WAIT...you look so awfully FAMILIAR...Have we met before?"

"Not that I remember of..I would have remembered a beautiful face for sure.."

"You can't even see my face.."

"True..but I had gotten a glimpse of your eyes and your face..Not to offend you are anything but you aren't like like hot stuff sorta girl you get me?"

"Wow...Aren't you the sweetest? Of course..I'm not offended" She asks rolling her eyes slightly offended

"Don't get me wrong..You are absolutely beautiful..pretty figure and really cute features.. labeling you as hot..doesn't seem fair and right..for some reason..at this occasion..And I don't want you to think I'm shallow enough to hit you up because you're just physically attractive" He says softly smiling at her

"So you do agree that you were trying to hit you up.."

"Okay...not intentional..Oh god...Let's drop this.." Richard mumbles

"Oh..okay I guess?" She says as she takes a long sip of her punch

"Let's just..okay..you said your relative was in a band or something right? What music genre band is he from? I know a couple of new bands..and considering you said he was a boy..a boy band..what's the name of the band?" Richard asks shifting the topic

Before she could answer, someone begins talking thereby interrupting her.

"Richard...There you are! Oh come on do you ever give up? Why do you need to hit up every SINGLE girl who's trying to get a DAMN drink?"" A voice speaks as Richard looks at the person

"I'm sorry..I was just talking to...err..Oh I didn't even ask you your name.." Richard says as he shakes his head disapprovingly

"Hello beautiful..now why are you wasting time with some crazy red haired weirdo than spend the night with a young handsome man like myself?" Chris asks as she turns towards the boys that stood in front of her

"For the record Chris...you're the oldest in the band.."Richard comments

"But you gotta admit I'm the best looking dude in the band.."

"Guys make it quick..I told y'all..I needed to meet a relative of mine..I don't want to keep her waiting.." Joel remarks as he enter into the discussion

"Pimentel? Is that you?" She asks as she removes her hoodie cap

"Y/N?!?" Joel asks as he looks at her surprised

Y/N smiles widely as she stands up from her chair quickly and rushes up to him as she pulls Joel into a hug, him mirroring her actions

"I'm confused...how do they know each other?" Erick asks

"Because she's the re- -" Zabdiel asks

"Maybe they've liked each other when they were younger and they've met here..Ah crap! Joel stole my girl...Not fair! I didn't even get a chance to - -"

"Again Chris..Richard found her first..So you can't technically- -" Erick begins

"Bullsh*t! Oh come on..I'm so handsome..why would she like Richard and not me?" Chris asks Erick as he raises his eyebrow

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that..and besides I have no time to react to that..But seriously how is Joel related to HER?" Richard asks emphasizing on the her clearly not liking the fact that his best friend was conversing up cozily with a girl he liked.

"Guys..she's the rela- -" Zabdiel begins again

"Maybe they are like..besties but secretly dating?" Erick states interrupting Zabdiel

"Or maybe a one night stand..not something predictable from Joel's side..or - -or maybe an acquaintance from his hometown..I don't know..You know when you see someone from the same place you are..you sorta bond over with them right?" Chris pipes in

"It's because she's his relat- -" Zabdiel begins irritated

"Well whatever...he's just getting a bit too..close to her.." Richard comments as a small frown appears on his face.

"Why do you bother Richard? I thought you never cared enough to know the girl better.." Chris comments

"But...still how are they related? Are they- -" Erick begins finally ticking off Zabdiel

"OH FOR HEAVENSAKE THEY ARE RELATED!" Zabdiel shouts at Richard, Erick and Chris drawing the girl's and Joel's attention too

"Lo Siento.." Zabdiel murmurs as he takes a seat and quickly orders a drink for himself.

"Oh...sorry guys...We got a bit carried away with our conversation...Guys meet Y/N..she's the cousin I was talking about.."

Richard's eyes widened as his mouth slightly fell open..Erick nods continuously, Chris awkwardly nods as Zabdiel just rolled his eyes but flashed her a quick smile.

"And Y/N...These are my best friends..That's Erick, Zabdiel, Christopher and Richard.." Joel says introducing his friends

"Nice to meet you all..I've heard a lot about you all..You guys look better in real life than how you look in the pictures..and you guys sound amazing too.." Y/N comments as she smiles politely at them

"Thank you...means a lot for us...Appreciate the support.." Erick beams as he plants a quick kiss on her cheek, his actions earning a cold eye roll from Richard

Y/N slowly begins conversing with the boys almost instantly connecting with them..Richard on the other hand walked over and tried to get himself wasted for that's all he came here majorly for.

"Oh there you are! I was looking for you." Y/N comments as she passes a smile at him

"Yes...another shot please" Richard murmurs as he gets a drink from the bartender

"Okay Cheetos...why in the world are you ignoring me?"

Richard grunts as he chunks down a few glasses of some drink as he didn't even bother to look at her

"Okay Camacho...I thought we were getting along pretty fine...what's gotten you into a foul mood?"

"I just thought you were busy..bonding over with your 'cousin' and discussing about the stories behind all of Christopher's tattoos..."

"Okay now you're just being mean..so I can't establish healthy relationships with my cousin's band mates? And besides...Chris isn't even like my type.."

Richard's gaze fell on her as a grin decorates his lips

"Then who is your type Mami?"

"That certainly managed to catch your attention huh Camacho?" Y/N asks teasingly

"Well...I was just inquiring...that's..all" Richard replies as he looks at his glass

"Okay..I don't really have a type fixation...I don't know...Maybe like red flaming hair, beautiful lips, good figure and...eyes that scream trouble but in a good way?" Y/N states

Richard lets out a shy grin as he tried to ignore his slightly flustered face and extends his hand out, still looking away

"Dance with me? Please?" Richard asks hopefully, his tone a bit shy

Y/N softly bites her bottom lip as she takes his hand..Soon they're on the dance floor dancing to the wildest music all in the while enjoying each others' company.

"Hey..Y/N can I ask you something?" Richard asks as he wraps his arms around her waist, his head resting on the crook of her neck..of course with all her consent..

She enjoyed the feeling of his strong, semi-muscular arms securely wrapped around her waist..even though she had met him today..but with all Joel's description and all she's heard and seen about him..she felt good and..somehow comfortable...a bit too comfortable..but the both of them didn't mind..but not like she was going to admit how her heart fluttered at the feeling.

"Yeah su - sure- -I gue - ss?" She stutters as she mentally slaps herself

"Apart from being beautiful and stunning..what else do you do for a living?" He asks "Well..I model...So I do use up my physical appearance for a living.."

"I never meant your outer beauty..I meant beautiful and genuine on the inside..I'm not exaggerating." Richard asks

"You'd never give up huh?"

"I'd like to try.." Richard states as he twirls her around

"Honestly why are you so persistent? I told you I don't want to get laid down..Hit someone else up!" Y/N says as she slightly frowns at the thought

"I don't wanna get you laid...not so soon at least..I wanna get to know you..take you out..treat you right..spend time with you..doing weird and crazy sh*ts...I don't know what in the world am I feeling but it's probably because I've never honestly liked someone..you make me feel some typa way ya know? And the worst of all..is that I'm ready to feel like this..As long as you feel the same.." Richard finishes off as he lays his head on her shoulder

"I feel something else for you..a new foreign feeling for you Y/N..I know we have just met but I want to know you better...just talk and...i don't know...I'm just confused..I want to try us together..as in romantically...that's if you feel something for me.."

"Don't you think it's a bit too soon for us..to happen?" Y/N asks

"I'm not demanding a full fledged relationship from the dawn of tomorrow morning..All I want to know is if you feel something..romantically for me and if you want to...work on it?"

"Let's give this a shot Cheeto! Don't make me regret this.." Y/N comments as she turns around, wrapping her arms around his neck

"It's a promise...I won't let you go.." Richard replies his gaze shifting from her eyes to her lips, his eyes looking into hers as if asking for consent

Y/N leans into his touch as he bends down a bit and softly places his lips onto hers as their lips moved together in sync. As if their lips were made for each other only..

His life was going to be just right now that she was beside him.

/ / /

Richard shakes his head, snapping back into reality as he hears his phone vibrate. He looks to find "Joel" calling him. He answers the phone

"Hey...Yes I know..I'll be out in 5..Gate D?...sure okay...Bye.." Richard speaks onto the phone as he hangs up

He gets up as he looks around trying to avoid people and cameras. ..But to his dismay and disappointment a few eagle eyed fans spotted him as he quickly pulled his hoodie cap closer to his head..trying to cover as much of his face as possible...

"A minute please Richard...Just a few pictures.." A mini group of fangirls yelled

Richard rolled his eyes internally as he nodded softly as he quickly posed for a quick picture with the girls and signed a few autographs.

"Are you kidding me? You seriously want to get HIS autograph? The same jerk who broke up with THE Y/N Y/L/N! Oh hell nah! I'm not in this!" A girl comments rolling her eyes "Nope he's a jerk! You can't convince me..an absolute idiot!" She goes on

Richard initially decides to ignore it..but a few other girls decide to join in and trash talking about how HE had messed..

"It was something mutual kiddos..so I'd kindly ask you to NOT to indulge in things which aren't your business.." Richard comments as he quickly signs another autograph

"Hey can you even blame us? We care a lot about out idol...We want her to be happy and safe. And you clearly weren't capable of it.." A girl snaps back maintaining her cool

Richard stayed silent not wanting to snap at this girl who had the audacity to trash talk about him and Y/N's relationship..But the girl had kept no limits in her speech and kept trash talking about him! Of course he had to defend himself!

"It wasn't my fault...It wasn't anybody's fault..It was bound to happen.." Richard comments

"Oh please enlighten me Camacho...I'm more than willing to hear..How does a perfect relationship like the one you shared with Y/N suddenly breaks off one late night?" The girl asks

"That's what you saw...That's what the public saw..you never knew what happened behind closed doors. Please keep your cameras down..I don't want any of this taken..I'm tired of all the rumors.."

"You're just scared that we'll record you and give the bad publicity you deserve..and what do you mean behind closed doors!? Are you accusing her of cheating?!?"

"I'm not making any acquisitions here girlie...I'm just saying you know nothing..So don't start this very unnecessary drama.."

"Oh please elaborate on it please Richard..I'm dying to hear what you actually mean by 'behind closed doors' " The girl asks as she sternly looks at him

"I don't need to elaborate my personal life to you..Please just leave.." Richard asks his tone steady

"I am not leaving until I get an answer!"

"I don't have anything to do with the breakup...Don't pester me!"

"It's a relationship...involves two people Richard Camacho!" The girl counters

"It's her fault too...blame her for it...I'm tired and sick of dealing with all this bullsh*t.."

"You had the perfect girl! Perfect relationship..oh leave all of that..just tell us why the hell did you turn up here? For one of her fashion shows?"

"So I can't attend one of the coolest Fashion Show I've ever known all because my ex girlfriend is a part of it?!"

"You could have attended any other fashion shows yet here you are..Are you sure you aren't here to try and convince her to take you back?"

"Oh SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!?! It mustn't be any of your business on what I should do or not do..It's my life please let me just live it the way I want to! We had absolutely no problems in our relationships until people like you suddenly took up the right to comment on our lives and our relationship too..People like you are the reason why no one in our lives last long enough! Don't you realize that in all the mess of trying to protect your idol, you're destroying theirs and their partners' lives in the process...We did what we have to do and we are fine with it! Now I don't care if you like it or not..but just..stop messing mine or her lives than it already is.." Richard snaps, hot tears brimming his eyes as he never let them fall

The girl seemed taken aback as she slightly flinches.

"I'm sorry..I didn't mean- -" She begins

"The damage has already been done...in the harshest manner possible...Just please don't create any more unnecessary drama..."

The girl nods as she looks down, feeling absolutely guilty as Richard excuses himself and walks away towards Gate D ignoring the soft tears that had dared to roll down his cheeks as he quickly wipes them.

~ ~ ~

SHE never wanted him in the first place...all SHE seemed to care was about her career and not him. He got over her pretty easily...drinks, cash, one night stands and just materialistic things that gained him instant pleasure..Simple solutions to complicated problems.

Feelings sucked...they had no place in his life..They were for children who wanted to try and pretend to be adventurous..all they did was mess and f*ck with his head and heart..Lust lasted shorter than love...Scratch marks and purple hickeys just lasted for a few days..or a few weeks at the maximum..but a broken heart would take years to heal..Lust was something simple, quick, less painful and a safer option.

He was done with feelings...feelings belonged to the past..it had no place in his life any longer..all it managed to do was wreck him..nothing apart from that...now all he cared was about his cash and all the materialistic things that gained him temporary..but instant pleasure...that's all he cared about at this point of time...nothing more and definitely nothing less.

They knew they were headed to the final straw of their relationship...there was just minimal love that kept them together...At least the love that was "visible". Richard wasn't used to deep serious commitment..He couldn't stay stable with ONE girl for the rest of his life!

All because perhaps...deep down inside he was scared...He didn't want to be hurt...he knew it hurted bad.. considering a lot of people he know had ended up bruised...in a very.. unattractive manner and never honestly recovered from it..

Both of them were different..yet so similar. They weren't similar poles nor opposite...they were just compatible enough with good amount of differences.

So for example...the both of them had the same unhealthy coping mechanism for getting over the other..

Shots one after another...Drinks of different varieties one after the other..Different clubs and bars but same unspoken feelings...

But when the lights went out...and they were in their rooms all alone..that's when it hits them. They missed each other..But again with their wholesome egos, heavy hearts and unspoken feelings..they couldn't help but hide what they really felt..scared to get hurt again or if the other one was just...pretending to be in love the whole time..

"Come on..Y/N!! Check him out! Hot stuff at my right..corner..Do you copy agent??" Y/BFF states

"I told you Y/BFF ..I don't want to get laid..I'll get drunk instead..." Y/N comments as she pulls her hoodie closer to herself

"Sure you'd rather like and get all sick rather than become a bit sore..Sure Y/N! I totallyyyyyy get it..." Y/BFF slurs as she rolls her eyes "Y/N babe..are you sure you're over that Dominican?" Y/BFF asks

"Of course I am..that doesn't necessarily mean I need to get laid over to get over my feelings for him! I've told you this so many times!!" Y/N replies

"So you admit you have feelings for him.." Y/BFF comments as she smirks at Y/N

"I simply cannot believe you..of course..I - do no - " Y/N begins

"Yeah yeah baby...blah blah..keep sulking over your feelings for a little boy who doesn't deserve any of it.." Y/BFF comments as she walks off

Y/N lays her head on the wooden desk, as her hands trailed the half empty glass her eyes fixated on the drink hazily as her face stayed covered all thanks to her hoodie cap.

"He did deserve it..He deserved all of it..Because at the end of the day..he made me feel the same way..loved and like I...deserved it all.." She whispers to herself, ignoring the soft salty tears that rolled down her cheeks

~ ~ ~

With his fists inside his hoodie pockets, his head hanging low to avoid being spotted..Richard walks in with a low profile into the club..This club was less crowded and less noisy..He just wanted a few drinks..just a few drinks to make him drunk enough to erase any thoughts relating to her..He wanted to get enough sleep and rest...and his thoughts about her weren't going to put him into rest.

He sat on a stool..a bit far away from the blaring music..a bartender walked upto him and he tells him the drink he wants...The bartender nods as he gets Richard the drink he asked for.

A shot...another one..he drank a couple more before he forced himself to stop..

His phone vibrated with some notifications as he took out his phone from his pocket. His eyes scrunched instantly at how bright his phone screen as he quickly reduced the brightness off his phone.

He went to his messages..as he typed her name..her contact came up.

He stared at the keypad for a moment.

What was his stupid irrational self going to do? Stop it Richard..What are you doing?

It wasn't your fault..why are YOU apologizing...

The damage was already done...nothing could undo it..

But it was worth a try at least...

He began typing the message...And without even reading it another time he pressed the enter button.

MESSAGE STATUS: Message Sent.......Message Delivered

| | |

Y/N tossed on her bed for the 50th time that minute..She had to get up early for a casting..so instead of her regular getting drunk partying routine, She chose to stay home and.. well sleep..

She had gotten a good amount of sleep for a few hours...but at a very odd hour of the day, she suddenly wakes up, her body jerking forward as she heavily breathes...

