#amsterdam i’ve been to before but it will be my husband’s first time

[toughtink]

me in paris: it’s crazy how they built an entire immersive experience the size of a city around the cartoon show miraculous ladybug.

#no but for real we’re going to europe at the end of spring!!! #i’m finally gonna see paris! #AND ALSO WE’RE DOING EFTELING!!! #not in paris obv but we’ll be going to amsterdam too #amsterdam i’ve been to before but it will be my husband’s first time #rambling #miraculous ladybug #i’m going to try not to be obnoxious but #how funny would it be if i printed a bunch of ML screencaps to line up with their real world counterparts #like how cringe is that on a scale of 1 to 10 #what if i included some other famous parisian scenes from like #hunchback or phantom or devil weara prada #what if its a picture of epcot’s france pavillion #i’m torn between my need to embarrass my husband and my desire to not be the worst kind of american tourist

[callmebrycelee]

NEW AMSTERDAM REACTION

This reaction is for the season 4, twenty-second episode titled "I'll Be Your Shelter" which originally aired on May 24, 2022. The episode was written by David Schulner and Erika Green Swafford and directed by Michael Slovis. Spoilers ahead!

It's been over a week since the season four finale of New Amsterdam aired and I've had some time to think about it. Having read through some reviews of "I'll Be Your Shelter", it seems some fans of the show were not happy with where this episode left many of our main characters. Since this reaction is late, I will be brief in discussing my thoughts surrounding the episode. First, let me start with Dr. Floyd Reynolds.

This season has been a rollercoaster for Reynolds, and I've been very vocal about how much I disapprove of his storyline. I was never a fan of him engaging in a relationship with Dr. Lyn Malvo and it has very little to do with her already being married to Dr. Claude Baptiste and everything to do with their lack of chemistry. To make matters worse, Dr. Malvo got pregnant thus continuing the trend of mature, responsible adults being surprised when their lack of using protection results in a pregnancy. Then we had the back and forth of is Reynolds the father or is Baptiste the father. When it was finally confirmed that Reynolds was the father of Malvo's child, I was like ... ugh. Of course. Then we learn later on in the season that Dr. Malvo is planning on moving to the other side of the country with her husband. What's with Dr. Reynolds' love interests leaving him and moving to the west coast?

With Malvo and Baptiste out of the picture, Reynolds suddenly became interested in finding his father even though his mother and sister weren't exactly thrilled about him doing so. Reynolds did manage to find his father, played by actor James McDaniel (NYPD Blue) and the two of them bond in the middle of a hurricane. While I'm happy Reynolds found his dad, and it seems like his father is open to having a relationship with him, a part of me wonders what is next for Reynolds. I do love his character and I feel like he is best when he is practicing medicine. I hope we get to see him with a more interesting storyline next year. And P.S. ... it doesn't need to involve a woman. Just saying.

Speaking of women - let's talk about Dr. Lauren Bloom and Dr. Leyla Shinwari. Now let me just say, I was totally on board with the two of these characters dating back when they first got together. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good, old-fashioned romance. Then the dynamics of their relationship - the power dynamics - started to become apparent. Looking back, perhaps Lauren shouldn't have engaged in a relationship with Leyla. With Lauren being the head of the emergency department and Leyla being one of her subordinates, we had an imbalance of power from the very start. Then add in the fact that Leyla is a refugee and Lauren is wealthy - this romance now, in retrospect, seems doomed from the start. Then Lauren went behind the scenes and finagled things so that Leyla got the best schedule and that's when I really knew this relationship could not sustain. When the two of them broke up, admittedly I was a bit disappointed, but I understood why. It seemed very mature on both their parts.

Then Leyla came back into the picture, and I don't know - I really don't like the whole 'I need your help so that I can stay in the country' plot. It really made Leyla look bad. Look - I get it. There is a level of desperation there, but I think I wouldn't have minded her needing Lauren's help if she hadn't also insisted on rekindling their romance. Bloom/Leyla 2.0 was no bueno for me. I was glad when Lauren finally came to her senses and pulled the plug before further damage was done. I am quite interested to see what happens next season. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say Dr. Lauren Bloom is best when she is single. She is one of my favorite characters and I hope we get to see more of her growth next season without her being tied down in a relationship.

Speaking of favorite characters! I've always been open about my love for Dr. Iggy Frome. I'm a huge fan of Tyler Labine as an actor. I think he brings a lot of nuance to the character. I also love that we get to see an openly gay character in a loving relationship with kids be a main character on a popular primetime drama. Another thing I've always liked about Iggy is how flawed he is. He has real flaws. He is a narcissist albeit a self-diagnosed narcissist. He also struggles with body dysmorphia. He has an ego the size of Manhattan. His behavioral health practices are questionable at times. He can be very manipulative as well. But at the end of the day, he does seem to be a kind-hearted person who wants to leave the world a better place than he found it. My love for Iggy was really tested this season. With the introduction of Dr. Trevor Vaughn, I spent most of this season biting my nails wondering if Iggy was going to hook up with his employee. Thankfully nothing untoward happened between the two of them although some would argue there was some emotional infidelity taking place, mostly on Iggy's side. After Iggy and Trevor were drugged in the back-half of the season, I felt like things really started to snowball with Iggy. Trevor was justifiably upset when Iggy admitted why he hired him. Then things got really shaky between him and Martin when the latter learned of Iggy's flirtations.

And just when I thought these two were on the mend, Iggy drops an atomic bomb on both Martin and their relationship when he implies Martin only likes him because he's broken. Now I'll be the first to admit, Iggy pissed me the hell off when he blamed Martin for all the issues in their relationship and I was honestly heartbroken for Martin when Iggy confronted him the way he did. However, in this final episode, I'm beginning to think that maybe Iggy was right. When Martin seemed in utter disbelief that Iggy could be an effective leader, it had me side-eyeing Martin. These two clearly have some deep-seeded issues they need to work through, and I'll be honest - this season finale doesn't exactly have me hopeful for the future of their relationship. Now I've never been a fan of the whole 'stay together for the children' because I think it unfairly uses children as an excuse to prolong a potentially toxic relationship. However, I do love Iggy and Martin and their family, and I would hate for things to implode. However, worst case scenario, I think Iggy and Martin would be very effective co-parents should divorce be the avenue they choose. I guess we will have to find out next season what becomes of my favorite pairing on the show.

Now is the part where we talk about Max and Helen. I will be 100% honest. I know the New Amsterdam fandom is all in on Dr. Max Goodwin and Dr. Helen Sharpe being a thing, but I've never been a fan of this kind of relationship. It reminds me of TV relationships of yore. Ross and Rachel come to mind. It's this whole putting together of two popular characters only to place ridiculous obstacles in their path because what it boils down to these kinds of relationships can't sustain because TV shows require drama, and you can't just have your main couple be happy and settled. So, because of this, we have to keep finding ways of bringing them together and then bringing them apart. The big mistake of putting these two together is that they both have personal motivations that are at odds with each other. Helen wants to be in London practicing medicine and guess what - she deserves to have that life. Max wants to be in New York fighting for New Amsterdam and guess what - he deserves to have that life. Because their desires are in conflict, we spent most of the season going back and forth and back and forth from London to New York and back again and frankly it got exhausting to watch. And the frustrating part about all of this is that the fandom is so hellbent on these two having a happy ending but if they really allowed themselves to think about it, they'd realize that a relationship like this can't possibly sustain without one of the people involved giving up something and you know what? I don't think they should have to give anything up. Helen should remain in London doing what she loves, and Max should remain in NYC doing what he loves. I do hate that Luna is caught up in the middle of all this.

Anywho, Max did finally come back to New Amsterdam, and we finally got rid of that awful, awful Dr. Veronica Fuentes and I pray we never see her again. It was so nice that Max and the rest of the staff at New Amsterdam banded together to get rid of her but what I find funny is that Max literally thought all he needed to do and then he could go back to Helen and have a happily ever after. Others may disagree with what I'm about to say but Max is New Amsterdam and New Amsterdam is Max. The more he has fought against this notion, the more it becomes apparent. I get that he wants to have his proverbial cake and he wants to be able to eat it as well. However, Max's desire may be to have Helen as his partner and a mother for Luna, but his destiny is to be at New Amsterdam. Maybe next season he'll finally realize that.

As far as the season finale is concerned, Max spent most of the episode tracking Helen's flight and at first I thought maybe something bad had happened since there was a hurricane bearing down on New York City. However, it turns out, Helen never got on the plane in the first place and when Max calls her to ask why, she says she can't. She can't. Ugh. This was so not cool on Dr. Sharpe's part but hopefully the beginning of next season will give us some explanation on what's going on. My first thought was, did something happen to her mom? Helen and her mother have had a very contentious relationship. It just occurred to me, none of the people on this show seem to have great relationships with their parents which sort of explains why they rely so heavily on each other. They are each other's family. Anywho, I'm hoping something truly tragic happened because the alternative is that Helen just didn't get on the plane and left Max high and dry and if that's the case, I don't know how their relationship will survive. Max has already endured the loss of one great love of his life. I'm not sure he can handle losing two great loves at this point. I felt really bad for Max. As far as my feelings for Helen? I dunno - I feel like the 'I can't, I can't' is such a cop out. If she doesn't want to get married she needs to just tell Max. I guess we will find out what happens next when next season debuts.

Overall, I really liked this episode even if the whole hurricane plot seemed a bit abrupt. In all fairness, both 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star have spoiled me when it comes to natural disaster episodes. At this point I've seen earthquakes and tsunamis ravage Los Angeles and volcanos and blizzards devastate Austin, Texas and those episodes are usually huge deals. Having a hurricane hit New Amsterdam in the season finale felt anticlimactic and I think it would have worked better if maybe they saved this for the season 5 debut. That's not to say I didn't enjoy this episode because I did, However, the hurricane seemed very out of place and the stakes didn't seem that high. I never at any point felt like anyone's life was in danger. Even when Iggy was leading the emergency room patients through the hospital like Moses and they kept running into obstacles like carbon monoxide and electrified puddles of water, I never felt like he or they were in any real danger. Even Max with the guy whose kidneys were failing and needed dialysis, I never once felt like he was going to die. And the funny part is, when the hurricane was over, it was like it never happened so I think we could have still had all the character development but maybe we didn't need to have the drama of a natural disaster to facilitate it..

I will miss seeing New Amsterdam from week to week. I'm sad we only have one more season left but hey, not every show needs to be Supernatural or Grey's Anatomy or The Simpsons. It's gonna be really hard to say goodbye to these incredible characters and their stories. I am also so happy that we have Dr. Wilder as well. I hope she will end up leading the hospital next season because she seems more than willing and able. It would also be nice if we spend all of next season giving an appropriate send-off to our beloved characters. I have spent the last four seasons falling in love with Max and Sharpe and Bloom and Iggy and Reynolds and I would love to see them all in a nice place by the end of the series, whether that's at New Amsterdam or somewhere else. With that said, I look forward to revisiting some of the episodes from this season. The karaoke episode is my favorite of the season and I remember how nervous I was for several of our characters. I hope whoever reads these reactions have enjoyed hearing my commentary, even if you don't agree with it. I guess I'll end this the way I always do. Until next time ...

#tv reaction #blw reactions #new amsterdam #nbc new amsterdam #new Amsterdam season 4 #max goodwin #sharpwin #helen sharpe #lauren bloom #lauren x leyla #floyd reynolds #iggy frome #iggy x martin #new amsterdam reactions

[gucciwins]

Weeping Willow

Harry sends his wife for a girl’s night, and their five-month-old baby falls sick.

Word count: 5,093

A/N: i am no expert on babies (unless it’s my almost two-year-old niece) but i have it on good authority this does bring down fevers. This was written for @tbslenthusiast dadathon. i hope you love it. xx

___

It's a Saturday night, and Harry tries his best to convince his wife to go out with her friends for a nice dinner while he cares for baby Willow.

Their five-month-old infant. The sweetest little girl to grace the earth in Harry's opinion. 

He's never felt a love like this, a never-ending love for his child. He swears he has never been more in love with his wife, his twin flame, for giving him the greatest gift he will ever receive. 

She's standing there cradling Willow in her arms as she begins to drift off to sleep. Humming a song she hasn't shared with Harry. Something special between mother and daughter. As much as Harry hates to admit it but their daughter is a momma's girl at heart. 

Willow feels that extra protection from her mother; he gives her all the cuddles and kisses, but there is no more special bond than when Y/N holds her close to her heart, and Willow settles down in seconds. When she is breastfeeding, Y/N tells her the stories of her childhood and when Harry and she were first dating. 

It's the irregular sleep schedule that Y/N has never once complained about. 

Harry wakes up at the oddest of times when he stretches his arms out to reach for Y/N to pull her close to his chest only to find her missing. More time than not, he'll find her at their windowsill, Willow getting her night time meal as Y/N gazes at the moon softly singing Lolo a lullaby that was once sung to Y/N. The moonlight bouncing off her skin made her look eternal as if she weren't real, and Harry just imagined up this life. 

But she is real, and she is all his, and their daughter is theirs. 

As a kid, this was the life he dreamed of, never knowing if it would come true or not. He will never stop being grateful for all he has in life, full of love. 

Harry is brought out of his thoughts when Y/N addresses him. 

"I don't know, H. She's a little warm." Y/N stands there, the back of her hand gently placed on her baby's forehead before moving it to Willow's cheek. She smiles down at her sleeping baby.

Harry sighs, extending his arms for her to hand him their small baby. She shakes her head, taking two steps back. 

Harry chuckles because he knew this would happen, but he forgot how stubborn she could be. 

She's wearing Harry's lilac robe, her hair curled, and makeup is done. He made her do a red lipstick because he missed it. It's one that Gemma gave her that's smudge and transfer free. Meaning he can kiss her with it all night long without his lips turning red. 

"Willow is fine. Maybe she passed some gas." 

She rips her gaze from Willow and shoots him a glare. He puts his hands up in defense. 

"If she starts feeling sick, you know the crying won't stop. She likes it when I soothe her."

"She's my daughter too. I can take care of her and soothe her just as good."

She kisses Willow's head, slowly continuing to grow brown curls just like Harry's. "I know you can, but there's this motherly instinct telling me not to go."

"My husband instinct is saying that my wife should go out to dinner with her friends for a nice dinner and some wine." Harry rebuttals. 

"I don't drink." She mutters into her baby's head as she adjusts her to lay on her chest as she sways side to side. 

"Well, then go crazy with the strawberry lemonade." 

She sighs. Harry knows she's close to giving in. 

Her clothes set out in bed, ready for her to throw on. Harry chose her outfit, and he's proud of it. Camel-tone flared fitted trousers, a black fitted v-neck, and a double-breasted twill blazer to tie the look. Her black Gucci 'sucker' boots waiting for her at the door to be slipped on then head out the door. 

"If I go, you have to promise to text me every hour." 

"Half hour if you really need it." He counters. 

She shakes her head, no. "If you do that, I'll be home by the second text." 

He nods, happy she agreed to go. She needs this no matter how much she had been fighting it. 

"Alright, Lolo, I'm going to leave you with your Daddy for a few hours. I hope you don't miss me too much. I'll make up for leaving you with cuddles for the whole night, munchkin." 

Harry's eyes well up, always in awe at the relationship between his wife and their daughter. Their beautiful five-month-old daughter who Harry, thinks is growing too fast. She's still on the small side, but the doctor assured them she was doing good. 

Y/N placed her in the crib that Harry put together with Gemma's help, who wanted to be involved with as much as Harry would let her. 

She stirs a little, but Y/N pats her chest softly, calming her down. 

"I'm going to go get dressed. Turn on the baby monitor, please?" She points in the direction of it.

"On it, love." 

She walks out and gets dressed quickly, knowing there's a reservation, and she doesn't like arriving late. Harry meets her downstairs baby monitor in hand as she stands boots safely on her feet. 

Harry shamelessly checks her out. He almost begs her to stay after seeing how good she looks, but he knows she needs this.

"Text me when you get there." He wraps her in a hug, not wanting to let go just yet. 

"Of course." 

She pulls back, looking up at him before leaning in to peck his lips three times; she walks out the door, bag in hand, when Harry tugs her wrist, turning her around connecting his lips with hers. It's a short passionate kiss, Harry's tongue fighting for dominance. She lets out a small moan. Y/N, let's Harry be the one to pull back, not at all wanting to break the kiss. 

Harry smirks as he sees the dazed look in her eyes. "Just so you know what you have waiting at home for you." 

"You menace." Harry leans on the door as she walks out. "I love you, H." 

"And I love you." 

Harry watched as she drove away before going back in and heading straight to the nursery, where his darling Willow is still sleeping.  

"Just you and me, Lolo," Harry whispers as he sits in the rocking chair and lays back to rest his eyes. It's like they say when the baby sleeps, he does as well. 

____

Harry wakes up when he hears a small sneeze. He peeks at Willow, but she still has her eyes closed. He picks up his phone to check how long he slept and is shocked. It was only twenty minutes; he felt like it had been much longer now, feeling a bit more energized. 

He sees a text Darling and opens it, 

I've arrived safely. 

I miss you both so much already. xx 

Harry can't help but smile. He misses her already. He might always be playing music in the house that fills the silence, but Harry only does it because she sings along to each song no matter how bad she can butcher the lyrics to an unknown song. 

She fills the home with warmth and love. 

I love you! Lolo is still sleeping. Have a lovely night. xx 

Harry sat in the rocking chair, just gazing at his daughter. Her cheeks were a little red, but he thought she might be a bit warm. He unwraps the blanket, just watching her stretch out her small fists. 

Willow slowly blinks her eyes open, a small smile on her face when she sees her father looking down at her. 

"You up, Lolo? No more sleep, I'm guessing." 

She continues to stare at Harry before turning her head to the door. Harry knows she's waiting for someone to come in. After a few moments of no movements, Willow looks at Harry, giving her a small smile.

"Waiting for your Mum, I know. She'll be back later; for now, it's you and me." 

Harry reaches in to pick her up, gently shushing her, not wanting her to start crying. He walks down the stairs slowly, the fear of tripping down the stairs more present than ever with his baby in his arms. 

Harry sits her on the couch, a pillow propped up on the back to help support her back, and grabs her stuffed bunny that was left on the coffee table. It's her favorite toy to play with at all times. 

Willow sets it in her lap, not at all looking at it, eyes on Harry. He sees her eyes begin to well up, and he knows the tears are coming. He scoops her up gently, letting the bunny fall to the floor so Harry could soothe his baby. 

"My Willo baby, no tears. You know it breaks my heart." He begins shushing gently. Gemma swears by it watching Alice do the Ss in New Amsterdam. Y/N does it too, her grandma teaching her that when she helped watch over younger cousins. 

This settles her for a second, resting her head in the crook of Harry's neck as he rubs a hand gently down her back. "Good baby, Momma would be proud of us." He knows he made a mistake once she lets out a loud wail. 

He can only assume the word Momma did it for her. 

His phone alarm begins to ring, meaning it's the hour update, and if he doesn't check-in, she'll call, and if he doesn't answer, she'll worry even more and drive herself more. He does not need that happening. 

Harry will not let her call; he'll send a sleeping photo of Willow to Y/N to keep her calm because he can do this. He can tend to his child alone. She's half of his DNA; why wouldn't he be able to. 

His Mum always told him babies cry for three reasons: dirty diaper, sleepy, and hunger. He assumes she's hungry. Has to be, her diaper doesn't feel full, and she also doesn't smell. 

As Harry goes to the kitchen, he stops at the fridge. He sees all the magnets that Y/N loves collecting when visiting a new country, state, or city. Her favorite being the Trevi Fountain. Tells her every time she sees it, she can see Harry down on his knee, tears in his eyes and heart wide open for her. Safe to say it became his favorite as well. Right under it is a yellow sticky note "Just in case xx Dr. Harp" The phone number of Willow's pediatrician. 

Y/N really is the best, but he knows that he has everything under control, or at least he keeps telling himself that as Willow continues her crying, no amount of words calms her. He'd also call his Mum before the pediatrician, who would only end up calling Y/N. 

"Mummy left your milk in the fridge; now, all we have to do is warm it up." 

Willow's cries go quiet for a second at what Harry can only think was at word milk. He can do this. 

They don't bottle feed her as often, both preferring her to breastfeed directly from Y/N. Harry encouraged her to pump milk because Y/N has complained over too many milk stained shirts. It has helped her tremendously. A few times, when Y/N was too tired to get up, he offered to warm the milk to feed Willow. Y/N knew how important it was for Harry, so she allowed him and began pumping more for Harry to help provide her during the day. 

He gets a bowl and fills it with hot water, then places the bottle in. He knows it should be a few minutes, he begins singing to Willow. He sings her the song he wrote for his sister, which holds meaning to Y/N now, finding a connection that makes them feel at peace when hearing the song. As Harry gently sings 'Sweet Creature,' he sees her settle, nose runny from the tears, he grabs one of her clothes that Y/N keeps in the kitchen. Truth be told, she has them spread all over the house to have one on hand when necessary. He wipes the snot then drapes it over his open shoulder. He checks the temperature, able to hear Y/N scold him in his head for wanting to skip the step. 

"Lolo, going to go sit down, and then you can begin eating." She blinks up at him, her green eyes unfocused, refusing to settle on one place of his face. 

He sits and adjusts Willow to cradle her in his arms. He does a final temperature check on his wrist and is happy with the outcome. He slowly brings it up to her lips to startle her, and she latches on after a few seconds. 

Harry leans back on the chair, releasing a long sigh. He feels victorious, even just for a moment. 

The phone on the couch seat next to him displays a text:

 I love you both. xx 

He's in the clear. 

Harry sings Willow the first song that pops into his head, well he mainly hums as she has her eyes closed and a fist clenched on her blanket and the other tucked in. He pulls the bottle away once he sees no more movement. He wipes the outside of her mouth very carefully to not disturb her. 

"Willow, Angel, I need to burp you. You shouldn't even feel it." Harry likes warning her; he knows she understands. 

He's done relatively quickly, settling her back in his arms to let her sleep. Harry would love to turn the television on, but he settles for staring at the angel in his arms. 

Harry frowns when he sees Willow's eyes flutter open. She sleeps longer after eating. 

"Lolo, it's barely been ten minutes. That's not enough for a growing baby. You need to grow up to be strong, just like Momma."

Willow lets out a small cough. It startles Harry, not having heard the sound before. He gently picks her up and begins patting her back, soothing her as she calms down. 

Harry thinks back to the phone number stuck on the fridge but shakes the thought away because one cough is not enough to make a call, especially this late at night. 

He is now slowly walking in front of the couch, trying to get her to fall back to sleep. It's not working. 

It starts off in small whimpers before turning into loud wails. 

This is not good. 

Harry tries his best to place his baby's cries, but it does not sound familiar. He isn't calling Y/N; worrying her is not part of tonight's plans, but there is someone in mind who will always answer him. Without thinking twice, he goes to favorites and picks the second person. 

"Hello love, how are you?" 

He's greeted by a calming voice, but it does nothing to soothe the pounding in his heart. "Hi, Mum." Harry isn't even sure she heard with Willow's loud cries. 

"Is something wrong? Why is little Willow crying? Where's Y/N?" Anne is quick to jump in.

"Today was her first girl's night out that I was insistent she go out to even though she didn't want to, but she should be back in the next hour or so." He addressed that question before jumping into the most important one. "Willow coughed then settled down before bursting into this cry. I've never heard it before. It's not her hungry one because she ate half an hour ago, and her diaper is clean." He lets out a sob he didn't know he was holding back. 

"Oh, dear, right. First off, is she hot? warmer than usual." 

Harry pulls her back, face scrunched up, nose full of snot. He places the back of his hand on his forehead, and it's burning. "Yes, she's warm. But couldn't it be from the crying?" 

Anne sighs, worried for her son, but this is parenthood having to see your child get sick and old help them through it. The first time is always the worst, but each time after that still breaks your heart. "No love, check her temperature and call the pediatrician. Tell her the symptoms, and you can go from there. Right, hang up, call Y/N, and the pediatrician in that order." 

Harry agrees to get her off the phone and to make the call right away. Anne knows Harry well enough that he will skip one important thing she told him to do, so she takes it upon herself to get it done. 

 He heads upstairs, sitting the still crying Willow in the crib as he searches for the thermometer he knows Y/N keeps next to the wipes for emergencies. He is quick to take off her shirt as gently as one can be and sticks it under her armpit as he waits for it to ring as he dials Dr. Harp.

There is an answer on the third ring, just as the thermometer beeps. 

"Dr. Harp, hello, it's Harry Styles, father of Willow Styles." He says in a rush.

"Yes, Mr. Styles, what can I do for you." The doctor's voice is kind, and it calms Harry knowing there's a professional helping him. 

"Well, my daughter slept about ten minutes before waking up after eating, and that isn't normal for her. She had a bit of a cough and has not stopped crying for the past twenty minutes now. She's burning up Doc. The thermometer says 103F. Shit, I meant 39C. My wife's family got us a fancy thermometer that gives us both numbers." He feels the need to explain a hand on the back of Willow's head, trying to calm her down as well as himself. 

"Well, it seems it could be a common cold. There is not a lot to do, except keep your baby drinking milk. Mrs. Styles is still breastfeeding, correct?"

"Yes."

"Okay, it's important to keep her hydrated and check with her through the night. To bring down the temperature, a lukewarm bath would help as well as a humidifier because, from the sounds of it, she is a bit congested." 

Harry nods along to everything she is saying, repeating it back. "Thank you so much, Dr. Harp." 

"It's no problem; if the fever doesn't break or gets higher than 40C, then I suggest you head straight to the hospital." Dr. Harp says her goodbyes as he picks up Willow and heads to their bedroom, taking her into their bathroom. 

He looks around, not sure what to do first that he misses the sound of the door opening and closing as well as footsteps up the stairs. It might have also been Willow's crying. 

Willow lock's eyes with Y/N over Harry's shoulder, stopping for a second, causing Harry to gasp before she starts up louder than before for not being in her mother's arms. 

"Willow, darling," Y/N smiles at her daughter, cheeks red and nose snotty but still her beautiful baby. 

Harry feels like he can breathe properly now that she's home with him. His missing half home, finally feeling complete. He does feel awful for not calling her right away, but he swore she was having a good time. 

Harry hands over Willow to Y/N's waiting arms watching as she cradles her close, pressing repeated kisses to her daughter's brown hair. Willow instantly clenches a fist onto her necklace, not that Y/N minds, but Harry feels guilty for depriving his daughter of her mother. It was his fault she was out tonight. 

"How'd you get here so quick?" Are the first words Harry thinks to say. 

Harry thought she'd be mad at him for not calling, but all he sees are her kind and gentle eyes he fell in love with. 

"Anne called me to update me, but I was already ten minutes from home. I had dinner but got it to go having that nagging feeling you needed me. Anne called it mother's intuition, but" She breathes in Willow's smell, Harry finding it endearing how she always says she smells amazing like peaches. "I swear I could feel how distressed you were. I thought you were having a bad time, so I got you ice cream and brought home a meal we could share." 

He leans against the sink, a small grin forming on his face. "I did always tell you we were soulmates." 

Y/N steps further into the bathroom, heading to the tub to get the water-filled. She sits on the toilet, letting it fill before dipping her hand in from time to time. It feels a bit less than halfway before she closes the tap. 

"Doctor's orders were getting the temperature down, right?" Y/N asks Harry, and he nods. "Well, in the lukewarm bath, she goes." Y/N fakes as if she is going to place Willow in before hugging her to her chest once more. "I'm only playing." She boops Lolo's nose.

"Your momma thinks she's so funny, Lolo." Harry rolls his eyes at her, not at all, hiding the love behind them. 

"Get in the bath with her, H." Y/N has successfully undressed Willow, giving her kisses all over, causing Willow to let out a small giggle. 

Harry near tears now. "That's the first time she laughed this entire night." 

"Honey, listen. She hasn't gotten sick before. It's okay, we're learning." She reaches a hand up to cup his cheek, and he leans into it eagerly. "We are learning together." He nods as she pulls her hand away. "Now, do I need to undress my other baby as well?" 

He smiles. "You're welcome to, but I got this." He slips off the black shirt and grey sweats, leaving on his briefs.

The water is perfect. Not that he expected any different because she does everything with extra care and love for Willow. He's glad to have her as his life partner and mother of his child and future children. 

He slips in, sitting down, letting Y/N gently place Willow on his bent knees. He cups her head, gently sinking himself lower. She hands him a cloth, and he looks at her, eyes wide. 

"Wet it, rinse it a bit, then just sponge it around her." 

He nods but doesn't move to receive it. Y/N moves forward, dips it in the water, and squeezes it leaving a bit of water. She gently gets Lolo's back patting before moving down. 

"Thank you." He says and accepts the cloth. 

Y/N makes her way to the bedroom. "You're leaving?" He questions, causing Willow to look at her as well. 

She laughs at her two loves, both wanting her close. "Going to turn on the humidifier. It's going to be good for her and her congestion. Then will get you both a new change of clothes before coming back. Is that okay with you both?" 

Harry looks down at Willow that still has her eyes on her Momma. "What do you think, Lolo? Think we should let Momma take care of us." He hums as if hearing her response. "She said not to take too long." 

"Wouldn't dream of it." 

Harry settles in, Willow moving her hand in the water, intrigued by the ripples allowing Harry to rinse her. He feels good, feels great, and can honestly help her and no longer cry about it. 

Y/N knows he needs this but hopes she isn't feeling too awful about leaving Willow when she got sick for the first time.

For all, he knows she could be crying in their bedroom or, even worse, the nursery where he can't hear her. 

But that's what Harry is here to remind her what a fantastic team they are and how she saved the day like always. He's proud of her just as he knows she's proud of him. 

____

It's twenty minutes when Y/N walks back in. Now dressed in grey sweats and an old white shirt that Willow loves to cling on. She approaches, and Harry raises Willow so that she can wrap her in the yellow towel. 

"My munchkin smells so good." She kisses her cheek. She turns to look at Harry with a smile on her face making him smile back. "Shower, I'm going to dress her, and then I'll bring your clothes in."

"Okay, love." 

Harry drains the water before turning on the showerhead, letting the warm water wash away the stress in his body. He doesn't take too long, wanting to cuddle his two girls all night long.

Walking out, dressing in the warm clothes that she must have thrown in the dryer for him knowing how he likes to be warm after a long night. He smiles, slipping the shirt over his head, slipping on the black sweats with no need for briefs. Turning off the bathroom light, closing the door, he sees Willow lying on Y/N's chest. 

"How is she doing?" Harry paddles over, hovering over Y/N to kiss her forehead, doing the same to Willow.

"Better, the temperature is at 98." 

Harry smiles, glad she's under three digits again. She looks sweet dressed in a bodysuit with small bumble bees all over. Y/N wrapped the knitted mint green blanket that Y/N's mother made for Willow around her shoulder to keep her warm but not enough to overheat.

"That's great. Our baby is so strong." Harry gets in bed and sits against the headboard, making Y/N shift over to rest her head on his shoulder, arms wrapped around Willow for support. 

____

It's an hour of silence basking in hearing their baby's breathing. Not as smooth due to the congestion but better than before. Harry places a kiss on Y/N's forehead when he feels the first tear, then many more follow. A sob breaking out, but breathing even to not disturb their sleeping baby on her chest. 

"Love, lovie, hey. Don't cry. She's doing better already." He wraps the arm tighter, hoping he can transfer all his love for her through the hug. 

"I'm just overwhelmed." She chokes out. 

Harry sits up to face her, reaches his hands out to wipe her rapidly falling tears.

"Please don't be mad with yourself; if there is anyone to be mad at, it's me." He pleads for her to understand. "I told you to leave us be." 

"Not mad at you, honey." She whimpers. "I-I-I'm upset I wasn't here to help you. But you handled it so well. Very proud of you." 

Harry sits there, tears falling out of his eyes now because she was proud. He did nothing. He knows he did nothing; he called his Mum and the doctor. He never got her to stop crying.

"I didn't do anything."

"Honey, you did." Her voice firm, one hand reaching up to gently raise his head to look at her. "You called Anne because you knew she would help and then called Dr. Harp for help." 

"But she never stopped crying, not until you held her." 

She shakes her head. "She was feeling bad, she cried at discomfort and unusual feelings. Might have also sensed your panic," She teases. He lets out a small chuckle. 

"We're a team. Together and apart, H." 

Harry lays down on his side, pulling Y/N down with him. He does it slowly to not move Willow; Harry lays his head on her shoulder, looking down at their baby. He lets himself relax, knowing she's going to be okay.

"I love you." He whispers. No response causing him to look up at a grinning Y/N. "Say it back." 

She giggles. "Thought you were talking to Lolo." 

"That was for you, wife." 

"My bad," She pecks his nose. "I love you, H." 

"Missed." He mutters, puckering his lips in her directions. 

"Dork." She closes the small distance and hums at the sweet taste that is Harry and mint toothpaste. He deepens it for a few seconds before pulling back. His eyes closed. He kisses her from her cheeks to her collarbones, no spot left untouched. He steals one more kiss before settling down. 

"Sleep tight, my darling, Willow," Harry whispers, throwing his arm over Willow's small body and Y/N's stomach for extra protection.

He peeks one eye open to see Y/N smiling down at Willow, no sign of sleep in her features. "I take it you won't be going out anytime soon again." 

"You got that right." She jokes. "No, it was nice. I forgot how good it is to chat about anything other than what size diapers she's going to need next."

"That's not all we talk about. We also talk about the size of your boobs." 

She snorts at his comment, and he happily joins in. 

"We haven't had a date night, well we have but indoors with a baby always in arms." 

Harry smirks. "What do you have in mind, love?" 

She blushes, "We go away for the weekend, leave Willow with Anne or Mitch since he keeps saying we keep his goddaughter away from him." 

"You'd be okay with that?" Harry checks, making sure she really wants this. 

She nods. "I'll miss her like crazy, my heart is beating faster just at the thought, but I miss you." There's a gleam in her eye, one when she gets lost in a memory. "It's quickies and late-night conversations. As much as I love our daughter, I miss my best friend." 

Harry grins, glad she's sharing this. "Any other time, I'd make a joke, but honestly, I miss you just as much." 

"Then, coordinate with Jeff on a weekend you're free and look for a place we can go to. Driving or flying whatever you find best." 

"Oh, baby, I'm going to make you fall in love with me all over again." 

"I'm counting on it, Harry." 

Harry helps Y/N drift off to sleep with his ideas of where they can go and all the naughty things they will get up to. 

Harry knows nothing in life will be better than being in the arms of his two favorite girls.

___

Thank you for reading. Please reblog it means a lot to me. 

Come and tell me what you thought of Weeping Willow 

#harry styles #dadathon #harry styles x reader #dad! harry #harry styles fluff #harry styles x y/n #harry styles imagine #harry styles one shot #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles story #thank you for reading!

[moonloredraws]

House of Blood

A story about an overworked and stressed out individual who goes to a vampire brothel for some consensual hypnosis to start off her holiday off work.

M Vampire x F Human (NSFW, tw hypnosis , tw vampire biting ) 4277 words

---  Life had been a cycle of stress and problems, and things had been spiralling for you recently. Your job had become too much to handle, your co-workers had once again proven to be unreliable and your boss had been more unreasonable than usual. Things had been hectic.

Your holiday had come up, fortunately. A couple of weeks away from the incessant stream of issues was a welcome reprieve. You had planned on enjoying yourself, treating yourself to some new clothes and other goodies. 

You had even decided to go to the local smut bookshop. The Moonlore Bookstore had always piqued your interest, but you'd never really had any reason to go in. The interior was surprising, the inside seemed much older than the modern facade of the building led you to believe, but the atmosphere was cozy and welcoming. The front was a cafe, with the back half of the space hiding the books behind some discreet dividers. It had an unusual vibe for a place to buy erotic books.

The thing that most had stood out was an extensive board of flyers, business cards and other advertisements of all kinds.

This was clearly a busy place that many supernatural beings frequented, but that made sense, given how the owner seemed of elven descent and her husband was a werewolf. Much of the ads were specific services for the variety of creatures that shared the human world, though much of the ads were for different places that you hadn't even heard of. Why would there be adverts for services in Amsterdam, Chicago, London and some other notable cities all in one place? It boggled your mind.

However, as you scanned the board with curiosity, you noticed a stack of discreet ash grey cards with a bright red embellished pair of lips. They stood out, and you looked a bit closer.

“Are you stressed? Want to have your worried sucked away?Come to the House of Blood for a fresh reset.”

It was in your area, too. 

  You had never heard of such a place before. You unpinned one of the cards, and took a closer look. It seemed like some kind of establishment run by vampires. Brothels run by the supernatural community was nothing new, but you had never frequented something like it before. Your gut twisted with excitement. You had never really cared for such things, but something about having your stress relieved fast and possibly having fun on the side tickled your fancy.