She broke into a cold sweat, her eyebrows furrowed, as her body shivered..

She quickly recovered within a minute or so..as she laid back into her bed again..but sleep and drowsiness had already left her soul...

Every time she tried to sleep.. something or the other she'd remember about him..especially how he used to serenade her the days where she couldn't feel asleep..his sweet angelic voice always soothed her..and within seconds, she'd be asleep, his strong arms wrapped around her waist securely, her head on his chest and his chin on top of her head...As if a perfect piece of a messed up puzzle set.

Her eyes filled with unnecessary tears as she quickly wiped them off..she did miss him, more than she could admit..but what was the use? He didn't feel the same..

Suddenly her phone vibrates..she clumsily sits up as she grabs her phone. It was probably Y/BFF calling her in her drunk state.

But she sees..his name..on her screen..She was surprised and She quickly reads his message..

Richard: "Do you ever wonder and sometimes perhaps..wish you could maybe go back into time and..change the past?"

That's what the message read...

Y/N bit her bottom lip...she began typing something as she pauses halfway..was she going to respond?

No...he said he didn't want to become friends or even mere acquaintances..so why did he text her all of a sudden?

Nope..she wasn't definitely going to respond to it. She switched off her phone..no..not this time. She couldn't..she wouldn't..

///

Richard sighs as he sees her status as offline...seconds ago she was typing something...Yeah she didn't feel anything or wasn't ready to fix anything...He didn't blame her though after all the sour turns...their entire relationship had taken. He keeps his phone upside down on the wooden table as he gulps down an entire glass of whatever drink it contained.

///

Y/N laid down hugging her pillow as she forcefully shut her eyes. He had the audacity to text her after not even speaking to her after so long! How dare he- -but then again..what if he was alone and drunk? What if he was some place dangerous..? She knew he was old enough to take care of himself but she couldn't help but wonder..

She quickly took her phone..and opened his text...After a minute of internally debating she eventually texted him back..

*TEXT CONVERSATION*

Y/N: Richard..It's 2:00 in the morning. What are you even doing?

Richard: Sometimes..I wished..really wished I could..I wish I could go back and take back all the words I've said to you..and definitely never let you walk out the door. If I could go back..I'd beg you to stay or followed you until you agreed..and almost would do anything that'll make sure you stayed...

Y/N: Richard....

Y/N: Are you drunk?

Richard: Maybe..Maybe not..a few shots of Vodka at the bare maximum...but I'm speaking clearly ain't I?

Y/N: Well..still the Cheeto wouldn't text me like that..or just text me in general considering the fact he didn't want to even be associated with me in any manner possible 🙄

Richard: I love how you still remain the only one who calls me Cheeto..it sounds so adorable..just..so right

Y/N: I'm pretty sure everyone calls you Cheeto..especially your girlfriend..so nothing special..

Richard: No..I don't let anyone call me Cheeto..You were and still are the only one who calls me that..Besides I don't have a girlfriend.

Y/N: Well..whatever...What's the deal Camacho?

Richard: GODDAMMIT! I have loved you..I always have..and I still do.. and I don't think that's going to change..but it scares the sh*t outta me honestly..and I'd never have the guts to do this without alcohol in my system cause I'm a f*cking coward.

Y/N: Where are you? Are the boys with you?

Richard: Aaliyah asked me about you..she said she missed baking those choco chip cookies for you..Mum and Dad also asked about you..They sounded disappointed. They thought you and I were heading to the long haul.

Richard: Well so did I..but geuss you cant change things if u wanted two..

Y/N: RICHARD YASHEL CAMACHO! ANSWER ME! Where the hell are you?!

Richard: In some bar..getting wasted and tired of getting rid of the way all my feelings about you return within seconds.

Y/N: Very sentimental Richard. I'm calling Joel to pick you up from that damn place okay?

Richard: Thanks...I guess..well..I never thought you still cared enough to make sure I got home safely.

Y/N: Oh give it a rest Yashel! I'd still care about you probably until the day I die and maybe even after that okay? Just because we aren't together anymore doesn't mean that I'll ever stop caring about you or ever did Richard...just remember that..

Richard: I still love you..

///

Y/N: Richard..I just texted Joel..he apparently knows the place.. he'll be there to pick you up okay? Just don't leave the bar till he arrives okay?

Richard: So you don't love me?

Y/N: Richu...please don't this harder than it already is..Just don't do this.

Richard: So do you?

Y/N: It's complicated and your drunk. Let's talk about this whilst your sober..I don't want to talk about somethin' like this with alcohol in your system...

Richard: Okay goodnight.

Y/N: Take care.

~ ~ ~

Y/N woke up fussily already tired. Her thoughts kept her awake the entire night and now she had to wake up and get ready. She heard her phone ringing as she QUICKLY attends the call

"Yes Claire..I'm up..give me a few- - what? Oh thank god. I was too exhausted today...wait.. Seriously! Thank you so much Claire! I can't thank you enough! Yes I'll get some sleep thank you again!" Y/N rants as she hangs up the call.

Claire, her personal assistant had called her to tell that her casting for the day had been cancelled and the new casting was in five days..which meant she had five whole days to herself.

She quickly jumps back into bed as her eyes almost shut instantly drowning herself into some well deserved sleep.

- - -

Y/N wakes up as she looks at the clock in her bedroom...3:00 in the afternoon. She made her way to the bathroom and freshened up. She walked towards her kitchen and prepares an entire mug of coffee fr herself.

Y/N sat down as she slowly sipped on the cup of coffee she had prepared for herself. The entire week way haywire hectic..a lot of photo shoots, interviews, castings the list went on and on..Y/N decides to take some time all for herself and by herself. She was given five days..five days away from work..The first three days went by a breeze, as she took enough rest and ate healthy. She walked to her closed balcony as she laid on one of the seats as she stretched her legs and placed them in a relaxing posture.

She laid on the chair as she did nothing except rest her eyes and breathe evenly as she sipped on her coffee. In the middle of her "relaxing" day, she was rudely stunned by a sudden spam of messages from her phone as the she quickly sipped on her coffee mug in surprise, as her lips burnt at the hot sensation. She let out a shrill scream as she stuck her tongue out, blowing some air quickly trying to cool her almost tongue.

*TEXT CONVERSATION*

Richard: Morning. Hey..Sorry about last night.

Y/N: Hey it's no big deal..you were drunk. It's fine.

Richard: I'm sober now.

Y/N: Okay..well..good for you I guess?

Richard: I still feel the same about you the same way I felt about you last night..the same way I felt for you the day we met..

Y/N: Richard..I don't really know how to you want me to respond to that statement. You do know that we broke up for a reason.

Richard: No we broke up because I was too prideful to stop you from leaving.

Richard: Can we just talk about this?

Y/N: I'm not so sure about this Richard. I've just...I'm just starting to recover and patch up those old wounds..I don't want them wounded again.

Richard: Please Y/N! Just this once to clear all these misunderstandings.

*Richard had sent you a location*

Richard: Just meet me there..5:30 p.m. We'll talk for an hour..and if you truly don't want to give it a try..I'll leave you alone forever..I promise.

Y/N: Just one chance Richard. After this I don't want you to bring up this. I'll meet you there at 5:30 sharp. Don't be late

Richard: Wouldn't miss it for the world.

Richard: Thank you Y/N!

Richard: I...

Richard: See you there. ❤️

Y/N: 🙂

- - -

Y/N couldn't believe what the hell she had agreed to..but here she was stressing over what to wear. She then realizes that she wasn't going to impress or charm him or anything. So she wore a basic t-shirt and some denim jeans, a leather jacket and some sneakers to finish it up.

She drove to the spot as she quickly parked her car in an empty parking lot. She walks towards the exact location and sees Richard sitting on a picnic mat with a basket of goodies in it. He stands up as he sees her and Y/N walks closer.

"Hey.." Richard says as he passes her a soft smile

"Hello.." She replies as he gestures her to sit down

"So how you doing?" Y/N asks an attempt to remove the awkward silence

"I've been doing well...Thanks for making the call last night..I didn't even know how I ended there.."

"You're welcome..I barely did anything..I just informed Joel."

"Well..you did look after me when I was at my worsts..so I owe you one..A simple thank you won't do the trick.."

"Oh Camacho..don't bother..You know I don't expect anything in return right? That's what..I.. err..friends do right?"

They went on talking about normal stuffs and things until Richard abruptly interrupts her.

"Why do people do this?" Richard asks

"Do what exactly?" Y/N questions

"Well..you know..don't take up the blame for the mistakes they have done while they were in a relationship?"

"They've got well defined reasons..maybe their just scared that this might danger their..uhm.. relationship.."

"But I see at a sign..a sign..of maturity and acceptance...If you make it through these misunderstandings and for once..accepting your mistakes..things will turn out alright."

"But what if they don't..that's what the other person fears the most..they can't allow an ounce of hatred or..disappointment in the relationship..they share with someone..they can't afford to lose that special person.."

"But you have already done the mistake..it isn't as severe as cheating or anything..simple mini misunderstandings..turning into full fledged fights. Sure they might be disappointed but in the long run..it's healthy..A relationship has it's ups and downs..but these misunderstandings and the interplay of egos..winning all battles but at the cost of a relationship one thought would last for long.."

"Richard- -"

"I'm genuinely sorry..I genuinely am..I just- -I'm not blaming you- -I'm taking the entire blame for the all the misunderstandings..I just want us back..I miss you..us..."

"Richard..please...all I'm asking is for a friendship.."

"I'll accept your friendship..or even better..I'll just even stop bothering you for once and forever if you honestly feel that you're better off without me..just..just look me in the eye and just tell me to leave and I'll leave..tell me you don't feel absolutely anything romantic for me..then I'll leave you and stay away from you and I promise I won't be a part of your life anymore.."

Y/N faces Richard as she looks him in the eye, her heart pumping quick as her body tensed, her tone shaky

"Richard..I..I..." Y/N begins as she pauses, her eyes tearing up

"Tell me..and I swear I'll leave.."

"But I don't want you to leave.." Y/N whispers softly as she feels her eyes gleaming with tears that threatened to fall.

"Please...all I'm asking is one chance. I screwed up..I messed up..I just want you back into my life..I can't live without you..I've never felt something honest and genuine for anyone else apart from you...I can't even look at another women in any other manner. Even after the break up..Sleeping with someone else felt as if I was cheating on you...I felt unfaithful even though I was out of the relationship. I love to such an extent that it hurts when I think that you're not next to me during my best and worsts.."

"Richard..you don't mean this..you aren't ready for commitment..Don't resurface those repressed unconditional feelings that I still have for you...Please don't make this any harder than it already is.."

"But..but...don't you understand? I was a f*cking coward..I just felt commitment was too big for someone like me..but as long as it means that I can be with you..I'm ready to walk through hell and heaven..worsts and the best...If you don't feel the same I'll let you walk away.."

"Richard..stop manipulating me emotionally..I can't do this anymore. You're just going to hurt yourself and me..Please don't do this..ask yourself if this is what you want..I'm tired of crying over you Richard.."

"Please...one more chance is all I ask for. We'll start off again..our relationship had started off a bit too quick before..we can fix it this time.. together. It'll take time to heal but in the long run...I want you next to me."

"Richard! STOP! You don't mean it! You're the only boy in my entire life I've honestly been so attached to..and look at where we ended up..I don't want our mistakes to repeat and go through the entire heartbreak again. I'm just tired...I can't..."

"We learnt from our mistakes..staying away from you and letting you walk out of my door was the worst decision I had done..I'm ready to fix it. I want to give us a try this time..but this time I'll completely be honest with you. Y/N Honestly the partial reason why we broke up was because..I...I was insecure..insecure about letting someone precious and amazing like you with someone like me...I don't deserve someone like you..and that day when you came over..I just wanted to sort of push you away so you'd finally get what you deserve.. but I know you're with Aiden and I- -" Richard begins

"Hold up! You seriously thought YOU weren't good enough for ME? No guy has ever had second thoughts about dating me..You really do care..don't you?"

"More than I can admit..but it's okay. I understand and just realized that you're with Aiden and I fully resp- -" Richard begins

"We broke up long ago..he dumped me through a mere phone call.." Y/N confesses with a sigh

"Wait..what?" Richard asks confused

"We broke up 2-3 WEEKS before I came and visited you! Because throughout my entire relationship with him all I could think was about you! How you would treat me better than him. And ×the WORST thing that even after all of this endless crying and heavy feelings I STILL LOVE YOU! ×" Y/N yells as her eyes are flooded with tears

Richard blinks in surprise and shock.

"You still love me after all of..this?" Richard asks in pure shock and disbelief

"Of course I did..and always do. But I can't afford to hurt myself one more time if this means nothing to you Richard. You could hurt me, tear and wreck me..but that manipulated heart of mine will still love you with all the little million pieces! I bet you don't even realize it!" Y/N replies as she wipes off her tears

"I love you too.." Richard shouts as he looks at her

"You..what?" Y/N asks

"I said...I...I...I..Love you...and I mean it...you complete me..I can't imagine a future without you by my side..I'll do anything...even beg you to stay..F*ck! I'll just do ABSOLUTELY anything to make sure you stayed..I mean every single word I've said till now..I just love you so damn much that it hurts so much..a feeling of emptiness and yet at the same time..my heart's heavy. I've never had the feelings of dry throats, rapid heart beats or the feeling of nervousness in front of girls in general..that's the sort of effect I have on them..but to feel all of this and the weirdest of all to be okay with it..no one else apart from you can make me the way I feel right now...the way I had always felt whenever I thought about you..." Richard confesses

"Richard..." Y/N whispers

"Please...just one chance..I'll promise you I'll never pretend about anything.. I'll honestly tell you what I feel..Just one chance" Richard pleads

"Please don't hurt me again..I don't want to- -" Y/N begins

"I promise you.." Richard says as he places a finger on her lips

"We're both huge liars...you do know that? We were miserable without each other and yet we pretended to be fine." Y/N replies

"Yes I know.. we're too stubborn for the world..but I'll never lie to you about my feelings or anything as such..because at the end of the day..I can never get over you.." Richard comments

"Me too Richard..." Y/N says as she looks at him

"I love you Y/N..." Richard says

"I love you more Richard.." Y/N replies

"I love you the most Y/N.." Y/N replies

"You wish you did.." Richard taunts

"Oh really? FIGHT ME!!" Y/N challenges as she playfully glares at him

"Same old Y/N..." Richard says as she pressed her lips against his

Richard instantly melts into the kiss as his hands wrap around her waist, they break away a shy smile on both their faces

"Feels right?" Y/N asks

"Not quite.." Richard replies

"Are you implying you want to kis- " Y/N begins as Richard quickly presses his lips against hers and deepens the kiss as she lets out a satisfied groan.

"Now that felt right.." Richard comments as he breaks away and stares at her lovingly

Y/N blushes as she looks away, a smile evident on her face.

She was meant to be with him..Now she didn't have to lie about her feelings because she had what she exactly deserved...him..

                                               X- X-X

#papichriswritingchallenge #congratulations #cnco #cnco songfic #fiz's works #christopher velez #richard camacho #zabdiel de jesus #erick colon #joel pimentel #y/n

[vore-scientist]

The Panicking Prince

(A humorous little adventure containing Lots of GT interaction and some safe, soft, M/f GT vore, platonic and willing)

A Tale of the Mystic Woods

Full title: In Which Prince Yonatan Does The Books

Summary: Prince Yonatan discovers some information that about the fate of the kingdom. This causes him to panic so he runs off to find his sister the Princess Sophia and the Giant Wizard, Yonah. 

Warnings: No real warnings. I will mention that Yonatan is 16 years old but he’s NOT the one eaten (It’s Sophia as usual). There’s an almost minor vorish moment involving him, but it’s silly. It’s all silly actually.  

---

In a well lit room in a high tower of the Castle in the City of Luster in the Kingdom of Orr sat a prince. A prince surrounded by scrolls, notebooks, files, boxes, and cabinets. This prince was almost 17 years old, which was unusually young to be handling the paperwork of an entire kingdom. Especially since the Kingdom Of Orr was not one kingdom, it was two, as many centuries ago the King of Orr was picked to be the King of the Mystic Woods. And ever since then the new Mystic King maintained the claim on Orr. 