With your new treats and purchases, you went home, and did some more digging on the House of Blood. It had a discreet website, and it was definitely a brothel of some kind, as you had suspected. It seemed legit, had a small gallery of some incredibly well dressed vampires, some information on the workers and the owner, and you gave a sigh of relief at it being legit.

It did have a appointment form, but encouraged people to go there in person to have a chat about the different options they offered and what would be most appropriate for the client. 

  So you got yourself hyped up. This was all new and exciting, and you waited until an hour after night-fall. Following your phone's GPS, you made your way to the place. It was in an alley off a very busy street, which may have rung some alarms bells if it weren't for the beautiful state of the alley. It was clean, no dumpsters, bright neon signs lighting everything up and with a clear big sign next to the door. You let out a breath you didn't know you had been keeping, and slouched your shoulders as you walked to the door nervously. The beautiful ashen door had the same red lips on it as the card, and you nervously turned the handle, and entered into a small hallway that had some stairs leading upstairs.

Climbing the red carpet covered stairs, you looked around at the rich reds and ashen colours of the interior. Clearly the same person had designed this place and the vampire run nightclub in the area. Or maybe the owner was the same. Perhaps, though, they simply kept up the same “vampire aesthetic” for the other people around. You weren't sure. However, as you got to the top, you came to a brightly lit waiting room. There was a desk of bright cherry red plastic, and behind it was a woman, her blonde hair pulled into a messy bun, with lipstick to match the desk and a slouchy cream coloured sweater. 

  “Welcome to the House of Blood! I don't believe I've seen you here before?” said the woman, her cheeks lifting as she smiled. You nodded as you walked closer, still a bit nervous.

“It's my first time here, yes,” your voice wavered, as you came up to the desk. “ Well, welcome! I'm Amandine, but you can just call me Mandy. Since you're new, I need you to fill out a simple questionnaire, and a little form. I'll help you through everything, so don't worry about it if something is unfamiliar!”

Her cheerful and helpful disposition helped put you at ease, and you swiftly filled in some details, the medical history part took you by surprise, but it made sense. Vampires drink blood, after all. 

  The 'little form' ended up being a pretty big list, actually. Most of it was kinks and things that you would be alright with in a sexual situation. What intrigued you was the box marked “hypnosis”. 

  “What does that involve?” you looked curiously over to Amandine. “Is that something like becoming puppeted...?”

Amandine shook her head, giving a slight chuckle. “No, when we 'hypnotise' people, it's more like we induce a state of intense tunnel vision. You'll feel things more intensely, and I haven't found an easier way to say this, but it just makes you very horny. We haven't found a better term, so we just use 'hypnotise'.” “Huh,” you hummed at it.

“Since you're looking at some stress relief, I do suggest that. It's very difficult to have your mind wandering while under the effects.” Amandine added helpfully. That sealed the deal. All in all you weren't really looking for a very extreme interaction, you just wanted to have some fun, but the added benefit of not having to worry about much seemed too good to pass up.

Amandine settled the paperwork, clipped it all together, and then pointed at one of the doors. 

  “You'll want to go to room 4. There are no locks, for client and worker safety, but rest assured, nobody except the right person will walk into your room,” she gave a playful wink as she stood up and walked to a different door in the lobby, directly behind the desk. 

  “There's a box for your clothes, and there's a fluffy robe, if you'd like to get into something more comfortable, waiting for you in the room.”

You nodded, butterflies tickling your stomach as you walked through the door, into a well decorated hallway, to a door with the number 4 on it. Cautiously, you opened it, and entered.

The interior was plush. There was a soft looking bed, and a couch, and a door to bathroom. Everything was some sort of red or dark grey tone. You found a small night stand, and a fluffy maroon robe. 

  You did as Amandine suggested, and stripped completely, shoving your clothes unceremoniously into the empty nightstand's drawer. The rest were filled with a pile of sex toys and condoms. Your cheeks flushed as you quickly put the robe on and went to sit down. 

  Your current situation began to dawn on you, and you restlessly played with your hands. Before you could get overwhelmed with doubt and stand up to put your clothes back on, you heard a knock on the door.

“Come in!” You squeaked. It was happening. No turning back now.

The door opened and a tall, pale skinned man slid in, a tray in his hands with two cups and a teapot. Your heart skipped a little as he flashed a fanged smile at you, dimples appearing on his cheeks.

“I'm Xavier, please to meet you!” He quickly set the tray down, and went to shut the door behind him. You nervously introduced yourself, noting how much your voice was shaking. 

  Xavier had a fluffy mop of wavy brown hair, and a slight 5 o'clock shadow painting his jaw. His eyes were a friendly brown, and if it hadn't been for his fangs, you could have sworn he was just some guy who didn't get outside much.

 He wore a lightly cream coloured shirt, an intricately patterned green and gold vest, and some brown dress pants. He seemed much too overdressed to be part of a brothel, he'd be a much more fitting sight in a themed host club. 

  “No need to be so nervous. You're here to have a good time, right?” Xavier said as he sat down on the couch, placing the tray between the two of you. “Mandy said you preferred chamomile, so that's what we have.”

“Can vampires even drink tea?” The question had left your lips involuntarily, and Xavier let out a chuckle.

“Eating and drinking depends on what kind of vampire you are. Most turned vampires have a hard time processing food and some drinks, but I'm a born vampire, I can deal with this all just fine.”

You let out a 'huh' at that, and then picked up one of the cups which Xavier had filled with tea.

“So, a little bird told me that you've been dealt a bad hand by life at the moment.” Xavier took a sip of his tea. 

  You nodded, and began to tentatively recount some of the more frustrating events. Soon, you let yourself get more relaxed, and your gestures become more intense as you vented your worries, and Xavier ended up being a very good listener. 

  The conversation eventually started to lose steam, so Xavier picked up. He started to talk about himself. He had an interest in very fine embroidering, and occasionally would make some clothes for himself. He showed off his vest at that point, beaming at his creation. 

  “So... how come you've ended up working here?” You asked. Someone so skilled at sewing ending up in a brothel instead of working as a designer seemed odd.

“I enjoy helping people like this, and I'm a bit of a social butterfly. I tried being a host once, but that didn't end up working so well. I have... a slightly voracious appetite.” He smiled apologetically. You inhaled sharply at that, and you felt your cheeks warming up, and you felt a jolt in the pit of your stomach.

“I'll follow your lead, whenever you want to move onto something else, we can do that.” Xavier chuckled. 

  You nodded, blushing, and your shoulders tensed up. Xavier regarded you with a warm gaze, and slowly moved the tray to the side and shuffled closer to you, gingerly putting a hand on your shoulder.

“You're a bit tense again. Would you want me to give your shoulders a little massage?” He purred.

The vibrations of his voice went straight to your loins, and you stiffly nodded, turning your back to him. He gently tugged at the collar of your robe.

“Loosen your robe a bit, I can reach a little better that way.” He pulled the robes a little looser around your neck, and then gently pressed his fingers into your shoulders. As it turned out, his skills also extended to massaging, and you slowly found yourself sinking towards him. 

  You sighed, and soon he removed his hands. 

  “Feeling any better?” Xavier smiled at you.

“That was amazing,” you said, and then sighed.

He leaned slightly closer, leaning his head on his hand and sitting in a more casual pose. “I can keep going... or we can move onto something different?”

You debated on it for a moment, before the ache in the pit of your stomach started to become a little more incessant. 

  “I think... something a little different might be nice...” you said, slowly, and something lit up in Xavier's eyes. 

  “Then... may I touch you, pet?” His voice had changed, something almost predatory came alive in him. You nodded, almost afraid, but something about being in the presence of this creature excited you.

He gently placed his hand on your knee, and then slowly slid up your thigh, giving it a little squeeze halfway up. His hand started to skirt along the edge of the fabric of the robe. 

  “I won't touch anywhere that is covered... so you lead.” He purred, keeping his hand on your thigh, rubbing languid circles with his thumb. You let out a little huff, and then bashfully began to untie the belt on the robe. As you slowly let the belt fall away, your robe opened slightly, and Xavier let out an approving sound, slowly trailing his finger higher up your thigh.Soon, his hand dragged up your partially exposed stomach, between the groove of your breasts, then lightly touching the line of your collarbone. 

  “Mmh... you already smell so good and we've barely even started. You must really want this, that, or you're just naturally a treat.” Xavier licked his lips. “If you want me to make you feel better just say the word.”

The slow drag of his fingertips across your skin and the mood of the room made you a little bit braver all of a sudden.

“What do you have in mind?”

Xavier let out a chuckle, and you let his hand travel around to tip your chin upwards. “I can make you feel a way you've never felt before.” 

  “Is that right?” you tested him, before shakily breathing out, “show me what you've got then.”

He grinned, and something changed.

In the split second that you had challenged him, your body suddenly got hot, your vision blurred and your brain suddenly felt trapped in a bubble.

“Look at me, pet,” Xavier whispered, holding the back of your head with one of his hands. “It's alright. Nothing bad will happen.”

Your head was spinning, the sensation was odd and uncomfortable, but soon enough you focused on the way that his other hand was petting your thigh. You focused on the way his eyes were staring at you, the way his lips moved, and before you had a chance to get used to this strange sensation of being partially stuck in your own head, your entire being became a ball of nerves.

You started to breathe heavily as the fabric of the robe began to feel constricting around you, and you started struggling out of the fabric. Your body didn't want to listen very well, and you couldn't managed to make the fabric slip off you.

Xavier hummed, looking at you.

“What's the matter, pet? Having some trouble taking your clothes off?” He was clearly enjoying this, but you found that you didn't mind his teasing. “Do you need me to help you?”

You tried to reply, but all that came out was a moan, so you weakly nodded your head.

In a swift motion, you found yourself pulled onto Xavier's lap, your front exposed to him, your legs spread obscenely. The new sensation of the fabric of his pants made you let out another soft moan, and he quickly pulled the robe from your shoulders. The way his hands felt on you was mind blowing, and you didn't hold back the pleased rumbling that came from your throat.

“You look comfortable.” His eyes scanned you up and down, and his hands began to move up your sides. Everything was so sensitive, his fingers were like fire licking at you. In the haze of this dark, dimly lit room, there was only Xavier. You couldn't think of anything else but his hands, his face, his beautiful full lips. Your stares didn't go unnoticed, and he smirked. 

  “It seems that someone wants something more, hmm?” his voice was a purr, quiet, meant only for your ears. Weakly, you managed another nod, and he pulled your hips a bit closer and pulled on your shoulders to make you lean over. His lips connected with yours, and you let out a lewd mewl, breathing out hard. His kisses started out softly, massaging your lips, clearly ignoring your needy attempts at making out with him. Kissing him, and feeling his hands running up and down your thighs, hips, ass, it made you feel on cloud nine. So much of his touch made you feel turned on, you'd honestly never felt anything like this.

You were momentarily pulled from your frustrations when Xavier ran his tongue over your lips. It sent a jolt down your spine, and you involuntarily shivered. You vaguely heard a chuckle through the murky horniness of your mind, and you let out a deep moan.

You weren't allowed to recover from this assault on your senses when Xavier put one of his hands behind your head and he deepened the kiss, darting his tongue through your lips and exploring your mouth. You had to close your eyes, and grabbed tightly on his shirt to avoid floating away, your brain being bombarded with too many sensations.

You lost track of time, you lost track of yourself, you couldn't tell where you ended, and where Xavier started. Everything that you felt in that moment was so unfocused, but the pleasure was beyond what you believed was possible.

Xavier pulled away, and you were ripped from your intense pleasure. You managed to make a frustrated noise, and Xavier gently stroked your jaw.

  “Come on, surely kissing isn't the reason you came here?” He gave you a curious look and you had a moment of clarity through the haze. He noticed the momentary sobriety, before letting one of his fingers gently rub against one of your nipples.

The sensation shot through your body and another moan ripped through you. “Thought so.”

You were quickly bundled into strong arms, and were laid out onto a soft surface. Xavier joined you on the bed, and moved to trap you between himself and the bed.

“Time for the main event, pet.” he breathed out, his eyes having grown even more intense than before. 

  Something about this well dressed, hungry vampire looming over you made you feel so desired, you wanted him to drink from you, to have a taste of you, to fuck you senseless.

It wasn't long before he dipped down and took your nipple in his mouth, rolling his tongue over the sensitive bud. You writhed under him, and he had to grab your shoulders to keep you still. It was torturous, each flick of the tongue made you feel so good, but it wasn't enough.

That is, until he moved one of his hands to gently stroke at your folds.

You came instantly, and almost screamed, the feeling of that sudden action tipping you over the edge. 

  You felt Xavier chuckling against you, still licking at your nipple as he hovered his hand over your pussy.

“That was fast. Do it again,” he went right back to sucking on your breast, and you felt his hand come down on you again.

You didn't come instantly this time, but you weren't far off as the haziness of your mind and the overload of sensitivity had you hurtling towards your next orgasm. Xavier didn't let up though, and your body didn't put up any resistance as his fingers played around with your folds and clit, the little bundle of nerves almost on fire under the thorough touch of his fingers.

You were vaguely aware of him moving upwards, kissing a trail on your skin, before nuzzling your neck.

Xavier hummed in approval, and gave a quick lick over your neck. “You smell so good.... I want a taste.” His voice was quiet, skirting over your skin. “Can I?”

A noise came out from you, approving. You could barely concentrate on anything, and when Xavier's soft lips touched the base of your neck, his fingers still in you, your mind suddenly went blank.

For a while, your mind and consciousness was almost separated from your body, the only thing you were aware of was immense pleasure.

It lasted for so long. You couldn't tell how long you were in this state of pure bliss.

Slowly, you felt like you were coming back to yourself. 

  With a sigh, you blinked your eyes open, finding yourself cradled next to Xavier, wrapped in a blanket.

“Hey,” he said, sheepishly. “How are you feeling?”

You couldn't help the blush that crept on your face at the sight of his warm smile. Were his cheeks a bit red too? Something had changed in him. You couldn't pinpoint it, but he seemed more lively.

“I-I'm ok,” You mumbled into the blanket. “That was... amazing.”

“It's pretty cool, huh?” Xavier laughed, before smoothing back his hair and sitting up, his clothes still impeccable despite what had transpired. “Would you like me to get you some tea and cakes?”

You had requested for a caring service, but you hadn't quite expected to be tucked into bed and to get served tea and sweets after getting fucked thoroughly. You hadn't even fucked, really, but it certainly felt like you had been. Xavier left the room, giving you a warm smile as he exited the room. You were left in this cozy, luxurious room, alone. You tentatively sat up, feeling a bit wobbly, and you reached for the robe that had been set neatly on the bed. 

  You quickly robed yourself, and it wasn't long before Xavier returned with a new tray and sauntered over to the bed. “Here, we have tea, chamomile again, and some cakes. I wasn't sure which one you'd like, take your pick.” He set down the tray after sitting down, and gestured over to a selection of little slices. “You should definitely eat. I didn't drink much, but you need to make sure that you eat something to get your strength back.”

You reached for what looked like lemon drizzle cake, and took a bite from the slice. It was delicious.

You let out a throaty moan at the taste, and reached for the cup of tea. Xavier lifted up his own cup of tea, and took a sip.

“So, happy with the service?” He turned his head to look at you, smiling. 

  You smiled back at him, feeling your cheeks burn again, and nodded.

“That was... definitely unlike anything else I had ever experience.” You took a sip of your tea. “I'm more than happy.”

You shared that little moment together, silent save for the sound of tea being sipped and cake being eaten. You didn't mind, it was comfortable, and you had a chance to collect yourself. 

  “Would you like me to stay for a bit or are you ready to head home?” Xavier broke the silence, putting his cup down onto the tray with a clink. You sighed, and eventually put down your own cup.

“I think... that I'm ready to head home. Your company was lovely tonight and, well,” you avoided looking at him momentarily as an unprecedented wave of shyness overcame you. “I think... I would definitely like to visit again.”

Xavier smiled, and you felt your heart flutter for a moment as he leaned over and gave your hand a kiss.

“I do hope you come by again, you're delectable, pet.” He winked, before picking up the tray again and heading towards the door. “I'll be going now, I hope you have a safe trip back home and I hope to see you again, but remember, there's a mandatory 2 week wait between visits so you can recover.”

“Yes, I remember,” You nodded, and waved as he disappeared behind the door, shutting it with him.

You got up, cleaned yourself up, and dressed yourself. You left the room behind, and exited the hallway. 

  “Heyo, is that you done for tonight?” Amandine asked, smiling as you came out to the lobby.

“Yes... it was certainly an experience.” You said. You dug through your handbag for your wallet to pay up the fee, and soon you noticed how soft your body felt. “Relaxed? Xavier's a pro at what he does. If you want to make sure you get an appointment with him again, then please do phone up beforehand.” Amandine quickly shuffled some things behind the desk and brought up a small gift parcel, placing it on the counter.

“What's this?” you asked, quizically.

“All visitors get a little gift parcel. It's not much bit it's a few goodies and snacks to make sure you recover.” Amandine smiled, nudging the parcel over. “After all, there's a bit of a symbiotic relationship between us and our clients.”

You have an understanding nod and picked up the parcel, and bid your farewells.

On the way home, you felt calm, but there was a bit of a pep in your step, as you walked with confidence. That visit had definitely left a mark on you, and you made sure to write up a note on your calendar for exactly two weeks from then to set up a second visit to that handsome vampire.

#terato #exophilia #vampire #monster boyfriend #spicy #lemon

[jonsa101]

Yes, There’s Only 14 Episodes in Season 3 But Sharpwin is On Track and Progressing How They’re Supposed To.

There has been so much talk about this season’s writing and the lack of Sharpwin scenes that I thought I would just address everything in this post.

First, the writing this season is NOT BAD! In my honest opinion I actually think this season has some of the best writing in the series. Compared to season two, the writing is head and shoulders above what we got last year. More than ever before we are diving into these characters stories, seeing friendships form, getting a better look into their home life and seeing secondary characters shine! This is a good thing! These were the things that were so desperately needed in season 2 but we didn’t see this play out. I’ve said this before in my infamous season 2 rant and I’ll say it again, a show can’t solely depend on a ship! It has to have great storytelling and good character development for all of it’s main characters. This is what New Amsterdam failed to do in season two and they’re now making it up for it in season 3. The only area I would say the storyline suffered was the Cassian, Helen and Max “love triangle.” There was definitely more intent with that plot before the pandemic. Cassian was not only supposed to be a catalyst for Jealous Max and Sharpwin but he was also supposed to come in and challenge the way Max did things. Cassian’s whole thing was self care first=great patient care which was the complete opposite of Max and the two of them were supposed to clash. Obviously this completely changed due to the pandemic. You can’t have a storyline about a doctor prioritizing himself first for “better patient care”in the midst of thousands of doctors globally throwing themselves on the frontlines and even loosing their lives to COVID-19. It would have been a terrible look to have that storyline so they clearly scrapped it! What we saw was probably them trying to salvage whatever was left from the original plot while they still had Daniel Dae Kim in the limited amount of episodes for season 3.