But Prince Yonatan was not a usual prince. He had been cursed at 8 days old, at his naming day, by the Ivory and Bronze Fairy Courts. They imbued him with intelligence and wisdom beyond his years. On the Prince’s 9th day of life he spoke in full sentences, the first of which he used to critique his feeding/sleeping schedule. And on the 10th day had set up a system that had him feeding, sleeping, and relieving himself on an extremely exact timetable. And it only got worse from there. 

With a mind hungry for knowledge but so full of new thoughts, the poor prince was constantly in need of diversions. Play with his siblings could occupy his body well enough; wrestling, tag, hide and seek, sword fighting, and climbing through areas of the castle they had no business being in. But as conversationalists went, they weren’t engaging. He chatted with Royal Philosophers until he ran circles around their theories, and his father’s political advisors until he could contribute to their machinations, which he often put a stop to before some sort of scandal got out. 

No advisor had successfully lead a power grab let alone a coup. but every time one got close it was a whole do-to. Now such things only happened Once in a while, when Yonatanlet one slip his notice, just to keep things lively.  

A few years ago he’d taken up a new hobby. 

The bookkeeping of Two Kingdoms was a daily task, one that Yonatan found extremely relaxing. With constant fresh information, it never got boring, and he could concentrate entirely on it. No more of his mind wandering and making him worry. 

See. Yonatan has anxiety. Bad anxiety. For all his wisdom, his brain was constantly racing and all those thoughts were so overwhelming, especially ones about the probabilities of disasters, or outcomes of potential wars, or that he was a terrible brother because of his curse, or that the royal advisors secretly resented him and were planning his assassination, or maybe or that his brain might one day just pop, or perhaps... 

You get the point. 

When he did the kingdom’s books, he had no such thoughts. At least, not as many. 

You might think such work is boring, and yes, stuff like guild dues and which portions could be taxed, or reviewing the fluctuations in prices of basic goods and preparing to subsidize things for winter are certainly borning. But tracking the latest dragon sightings and the current standings of registered and known unregistered heroes and villains was exciting. 

Managing the FairyTales was an important job that Yonatan took great pleasure in. Reviewing and updating the current status of prophecies and their subjects, with calendars of known and calculated trigger dates and references of contingency plans for both disasters and celebrations.  Following Long Lost (or recently lost) Heirs and their last known locations, with information on anyone noteworthy or particularly unnoteworthy having passed through them. Keeping logs of treasure hauls taken in and given out by heroes and villains, making note of any (interesting) magic items. The latest word on magic items of secret but great renown, and any rumors involving their being lost, stolen, or found. 

And all of this and more! Organized so that the right information was disseminated to the right people. Information becoming instruction, and instruction becoming action. Many actions taken simply to influence others, in large and small ways. For example: Pushing people to influence some tale. Such people might never know they were part of a tale. They might have just been spurred on to tell a potential hero a small piece of information, or offer them a meal or place to stay for a night. 

All this made sure that FairyTales continued to be Told. 

You get the idea. 

But the prince was also trusted with monitoring some of the more sensitive information. Of note in this instance: Anomalous magical spikes in the Mystic Woods. 

The Mystic Woods was always shifting, but it was crucial to note where things were when interesting events occurred. Even if the event was merely a surge of forest magic, detected by a ranger or King Ben himself. Most of the time it was just a flare up as the mysterious currents of magic swirled around and collected. Or King Ben bit his tongue and for some reason the Mystic Woods reacted. 

Lately, a lot of the flares had been accompanied by little bits of good fortune! A tree being cured by disease, a swarm of insects cleared away, a rare magical berry bush bearing fruit for the first time in decades. Or were in locations inhabited by many of the mystic woods communities. Villages of Elves or colonies of gnomes, all who benefited in small ways from the flares. What nice things! Knowing good things were happening made Yonatan feel very good! 

Unfortunately, that mood was soon to be soured. As he reviewed the flares his super-fairy-magic-enhanced brain made some connections. 

What had he been reading yesterday? 

Though he wasn’t technically permitted to read the reports between King Ben and the Royal Wizard, and Evil Giant, known as Yonah HaEsh. Yonatan liked to know how his favorite sister was doing.

Even if Yonatan had trouble connecting to his siblings, he still loved them, and they loved him. But Sophia… She was special to him. Her carefree attitude taught him to act without thinking; With his brains and her wildness, they had been quite the pair of troublemakers. There was rarely a dull moment with her. And unlike his other siblings, who brushed off his anxiety attacks as just Yonatan’s Magic Brain Weirdness, she would help him. It was incredible how someone so unfettered could also be so steady.

Many a night he had run to her in tears over some fear, like how according to some calculations, the moon would crash down in a few hundred years, wiping out all life. She never got mad at him for waking her up, and she’d hold him as he cried himself to sleep. 

Adjusting to her being officially “kidnapped” by an evil wizard had been difficult to say the least. That was almost 2 years ago. It made him feel better to know she was thriving under the care of her captor. Even if he missed her dearly. 

Back to the reports. 

There had been several odd happenstances while she was on patrols with Yonah. Patrols were something Yonah had been doing long before Sophia had been assigned to him, and it was mainly the half-giant’s way of not going stir crazy. Explorations out in the forest; limited by the 5km range that Yonah could go from his tower, usually just to see what was around, but also to hunt and collect spell components. Yonah had at some point noted that when he went out with Sophia, they would encounter more interesting places and situations. 

A few of those places had surges of magic, mostly after, but sometimes before, Sophia encountered them. Many of these places had been having some sort of trouble, and it was clear from the ShiftLogs, that they shifted within a few hours of Sophia and Yonah’s patrol. 

Yonah even noted, almost a year and a half ago, that the forest was easier to navigate when he took Sophia with him. 

Almost as if… 

Yonatan’s genius brain had made a connection but it was not letting him actually think it. But he knew what it was. And his heart started to pound loudly and painfully against his ribs. Sweat beaded on his brow and his hands felt clammy. 

Oh no. 

No no no no no. 

Now he was panicking. Panic was bad! It hurt! No! He hated this! 

He could be wrong. Easily! This kind of thing never happened. It was probably just coincidence. But no such thing existed in their world That had been proven long ago by some amazing sages. There was nothing he could do about it if he was right. He had to calm down. Once he was calm he could… right. 

Nothing doing. 

Just panic. 

---

It had been a long while since he’d had an anxiety attack like this one. He couldn’t do any more work, instead he ran manic around the hallways until dinner time, where he ate barely anything and what he did he threw up shortly after. And sleep? Out of the question.

Unless. 

What time even was it? About an hour till midnight? Didn’t really matter. Still in his pajamas Prince Yonatan used one of the secret passages to get out of the castle. One that led to the stables so he could take his horse. Otherwise the trip would take a day. 

Still, he only rode Soos up to the Mystic Woods. Soos’ full name was Stubborn Old Ornery Stallion. Even though Soos wasn’t more than a few years old. Yonatan liked his horse and hoped he would live long enough to live up to name. 

It was a smooth 3 hour ride out of the city and past the farms and rolling hills. There wasn’t a defined border but once the trees got decently thick yet still lacked magic, he had Soos stop. Soos whinnied and stomped his hooves a bit annoyed. 

“Just checking,” Yonatan said, “You don’t have to come with me.” Even for a son of the Mystic King, the Woods was incredibly foreboding, especially at night. 

Soos’ ears flicked as if to say ‘Excuse me? I was bred for use in this forest.’

“Alrighty then!”

Without another thought (which was a considerable feat), Yonatan spurred Soos back into a trot, and into the woods. There was no point in picking a direction, he had to trust the forest. 

-

Back in the City of Luster there was panic. No one knew where Prince Yonatan was. Ben extended his awareness but sensed nothing. He wasn’t unduly worried since Yonatan was too clever for his own good, but that didn’t mean there was no reason for concern. And so he woke up the entire city, having his guards spread out to ask anyone if they’d seen or spoken to the prince. 

-

That will have to be dealt with later, as by now Yonatan had made it to his destination. 

No surprises here: it’s the Terrible Tower which conditionally belongs to the Great (and also) Terrible Yonah HaEsh. The current prison of Yonatan’s sister, the Princess Sophia. The tower sat to one side of a clearing which now held a mage’s garden. No matter how the forest shifted, Yonatan had never come into the clearing behind the tower, it was always on the side with the garden. 

He had also never been here at night. There was very little moon, but there were a few plants that luminesced. Not very brightly; when he emerged into the clearing with his lantern the lights diminished. But he needed to see the path to the tower.

There was no way to get Soos up it, but Soos didn’t want to go inside, he’d much rather stay in the garden. He knew which plants were safe to eat, and was confident no monsters would come here, not ones looking to eat horses anyways. No, if a monster were to come they would be here for the wizard, probably after some potion or spell. Monsters, like humans, needed the services of mages, but were more comfortable dealing with other monsters. 

Yonatan removed Soos’ saddle, leaning it up against the tower, and started climbing. 

Not so easy in slippers… Thankfully the large thorns were just illusions. He made it up no problem, and keeping in mind the spacial dilation he hopped to the floor. 

The workshop, which looked normal from where he’d sat on the windowsill, suddenly became nearly 4 times larger. Having expected this he rolled out of his fall. His slippers made soft pat pat pat noises as he walked briskly to the trap door which was unfortunately closed but for those in the know, and Yonatan was, there was a secret human sized door. That led to the conveniently human sized stairs that ran alongside the large ones. In fact, the only way to access those stairs was through that entrance. 

From the workshop course. Once you were in the tower proper, as long as you knew the stairs existed, they would graciously appear for you. This was a feature that Yonah had added since Sophia’s arrival, as well as a few well placed and magically hidden ladders and ropes. 

The desired room clear in Yonatan’s mind, it was only one flight down to the hallway that led to the bedroom. The massive door had a very much not hidden crack in the lower right corner, perfectly irresistible to any sneaking thief. Though these days it got more use by Princess Sophia when she needed the bathroom at night. 

Ignoring the half-giant asleep in his bed, Yonatan made a beeline for the massive golden birdcage that rested next to the nightstand. Though he wasn’t checking on Sophia. To get up to the bed he had to climb on the outside of the cage up to the nightstand and jump the very safe distance from the nightstand to the bed. He still looked down and climbed carefully just in case. 

The Princess Sophia was not in the bed which hung suspended off center in the cage. He continued to climb up as quietly as possible. Best not to make noises that would wake up the giant in an irritable manner. 

Which is why he took a running leap off nightstand, landing with a soft PUFF on the pillow. Right next to the giant’s head. But Yonah did not stir. 

The half-giant slept with his back to the wall, on his left side, angled downward. Left arm tucked under two pillows, right arm lazily hung around the pillow. If Sophia had been sleeping on Yonah’s person she would have been curled up in that right arm, against the giant’s face. She was not. 

Well. Fine. That was her prerogative. Yonatan wasn’t here for her anyways. Well he was but not just yet. First he needed the half-giant. He knelt down Yonah’s face. Trickles of dim orange light escaped through the eyelids. The prince was a bit nervous about waking the wizard, but it had to be done. He experimented first by tapping the giant’s nose. 

The deep breaths turned into stilted gasps and snuffles, the giant starting to become aware of a human guest. 

“Uh, Mr Giant?” 

One dimly glowing eye cracked open to look at him in confusion. 

“Eh?” The giant grunted. Then the right arm lifted and before Yonatan could react he was slapped down under a massive palm. It had been a lazy move, so he wasn’t injured, rather he was gently pressed into the pillow. Yonatan didn’t resist. 

After running all the way here Yonatan had escaped the majority of his anxiety, and the weight of the hand was pushing the rest away, and the warmth was extremely relaxing. Which, while part of his plan, this not exactly how he pictured spending the night. It was not comfortable. 

After another minute he pushed the hand off and he sat in front of the Giant’s face. Yonah had started to fall asleep again. 

“Where’s my sister?” Yonatan hissed. 

It took a few seconds before the giant grunted out “Iher?” 

“My sister. Sophia” Yonatan helped. 

Yonah took a breath and with some effort said something in Implausible Giant and even though Yonatan was fluent it was garbled. But the giant had said it with a slight smile. The prince didn’t need to be a genius to know Yonah had eaten Sophia. As long as he didn't think about it too hard it shouldn’t be a problem. Of course Yonatan thought very hard about most things. 

And if you’re wondering why Yonatan wasn’t concerned that his sister was eaten by a half giant, maybe you’re thinking Yonatan thought of her as being in his way? And having his sister eaten was one less person ahead of him in the line of succession. No. He knew his sister was safe and snug in her giant’s stomach. The half-giant had half-cursed her so that she couldn’t be digested and didn’t need to breathe. 

But he could and he did!!! And the very sleepy giant’s hand got hold of him once more and shoved him towards the face. Without much trouble one of his legs was forced between the jaws! It was painful too, not because Yonah was biting him, just the contortion of his hips. His other leg was bent and his knee was against Yonah’s fangs. Yonatan yelled, quietly, and punched Yonah in the nose. 

“No you stupid giant I’m not Sophia! You already ate her!” 

That got Yonah’s attention. He released the human’s leg and smacked his lips as he blinked into almost full consciousness. 

“That’s better!” Yonatan stroked Yonah’s nose, he knew the giant liked that a lot. “I Hope you enjoyed that little treat, but I’m not on the menu.” 

The giant’s eyes flitted open, the soft orange light focusing on the prince. “You taste,” the giant breathed in and out, “like you sister.” He smiled a bit mischievously. 

“I know I do, that’s why I’m not angry,” said Yonatan. “But don’t do that again unless I give you permission.” 

“Hmf,” Yonah breathed sharply, “You never do.”

“That’s your problem, not mine.”

“And what?” he sighed, “Is yours?” Yonah genuinely wanted to know. He liked the prince. Yonatan might be pompous but he had a good heart.

Yonatan pouted and looked away, “I’m. Anxious.”

Yonah took the prince in his hand again, his palm against Yonatan’s back. Once Yonatan leaned into his hand he stroked and massaged the human. Using his knuckles against the prince’s back, taking his arms between fingers, squeezing and rubbing gently but firmly.

“You always are, I want to know why, Little Prince,” said Yonah with a little more sternness. 

Yonatan linked an arm around Yonah’s fingers, squeezing them to get Yonah’s full attention. He looked right into the giant’s eyes, and even with the glow he could see his reflection. 

“Can. I sleep first?” Yonatan yawned, “Here? With you?”

Yonah sighed, and gave the prince a squeeze back. 

Back in school, his friends that knew he was half-giant were insistent that they sleep cuddled up to him before exams. All of them piled on top of him, in his arms, They would sleep so soundly even if they were terrified. It was a power he did not understand, but folks tended to sleep more soundly if he was holding them, or they were laying on him. Not that he minded, he absolutely loved being adorned in friends. 

“Of course.” 

He also knew Yonatan wasn’t above ordering him around, even if the prince didn’t technically have that authority. The kid, who was almost a young adult, was very commanding. Yonah angled himself a bit more towards the prince, hooking his arm around his face so the prince could crawl into his embrace, which Yonatan did without being prompted. Curling up with his back to the giant. 

“You’re sure you’re alright?” Yonah asked one more time. 

“No.’

He wasn’t expecting that answer and expressed his surprise with a small snort of air at the prince’s back. The prince did not look at him. 

“I’m too tired to deal with it, and can’t sleep because of it,” he said very quietly. 

Yonah made a grunt of understanding. Whatever ‘it’ was, the prince would handle it better after a proper night’s sleep. Or at least some sleep. The prince had amazing timing, it was barely ten minutes since he and Sophia had woken up to the HourGlass’s alarm, and reset her curse. So the prince had at least 3 and half solid hours of sleep to look forward to. 

Yonatan buried his face in the giant’s arm. It was so soft and warm, and friendly. That was what he needed after all, a friendly presence. Before that had always been Sophia, holding him tightly as he cried and shivered. But this was leagues beyond that;He could feel his mind and body calming down so rapidly it was almost alarming. And then he was asleep. 

---

Yonah was thankful that Sophia woke up first, waking him so he could stop the HourGlass before it gave them all a painful headache. 

He was a bit miffed when Sophia re-activated her curse, mumbling something about still needing sleep and ‘you can wait a few more hours for breakfast right?’ but not waiting for an answer before falling back asleep. He could of course wake her back up, but if Sophia didn’t want to be spat out there wasn’t much he could do without invasive magics.