Apart from that, I think the writers are doing a fantastic job in terms of character development this season. Arguably I would say that Iggy probably has the best storyline so far and that’s incredible for his character. Tyler Labine is acting his ass off and Iggy’s scenes with Lauren, Vijay and Martin were top tier!!! We are finally getting a Max and Reynolds bromance that was teased in season one but literally know where to be found in season two! It’s great seeing them bond on screen and I hope we get more moments with these two. We’re also seeing Reynold’s “life plan” blow up in his face and we finally have some closure with Bloom. They kept us in limbo for so long! We didn’t know if him and Bloom were truly over but now we finally know. Also, it seems like he and Evie are officially done as well and he might have a new love interest on the horizon. For Lauren, she’s clearly seems to be having a coming out story which is something I didn’t see coming at all. I’m really curious how they’re going to play this out for her and can’t wait to see it unfold. Last but not least, for Max and Helen they are both going through massive character development phases which leads me to my second point.

I love a good Max and Helen scene as much as the next person. To me they’re the ultimate ship and I want to see them thrive and flourish but just because we don’t see Max and Helen interact doesn’t mean that the show isn’t properly developing or investing in their relationship!!!!!!!!The relationship between Max and Helen is so nuanced that their relationship doesn’t hang in the balance because they don’t have more witty, flirtatious, or emotional dialogue. Don’t get me wrong, I adore those moments. Those scenes between them make us the passionate sharwpin shippers we are. At the same time though, we have to truly take a look at why the state of their relationship is where its at now and why from a narrative perspective their current interactions make sense. In order to do this, we have to take a look at where Max and Helen left off last year.

At the end of season 2, Max made a move on Helen and almost kissed her in her office. After this moment occurred he never addressed it and at the time he was still dating Alice. There’s no doubt in my mind that this was the catalyst for why Helen started dating Cassian in the first place. She had practically laid her feelings out there and told Max he was the reason she gave up half of her department. After this revelation and the massive, intimate moment he initiated in her office, he didn’t even have the decency to address it. He swept it under the rug and wanted to keep the same relationship that he had with her like nothing ever happened. Even though Helen was aware about Alice, we now know from season 3 that Helen felt a type away that Max never “officially” told Helen that he was dating her. This is IMPORTANT!!! Max and Helen did not end on a high note in season 2. In fact, the very last scenes we see of season 2 is Helen blowing off Max to go on a date with Cassian and Max breaking off things with Alice. I know this wasn’t intentional due to the season being cut short but it definitely contributes to where they are now. 

Fast forward a year later, and not only do we still have a massive almost kissed elephant in the room between Max and Helen but also the trauma of being on the frontlines of a pandemic and going through the biggest social justice movement the world has seen. This is something I’ve said many times over but I’m not sure the fandom recognizes how much these events have permanently altered these characters and changed the dynamics of this show. COVID-19 changed everything. The Black Live Matter Movement for the first time grabbed the attention of the world and changed everything too! Max and Helen are in the process of trying to heal and rebuild their lives the best they can as individuals after such a tumultuous year. At the same time, they are acutely aware of the feelings they have for each other and the UST between them and are carrying the weight of that as well. Naturally guys, the combination of all this is going to change most dynamics in a relationship. Things are awkward and distant  because Max and Helen are awkward and distant!! They have a lot of shit that they’re going through as individuals and subconsciously as a “couple.” They are clearly not in a healthy place to be as vulnerable as they once were to each other. And how can they be when their feelings have literally been eating at them for over year?! It’s hard to ignore that and try to force yourself to go back to the way things were. Especially when their feelings have “technically”  been out in the open since the end of season 2. They both know what it is! They were steps away from unleashing years of built up sexual tension between them and they went on with their lives like it never even happened. Max walking in on her and Cassian kissing in HER OFFICE and subsequently having that convo with Helen was not for shits and giggles. It triggered the BEAST of his feelings that he had fought so hard to suppress. There is no doubt in my mind that when he saw them in her office kissing, he was having some serious dejavu to their almost kissing affair last year. He‘s in love with her and she’s in love with him but this what happens when you continuously try and run away from those feelings and let it fester instead of trying to deal with it head on. The dynamic  were seeing between them now is a result of their unresolved issues and it absolutely plays into Sharpwin’s story. It doesn’t take away from it. It makes sense for where they are NOW! 

If we look at season three holistically, you’ll realize that a momentum for something significant happening for Sharpwin has been set through the acting and writing. I got to give it to Ryan Eggold. He has that fire and desire, Mr. Darcy type level acting down to a tee so far. It is so satisfying seeing Max so overcome with his feelings that you can tangibly see it in his body language and hear it in his voice. We have seen Max taken aback by Helen before but we have NEVER seen him like this. I keep on saying it but this is different guys. Something has shifted and it seems like Max is on the verge of exploding. His feeling are burning hot right underneath the surface and it’s a beautiful thing to behold. Last night’s episode was ripe with this type of content and Ryan was in his acting bag! It wasn’t an overtly “Sharpwin” episode but the writing and the acting is so clever and methodical, it will have you thinking otherwise. At the beginning of season 3 Max told Helen that he wants to build something better for Luna and something better for her. Was last night not a beautiful reflection of that? One question asking Max if he has ever loved a black woman put him in the shoes of his patient’s husband and had Max advocating for his wife like he would advocate for Helen if it was her! If that’s not fucking romantic I don’t know what it is and if the alarm bells aren’t going off that there is something deeper at play here with a huge payoff around the corner I don’t know what to tell you! Another moment that sticks out to me like a sore thumb is when Helen was telling Cassian that her brother died. I wrote about this in a previous meta of mind but Helen at her most vulnerable telling Cassian that she feels like she’s running out of time is SO SIGNIFICANT guys!!! It’s not only tell us that she fears that she’s missing out on the windows of opportunities for the wants and needs in her life but it literally sets the pacing of how quickly Sharpwin is going to progress. It is the beautiful freudian slip that tells us exactly where things are headed for these two. To me this is equivalent to Max telling Helen “I love my doctor” and “what if I want you?” in season 1. This episode had no interaction between Max and Helen but it was a MASSIVE Sharpwin indicator through and through! These are just a couple of examples but even their respective journeys in parenting is so Sharpwin driven. So in all I’m not mad in the direction the show has taken to showcase their relationship this season because Sharpwin is deeply interwoven in the storyline this year even if it’s not overtly obvious through emotional dialogue/ interactions. 

Also, one thing you have to realize is this, season three is wrapping up a lot of loose ends from season 2 and when it comes to Max and Helen these two points will be/ have to be addressed in the next six episodes.

The Almost Kiss

Whether or Not They Want To Be Together

The showrunners know without a shadow of doubt that the resolution for these two points is owed! If Sharpwin is talking about their almost kiss, there is no way that they aren’t talking about what they mean to each other and what their future looks like together. Both solutions literally go hand in hand and I promise you they are not delaying the resolution for that till season 4. It’s not happening fam. We will see this play out within the next six episodes. So in hindsight, more Sharpwin interaction are on the horizon. 

When I was making predictions about this season I wasn’t aware that this season would only be 14 episodes. I’m sad that season 3 is so short but that still doesn’t change my mind for where I think the story is going. Call me crazy but I’m sticking to my guns. There is something about how Ryan is portraying Max that is signaling something huge. Also I just trust the context clues that i believe the show is giving. I trust it! Anyway y’all! If you have any sharpwin question just DM here or message me on Twitter! my username is @oyindaodewale. 

Love you guys! ❤️

#sharpwin #new amsterdam #max goodwin #helen sharpe #max x helen #sharpwin meta #new amsterdam meta

[joshjacksons]

Joshua Jackson interview with “Irish Independent”

It was during a childhood visit to his granny’s house in Dublin’s Ballyfermot that Joshua Jackson smoked his first cigarette.

“My memories of those visits to Ballyfermot are quite sweet really,” the Dawson’s Creek actor recalls. “I was always running around with the neighbourhood kids, getting into trouble. Not bad trouble, just little-kid trouble. Although, technically it’s where I smoked my first cigarette, so that in itself isn’t the sweetest memory.”

Jackson’s handsome face surges with deep laughter lines and quiet dimples at the mention of mum Fiona’s home turf. “She might prefer I’d say she was from Chapelizod”, he jokes, before proudly pinning his mum’s allegiance to “Ballyer”.

Was the young Canadian treated like a shiny, exotic object by the local kids? “I was a bit, but I became less exotic the older I got. Culturally, I was so far away from an Irish kid but in a little pack of children, everyone finds their level. It also helped that I had my own cousins, my own blood, around with us. I had that family connection so I never felt too exoticised.”

An entry on his IMDb profile suggests his late grandparents Rosemary and Patrick were opera singers in Dublin, indicating that performance runs in the genes. The actor seems unaware. “Mum tells me they used to sing to each other a lot. My grandparents lived in council housing with a little kitchen out the back, garden right outside, and they would sing to each other through the window as he was out pottering about while she was cooking.

“But he was known more as a snooker shark around Ballyfermot. And my grandmother, she was known as a sainted mother of seven.”

Having welcomed his first child, Janie, with his wife, the actor Jodie Turner-Smith, last year, it’s obvious family is paramount for 43-year-old Jackson, as he Zoom-calls from a rich hotel suite with dark wallpaper and plump cushions in the background. It stems from an evident bond with his mum, whose presence lovingly peppers our conversation. Just 16 when she left Dublin, Fiona Jackson travelled through Paris, Amsterdam and Geneva before embracing the vibrancy of London’s Swinging Sixties and ultimately making for Vancouver in her early twenties.

In an entry on her blog, she speaks of falling for “the spectacular beauty of snow-capped mountains and the Pacific Ocean” and ultimately scoring an entry-level position at a Canadian talent agency. It led to a career as a successful casting agent, working on film classics including Carnal Knowledge with Jack Nicholson and McCabe & Mrs Miller with Warren Beatty and Julie Christie.

She met and married Joshua’s father, John Carter, and the young family moved to Los Angeles. Sister Aisleagh was born shortly before John walked out on the family, leaving a profound effect.

“My father, unfortunately, was not a good father or husband and exited the scene,” the actor disclosed last year, before adding it’s something he “will never get over”.

Young infants in tow, Fiona returned to Vancouver and, having found early success in casting, helped contribute to the foundation of the burgeoning “Hollywood North” industry on the Canadian west coast.

Accompanying his mum on set, young Joshua’s interests were piqued. “She introduced me to this world and saw from a young age that I enjoyed performing in a way that kids do. She allowed me the opportunity to step into her work world, but it was also very clear that it was work.”

He appeared as an extra on MacGyver and as a child actor’s double in The Fly II, and Fiona could see her son’s talent and genuine desire to impress. So she allowed him to audition. However, permission came with strict caveats.

“I don’t think my mum would have ever put me anywhere near the entertainment industry if I didn’t have something to offer to it. And not just for myself; she’s a prideful woman and didn’t want to be embarrassed by her kid.”

Casting 1991 melodrama Crooked Hearts with ER’s Noah Wyle, Fiona gave Joshua a chance to shine. Impressing the filmmakers, the then-12-year-old secured the part, setting him not only on a path to stardom but away from the troubles of his teen years.

“My mother gave me the guard rails I needed at that time and also recognised, being a working single mum and with me a young boy, transitioning into a teenager, I needed structure in my life. I needed something that I was passionate about and had a respect for, because I was kind of a typical teenage disaster.

“I look back on those times in my life and the two parallel tracks I was running on. On the one hand, getting into all sorts of trouble and, on the other hand, my professional life, where I showed up and learned my lines and did my job in order to be respected by the adults I was around. If I hadn’t had that professional side of my life, the other side would have taken over, and Mum saw that. Who knows where I would have ended up?”

So Jackson was a full-on teen delinquent? “Yeah, I was, to a certain extent. It was relatively innocent — nobody died — but I was a teenage boy who didn’t have a father in the home, didn’t have a man to be scared of, frankly, and as a teenage boy, I think that helps. My mum had to work and she wasn’t always in the house so I learned to get into more and more trouble. I got into just enough trouble to have a good time and learn some lessons but if I hadn’t had my work life, I might have tipped over into the kind of trouble that you don’t come back from.”

Three decades in and Jackson remains one of the hardest-working, most recognisable actors in the game. Hitting pay dirt at 18 as Dawson’s Creek’s Pacey Witter — the wisecracking, teacher-bedding antithesis to James Van Der Beek’s beleaguered titular drip — the actor was a revelation: the soul and bite of a seasoned character performer in the guise of relatable poster-boy idol.

Teens swooned, so did the industry, and alongside Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams and Katie Holmes, Jackson had Hollywood at his feet.

A string of popcorn offerings followed — Cruel Intentions, Gossip, Shutter, Cursed — some quality, others derivative, with the small screen ultimately best utilising his skills. A five-season run on sci-fi series Fringe was followed by an outstanding turn on Showtime’s The Affair. Last year, he maintained a brooding presence opposite Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington in Little Fires Everywhere. And this year, he takes on arguably his darkest work yet in Dr Death.

The new miniseries is based on the non-fiction podcast of the same name, and Jackson portrays Christopher Duntsch, a former spinal surgeon who maimed 33 patients owing to gross malpractice while operating in hospitals in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Two of these patients lost their lives. Convicted in 2017, Duntsch is currently in prison and serving life imprisonment. He still maintains his innocence, with his defence arguing that he was merely a bad surgeon, not a criminal.

Exuding a simmering malevolence, the actor showcases Duntsch’s disturbing complexities and terrifying behaviour as a narcissist and sociopath with a keen insight. Did Jackson meet with Duntsch? “I wanted to, but that was going to be really difficult because he’s appealing his case and his lawyers would’ve advised against it. And as I got deeper into the materials and podcast, and got a better understanding of the man, I don’t think it would’ve helped because he still really believes he’s the victim of his own patients, and the lawyers and the legal system. I’m not sure asking a liar for the truth gets you any closer to the truth.”

When it came to the victims, Jackson wanted to maintain a respectful distance. “I didn’t need to drag them through those awful memories again and I’m always a little dubious about asking people to delve into the worst moments of their life just to satisfy my curiosity. The questions had already been asked thanks to the podcast.”

Dr Death came at the right time in the actor’s life. New baby daughter Janie offered a crucial respite from the intense, and often dark, six-month foray into Duntsch’s malignant psyche.

“Inhabiting Mr Duntsch was an ugly space to live in for six months. If I’d been coming home to an empty house every night, it would have been a pretty bleak existence. It was so much better to come back to a loving home. My one-year-old doesn’t give a damn what I was doing that day. She just wants to be loved and hugged and cuddled, and it was the perfect antidote when some days were particularly heavy.”

Recently Jackson confessed that the Dawson’s Creek cast won’t be returning for a retrospective reunion like the Friends stars did earlier this year. “If you put our mid-forties selves together on a couch now, with our creaking backs, it might shock people.”

Quizzed on an actual reboot of the drama, Joshua reckons he’s simply too old to replicate the iconic rapid exchanges of dialogue between the garrulous young characters. “We were like The West Wing for teenagers,” he laughs, referencing Aaron Sorkin’s hit political TV series, also infamous for speedy script delivery. “My 43-year-old brain couldn’t do a show at that pace. Back then, we were doing seven, 10 pages a day and, to deliver dialogue at that speed, you have to have a certain mental capacity for that, and I don’t have it anymore. That’s the real reason why we’re not doing a reunion — I’ve become too dumb to keep up with that script.”

He remains in touch with his DC co-stars, including Holmes, his one-time girlfriend of two years. There’s even a text chain. “It goes through spurts every once in a while. I’ll have a bunch of messages on it and then it’ll go dormant. We’re like college friends — there are moments we’re all in contact and then long, fallow periods as we get on with our lives.”

While maintaining a busy slate, Jackson’s overwhelming purpose continues to circle the women in his life. Turner-Smith is currently shooting a new movie with Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig, so he’s assuming full-time dad duties. It’s an equitable arrangement given the flexible needs of their individual commitments, and one he appears content with.

#joshua jackson #dr death #dawson's creek #fringe #the affair #jodie turner smith

[fantasticstoryteller]

New Amsterdam Chapter 39

Peter shifted nervously in his seat and froze at the distinctive sound of cracking knuckles. How? How did this happen? He had the freaking Spidey Sense for crying out loud!

His eyes darted around the strangely mundane office. Of course he could get out, with no issue—if he wasn’t afraid of revealing his other identity. He was going to have to do something; he didn’t think they’d just let him off with a warning.

He’d been lurking in an alley, camera around his neck, hunting for something to use against the Snipers. He’d trailed the three he’d come across in silence, so completely focused on them that he hadn’t noticed someone was behind him until his sense screeched at him mere seconds before a hand landed on his shoulder. He’d been grabbed by two nameless goons who’d bundled him up into an empty van before driving him halfway across the city to haul him out behind a building (in a surprisingly good part of town) before wrestling his camera away and leading him to this office. They’d plopped him in the chair, and here he sat—waiting.

Peter would have to be an idiot not to know where he was. There was only one person who would have goons in that territory who lived in this neighborhood. He was sitting in the home of one Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin.

The door to the small room opened and Peter jumped in surprise as the large man entered with unusual (at least until someone considered his past boxing career) grace. “Mr. Parker,” the man said calmly as he walked to the desk. Peter’s eyes were drawn to the large hand holding his camera—and making it look like nothing more than a large candy.

Peter swallowed. Fisk knew his name. He certainly couldn't use any Spiderman stunts now—at least as long as he wasn’t in immediate risk of dying. “Sir,” he said respectfully.

Kingpin nodded. He set the camera on his desk, but Peter knew better than to believe that it was safe yet. “Tell me,” said the man, “what you were doing.”

It was an order. An order that could easily get him in trouble—but there was no reason not to answer it. He was in trouble either way. “I was following the Snipers,” he confessed. The large, heavy-set man in front of him snapped his gaze up, focused on Peter. Who swallowed hard. “Sir,” he added.

“Why?”

“I want to get the police interested in them.”

One thick, sausage like finger, tapped the desk next to the camera. Peter tried not to wince every time it came down—if he tapped the camera like that he’d destroy the thing and Peter didn’t have enough money to buy a new one. “The area you were caught in,” Kingpin said, eyeing Peter with his ice blue eyes, “happens to be one that my—associates were paid to protect. So they brought you here.” The finger stilled. “Do you know why you’re still alive?” he asked darkly.

“No,” squeaked Peter nervously.

“You are still alive for two reasons. One; there is not one single shot of one of my people on this camera.”

Of course not. Peter hadn’t been looking for Kingpin, after all.

“And two, I personally feel that the Snipers are religious fanatics. I don’t approve of their vendetta against New Amsterdam’s street children.”

“Sometimes,” a husky voice behind Peter confided, “the Boss will give us plates of food to leave out.”

“I look at those children and look at my son…” Fisk shook his head. “There is a third reason.” When Peter didn’t respond, not sure of what to make of these revelations. Wilson Fisk, feared crime lord—had a soft spot for the street children? “My anniversary is coming up and I want to do something—special. Something not everyone does. And I want you to take pictures of it.”

Peter stared, eyes going wide behind his glasses. “Me?” he asked, incredulous. Why him?

“I’ve seen the pictures you take of Spiderman. The Bugle aside,” added the large man with a slight frown, “the pictures are well done. Why do you sell them to the Bugle?”

Peter risked shoving his glasses up with his wrist. “They pay me,” he said shortly.

There was an odd, crackling noise coming from the large man in front of him. After a moment of stunned silence Peter realized he was laughing. “That,” said the large man, physically composing himself, “is priceless. And true; the Bugle does pay.” Peter nodded nervously.

Those piercing eyes focused on Peter once again. “Now,” he said firmly, “I can’t let you go stalking the Snipers. They’re paying me for protection and it would be bad business. However,” he said holding up his sausage-like finger, “I can offer something else. How would you feel if I told you where to find proof of Runaways Unite’s dark secrets?”

Peter had known, from the first day they’d shown up in New Amsterdam, that Runaways Unite was up to no good. He’d done his best to protect the street children from them, even as the citizens of the city proclaimed the non-profit as a heroes for “taking care of the children.” To be able to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt—something that could show just how horrible they were—priceless.

The Kingpin nodded. “Ah. I thought you might prefer that, given your association with the street children.”

The door to the room opened again and a woman, tall (but shorter) than Kingpin, with silver streaked black hair walked in. She looked around the room and frowned before turning to Wilson. “You promised you weren’t going to bring work home,” she told him tightly.

“This isn’t work, Vanessa,” protested the large man.

Peter quickly stood up and held out his hand. “He—hello,” he stammered. “I—I’m Pe—Peter Parker.”

She looked at him. “Sing,” she ordered. When he blinked in confusion she continued, “It is physically impossible to sing and stammer at the same time. Sing.”

A little nervously, Peter complied. “Your husband is hiring me to take pictures,” he sang. It worked! He was going to have to remember that and weigh the benefits of being thought insane over being thought a loser.

“Pictures?”

Kingpin shifted nervously in his seat. “Our anniversary is coming up,” he reminded her.

Her face softened and she went over to him to kiss him on the cheek. “You big softy,” she said sweetly.

“Yes. Parker, I’ll contact you with the details,” Fisk said firmly glaring at the boy. Peter nodded, scooped his camera off the desk, and fled.

#Spider-Man #Deadpool #Spideypool

[humansofnewyork]

“For the longest time it was impossible to calm her down.  She was a baby you always had to carry.  She hated the stroller.  She hated the car seat.  She’d scream for the entire journey.  On the bus people would always stare at us.  I tried not to pay attention, but whenever somebody expressed concern, I’d immediately pick her up.  I knew that she was perfectly fine.  But I was afraid of how it seemed.  So I always gave in, and I sustained the behavior.  Toddlers are really smart, especially Fate.  So she learned that if she kept pushing, eventually she’d get her way.  It wore us down.  My husband and I were so tired.  And eventually we had to say: ‘It stops here.’  The stroller was the hardest, because the rest you don’t do in public.  I took her to the supermarket shortly after we made the decision.  And she was screaming.  I kept my calm.  I was wearing my headphones.  But after a few minutes, a woman came charging up to me.  She yanked my headphones out of my ear.  She started yelling at me.  ‘I’ve been watching you for fifteen minutes,’ she said.  ‘Why don’t you talk to her?  Why don’t you pick her up?’  Before that moment, I’d always suspected people were judging me.  But it was the first time anyone had spoken up.  And honestly, it was the moment I stopped caring about what others think.  It’s my daughter.  I know that she’s safe.  I know that she’s OK.  I’m preparing her to live.  To be a fruitful adult.  And life isn’t about getting what you want.” (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

[abundanceofsoph]

SkyFire 3: Chapter 10

I’m free as a bird when I’m flying in your cage: Nov/Dec 2017  

Word count: 3k

SkyFire 3 MASTERLIST

Please for the love of god, if you like the story just hit the reblog button. I really don’t know how to say it nicely but it’s really starting to bother me and maybe that makes me a dick but so be it.

>Instagram posts

Thankfully, after a day and a half of vocal rest, Harry was ready to go for the Manchester show and he very much dialled his performance up to 11 for his hometown crowd. Just as she had told Grimmy, Aurora stayed off social media in the days following the interview, but she heard from others that a small section of the fandom was absolutely furious with her and the social media manager that Mark had hired years ago to clear out her comment sections was working overtime to keep some of the nastier shit from her feeds. As much as Aurora herself was able to avoid it all together, she knew that a lot of her fans would be reading the comments and she wanted to keep it safe for them. Harry’s team was also working to keep his own accounts clear as well, and while they couldn’t hide from what was being said about them or Louis and Elanor, they could try to filter out the worst of it. This was the one part of celebrity that they all agreed was the worst. It was the unfortunate consequence of having such passionate fans. Ella had no such inclination to avoid the comment sections and was spending her free time picking fights with Larries and attempting to set them straight on the reality of Harry and Louis’ relationship as nothing more than brotherly love. Aurora tried to urge her to let it go, but unfortunately her best friend was feisty and easy to anger which was not a good combination with how overprotective she was about her loved ones. By the time they stepped out onto the Manchester stage, both Rori and Harry were happy to put aside the drama and focus on the music.  Things started to cool down over the following week which took them up to Glasgow and then on to Stockholm, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Milan. By the time they returned to London on the 11th, the music video for Kiwi had been live for 3 days and the fans had thankfully moved on from Aurora’s interview in exchange for raving about the new video.  

They spent the first few days relaxing at home before Rori headed to North London to meet up with Liam at the recording studio he liked to use to work on the song he had mentioned at Niall’s launch party. Aurora had spent the last few weeks listening to the demo on repeat while pouring over the sheet music Liam had emailed her. She was obsessed with the song and the two had been messaging back and forth constantly, discussing the arrangement and which parts each of them would take. Stepping back into a recording studio, even one she’d never visited before, felt like coming home after weeks on the road and her face lit up immediately as soon as she caught sight of Liam,  wrapping her arms around him in a rib crushing hug.

“Ready to jump straight in?” he asked after letting her go.

“Absolutely,” she replied excitedly before following him as he introduced her to the producer and technicians that they would be working with for the following few days.

With a full week before Harry and Rori were due to  fly to Shanghai, neither she nor Liam were on a tight schedule to finish the song. This meant that the environment in the studio was very chilled and there were many tangents and breaks taken while they worked.

“How attached are you and Lou to the lyrics?” Rori asked on their second day in the studio.

“Of course, you want to change something,” Liam laughed in a response. “Wouldn’t be you if you didn’t.”

“I’m sorry,” Rori replied with a laugh of her own. “I am who I am.”

“I know,” Liam agreed. “So, show me what you’re thinking.”

“I’ve been tossing around the pre-chorus and I was wondering if instead of what you lads have there, instead we go with this.”

I'm free as a bird When I'm flying in your cage I'm diving in deep And I'm riding with no brakes And I'm bleeding in love You're swimming in my veins You got me now

“Well fuck,” Liam replied. “Think I need to stop writing with Louis and start writing with you more often.”

“You like it?”

“Rors, I love it,” he said. “It’s way better than what we came up with. Let’s get back in the booth and record it.”

They ended up spending four days finishing the song which left Aurora with a few remaining days to catch up with Ella and also relax at home with her husband before they were thrown back into work.

xXx

The day before they were set to fly to China, Aurora headed over to Ella’s flat in Wimbledon. “I brought cake,” she yelled as she let herself into the flat with the spare key Ella had given her when Rori first moved back to London.

“Fuck yes!” Ella cheered in response, her voice carrying down the hall from the kitchen. “I’m just making us tea,” she continued as Rori made her way inside. “Get yourself comfy on the sofa and I’ll meet you in there, babe.”

Rori made herself at home in the living room, Ella’s elderly tabby cat Elliot, immediately padding over to make himself comfortable in her lap.

“You were recording with Liam this week yeah?” Ella asked as she joined Rori on the sofa, placing mugs of tea in front of them. “How was it?”

“God, it was so much fun El,” Rori sighed. “I didn’t realise how much I missed being in the studio. I mean don’t get me wrong, I love touring and I’m having an incredible time on the road, but it felt so good to be back recording again and it just has me itching to write again.”

“You should make sure to do more of it over the Christmas break then,” Ella pointed out. “Speaking of which are you going to be in New York or are you coming home for winter?”

“We’re planning a bit of both. Christmas and my birthday in New York with my dads and then we’ll come back here for February before the tour kicks off again in March. I think Gemma and Anne are going to join us for Christmas too and then when we get back Liam and I have made plans to have a writing session together. ”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Ella nodded before taking a sip of her tea. “Selfishly I’m glad you’ll be spending a decent chunk of time here. I miss you.”

“Urggh,” Rori groaned. “I miss you too. Was thinking of maybe doing something for Harry’s birthday and getting you, Lou, Liam, and Niall over to our flat for a game’s night or something. I feel like Harry could use something a little more lowkey this year after the insanity of tour.”

“Don’t feel like you need to invite me,” Ella replied awkwardly. “I mean, if you’re inviting the band over, I’m not really part of that group.”

“Oh bullshit,” Rori laughed. “They boys love you just like I do. You all get along great whenever we were all together for wedding stuff or the album launch. Why on earth would you feel like I shouldn’t invite you too?”

“Rori,” Ella sighed. “While yes, I have gotten along with yours and Harry’s friends in the past, that doesn’t mean that I run in the same circles as they do. They’re celebrities, you are a celebrity and I just think that sometimes you forget that I’m just your old friend from school. It’s two separate worlds that you live in.”

Aurora rolled her eyes in response, taking a sip of her tea while she compiled her rebuttal. “That’s such a load of shit El. They are mine and Harry’s friends and so are you. When we are away from the paparazzi, they are no different to you and me. I get that we grew up with their pictures on our bedroom walls but once you put that aside they’re just a bunch of really great guys that I think could become your close friends too if you let them in and stop freaking out around them.”

“Ok fine,” Ella agreed after a moment of silent staring between the two women. “I’ll try to get over myself and give them a chance next time we’re all in the same room. Can we change the subject now?”

“That’s all I’m asking for and absolutely we can change the subject. How’s things with Tim? Feel like we haven’t talked about him in a while.” Ella made a face and Aurora felt her heart break for her best friend. “When?” she asked softly. “What happened, love?”

“He broke it off a few weeks ago,” Ella explained. “Said he didn’t feel a spark or something.”

“I’m sorry babe, things seemed to be going so well when I left for the tour.”

“They were. At least I thought they were. We barely made it past 3 months before he gave up.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You were half a world away having the best time,” Ella replied. “If I’d told you then you would have just felt guilty for not being here.”

“And now instead I feel guilty for not even being able to be a sympathetic ear since I couldn’t provide a shoulder. How are you now?”

“I’ll be ok. I’ve been a bit down in the dumps, but I think it’s for the best. He made some good points about me not really knowing what I wanted and he’s right. I think I’m gonna swear off dating until I really figure out who I am and what I’m looking for.”

“Well if you ever want help figuring out who you are, I think I know you pretty well by now.”

“I might take you up on that offer,” Ella said with a small smile before changing topic. “Now enough moping, you said you brought cake with you? You are never going to believe the scandal that’s broken out amongst some of the girls in my Colonial History class.”

xXx

Occasionally something would happen in Aurora’s life that would give her pause and remind her how incredibly ludicrous her life had become. Standing behind her keyboard in the middle of a Victoria Secrets show in Shanghai while her husband sang and danced his heart out in front of her while literally supermodels strutted past them was one of those moments.

It was hard for her to believe that only 2 days ago she was sitting on her best friend’s sofa eating a chocolate cake from Sainsbury’s and discussing the latest high school drama playing out in Ella’s classroom. She found herself thinking about how her mother would react if she somehow had a way to travel back in time seven years and tell her about this moment and all the other life changing moments that had occurred since they parted. It was while her thoughts were caught on her mother that Harry turned, catching her eye, a mile-wide smile lighting up his face as he winked at her, causing her own smile to grow in response. No matter how strange her life had become and how much everything had changed since she was an average teenager living above a small bar, she knew that she wouldn’t change a single thing that had happened if it meant ending up here with Harry smiling at her like that.

xXx

Following the Victoria Secrets show, the band arrived in Singapore early and spent a few days exploring before their show there after which the flew on to Australia, a country that Harry had toured many times over the years with One Direction, but Aurora had never managed to visit herself. They had a week in the land Down Under, with shows in both Sydney and Melbourne and Aurora made it her mission to see as much as she could of the 2 state capitals, often dragging Harry or other members of the band along on her adventures. Given that it was the last week of November everywhere was getting into the Christmas spirit, however since it was the southern hemisphere the weather was scorching hot and the group found the combination highly entertaining, if somewhat baffling.

While in Sydney they took in the iconic sights such as Bondi beach, the Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge, as well as a day trip out to explore the Blue Mountains. In Melbourne they visited the Eureka Tower with it’s Skydeck that offered an amazing view of the city spread out beneath them. They also spent some time at the Melbourne Zoo and National Gallery of Victoria, then the day after their show at the Forum, they were taken on a drive out of the city and down along the coastal Great Ocean Road.

The tour stop in Auckland was similarly packed out with touristy opportunities where Aurora’s highlight was the art gallery Toi o Tāmaki. While the laid back vibes in both Australia and New Zealand captured Aurora’s attention, it was the week they spent in Tokyo that held Harry’s, so much so that while everyone else headed home the day after the last show, the young couple made a last minute change to their travel plans and extended their stay by an additional week to explore the city more.

Once again, Tokyo was somewhere that Harry had visited many times with the band while Aurora had never been, and he enjoyed to opportunity to show her his favourite parts. Something Aurora noticed almost immediately about Tokyo was that unlike in the US or the UK, people either didn’t recognize them when they were out and about or they did but respected their privacy and left them alone. She pointed this out to Harry on their second day wandering the city streets and he smiled back at her, agreeing that it was something he’d also noticed in a previous visit and had definitely played a role in him falling in love with the city.

They spent their days wandering the streets, ducking into quirky shops that caught their eye and just revelling in the normalcy of being together in public. As they walked, they both realized that they had never had this; a chance to be like everyone else crowding the sidewalks around them. Save for stolen moments in the early days of their relationship like their first date in Hampstead Heath or when they were able to sneak into galleries on quiet days, they’d never really been able to be themselves within a crowd. They’d always needed to wrap a scarf that little bit higher around their chins or wear a hat a little lower on their heads or glasses a little bit larger. To walk hand in hand like any other couple was freeing in a way that Rori hadn’t realized she’d been missing, and she soaked up every moment of their time in Tokyo. If only for a week she felt like she was living the life she would have had if her mother hadn’t died. If she had continued living as a normal girl from Wimbledon instead of being thrust into the spotlight, free to live her life without the scrutiny of the press and the public. Of course, it wasn’t lost on her that the man holding her hand wouldn’t be Harry in this parallel universe and for that she would happily trade in her freedom. She could accept that the price she paid to be married to Harry and be Steve and Tony’s daughter was that she would never really be allowed to have this normality, so she simply tried to make the most of their time before they flew on to New York for Christmas. They never spoke about any of this during their little vacation away from their lives but even without voicing her thoughts, Rori was certain that Harry was thinking the same thing and would willingly make the same sacrifices for the life they had built together.

xXx

Both Aurora and Harry were exhausted by the time they reached New York and were grateful to find Happy waiting for them as soon as they exited the arrivals terminal at JFK. He offered a quick hug to Rori before collecting their bags from them and leading them to the town car waiting for them. She leant against Harry in the back seat as they made the hour long drive into Manhattan. Her blinks began to lengthen as the airport shrank in the rear-view mirror and she was fast asleep before they reached Queens. Harry had to gently coax her awake once they finally reached the tower and she slowly made her way out of the car and into the elevator up to the penthouse. Tony and Steve were waiting up for their arrival and excitedly pulled their daughter into tight hugs the moment she stepped out of the elevator. It was Steve that noticed the way both Rori and Harry’s eyelids seem to droop and their gazes glazed over while Tony asked them a dozen questions about their recent adventures, and Rori was grateful when her Pops shooed them both off to bed with promises that they could catch up properly over a homecooked breakfast the next morning. They were barely conscious by the time they stripped out of their clothes and crawled into bed, however Aurora remained awake just long enough the think about how good it felt to be home.

NEXT CHAPTER

OR CONTINUE READING ON AO3                               

#skyfire fic #Husband Harry Styles #harry styles fanfiction #dad!tony #domestic fluff #iron dad #step dad steve rogers #aurora stark #harry styles #tony stark #live on tour

[ourimpavidheroine]

Okay, @peoniequeen, here are your stories.

How many people do you know moved across the world for love? 

Well, you all know about this one. I met my late wife online in late 1998 on an X-Files message board, we emailed and then called, etc. until she came to the U.S. from Finland in September of 1999 to live with me for a year. After the year was up we relocated to Finland, in part because she could not legally immigrate to the U.S. during that time as a same-sex partner (Finland was a huge fucking pain in the ass about it but eventually they let me immigrate there based on our relationship status) and in part because we thought Finland would be a better place to raise kids due to healthcare, schools, etc. When I arrived in Finland it was the first time I had even been to Europe, never mind the country I was going to live in and the airline accidently left my two dogs in Amsterdam instead of putting them on the plane to Helsinki and I spent my first moments in my new home sobbing about my dogs until the very nice airline lady called for my late wife over the loudspeaker and let her come back and take me in hand (much the way Mako takes Wu in hand, if you must know). (Don’t worry, the airline put us up in a hotel next to the airport and the dogs came on the next flight and came to us there in a taxi the airline made arrangements for. They were completely fine and in fact weren’t sure what the fuss was about.) It was kind of a big culture shock. The end.