“Morning already?” 

Even trying hard not to disturb the prince, Yonah had to lean over to reach the HourGlass. Yonatan had still woken. 

“Yes. you can sleep longer if you like,” Yonah said, “but I’m getting up.”

“No. no. I’m good,” Yonatan freed himself from Yonah’s arms, stumbling off the pillow and onto the nightstand. The prince didn’t look very rested, but Yonah didn't argue with him. 

Yonatan’s head throbbed a bit, mostly from lack of sleep but also from his wild ride of mania last night. He made himself focus on the waking wizard. It did not escape his Attention that yonah was not spitting up his sister. The half-giant sat up and the bed sheet fell off of him, Yonatan could see the wizard’s slightly full midsection. No movement either, but it was hard to tell as Yonah yawned and stretched. To take his mind off that he looked at Yonah’s face. 

His normally trim goatee was lost a bit in the surrounding beard, and Yonah’s wild hair had come out of it’s golden bands so it hung over his shoulders like a lion’s mane. He yawned again and Yonatan got a good view of the large fangs. 

Yonatan wanted to say something now, but decided to wait until the wizard changed out of his pajamas. He used magic do it and Yonatan loved watching people use magic. And once Yonah was properly dressed Yonatan realized he was in PJs too. Ok, get dressed first, then talk. 

“Is there a chance you have clothes that fit me?” Yonatan asked. 

“Actually, yes,” Yonah said, in a soft voice, picking up the prince and placing him on top of the chest of drawers where he kept his clothes. There was a human sized wardrobe on top. 

“It’s magic,” Yonah prompted. 

Yonatan opened it and found a few simple clothes that were indeed his size, though it was mostly outfits that were clearly meant for Sophia. A green one stood out to him, green usually did. Must be something about being a royal of the Mystic Woods. You always looked your best in green. 

“If you want privacy, step inside,” Yonah indicated the wardrobe. 

Oh! Fascinating. Yonatan stepped through and found a small open circular dressing room, with a carpeted floor, racks of clothing all around, and a mirror. Brightly lit though no obvious light source; Yonatan decided that mystery could be dealt with later. 

He walked out with purpose and Yonah put a hand on the dresser so Yonatan could walk across to his shoulder. 

“Would you like breakfast, Your Highness?” Yonah said, still keeping his voice soft but managing to be snarky.  

Yonatan elbowed the giant in and for his cheek. 

“Yes,” he said. 

Breakfast made him remember...

“So. Uh…. Sophia-“ Yonatan started to ask as Yonah headed towards the kitchen. From his bedroom to a short hallway to the stairs and up the stairs. 

“She wanted to sleep more,” he said with a kind of wistful sigh. 

The giant was walking with an incredibly smooth gate; gliding.  He put a hand to his middle as he spoke, smiling. “We had a pretty intense evening on patrol.”

Yonatan nodded. 

Accepting that Sophia’s captor/mentor/best friend regularly ate her was pretty easy. Once the curse was explained. Stupid, extremely unnerving, but not hard to understand. Giants ate people after all, at least evil ones did, and Yonah was an evil giant. What was difficult to wrap his mind around was that Sophia liked it. No. Loved it. She’d been in there for over 8 hours now. And what was he, her brother doing about it? 

Sitting casually on Yonah’s shoulder like she was just asleep in her bed! But she was in Yonah’s stomach! That was so WEIRD! The more he thought about it the weirder it got! So he had to stop thinking about it. Not easy when he instinctively looked down from his perch and had a perfect view of the giant's gut. Pleasantly stuffed is how Yonatan might describe it, though it was even more disconcerting that his mind considered it at all pleasant. 

He looked forward; They entered the kitchen. But he didn’t really want to think about food now. Of course he didn’t say so, because he knew Yonah would wonder if he was sick. Explaining was out of the question. That meant he would have to force himself to eat whatever the giant served him and hope he could hold it down.

Yonah put him down on the dining table, which had a smaller, human sized table placed on it, and began gathering his supplies.  

“HEY! I WANT TO WATCH!” Yonatan shouted. He did not want to be left alone to his thoughts even for a moment. 

Shhhh!

Yonah glared at him, pointing to his stomach then his ears “Please, you can be quiet, I can hear you just fine.” He put the prince back on his shoulder. 

As soon as Yonah started cooking, all of Yonatan's previous queasiness went away. Sophia had expounded upon the giant’s prowess as a chef but hearing about it and smelling it were two different things. 

And eating it was something else entirely. 

As soon as everything was on the table Yonatan practically inhaled the food. It was really just scrambled eggs and some sautéed vegetables but the best he’d ever had in his life. Yonah really knew his spices and had precision timing to make the softest eggs. Also… he technically hadn’t eaten since lunch the previous day. Having an anxiety attack takes a lot of energy, so the prince was ravenous. 

Though Yonah had made more than enough for himself, he hadn’t gotten himself a plate. He’d turned the stove off and covered the pan with the eggs to keep them warm. What he did get was a cup of morning tea, and one for Yonatan as well, which he poured and cooled off with magic. 

“I take it you wont eat-”

“Until your sister wakes? No. -” he chuckled and yet sounded a bit angry about that. He must be hungry too, and having an indigestible weight in his stomach didn’t change that. 

“But- the tea?” He took a sip and was unsurprised to find it was unbelievably good. Probably made with magic leaves from the garden. 

“She’s not awake to complain about it,” he grinned, taking another sip, as if he would still drink it even if she were. 

It did not escape Yonatan’s notice that Yonah was watching him eat with hunger in his eyes. Thankfully his extreme wisdom let him know it was more jealousy, as he continued to shovel eggs into his princely mouth, than a desire to eat him. Though that was there. Maybe someday, but Yonatan was determined to deny the giant for as long as possible. 

“So, little prince, what exactly prompted you to come running into my clutches last night?” 

The prince swallowed his mouthful of food and took a long drink of chilled apple and blueberry juice which Yonah had gotten from his cold cellar. 

“I- Kinda wanted Sophia to be around-” Yonatan looked away, and took another bite of food to stall for another half a minute. “Well- I- I was going through father’s notes and I found something. Something important, about the fate of the kingdom.”

“Now I’m worried I shouldn’t be hearing this,” Yonah said, “You were going through Ben’s notes?”

The prince’s eyes widened, and then he laughed,  “HA!” quickly he quieted down remembering his sister- “I do father’s books all the time. He’s taken full advantage of my accursed brain.” 

Was that pity in the giant’s face? “Yonah, I’m grateful for the work. It keeps my mind occupied, or I’d be having breakdowns every other day!” 

After a moment's consideration Yonah nodded. 

“I’m surprised Ben’s brain can’t hold it all, considering it’s got all the power of the Mystic Woods,” Yonah mused. 

“The Mystic Woods, for all it is a large entity, doesn’t understand economics or politics, or even the intricacies of the FairyTales it hosts” Yonatan pointed out, again Yonah nodded. 

“Anyways,” Yonatan pulled the conversation back on track, “I saw in his notes, some observations. Ones that correlated with Sophia’s escapades in the Woods.”

“And?” Yonah asked, but he had a feeling he knew what Yonatan was about to say. 

“And- I could be wrong. But. The forest. It seems to like her, favor her.” He gulped, his voice getting higher and shaky, “Sophia- She. I think she’s already been chosen. As the next Mystic King.” 

The wizard’s face darkened and he put a hand over his stomach again, while the other tightened around tea cup. Yonatan was sitting up straight, worried he’d made a terrible mistake. How would you react if you were told your best friend in the whole wide world was going to be someday joined in a magical hivemind, the other member of which was a mysterious and powerful gestalt entity. What if you were suddenly made aware that the next magical King of the kingdom you lived in, was sleeping in your stomach? 

“Yonatan,” He growled, but it was breathy. “I am so very glad you did not wait.”

Yonatan refocused, “Wait for what?

“You are lucky Sophia is still asleep in my stomach.”

It was REALLY weird to hear him say it so casually, even if the moment wasn't so casual. Cold sweat beaded on Yonatan’s brow. 

“We- Your father and I, we aren’t going to tell her,” he continued. 

A million thoughts flooded Yonatan’s brain but one screamed to the surface. 

“YOU KNOW?”

Yonah’s eyes shimmered behind his thick spectacles. “Yes. We suspected it almost half a year ago, but confirmed it a few months ago.” 

A FEW MONTHS. Now Yonatan couldn’t believe he’d only found out last night. This had been deviously kept out of the reports. No. Wait. There had been changes, exactly 6 months ago, towards more patrols, more missions involving the forest and gauging the response. And more recently, a lot more lessons on the history of the woods and its communities, and how she applied them in her outings. Recently, she’d been learning spells and potions that relied on drawing magic from around her, seeing if the forest would allow its use. And she had no idea she was even doing it. Using magic like the King, but on a much smaller level. 

“You’re…” Yonatan looked into Yonah’s eyes to see a few tears had escaped down his cheeks, “You’re training her. Without her knowledge.”

“You’re worried, too” he continued, “That she’s doing to end up like dad, that you’re going to lose her. And!” his mind hit one new thought, great thoughts. “You’re worried that all this work is going to make it worse. Like if only you sabotaged it, she’ll be rejected, or it won’t take as much of her. ”

Yonah stiffened. Right. Wisdom. 

The prince stood up and walked over to the giant, and sat on his wrist, patting his arm. Now Yonah was the one shaking. His glasses fogged up, and he tightened his grip on his middle. Yonatan was processing this new information, gathering handfuls of the wizard’s arm hair. 

“Yonah,” Yonatan breathed, his heart slowing but lifting considerably “I had no idea you were training her. I freaked out because I too saw Sophia being… taken by The Woods. But Father is... the way he is, well, because to become one with the forest, he had to sacrifice some of his personhood.”

Removing his hand from his stomach before he woke Sophia, he placed it over Yonatan’s knees, and the prince rested a hand over the fingers. A few drops of liquid hit the large knuckles. He must be crying too, but he was smiling so big it hurt. 

“Damn my father.” Yonatan chuckled, “You’re training her so she can avoid that fate. She’s becoming part of the forest in advance to joining with its essence.” 

He wiped his tears, “Yonah,” he said, and made sure the giant was looking at him through clear lenses, “If you do your job properly, Sophia will be the most powerful King in the history of the Woods. But we won't lose her.” 

The giant was smiling too, “I was worried” he sniffed “you stupid perceptive smartass.”

“It’s a blessing. Sometimes,” Yonatan giggled and let the giant scoop him up into a hug. 

The hug was a bit tighter than felt safe, but Yonatan didn’t protest. He was grateful the giant held him above his stomach. Beneath him he felt the beating of the giant’s heart. Noticeably quick but along with the prince’s was slowing down. 

It had been the right decision to come here after all. Maybe the Woods had called to him somehow, when he figured it out, dragging him out here because he was needed. And he needed this too. If he hadn’t told Yonah, he wouldn’t have known Sophia was being trained, and wouldn’t have figured out what that meant. Yonah would have been left to believe he was training his best friend to become an emotionless vessel.

Then Yonah started and breathed in sharply. He dropped Yonatan onto the table. 

“She’s awake. Excuse me,” he said and into the stairwell. 

Yonatan couldnt imagine what floor Yonah had gone to but it was clearly nearby as he heard the muffled retching. 

Ten minutes later Yonah returned with a smiling Sophia sitting on his shoulder. From Yonah’s now clean shaven goatee he deduced that Yonah had spit her up in the bathroom. Sophia was wearing her day clothes, which she must have slept in, but she was completely immaculate. Not even a hair out of place in her massive braid. She even had on her golden tiara. 

“Yonatan!” she hopped off Yonah’s shoulder the moment he was near enough to the table. 

She ran up to her brother and embraced him, “When did you get here?”

Yonatan tried very hard not to cry as he held his sister. Her energy was so infectious, her personality so forceful, there was no way she could end up like their dad even if the traininging did nothing. No way. He would not allow it. 

“Last night- uh” he said, and opening his eyes he saw Yonah, standing behind Sophia, give him a warning hand motion. 

Sophia pulled herself away from her brother but kept her hands on his shoulder, “last NIGHT? Hold on- Why-”

“I got, a bit anxious, you know how it is… And since you well, um- eaten... Yonah helped calm me down.”

Sophia scowled for a moment, not because Yonatan had cuddled up with her giant while she was in said giant's gut, but because Yonah had not woken her! He’d let her sleep without telling her that her brother had ran away from home in panic. Sure he’d been more than capable of handling it, but this was her brother! 

“Yes, he is good for that,” she affirmed. Then got distracted as Yonah got out a second set of human sized eating utensils and a set for himself, loading his with the eggs and vegetables. 

She let go of Yonatan to snatch her plate and fork from Yonah, and before he’d set his plate down started scooping off a massive but relatively negligible onto hers. He retaliated by eating before she had finished taking her portion. In particular he would scoop away the pieces of vegetables she was carving chunks out of, eating them all. Eventually she managed to get a decent helping of eggs and veggies. 

“I'm starving and this smells amazing!” she said, also eating before she’d sat down at the smaller table. Yonatan was a bit impressed she could eat so soon and so easily after being eaten herself.  “Ohhh did you roast these with scallops!?” 

Mhm, Yonah said though his mouthful of food. “And I used goat’s milk for the eggs.”

“Oh! Why such a treat today?” she asked, taking another bite and savoring it but also eating it quickly because there was plenty more on her plate. 

“Well, we have a prince in dining with us!” he said. 

Still a little hungry, Yonatan, without asking, but with a bit of a side glance from Yonah, took a second serving of eggs off the giant’s plate. He sat down next to Sophia and poured her some of the apple blueberry juice. And another cup for himself, it was so delicious. Plus it had stayed chilled in the magic pitcher. 

Princess Sophia snorted, “Well I'm not complaining!” 

The rest of breakfast was pleasant. Yonatan updated Sophia on the goings on back in Orr, and Sophia told him all about her adventures and magic lessons. Sophia was excited to hear all the stupid gossip about the lower nobility. Yonatan had a million questions about each spell and potion she mentioned, which Yonah answered as best he could, going into enough detail for the prince but keeping it brief to not bore Sophia. 

“I think I should probably check in with the castle…” Yonatan said a bit sheepishly. 

Sophia’s eyes got wide, “Does anyone know where you are?”

Yonatan’s face grew hot, “N-no. I snuck out.” 

“You’re going to be in so much trouble!” There was no pity in her voice. 

“We can use my mirror,” Yonah said, clearing the table and taking the humans up to the workshop. 

There was no need for any rhyme, as Yonatan touched the gold filigree and asked it plainly to connect to His Majesty King Ben. The mirror made a bit of a surprised noise but then turned foggy. It still took a few minutes to connect. Ben’s personal mirror would not show anything until he answered the call, to avoid anyone snooping. 

While they were waiting Yonatan decided he didn’t want to face his father and had slowly been inching away. So that when Ben’s torso appeared in the mirror he only saw Sophia and Yonah behind her. Ben looked a little ragged and twitchy, his eyes brighter than normal, beard unshaven, his complexion a bit green, making him look like a tree with a bit of moss starting to grow on it.   

“Sophia, darling, is this urgent? We have an emergency, your brother-” Then he stopped, narrowing his eyes. 

“Uhuh” Sophia noticed her brother was out of view and motioned to Yonah, who pushed Yonatan to Sophia’s side, she took his shoulders and grinned at her father. “Guess who showed up last night?”

The King’s face was one of instant relief, smiling like he was about to cry. “Yonatan!” 

Then his face hardened, his eyes pulsed with power. And Yonatan tensed in anticipation; Sophia squoze his shoulders, and Yonah backed up. They could hear the trees rustling outside. His Mystic Majesty was about to explode. 

“YOUNG MAN DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED WE’VE BEEN! I WOKE THE WHOLE CITY! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!” 

~At least it was through a mirror and not in person ~

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[tansypoisoning]

Preview 3 (/4?)

I’m still trying to figure out a lot of the things for the plot of (Un)Conditional (can you tell I almost never plan out a series before I start it?) so I’m working two disparate parts at the same time. I’m not sure if I’ll have any Thanksgiving Dinners in the story because I’m afraid they’ll be boring/unecessary and I’m kind of worried about writing a time-skip.