Or worked as a college radio DJ? 

I did! I had a show on Tuesday mornings from 4-6 am that nobody listened to but about 10 loyal people. (Kind of like my blog here, come to think about it.) I played a lot of old blues and jazz stuff that I’d grown up listening to. My Dad worked part time as a DJ at a local radio station so I knew how to work all the equipment and such thanks to him. (I also had a two hour slot on Wednesday nights there in high school where I played stuff teenagers wanted to listen to and not the never ending country western that the station owner and manager wanted played 24x7.) Yes, this was in the late 80′s-early 90′s when I was at university so it was all vinyl. I still have a collection of albums that have the gold stamp on them saying they are not for sale, that they are for radio station play only! (Some of them the aforementioned station manager gave me since they were not country and he was basically going to toss them into the trash and some of them were albums that I might have gotten through less altruistic means.)

Or was a makeup assistant to Drag Queens? 

I took a stage makeup course while I was majoring in theater at University and did so well with it that the guy who gave the class asked me to come and assist him at the San Francisco opera while they were essentially painting all of the singers brown in a classic racist move that was pretty well accepted in the 90′s but, thankfully, would be extremely frowned upon now. As I was doing it I struck up a friendship with one of the chorus tenors; it turned out he was a drag queen who sometimes did performances when he wasn’t doing opera. He was a Madonna impersonator (not a very good one, sorry to say) and he wanted me to help him design his makeup for it. So I went to the club he performed at a few times to get a better feel for how drag queens worked and then hung around backstage and ended up doing some designs for some of the other queens. The pay was basically me getting to see their performances for free and getting fed afterwards at whatever was open at 4 am but God it was fun. Also, now I am the most Judgy McJudgerson of ever when it comes to drag makeup on RuPaul’s Drag Race. The end.

Or wrote a letter to their Archbishop when they were twelve and got a personal answer in return? 

I was very put out by the fact that boys could be altar boys but girls got shit (I was Catholic, in case you haven’t guessed) and I was talking about it to my Grandma one time and she told me I should write a letter to the Archbishop and ask him why. Now see, my maternal Grandmother was married to a labor union president (my grandfather was still the president when he died of a heart attack when I was 8) and she was a good old fashioned liberal rabble rouser. Like, she got arrested with nuns protesting nuclear power plants in her muumuus and Birkenstocks, okay? She wrote letters to EVERYONE. So I sat down and very carefully wrote the letter and my Grandma made a few calls and got me the address and we sent the letter. I don’t think my Grandma actually thought I’d get a letter back (it was more of a teaching moment, if that makes sense) but he did send me a letter back! He was very kind, although his answer was the usual Catholic BS. I still have the letter but it is packed away in storage so I very sadly will not be producing it at this juncture in time.

Or drove from Los Angeles to Philadelphia in a 20 year old Volvo? 

My friend from university was going to Grad School at Temple University and her parents didn’t want her to drive the entire way by herself. So I drove with her in an orange 1971 Volvo sedan. (In fact, I drove about 90% of the trip because she didn’t like driving.) The air conditioning fan died as we were driving through the Mojave Desert on the way to Vegas and I realized that if I floored it the cool air would actually move itself and so I floored it all the way through the desert and we are lucky that fucking ancient hulk of Swedish steel did not die and leave us stranded to be baked to death. We stopped in Vegas (which was not as impressive in 1992 as it is today, trust me) and found a guy who could actually fix the fan and spent the night in one of the casino hotels before continuing on. We did stop in Chicago to stay with her grandparents for two weeks (where so many elderly Jews kept responding to my last name with confusion as they assumed I was Jewish that I eventually started to do genealogy and found out that I am, indeed, Jewish on my father’s side) and also we saw the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer film in Des Moines and went to a cowboy bar in Cheyenne (I learned how to line dance and my friend got completely trashed and I had to practically carry her back to the hotel) and many other adventures until we finally arrived in Philly and her parents flew me back to California. It was a great road trip and short of the reeeaaaally sketchy and filthy motel room in Salt Lake City that had both a half-empty Chinese takeout box and a soiled condom under the bed we had a grand time.

Or was part of a thruple? 

I have been part of two thruples. Well. Sort of. One thruple and one wanna be thruple. The first one, with my first husband and my girlfriend was a huge mistake from the get-go. (Oh god, she was so hot and the sex was so fucking good but she was really an awful person and my ex kept trying to control the entire thing and basically forced her into living with us instead of being just my girlfriend with benefits and the entire thing blew up and while it wasn’t the reason why I divorced him it didn’t help either.) The second one was with my late wife and our mutual boyfriend and it worked very well but he had a little boy from a former relationship and his son got very ill and died and he didn’t handle it at all and he disappeared out of our lives. It’s been 20 years, give or take, since I’ve talked to him. He asked us to no longer contact him and I’ve always respected that. And before you ask, he knows where I live and my email address is the same as it was all those years ago. If he wanted to find me it would be very easy for him to do so. He clearly doesn’t and I respect that. I wish him love and peace, wherever he is. I miss him still.

Or beat up the drunk lady in the hallway to get back a little girl’s keys?

Ah, I’ll tell this one tomorrow.

#impavid storytime #long post #do you guys really find these interesting? #I'm not fishing for compliments #I honestly never think of myself as being that exciting

[lochrannn]

AU_gust: Let me play among the stars

Read on AO3

Prompt no 17: Wings

Relationships: Lila Pitts & Allison Hargreeves, minor Lila Pitts/Diego Hargreeves

Characters: Lila Pitts, Allison Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves

-

AN: So, you may have noticed that David Castañeda can’t wink and I’ve checked, canonically neither can Diego, so this comes up.

-

It’s half eleven in the morning at the Schiphol Hilton hotel bar and the staff have apparently taken pity on Lila and Allison and have not queried why they decided to drink Scotch before midday.

Lila took on her very first flight as first officer to Captain Allison Chestnut only about eleven hours ago and yet she feels like it has been a life altering experience. Or at the very least, after hundreds of hours of flight training, this trip has been the weirdest thing that has ever happened to her and in hindsight she thinks she was desperately ill prepared to contend with either members of the public or the fucking airline crew itself.

 Roughly 11 hours earlier

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Allison Chestnut, I’ll be your captain for our overnight flight. With us today is First Officer Lila Pitts. We’re expecting clear skies ahead and with some tail winds we are hoping to arrive in Amsterdam about thirty minutes ahead of schedule. Once we’ve fully ascended, our cruising altitude will be approximately thirty five thousand feet. I wish you a very pleasant flight on board our plane and now I’d ask you to pay close attention to our cabin crew, headed up by chief flight attendant, Klaus Hargreeves, for the safety announcement.”

Allison clicks off the com and turns down the volume of the cabin announcement, and Lila can just about make out the cheerful voice of Klaus, who she only met while they were doing the final checks of the aircraft but took an instant liking to.

Lila is extremely nervous and doing everything in her power not to show that she’s intimidated by the fact that her first flight in a position of actual authority is with one of the most senior captains in the airline.

Even the relief crew seem significantly more experienced than Lila herself. At least that’s her impression with how Allison greeted the relief first officer, Vanya Cooper. The other pilot completely slipped by her, but Lila could have sworn she heard Vanya and Allison refer to him as Five. Must be some kind of nickname.

Despite her rank, Allison spends a lot of time chatting to Lila, as they don’t have that much going on once they are cruising. The other pilot tells Lila about her kid, her husband, who is apparently a professor, about her recent trips, and how much she loves the job.

She asks Lila how she came by her accent and they talk about how Lila ended up working for an American airline after effectively fleeing the UK and from a bad break-up.

Eventually Lila decides to ask about the thing that surprised her the first time she read the flight roster. “So, do you often fly with a crew where so many of the pilots are women compared to an all male cabin crew?”

“Huh, I hadn’t even thought about that,” Allison muses, then goes on, “It’s a hell of a combination of stewards, though, some of the nuttiest people working for this airline, I don’t think I’ve ever seen them all fly together. I’m sure it’s absolute mayhem back there.”

“How d’you mean?” Lila asks.

“Well, there’s Klaus, who is very good at his job, but an awful flirt and, well, he’s garnered a bit of a reputation. Then there’s Luther. Genuinely lovely guy, everybody loves working with him, but he’s just really not very good with passengers. Diego’s the complete opposite. Passengers love him, he makes a new best friend on every flight. Most people who work with him, though, think he’s kind of an asshole. Except maybe for Klaus and Ben, they seem to get on with him. Ben is actually the only one out there who I’d say is unquestionably competent, very snarky, but charming nevertheless. I’ve not flown much with Elliott, so can’t tell you much about him and I’ve never met the other guy. Axel was it?”

Lila checks the roster, nods and says, “Yupp.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll get plenty of opportunities to make up your own mind about these guys. I will say this though, I’ve seen them all in bigger and smaller crisis situations and they really do all step up then.”

Lila is grateful for the amount of information Allison is willing to share with her. She wonders if this is considered gossipy or if it’s just a necessary exchange of intel with a coworker. Either way, she thinks it’s really useful.

About three quarters into their flight time, Allison and Lila are relieved by Vanya and “Five” and when they step into the cabin the light is already dimmed in an attempt to get the passengers to settle down in a hope that they will sleep.

Just after herself and Allison get comfortable in their seats Klaus turns up in the aisle and says in a low voice to Allison, “Uh, skip, it seems we have a bit of a situation in coach and we were wondering if maybe someone with a bit more authority is just the thing we need to nip this in the bud.”

Allison pulls her sleep mask off her eyes, turns to glare at Klaus and then turns to Lila with a glint in her eyes that definitely juxtaposes the pleasant smile she directs at her and says, “Oh, I think this would be a great learning experience for our new first officer, don’t you think, Klaus?”

“Sure,” Lila says with all the confidence she doesn’t feel, gets up out of her seat and follows Klaus into the back section of the plane.

 Back at the hotel bar

“So, was this one of the weirder things to happen on a flight, or would you consider shit like this to be normal?” Lila asks Allison in a congenial tone.

“I’ve definitely seen shit that was way more crazy than this,” a far more gruff voice than she expected, answers Lila’s question, before Diego sits down on the barstool next to her.

Lila looks over at him and he does a thing with his eyes…. if she had to describe it she’d say he’d blinked at her with... intent… is that supposed to be a wink? Lila’s almost embarrassed for him, but somehow he pulls it off. If he was any less handsome, he most definitely wouldn’t have, so Lila decides simply not to dignify that nonsense with a response.

Instead she turns around to Klaus, who’s just sat down on Allison’s other side, is pushing his hair back dramatically and drawls, “Oh Schätzchen, you’ve not seen weird until you start dealing with dead bodies at forty thousand feet above sea level.”

Lila snorts into the drink she’s just brought to her lips.

 About 6 hours earlier

On their short walk Klaus gives her the cliffnotes of the issue. “This weirdo English guy keeps demanding to go into the hold because he has some apparently precious cargo to check on and we’ve been trying to keep him calm, but he’s starting to wake up the passengers around him. Diego’s talking to him now, but I don’t think they’re getting on very well.”

Up ahead Lila sees a man about Klaus’s height, with dark hair and a tight fade, leaning into one of the rows of seats and it seems like he’s talking to one of the passengers intently.

She probably shouldn’t, seeing as their coworkers, but she does notice right away that he fills his uniform out very nicely and that he’s clearly got some deliberate designer stubble going on to enhance the sharp cut of his jaw.

But Lila pulls her thoughts back to the situation at hand and the fact that she probably has never had a situation where she needed to be as professional as now.

“I don’t know what to tell you, man… Even if you have the queen of England in a crate down in the hold, we just can’t let you go down there mid flight!” the steward, who Lila assumes must be Diego, explains to a man with grey hair, a tidy Van Dyke mustache, and… Christ, how pretentious can one guy be? … a monocle, sitting in the seat by the window.

She takes a deep breath and walks up to the commotion.

“What seems to be the problem here, gentlemen?” Lila asks as calmly as possible.

Diego opens his mouth, presumably to explain what’s going on, but he’s interrupted by monocle guy, who says in a clipped accent that reminds Lila uncomfortably of one of her old headmasters, “Ah, finally someone with some seniority. I am entirely exhausted trying to explain to this imbecile that I have important scientific business to take care of in the hull of this aeroplane. Young lady, would you do me the favour of providing me with access to my work?”

Lila ignores the scowl that comes across Diego’s face and instead says, again calmly, though she’s quickly understanding why the stewards have reached the end of their patience, “First officer Pitts, please.”

“Apologies, madame!” the pushy passenger shoots back, and Lila is annoyed by his lack of sincere contrition, but at least Diego sniggered next to her as she pulled rank, so that’s something.

“I am really sorry, Sir, we just cannot let you go down there, but may I ask what’s so important, you’d risk decompression in the cabin, endangering all of your fellow passengers?” Lila uses her poshest voice, hoping that she’ll appeal to this guy that way, and she really hopes she’s not veered into parody. At least her fellow stewards wouldn’t be able to tell.

“Says he’s got a sedated monkey in a crate,” Diego drawls before the passenger can answer and earns himself a withering stare by the grey-haired man.

“It’s a chimpanzee, you nimrod!” monocle guy spits at him and Lila ignores the way Klaus’s hand lands on Diego’s shoulder as he twitches forward.

Instead she addresses the passenger again, “I’m sure all the necessary precautions were taken to keep your chimpanzee comfortable and safe on this flight and I have to urge you to calm down. There is absolutely no way we can allow for you to go into the hold and I must point out that you’re beginning to upset the other passenger.”

“This is ridiculous!” the man exclaims and then completely surprises Lila by getting up abruptly, pushing past her and Klaus and making his way swiftly along the aisle towards the front of the plane.

That’s when things go bananas, because before either herself or Klaus can respond, Diego has launched himself past them and after the monocle guy, rugby tackles him to the ground, and to Lila’s complete horror, a huge, blond man in a steward’s uniform appears at the other end of the aisle to help Diego wrestle the unruly passenger into the middle section of the plane, where they swiftly draw the curtains so the passengers near them, who’ve been roused by the commotion, can’t see what’s going on.

 After two more rounds at the Schiphol Hilton hotel bar

“... so we had to get the fire crew to bring on a wheelchair so we could weekend-at-bernie’s that mofo and get his corpse off the plane before the other passengers even found out that anyone had died.” Klaus finishes his tale.

“Jesus,” Lila breathes. Allison just shrugs her shoulders.

“Right, Tom Bradey over there and I have to get going. You see, Lila, cabin crew don’t get the same amount of rest time during turnaround as the VIP do. That’s what I call the Very Important Pilots, ya know,” Klaus says and winks at her, then gives Allison a quick hug before he walks away.

The two women turn to Diego and he suddenly hesitates. Then he says, “See you around, I guess,” and taps the bar top with his fingers before he also heads away.

“Huh,” Allison says, a bit bemused, but then Lila notices that Diego wasn’t tapping just the surface of the bar but had actually shoved his cocktail napkin towards her. She picks it up and realises that he’s scribbled something on it. It reads ‘come say hi’ and then what she presumes must be a room number underneath.

“I thought you said Klaus was the one with the reputation,” Lila says, her mouth’s gone a bit dry as she turns around to Allison to show her the napkin.

“Huh! Never thought that grumpy asshole had it in him.” Allison intones almost more to herself. “You must have really impressed him,” she says to Lila then, with a bit of a laugh in her voice.

“Mmmh, but I mean, obviously I can’t go up there... right?” Lila says hesitantly, not quite sure she knows how she wants Allison to respond.

“I mean, obviously I’m a married woman, so maybe I’m the wrong person to ask, but I can only tell you it happens all the time, so I’d say go for it,” Allison offers with a shrug.

“Nah, I really shouldn’t, but I do think I'll also head to bed now. It was really nice flying with you Allison, even if things got a bit weird.” Lila says to Allison with a smile and a wave.

“Yeah, was great flying with you, too. I’m sure we’ll have many more opportunities to do so!” Allison responds as Lila starts walking away.

Then Lila stops, pivots on her heels, picks up the napkin and then whines a “shut uuuup!” at Allison when the other woman bursts out laughing.

#otp: just be gentle #lila pitts #diego hargreeves #dielila #diego x lila #diego/lila #tua #the umbrella academy #allison hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #david castañeda #lochrannn lxd au challenge

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

“Berliner Fernsehturm” * Foto: BernardoUPloud

After her marriage with Frank Randall has failed and Claire Beauchamp flees from her violent husband, she finds refuge in the house of the Fraser/Murray family in Berlin-Wilhelmshorst. But then tensions arise between Britain (which has since left the EU) and some EU member states. All holders of an English passport are required to leave EU territory within six weeks … and suddenly Claire’s fate looks more uncertain than ever.

This story was written for the #14DaysofOutlander event, hosted by @scotsmanandsassenach​

Chapter 11: 14 Men (7)

     "I hope you know that you are very welcome, not only because you are giving us this information or as a medical professional, but as a human being. And I hope you'll be able to settle in."

    Claire nodded. Then she reached out her hand and put it on the old man's right hand.

    "Thank you, Mr. Groide. I appreciate it."

    "You can call me Ferdinand, if you like."

    "Sure, Ferdinand, I'm Claire."

    "Thanks, Claire."

    "Well, after that eventful work meeting, let's have a nice drink, shall we? How about a whisky?"

    Jamie looked at them expectantly.

    Claire nodded.

    "I'd love one."

    Groide shook his head.

    "Jamie, you know I don't drink that stuff. I'll have a vodka, please."

    "You see Claire," said Jamie with an ironic undertone, "you might as well learn something about the Germans here. When it comes to alcohol, they have no taste."

    He handed her a glass of whisky.

    "He's right, Claire. And remember one more thing: We have absolutely no sense of humor either."

    The men began to giggle and Jamie had to stop for a moment before he handed the glass of vodka to Groide.

    "You may say what you usually say about my taste in alcohol, Jamie," Groide then said jokingly.

    Jamie looked at Claire with a grin.

    "He spent too much time with Russians, they spoiled his taste."