I appreciate any advices on writing Mr.Blanc’s dialogue too :)

Warnings: Daddy kink

You hadn’t been to many dinner parties, so perhaps your frame of reference wasn’t the best, but you could say with confidence that the bash at Harlan Thrombey’s mansion was the absolute worst one you’d been invited to.

The interrogation continued at the dining table: they wanted to know about what College you’d graduated from, where did you live before moving to Massachusetts, what did your parents do, if you had any siblings. Being questioned this thoroughly was never fun, but it was made even worse by the fact that one of your favorite authors was right there and you couldn’t seem to find a chance to ask him anything about his books.

Worse than being asked those questions was not being asked anything. When you were silent the room was either silent save for the sound of people chewing or taken over by the rest of the Thrombey’s. It was better when it was just your disgusting collective mouth noises. You learned that Joni owned a business that sold mainly t-shirts with inspirational clothes, crystals, and snake oil and that she had some troubling views on vaccines. You learned that Linda owned a real estate business that seemed to be the most important thing in her life right now, and that her husband had done something to really piss her off, her fingers dancing dangerously close to the carving knife whenever he would speak. You learned that Walt’s family was racist, and given some of their comments, you concluded they were racists of the “extremely” variety.

Aside from a few token eye-rolls and jabs here and there, everyone was acting like this was all normal, like they were just poking fun at each other’s favorite football teams. Was this normal for most other families and you had just lucked out with yours? No, there was no way this was normal. What the fuck were those people doing?

Or rather, what the fuck were you doing? You were still taking part in this farce, weren’t you?

You got to meet Ransom’s great-grandmother at least, although you weren’t sure she even realized you existed. You didn’t mention Harlan looked good for his age. The opportunity didn’t present itself, and even if it had you probably wouldn't have said anything.

The night ended with Jodi drunkenly swaying in front of the fireplace to Nina Simone’s rendition of “Born Under a Bad Sign” while balancing a wine glass and trying to get a sour-faced Donna to join her, Walt and Linda moving to the porch to smoke, Harlan sitting in a corner talking animatedly with Marta, while in the opposite end of the room Ransom and Jacob leaned against a wall having a hushed conversation, and with you stuck on a couch in between Richard and Wanetta. You were sure the three of you looked the picture of depression. Fran was, wisely, nowhere to be found.

It was hard to hide how ecstatic you felt when Ransom announced you two would be leaving. You said goodbye to all of them, and most were satisfied just nodding in response or at most shaking hands. Joni, however, hugged you when you announced your departure.

You and Ransom got into his car in silence. It was only when Harlan’s house was out of sight that you let out a sigh of relief.

That got his attention. “Were they everything you were hoping for?”

“I thought you were being hyperbolic when you said your family was a mess.”

“Hyperbolic? Me?” He snickered.

“Are they always this bad?”

The humor vanished from his face. For a moment you thought he was going to go off on you for criticizing his family.

“They’re not so bad...” He said, and you turned to him in disbelief. “There’s enough material for twenty comedy of manners novels, at least.”

You couldn't help but smile. This would all be so much easier if Ransom was just some dumb hot guy.

“Like I have the time to write anything. Maybe you should give it a go. Become this century’s Jane Austen.”

“Like I have the patience to write anything,” he retorted. The smile on his face was more endearing than it had any right to be “But I’m willing to pay you to ghostwrite for me.”

“If you can pay me more than my actual job I’ll take it.” You covered your face with your hands as you chuckled. He hadn’t earned that chuckle; you wouldn't show it to him.

The conversation died down organically, and maybe you should’ve just left it that way, enjoyed the comfortable silence. You probably should have, because you didn’t.

“Marta said they were good people.”

He scoffed. “Marta’s fucking a moron.”

“She’s hot.”

“She’s gotta be something.”

When you went too long without answering, Ransom turned to you with a shameless grin “Are you jealous?”

“What would be the point in being jealous? This is an open thing.”

“You are jealous,” He snickered, then was silent for a moment. He drummed his fingers against the wheel and sighed before speaking again “I’m not interested in her, trust me.”

Maybe he was being honest, but asking you to trust him was too much.

“Wouldn’t matter if you were.” You made a point to shrug. He gave no indication he had even heard you.

Ransom turned the radio on at some point, and the music helped to alleviate the tension permeating the air. For the rest of the trip, the only soundtrack was the rumble of the engine and the droning of the top 40.

Ransom parked on the street off to the side of your blocky apartment building and you got out. You were slamming the door shut when you noticed he had climbed off the car as well. No words were spoken as he followed you through the sidewalk and across the minuscule lawn, just a patch of grass with a few topiary bushes sprinkled here and there. You couldn't really feel his breath on your neck, but you imagined you could, and all the hairs in your body stood at attention.

You took the stairs up. It was a deliberate decision; you only lived on the third floor and the elevator would ruin the mood. As you climbed the steps, you wondered if Ransom was looking at your ass. You didn’t know that he was, but you also didn’t know that he wasn’t, and that had a torrent of blood rushing to your head.

Reality was a little foggy when you reached your door. You unlocked it, let yourself and Ransom in, and he was on you as soon as you had closed it again.

Ransom held your head in both hands, effectively keeping you from looking away. You could’ve closed your eyes, but you didn’t.

“You’ve been so good today.” His voice was slow and sweet like molasses as he spoke against your mouth. It would be so easy to lean in and kiss him if only he’d let you “I think you deserve a reward.”

You nodded dumbly, loving the way his soft lips felt as your brushed against them. He slapped one of your cheeks just hard enough to rouse you from your trance.

“Yeah?” He asked “Then you better ask nicely.”

A whine slipped past your lips. You weren’t complaining – no, this was foreplay.

“Please,” you begged “Please, can I have my reward, daddy?”

He answered with a cocky smile that was all Ransom, then parted from you.

“Strip,” he commanded as he appraised your body, now a few steps away.

You pulled your shirt above your head, then moved to your slacks, stepping out of them in a way that you hoped was alluring. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, but his gaze was zeroed in on you and you took that as a good sign. He also wasn’t complaining, and he wasn’t too polite to be gentle in his feedback.

Next were your bra and panties, and then you were bared to him. Ransom examined you with the same clinical look for a while longer. He really had a gift for affecting your self-image.

“Hands behind your back, shoulders against the door,” he said “And keep your hands there. If I see them move you’re not cumming.”

You knew he meant it; once you’d neglected his instructions and he’d edged you all night long, then tied your hands on the bed post and went to sleep while you writhed on your bed and rubbed your thighs together trying to get off. By the time the sun rose, you were begging him for an orgasm.

You did as he said and waited. The waiting was part of the game, and it always meant he wanted more than to just get off. You preferred him like this, even though it meant you couldn't touch yourself without his explicit permission.

Ransom stalked in your direction, shoulders pushed back, and you felt even smaller. The cheap plywood door vibrated with your own tremors and made a loud rickety noise. He had such long legs; he should’ve gotten to you in no time, yet it was an eternity before his feet landed in front of you.

He held your jaw with one hand, tilted your head up. He observed you so closely you could smell his toothpaste. Mint. Your apartment was cold, but with him hovering so close, you felt warm. He lowered his head, his lips brushing against your cheek and his nose on your temple.

“You’ve had a long day today, didn’t you? Work and then having to meet those awful people.” His voice was patronizing, almost like baby talk. You could only whisper a yes “Let me take your mind off it, baby girl. Let me fuck your brains out.”

You fought the urge to try and hold onto something and answered with a ‘uh huh’.

Still holding your jaw, Ransom pulled his body from yours. It was so cold, so sudden. “You know how this goes. Use your words.”

“Please, Daddy – I want you to fuck my brains out.”

Ransom smiled his heart-stopping smile, and his hand slid to your throat. He felt down your body with his thumb, first to the hollow spot in your neck, then your nipple. His other hand found your lower back just before you slid down to the ground.

His fingers trailed down your stomach with deliberate slowness. A tremor ran up your body when he reached your vulva, and you gasped as he parted your lips with his ring and index finger, using the middle digit to touch you just where you wanted most. You gasped as he found your clit.

When you took the phone call you’d expected to be met with the voice of one of your company’s client, so you didn’t even look at the caller ID as you picked it up.

“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” Asked Ransom’s voice on the other end of the line. He’d called at the worst possible time too, while you were carrying a cardboard cup holder with your drink and a poorly balanced bagel, navigating a crowded coffee shop.

“Can you not? You know I have a nine to five job.”

“Aren’t you supposed to get a lunch break?” He sounded grossed out by the expression. It was just as likely he thought the idea that having a single, predetermined hour for lunch was offensive as he found the idea of free time for the working class ridiculous.

“I am on my lunch break, but I have to keep my phone free. You know, for clients?”

“I’m spending Thanksgiving at Harlan’s,” he ignored you “come over, I could use a plus one.”

“I can’t,” you said “I always spend Thanksgiving with my family.”

“Just ditch them.”

“No,” you said. You had always had trouble denying him, but not this time. This was the one childhood tradition you still upheld, and it meant a lot to your parents “I always spend Thanksgiving with my family. I’m not convincing them to reschedule for your convenience.”

He was silent for a moment “Great. Guess I’ll die of boredom.”

“I’m sure you’ll find ways to keep entertained.” You smiled; you wished you could kick yourself.

“Where do your parents live?”

You shook your head as if he could see you “We’re staying at my brother’s. He and his wife live in Albany.”

“That’s not far.”

Oh, no. You knew that tone.

“No. Why does it matter?” You asked, sure he would’ve heard the doubt in your voice.

“You could still make it to both parties.”

You wished you had a free hand to rub your temple; you could sense a headache coming. You were making your way to the entrance, but you had to stop to lean on one of the bar tables stacked with sugar packets and disposable spoons because his plan was literally too stupid to stand. “Ransom, I’m not going to go to your grandfather’s house then drive in the middle of night to fucking Albany.”

He sighed. “You’re going to start showing at some point. I’d like to squeeze in a few more meetings with my family before breaking the news.”

That was fair, you supposed. It still wasn’t like you were going to try making it for two dinners in different states in a single night.

“Well… I can’t make it to Thanksgiving.” Now recovered, you gathered your things and started making your way to the entrance again “If I gotta meet your family to keep up appearances, don’t you think it would be fair if you did the same for me?”

“Oh?” He was grinning, you could tell “What’s in it for me?”

Seriously, this jackass...

You held the phone in between your shoulders and cheek to reach for the door handle. “Ransom, you’re not-” your words ended in a yelp when someone bumped into you. It wasn’t just any bump – no, no, that would’ve been too lucky. The stranger practically barreled into you, sending your lunch and phone hurling into the air. Some of your drink conveniently landed on your white shirt before spilling on the ground.

“Oh, I am terribly sorry, miss!” Said the man who had rammed into you as he bent over to pick up your phone.  “I am more distracted than a hound dog in a perfumery! Oh- Drat!”

He rose and you were met with strikingly blue eyes.

“Your phone’s screen didn’t happen to be already cracked, did it?” He said, extending your cellphone back to you. His southern drawl was so melodious it took you a moment to catch onto his implication.

“Not really.” You said as you took your device from him. Just as he’d said, the screen was cracked.

“Oh, lord-” He brought a hand to his graying hair. “Again, I am so sorry-” he then signaled to the barista that had come over to clean up the mess “Excuse me – I’ve knocked this poor woman’s lunch on accident. Would it be possible to get her another drink?”

The worker seemed embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I gotta ask my manager...”

“Oh, no, please, don’t bother” The man waved his hand by the side of his head “If it’s a matter of money, I’ll pay for it. I’m sorry again, miss – what did you have?”

You found yourself blurting out your order before you could think too hard about it.

“Yes – and please, throw in a muffin in with the order; please can keep the change.” The man produced a wallet from his coat and pulled a fifty dollar note from it, handing it to the barista, who accepted the money with some confusion. “Thank you very much.”

You were still unsure of what to do, so you remained rooted in place while the man ran up to the counter, got you several napkins and ran back to hand them to you. You considered the possibility that he was trying to flirt with you, but if it were the case he at least wasn’t using the opportunity to dab at your wet shirt with paper towels.

#ransom drysdale x reader #mine #WIP

[romcom-s]

face it, tiger

FACE IT, TIGER - boyfriend!harry

ORIGINAL ASK: anonymous asked:  Can I do a request where reader is Tom Holland's ex and they are both starring in Spiderman FFH and they broke up because Tom cheated on her and Harry Styles was her bestfriend and they fall in love together but reader needs to film with Tom and Harry was jealous or overprotective. Something like that. Thank you!

SUMMARY: at the after party of your film - which starred you and your ex tom holland - your boyfriend harry, slightly drunk and slightly sad, spills his guts on why he’s trying to find tom in a room full of people. 2.1k

WARNINGS: swearing

“YOU GONNA SAY hi to Jacob for me, yeah?” Harry asked - for what felt like the millionth time. His hands were firmly placed on your shoulders as he stared into your eyes, the ghost of a smirk on his face. You simply pecked his lips, a simple and quick yet sweet gesture to show that you were his. Because you felt his anxiety. Tom Holland had been your first love - and you’d never not say that. He truly was your first love. He gave you his jumpers and he cooked you food and he kissed your hands. And he also fucked other girls. But now, you were with Harry - and Harry too, gave you his jumpers and cooked you food and kissed your hands. Harry never looked at another girl. He didn’t even do that when you were with Tom.

Your relationship with Harry is something so strong you fear you will never break away from. Being best friends, then ultimately becoming lovers was the best decision in you life. You trusted each other and you cared before you loved - it allowed you to confide in each other and seek advice. Your friendship with Harry allowed you to cry on his shoulder while Tom was at home with another girl; it allowed you to break free from Tom and say bye to him.

And like everything, somehow you find a way back to someone. So when the offer to play a pretty major part in the new Spider-Man film, you couldn’t give it up. Even if it was Tom.

Harry warned you. Though, he was more scared for himself. He didn’t want to lose you at all.

So he’d ask and ask everyday until the premiere. “You sure you don’t want me to go? I can cancel, love, you know that.”

And you’d reply and kiss him everyday to calm him. “It’s your album, darling. Don’t go throwing that away for me.”

When the day of the premiere came, you dressed up in a suit. It was pretty evident you took a lot of inspiration from Harry, having flared bottoms with a lovely floral pattern. You even wore his rose ring (”for good luck” he had whispered before slipping it onto your thumb). You were taking Harry with you even if he was going to be on the other side of the world.

“Love you, you know that,” he mumbled against your skin.

Your giggles filled the air, “I know, I know. Now you’re going to be late to a meeting and you can’t be late again. Third time this time - Jeff’ll kill you.”

He sighed, pulling his lips from your neck. He smiled at you, his forehead resting on yours. “I’m so proud of you, Pet. I’m sorry I can’t be there.”

“Harry, dear, it’s okay. I know what you’re feeling and that’s okay, okay? You’re coming to the after party anyways, so don’t worry.”

Yes, the after party. The thing you feared the most. Harry and Tom had actually been pretty good friends while you were dating. They were civil. They went out by themselves without the push from you; Tom would invite Harry round for tea sometimes with his brothers. But after you found Tom with someone else, and Harry not being able to confront him for months upon months upon months, you feared that Harry had some bottled up anger that might full well come out tonight. You hoped Tom’s brothers would be there, or Haz perhaps, because with them there you’d know that you could stop Tom and Harry if something was to happen. Tom’s brother’s were people you still talked to everyday - they said how sorry they was and how they practically beat Tom up for what he did.

You don’t truly believe that, but you still like hanging around with them.

When it was time for Harry to leave, you kissed him hard on the lips. Yet another gesture to tell and reassure him that you were his. You were all his. He happily kissed you back, edging towards the door. He opened it with a smile. “See you at the party, Sweet.”

“See you then Dear.”

You got to the premiere by yourself after that. Lights flashed and interviews raised their hands to gain their attention, but you were already busy with the fans. Having dated Harry for nearly six months, and for being surrounded by him for nearly 4 years, you had admired Harry’s kindness towards everyone the most. So you took notes. You put your fans first. You asked them their names and hugged them, thanked them all for coming here. Then you went to the interviewers, who asked questions that you really enjoyed answering. Sometimes they’d be the less appropriate questions - those mainly focused on yours and Tom’s relationship - but somehow you managed to treat them with kindness too (though it raged you).

You spotted Zendaya through the corner of your eyes while answering a question about the set. You gave a wave before raising your index finger, indicating you’d only be a minute. So she nodded and started a conversation with someone, allowing you to go back to the interview.

“Lastly, Y/N, so we all know your relationship with Tom. We’re all wondering however, how was it filming close with him? Was it awkward? Are you guys back?”

You gave a warm smile at the man. “That’s many questions, um. Well to start, filming with Tom was perfectly fine. Though it seems hard to not let your relationships interfere while on set it’s pretty easy while filming because you’re so engaged with your character. So it was alright filming with him, not awkward. And to answer your final question, no. We’re not back.” And with that you shake the man’s hand and move along, waving at the fans to approach Zendaya.

You had just lied. Many people knew that. It was extremely awkward to film with Tom. he was a nice man for sure, but his actions seemed to change how you viewed him. Filming with him was possibly the worst thing, though you tried to make it as easy for everyone, you were itching to get as far away from him as possible. Because he hurt you. Yet he didn’t seem to realise that. He’d make snide comments about best friends and dating, always aiming it at you and Harry, to which you’d reply with “well at least I’m fucking one person at a time.”

He’d shut up after that.

You were not afraid to hurt him after what he did. But you had respect for him. That’s why the media don’t know why you broke up and only your close friends do.

The premiere went by quickly after the interviews. Many photographers asked for you and Tom to get a picture together but you simply waved at the fans as if nothing happened. You ended up avoiding him all night, only getting close for him for all cast pictures, which you found your space next to Jacob.

The after party came soon. You decided to not change your suit, not being bothered to change into a dress. So you waited outside for a while for Harry, who looked surprised that you weren’t in the dress you choose.

“Too tired,” you complained, quickly and secretly kissing him on the cheek. The media had caught the two of you a couple of times, but luckily they had done that through the whole 4 years of your friendship. So when you dated Tom, yet hung out with Harry, the media finally realised that girls can have boy friendships with no feelings. Except of course there’s some feelings now.

You entered the party and accepted congratulations from people you didn’t even know. Some people there asked for pictures with Harry, to which he politely declined. 

“Your night tonight. Not mine,” he whispered in your ear when you asked. 

You spent the first half of your night avoiding that someone, managing to busy Harry with dancing and drinks. But slowly the dancing got boring and the drinks became sour, and Harry started looking around for Tom.

“H,” you half-slurred. Perhaps you were slightly tipsy. Maybe you should be for what’s about to happen. “H, what- baby, can we go home?”

“No, no, Pet.” He shakes away your hand that was rested on his arm. “Gotta find Tom and tell him how much of a dick he is.”

“Not here!” you give out a loud laugh. Okay, maybe a bit more than tipsy. “Baby, why are you so caught up over him?”

“Cause- cause listen, Y/N. . .” Harry was far more drunk than you. And when he got drunk he got loud and bitchy. You was ready for him to either stand up and sing or start an argument with everyone in the room. “That boy hurt you, right. And now- now suddenly ‘cause this film he gets to care about you again.”

“What? No he doesn’t!”

“But he does. He can talk to you and like be near you and everyone’s talking about you and him now and that’s all I fucking see everywhere is you and him and it shouldn’t be you and him it should be you and me. So. . . I need to find him to tell him to fuck off so that I can have you all to myself.”

He was a child under alcohol, rambling and pointing his finger at you and the ceiling and the floor.

He continued, “and Y/N. i’m jealous and- and nervous ‘cause he’s fucking Spider-Man! Spider-Man! And you’re here dating me! I’m just the face of Gucci!”

You snorted at your boyfriend, leaning forward as you laughed. Your forehead rested on his shoulder as you started to hiccup.

“What?”

“H! I prefer the face of Gucci over Spider-Man! Look at you, fucking beautiful and modelling and. . . Spider-Man wears a mask and you’re pretty and-”

You, too, were a child under alcohol. Maybe that’s what made you guys so compatible. Despite being so alike it worked. Because you sat here, at the after party for your movie, arguing over who’s better. The face of Gucci or Spider-Man? You were both downing the drinks - though it left a horrible taste in your mouth and your laughter was louder than anyone else. 

“You’re so jealous H! For no reason!”

He leaned towards you more, your faces inches apart. “I do actaully. He’s fucking Spider-Man! He can do anything!”

“Well, Spider-Man isn’t that hot then,” you said, scrunching your nose up. “Compared to the fucking face of Gucci.”

Harry shook his head at you before scanning the area again. Though after you weird yet funny and very much drunk conversation with Harry, you figured that a fight was the most unlikely thing to happen. Yet, you grabbed Harry’s hand and pulled him from the bar towards the exit.

“Where we going?”

“Home,” you answered. “It’s boring anyways and I want to be home with you. See, that’s something Spider-Man can’t do. He can’t cuddle with me.”

The two of you rounded a corner to grab a taxi - Harry was on the phone to Gemma, talking to her as if she was an uber. When it was decided that Gemma was to pick you two up, you ended up both leaning against a wall.

“Sorry for being jealous. It’s just that. . . you know. He’s Tom Holland and he can do anything. And you guys loved each other and he got to spend so much time with you even after hurting you. And. . .I’m just scared that because I started off as a friend I’ll end as one too.”

You grinned and turned towards him, using your fingers to guide him to look at you. “Being a friend first, Harry Styles, is the reason that we’re so. . . perfect. We’re best friends and lovers - and that’s the best part. God, I wasn’t able to tease or fuck around with Tom as much as you. And where’s the fun in that?” 

“But-”

“There’s no buts, Dear. Though, yeah you don’t save the world nor climb walls and you’re one hundred percent not sticky-” you poke his cheek to prove a point “-you’re still my superhero. You can try save the world and you can try climb walls and try become sticky, and even if you fail you’re still my hero, okay?” And with that you kissed his lips, not even a hint of worry on your face as you lean in. You forgot about the possibility that there could be cameras or fans or articles, but all in that moment was Harry.

Harry nearly melted. “Love you but I’m still very mad.”

“I know, love you too. But face it, Tiger; I’ll always love you ‘cause you’re my Spider-Man, no one else’s.”

“Did you just quote a comic at me?”

You shush him as you kissed his lips again - and as soon as your lips touched his, he happily shut up.

#harry styles imagines #harry styles imagine #harry styles #harry styles angst #harry styles fluff #harry styles smut #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles headcanon #harry styles headcanons #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fic #tom holland imagines #tom holland imagine #tom holland angst #tom holland #tom holland fanfiction #harry styles x reader #tom holland x reader

[klarriel]

Nimrod

Dean Winchester spends his life working two jobs to make ends meet. In the small town of Smith Center, he keeps to himself, his father's words in his head a never-ending reminder of the past he'd rather forget.

When Castiel Novak moves into Apartment 7, guitar case in tow, Dean realises that maybe life isn’t just about surviving, and sometimes all it takes is knocking a few walls down to hear the music.

A story about love, set to the soundtrack of its inhabitants.

(multi-chapter, ao3 link under cut) 

Dean knows it’s not going to be a great day the moment  he wakes up 30 minutes late, swinging his legs over the edge of his bed and almost collapsing to the floor, his breaking bedframe throwing him off balance.

He doesn’t even have time to stop to complain when his key jams in the door again, but that sonofabitch Zachariah will definitely be getting a piece of his mind - that’s if he’s ever around, at least trying to pretend that he’s performing the basic duties of a landlord.

He’s on the opening shift at the shop, as he is most days. As he unlocks the doors and switches on the Harvelle’s General Store sign, illuminating the still lightening sky, he wonders if the change in the wind he feels this morning is some sort of misplaced optimism, or maybe he’s just looking forward to his weekend off. As he’s getting supplies to restock the candy shelves and a box of canned beans falls, almost hitting him on the head, and spilling its contents all over the stockroom floor, he realises it’s probably the latter.

The day is filled with the middle-aged residents of Smith Center. The men are usually looking for spare parts for their tools or household machinery. Some of the women that come in wink at him suggestively as he cashes up their items, but today he’s in a pretty crappy mood, and so most of the time he doesn’t have the patience or the willpower to play along, shooting them quick, fake smiles as he hands them their bags. When the school day ends a flurry of teenagers pours in, counting out enough coins to buy packets of Sour Patch Kids and gummy worms. One boy complains moodily that the slushy machine still isn’t working - ‘-and it’s been four weeks now! - but Dean just shrugs with an apathetic ‘ Sorry kid ’ , asking if there’s anything else he can help him with or if he’s done taking up space in his shop.

Kevin calls in sick for his shift, and so Dean begrudgingly agrees to cover until Jo comes in at 5.

When she arrives, she can barely get out a ‘Hey Dea-’ before Dean is running out, grabbing his coat and throwing up a hand in a wave. She shakes her head softly, brow furrowing and drawing her lips into a hard line as she watches Dean slide into the driver’s seat of his Impala.

‘Excuse me dear, I was wondering when you’ll next be stocking up on your canned beans?’

- - -

As he pulls up, Dean’s too engrossed in figuring out the meaning behind the flashing light on the Impala’s dashboard to notice the U-Haul parked outside his apartment block. As he gets out the car, staring down at his phone to type in the number for Billie’s Pizza Delivery, he also doesn’t notice the guitar case falling towards him

‘Oh, look out!’

Dean barely has time to look up, before the hard case smacks him on the head. He falls back a few steps, one hand catching the guitar before it falls to the ground, the other holding his head.

“Ah-!”’

Dean looks up to see a girl who can’t be much younger than Sam was the last time he saw him. A strand of her red hair that has escaped her messy bun falls to drape around her face as she bends towards him, worriedly checking over his head as she reaches to grab the case from him.

“I am so, so sorry,” she rushes out, drawing the case towards her body as they both stand, “I pulled it out and it just flew completely out of my hands. I guess I don’t know my own strength…’

She laughs nervously, and Dean gives her a short smile, rubbing the sore spot on his forehead.

“Hey, don’t worry about it” he sighs, and all he wants right now is his couch, Dr Sexy reruns on TV, a triple meat feast deep dish and a four-pack of beer, “happens to the best of us...”

Before he has a chance to escape the conversation, she smiles excitedly and nods towards his apartment building

“You don’t happen to live here do you?” She asks, biting her lip worriedly, the slight blush across her cheeks a hint of the embarrassment she was still feeling.

“Who’s askin’, you the FBI or somethin’ ?” he replies, raising his eyebrows.

She laughs, her nose crinkling.

“Nah, just want to get to know the neighbours. Me and my brother just moved into Apartment 7 today!”  She says, jostling the guitar into one hand and throwing the other out in front of her and smiling, “Anna Milton”

“Dean”, Dean replies sceptically, looking down at her and dropping the hand from his head to shake her own, “And yeah, I'm in 5.”

“Ah that’s just below us!” She smiles, before looking back at the U-Haul, still mostly full of what looks to Dean like a mix of musical equipment and cardboard boxes, “Well, I better get back to that, these boxes won’t move themselves, nice to meet you Dean!”

Dean watches her turn and grab a guitar amp with her free hand, heaving it onto the pavement. She stands and enthusiastically wipes her brow.

His dad’s voice - Never let a lady carry her own luggage -  echoes in his head.

Dean sighs. This day just gets better and better.

“You want any help with that?”

“Wow! Yes, that would be so kind of you!” Anna replies instantly, before picking up a microwave and waiting expectantly, smiling widely.

He clears his throat awkwardly, picking up the amp and the guitar that he had just been viciously attacked by, and follows her into the building.

- - -

As the door to Flat 7 creaks open, he glances around. He’s never been in another apartment in his building before - it’s kind of disturbing to see an apartment identical to his that isn’t his. The identical shelves of the kitchen alcove on the left are packed with kitchen appliances not yet stored away. A ratty maroon couch sits to the left of the main room. A rolled-up rug leans against the far wall, between the two windows looking out onto the street below. The golden glow of the evening sun streams in, basking the floor in warmth.

“You can just put them down wherever” Anna smiles, placing the microwave on the kitchen shelf, before calling out, “Cassie, I met our neighbour!”

Dean places the items down and glances towards the source of rustling noises coming from the room on the left -  judging from the layout of Dean’s apartment , the bedroom. The door is closed just enough that he can’t see who’s there. As the door opens, the golden light filtering in through the bedroom window illuminates the figure from behind, casting a shadow over them so Dean can’t see their face, but can make out through his powers of deduction that it’s a dude.

‘Oh, hello…? ” A gruff voice tinged with surprise.

“Dean!” Anna interjects, “Dean, this is my brother Castiel.”

Castiel walks over, and Dean can make out his blue eyes, and the hints of stubble covering his face topped with a mess of brown hair. He holds Dean’s gaze, his expression not quite readable.

“Hello, Dean” Castiel says, smiling slightly before his eyes drop down to linger on the items Dean has discarded on the floor beside him

“Anna!” Castiel scolds, turning to her, “Please tell me you have not shirked your responsibilities onto someone you met mere moments ago.”

She wordlessly drops her gaze to the floor, guiltily scuffing her shoe on the wooden floorboards.

Dean could get mad, especially considering the guitar-to-head incident, but if he’s honest he just doesn’t have the energy. Plus, the kid looks like she could use a break.

“It’s fine really, I was just walking in and she looked like she could use a hand,” Dean says, turning to meet Anna’s gaze, “No biggie.”

Castiel huffs out an annoyed breath, running his hand through his hair and furrowing his brow, but he smiles anyway.

“Well… thank you Dean.” he says, before rushing to pick up the items, “We really won’t keep you any longer”

Dean doesn't let himself think that Castiel looks kind.

He takes the opportunity and leaves with a wave, hearing a “Thanks, Dean!” from Anna as he walks downstairs.

- - -

Dean doesn’t see a lot of the Milton’s for a while. Every now and then he’ll bump into Anna or Castiel on the stairs, and they’ll share polite smiles but nothing over the top. Sometimes Anna will be on her phone and won’t notice him, or Castiel will be searching for something in his bag and will be too focused to shoot Dean a glance.

Six weeks go by before he enters Apartment 7 again.

His recent car repair expenses mean he’s had to pick up some evening shifts at Benny’s bar, and as he lies awake at 2 AM having only got home an hour an a half ago, he realises booking one of these shifts before a 7AM Saturday start at the store could have been a massive mistake.

In all honesty, he’s never been that great a sleeper, but the intermittent bangs and cackles, and the faint thump of bass shaking the ceiling aren’t helping at all.

He waits half an hour before he decides to drag on his dressing-gown - yes dressing gowns are extremely manly - and trudge upstairs, rubbing his hand groggily across his face. Knocking on the door, he stares at the golden 7 for a few moments until the door opens, a woosh of warm air laced with the scent of cigarette smoke and sickly sweet cherry introducing him to someone he’s never seen before. She’s shorter than Dean, with thick brunette hair and red lips curved into what looks like more of a smirk than a smile.

She leans on the door frame, studying his face for a few moments before speaking

“Well hello there Freckles,” She says, her voice a sweet drawl, although she can’t help slurring her words slightly.

Grabbing his hand, she drags Dean towards the group in the centre of the room, his protests seeming futile.

“Found a straggler outside” she announces to the group, who all look up. There are only three people, sat sprawled in a circle: Castiel, Anna, and another man Dean doesn’t recognise sit surrounded by half-full bottles and glasses, with a deck of cards distributed between the members of the group. The man smirks up at him at the same time as Castiel’s face changes from tipsy to tipsy and alarmed. Castiel, Anna and the man speak simultaneously at the sight of Dean.

“Oh my gosh Dean I am so sorry, I told them to keep it dow-”

“Well, well, well… who do we have here then?”

“DEANNNNNNNNNNNNNN!”

Exclaiming excitedly, Anna jumps up and wraps her arms around Dean, squeezing him. He has a few moments to register the embrace, sleep still not allowing him his normal reflex time, before Castiel swiftly follows her up, dragging her arms off of Dean.

“Anna!”, he whispers, looking apologetically at Dean

“Sorry folks,” Dean continues, holding his hands up, “don’t want to intrude and ruin your little get together, just wondering if you could keep the noise down a bit? I’m up early tomorrow is all”

Castiel nods emphatically, Anna just smiles brightly at Dean. The others don’t act so enthusiastically.