    "Sa sdarovje!" was all Groide would answer. Then he turned to Claire again:

    "You said earlier that you intend to ask for a divorce from your husband?"

    "Yes, I do. I hope it's also possible from here."

    Groide looked at her thoughtfully.

    "Do you object to Claire's request, Ferdinand?"

    "No, I understand the request very well. I'm just worried it might put MI5 on to you, Jamie."

    A mild shock drove Claire through and she nearly choked on the whisky she'd just taken.

“Whisky” by PublicDomainPictures

        "I think there's a way we can avoid this. Ever since Claire spoke of filing for divorce, I've been thinking about who could help her."

        "Well? Who did you have in mind?" Groide asked.

        "I have come to the conclusion that I would recommend the service of Stephanie Svart to her," Jamie replied and turned to Claire.

        "She is an excellent specialist family law attorney and the law firm she works for has offices in several Western European countries. I don't know 100%, but I would be very much mistaken if they didn't also have cooperation with American law firms. They could try to do it through their Amsterdam office ... That would move the focus away from Berlin and into one of the countries that is currently in a very tense relationship with the UK ... I don't think they would send anyone there because of the marital disputes of an MI5 employee like Randall. If you add to that the fact that Claire fears repression from her violent husband, you don't even have to give a home address. You can use the address at the law firm."

        Groide nodded smiling and held his empty glass out to Jamie.

        "Well thought out."

        "Who is this lawyer?" Claire asked.

        "We've known her a long time. My Uncle Jared had a girlfriend here in Berlin, or rather, a fiancée. Her name is Violetta Chambeau. They were supposed to get married, but then my uncle's illness came along and his death ... But 'Aunt Vio' is still family. She's the one trough whom my uncle met Stephanie Svart. They both studied at the same university. Mrs. Svart is a specialist in family and inheritance law. We trust her, and if you don't mind, then..."

        "Well, I don't know any lawyers here, and if she's trustworthy... no, I don't mind if you make contact."

        "I've already made an appointment with her, just in case. We could meet her tomorrow morning."

        Claire nodded.

        "The sooner I get this over with, the better."

        She reached for her whisky and took a big sip.

        "What do you think, Ferdinand?"

        "I think it's a good idea."

        Suddenly, there was a knock at the library door. Jamie shouted, "Come in!" and Helene Ballin appeared.

        "Mr. Groide, out of your jacket in the hall there comes the sound of a bell. I assume it's your smartphone?"

        Groide jumped up and hurried out of the room.

“Smartphone” by niekverlaan

        About ten minutes later, he came back.

        "Excuse me, but this call was important."

        The old man sat down, then he looked at Jamie with a serious look:

        "A Carl from Boston called the office at ‘In Vino Veritas’ and asked to speak to you..."

        Now Jamie and Claire looked at him in shock.

        "I've convinced him that I'm a good friend of yours and that he can talk to me too."

        "What did he say?" Jamie asked, his voice giving way his tension.

        "He said a man named Randall called the hotel limo service and asked for a specific car..."

        Claire's face changed color in one fell swoop. Completely pale and with eyes filled with fear she looked at Jamie. The mention of Randall's name, and even more so the fact that he was obviously picking up her trail, had brought fear back into her life within seconds.

        "What happened? What did he say?" Jamie asked.

        "They put Randall's call through to Carl because they knew he was your driver. Carl told Randall, that he drove you to his home, as Randall already knew, and then to the Boston mariana.”

        Jamie and Claire looked at each other first and then at Groide.

        "The marina?" Claire asked incredulously.

        "Yes, Carl felt that it was none of this man's business where he took you. He didn’t know him and he felt his passengers had a right to discretion. That's why he told Randall that he drove you to the quay next to the ‘Yacht Haven Inn & Mariana’. There, he said, you boarded a large yacht. This yacht arrived at the quay at the same time as the limousine and left immediately after both of you went on board. Randall asked him if he had seen the name of the yacht or if he could remember the flag. Carl replied that he had not paid attention to it. But he assumed that it was a private yacht.

        Claire closed her eyes. Her body relaxed, if only slowly. Jamie smiled. Groide remained silent for a few moments. He knew that the two people sitting in front of him would have to digest this shock first. Then Jamie stood up and filled the glasses with whisky and vodka again. After they had drunk in silence, Groide resumed the conversation:

        "Well, that went well once again. At least that's how it looks at the moment. But it's not impossible that Randall recognized you, Jamie. So, for the time being, you won't be taking any assignments outside of Europe... who do you suggest as a replacement?"

        "The best man we have. My adopted son."

        "When will he be ready?"

        "I'll call him in the morning and get back to you first thing."

        "Well, I hope he agrees to take over your duties."

“Tür” by CJ

         When Claire and Jamie got off the elevator an hour later and walked down the hall to their rooms, she asked, whispering:

        "Does your comment about Ferdinand's relationship with the Russians have any deeper meaning?"

        "You mean, if Ferdinand really was involved with Russians?"

        "Hm hm."

        "I don't know, it's a joke between us. Ever since I first met him, I've tried drinking whisky with him. But he always refused, and so far he's stuck to vodka. But I wouldn't be surprised if he had dealings with Russians as part of his service. As far as I know, he came to Berlin to study. That must have been a little over 40 years ago. So it was still the Cold War period."

        They had stopped at the door of Claire's room.

        "Don't worry, Jamie, I'm not here to question you."

        "Oh, I don't think that's top secret information."

        He looked at her and his eyes got caught on her dress.

        "Claire..."

        "Yeah?"

        "What you did tonight... it was remarkable. So much acumen, intelligence. It will have... certainly... taken a lot of strength from you. And tomorrow will be no less exhausting... will you be able to sleep? Is there anything else I can do for you?”

        "Thank you, but I think I’m fine.”

        "If there's anything else... I'll be right here.”

        He pointed to the door of his room.

        "I'll leave the phone on, just in case.”

        "Thanks, Jamie. You're very kind. Good night."

        "Good night, Claire."

        She opened the door and entered her room. When she had closed the door behind her, she held her hand on the door leaf for a moment, as if she could still maintain contact with Jamie in this way. This man touched something inside her. Something that was buried deep under years of neglect, harshness and unkindness that she had experienced through Frank Randall. For the first time since the death of her Uncle Lambert, she felt that someone else really cared about her. Claire went to her bed, pulled out her pyjamas from under her pillow and changed. Then she went to the small desk that stood under one of the windows and turned on the small lamp that was placed  at the right side. From one of her suitcases she took a diary. She sat down at the desk and began to make notes about the evening and about the conversation with Ferdinand Groide. An hour later, Claire closed the book and put it back into the suitcase. She sat down on the bed and reached for her handbag, which she had left on the nightstand. Claire opened it and pulled a zipper attached to the lining. Another zipper was attached to the bottom of this inner bag. When one opened it, you entered a compartment that was hidden in the bottom of the handbag and not visible from the outside. Claire reached into this compartment and then looked thoughtfully at the six silver USB flash drives on her hand. What had Frank once said? You can't let all your cards go at once. She had agreed with Frank only on a few things, but on this point she had to agree with him. Slowly she put the USB flash drives back and closed the handbag. After she had freshened up a bit in the bathroom and put a big glass of mineral water on the bedside table, she lay down and turned off the light. Claire looked up at the ridge of the roof. Through the glass she could see the night sky. She wondered if Jamie was now lying in his bed and looking up there as well. With this thought she fell asleep.

#14DaysofOutlander #Outlander #Outlander Fan Fiction #From Boston to Berlin in 14 Hours #Jamie Fraser #Claire Beauchamp #Ian Murray #Jenny Murray #Frank Randall #Boston #Berlin #Germany #Modern AU

[imagining-supernatural]

The First Appointment

Part 5 of Seventy Percent

Series Summary: When you left on your trip to Vegas, you’d planned on letting loose for one last weekend before heading back to reality and getting your affairs in order so your best friend wouldn’t be left cleaning up your mess when your cancer finally ended your life. What you hadn’t counted on was waking up married to a celebrity who has a knight-in-shining-armor complex, connections with an oncologist, and amazing insurance…

Chapter Summary: You meet with Sebastian’s oncologist friend in New York

Word Count: 1973

Why the hell were you nervous? This was just another doctor about to say the same words you’d been replaying in your mind for the last few weeks.

But you were nervous. Maybe it was just because you flew into New York City today. You’d never been, and your first stop, after a brief detour to drop off your bags at Sebastian’s apartment, was the New Amsterdam hospital.

You were in New York City.

The Big Apple

A city full of history and life.

You had only a few months left to live, and you were spending your first day in New York City in a fucking hospital, wringing your hands in your lap.

This was a huge mistake. You never should have agreed to this. You should have insisted you go through with the annulment and parted ways in Vegas.

“I had your files sent over from your doctor back in Salt Lake,” Dr. Helen Sharpe said in her British accent. Her eyes flickered to Sebastian, who was seated next to you.

“Boring read, huh?” Joking was a stupid way to try and calm your nerves, but it was the only tool you had at the moment.

She gave you a smile before continuing. “Based on the screenings and tests, I have to say I agree with your prognosis that, if untreated, you’d be lucky to see a year. And out of the treatment options available to you at the moment, I also agree that the best treatment plan only yields a twenty percent chance of shrinking the tumor enough to operate.”

“And then there’s the surgery,” you cut in, voice surprisingly steady. “Which is dangerous and risky because of where the tumor is located. I know.”

You really wanted to give Sebastian an I told you so look, but found that you couldn’t. He’d gotten under your skin and given you hope that maybe his oncologist friend was a miracle worker.

“That is all true. However, I would like to run a series of tests to get current data.”

“Curious to see how big the tumor’s gotten?” Your tone was bitter. “To see if the cancer’s spread?” You were already closing off. Pushing away.

“There are a few clinical studies that are just beginning.” She ignored your juvenile questions. “I have one in mind that I want to see if you qualify for.”

Shaking your head ruefully, you apologized for your earlier words. “I’m sorry, I just…”

Dr. Sharpe leaned forward and trained her eyes right on yours. “I understand. Cancer takes a toll on people. You do seem to be handling everything remarkably well.”

“I didn’t always. But I’ve made my peace. And I’m sorry, but I don’t think the tests are a good idea. I don’t think I’d want to spend my last few months in a clinical trial that just started. Maybe if I’d come here before… but I won’t be able to, uh, put my all into it anymore. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, treatment is, like, seventy percent mental state and optimism.”

She regarded you, and you held her gaze as a way to avoid looking at Sebastian.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” she started slowly, “why did you come here, then?”

Why did you? Even if she had seen something different in your file and found a treatment plan that gave you a 50/50 shot, you probably wouldn’t have taken it.

“I don’t know. All I know is yesterday was the weirdest day I’ve ever had, and Sebastian,” you looked over at him, caught in his eyes. “Sebastian wouldn’t take no for an answer. I don’t know, I guess I thought that hearing it from you,” now you looked back to Dr. Sharpe, “would make him accept the reality. And if you had something different to say, I—” Your eyes dropped to your lap. “I guess that I also kinda hoped there was room for a miracle in my life.”

“You’ll never know if you could have had that miracle if you don’t let me run some tests.”

“You said you’d try,” Sebastian broke in quietly, speaking for the first time. When you still didn’t look at him, he reached across the distance to grab your hand. “What can it hurt, Y/N? You’re already here. Explore all of the options.”

Were you being unreasonably stubborn? This was your life. Your choice.

But maybe you could live. What if you were giving up too soon? Too easily? What if you were going too gently into that good night?

“Look, Y/N,” Sebastian kept speaking, thumb rubbing over your knuckles. “Yesterday, you said you played the odds. Well, what are the odds of any of this happening? In what world would you imagine sitting next to me, your husband, in a hospital in New York City with Dr. Helen? You’ve played some odds, sure. Play these ones too.”

“Okay,” you whispered without hesitation. He was right. “I’ll get the tests. I’ll try and have a more open mind when you get the results.”

With a single nod, she said, “That’s all we can ask.”

“Are those tests always like that?” Sebastian asked when you walked out of the hospital in the early afternoon.

“Oh hell no. That many tests usually take a few days. Normally you have to get in line to schedule time in each room and sometimes the only time available for one room is the only time available for another room so you have to juggle and figure out which test you can get into sooner on another day.”

“Don’t the doctors take care of that?”

“Yeah, but I’m a hands-on person. I like to know how things work. It’s why I’m in data security. I have to know how things work so I know how to protect them. I have to know how hackers think so I know how to guard against them. Which is why I have absolutely no idea how we wound up in this mess.” Now that you were on the streets of New York, you knew that you had to watch what you said. “I research everything. I overthink everything. And I guess I let loose in Vegas a hell of a lot more than I intended to.”

He grinned and threw his arm around your shoulders to steer you through the crowds. “When you went back to your hotel room last night, did you research me?”

With a scoff, you elbowed him. “Don’t flatter yourself. I researched Dr. Helen Sharpe. If she convinces me to try another treatment plan, then I guess I’ll have to research you.”

“If I research you, what would come up?”

“Um… not much.” Your skin prickled with the thought. “Grew up in small town Wyoming, so you’d probably have to dig deep to find, like, a newspaper article saying I was on the honors role in high school, or something. I think when I was, like, three years old I had a picture in the newspaper. One of those feel-good stories about a warm summer day at the splash park. Small towns. Not much happening.” God you hoped he didn’t Google you. The articles that came up didn’t paint you in a good light.

And honestly those articles didn’t even have half the facts right. If they did, you’d probably be in jail alongside your sister.

“And now? Helen said your doctor is in Salt Lake?”

“Yeah. I went to college in Utah. Anything to get out of Wyoming, even just by an hour or two. And I got a good job, so I stuck around. I like the mountains.”

“What about Facebook? Twitter? Would I find anything on there?”

By now you’d been walking for a good five minutes with seemingly no destination in mind. Not that you minded. It had been a while since you’d done something without a purpose.

“You do know I work for a data security company, right? So, like, I’ve hidden my social media profiles from Google and basic searches. I’ve made them as private as possible.”

“Trying to hide something?”

You stopped walking and turned at his teasing. With a smirk of your own, you looked at him. “Seb, you cheated getting my last name by looking at that certificate. I’ll be damned if I give you any other secrets that easily.”

You were a few steps away before Sebastian called after you, stepping quickly to catch up. “How the hell is a last name supposed to be a secret?”

“Well, on a social security card there are only three pieces of identifying information. Your social, your first name, and your last name. You have two of the three. That’s already too much.”

His laugh felt like a victory, but then he got suddenly silent and you had no idea how to take that. “So you don’t have a middle name?”

“What?”

“If you had a middle name, you would have said there were four pieces of information on your social. But you didn’t.” His taunting, victorious grin annoyed you.

After a glare, you walked faster.

“So, Y/N no-middle-name Y/L/N. What should we do with the rest of our day?”

Immediately you wanted to insist that he not let you take over his entire day, but something told you that he wouldn’t go along with that. You wanted to insist that he let you get a hotel room, but you’d already had that discussion and knew he wouldn’t want you to waste your money when he had a perfectly good guest bedroom.

So, with a sigh, you gave in. “Something easy. I get tired quickly nowadays.”

He took that confession in stride and nodded thoughtfully. “Alright. Something easy… let’s see. Broadway? You ever been to Broadway? We can catch a show. Take the Ellis Island Ferry. Carriage ride through a park.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Look, I’ve never been here before so—”

“What? That’s insane!”

“And everything I want to do in New York kind of requires a lot of walking. Like the MET. The Museum of Natural History. Wandering around. So I’m trusting you today. You pick. Though Broadway sounds wonderful. I love musicals.”

As he processed your words and started planning, you pulled him over to a bench. Figured now was as good a time as any to answer the texts Jasmin had been sending you since you texted her about your change of plans with absolutely no explanation.

Y/N: Sorry for the sudden change of plans. I promise I’ll explain everything tomorrow night. Things are super crazy right now

Almost immediately she replied.

Jasmin: This just isn’t like you. I’m worried is all

Y/N: I know. I promise I’m fine though. Swear on Lulu’s life

“Who’s Lulu?”

“Are you reading my texts over my shoulder?”

He didn’t look the least bit guilty. “I’m cheating. Trying to learn more about you.”

And you supposed that he wanted to make sure you weren’t spilling the beans anywhere. With a career like his, you’d make sure the people around you could be trusted as well.

So you gave him a little bit more. “Jasmin is my best friend. When we were in middle school, we snuck a stray cat into her bathroom and tried to keep it a secret from her parents. They found out soon enough, but kept the cat anyway. We loved that cat; Lulu.”

Jasmin: You best not have run away with some super hot guy and aren’t telling me. I’ll kick your ass

“She’s good.”

You laughed. “Yesterday, after breakfast when I was talking to her, she made a joke that was something along the lines of at least you didn’t marry your one night stand.”

“Sounds like she’s psychic.”

“Claims her aunt is, actually.”

Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head. “So, what Broadway play sounds best to you?”

What do you think the results will be??

PART 6: THE DECISION

#sebastianxreader #sebastian stan x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #sebastian x reader #marvel fanfic #mcu

[humans-of-amsterdam]

"Right before departure, I was separated from my family and taken off the train at Amsterdam Central Station. They took me to a children's home. I was only two years old, so I don't have a lot of memories. I do remember that every time someone rang the door, I had to hide in the basement. When the war ended, I went from one foster family to another. I have lived in over 27 different foster homes. It was not a secure upbringing. When I nine, I discovered ballet. A few years later, I got accepted into a dance company. I've been told that dancing is for prostitutes, but I never cared. I always said, 'if dancing is for prostitutes, then I'm a prostitute.' Dancing became a way for me to express my emotions. I met my ex-husband when I was eighteen, and we had two children. I became a dance teacher. Even though life continued, I never stopped having questions about my past, what exactly happened to my parents, and what my life was like in the children's home. Since my family was Jewish, I have always assumed they got deported to the death camps, but it was never confirmed. When there is nobody to verify your story, you sometimes doubt if it really happened. I have never been able to find anything about my past until twelve years ago. I was at my foster mother's house when my then-boyfriend called and said there's an article in the paper about the children's home. I picked up the paper and saw multiple photos of emaciated children. Amongst those children, I saw a little girl. It was me. Someone had found a box of files and pictures at the garbage and brought it to a journalist. Amongst those files, statements were detailing the abuse, neglect, and mistreatment that took place in the children's home. I remember I was shaking reading the article. It was painful and confronting, but at the same time, it felt like recognition. For the first time, I could say this is not a story that I made up. This really happened."