“So… what’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?” The unknown man drawls, coming to stand next to the woman, leaning on her shoulder as she lets out a chuckle.

“This is Dean!” Anna interjects, “He’s our neighbour! Well, he lives downstairs …. Dean, this is our brother Gabriel, and our friend Meg. Guys, this is Dean!”

“We get it, name’s Dean,” Meg says, smirking at him again, and he feels the unsettled pit in his stomach grow, “Pity, I so preferred Freckles.”

“My little brother hasn’t told me much about you  Dean,” Gabriel says, as Castiel walks over to the speaker to turn the volume down, glancing to look at his brother at the mention of his name, “Stud like you could be living it up in the city, why you certainly wouldn’t be out of place at a frat party - plenty of boobs n’ beer amirite ?”

He chuckles, slapping a hand on Dean’s shoulder, before tilting his head, his expression quizzical. Dean doesn’t know why he doesn’t just leave the room.

“In fact, even Kansas city has enough of that. You don’t exactly seem like a layabout, so tell me - how do you end up in a town like this? Amazing job prospects? Excellent options for first time home buyers?”

Gabriel smiles.

“Running away from something?”

Dean’s face hardens.

“Not tryin’ to be rude, “ he says, gritting his teeth, “but that’s none of your business.”

He looks at Castiel.

“Like I said, ” Dean shrugs the hand off his shoulder, feeling himself get more annoyed by the second, “try and keep the noise down.”

He walks out before he can hear any more.

Keep to yourself, stay out of trouble, don’t get attached

If this is what he’s got for neighbours, he doesn’t want anything to do with them.

Continue reading: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26394898/chapters/64296610

#fanfiction #fanfic #klarriel #deancas #destiel #dean winchester #castiel #ao3 #this story is my baby #only written 4 chapters but she gives me life

[tsushimanoonryo]

Character Solidifying part 1

Broke this up into two parts because it was so long.

1. How does your character think of their father? What do they hate and love about him? What influence - literal or imagined - did the father have?

He loved his father. Jin’s mother died when he was very young, so his father was all he had. However, Jin wasn’t much older when he died as well, being killed right in front of him. Because of this, Jin has immense feelings of guilt whenever he thinks of his father. He feels like he could have prevented his death (although he was still a child when this happened). He worries his father’s spirit is ashamed of the way he behaved, so he tries his best to be a better man and a brave fighter. He knows he won’t get the chance to save his father’s life again, but he can save other people.

2. Their mother? How do they think of her? What do they hate? Love? What influence - literal or imagined - did the mother have?

He was very young when she died, so he doesn’t really remember his mother at all. He knows his father must have loved her very much, as he never remarried after her death. And he remained close with his wife’s brother, Jin’s uncle Shimura. Jin has feelings of fondness toward the idea of his mother, but nothing particularly overwhelming.

3. Brothers, sisters? Who do they like? Why? What do they despise about their siblings?

Jin is an only child.

4. What type of discipline was your character subjected to at home? Strict? Lenient?

Very loving, but very strict discipline. It was drilled into Jin that, as a samurai, he was to be held to a higher standard than most everyone else. He had to do extra training, extra reading, extra everything. However, everyone was a little more forgiving of his mistakes, considering both of his parents died while he was young. He wasn’t babied, but he wasn’t punished severely like he otherwise might have been.

5. Were they overprotected as a child? Sheltered?

No. Jin saw the way the world truly was at a very young age. He was forced to become the head of his clan as a teen and had to mature fast. His uncle provided him safety and guidance, but did not protect him from the harsh realities around him. Rather, he helped Jin put them into context so that he might be better prepared to face the world around him.

6. Did they feel rejection or affection as a child?

Affection. He was the nephew of the jito who was widowed and had no other children. He was his son in everything but name, and everyone treated him accordingly. He was well-liked among the servants because of his genial nature, and other nobles liked him as well for showing maturity and skill on the battlefield at such a young age.

7. What was the economic status of their family?

Rich as hell. He was the son of a samurai clan leader and nephew (and unofficially adopted son) of the lord of all of Tsushima. Jin didn’t want for many physical things growing up.

8. How does your character feel about religion?

He follows the beliefs of Shintoism. He believes in the gods and goddesses of Japan, but especially reveres Inari, the deity of rice, prosperity, and foxes. He also ascribes to Buddhism, but he isn’t super devout. He’s more culturally Buddhist than anything. He really feels a true spiritual connection with Shintoism, though.

9. What about political beliefs?

He used to have complete faith in the Shogun and his samurai, but he’s recently soured on them. He isn’t so far gone that he thinks the entire system should be overthrown, but he definitely thinks the Shogun and his men need to reprioritize. You can’t rule if all your subjects are dead.

10. Is your character street-smart, book-smart, intelligent, intellectual, slow-witted?

Jin had more schooling than most boys his age growing up. He’s very book smart and intelligent. However, he wouldn’t consider himself an intellectual. He knows enough to be clever and enough to be a brilliant strategist, but he couldn’t hold his own among scholars. 

11. How do they see themselves: as smart, as intelligent, uneducated?

He is intelligent and he knows it. However, Jin is not so arrogant as to think he can’t learn something from someone else. He also realizes there are numerous different kinds of intelligences. For instance, he knows Yuna is uneducated, but she is sharp, clever, and knows much more about survival than Jin does. Just because a person doesn’t have a formal education does not mean Jin will write them off or act like he’s better than them.

12. How does their education and intelligence – or lack thereof - reflect in their speech pattern, vocabulary, and pronunciations?

Jin is meticulous about his speech. He is polite and extremely aware of the rules of decorum. He will always try to treat everyone with respect, even people who are from stations far below him. He thinks it is extremely rude not to give this level of respect to everyone by default. However, if a person treats him or anyone else with disrespect or betrayal, he will be less cordial and downright cold to them. He will not be deferential if he feels a person has proven that they are unworthy of it.

13. Did they like school? Teachers? Schoolmates?

He liked some aspects of his schooling. Anything involving physical training he liked. He didn’t love the more abstract learning (strategy), but he understands how it has helped him as he matured. He didn’t really have any school mates. He did martial training with Ryuzo a bit and Ryuzo was his dearest friend and closest companion. 

14. Were they involved at school? Sports? Clubs? Debate? Were they unconnected?

In his Yakuza verse, he participated in sports clubs: Kendo, Kyudo, and Baseball. That was it.

15. Did they graduate? High-School? College? Do they have a PHD? A GED?

In his Yakuza verse, he graduated high school, but had no further schooling. He shadowed his uncle as he dealt with the business of running a mob family and learned from that.

16. What does your character do for a living? How do they see their profession? What do they like about it? Dislike?

In his main verse, he was a samurai. When that was taken away from him, he became a folk hero and a legend. He’s sort of a Robin Hood, except instead of stealing, he kills Mongol invaders. He wishes he didn’t have to do this, as he much preferred the comforts of his old life. However, he enjoys the freedom that being The Ghost entails. He likes not having to follow any rule except his own. In his yakuza verse, he’s a yakuza lieutenant for the Shimura crime family. He’s on his way to be heir to his uncle’s syndicate. He doesn’t love it. He knows he’s extremely good at what he does, but he doesn’t have the heart for it. But he does it because he loves his uncle and wants to show him how much he appreciates being raised as his son.

17. Did they travel? Where? Why? When?

Jin has traveled all over the island of Tsushima in his efforts to liberate the island. Before he was The Ghost, he basically just traveled around to his uncle’s summer and winter estates, his uncle’s hunting camp, his own estate and home village, and Kamakura (once) to pay homage to the Shogun.

18. What did they find abroad, and what did they remember?

When he visited the mainland, he realized just how insular Tsushima was. And he found that he liked it, although he never told his uncle that. He liked that they weren’t under the thumb of the Shogun like the other jito and samurai were, simply because there was a body of water between them.

19. What were your character’s deepest disillusions? In life? What are they now?

Jin learned from a young age that life wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. A lot of young men think they can do anything, that they are invincible, but Jin never felt that. He had a lot of survivor’s guilt after the death of his father which colored his outlook on life. He felt like he wasn’t quite worthy of being a samurai because he showed fear, and he struggled with that growing up. However, now he feels the opposite. Since meeting Yuna, he has realigned his priorities. He still feels guilt about a lot of things in his past, but he understands that survival is paramount. Now he is disillusioned with the samurai as a whole and their rigidity when it comes to following their code.

20. What were the most deeply impressive political or social, national or international, events that they experienced?

The First Mongol Invasion of Japan in 1274. We haven’t seen it yet, but he also lived through the Second Mongol Invasion of Japan in 1281. 

21. What are your character’s manners like? What is their type of hero? Whom do they hate?

Jin is extremely polite and very aware of how he comes off to people. Previously, his heroes were brave warriors who overcame impossible odds in battle. Now, however, his heroes are the everyday man, the unsung heroes who use their wits and compassion to survive no matter what. He tries his best to fulfill those ideals and so he can be the hero his island wants him to be. He hates people who are selfish and are blind to tradition. There’s a difference between being polite and respectful and being obtuse.

22. Who are their friends? Lovers? ‘Type’ or ‘ideal’ partner?

Jin is not a samurai and not The Ghost, but a person who is struggling every day to do the right thing. His friends are the same. They each have their own struggle, but they are striving every day to use their own skills and talents to do the right thing. It might not be the traditional path, nor might it be a respectable path, but it’s the right one. His ideal partner is the same. They are strong in who they are and will go against the grain, even if everyone else is against them. They are also quick witted, capable, and brave.

23. What do they want from a partner? What do they think and feel of sex?

He wants a partner he can trust with his life and understands the obligations he feels to give himself to the people of his island. His partner is going to have to be okay with sharing him. Also, he likes sex and wishes he had more of it. But it’s not a priority.

24. What social groups and activities does your character attend? What role do they like to play? What role do they actually play, usually?

He’ll go from survivor camp to survivor camp, temple town to temple town, village to village making sure the people of Tsushima are doing okay, looking for any news of the Mongols and any way he can help the common people. He feels responsible for their wellbeing since Lord Shimura and the samurai failed them. As a result, he’s really only close to about 6 people. To the rest, he’s a silent shadow caring for them from afar.

25. What are their hobbies and interests?

Poetry and music. He used to enjoy going to the theater, in the before times. He’s also a very good horseman. 

#headcanon #headcanons #jin sakai #ghost of tsushima #jin sakai rp #ghost of tsushima rp

[chicagocityofclans]

Isabetta Sofia Cornari → Sophie Skelton  → Vampire

→ Basic Information 

Age: 601

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual

Birthday: October, 31st

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio 

Religion: Catholic

→ Her Personality

Isabetta might look gentle but that’s only true if you’re on her good side. She has a long memory and never forgets any slight against her. Holding grudges is almost a hobby at this point. But whether you manage to avoid her bad side or not she can be disarmingly charming. If on her good side you have nothing to worry about this and can rest assured her friendship is genuine but if not you are best to wonder what her motivation is. She was brought up in a family where one used any means necessary to get what one wanted, where life was a chess board. And Isabetta is very good at chess. As a result of all of this she is generally very good with people, being able to read them fairly easily and adjust accordingly. 

Under these schemes and defenses lies a romantic heart, that craves loyalty and love. She was devoted to her family until they betrayed her and now she is devoted to her sire. She also craves and loves beauty - in people, art, architecture, music and dance. It is something she can get lost in, spending hours upon hours dancing, playing her harp or just looking at art. And she thanks God for all of it. Despite what she is, Isabetta is a firm Catholic who prays daily and still attends confession when she can. 

→ Her Personal Facts

Occupation: Architectural History Teacher at Hema

Scars: None

Tattoos: None

Two Likes: Bodies of Water and Roses

Two Dislikes: Bugs and Wearing Jeans

Two Fears: Desecration and Being Abandoned 

Two Hobbies: Playing the Harp and Ballet 

Three Positive Traits: Intelligent, Charismatic and Loyal

Three Negative Traits: Vindictive, Flirtatious and Opinionated

→ Her Connections

Parent Names:

Pietro Cornari (Father): Her father was head of their wider family and a very ambitious man. His ambition kept him busy and he did not spend much time with his daughters.

Lorrella Cornari (Mother): Isabetta spent a good deal of time with her mother, learning much from her. Though most of her memories of her are fading, Isabetta can always remember the smell of her perfume. 

Sibling Names:

Maddelena Ginori (Sister): Though she learnt much from her mother, she learnt more from her sister. Being a lot older than Isabetta, Maddelena took her under her wing and taught her how to survive in the political and dangerous world of their time. As a result Isabetta idolised her eldest sibling. 

 Giulio Cornari (Brother): Giulio was as ambitious as their father and paid his family even less attention. As a result Isabetta barely had any relationship with her older brother at all.

Federico Cornari (Brother): Her other brother was as pious as the rest of the family was corrupt. He was constantly trying to get them to see the error of their ways. Isabetta loved him dearly and credits him for her faith, even if he would always despair at how much she followed in their sisters footsteps. 

Luca Cornari (Brother): Luca was the baby of the family, the only one younger than Isabetta. With their siblings grown up when they were still children, the pair were naturally close. Out of all her family he is the only one who fought for her later on and she misses him still.

Children Names:

None

Romantic Connections:

Enrico Molza (Husband/deceased): It was an arranged marriage and not a happy one. Isabetta detested him from the moment they met and it only got worse from there. After just six months of marriage, with Isabetta still not pregnant, Enrico became violent. After becoming a vampire she ensured he’d never hurt anyone again.

Platonic Connections:

Scorpius Getta (Sire): Isabetta quite literally owes her life to Getta. They clicked the first time they met at a masked ball in Venice. Neither knew then that a week later she’d be one of his vampires after he saved her from dying rather more permanently. Even if he hadn’t turned her like that though, Isabetta knows she would be loyal to him, that she’d count him as a friend, not just a maker. She admires him for everything he’s done and is trying to do. It’s been just over 600 years since he turned her but she still enjoys his company and her loyalty has only grown stronger through the years. 

Chiara Ricci (Friend): Isabetta and Chiara met when the younger vampire started teaching at the Hema academy. They bonded over stories and they fact that Chiara’s ‘parents’ are from Italy like Isabetta. 

Farrokh Alvi (Friend): In Farrokh, Isabetta found someone who like her was well versed in the ‘chess games’ of life. She enjoys his company very much and they often have a game of actual chess on the go. 

Sadie McCoy (Friend): Isabetta appreciates how well Sadie runs things, and always likes to see women in positions of authority. She can’t remember how or even when they became friends but it seems to Isabetta they have been since Sadie joined the seethe. 

Morana “Ana” Vikors (Friendly): Those who have been in the seethe a long time are all aware of each other, as is the case for Ana and Isabetta. Isabetta also deeply respects Ana for her loyalty to Getta. 

Aleksander Mazur (Vampiric Brother): His protective streak reminds her a little of her younger brother. It was maybe part of what drew them together in the beginning but she now considers him to be just as much her brother as Luca was. 

Fiona ‘Fi’ Marz (Vampiric Sister): Fi and Isabetta share a common flirtatiousness, though Fi is much more blunt. This has on occasion caused ruffled feathers between them but it never lasts long. Fi has always been so much more loyal than Isabetta’s birth family and Isabetta has become loyal to her vampiric sister too. 

Raphael Caron (Vampiric Brother): Isabetta has always enjoyed Raphael’s company and was happy to welcome him into the family. 

Petra Chak (Acquaintance): Isabetta hasn’t always liked Petra, in fact she used to get rather annoyed by her. Over the years this has mellowed and whilst they’re not friends Isabetta doesn’t mind the older vampire. 

Aisling Rois (Friendly): Isabetta met the younger at a dance class, and then again at the bar Aisling works at. They always get along quite well whenever they see each other. 

Hostile Connections:

Richard Fili (Annoyance): Fili is only 42 years older than Isabetta but he has frequently treated her like a child. That, along with the assumptions he made about her early on because of the upbringing she’d had, has gotten under her skin and she only has to think about him to get annoyed. 

Pets:

None

→ History Isabetta was born in a prospering Venice, into a family who were as rich as they were ambitious. Her childhood was fairly typical for the time. She spent little time with her father and older brothers, only really seeing them at family dinners or in church. Most of her time was spent with nannies and tutors well out of the way of the grownups. She was instructed in etiquette, languages, music, art and dance - all things she fell in love with. She grew up loving her family too, wanting to be just like her older sister. Though the one she loved the most was her sweet younger brother, Luca. He was the closest in age to her and thus the one she spent the most time with growing up. They would spend hours watching the boats from a window in their families grand home, talking about what the future would be like. Neither could have predicted what it would be, at least not for Isabetta. 

Her older sister, Maddelena, had married long before Isabetta was of age. Her husband was rich, handsome and not much older than her. It was only natural that Isabetta believed it would be the same for her, no one had ever considered to tell her Maddelena had been extremely lucky. If her husband’s much older uncle had not passed on it would have been to him that Maddelena would have been married. Their family did not marry for love, they married for political and financial gain. 

Isabetta was so excited the day her mother told her that her marriage had been arranged. But as she walked down the aisle her heart sank. Her soon to be husband was rich and powerful yes, but he was also much, much older than Isabetta and was gruff with her from the start. 

Married life wasn’t much what she had thought it would be either. She only saw her husband at dinner and when he visited her bed. Outside of that he didn’t spend any time with her. As the months passed she took solace in her faith, in her rose garden and in the rare visits with her family. At first her brother tried to tell her he was probably just getting used to having a wife and her mother tried to convince her that was just the way things were done. After a few months though she accepted she wasn’t going to have the marriage she’d always imagined and she turned her attention to doing what she had been brought up to do - be a political advantage. She’d win people over at dinner parties, gather information at balls and make introductions at Mass. For a while this seemed to gain her husband's attention and he started spending a little more time with her. It didn’t last long. After six months of marriage Isabetta still wasn’t pregnant and her husband blamed her. She wondered if he might be right but when his anger turned physical Isabetta knew she didn’t deserve it. Any feelings close to love or respect she’d had for him soured to bitter resentment. She turned to her family for help, telling them what he was doing. Her father yelled at her to just suck it up and get on with it, her mother blamed her, her eldest brother ignored her. With her sister away in France it was only Luca who stood up for her. Over the next month he got into several very heated arguments with their father over it but in the end the families reputation and connections mattered more to the head of the family than she did. 

When the Carnival came around that year Isabetta used it as an opportunity to avoid her husband at every ball they went. It was easily done as his attention was soon distracted by other women. Whilst sneaking through the crowd away from him at one such ball the ribbon on the sleeve of her dress got caught on someone. He was kind about it and they got talking. Isabetta spent the rest of the night with the mystery man and his friends. It was a welcomed breath of fresh air compared to those she was normally in the company of. She found him to be fun and engaging company. At the next ball he found her again, though she wasn’t sure how. And again she was happy to spend the evening in his company rather than that of her own so called friends. It was the same again at the next event but little did she know someone had noticed. 

The next evening she came down to the dock of her house with a bright smile, happy at the thought of another evening with her new friends. This was when her husband confronted her. When he came down he took one look at her and told her she looked like a whore, that no wife of his was going out in that dress. It was a dress that was no more low cut than was the fashion at that time. With an unnecessarily firm grip on her arm he started to pull her back towards the house. Isabetta had had enough though. She tore her arm from his grip and told him to go to hell. Storming away from him into their small garden. He followed her yelling, accusing her of being unfaithful and saying her inability to get pregnant was a punishment from God for her sins. She retorted in kind, calling him irrelevant, a whore monger and saying that God was saving her from having to bear the child of such an ogre. It was an argument she was sure would have been overheard by many if it hadn’t been Carnival. The other side of their garden wall was a busy canal, with plenty of boats passing by, but as it was their shouting was drowned out by the sounds of an entire city celebrating. Maybe if they could have heard someone would have come to intervene. 

The argument turned violent, her remark about God saving her prompting him to slap her so hard his ring cut her. Her anger was already boiling over though and instead of just taking it she punched him square in his nose. She wasn’t sure if the resulting cracking sound was his nose or her hand but she didn’t care. Even if it was her hand the look of surprise on his face had been worth it. That look turned harder though and before her racing mind could realise what was happening he’d grabbed her by the back of the neck and plunged a dagger into her chest. Without a word he released her, letting her fall to the floor where he left her. She faintly heard him telling their servants waiting at the dock that she would not be joining him. Shock soon set in both physically and mentally. She’d never imagined he’d go to this extreme. As the warmth of her own blood pooled around her though her thoughts turned to anger. Not just towards her husband but towards the father who had sealed her fate the day he’d arranged this marriage. 

Isabetta isn’t sure how long she was left lying there, maybe minutes, maybe hours. All she knows is that her view of the stars was at some point replaced with an unfamiliar face. When he spoke though she instantly recognised his voice as that of her new friend. If she hadn’t been so cold and so tired she would have wept with relief. The rest of that night and the days following are even fuzzier. She recalls saying yes to something, to drinking something and then a darkness pressing in around her. 

When she awoke it was into a completely new life. Isabetta learnt that her new friend, and now sire, was one Scorpius Getta and that she was now a vampire. More than that, she was now part of Getta’s family. Before she could fully give herself to this though there was one thing she had to do. Under another starry sky Isabetta went to say goodbye to her husband. She was pleased to find how surprised he was to see her. This time she got the better of him. She left his body where he’d left her and his head on her father's desk. 

There is only one thing she misses from her old life and that is Luca. He was the only one that stuck by her and tried to fight for her. She knew from the start her new family would do that for her as he had, and that she would do it for them too. Over the following centuries she learnt to better control herself and everything that came with being a vampire. She’s never felt the desire to leave her new family and her loyalty has only grown stronger.  

→ The Present Isabetta is in full support of what Getta is doing with the seethe and the Underground. She admires his goals and knows they come from a good place. She also doesn’t mind that it means that Chicago will likely be home for most of her life. The friends she’s made here and the job she now does haven’t hurt in making it feel like home. She’s enjoying teaching architectural history, having been interested in that area of art for most of her long life. In time she hopes to branch out into teaching other areas of art and music history too.

#Isabetta Sofia Cornari #Isabetta Cornari #Taken

[twisted-leader-of-something]

Supporting Characters - Faustina's Family

Picrew link for credit: https://picrew.me/image_maker/43383 

Oberyn Leshy 

Full Name: Oberyn Averey-Leshy 

Gender: Male

Age: He will not say it out loud in front of Quentin because of Rasul calling him a creep the first time he told Quentin and Rasul his age when Quentin was really little, but according to Lilia and Malleus he is a little older than Malleus by a few decades.

Birthday: December 31st

Height: 6'7 or 201.95 cm (includes his horns)

Eye Color: Light Green with Dark Blue and Light Brown specks. 

Hair Color: Natural Blonde, but some say it's a Light Green Color.

Family: Father, Mother (Sick with an Terminal Illness) Younger Brother, Wife, Child, Two Sons and a Daughter (Living) 

Occupation: King of the Forest Lands/Fey King/Father 

Dominant Hand: Right

Favorite Food: His Wife's Meringue Cookies/Meringue in general 

Least Favorite Food: Lemon and Lime Tasting Foods

Likes: Being around with his family, his Family in general, walks in nature, pranking others 

Dislikes: Mining areas, Malleus and Lilia's protectiveness over Quentin and Quentin being avoidant and/or cautious of him 

Personality: Quentin describes Oberyn when he was courting Faustina when she younger as really, really creepy. She says he always was near Faustina and treated her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered and acted really horribly to anyone that wasn't her, even to Faustina's own family that he was trying to get into the good graces of which the family put up with for a reason Quentin doesn't know. Quentin says she remembers she always felt uncomfortable being near Oberyn because she felt he'd kill her if she turned her back to him, so she'd cling to Rasul like he was her only safe haven. Which Oberyn gave her the nickname 'Little Rabbit' after he noticed how frightened she looked around him, which only made Quentin avoid Oberyn even more due to her fear getting far worse. Malleus and Lilia described Oberyn in a similar way, saying he tended to become obsessed with things at a whim to an creepy extent, he also had habits of horribly pranking people and had to be taught to be a decent person because he was not well liked by most Fae, who just put up with him and avoided him for generally not being great to be around. But when he met Faustina he completely changed around the Fae to a nicer Fae prince, as an lovestruck idiot for Faustina who seemingly made him switch personalities overnight. Which is why almost every Fae in Oberyn's life encouraged him to go after Faustina to make sure that change would be permanent, so he did and after a month of courting Faustina (and messing up the Desmona's life in the process), Oberyn convinced Faustina to marry him and run away from her old life, which she did. After years of being settled, Malleus and Lilia say Oberyn become less and less obsessive in nature and more pranksterish in nature. And once he had children, his obsessive tendencies seemed to disappear, as if he understood his role as a leader and a father then. Lilia also mentioned after Quentin Overblotted and Faustina had mental issues (because she realized that she'd almost lost her family) Oberyn realized that he'd messed up those eighteen years ago by taking Faustina away from her family and decided he'd try to fix those mistakes with Quentin, especially after he figured out Mr. and Mrs Desmona and Rasul were dead, he also became a better family man than he used to be because of Quentin's Overblot.

Quin Leshy

Full Name: Quin Kit-Freya-Leshy

Nickname(s): My Precious Bumblebee (by their father)

Gender: Identifies as Genderfluid, will not say biological gender 

Age: About 14 years old despite looking not much older than Quentin's age 

Birthday: May 24th 

Height: 5'8" 

Eye Color: Light Blue with specks of Black

Hair Color: Dyed Red with semi-faded Dark Blue tips, and a set of briads that are colored a dark Purple and Black.

Family: Father, Mother, Aunt, two younger brothers and a younger sister.

Occupation: Crown Prince/Student 

Dominant Hand: Left 

Favorite Food: Seafoods/Macrons

Least Favorite Food: Sugar cubes

Likes: Exploring places and generally being alone, Libraries, and Sleeping in 

Dislikes: Politics, His parents' antics and lovey-dovey relationship, and certain religious organizations. 

Personality: Quin is a described by most people as not very talkative unless you're in their family and acts like a little kid at times despite their capacity for maturity. Malleus describes Quin as someone who really doesn't fully understand the consequences of their actions but since they are so young by Fae standards it is forgivable. Lilia says Quin's similar to Jack and Jamil in that they're tsundere and also pretty gifted and passionate in more than one way but they doesn't understand how to use it yet. Around Quin's biological family, Quin is like the other caretaker for their siblings when their parents are too busy being lovey-dovey or busy in general, and Quentin even comments on this saying Quin acts like Rasul when she was sick when they are like this. Around Quentin, they seems to be really socially inept with her because when she does something Quin seems to stutter anything she says or asks them to do or is really bad at paying attention to her (which Malleus and Lilia tease the living daylights out of them for until they admit to Lilia they're really nervous about their aunt since they're not sure how they're supposed to treat Quentin without crossing any personal boundaries) but Quin seems to care deeply for Quentin as a family member as Oberyn mentioned after Quentin Overblotted, Quin visited her in her dreams while in the WORS facility almost as often as Faustina did, and changed their name after her's while she was in her coma because they were extremely worried that she wasn't going to make it, later on in personal stories it is seen that Quin does get better with theit fear of hurting their aunt with help from Lilia, and they're able to be comfortable in Quentin's presence as she becomes closer to her in-laws. 

 Ollivander Leshy 

Full Name: Ollivander Leshy

Nickname(s): Ollie (by his siblings, mother and much later his aunt), Livan (by Silver and Lilia), Vandie (by Malleus) My Precious Ferret (by his father) 

Gender: Male

Age: 12 years old despite looking in his teenage years 

Birthday: September 2nd 

Height: 5'7

Eye Color: Light brown with small specks of red

Hair Color: Natural Blonde 

Family: Father, Mother, Aunt, Older Sibling, Younger sister and brother

Occupation: Grand Prince/Student/Apprentice Animal Caretaker

Dominant Hand: Ambidextrous (Mostly Right) 

Favorite Food: Honey Butter with breads

Least Favorite Food: Lemon foods

Likes: Caring for and being around animals, the Vanrouge family and his own family, and big feasts and parties.

Dislikes: People or animals being upset or tense, people getting into fights, and Sebek being protective of Malleus when Ollivander's around. 

Personality: According to Silver, Ollivander is a pretty good person to be around due to his kind nature and interesting ways of thinking but can be stubborn at times and not willing to listen to reason until he gets hurt. Malleus says Ollivander's a social and kind person like Kalim, but Ollivander inherits Lilia's sassiness and more of Silver's and his own lack of ability to read social cues with people normally (despite his great social skills) from being around the Vanrouge family while Ollivander was trying to get Silver to teach him to speak with animals. Around his family however he acts like a little kid, constantly asking for affection from Oberyn, Opal and Quin and often is the one who needs to be told to act more mature so he'll set a better example for Roxana and Caspian, which is something Quin and Ollivander often get into fight over, but at times he can act mature, but those times are really rare. Around the Vanrouge family, however, Ollivander acts very mature for his age and really tries to be polite around them, but more often than not he'll slip up and show his more childish nature, which Lilia actually seems to like a lot and Mallues and Silver seem to like more than Ollivander's more mature side. Around his aunt Quentin, he acts similarly to Kalim, spoiling her and acting like a ball of energy but much later after he learns from Silver she's had issues with trying to bond with her nieces and nephews despite her still trying to get over her brother in-law's actions' consequences on her life, Ollivander tones down his ball of energy persona and becomes more relaxed and personal with Quentin.

Roxana Leshy 

Full Name: Roxana Leshy

Nickname(s): Roxy (by her siblings) Anna [pronounced An-a] (by her mother and much later her aunt), My Precious Butterfly (by her father)

Gender: Female 

Age: 10 years old despite looking like she's in middle school

Birthday: April 22nd 

Height: 5'5" 

Eye Color: Black with grey and brown specks

Hair Color: Natural Brown with dyed Black tips

Family: Father, Mother, Aunt, Older Sibling and brother and a younger brother

Occupation: Grand Princess/Student/Classical Artist

Dominant Hand: Left 

Favorite Food: Anything with the real s'mores taste (she dislikes when you just put s'mores flavoring, make it authentic) 

Least Favorite Food: Sour tasting foods

Likes: Drawing and Painting, Spending time with her Family, and studying Divination

Dislikes: Astrology, studying for long periods of time, working with technology in general

Personality: According to Quentin, Roxana is pretty quiet and keeps to herself unless you ask her something and when you do she comes off as really shy similar to Idia. But, once Roxana gets to know you and becomes comfortable around you, she's a very curious and philosophical soul who really seems to want to understand everything and figure out how it ticks. Not out of malicious intentions like Azul, but because she seems to want to understand everything around her because she honestly wants to see how the world works, especially after she learns about her mother's, uncle's, and aunt's past. Roxana is also compared to Quentin a lot in terms of personality as well by Lilia, Malleus and Silver, and by most who meet her, despite some differences between the two. Around her family, Roxana is a lot more relaxed a seems to be more cheerful no matter the circumstances, even around Quentin, whom she seems to follow around like a baby duck at times.

Caspian Leshy 

Full Name: Caspian Leshy 

Gender: Male

Age: 6 years old despite looking much younger

Birthday: June 1st 

Height: 3'5"

Eye Color: Hazel-Green

Hair Color: Natural Black

Family: Father, Mother, Aunt, Older Sibling, Brother and Sister

Occupation: Grand Prince/Student

Dominant Hand: Right 

Favorite Food: Marshmallow or marshmallow tasting

Least Favorite Food: Anything that tastes like Lime

Likes: Playing outside and exploring, anything involving creative thinking, and his Aunt Quentin

Dislikes: Being sent away by anybody, sitting still for long periods of time, and trying to speak with older people

Personality: According to Quentin, Caspian is a ball of energy and seemly has no end to his energy. Caspian also is often the one of Faustina's family who tires her out first due to his energy that she's not used to being around. And like Roxana, is a curious soul about his surroundings. He also can't hurt a fly, which makes him good at working with most creatures, plants and people. She also states a lot of people count him as cute, like Lilia which he will use because of being taught to use his gift of being cute. 

#[ character content ] #twisted wonderland oc #twst oc