[maylovexhs]

everytime - THE LUCKY ONE (Chp. 25)

Author’s Note: You better work! (Covergirl!) Work it girl, do a twirl. . . You’ll get it later. Anyways happy ten years of 1D. As promised, here’s another chapter of everytime. -May 

Catch up on everytime here

August 25th, 2019.

I wanna hold 'em like they do in Texas, please

Fold 'em, let 'em hit me,

Raise it, baby, stay with me

I love it

I swayed my foot, listening to the song as I looked out the car window at the countryside.

Love game intuition, play the cards with spades to start

And after he's been hooked, I'll play the one that's on his heart

I felt Lisa poke my shoulder. I took out one of my airpods, turning my head to her.

"Huh?" I asked her.

"I got you an interview with one of Amsterdam's radio stations" Lisa said.

I turned my head back to the window, watching the weeds sway in the wind. We were driving to my Vogue photoshoot in Italy. Lisa especially flew out for it. To her and Adrian, Italy's vogue were notorious for experimenting more with shoots, being more controversial than the US' Vogue. Looking at some of its latest covers, I had to agree. As much as I felt excited for it, I felt something was wrong. Like I was missing something, or someone.  

"You did?" I asked Lisa, not surprised. "When?"

"Next Wednesday" Lisa said. "In the morning. It would be good press for your upcoming show there"

"Don't you think I get enough press already?" I asked her.

"Which is why we should appericate it while we could" Lisa said. "It's always been that way"

I took out both airpods, sighing. I put them in my case, throwing them in my bag.

"What's wrong with you?" Lisa asked me.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"You didn't say anything to me since we left the hotel and you're acting moody" Lisa pointed out. "Are you on your period?"

"Last day" I told her. "But that's not it"

I looked outside the window again. The field of weeds reminded me of home. There would be miles of weeds whenever I drove somewhere back home.

"I think I miss home" I said, looking back to Lisa.

"You do?" Lisa asked. "Or you miss the people at home?"

"You know what I mean" I told her. "I love touring but doing night after night, sometimes I need more than a two day break. I like going out not having anything planned for tomorrow. I really can't enjoy the moment when I know I have to leave it soon"

"Well, you toured before" Lisa said. "You knew what you were getting yourself into"

"Knew you were going to say that" I commented.

I crossed my arms, feeling somewhat frustrated.

I was just homesick. I was homesick before but never this early on tour. I just started tour less than a month ago. I expected I would miss home later than sooner, considering how I've always craved space for myself. I guess that part of me changed.

"Maybe I should fly Ali out" I said. "Or Jessie. Or Jie Lin"

"Maybe you should" Lisa said. "If Jessie wants to leave her husband for a week and if Ali wants to quit her job"

I bit my lip, feeling my hands were tied.

"I still have Jie Lin" I told Lisa.

I looked at window, seeing we were turning into a trailer park.

"We're here" Lisa said.

"Trailers? Adrian didn't say anything about trailers to me" I said to Lisa. "Did you tell him?"

"And hear Adrian's wrath about mosquitoes and the heat?" Lisa asked as if it was an answer. "Nope"

The driver stopped the car for us. Lisa got out of the car first, slamming her door shut.

"Grazie" I said to the driver as I got out of the car.

I shut the car door and looked at the set. There had to be more than one hundred people here, strange for a photoshoot. Lisa started to walk through the set as the car we were just in drove away. I followed her. A woman quickly approached us.

"Y/N" She said in an Italian accent, pointing at me.

"Yup" I said, nodding. "The Y/N"

"Follow me" The woman said, walking past us.

I shrugged to Lisa before walking after the woman. She led us to a trailer. A paper was hung on the trailer's door, my face and name on the paper.

"Grazie" I said to the woman.

She nodded to me, leaving. Lisa opened the trailer door, stepping inside. I followed her inside.

It was an average trailer, the same I've seen on movie sets. The only difference was there was a vanity table and a rack of clothes. Adrian was already sitting in the trailer, along with a blue haired woman, a blonde woman and a man.  

"Ugh" Adrian complained. "Finally arrived"

"We're right on time" Lisa said.

"Didn't you always used to say 'early's on time, on time is late and late is unacceptable?'" Adrian asked her.

"We're on time" Lisa said in a deadpan tone.

"Thanks for telling me about the trailer park" Adrian said with complete sarcasm. "Really love the weather outside"

"Enough Adrian" I told him, looking towards the two women and the man. "You must be-"

"Marinette" The blue haired woman said in a french accent, introducing herself. "Your stylist for today."

"Nice to meet you, Marinette" I said to her.

"Call me Mari" She said.

"Oh, okay" I said, nodding. "Mari"

"This is Ralph and Celine" Marinette said, pointing to the man and the blonde woman.

"Hair stylist" Ralph said in an Italian accent.

'Makeup" Celine said.

"Happy to work with you both today" I said, shaking their hands.

"I've already talked to Mari about what you would like" Adrian said. "Everything she picked has been approved by me"

I smiled at Marinette. I placed my bag on the trailer's couch.

"Can I see?" I asked Marinette.

Marinette walked over to the rack of clothes as did I. I looked through the hangers of dresses, in awe of each one. I stopped sorting through the dresses, seeing one that caught my eye. I took the hanger off the rack, holding the dress up. It was a white flowing dress with some lace black cutout on it.

"McQueen Resort 2019" Adrian said. "Had to get it when I saw it"

"I think I want to take this one back home" I said, admiring the dress.

I looked to Marinette.

"Can I wear this one?" I asked her.

"Tresses de cheveux? On pourrait rentrer sa frange" Ralph said to Marinette.

"Je pense que nous pourrions" Marinette said back to Ralph.

Lisa, Adrian and I looked to them, all of us equally confused.

"Braids" Marinette said, pointing to my hair. "For the dress"

"Okay" I said, nodding. "Braids"

"Let's start on the hair" Marinette said, gesturing me to the chair at the vanity table.

I sat down in the chair. Ralph took out my ponytail, my hair falling down on my shoulders.

"Do you want to start the interview now or later?" Lisa asked me.

"Now" I said. "Get it done while they do my hair"

Lisa and Adrian looked to each other.

"Girl, you know I'm not going outside unless I need to" Adrian said to her.

Lisa sighed. She turned around, walking out of the trailer.

"Have fun outside!" Adrian said, sarcastically.

"Shut it!" Lisa said.

Four Hours Later.

"One more photo . . ." Adrian said, dragging himself into the trailer. "One more photo and we're done with this heat and never get to see it again"

"And the less time you keep blocking me from moving, the more time we do stay here" I said, passing him in the trailer.

Marinette, Ralph and Celine came into the trailer after us. Lisa, who was inside the trailer for the remainder of the shoot, was already in the trailer. I sat down next to her, taking off the heels I was wearing.

"Your brother, Harry and Felix called you" Lisa said to me.

"How about this one?" Adrian asked me, holding up a black Gautier dress.

"If I can get into it and out of it, why-" I stopped talking and looked to Lisa. "Felix called?"

"And he left you a message" Lisa said.

"When?" I asked her. "You didn't answer?"

"Of course, I didn't answer!" Lisa said. "I didn't want anything to distract you. It was less than thirty minutes ago"

"Where's my phone?" I asked her, getting up while wearing only one heel on.

"In your bag" Lisa said.

"Can you give Y/N a minute?" Adrian asked Marinette, Celine and Ralph. "Or ten?"

"Call us when you're ready" Marinette said before leaving the trailer.

Celine and Ralph followed her out. I took my phone out of my bag, looking at the screen.

Felix(Voicemail)

Felix(Missed Call)

Daniel (Missed Call)

Harry (Missed Call)

Felix called. Felix actually called.

Felix, my ex-boyfriend and once was the love of my life, called me. We rarely talked after our painful breakup but we only called each other when it was important. The last I called him was two months ago, to tell him there was some songs on my album about him. The last time he called me was more than a year ago.

I unlocked my phone and went to my voicemails. I pressed on Felix's name and held my phone up to my ear.

"Hi Y/N" I heard Felix say in a bitter tone. "I called you, hoping we could talk. I should have expected you not to answer. I know you're probably rehearsing or doing an interview now but . . . call when you can. Bye"

I removed my phone from my ear. Adrian and Lisa, who both looked anxious, stared at me.

"What did he want?" Adrian asked me.

"I don't know" I said, feeling a bit scared now. "He said to call him back when I can"

"Don't call him now please" Lisa said. "I know you. One bad call from him and you'll be upset for the rest of today"

"Gotta side with Lisa on this one" Adrian said. "Something tells me this is going to be bad and it's not the five bottles of water in me"

"But it's Felix" I said. "He never calls me. I usually call him"

"So, what are you going to do?" Adrian asked me.

I looked down at my phone.

Felix, the person who I almost had a baby with. Felix, the person who made me happier than anyone has before. Felix, the person who I swore I would marry one day and spend the rest of my life with. Felix, who I needed to call back.

I clicked on his name, holding my phone up to my ear again. The phone rang, each beat making me dread what I would hear from him.

Was he sick? Did he get into an accident? Did he want to get back together? There was only a few reasons he could call, each could be worse than the one before.

"Y/N" I heard Felix say my name as it was the first time.

"Felix" I said, my cheeks blushing a little. "H-hi"

"Hi" Felix said.

"Sorry, I couldn't answer you earlier" I told him. "I'm in the middle of a photoshoot"

"It's alright" Felix said. "Always knew you were up to something when you never could answer my calls"

I smiled to myself. Adrian looked to Lisa, not knowing what to expect.

"So, I guess you didn't call to check up on me" I said.

"No, no, I didn't" Felix said in that same melancholy voice I heard before.

Felix stayed quiet for a few seconds, debating how to tell me his news.

"I've been seeing someone" He said. "It's serious, almost a year"

"Oh, really?" I asked, trying to sound excited for him.

I had a feeling deep down that Felix was going to tell me he was engaged.

"Yeah . . ." Felix said. "And we're expecting. She's pregnant"

I didn't say anything for a few seconds. I felt a little sharp pain in my chest.

"Umm, that's great news" I said, trying not to sound hurt. "I'm happy for you"

"Thank you" Felix said, sounding a bit hurt.

I felt my eyes start to tear up.

"Umm, I have to go. Got another photo to shoot" I told him. "Send my congrats to her too"

"I will" Felix said. "Bye, Y/N"

"Bye" I said, hanging up on him.

I set my phone down on the vanity table nearby. I looked to Adrian and Lisa.

"I take it as bad news" Adrian said.

"No, no" I said, fighting back my tears. "It's great. He's been dating someone for a year and now she's pregnant"

Adrian and Lisa looked to each other, sharing a worried expression.

"I should be happy" I said, trying to stop myself from crying. "Because if I was still with him, I wouldn't have an album out. I would be stuck at home taking care of the baby and not be on tour. I should be happy, right?"

I looked to Lisa, hoping for her to calm me down. I sat down on the couch, burying my head in my hands as I cried.

He was having a baby with someone else. I was supposed to have a baby. His baby. I knew this day would come and we both would eventually get married and have Kids with other people but now? Two years after we lost our baby. I may be oversensitive sometimes but how can someone get over losing a baby that fast? How could he move on that fast? I was depressed for a year and a part of me still is hurting from losing my baby. Hell, it even took me another year just to move on from Felix and date someone else.

She should be me. I was supposed to be her.

I felt someone sit on the couch next to me. I figured it was Lisa from the touch of her hugging me.

"I know it's hard to move on" Lisa said. "But you have to try"

"I've been trying" I told her. "As hard as I do, I'll always think back to him. Us"

"Here" I heard Adrian say.

"Take" Lisa said, putting a tissue in my hand.

I lifted my head up, seeing my tears fall onto my dress. I dried my tears with the tissue, smearing the running mascara on my cheeks.

"I'm happy for him" I said. "I'm really am and I know everything happens for a reason but that should have been me. . . It should have"

"It should" Lisa said. "You're right, it should be you but it's not"

"Nice prep talk" We heard Adrian murmur under his breath.

Lisa looked at him, sending him a death glare. She looked back to me.

"You'll be happy again" Lisa said. "With someone who truly deserves you. It's only a matter of time"

I sniffled, trying to get a hold of my emotions. I dried my face with the tissue again. I looked down on my dress, looking at the stained teardrops on it. I slightly smiled. I looked back up to Lisa.

"Thank you" I said to Lisa. "I think I have to buy this dress. I've stained it"

"You should" Adrian said. "It suits you"

I smiled at him, nodding.

"Can you tell Mari and them to come back?" I asked Adrian.

"Are you sure?" Lisa asked. "You shouldn't do anything unless you feel ready yet"

"I am ready" I told her, taking off my other shoe. "It's a hundred degrees outside. My crying could wait but they can't"

Adrian walked out the trailer. I got up, walking to the vanity table. I took some makeup removal wipes from a pack and started to remove the wet mascara on my face.

"We could quit for the rest of the day if you want" Lisa said. "I could call it off"

"I'm fine" I said. "Not that fine but . . . I could make it through one more photo. I'm lucky to be here. I'm not going to let one bad moment ruin it for me"

Lisa nodded. She was about to speak but Adrian quickly entered the trailer with Marinette, Celine and Ralph.

"One last photo" Adrian said. "Just one more"

#harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fanfic #hs fanfic #hs au #hs imagines #hs imagine #harry styles imagine #harry styles imagines #everytime HS #everytime chapters

[cakesunflower]

satire writing piece

so this is satire piece i wrote for my intermediate fiction writing course last semester. the style of writing and formatting is based on the satire piece The Hit Man by T. Coraghessan Boyle. hope you enjoy it!

The Vampire

The 19th Century

The Vampire wasn’t born a vampire—no one ever is. She was born into a prominent family in their small town in Boston. The only child of a woman who loved her unconditionally and a man who wanted a son to take over the family business of hunting bloodthirsty creatures while he remained in the position of the town’s council. She helps her mother tend to the garden and isn’t afraid of running around with the neighborhood boys to kick around a ball. Her cheeks are rosy and her laughter melodic, enough to make anyone within earshot smile, except for her father. Her father can’t stand to look at her. He can’t stand to look at his wife for failing to provide him with a son. So he takes his anger out on them until her mother hangs herself and she is left with no sense of protection other than hoping she doesn’t anger her father. She is not the girl her mother loved; she is quiet and distant and cold. She is becoming her father and she wishes to stop.

Her First Love

The Vampire is 19 when she meets the man she marries. He’s a handsome, rich boy who never witnesses her rosy cheeks but is impressed with her cricket skills and adores her sarcastic sense of humor. She ignores him when he first approaches her, untrusting of men stemming from the paternal abuse she spent years enduring. He’s got money, so he’s got her father’s approval—mostly to get her out of the house. She likes him, an emotion she doesn’t understand why she allowed herself to feel. He’s subtle in his ways of courting her, and despite the dry attitude she adopted over the years, she can feel him breaking past it.

Giving In

She falls in love, despite not wanting to, and marries him. At least she escapes her father. But behind the attractive face of her 21 year old husband is a 95 year old vampire—but she doesn’t care because she loves him. So she lets him feed off of her and he, in turn, gives her his blood so she can heal. The blood in her cheek blooms once again after he feeds her, and he loves her more for her unconditional loyalty.

Sincerity

In the near century I have lived, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve rested my gaze upon, he tells her in genuine honesty.

No man has made her feel as significant and worthy as him.

Blush

The rosiness of her cheeks returns when she is with him.

Their Death / Her Revival

Her father finds out that his son-in-law’s a vampire. He gathers the hunting council and, in the middle of a cold November night, slaughters his daughter and her husband.

But she had her husband’s blood running through her system. And when a human dies of vampire blood in her veins, they are turned.

Vengeance

The newly turned Vampire wakes in bed, her husband’s chest hollow of the heart she loves and both of their blood staining their bodies and the floral bedsheets. There’s a sharp ache in her head and a ringing in her ears, and the metallic scent of blood is overpowered by the smell of her father she can still recognize. She cries, hugging the body of her husband, his pale skin sickly, smearing his blood against her face as she sobs into his neck. The man she loves was taken by the man she grew up to despise, and she knows what she must do.

Feed

The first person the Vampire feeds on to complete the transitioning process is her father. She drains him of his blood, not a drop left, and grieves her poor mother and loving husband.

21st Century

The Vampire is 180 years old in the year 2019. She lives in London. She’s cultured; lived in almost every state, in parts of Canada, a year in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower, a couple of months on a houseboat in Amsterdam. She’s learned the art of vampiric compulsion, uses it on landlords and renters to obtain places to live all these years. She doesn’t need money, not when she can mentally and physically overpower everyone she encounters.

Predator vs Prey

She hunts mostly at night to quell her thirst. She justifies it because she needs the blood to live. She justifies it because no one will miss a middle aged man eyeing the drunk young woman who stumbles out of a bar from the dark of an alley, a knife in hand ready to have her submit to him. The Vampire compels him to silence before sinking her teeth into his skin, draining him of his blood, leaving just enough to use his own knife against his neck. She slices from the puncture marks across the length of his neck, hiding the marks she had left. Now he just looks like someone jumped him. No one suspects a thing.

Wrong Choice

The Vampire is thirsty again the next night. As expected. She hunts for a potential target. But near a back alley, her heightened hearing picks up on the unmistakable sound of a feeding taking place. She hasn’t been around another vampire in months—she tried not to stick around them too much. The Vampire wanders into the alley, unafraid, watching as another fed on a human compliant only because he’s been compelled into submission. This other creatures senses her, allows the body to drop lifelessly. The blood smears his mouth and she thinks it’s a stunning sight, just like the gleam of his eyes through the darkness surrounding them.

Intrigue

The stranger has been a vampire for almost 200 years. She thinks it’s a betrayal to her dead husband to be attracted to this other vampire. But a near century is a terribly long time to be lonely.

Second Chance

His interest in her goes beyond her own immortality; he wants to know everything about her, from her sorrowful childhood and the loss of her husband to her embracing her vampirism. She tells him. He tells her everything, too. They even hunt together. There’s something sinfully sensual in feeding on one human together.

Immortal Love

He is the Vampire’s second chance. Her husband is someone she holds dearly in her heart and memory. He had shown her that the world had love to offer her. Her vampire lover, in turn, is the one who makes her feel alive even in death. The rosiness of her cheeks was because of him, not the blood she drank.

There is no better way for the Vampire to spend the rest of her immortal life than to go around the world, dropping bodies with her vampire soulmate, and do it all over again.

#satire #satire writing #writing #fiction writing #fiction #vampire #supernatural #immortal